Today, the multilateral system as we know it is under threat. What is certain, though, is that in the future, in order to survive, multilateralism will have to answer the aspirations of people and meet the needs of mankind as a whole. In fact, multilateralism itself is far from obsolete – but the institutions that serve it are old. 

In a recent article, political scholar G. John Ikenberry¹ depicts the evolution of the international project over the past seven decades. He interprets present times as a transition period to a new multilateral order. Yet, in the midst of current uncertainties, it is not easy to predict which form it may take. Until now, multilateralism was seen as a “methodology or machinery for responding to the opportunities and dangers of modernity”. It has responded to traditional state power structures. From now on, the global system needs to evolve if it is to be capable of better serving humanity. Global threats are taking an almost existential dimension: climate, security-related or socio-economic. These threats transcend the boundaries of traditional institutions. Geopolitical shifts and growing transnational networks of businesses, civil society and political alliances indicate that people aspire to a deep global reorganisation of powers, ideologies and human activity.   

So, how can we transform current institutions to strengthen our collective ability to respond to global threats, and foster a new form of multilateralism that keeps its promises? U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres’s vision to create a more agile, efficient and accountable organisation shows one of the ways ahead: an organisation that can engage with the ‘chess-board’ of traditional powers and institutions on the one hand and the web of interconnected threats and opportunities on the other.²

At the GCSP, we believe it is essential to adapt the existing systems in order to better respond to present and future challenges. We think that a shared understanding and common values – the ingredients that draw together networks – are at the core of agile institutions. For the past 30 years, we have helped transform individuals and organisations, equipping them with the mind-sets, skill-sets and tool-sets necessary for keeping the world safer.

The GCSP’s Geneva Leadership Alliance is a partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership (CCL) dedicated to advancing the effectiveness of leadership in public, private, and civil society organisations to achieve collective outcomes. Through our work with several international organisations and governments over the past three years, we have observed that there continues to be a lack of strategic prioritisation and investment to develop and better prepare current and future leaders at all levels.

What do we mean by leadership? This is best explained by sharing some examples of leadership challenges that we have found to be common across many of the organisations we engage with, and that we believe organisations are not preparing people well enough for:

• Leading and influencing teams and organisations of very diverse people doing complex work is challenging and requires specific mind-sets and skills.
• The tendency to give priority to subject-matter expertise over leadership capability is often widespread. Many organisations are now recognising that this imbalance needs to be addressed, especially as their activity is getting more complex and funding sources become scarcer.
• Interrupting ways of working that are ineffective, questioning them, exploring alternatives and adapting, is a complex endeavour.
• There is an over focus on procedures and processes and often not enough clarity on ‘what’ the desired outcomes should be.
• The desire and ability to view issues from perspectives outside of one’s own silo and develop new understandings of prevailing challenges is often lacking.
• Judgement about when, what and how an organisation needs to adapt is hampered by the inability to read an often turbulent landscape and understand the wider eco-system.
• The fear of negatively impacting sources of funding and public perception leads to leadership decisions based on ‘protection & preservation’ rather than on ‘foresight and adaptation’.

Effective and efficient multi-layered organisations require individuals who can anticipate, adapt and be resilient. These individuals need critical thinking, imaginative and innovative problem-solving skills and attitudes. They represent the fundamental components that form the “machinery” of the international system. Ultimately, institutions that have ambition to shape the new international system will need to create spaces and opportunities for their people to thrive, to work well in high-performing diverse teams, to engage across institutional and cultural boundaries and build trust with wider constituents. 

There is huge potential to harness the collective intelligence across the entire system: indeed, the system is powered by people. And people need to adapt to changing circumstances, while also maintaining structures – and at times, redesigning these structures. If multilateral organisations are to survive, they will owe it to their people.

¹ G. John Ikenberry; The end of liberal international order?, International Affairs, Volume 94, Issue 1, 1 January 2018, Pages 7–23

² Anne-Marie Slaughter : the Chessboard and the Web, Yale University Press, 2017

Disclaimer: The views, information and opinions expressed in the written publications are the authors’ own and do not necessarily reflect those shared by the Geneva Centre for Security Policy or its employees. The GCSP is not responsible for and may not always verify the accuracy of the information contained in the written publications submitted by a writer.