The last few years have been bleak, with minimal improvement on the social and economic front. The pandemic, the Russia-Ukraine war, racism against Asians, tensions between Israel and Syria, and the list continues.
At this point, it is necessary to understand an important term – Multilateralism. Multilateralism is the process of organizing relations between groups of three or more states. Beyond that basic quantitative aspect, multilateralism is generally considered to comprise certain qualitative elements or principles that shape the character of the arrangement or institution.
The United Nations is a significant body that preserves the essence of multilateralism. The problems of xenophobia, tensions between superpowers and nuclear-equipped nations, ethnic cleansing, and many more require strenuous effort and all hands on the table. One government alone cannot stop these problems from proliferating. Institutions like United Nations and many more provide a platform for all countries to unite and work in harmony towards a common goal, maintaining peace. It brings about a sense of cooperation, understanding, and responsibility, which an institution handled by a single superpower never can.
Peace-making missions have helped people around the world. The UN has looked after people affected by natural disasters or violence. Non- Proliferation of nuclear weapons has been established by this institution. Human rights in dangerous countries have been protected. All this could have never been achieved without the cooperation of all the nations in the institution. All these people are represented by the delegates of their own country, who understand their plights best.
What if this didn't exist? There would be no platform for delegates of different countries to communicate and understand each other better. The world would be split into many different parts, each looking after itself. There will exist no value in helping the disaster-stricken country and its citizens. Due to the lack of communication, countries will certainly misunderstand each other, as a result of which wars are very likely to happen. On the global front, without multilateralism, people wouldn't even be aware of other people's cultures or have insufficient knowledge of the same.
In times like these, we should appreciate the essence of multilateralism. The pandemic is precisely the reason for us to unite together and fight against a common enemy. COVID-19 has been brutal on everyone, irrespective of nationality, color, or race. The world is a different place post-COVID. We must unite and stand with each other to defeat this common enemy and many others. To understand, respect, and work together to build a better world.