• Multilateralism is a situation in which several countries or organizations work together to achieve a common goal based on shared system of norms and values.
• Multilateralism is based on founding principles such as consultation, inclusion and solidarity.
• India’s G20 Presidency theme ‘Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam — One Earth, One Family, One Future’ must deeply resonate with the worldview that the entire world is one family and thus it must emphasize principle of Multilateralism.

Global Background:

• Cold war: The end of the Cold War in the 1990s created favourable conditions for an intensive phase of multilateralism.
• Europe and Asia: Europe moved towards rapid regional integration and expansion under the European Union and ASEAN formed regional economic and political cooperation.
• China and Global Economy: China’s economic integration started with World Trade Organization membership in 2001, and rapid move towards the world’s second-largest economy.
• It established close ties with US and opened opportunities for cooperation on global issues like proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, climate change, and pandemics.
• Global Financial crisis (2008): It underlined the urgency to expand the G7 and brought middle powers to restore stability to the global economic order.

Factors of weakening old Multilateralism:

• War and Conflicts: The Russian occupation and annexation of Ukraine’s Crimean Peninsula in 2014 and ongoing Russia- Ukraine war strained international relations and created divisions.
• Role of China: The expansionist policy, debt-trap strategy and territorial disputes with neighbouring countries like India, Japan, Philippines, and Vietnam led to regional tensions.
• Economic issues: The use of economic power for political and strategic gains eroded trust among nations that affected global economic scenario.

Rise of New Institutions:

• Quad: It involved the US, Japan, Australia, and India to counter unilateralism and territorial expansion.
• ASEAN: Its expansion led to a strong Indo-Pacific in terms of economy, security and partnership.
• AUKUS and Northeast Asia Trilateral Compact: It was to address regional challenges, raising questions about the centrality of ASEAN in shaping the regional order in Asia.
• China: It attempted to gain unilateral economic advantages, so US and Japan de-risked the interdependence with China which was built over the decades.

India:

• Political and economic changes post 1990s led to deep economic dependence on China and Russia pushed for promoting multipolar world that would counter American unilateralism.
• India’s post-Cold War multilateralism unraveled as economic and security threats mounted from China.
• An expansive and positive US engagement with India led to the Indo-Pacific idea and revived the Quad with greater military-strategic cooperation by Australia, Japan, and US.

Features of India’s new multilateralism:

• Clarity on Quad and ASEAN: India underlined that the Quad would complement ASEAN’s efforts to promote regional stability through more bilateral and minilateral security cooperation to deter and limit unilateralism and territorial expansionism.
• Focus on re-globalisation: This is for more diversified, democratic and multiple centres of production to counter China’s factories and political moves.
• Find collective solutions: The challenges of Ukraine-conflict, pandemic rehabilitation and advancement of global financial systems.
• Global South: India’s new multilateralism is based on inclusion of Global south by building bridges between developing and developed countries.
• There would be emphasis on cooperation between North and South amidst the breakdown of relations between the East and West.

India places great emphasis on a human-centric approach to progress. It is essential to emulate Gandhi’s mission of serving the underprivileged, by addressing issues and promotion of strong, sustainable, inclusive, and balanced growth. The progress must be toward Sustainable Development Goals, the Green Development Pact for a Sustainable Future, and strengthening multilateral institutions for 21st century.