Promoting Multilateralism as the Guiding Principle in International Relations

• Author: Don Mills
• Pages: 277-284

Promoting Multilateralism as the Guiding Principle 277

International organizations of different kinds have existed for some

considerable time and they have come to occupy an increasingly important

position in international affairs. The United Nations organization established

nearly 60 years ago, is the single intergovernmental body with universal

membership, and forms the centerpiece in this expanding system.

Like most developing states the countries of the English-speaking

Caribbean obtained their independence in what might be called the era of

multilateralism — which has been named Pax Multilateralis. The major

exceptions are 20 Latin American states, and some ten countries of Africa,

the Middle East and Asia. For developing countries, and especially for small

ones, this has provided special advantages, perhaps the most important

being their right to membership in the United Nations.

A consideration of what the experience of such countries might have

been had they gained independence in a different era will give some idea of

the difference. But along with these benefits there are the major

responsibilities and burdens which have come with the opportunities for

active engagement in the international arena and in multilateral systems.

In the four decades during which the English speaking countries have

been independent, a large number of multilateral organizations have come

into existence at the global, regional and sub-regional levels — among them

intergovernmental bodies, and organizations concerned with business

interests, or with professional, scientific, religious or other matters.

At a time when within many countries there are efforts to develop

effective interchange and cooperation between the state and other interests,

it is inevitable that a parallel tendency would develop among multilateral

organizations. The United Nations has wrestled with this issue since its

establishment, notably in respect of its relationship with non-governmental

organizations. Provisions for a presence of such organizations in the UN

was made in the Charter, and there have been positive developments in

that respect since that time in the matter of attendance and some limited

participation by such organization in UN meetings.

PROMOTING MULTILATERALISMPROMOTING MULTILATERALISM

PROMOTING MULTILATERALISMPROMOTING MULTILATERALISM

PROMOTING MULTILATERALISM

AS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE INAS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN

AS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE INAS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN

AS THE GUIDING PRINCIPLE IN

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSINTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONSINTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Don Mills

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