What is the future of multilateralism?

At a retreat in Lübbenau, 30 experts explored three scenarios for the future of multilateralism.

To discuss the question of the future of multilateralism, Starling Institute and IDOS (PD Dr Stephan Klingebiel, Dr Charlotte Gehrke, Dr Dorothea Wehrmann, Susanne Eichholz-Legrand and Mark Theisen) organised an international retreat on the topic “Modernising Multilateralism: Europe’s Role in a Norm-Contested World”. Funded by the Robert Bosch Stiftung, the retreat took place from 27-30 April in Lübbenau.

The 30 participants from academia and politics discussed three scenarios for the future of multilateralism:

1. A form of multilateralism that is more oriented toward agreements and transactions rather than based on a shared normative framework.
2. The emergence of a world order shaped by China, based on a Sinocentric normative understanding.
3. A multilateral system in which medium-sized and smaller states strengthen, further develop, and realign the existing normative framework.