Multilateralism, Pushback, and Prospects for Global Engagement?

Abstract:In this article, the author draws on long engagement with multilateralism, both in domestic jurisdiction and international institutions. He describes the growth of post-War United Nations activities and the increasing impact of international law, including on universal human rights. He records international initiatives on global problems like HIV/AIDS and in individual countries, such as Cambodia and North Korea. He then describes recent examples of "pushback" against multilateralism, especially on the part of the United States, the United Kingdom, some European countries, and Australia. He concludes with illustrations and reasons why the global community should remain optimistic about multilateralism, despite certain recent setbacks. He suggests that multilateralism is a product of the application of natural human appreciation, self-interest, modern technology, and the empathy of human consciousness that tends to emphasize and favor the commonalities in human existence.