Experts have highlighted that the erosion of multilateralism is occurring at a time when the world urgently needs coordinated global action.
- Multilateralism refers to coordinated action among at least three actors to address common problems beyond individual capacity.
Erosion of Multilateralism
- Reduced effectiveness of Global Organisation: E.g., Blocking of new Appellate Body appointments by US, leaving appeals unresolved and enforcement delayed.
- Withdrawal from Global Frameworks: E.g., US withdrew from the Human Rights Council and UNESCO
- Resolving Conflicts- E.g., Failure of UN to resolve Russia-Ukraine Conflict
- Rise of Minilateralism and regional partnership: Due to delayed decision making in multilateral institutions, nations are shifting towards mini-lateral. E.g., BRICS, Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), etc.
- Other: Imposing unilateral economic sanctions, protectionist policies, etc.
Way Ahead
- Institutional Overhaul- E.g., reforming the UNSC to grant veto power to countries such as India, Japan, and Brazil, to make it more representative and effective.
- Addressing New and Emerging Global Challenges: Establish new global standards in evolving areas such as digitalization and artificial intelligence.
- Other: Addressing Global South Priorities (e.g., climate finance), addressing protectionist policies, etc.
