Issue BriefsPublished on Sep 12, 2023 PDF Download
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The Changing Contours of Regionalism and Multilateralism in a Globalised World

This issue brief looks at the trends of regionalism and multilateralism, their importance and evolution in an age of problems without borders that require regional or global solutions.

This issue brief looks at the trends of regionalism and multilateralism, their importance and evolution in an age of problems without borders that require regional or global solutions.

In today’s globalised and interdependent world, problems have become more complex and broad-based. The burning issues of the day impact everyone. No nation can honestly claim that Iit is not affected by problems relating to terrorism, food or energy security, water, the environment, trade liberalisation, cyberspace or peace and security. At the same time, no nation can by itself effectively tackle these issues. They require regional or global solutions and hence the importance of both regionalism and multilateralism.

This paper attempts to look at what regionalism and multilateralism mean, their importance and evolution. With globalisation, their traditional roles are also changing. This paper re-examines the ageold question of whether regionalism helps or hinders multilateralism. It touches upon the increasing number of plurilateral groups, as well as new concepts like multi-stakeholderism. The discourse, naturally, also takes into account the Indian perspective.

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Author

H.H.S. Viswanathan

H.H.S. Viswanathan

H.H.S. Viswanathan was a Distinguished Fellow at ORF and a member of the Indian Foreign Service for 34 years. He has a long and diverse ...

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