Ilias Alami, Tom Chodor, and Jack Taggart in Phenomenal World:
More than three decades ago, John Ruggie offered a definition of one of the most vexed terms in political science. Multilateralism, he wrote, was a group of “institutional forms which coordinate relations among three or more states on the basis of generalized principles of conduct” and operate “without regard to the particularistic interests of the parties or the strategic exigencies that may exist in any specific occurrence.” Today, amid rapidly resurgent economic nationalism and increasing geopolitical tension, it has become clear that the postwar system of multilateral institutions is under direct and sustained assault—often from its erstwhile sponsors.
In trade, the US’ obstruction of the WTO system has rendered the global regime dysfunctional, contributing to deepening protectionism and the multiplication of trade restrictions. In security, the UN notes that “paralysis in the Security Council and deliberations of disarmament bodies, as well as persistent geopolitical rivalries, are alarming signs of a multilateralism that has run out of steam.” The credibility of international law has foundered, as Israel and Russia have blatantly dismissed rulings and injunctions from the UN and the International Court of Justice. The UN Secretary General has affirmed that the institution faces “imminent financial collapse” as over 80 percent of states have not paid their membership fees to the organization.
NATO likewise faces existential threats from within its own ranks, while remilitarization has deepened fragmentation in security arrangements. In global health, the politicization of vaccine distribution during the Covid-19 pandemic exposed the empty promise of multilateralism in responding to major global crises. Climate governance is in peril, with UN environmental conferences captured by fossil fuel interests and the second Trump Administration engaging in prolific climate obstructionism.
In short, multilateral cooperation has been thrown into visible disarray across a number of issue areas, as leading states increasingly pursue unilateral actions, obstruct mechanisms, and bypass or disengage from traditional institutions. What explains this turn against multilateralism, and what might take shape in their place?
More here.
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