Multilateral Issues

At the beginning of 2010, three issues threatened to do lasting harm to international cooperation. First, the chaotic 2009 Copenhagen summit on climate change had left serious doubts about international efforts to address global warming. Second, Iran’s nuclear programme and the weaknesses of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) were eroding faith in multilateral efforts to stem the spread of nuclear weapons. Third, the US and emerging economies including China and India were raising pressure to reform the governance structures of bodies such as the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, implying that the biggest EU donors to these institutions should lose some influence. These dilemmas arose against the background of uncertainty over the relative importance of the G20 (empowered during the financial crisis) and the G8 (losing traction), as well as renewed debate over whether and how to reform the UN Security Council. Both these issues threaten to reduce European influence as power shifts from the West towards Asia.

By the end of the year, however, the outlook for multilateralism – and Europe’s role in the multilateral system – had significantly improved. The December 2010 climate conference in Cancún restored confidence in the UN-led negotiations on climate change. The EU played a major – if not absolutely decisive – role in restoring faith in the UN talks through diplomatic declarations and targeting aid to address climate issues.

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