Multilateralism

The Multilateral System

In a longue durée perspective—that is, a temporal perspective spanning centuries—we have seen the emergence of an increasingly dense network of multilateral institutions and agreements. This network is frequently called the multilateral system and has essentially developed through four main phases. During the first phase, reaching back to the early 19th century, the system was characterized by the first experiments in collective diplomacy. This form of diplomacy was a feature of the post-Napoleonic era and was cultivated by European diplomats and heads of state meeting in 1815 at the Vienna Congress to determine the future European order. Subsequently, a series of more than 30 conferences, called the Concert of Europe, constituted the first example of recurrent collective diplomacy. In this context, “collective” does not refer to all interested states—the Concert was characterized by special great-power roles and responsibilities. The first phase also included the introduction of international conflict resolution by means of legal instruments, especially arbitration and negotiation, essentially the precursor for the International Court of Justice in The Hague. Notably, the first phase also saw the creation of the first proper international organization, specifically the launch of the International Telegraphic Union in 1865. Subsequently, other specialized international organizations were initiated, and by 1900 about a dozen had been created. All these origins represent the beginning of a novel and [Page 1633]increasingly institutionalized feature being introduced to the international states system.

The second phase starts with the establishment of the multipurpose and, in principle, global League of Nations after World War I. Membership in the league consisted mainly of the European states, thereby reflecting the colonial times in which it was established, the eurocentrism of the international states system, and the reluctance of the United States to engage in international politics. The creation of the league was a deliberate attempt to avoid future major wars, for which reason a system of collective security was introduced. Apart from the league, some further specific organizations were created, including the International Labour Organization (1919). The League—and perhaps foremost its member states—clearly failed in the key objective of securing the peace, yet as failure is one source of experience and knowledge, the lessons learned were used when states designed the successor organization during and after World War II.

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