Thinking about peace in times of war is a duty. However, it is not enough to treat peace as a moral aspiration or abstract condition. The real challenge lies in identifying the mechanisms that can deliver it and understanding the structural causes that drive nations towards conflict.
The global system established after the Second World War has clearly outlived its relevance. It no longer reflects current geopolitical realities and has begun to unravel. This deterioration is visible in the growing number of conflict zones and flashpoints across the world, each with the potential to escalate into wider confrontation. At the same time, the existing multilateral framework suffers from fundamental flaws. It is neither democratic, as most nations are excluded from meaningful decision making, nor effective, as its resolutions often lack binding force.
This reality prompted Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez to publish an article titled “The Multilateral System Must Be Saved” in Le Monde diplomatique in April. His intervention reflects a growing concern among political leaders that the current system is no longer capable of maintaining global stability.
Power Politics and the Collapse of Order
International relations today are increasingly defined by raw power and the pursuit of spheres of influence. This trajectory does not lead to security or prosperity. On the contrary, it fuels instability, undermines economic growth, and accelerates the spread of poverty.
Some argue that a balance of power can maintain stability and restrain dominant states. However, this view fails under scrutiny. Accepting the unchecked expansion of power politics effectively legitimises domination. Silence in the face of this shift is not neutrality. It is complicity.
The erosion of the international system has reached a point where its institutions are no longer binding or effective. Yet the world cannot function without a shared framework of rules. These structures are not theoretical constructs. They directly impact everyday life, from safe international travel to cross border investment planning, education abroad, and global mobility.
Why Multilateralism Still Matters
A functioning multilateral system enables cooperation between states, facilitates agreements, and provides peaceful mechanisms for resolving disputes through arbitration, mediation, and diplomacy. Without it, the alternative is a return to pure power politics.
This approach may deliver short term gains for dominant states, but it inevitably generates backlash and long term instability. Even major powers are not immune to the consequences of the system they help create.
According to Mark Carney, the objective should not be for middle powers to form defensive alliances to avoid being consumed by stronger states. The real goal must be the construction of a fair, effective, and binding global system.
The Crisis of Legitimacy
For any international system to function, there must be collective belief in its authority. This belief is similar to trust in currency or adherence to traffic rules. Without it, institutions lose credibility and influence.
However, belief alone is insufficient. Global institutions must also be democratic. The current system, particularly United Nations, reflects the power balance of the post Second World War era rather than the realities of today.
At the time of its creation, many nations were still under colonial rule. The structure of the Security Council prioritised the victorious powers of that war, granting them veto power. This raises a fundamental question: is the veto a privilege or a moral responsibility?
In practice, permanent members of the Security Council have frequently used the veto not as a responsibility but as a tool to advance ideological alignments. This has obstructed resolutions, enabled clear violations of international law, and entrenched a culture of impunity for certain states.
Double Standards and Selective Justice
The application of international law today is inconsistent. In some cases, it is enforced strictly. In others, it is ignored entirely. This selective approach is driven by political alliances and power dynamics rather than principles of justice.
The case of Israel stands as a clear example, where repeated violations have been shielded through the use of veto power by the United States. This has effectively placed certain actors above international law and beyond accountability.
The crisis deepens when permanent members themselves disregard the system. The United States invaded Iraq in 2003 without United Nations authorisation. More recently, Russia launched its war on Ukraine in 2024, violating a foundational principle of the international system: the prohibition of altering borders by force.
Structural Reform Is No Longer Optional
Reform must go beyond debating the future of veto power. The composition of decision making bodies must be restructured to ensure broader representation, particularly for the Global South.
Any credible system must be binding and subject to accountability. Without enforcement mechanisms, international institutions risk becoming platforms for statements and declarations rather than instruments of action.
Superficial reforms will not be enough. What is required is deep structural change. Global challenges such as climate change, migration, and the rise of artificial intelligence cannot be addressed in isolation. They demand coordinated international responses within a robust framework.
A World Drifting Towards Confrontation
The prevailing realism among decision makers, often used to justify inaction, is effectively laying the groundwork for a world governed by the law of the strongest. Such a world will inevitably experience rising tensions, economic fragmentation, and social decline.
Even at the regional level, many organisations have become outdated and ineffective. They require comprehensive reassessment, including their mandates, structures, and geographic scope.
What the world has experienced over the past four years resembles a fragmented form of a third world war. These conflicts, though dispersed, are interconnected and escalating. If current trends continue, they risk converging into a more intense and direct global confrontation.
A Critical Moment for Global Leadership
This moment represents a decisive opportunity. The objective is not to dismantle the United Nations but to revitalise it through meaningful reform. This includes revisiting decision making processes and expanding representation to reflect the realities of today’s world.
Failure to act will lead to a breakdown of global order, where no nation, regardless of its wealth or power, remains secure. The current environment has exposed the limits of dominance and the dangers of unchecked ambition.
The opportunity still exists to restore balance, rebuild trust, and establish a fair and effective multilateral system. However, without urgent and decisive action, the world risks descending into a lawless environment defined by conflict, instability, and widespread insecurity.
