Multilateralism is in crisis. Can it be saved?
As leaders gather in Washington DC for the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, openDemocracy and the Bretton Woods Project present a new series on the crisis of multilateralism.
8 April 2019, 12.00am
This week leaders from around the world will gather in Washington DC for the annual World Bank and IMF Spring Meetings. In a year when both institutions are due to mark their 75th anniversaries, celebrations will be overshadowed by growing concerns about a ‘crisis of multilateralism’.
Propelled by popular movements of both left and right, countries around the world are turning against the system of neoliberal globalisation that the IMF and World Bank have overseen for much of the past half century. Meanwhile, the rise of China and other emerging powers raises fundamental questions about the legitimacy of a multilateral order that remains dominated by the US and its allies. At a time when challenges such as climate breakdown demand an urgent commitment to international cooperation, the future of multilateralism looks increasingly uncertain.
Help us uncover the truth about Covid-19
The Covid-19 public inquiry is a historic chance to find out what really happened.
This is the context for our new series with the Bretton Woods Project. Featuring contributions from grass roots activists and expert voices from around the world, the series will explore the roots of the crisis of multilateralism by shining a spotlight on the human and environmental costs of World Bank and IMF policies.
The series will also seek to explore the possibilities for creating a more democratic and just form of multilateralism in a world where power is shifting from west and east, and where environmental collapse demands an urgent international response.
As the Bretton Woods Project write in their opening article for the series:
"By espousing a growth-first orthodoxy that relegates human rights, and governance structures that exacerbate global power imbalances, the Bretton Woods Institutions are yet to rise to the challenge of backing the radical reforms needed to fix the fractures built by their model of ‘development’ and to pave the way for a more just multilateralism – one that is anchored on an explicit commitment to human rights and sustainable development."
One thing is clear: we can’t address the challenges of the twenty-first century with multilateral arrangements that were designed to fit the circumstances of the twentieth century. What is less clear is what should come next. We hope this series will make a valuable contribution to this critical debate.
Why should you care about freedom of information?
From coronation budgets to secretive government units, journalists have used the Freedom of Information Act to expose corruption and incompetence in high places. Tony Blair regrets ever giving us this right. Today's UK government is giving fewer and fewer transparency responses, and doing it more slowly. But would better transparency give us better government? And how can we get it?
Join our experts for a free live discussion at 5pm UK time on 15 June.
Hear from:
Claire Miller Data journalism and FOI expert
Martin Rosenbaum Author of ‘Freedom of Information: A Practical Guidebook’; former BBC political journalist
Jenna Corderoy Investigative reporter at openDemocracy and visiting lecturer at City University, London
Chair: Ramzy Alwakeel Head of news at openDemocracy
Comments
We encourage anyone to comment, please consult the oD commenting guidelines if you have any questions.