The future of multilateralism in a fragmented world

Born from the ashes of two world wars, the United Nations was created as a platform to safeguard peace, ensure respect for international law, and foster development through collective action. Yet in 2025, the very ideals that underpin multilateralism are under assault.The international landscape is in turmoil. Governance deficits are widening, and old patterns of domination continue to undermine cooperation. Emerging markets and developing nations, the Global South, remain sidelined, underrepresented in decision-making structures that still reflect outdated power dynamics.The erosion of the UN’s authority is visible. Resolutions of the Security Council are openly contested, while unilateral sanctions imposed outside international law have disrupted global order. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development lags dangerously behind, as the world battles climate change, the digital divide, and the governance gaps in new frontiers like artificial intelligence, cyberspace, and outer space.China, as a permanent member of the Security Council and the world’s largest developing country, has called for a recommitment to the principles that anchor global cooperation. Its Global Governance Initiative (GGI) sets out five core commitments: sovereign equality, the rule of international law, multilateralism, a people-centred approach, and real results.At its heart, the message is clear: global governance must not be dictated by the unilateralism of a few but built collectively, reflecting the aspirations of the many. “GlAll should decide the global governance system built by all, and the fruits of governance shared by all,” the initiative emphasises, underscoring that the UN must be strengthened, not weakened.Tangible outcomesChina stresses that reform does not mean discarding the current international system but revitalising it to deliver tangible outcomes, especially for developing nations. The Global South demands recognition, not tokenism; representation, not rhetoric.The four Chinese initiatives —the Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilisation Initiative, and now the Global Governance Initiative —form a blueprint for inclusive progress. They insist on shared responsibility in areas where governance is weakest: financial systems, climate change, AI, trade, cyberspace, and outer space.As humanity becomes increasingly interconnected, the choice is stark: cling to outdated unilateral practices that breed conflict and inequality, or embrace multilateralism as the only credible path to peace, prosperity, and progress.Eighty years on, the UN must prove it can still serve as the core platform for global governance. The time has come to move away from Western-dominated frameworks and commit fully to a multilateral order that respects sovereignty, upholds international law, and delivers for all.

The future of multilateralism in a fragmented world

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-12

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The future of multilateralism in a fragmented world

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Namibian Sun 2026-01-12

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