As the world heads towards a neo-hegemonic phase dominated by China and the USA, it becomes an imperative for us to understand and analyse the future of multilateralism. In the contemporary times, the prominent multilateral institutions in the world are gradually losing their significance and relevance, like the United Nations. Inaction by the international institutions, growing discontent for international liberal order, lack of faith in dispute resolution mechanisms of international institutions and the dwindling relativism of International morality are some of the reasons for the decline in the culture of multilateralism in the world.
A
discussion in the international sphere, especially amongst the European and
American powers is taking place with regards to the future that lies in the multilateral
institutions. This is happening because of a reversal trend of multilateralism.
Due to several infringements and pressure points emerging between Russia,
European Union, China and USA, the foreign policy and diplomatic strategy of
these countries have become quite assertive and aggressive in nature. With
Russia eyeing to expand its sphere of influence in the central Asian region, China’s
ambition to become the next super power in the world, USA trying retain its
status as a leading global power and, Europe caught up in the web of its
Geopolitical complexities confronting the desires and ambitions of the US,
Russia and China triad, the Indian Subcontinent, Africa, middle east and East
Asia have become in many ways the pawns the game played by this hegemonic
triad. This is leading to several deadlocks and roadblocks in the international
order. Institutions like WTO (World Trade Organization) have become cartelised because
of its voting system that always favours the powerful economics and imposes unfair
strictures upon the developing world. Even though new multilateral frameworks such
as G20 and G7 have been able to bring up some stability in addressing the
concerns and issues of geopolitics and geo-economics, concrete legal and
institutional framework is yet to be developed. The multilateral system is now under stress, its core goals and values
are being challenged in variety of quarters. The political discontent with
multilateralism in several developed western countries such as the USA, UK and
France can be attributed with the failure of global governance in the
post-Bretton Woods system to prevent the issues of slow growth rate, massive
underdevelopment, rising inequality, falling labour force participation, rising
migration, social fragmentation and job insecurity associated with the process
of globalization and rapid automation.
Since
the past two to three decades, it has been largely acknowledged by several
major countries that the existing multilateral system needs to be reformed due to
swift changes in the economic, demographic and political significance and
relevance of developed and emerging economies. Political rigidities in
multilateral organizations charged with overseeing economic globalization –
such as the IMF, World Bank, UN, WTO and others – have prevented adequate
reform.
The
resulting disenchantment with the formal multilateralism has led to the
consideration of several alternatives, such as the parallel pursuit of
bilateral deals or cooperation that is restricted to compatible or
geographically imminent countries. Most of these alternatives have little chances
of completely overhauling and restructuring multilateralism, however, since a
globalized world facing global confrontations requires an open, rules-based
international order make sure that the system works fairly for all nations and
people. What is needed is to find the right balance between true
multilateralism, defined as universal rules of the game, supported by numerous
plurilateral agreements that permit greater flexibility to move an agenda
forward when universal consensus cannot, or need not, be achieved.
The
challenge is to design a set of legitimate, widely agreed general rules of
engagement and negotiations, administered with impartiality by the
representative and accountable arbiter institutions, such that all nations: (1)
refrain from harming the others by not executing economic apartheid policies
that empowers one country at the cost of the other (2) finding internal
resolutions for cross-border spillages of an economic crisis that might
adversely impact a foreign nation, (3) find avenues for cooperation and
improvement of relations based on common and shared values (4) Improving
cooperation in the provision of global public goods, (5) promoting the global
economic growth and development, and (6) tackle the inherent global problems
meanwhile retaining ample flexibility to accommodate a wide range of possibly
divergent domestic policies, economic models, and paths of development.
Understanding India’s role:
Even
before the Independence, India had played a very important role in promoting multilateralism;
India was amongst the founding member of the UN (United Nations) and supported
all the global initiatives taken for establishing a new multilateral world
order post the World War 2. India played an active role in the initiatives like
de-colonization, non-discrimination on racial and class distinctions, support
of the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa, women empowerment agenda,
promotion of gender equality and in the drafting of the Universal declaration
of Human Rights in the UN Human Rights Commission. It’s interesting to note
that Mrs Hansa Jivraj Mehta, who was the Indian delegate on the UN Human Hights
Commission, was responsible for changing the language of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights from “all men are created equal” to “all human
beings are created equal”, highlighting the need for gender equality. But as
the times evolved and changed giving rise to cold war politics were India, it initially
tried to remain non aligned form both the Soviet and the American camp, but eventually
was sitting in the Soviet Camp by the late 1960’s due to its strategic and
geopolitical compulsions. With the decline and fall of the Soviet Union and liberalisation
of India’s economy in the 1990’s, India was ready to surge ahead with
initiating and actively participating in several multilateral forums. With an
active role in the G20 initiative and by navigating through several challenges
in BRICS and SCO, India’s participation in the multilateral sphere has been
successful. Despite this success India is unable to achieve any strategic
milestones that would aid us in our national interests. In fact the very models
of development and growth propounded by the western countries, that form the
basis for liberal international order and multilateralism. The foundations of
western philosophy that stresses on rationalism, methodological individualism,
and Judeo-Christian values, and are not having compatibility with the eastern
and Indic philosophical frameworks, which is based on dharmic values. The Chinese,
Japanese and the South East Asian models and approaches to development and international
engagement are also quite different from the western model. The dominant western
countries must not impose its ‘one size fits all model’ upon the whole world.
Recognising the shortcomings of the multilateral institutions on the economic
front, the global economic commute has more or less accepted the view that the
western models are not suitable as a universal standard. India too has not been
able to conceptualise its goals and contribute to the process of restructuring
multilateral institutions. There are several gaps between the conceptualisation
and Implementation of the policy goals, followed by, lack of specialised
intellectual human capacity in foreign affairs, lack of focused negotiators on
ground, lack of priority of resource allocation and a clear lack of leadership
in the multilateral institutions. It’s quite disappointing to know that several
norms and rules are being put in place where India would have no role in
framing of such rules or norms. Later lamenting of its universal applicability which
would not serve India’s interest would be wasted efforts.
Most
of these issues are a part of internal lack of clarity on the doctrine of
Indian foreign policy and the lack of discipline in the institutional
structures and framework of the external affairs. It’s high time for India to
bring about a paradigm shift in its foreign policy to successfully address the
global concerns and issues of multilateralism. India being a major aspiring
power in the world, must actively engage in reviving a healthy global order
based on liberal multilateral institutional framework. If India doesn’t show interest
in promoting multilateralism, there is every chance that it could get
fragmented and eventually stagnate itself in silos.
Comments
Post a Comment