Advertisement
Opinion | A lesson from Covid-19: no country can be great in isolation. Instead, we must strengthen multilateralism
- The world is facing a trust deficit at a time when effective cooperation is needed more than ever
- Yes, the coronavirus is terrible, but what is worse is a political virus, such as a Cold War mentality, which harms everyone
Reading Time:3 minutes
Why you can trust SCMP
0
Last Friday was International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace. In the 75th anniversary year of the United Nations, commemorating this international day is especially important.
Multilateralism, a collective choice made by humankind following a world war, has secured peace and development for the world over the past 75 years. At present, however, unilateralism is having a strong impact on multilateralism, threatening the international system centred on the UN, and shaking the international order underpinned by international law. This is truly worrying.
Is multilateralism outdated? The answer is no. The Covid-19 pandemic has underlined the importance of multilateralism to all countries. After hard struggles against the disease and the loss of countless lives, humankind has finally realised that the virus knows no borders, or race.
Global collaboration, multilateral cooperation and collective strength is desperately needed in response to the pandemic. The overwhelming majority of countries fully support the World Health Organisation, which has been central to multilateral cooperation efforts on health.
The UN General Assembly, the European Union, the African Union, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Group of 77 and China and others, have all expressed their firm support. Multilateral cooperation is the only way to lead the global community to success.
Advertisement