While the global balance of power, under the impetus of the steady rise of China, is shifting towards the Asia-Pacific, and because the future of US policy is uncertain after the election of Donald Trump, tensions in the South China Sea have once again become a major strategic concern. The South China Sea is witnessing a series of sovereignty disputes between littoral states defending rivalling claims to maritime rights and boundaries. Adding weight and urgency to the disputes are the significant natural resources found in the coveted archipelagos and sea beds as well as the rising national sentiments in many of the claimant states. The geostrategic dimension of these quarrels is largely transcending the region and the involvement of external powers such as the United States further complicates the equation. The recent legal victory of the Philippines over China can be seen as a supplementary cause for anxiety in a latent conflict that may at any time escalate into a regional or global confrontation. Henceforth the search for a negotiated solution becomes crucial as military budgets continue to soar in the region.
Global Challenges
Issue no. 7 | April 2020
Global Governance in Peril?
The present Dossier takes stock of the current state of the multilateral system and its future prospects. It aims to explore to what extent global governance is in crisis as the global geopolitical order is undergoing fundamental shifts and liberal universalism is losing traction. It assesses potential of reform in extant institutions as well as emerging trends, tools and forums that are reshaping multilateral practice on a daily basis.
Note – The dossier was drafted before the Covid-19 world crisis.
Articles for this issue
Global Governance in Peril?
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I
Multilateralism Is in Crisis – Or Is It?
Reading time: 5 min -
1
The Role of Transnational Policy Networks in Contemporary Global Governance
Reading time: 4 min -
2
The United Nations at 75: Still “Resolved to Combine Our Efforts”?
Reading time: 4 min -
3
What Future Role for the Gs in the Multilateral System?
Reading time: 3 min -
4
US Pressure on the WTO: A Chance to Rebound?
Reading time: 4 min -
5
Beyond Multilateralism: The Pauli Principle
Reading time: 4 min -
6
Global Internet Governance: Is Fragmentation Avoidable?
Reading time: 4 min -
7
Governing the World outside the United Nations
Reading time: 5 min
Other Issues
Global Challenges
Issue no. 1 | February 2017
South China Sea: War on the Horizon?