Multilateralism: Upholding a Rules-Based Global Order in a Fragmenting World

Syllabus: GS2/International Relations

Context

• Recently, India reaffirmed its unwavering commitment to multilateralism and collective global action, following the USA’s announcement to withdraw from 66 international organisations, including the India-France-led International Solar Alliance (ISA).

About Multilateralism

• Multilateralism refers to a mode of cooperation where three or more countries work together on common issues, based on shared rules, norms, and institutional frameworks.
• It brings multiple states into collective engagement to address global challenges, rather than acting alone (unilateralism) or with just one partner (bilateralism).
  • Multilateral cooperation is central to addressing global and cross-border challenges.
• Key characteristics include:
  • Collective decision-making through agreed norms and procedures.
  • Shared responsibility and reciprocity among participating states.
  • Institutional legitimacy through international organizations such as the UN.

Historical Evolution

• World War I & II:  The ‘League of Nations’ took the shape and further establishment of the United Nations and other global bodies.
  • The period of World Wars saw the establishment of many permanent multilateral institutions like the UN, WHO, IMF, and World Bank to govern peace, security, economics, and development.

Principles of Multilateralism

• Inclusivity: Participation of a broad set of states on equal terms.
• Consultation and coordination: States consult and negotiate before decisions are made.
• Shared norms and reciprocity: Members agree to norms that govern interactions and balance obligations.
• Institutional frameworks: International organizations act as platforms for negotiation and implementation.
  • These principles distinguish multilateralism from ad-hoc alliances or regional cooperation that may lack universal norms.

Why Is Multilateralism Important For the Current World Order?

• Addresses Global Challenges No Nation Can Solve Alone: Multilateral cooperation is the only effective way to coordinate responses and share solutions equitably for problems like climate change, pandemics, terrorism, poverty, and migration.
• Helps Maintain Peace and Security: Post-World War II institutions like the UN were designed to prevent future global conflicts by promoting dialogue, negotiation, and conflict resolution.
  • It reduces the risk of unilateral aggression and fosters stability.
• Promotes a Rules-Based, Stable Global Order: Institutions such as the WTO and UN frameworks ensure that trade, human rights, and development goals are negotiated and upheld fairly.
• Enhances Cooperation and Trust Among States: Multilateral forums like the G20, BRICS, and UNGA give small and large states equal voice in shaping global agendas.
  • It builds collective legitimacy and shared responsibility, making policies more durable and equitable.
• Promotes Global Development Goals: Sustainable development, health, and education initiatives often depend on international funding, knowledge sharing, and coordinated policy frameworks derived from multilateral agreements.

What Are the Concerns & Issues Surrounding Multilateralism?

• Geopolitical Rivalries & Great Power Competition: Great-power tensions between the USA, China, Russia, and other major states are complicating consensus in multilateral forums.
  • For example, the USA’s decision to withdraw from multiple international organizations including many linked to the UN system highlights a shift toward unilateral decision-making and skepticism about institutional effectiveness.
• Rise of Nationalism & Protectionism Policies: These are pushing countries to prioritize domestic interests over collective action, undermining cooperative frameworks.
  • Protectionist trade measures, decoupling strategies in tech and supply chains, and nationalist rhetoric make it harder to sustain binding multilateral agreements.
• Institutional Legitimacy & Representation Gaps: Bodies like the UNSC  and some Bretton Woods institutions retain power structures shaped in the post-WWII era, leading many developing nations to argue for reform.
  • Disparities in influence, where Western powers have disproportionate leverage, can undermine the perceived legitimacy of these institutions, making consensus and fairness harder to achieve.
• Operational Weaknesses & Slow Decision Making: Decision protocols (such as unanimity or consensus) can slow down action when urgency is required, as seen in climate negotiations, pandemic response coordination, and trade disputes.
  • The deadlock over ambitious climate commitments at COP30 illustrated how divergent national priorities translate into watered-down multilateral agreements.
• Funding, Resource Constraints & Operational Pressures: Funding shortfalls (e.g., recent efforts to defund UN Human Rights Work) can weaken institutions’ ability to carry out mandates effectively, eroding confidence in collective action.
• Global South Vulnerabilities & Inequality: The Global South may bear disproportionate impacts of climate change, pandemics, and economic shocks yet lack influence commensurate with their needs.
• Fragmentation & Emergence of Alternative Cooperation Models: Bilateral and regional/group arrangements (minilateralism) are increasingly common as countries seek more agile decision-making.
  • They risk fragmenting international cooperation and creating overlapping, sometimes conflicting, governance frameworks.
• Technological & Issue-Specific Challenges: Difficulties in forming global consensus on digital governance (e.g., AI regulations, data rules) reflect competing national policies and priorities.
  • Complex cross-border problems such as pandemics, cyber threats, and supply chain disruptions require cooperation that current multilateral structures sometimes fail to deliver efficiently.

How India Proactively Reaffirms Multilateralism?

• Constitution of India & India’s Commitment: The constitutional directive to promote international peace and cooperation, uphold international law, and encourage the settlement of disputes through dialogue and arbitration(Article 51; DPSP).
  • It provides a foundational normative basis for India’s proactive multilateral engagement on issues from peace to trade.
• India & Rules-Based Global Order: India publicly reaffirms commitment to rules-based cooperation, even as some major powers retreat from international bodies or act unilaterally.
  • India believes that global issues require consultative, cooperative action, not unilateralism and continue to assert support for a rules-based global economic system.
• Multi-Forum Engagement:
  • United Nations (UN): India works through the UN on peacekeeping, development agendas like SDGs, human rights dialogues, and security collaborations.
  • World Trade Organization (WTO): Advocacy on trade rules and dispute mechanisms.
  • G20 / BRICS / SCO / Quad: Engages across diverse multilateral and plurilateral platforms to address economic, health, climate, and security challenges.
• Leading Institutional Reform and Engagement: India has repeatedly called for reform of key multilateral institutions like UNSC, WTO, G20 to make them more equitable, representative, and relevant to contemporary global challenges.
  • These efforts aim to modernise and revitalise multilateral institutions, reinforcing their legitimacy rather than abandoning them under pressure.
• Indian-Hosted Dialogues (Raisina Dialogue): It strengthens India’s voice on global issues and bridges North–South and global South priorities.
• Issue-Based Multilateral Initiatives:
  • Climate and energy: Co-founder of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), coalition of 125 countries, to accelerate solar energy adoption.
  • Development Cooperation: Indian foreign policy emphasizes partnerships with Global South countries for sustainable development, infrastructure, and capacity building.
  • South-South cooperation: India pushes for development internationalism and shared advancement through BRICS, IBSA, India-Africa Forum.

Source: ANI