Among practitioners and scientific observers, it is widely believed that the global international order is in dire straits (Duncombe & Dunne 2018; Alexandroff 2017). There is much to suggest that the old, Western-dominated world order ended in the last years at the latest and will be replaced by a, in the words of the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, "post-West world order” (Stent 2018) whose contours are still too indeterminate to be able to characterize them unambiguously. Against this background, I pursue three main objectives in this review: In the second chapter, following the introduction, I will reflect on what is understood as global international order and why we need to look at it. The third chapter will give an overview of the old order and its development. Chapter four sketches trajectories of a newly emerging order with the help of two observable trends. In the fifth chapter I will finally focus on the impacts of the described changes in the world order on the process of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals from the Agenda 2030.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 What is the global international order?
3 Emergence of the current liberal international order
4 Recent development and trends
4.1 Changes from outside - new actors and new arrangements
4.2 Changes from inside - the crisis of the liberal community
4.3 Consequences and perception
5 Implications for Agenda 2030
Objectives and Key Themes
This review examines the current state of the global international order, analyzing its historical development, its ongoing decay, and the shifting dynamics of power. It seeks to understand the transition from the Western-dominated liberal international order toward a more multipolar future and explores how these shifts impact the global commitment to the Agenda 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.
- The theoretical definition and functional tasks of the global international order.
- Historical context of the liberal international order (LIO) since the post-war period.
- Analysis of structural changes, including the rise of new actors and multipolarity.
- Internal and external pressures leading to the crisis of the liberal community.
- The role of the Agenda 2030 and SDGs as a potential framework for future global governance.
Excerpt from the Book
4.2 Changes from inside - the crisis of the liberal community
For a long time, the LIO was questioned, if at all, by emerging authoritarian powers such as China, India and Russia. Meanwhile, the Western world order seems to be coming under increasing pressure from within, from states that once supported the ideas of international liberalism: international institutions, free trade, human rights and democracy. Here, the examples range from Trump, to Brexit, to nationalist and populist movements in Europe. The crisis of the liberal world order seems to be to a large extent a homemade crisis of the liberal community of states.
A serious weakness of the LIO today is the lack of credibility of its normative foundations. The originally important principle of social fairness for example within the Western states is perceived as disappearing tacitly from the LIO canon of values under the influence of neoliberal economics. Domestic support for this order crumbled because internal cohesion was neglected in significant Western countries. The LIO lost legitimacy as international support for the liberal and democratic political model eroded and at the same time authoritarian alternatives gained ground. Moreover, a tendency towards structural overstrains of politics leads to growing deficits in the effectiveness of governance at the national and international levels. (Mazarr 2018).
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter outlines the widespread belief that the current global international order is in decline and establishes the objectives for the subsequent analysis.
2 What is the global international order?: The text defines the global international order as a comprehensive form of political organization and identifies three fundamental tasks: dealing with power, enforcing common interests, and mediatizing conflicts.
3 Emergence of the current liberal international order: This section details the development of the Liberal International Order (LIO) following World War II and its evolution through the Cold War period to its temporary position as the sole global order.
4 Recent development and trends: The chapter explores why scholars from various schools of thought agree that the LIO is in decay, focusing on both external shifts in power and internal challenges.
4.1 Changes from outside - new actors and new arrangements: This section highlights the shift in global power towards new nations, the rise of informal intergovernmental organizations, and the increasing role of sub-state actors.
4.2 Changes from inside - the crisis of the liberal community: The author discusses how domestic political pressures, such as populism and the erosion of social fairness, are causing a "homemade crisis" within Western states.
4.3 Consequences and perception: This section addresses the role of US political strategy, including the impact of various administrations on multilateralism, and suggests that the current decay might pave the way for modern alternatives.
5 Implications for Agenda 2030: The final chapter evaluates whether the Agenda 2030 and its Sustainable Development Goals can serve as a guiding principle for a new global order amidst current institutional challenges.
Keywords
Global international order, Liberal International Order, LIO, international politics, power distribution, multipolarity, Agenda 2030, Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs, global governance, multilateralism, geopolitical change, state actors, sovereignty, political legitimacy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
The work provides a review and evaluation of the current global international order, specifically analyzing its ongoing transformation, the factors driving its decay, and the implications for global sustainability efforts.
What are the central thematic areas covered?
The themes include the historical rise and fall of the liberal international order, the shift toward multipolarity, the impact of internal political crises in Western states, and the future of global governance through the lens of the Sustainable Development Goals.
What is the primary objective of this review?
The primary objective is to reflect on the nature of the global order, describe the trajectories of its current emergence or decay, and determine how these changes influence the process of achieving the Agenda 2030 goals.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The author employs a political science perspective, drawing on theories of international relations (such as realism and liberalism) to analyze the systemic, functional, and normative aspects of global political order.
What topics are discussed in the main body?
The main body covers the definition of world order, the historical development of the LIO, contemporary trends like the power shift toward new states, internal crises within the liberal community, and the potential for a sustainability-based order.
Which keywords best characterize this work?
Key terms include Global International Order, Liberal International Order, multipolarity, global governance, and the transformative potential of the Sustainable Development Goals.
How does the author view the role of the United States in the current order?
The author suggests that the US is no longer the "indispensable nation" it once was and that its recent political strategies have acted more as a symptom of a pre-existing decline in its hegemonic position rather than the sole cause.
What is the significance of the Agenda 2030 for the future global order?
The author posits that because the LIO struggled to address existential challenges like climate change, the vision of sustainability embodied in the Agenda 2030 might become a new guiding principle for global governance.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Simon Valentin (Autor:in), 2018, Review and Evaluation of the Global International Order, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/491910
