MULTILATERALISM

NEWS – The increased interconnectedness of the world has compelled nations to collaborate through multilateral platforms to address shared global challenges—trade, climate change, migration, debt crises, and geopolitical conflicts. The 2025 G20 Summit in South Africa, despite US objections, revived debates on the relevance and future of multilateralism.

UNDERSTANDING MULTILATERALISM

Definition

• Multilateralism refers to cooperation among three or more states on the basis of shared rules, norms, and institutional frameworks.
• It emerged strongly after
  • World War I → League of Nations (1920)
  • World War II → United Nations (1945)

Key Features

• Rules-based international order founded on liberal values
  • democracy
  • open markets
  • institutionalised cooperation
• Scholarly perspectives
  • Robert O. Keohane: coordination of national policies by three or more states
  • John Gerard Ruggie: reliance on generalised principles of conduct

Mechanisms

• International institutions such as
  • UN, WTO, IMF, World Bank
• Formal agreements, treaties, and global norms shaped collectively

WHY MULTILATERALISM IS UNDER STRAIN

Major Challenges

• Great-power rivalry (US–China tensions, Russia–West confrontation)
• De-globalisation trends weakening trade and technology flows
• Populist nationalism prioritising sovereignty over cooperation
• Institutional paralysis in bodies like the WTO Appellate Body
• Inequities in global governance prompting calls for reform from developing countries, including India

Impact

• Delay in consensus on global issues such as
  • climate finance
  • energy transition
  • global health governance
  • debt restructuring for vulnerable economies

MULTILATERALISM VS BILATERALISM VS UNILATERALISM

• Multilateralism → Collective decision-making through shared rules
• Bilateralism → Cooperation between two states, often issue-specific
• Unilateralism → Independent action by a single country to further national interests
  • Example: unilateral tariffs imposed by the US

CONCLUSION

The 2025 G20 Declaration, despite geopolitical tensions, reaffirms that multilateralism remains indispensable. Yet its future depends on meaningful reforms that make global institutions more inclusive, representative, and responsive to 21st-century challenges.