After decades of economic integration, the world seems to be fragmenting again, epitomized best, perhaps, by the return of geopolitics, protectionism, unilateral sanctions, treaty withdrawals, and even military and economic coercions. The war in Ukraine seemed to further deepen this impression of a suffering international order especially in the Wider Atlantic, where a difference of views divides the West and the global South. Concomitantly, institutions of multilateralism, such as the United Nations and its manifold agencies, have been criticized for their lack of efficiency and their institutional sclerosis. They have, additionally, been challenged by the global South, notably the African continent, for their unfair governing structures with increasing pressures to add two African seats to the Security Council. Unlike countries of the northern Atlantic, the southern Atlantic still lacks mechanisms of effective collaboration and the willingness to align positions on the international scene.
- How can we bridge the gap between positions and posture between the global South and the global North?
- Is the Wider Atlantic a viable space for cooperation and dialogue between states?
- Is multilateralism in need of a global reform? What is the role of the global South in this overhaul?
Adoption of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) Doctrine at the United Nations’ 2005 World Summit constituted a watershed moment for international diplomacy and multilateralism. With multiple pillars, R2P was established to ensure that the international community was better placed to act in the face of mass atrocity. Unfortunately, R2P’s poor implementation, and weaponization that has undermined its precepts, have seen it displaced from the holistic framework of state-building and conflict prevention in which it belongs. While it is clear that R2P has benefits as a doctrine, it can be reconsidered to a limited extent to ensure its functioning is optimized, including through United Nations Security Council reform. The UN General Assembly recently adopting a resolution by consensus that calls for a post-veto General Assembly meeting is a positive step on which progress can be built.
With the intensification of globalization dynamics, risks to the stability of the international system have grown to the extent that formerly localized threats are no longer locally containable. Ethnic conflicts, infectious diseases, climate change, food insecurity, and other pressing threats, are increasingly threatening global security and stability, prompting doubts about the ability of the current global governance order to respond to the challenges plaguing the 21st century. In this podcast, Marcus de Freitas, Senior Fellow at the Policy Center for the New South, discusses all these pressing issues.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations, the Policy Center for the New South is pleased to organize a series of webinars to discuss key themes related to the role of the UN on the international scene. Moderator: Mohammed Loulichki, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South Speakers: - Yonas Adeto, Director, Institute for Peace and Security Studies - Rida Lyammouri, Senior Fellow, Policy Center for the New South - Salma Daoudi, Research Assistant in International Relations, Policy Center for the New South - Leonardo Parraga, Executive Director, The Bogotart Foundation (ADEL Alumnus).
The interconnectedness and interdependence between countries around the world resulting from the rise of globalization has become a double-edged sword. On the positive side it has influenced socio-economic development, but it has also led to uncertainties that disrupt societies in terms of their social, political, and economic structures. How COVID-19 has disrupted the geopolitical landscape? Are existing institutions well equipped to steer the international response? How can global flows and value chains be protected from collapsing? Moderator : Ian Lesser, Vice President & Executive Director, Brussels, German Marshal Fund of the United States Speakers : - Bronwyn Bruton, Director of Programs & Studies, Atlantic Council - Paolo Magri, Executive Vice President and Director, Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) - Zhou Yuyuan, Senior Fellow, Shanghai Institutes for International Studies.