Rethinking Multilateralism: Some Reflections

Multilateralism occupies a vast canvas. It means different things to different people. It is studied across many disciplines from political science and international relations to history, sociology, and international law. Its theorists are as diverse as its critics (Alvarez 2000). As the contributio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inGlobal perspectives (Oakland, Calif.) Vol. 4; no. 1
Main Author Raghavan, Vikram
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Los Angeles University of California Press, Journals & Digital Publishing Division 21.02.2023
Subjects
Agreements
Charters
Development banks
Humanitarianism
International finance
International law
International organizations
International relations
Invasions
Loans
Multilateralism
Parliaments
Political science
Postwar reconstruction
Social networks
Special drawing rights
Theorists
United States > US
San Francisco California
Japan
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Summary:Multilateralism occupies a vast canvas. It means different things to different people. It is studied across many disciplines from political science and international relations to history, sociology, and international law. Its theorists are as diverse as its critics (Alvarez 2000). As the contributions to this special collection reveal, our understanding of multilateralism is constantly evolving with new research, experience, and insights. In this comment, I reflect on international organizations as multilateralism’s laboratories and agents. Multilateralism is a cyclical phenomenon at an international institution (Cohen 2018). My focus, therefore, is on a multilateral institution’s life cycle and some of its legal and policy conundrums. I must caution, however, that I am neither a scholar nor an expert. My perspectives are shaped by my professional experience as an international institution’s staff member and by a personal interest in the history, law, and practice of multilateral organizations.
ISSN:2575-7350
2575-7350
DOI:10.1525/gp.2023.70348