strategy
Developing multilateral cooperation
Synonyms:
Promoting coperation amongst statesStrengthening multilateral cooperation
Implementation:
The multilateral cooperation which has grown up in the United Nations system has proved itself to be irreplaceable, despite a host of difficulties. The desire to take collective responsibility for all the different world problems, based on the principle of the equality of states, was what gave rise to the UN system in the first place. This project to build a community of interdependent nations has taken on a wider dimension with the emergence within the international community of new sovereign states, anxious to play their full part in deciding and directing the affairs of the world. Claim:
The strengthening of multilateral cooperation is particularly vital in that the challenges of the past decade are addressed to all nations, and that what is at stake is the common destiny of humanity. There is now a pathwork of multilateral institutions, some effective, others less so, and many of them undertaking overlapping tasks. A comprehensive and wide-ranging review of current multilateral practices is required to identify areas for reform and improvement in the context of an interdependent world economic system. In reforming and improving such arrangements, the primary aim should be to ensure social and economic justice, fairness, equity and transparency in multilateral governance, and the application of democratic principles in decision-making processes. It is not essential that multilateral institutions should always be UN agencies. Multilateralism can thrive within and outside the UN system. Narrower:
Promoting multilateral clearing arrangementsPromoting multilateral framework agreements for benefit-sharing in biodiversity conservationEnsuring compatibility between multilateral environmental agreements and World Trade Organization rulesMaking multilateral rulesRegionalizing multilateral cooperationNegotiating multilateral arms limitationNegotiating multilateral safeguard systemsPromoting international cooperation in bankingPromoting international cooperation in bankingStrengthening role of global multilateral organizationsReducing delay in supply of agreed multilateral assistanceFostering access for civil society in multilateral processesCreating compliance regimes for multilateral environmental agreementsEncouraging developing country participation in multilateral agreementsBalancing disbursements of multilateral agencies and official contributionsInvolving multilateral financial organizations in intergovernmental follow-up to Agenda 21 Constrained by:
Balancing interpretations of multilateral principles Facilitates:
Acting multilaterallyUsing multilateral sanctionsProviding multilateral financial assistance Facilitated by:
Monitoring multilateral population assistanceRequiring intergovernmental multilateral action Problems:
Consensus trapInability to negotiate effective multilateral safeguard systems
Inadequate funding of international programmes
Indecisive multilateralism
Lack of international cooperation
Policy cross-conditionality restrictions in multilateral development aid
Undermining of multilateral forums
Values:
CooperationNoncooperation Organizations:
OECD multilateral agreement on investment First multilateral monetary clearing agreement Multilateral agreement on commercial rights of non-scheduled air services in Europe Multilateral agreement relating to certificates of airworthiness for imported aircraft Multilateral agreement relating to the collection of route charges Multilateral agreement on commercial rights of non-scheduled air services among the Association of South-East Asian Nations Multilateral agreement on search and rescue Multilateral agreement relating to route charges CARICOM multilateral air services agreement References:
Institute for Development Research: Promoting Civil Society-Government Cooperation: a selection of IDR reports 1992-96Gill, Stephen: Globalization, Democratization and Multilateralism Subjects:
Communication → PromotionType Classification:
G: Very Specific strategies