Opinion | A truly multilateral order can emerge from the ashes of the coronavirus pandemic, with China and Europe leading the way
- The destruction wrought by Covid-19 has exposed the flaws of the siloed thinking and unsustainable practices that powered our global order
- China and Europe, which are already leading the conversation on building a resilient and climate-neutral economy, should go one step further to help forge new rules of international engagement
Chaos, fear and suffering has a habit of focusing the mind and highlighting what really matters. While much of Europe is easing out of lockdown, globally the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic is still very much on. Once mighty nations have ground to a halt in the space of weeks, with populations confined and economies stalled.
We are still collectively facing terrible suffering and death tolls. Yet history tells us that, out of cataclysms, we can build anew. The League of Nations was born from the ruins of World War I; the United Nations from World War II.
We are in such a moment now. In the past few years, the multilateral system has been under attack – with leaders in the US and Brazil openly undermining the system, and far-right nationalist movements flourishing in Europe and elsewhere.
Yet the Covid-19 crisis has shown us that we live in a deeply interconnected world – from the virus’s casual crossing of national borders, to the scenes of empty shelves due to global trade disruptions.
This opens a window of opportunity for discussion – in the wake of this crisis, we should rebuild our system of international cooperation, moving from siloed diplomatic discussions on specific topics such as climate to a broader approach that integrates the management of the new global commons together.
