ISLAMABAD: Speakers at a seminar hosted by the Institute of Regional Studies (IRS) stressed that multilateralism is no longer a matter of choice but a strategic necessity to safeguard global peace and stability amid an increasingly fragmented international order.
The seminar, titled “Protecting Shared Interests through Multilateralism: An Imperative for Global Peace and Stability,” was organized by the China Program at IRS to examine the importance of reinforcing multilateralism amid an increasingly fragmented global order, said a press release.
In his welcome remarks, Ambassador Jauhar Saleem, President of IRS, highlighted the growing trend among traditional powers toward unilateral actions, protectionism, conditional diplomacy, and transactional approaches, which he noted are undermining international law and the rules enshrined in the UN Charter. Referring to India’s proclivity for military aggression as reflective of this trend, he emphasized that the protection of shared interests cannot rest on the discretion of a single power. Instead, it requires global cooperation and adherence to multilateral mechanisms. In this context, he noted that China’s expanding institutional engagements are rooted in a quest for shared prosperity and reflect concrete contributions toward strengthening the UN-based international order.