WHO, WTO, NATO… international order in crisis?

Partners:

Many commentators suggest we are living through a period in which the international order is breaking down. As vividly illustrated in Afghanistan, America’s position as the hegemonic world power has been challenged. So, too, has the role of the major international organisations which have shaped the world for the past few decades. As protectionism seems to rise, the primacy of free trade and the role of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) seems in question. The global pandemic cast doubt on the ability of the World Health Organisation (WHO) to protect global health. And with spats between NATO members on everything from Russia’s Nord Stream II pipeline to the manner of the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the security arrangements of the West have been called into question as well.

For many, such a transformation is both long overdue and a logical response to the emergence of a more multipolar world order. Such global institutions have, they say, reflected the values and interest of the ‘American Century’ and need urgent revision in light of the rise of China, the resurgence of Russia and the growing influence of a variety of regional powers. Moreover, populist upswings in Western countries have focused attention on domestic issues – such as regional inequality or political alienation – that the international order concealed.

For some, however, the breakdown of the old international order is a grave threat – at least when there is no alternative to replace it. Without new institutions and organisations to incorporate it into a peaceful world, such commentators argue, the rise of China is likely to lead to conflict. The failure to reimagine the world order after the collapse of the Soviet Union – leaving post-Soviet Russia isolated and leading ultimately to the current confrontations – serves as a reminder of the dangers of failing to adapt the international order to a changed reality. What’s more, regional organisations such as the EU seem beset by as many crises as their global counterparts.

Nonetheless, many critics dismiss such concerns. The current bout of protectionism, they say, is likely a blip, and reports of America’s demise, as the saying goes, have been greatly exaggerated. There is, fundamentally, no great challenge to the international system of markets and trade that has shaped the world since China joined the WTO in 2001.

What is the future of international politics in an era of increased competition to American power? Have major international institutions become less credible – and less able to shape relations and contain conflict? What is the role of domestic issues and concerns in shaping the world order? Who can – or should – take the lead in world politics today?