International Organizations and Multilateralism
Rhetoric on the crisis of multilateralism is frequent. International organizations (UN, WTO, etc.) remain no less important, while other forums (G20, BRICS, etc.) are asserting themselves.
Related Subjects
Quest for Strategic Autonomy? Europe Grapples with the US - China Rivalry
Building on the 2020 European Think Tank Network on China (ETNC) report, which assessed Europe’s positioning in this context, this edition re-examines the geopolitical landscape in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return to the White House. This report features 22 national chapters and one dedicated to the EU, analysing the evolution of Europe’s relations with Washington and Beijing, the range of approaches to dealing the US-China rivalry and how these are expected to evolve.
Replay - Europe in turbulence: navigating a new world order without the United States?
A webinar organized by the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (ÖFZ) and the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), on June 25, 2025. The foundations of the post-1945 international order, long anchored by U.S. leadership, are shifting. Amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry, democratic backsliding, and strategic fatigue in Washington, the question arises: what if the United States no longer plays its pivotal role in international security? Simultaneously, the Global South is asserting new political and economic agency, complicating the old binaries of West vs. Rest. For Europe, this landscape is both a challenge and an inflection point.
Addressing the Threat of Terrorism | NATO Public Forum 2025
NATO Public Forum 2025 LIVE | Day 1, 24 June 2025. Terrorism, instability and regional fragility continue to pose urgent challenges across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel with direct implications for Allied security. How can NATO partnerships in its southern neighbourhood address the intertwined security, demographic and economic drivers behind this challenge? How to respond to the growing relevance of cyber terrorism and hybrid conflict?
Navigating the Multilateral Seas: Lost in Decomposition? - Politique étrangère, Vol. 90, No. 2, Summer 2025
Institutionalized multilateralism seems to be under threat from power politics, especially within the UN system. There are continuing demands for the UN to be reformed. And flexible forms of consultation are being developed, such as club diplomacy and minilateralism. The reshaping of multilateralism is thus taking place mainly outside the institutional system, and its distance from the liberal international order and the multipolar order makes it less likely that the earth's habitability will be placed at the top of the multilateral agenda.
When City Diplomacy Meets Geopolitics: A Framework to Help Cities Navigate Geopolitical Risk
Crises and the increasing polarization of international relations make political risk analysis an indispensable resource for internationally active public and private entities.
AI showcase pays off for France, but US tech scepticism endures
France is staking its claim as an AI powerhouse. At the AI Action Summit in Paris this week, global leaders, tech innovators, and policymakers converged to chart the future of artificial intelligence - backed by major investments and bold ambitions for Europe’s leadership in the field. RFI breaks down the key takeaways.
City Diplomacy and Human Mobility in Africa. Protecting Refugees and Migrants along the Central Mediterranean Route from the East and the Horn of Africa
Cities face constraints to work on migration and refugee issues, often due to a lack of decentralisation and resource constraints. Adopting an inclusive city approach can safeguard local authorities’ commitment towards providing protection to residents regardless of status, while not overstepping legal mandates.
From Crisis Hotspots to Convening Powers. African Cities Launch Diplomacy to Create Climate Mobility Partnerships
African local governments cannot afford to turn into climate mobility hotspots without taking proactive action – drawing on local knowledge, convening power and access to affected communities.
The Evolution of City Diplomacy in Africa: Impact, Potential, and Ongoing Challenges of African Cities’ International Activities.
Over the past decades, African cities have ranked among the leading players in the evolution of city diplomacy. Indeed, municipalities across the continent have gone beyond simply adapting to shifting trends in international cooperation. They have been shaping the current partnership approach that sees local authorities worldwide working together to pursue shared goals and address common urban challenges such as climate change, migration, and social justice.
RAMSES 2025. Between Powers and Powerlessness
Never before have there been so many powers able to upset the international balance of power, and never before have the dominant powers seemed so powerless to counter the fragmentation of the world.
Quest for Strategic Autonomy? Europe Grapples with the US - China Rivalry
Building on the 2020 European Think Tank Network on China (ETNC) report, which assessed Europe’s positioning in this context, this edition re-examines the geopolitical landscape in light of the Covid-19 pandemic, Russia’s war in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s return to the White House. This report features 22 national chapters and one dedicated to the EU, analysing the evolution of Europe’s relations with Washington and Beijing, the range of approaches to dealing the US-China rivalry and how these are expected to evolve.
Navigating the Multilateral Seas: Lost in Decomposition? - Politique étrangère, Vol. 90, No. 2, Summer 2025
Institutionalized multilateralism seems to be under threat from power politics, especially within the UN system. There are continuing demands for the UN to be reformed. And flexible forms of consultation are being developed, such as club diplomacy and minilateralism. The reshaping of multilateralism is thus taking place mainly outside the institutional system, and its distance from the liberal international order and the multipolar order makes it less likely that the earth's habitability will be placed at the top of the multilateral agenda.
When City Diplomacy Meets Geopolitics: A Framework to Help Cities Navigate Geopolitical Risk
Crises and the increasing polarization of international relations make political risk analysis an indispensable resource for internationally active public and private entities.
City Diplomacy and Human Mobility in Africa. Protecting Refugees and Migrants along the Central Mediterranean Route from the East and the Horn of Africa
Cities face constraints to work on migration and refugee issues, often due to a lack of decentralisation and resource constraints. Adopting an inclusive city approach can safeguard local authorities’ commitment towards providing protection to residents regardless of status, while not overstepping legal mandates.
From Crisis Hotspots to Convening Powers. African Cities Launch Diplomacy to Create Climate Mobility Partnerships
African local governments cannot afford to turn into climate mobility hotspots without taking proactive action – drawing on local knowledge, convening power and access to affected communities.
The Evolution of City Diplomacy in Africa: Impact, Potential, and Ongoing Challenges of African Cities’ International Activities.
Over the past decades, African cities have ranked among the leading players in the evolution of city diplomacy. Indeed, municipalities across the continent have gone beyond simply adapting to shifting trends in international cooperation. They have been shaping the current partnership approach that sees local authorities worldwide working together to pursue shared goals and address common urban challenges such as climate change, migration, and social justice.
RAMSES 2025. Between Powers and Powerlessness
Never before have there been so many powers able to upset the international balance of power, and never before have the dominant powers seemed so powerless to counter the fragmentation of the world.
Global Governance, Ukraine, and the European Union: Quo Vadis?
The technological revolution of the latter half of the twentieth century, 9/11, and the 2007–2008 financial crisis have delimited the West’s dream of harmonious globalization.
Macron’s China Policy: Dropping Illusions and Bringing Back Realpolitik
One may regret that France has not upgraded its China policy sooner, but it seems that the French president is now clear-eyed that it is not enough to only have a good relationship with Beijing, it is also necessary to reinstate the balance of power.
China, technical standardization, and the future of globalization
As the global economy sits at a crossroad between connectivity-driven globalization and strategic decoupling, technical standardization provides a valuable measure of where we are headed.
AI showcase pays off for France, but US tech scepticism endures
France is staking its claim as an AI powerhouse. At the AI Action Summit in Paris this week, global leaders, tech innovators, and policymakers converged to chart the future of artificial intelligence - backed by major investments and bold ambitions for Europe’s leadership in the field. RFI breaks down the key takeaways.
Europe faces up to China's EV dominance as carbon-zero targets loom
As Xi travels through EU this week, automakers weigh whether to fight or team up with cheaper Chinese rivals.
Without a Pact with Mercosur, the EU risks leaving China free in South America
The agreement EU-Mercosur It has been a banner of the recent protest by French farmers, who denounced unfair competition on the part of South Americans. However, if Paris closes the door to this pact, the way will be left clear to China, warn politicians and analysts consulted by EFE.
Iran’s allies are attacking the West. What happens next?
From Jordan to Lebanon to the Red Sea, attacks on U.S. and European interests are increasing.Tensions are rising in the Middle East after Washington vowed to respond to the drone attack that killed three American soldiers on the 28th of January, sponsored by Iranian-backed militants.
Macron and Rutte grow closer to each other through geopolitical shifts and a personal click
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit Prime Minister Mark Rutte in The Hague on Monday evening. He mainly hopes for Rutte's support for a European rebuttal to Biden's protectionist green industrial policy.
After support for Ukraine, Kishida aims for NATO unity on China
When Prime Minister Fumio Kishida becomes the first Japanese leader to attend a NATO leaders summit on Wednesday, he’ll be looking to stress the need for unity in preventing China from taking the “wrong lessons” from the Ukraine war as the bloc looks to expand its footprint in the Indo-Pacific.
An Engine Replacement Could Kill Europe’s Huge F-35 Plans
If the decision to replace the engine for the F-35A is implemented, countries flying F-35s will find themselves forced into unforeseen and overly complicated supply chains.
Le Pen Closer Than Ever to the French Presidency (and to Putin)
As elections approach Sunday, the far-right candidate is linked to the Russian president by a web of financial ties and a history of support that has hardly dimmed despite the war in Ukraine.
China sees at least one winner emerging from Ukraine war: China
Officials in Beijing believe it can take advantage of a distracted US and weakened Russia. The war in Ukraine is far from over, but a consensus is forming in Chinese policy circles that one country stands to emerge victorious from the turmoil: China.
France and Germany back Ukraine’s call for Russian troop pullback
Zelensky’appeal for help in Paris follows Biden’s condemnation of Russian ‘aggression’.
Replay - Europe in turbulence: navigating a new world order without the United States?
A webinar organized by the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (ÖFZ) and the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), on June 25, 2025. The foundations of the post-1945 international order, long anchored by U.S. leadership, are shifting. Amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry, democratic backsliding, and strategic fatigue in Washington, the question arises: what if the United States no longer plays its pivotal role in international security? Simultaneously, the Global South is asserting new political and economic agency, complicating the old binaries of West vs. Rest. For Europe, this landscape is both a challenge and an inflection point.
Addressing the Threat of Terrorism | NATO Public Forum 2025
NATO Public Forum 2025 LIVE | Day 1, 24 June 2025. Terrorism, instability and regional fragility continue to pose urgent challenges across the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel with direct implications for Allied security. How can NATO partnerships in its southern neighbourhood address the intertwined security, demographic and economic drivers behind this challenge? How to respond to the growing relevance of cyber terrorism and hybrid conflict?
AI showcase pays off for France, but US tech scepticism endures
France is staking its claim as an AI powerhouse. At the AI Action Summit in Paris this week, global leaders, tech innovators, and policymakers converged to chart the future of artificial intelligence - backed by major investments and bold ambitions for Europe’s leadership in the field. RFI breaks down the key takeaways.
The CPTPP and UK’s accession: What global implications?
The UK is the first State which formally applied to join the CPTPP. Its bid was accepted in early June 2021.
What are the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on Japan's economic security?
In this interview, Shin Oya, Senior Consulting Fellow, Asia Pacific Initiative and Chief Representative for Strategic Research, JBIC looks at COVID-19's impact on economic security in Japan.
What is Korea getting at through its New Southern Policy ?
In this interview, Wongi Choe, head of Center for ASEAN–India Studies at the Korea National Diplomatic Academy (KNDA) looks at the rationale for and the content of Korea's New Southern Policy.
Technology and Economics: Techno-nationalism VS Techno-globalism in East Asia
Japan's cyber diplomacy: cooperation with the EU and challenges ahead
In this interview, Dai Mochinaga, senior researcher at Keio Research Institute looks at Japan's cyber diplomacy and challenges for global cybersecurity and data governance.
Cybersecurity and COVID-19: Responses from Japan
In this interview, Mihoko Matsubara, Chief Cybersecurity Strategist, NTT Corporation in Tokyo, examines Japan's cybersecurity responses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Perspectives on European integration and China-Europe cooperation
Françoise Nicolas, director of Ifri's Asian Studies Center, spoke during a webseminar on European integration and China-Europe cooperation, organized by Chinese think tank CCG.
How can global governance be fixed in an age of upheaval?
Ifri’s Executive Chairman Thierry de Montbrial spoke at the 20th World Knowledge Forum in Seoul on September 25, 2019 with Robin Niblett, Chatham House's director, Ed Feulner, The Heritage Foundation's Founder and Former President and Feng Zhu, Director of the Institute of International Studies at Nanjing University about the major governance issues of our time.
The Changing Political Agenda and Role of Think Tanks in the Next Decade. Video
A debate in the framework of the 12th regional conference of Council of Councils (CoC) in Paris between Thierry de Montbrial, Executive Chairman of Ifri and Richard N. Haass, President of Council on Foreign Relations (CFR). Moderator: Sophie Pedder, Paris Bureau Chief, The Economist.
Reforming the EU electricity markets - Florian ERMACORA
Florian Ermacora, Head of the Internal Energy Market Unit in DG Energy, explains how the Clean Energy Package will improve the functioning of the internal electricity market, and how the new market design will help integrating larger shares of renewables.
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