Munich Young Leaders Anniversary Report

Over the past few years, multilateralism has been deemed under attack, in crisis or has simply been declared dead. Yet, there are numerous instances and areas where multilateral cooperation continues to work – and to deliver promising results. These cases deserve much more attention – not least because much can be learned from them.

In this spirit, the Munich Security Conference and Körber-Stiftung published a new report, titled "Multilateralism is Dead. Long Live Multilateralism!" The authors of the individual contributions are members of the Munich Young Leaders program, a network of more than 250 young experts and decision-makers from around the globe. They shape multilateralism in their work as ministers, members of parliament, military officers, and leading political experts from the world's most distinguished institutions.

In the report, Munich Young Leaders shed light on eight multilateral best practices from a diverse range of fields. In each case, they examine the conditions underpinning cooperative successes and identify important lessons learned. Examples include cooperation among cities in the fight against climate change, scientific collaboration in the conflict-ridden Middle East, multilateral efforts to combat terrorist online propaganda, and NATO’s partnership with industry in tackling growing cyber threats. To showcase these successes, the MSC and Körber-Stiftung collaborated with numerous renowned partners – including the United Nations, NATO, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) and Cisco – who provided insightful data and analyses. For instance, the report features infographics that highlight cooperation initiatives among cities, which serve as powerful buffers to states' assaults against international treaties. Other infographics show the reduction of visual propaganda disseminated by ISIS as a major achievement of the Global Coalition Against Daesh.

In addition, the report complements the debate on multilateralism with much-needed input from beyond the West. In seven contributions, it presents diverse regional perspectives on multilateralism, visions for the future of international cooperation, and views on the most urgent issues to be tackled multilaterally. For instance, one contribution highlights the long tradition of multilateral cooperation in Africa that oddly contrasts how Africa is mostly discounted as an agenda setter for international efforts. Another contribution centres on the Middle East, highlighting a trend towards more fluid and pragmatic alliances that are defined by opposition to Iran.