Uploaded November 2024 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Economic and political friction between great powers has placed multilateral institutions under enormous strain. The frictions are reflected in accusations that China is attempting to occupy and dominate United Nations agencies, that the United States is stymying the World Trade Organization’s disputes resolution mechanisms, and that Russia is making a mockery of the UN Security Council over action on Ukraine. What can Australia, an avowed proponent of the “rules-based international order,” do to shore up and even mend the institutions on which it has relied for its peace and prosperity since the end of the Second World War? Or are these systems largely beyond repair?
Economic and political friction between great powers has placed multilateral institutions under enormous strain. The frictions are reflected in accusations that China is attempting to occupy and dominate United Nations agencies, that the United States is stymying the World Trade Organization’s disputes resolution mechanisms, and that Russia is making a mockery of the UN Security Council over action on Ukraine. What can Australia, an avowed proponent of the “rules-based international order,” do to shore up and even mend the institutions on which it has relied for its peace and prosperity since the end of the Second World War? Or are these systems largely beyond repair?
