Munich Young Leaders Anniversary Report "Multilateralism is Dead. Long Live Multilateralism!"

On September 19, the Munich Security Conference (MSC) and Körber-Stiftung will publish a new report on the current state and future of multilateral cooperation. Titled "Multilateralism is Dead. Long Live Multilateralism!" the publication presents best practices for multilateral cooperation and offers regional perspectives on the prospects of and challenges to the multilateral order. The authors of the individual contributions are members of the Munich Young Leaders (MYL) program, a network of more than 250 young experts and (future) decision-makers around the globe. They shape multilateralism in their work as ministers, members of parliament, commanders and leading political experts from the world's most distinguished institutions.

Dr. Thomas Paulsen, Member of the Executive Board of Körber-Stiftung, reiterates the importance of the MYL program: "At a time, when multilateralism is under fire, we need to listen to the next generation of leaders and put their fresh ideas into political practice."

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.

Wolfgang Ischinger, Chairman of the Munich Security Conference, explains: "We cannot revive multilateralism without acknowledging what works. Instances of multilateralism in action should be seen as best practices that may inspire and revive cooperation elsewhere."

In this spirit, the MYL Anniversary Publication sheds light on eight multilateral best practices from a diverse range of fields. In each case, the publication examines the conditions underpinning cooperative successes and identifies 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 success cases, 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 publication 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 publication 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 centers on the Middle East, highlighting a trend towards more fluid and pragmatic alliances that are defined by opposition to Iran, and the fight against jihadist terrorism and political Islam.

Starting September 19, the publication is available for download here:
www.munich-young-leaders.org

More information about the MYL program is available here:
https://www.koerber-stiftung.de/en/munich-young-leaders
https://securityconference.org/en/about-us/awards-leadership/munich-young-leaders/

Sincerely,
Johannes Schmid and Julian Claaßen
 
Johannes Schmid
Head of Media Relations
Munich Security Conference
press@securityconference.de        
+49 89 3797 949 20

Julian Claaßen
Press Officer
Körber-Stiftung
claassen@koerber-stiftung.de
+49 40 8081 922 33