International Day of Multilateralism and Diplomacy for Peace

 Multilateralism at the heart of international life: The United Nations The multilateral system that emerged after the Second World War has been constantly evolving. In 1945, 51 governments signed the UN Charter at San Francisco. Today, 193 states are members of the United Nations. For over 75 years, the multifaceted global cooperation has increased in light of the growing number of participating states. Multilateralism is at the heart of the United Nations. Since its foundation, the UN has contributed to the development of global cooperation by providing a multilateral framework for international action. It has also been the catalyst for negotiation and the adoption of a number of international agreements which are essential elements of the multilateral system we live in today. The UN aims to allow states to cooperate and coordinate their actions in order to maintain peace, advance and defend fundamental human rights, promote social progress and provide better living standards. Th...

STANDARDIZING PASSPORTS A long time ago, every country had its own passport and its own rules. But it became important for countries to control their borders and restrict access for safety reasons. This is why in 1920 an international conference, held by the League of Nations, adopted an “international-type” of passport . It set common rules about the personal information to be includedin a passport , its validity, etc. BRINGING SMART MINDS TOGETHER FOR PEACE. There was a committee of men and women who were selected to be members because of their talent and achievements. They could be intellectuals, artists or scientist, e.g. Albert Einstein or Gabriela Mistral. It was the first attempt to bring smart minds together to promote peace, no matter their nationality . CONTROLLING WEAPONS. The “ 1925 Geneva Protocol ” is an agreement that was signed in Geneva to ban the use of chemical and biological weapons in war . Today, it is complemented by the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC) and t...

 Multilateralism goes global: The League of Nations. The League of Nations was established following the First World War at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. Indeed, the Covenant of the League of Nations is an integral part of the Versailles Treaty. Its foundation marked a turning point in the process of institutionalizing multilateralism . The League was the first global international organization created to maintain peace and security and promote cooperation between countries .  THE COVENANT: A NEW INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE. If you are a member of a sports club, there are some rules you must follow and there is some information about how the sports club works. In the same way, the Covenant was a document for the members of the League. It detailed what members can and cannot do, and outlined the way the organization works. There was a code of conduct , a way to behave: there must be unity among members, respect, equal rights, group decision-making, transparency, and peacef...

  THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS The first intergovernmental organizations were the Central Commission for the navigation of the Rhine (1815) and the European Commission of the Danube (1856), which were established to guarantee the freedom of navigation. Because these two rivers crossed different national territories and represented an important waterway, river-states had to cooperate with each other for a mutual agreement concerning navigation , transit, tariffs, and facilities. THE OLDEST INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS STILL STANDING  When telegraphy was invented, different countries had different telegraphy systems. This made it difficult to send messages around the world. Messages would have to stop at borders and be rewired for delivery. To solve this problem, the  International Telegraphy Conference (ITC) was established in 1865 to provide a framework of common norms and rules for easy international communications. Did you know that the International Telegraph ...

Multilateral cooperation has existed for as far back as we can remember. Some scholars see it as a foundation for the development of organized societies and trace its origins back to ancient times. Many civilizations left evidence of agreements to help regulate interactions (be it political, commercial or financial) between different entities . In its recognizable form, multilateralism developed in the course of negotiating the Westphalia treaties, which ended the Hundred Year War and the Thirty Year War in 1648. The peace agreements signed in the German cities of Münsterand Osnabrück are now generally considered to be at the origin of the modern international state system. Modern multilateralism progressively took shape during the 19th century, and can be traced through different stages.  CONCERT OF EUROPE: The “Concert of Europe” emerged from the Vienna Congress in 1815 which ended the Napoleonic wars and is considered to be the first political step towards the development ...

  Multilateralism , traditionally, refers to a collective action coordinated between at least three actors . It implies that the actors have a shared realization that it is in their interests to work together to resolve problems that are bigger than their individual efforts could tackle. Multilateralism helps nations to confront complex global challenges through a universal approach. In short, it is a tool of statecraft and a mindset, a way to do things. The spirit of multilateralism is: “together, we are stronger” . — Multilateralism comes from the association of two Latin words: multus (many) and latus (side). Literally, it means “ multisided ”. The term was first used in geometry before being used in politics. — The definitive Merriam-Webster unabridged dictionary of the English language describes “multilateral” as something having many sides, participated in, or involving more than three sides, as in treaty, guarantees, contract, etc. It is associated with a series of  ...

Multilateralism is a term one often hears in the context of  international relations  particularly today. It is said to be under attack.  However, do we really understand what it means?  Multilateralism is important for creating and maintaining peace , improving the quality of our lives and promoting human rights . Multilateralism is also crucial for tackling complex global challenges like climate change and health crises. When countries tackle problems together, the best outcomes are inevitable.  " Multi-what? " was inspired and produced by the Perception Change Project of the United Nations Office at Geneva with the goal of contributing to a better understanding of this concept. This booklet is an effort to present a complex and often misunderstood notion to the general, non-specialized public, not only underlining Multilateralism essential role in the international system, but also highlighting its concrete impact on our daily lives.