Global Courant 2023-04-15 08:30:00
The world order has undergone remarkable shifts over the past century, and the end of the Cold War ushered in a unipolar world. But the new millennium and the rise of multipolarity have created significant obstacles to cooperation.
A response to these challenges is the growing popularity of ‘minilateralism’, a concept of international relations in which small groups of countries work together to solve problems or pursue common goals.
A clear example of minilateralism occurred when the United Arab Emirates, India and France recently announced their shared commitment to cooperate through a trilateral framework in various areas such as defence, energy and technology.
The capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, has also signed mini-lateral partnerships with India to create a information and communication technology center in Ethiopia and with Israel to advance a healthcare facility in Ghana.
In addition, the UAE, along with Indonesia and five other countries, launched the Mangrove Alliance for Climate at COP27 in Egypt. The alliance aims to increase the conservation and restoration of mangrove ecosystems.
While minilateralism has its risks, such as the potential to exacerbate power imbalances, it also has the potential to be a flexible and innovative approach to diplomacy, particularly when addressing global challenges such as climate change, healthcare and food security.
The emergence of medium powers – states with moderate influence on the international scene – and rapid technological advances make it clear that minilateralism is here to stay and a viable way forward for countries that want to tackle problems that cannot be tackled in isolation.
Outdated international relations formula
For much of the 20th century, global diplomacy was largely shaped by a bipolar international system, in which the superpowers held sway over most of the world’s political and economic resources. Then, in the early 1990s, the world shifted to a unipolar system, with the United States assuming the role of sole world leader.
But that era is now over and we are witnessing a new shift in traditional international relations. The Covid-19 pandemic has exposed humanity’s vulnerabilities and the inadequacy of the current multilateral system in addressing global health crises. Climate change has also become an increasingly pressing challenge to humanity’s survival.
Both crises have forced us to question how nations can work together to face problems that no country can handle alone.
Despite the growing demand for cooperation, the existing system of international relations struggles under the weight of longstanding and emerging geopolitical rivalries.
For example, the Russian invasion of Ukraine reintroduced protracted land wars on the European continent, a development many believed to be a relic of history. In addition, the looming trade and technology divide between the US and China has significant implications for much of the world.
In addition, the meteoric rise of artificial intelligence and the pressing problem of food scarcity in many parts of the world further complicate the mix of problems that world leaders must address.
Overall, the challenges facing the world seem daunting and seemingly insurmountable. Traditional collaborative systems are crumbling. A new approach is needed.
Shared interests
Minilateralism is not a new concept. From the Concert of Europe in the early 1800s to the Quad (Australia, India, Japan and the US) today, minilateralism has been around for years. However, its prominence has increased at a time when major world powers are grappling with major conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine and the growing rift between the US and China.
The remarkable feature of minilateralism is its emphasis on shared interests rather than shared values or ideological alignment. As a result, countries can work together on critical issues without having to agree on everything or have the same worldview.
The recently established International Solar Alliance, headquartered in India, illustrates this well. The ISA is a coalition of 121 countries, mainly in the developing world and including the UAE, with a common goal to promote solar energy and combat climate change. The ISA illustrates how different nations can work together to achieve a common goal, regardless of their ideological or religious differences.
In the Middle East in particular, minilateralism has gained popularity as many countries grapple with the consequences of decades of conflict, instability and foreign intervention. In this context, states are increasingly seeking to form partnerships and coalitions to help them address shared challenges.
The historic 2020 Abraham Accords not only normalized relations between Israel and three key Arab states, but also opened the door to new forms of cooperation that were previously unthinkable. The budding Negev forumbringing the US together with Israel, the UAE, Egypt, Morocco and Bahrain in a new regional cooperation framework is another example.
One of the benefits of minilateralism is that it can be more flexible and flexible than traditional diplomatic channels.
In 2021, India, Israel, UAE and US announced a “Partnership for the Future” which soon became known as the I2U2 format. This innovative inter-regional initiative was designed to encourage non-traditional cooperation. While it took 15 years from its founding for leaders to meet in Japan in 2022, the first I2U2 summit, albeit virtual, took place less than a year after its founding.
Abu Dhabi and New Delhi have both emphasized the economic benefits of such cooperation stating that “the economy offers the best way to achieve peace, security and progress” and that “by mobilizing the mutual strengths of our countries.. we can accelerate our agenda and contribute significantly to the global economy.”
Israel has also stressed that “in the 21st century, the challenges are local, but the solutions are global”. justify the need for such cooperation.
The importance of building a network of minilateral connections is perhaps most apparent in the Arabian Gulf region. As the prosperity of the Gulf states is heavily dependent on the security of maritime routes and global supply chains, establishing such connections around the world could be critical to ensuring everyone has a stake in the region’s stability .
For Gulf states, minilateralism is currently a strategic imperative with significant implications for their security, competitiveness and prosperity.
The Anwar Gargash Diplomatic Academy (AGDA) in Abu Dhabi, which I lead, has hosted several Track II discussions to explore new partnerships between the UAE, South Korea, Japan, Singapore and Israel. These discussions focused on forging agreements on issues such as energy, infrastructure, trade and technology.
In this way, the Gulf states hope to build a network of mini-lateral partnerships that can contribute to their economic growth and stability while enhancing regional and global security.
The moment of the middle powers
As middle powers increasingly shape international affairs, the appeal of minilateralism is becoming the preferred approach for many countries. A few months ago, the Indian Foreign Minister spoke at AGDA Subrahmanyam Jaishankar described minilateralism as a “form of diplomacy (that) is here to stay, and it is the way forward for many” countries.
Minilateral formats are more agile and flexible than traditional diplomacy, allowing countries to respond more quickly to crises or opportunities without bogging down bureaucracy. This flexibility also allows governments to build stronger, more intimate relationships based on shared interests, rather than being forced to operate within the framework of a larger, less cohesive group.
from China Belt and Road initiative (BRI), which started in 2013, is the most prominent example of this trend. The BRI aims to build a new global trade network spanning Asia, Europe and Africa by investing in infrastructure projects, trade and people-to-people exchanges.
from Japan Free and open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) initiative is similar, with a focus on promoting regional economic growth and stability by building bridges with other countries.
First introduced by the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2016, FOIP aims for an Indo-Pacific region that is prosperous and peaceful. The initiative welcomes the participation of all countries that share its vision, and there is no fixed number of countries that are part of it.
N Janardhan, director of research and analysis at AGDA, says new clubs are also being formed to control vital resources; he points to Indonesia’s plan to build “an OPEC-like” structure to control trade in nickel, cobalt and manganese.
Not a silver bullet
Minilateralism also has drawbacks. One risk is that it can lead to exclusion and exacerbate power imbalances, potentially putting short-term interests ahead of long-term goals. Its proliferation can also lead to a myriad of conflicting agreements, with different nations forming alliances based on limited interests rather than shared values.
This fragmentation of the international order could make it even more challenging to address global challenges that require a coordinated global response, such as climate change, food security and nuclear proliferation.
International fragmentation could ultimately make it more difficult for countries to achieve collective goals and hinder the efforts of international organizations such as the United Nations to promote peace and stability.
Yet the power of minilateralism lies in identifying avenues for mutually and globally beneficial cooperation, rather than pursuing a collective (and often persistent) security agenda.
By emphasizing interests, promoting greater cooperation, and leveraging new technology and innovation, medium powers can take a more proactive and equitable approach to addressing global problems.
Despite potential drawbacks, minilateralism is and will remain a constructive tool for cooperation between nations.
‘Innovative and flexible approach’
Simply put, the benefits of minilateralism do not outweigh the costs. The rise of medium powers and rapid technological advances make it clear that minilateralism is a viable way forward for many countries, including those in the Middle East.
By focusing on specific issues and working together, medium powers can make a significant impact on the world stage by bypassing the red tape that so often stands in the way of progress.
The benefits of minilateralism are clear, and its continued proliferation is a sign of its growing importance in today’s complex and rapidly changing world.
This article is provided by Syndication Bureauon which the copyright is based.
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