Boao Forum highlights role of multilateralism

Multilateralism should be reinvigorated in promoting the building of a just and rational global governance system to cope with pressing global challenges, according to officials and experts attending the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference.

Themed "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future", this year's conference, running from Tuesday to Friday, is designed to promote openness and development and carry out the commitments of the United Nations Summit of the Future while focusing on the development of Asia.

"Global threats require global responses," Vice-Foreign Minister Chen Xiaodong said on Wednesday at High-Level Dialogue: Global Governance after the UN Summit of the Future, one of the panel discussions during the conference.

"Faced with a complex and severe international situation, we must uphold true multilateralism," he said.

Chen highlighted the core role of the UN in the international system and called for safeguarding the authority of the intergovernmental body.

"We should replace group confrontation with inclusive cooperation, and break 'small circles' with greater unity," he said.

Chen urged major countries to lead by example in upholding integrity and the rule of law, saying that "prioritizing one's own interests will only harm others while not benefiting oneself".

Noting that the current international situation is marked by a mix of uncertainty and instability, Chen warned that the world faces the risk of reverting to the law of the jungle. "It is imperative for countries to work together to advance global governance," he added.

Chen said that faced with serious challenges, China has proposed the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind, along with the Global Development Initiative, the Global Security Initiative and the Global Civilization Initiative, guiding the way to address the common challenges that countries are facing.

The dialogue is viewed as a follow-up to the UN Summit of the Future, which concluded with the Pact for the Future, including a Global Digital Compact and a Declaration on Future Generations. The pact covers a broad range of themes, including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, youth and future generations, and the transformation of global governance.

Addressing the dialogue meeting, Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia and a former UN secretary-general, said that the demand for global governance has never been greater than today. "We are facing a growing global governance deficit, and that must be addressed with urgency," he said.

Ban emphasized the role of the UN and the multilateral system, saying that multilateralism is an effective approach to address common challenges.

"Countries must be guided by diplomacy, not by violence," Ban said. "They must be guided by the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, not the law of the jungle. Countries should have closer trade and economic cooperation, not protectionism or beggar thy neighbor practices."

This year marks the 80th anniversary of the UN's founding. Ban said that it's not just a time to celebrate the achievements the UN has made, but also a time to reflect on "what can be done to ensure it is representative, responsive and effective".

In his speech at the dialogue, Guy Ryder, UN undersecretary-general for policy, talked about the challenges faced by the global body.

"We are living in a time of great disruption and great uncertainty. Consequences are difficult to predict, but we are already feeling the pressures facing the international system. Multilateralism, its values and even its legitimacy are being questioned," he said.

At the same time, global challenges such as conflicts, poverty, climate change and the governance of technologies are becoming increasingly complex, he said, and the ability to address those challenges through global cooperation appears to be shrinking.

Ryder added that the way forward for the international community is one in which the rule of law and cooperation prevail, or otherwise the world will enter an era in which there will be a high degree of confrontation, and the notion that "might is right" will prevail.