UN and the Retreat from Multilateralism

Context: The United Nation’s (UN’s) capacity to face diverse challenges depends upon nations acting collectively.

Challenge faced by the UN

• Unprecedented Pandemic: 

• The UN Secretary General called the pandemic “the fifth horseman”. 

• It has also brought in its wake the deepest recession the world has seen since the 1930s.
• Careening off track in achieving SDGs: the pandemic has made it more di?cult to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as adopted by the UN.
• Paltry Assistance by the UN: The actual assistance committed to the UN COVID19 response fund was a meagre $50 million in addition to a similar amount pledged earlier. 

• Challenges to multilateralism:

• Withdrawal of the main stakeholders: While withdrawing from multilateralism, the U.S. President Donald Trump has time and again stressed “America First” policy. Other countries are following the suit.

• Brexit has shown that nationalism remains strong in Europe. 
• French President, Emmanuel Macron recently denigrated the United States for not willing to be its “guarantor of last resort”.

• China is filling up the void: With the retreat of the West, China has stepped up its role in the world stage, which does not align with the idea of multilateralism.

• Its ?agship Belt and Road Initiative consists of a series of bilateral credit agreements with recipient countries, with no mechanism for multilateral consultation or oversight. 
• The growing closeness of Russia and China: because of the European Union (EU) and the US’s sanctions against Russia
• China to provide $2 billion in assistance to the developing countries over two years. 
• The rift between permanent members of the Security Council: has already started a?ecting the work of the UN Security Council. 

• Breach of International laws at multiple fronts

• Turkey’s intervention: in Syria, Libya, and the Eastern Mediterranean, which is a breach of international law. (Turkey had sent a drilling ship in Greek and Cypriot Exclusive Economic Zones)

• Challenges with the Peacekeeping: There was an outstanding assessed contribution of $1.7 billion for peacekeeping activities by the end of the ?nancial year. 
• There was an outstanding $711 million in the assessed contribution for the general budget. 
• Most humanitarian assistance is dependent on voluntary contributions.
• Increasing calls for a public-private partnership: does not seem to be satisfactory since the delivery of “public goods” in the remote parts of the world decreases the profit margins for private entities.

Achievements of the UN:

• Peacekeeping: Over 40 UN political missions and peacekeeping operations engage 95,000 troops, police, and civil personnel. 

• Climate Change: 

• Chinese President Xi Jinping said that after peaking emissions by 2030, it would achieve carbon neutrality before 2060. 
• French President Emmanuel Macron said that he was determined to see the EU agree on a target of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. 

Way Forward: 

• Support Reforms:  not only to expand the permanent members’ category of the  Security Council but also to revitalise the role of General Assembly.
• The basic role of the UN is to provide greater political space to the developing nations. 

Conclusion: The retreat from multilateralism would undermine the UN’s capacity to face diverse challenges.