As natural as breathing.

Naturally, multilateralism has become like "breathing air," permeating every aspect of international life.

General Secretary and President To Lam delivered a speech at the Summit on the Future, 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. (Source: VNA)

The founding of the United Nations (UN) in 1945 reflected the shared aspirations of the peoples of all nations for a world of peace, security, and development after the horrors of World War II.

In the nearly eight decades since the UN's founding, the tremendous achievements of the multilateral system have lifted more than a billion people on the planet out of poverty and, in particular, prevented a third world war. Naturally, multilateralism has become an integral part of international life, permeating every aspect of international affairs.

War and conflict are fueled by hatred and a lack of trust. Therefore, if there is no hatred and trust is strengthened, it is clearly possible to avert conflict, eliminate war, and build peace. The "sweet fruits" of multilateralism partly demonstrate this simple argument. Southeast Asia was once shrouded in disagreement, confrontation, and division until ASEAN was established and has grown to its current position. The two devastating wars in Europe from 1914 to 1945, which killed millions and left a continent devastated and exhausted, became a thing of the past when the European Economic Community (the predecessor of today's EU) was established in 1957.

The profound changes in the global and regional situation have strongly impacted the vitality of multilateralism, replacing it with the persistence of unilateralism, power politics, protectionism, or self-serving nationalism…

At an open debate of the UN Security Council in April 2023, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres affirmed that the world is facing multiple intertwined and unprecedented crises, while the multilateral system is under "greater pressure than at any time" since the UN was founded.

While many are still grappling with the effectiveness of traditional multilateral institutions, they are immediately overwhelmed by a series of concerns about the purpose and mission of new multilateral mechanisms, the emerging "mini-multilateral" cooperation mechanisms... Although countries, including both large and small nations, continue to utilize multilateral institutions and cooperation mechanisms to safeguard national interests and jointly address global issues, the simmering undercurrents that distort the understanding and approach to multilateralism remain. Global leaders are trying to salvage the situation through action.

This effort is evident from the 2024 UN Future Summit to the APEC Summit, G20, and COP29. The Future Treaty reached in September 2024 is a landmark agreement, which, according to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, marks a new beginning in multilateralism.

It suddenly occurred to me that this "new beginning" is linked to a "renewable multilateralism" shared by General Secretary To Lam when attending the "For a Renewable Multilateralism" session (Paris, France, October 7th), which aims for a peaceful, prosperous, and sustainable future for all nations and people. It is also a multilateralism linked to major transformation processes, especially digital transformation and green transformation; ensuring inclusiveness, comprehensiveness, and a people-centered approach, particularly for the younger generation.

Thus, the role of multilateralism is irreversible, and as General Secretary To Lam once emphasized, "it is precisely in times of difficulty that multilateralism clearly demonstrates its irreplaceable role."

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/vai-tro-cua-chu-nghia-da-phuong-tu-nhien-nhu-hoi-tho-294542.html