Cilj pričujočega članka je nasloviti relevantnost MacBridovega poročila za mednarodne odnose, in sicer v kontekstu dejavnikov, ki vplivajo na razvoj mednarodne skupnosti v smeri večje ...demokratičnosti. Na podlagi elementov strukture sodobne mednarodne skupnosti članek pokaže, da je kljub izjemnemu razvoju na znanstveno-tehnološkem področju, ki omogoča preseganje razlik v mednarodni skupnosti, ta še vedno razvita asimetrično. Ker v mednarodnih odnosih poteka boj za vpliv, ob hkratnem nesprejemanju solidarnosti, številni problemi ostajajo nerešeni oziroma se poglabljajo. Dobrobiti komunikacij in informacijske tehnologije so v takih okoliščinah predmet enakih nesoglasij kot v obdobju nastajanja MacBridovega poročila - namesto da bi tehnološki razvoj uporabili za odpravljanje razlik v mednarodni skupnosti, tudi v okviru mednarodnih organizacij, ga države in novi (nedržavni) akterji, zlasti multinacionalna podjetja, uporabljajo za utrjevanje svojih položajev ter posledično za povečevanje razlik med revnimi in bogatimi. Sporočilnost MacBridovega poročila je tako enaka kot pred 35 leti.
The article seeks to address the relevancy of the MacBride Report for international relations. It does so in the context of factors that can influence the development of a more democratic international community. Deriving from the structure of the contemporary international community, the article demonstrates that this community has developed asymmetrically, in spite of the unprecedented development in the fields of science and technology. As the international community is characterised by competition for influence, and the inability to implement solidarity, numerous problems remain unresolved. In such circumstances, the benefits of communications and information technology are just as conflictual as they were at the time of the writing of the MacBride Report. Instead of using technology to eliminate inequality, including through the work of international organisations, technology tends to be used by states and new (non-state) actors such as multinational companies, to strengthen their positions. This only reinforces the gap between the developed and the poor. The key messages of the MacBride Report are therefore just as relevant today as they were 35 years ago.
