Multilateralism and the New World Order

HRH Prince Turki AlFaisal, Chairman of the Board, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies*

First let me thank the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po for the kind invitation to be this important summit. It is a pleasure being with you all. I have put my initial thoughts on our theme in a few points for discussion.

My first point is: Our world is an interdependent world. Globalization with all its good and bad aspects solidified this fact. We are reminded every day of the oneness of our humanity. This calls upon us all to rethink where we are heading. The Covid-19 pandemic was not the last pandemic humanity will face in the future. Common issues like climate change, poverty, nuclear proliferation, wars and inequality between people and nations require new thinking to overcome the challenges facing the world, including the challenge of global transformation. All these urgent issues require multilateralism not unilateralism, not nationalism, not power politics, not self-aggrandizement and not me first posturing. The irony is that the challenge to the post WWII multilateral architecture comes from the very countries that designed that architecture.

If the purpose of multilateralism is to ensure prosperity within peaceful environments, then we ought to rejoice for having found a successful paradigm. Yet, we are confronted with fresh unilateralist challenges that can sharply reduce, if not eliminate, most of the recent progress in our world. This is our great challenge.

My second point is: When talking about Multilateralism, I have referred to our co-panelist here HE Mrs. María Fernanda Espinosa who stated on 5 April 2019, that the “United Nations are the very center of multilateralism and of a vision that responds to the hopes and aspirations of all peoples: a more prosperous and peaceful world that leaves no one behind.” She added, the “Parliament of humanity,” her designation of the UN General Assembly, “gave birth to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and all the conventions, compacts and statements that encompass all aspects of development, peace and human rights.”

I, like many others, acknowledge that multilateralism is under pressure, as global polarization increases, and as fear takes over many developed societies. High popular expectations, mistrust in national and international systems and institutions, and various political and economic uncertainties, are all the ingredients that are promoting extreme nationalism and isolationism, which is ironic since most of those societies benefited from multilateral initiatives and are likely to continue to prosper in union rather than in isolation.

My third point is: Retreating from the advancement of a rule based international multilateralism by the same powers that were preaching its benefits is the cause of concern about the future of our world. Subjecting globalism and Multilateralism to the interests of a few powers and multinational cooperations is behind all the doubts arising nowadays about the “International Liberal Economic Order” and about the “Rule-based Liberal International Order” all over the world. This makes the issue of the withering of the national state in the discourse of globalist liberal thinking obsolete. National states will remain the guarantor of their national interests in each case.

My fourth point is: In a transforming moment in the geopolitical environment, domestic, and international politics is the source of risks not only for multilateralism, monopoly of key technologies, and supply chains; but for security interests, competitiveness and the necessary green transition as well. Since polarization is the order of international politics of today, there is no way out of this impasse without reforming our “broken Liberal International Order”. The rules and norms of this Order are not respected by the same powers that created them. Therefore, the crises facing “the International Liberal Economic Order” reflect the crises of the International Order. Without fixing our world structure, international and national economic security will always be under threat of sliding into conflicts and possibly wars. The invasion of Iraq, the invasion of Ukraine, and the onslaught on Gaza are examples of many conflicts and wars since 1945.

Fixing or reforming our world structure is imperative for world peace, security and a flourishing multilateralism and this cannot be realized without accepting the fact that our world is multipolar, and the interest of all countries must be respected. Inclusivity and going back to multilateralism are the way out of risking the loss of the human achievements of the last few decades. The good onus of multilateralism is that it can encourage dialogue and genuine collaboration if given a chance. Presumably, alliances and teamwork are good things, and that cooperation under a Rules-based System is a worthy paradigm for mankind to implement. The world deserves such a model.

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*These are the remarks delivered by HRH Prince Turki AlFaisal, Chairman of the Board, King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, at the panel session 'Multilateralism and the New World Order' at the 10th Edition of the Youth & Leaders Summit, Paris School of International Affairs.