In an era of global crises, multilateralism remains the cornerstone of international cooperation. Treaties are often seen as its highest expression—from public health to narcotics to climate change—designed to harmonize policy, set minimum standards, and catalyze collective action.
Yet today’s multipolar world has exposed the treaty system’s fragility. It’s not only the geopolitical shocks—Trump’s foreign policy reset, Russia’s aggression, or a weakened United Nations—but also deep structural flaws that have long been ignored: a lack of transparency, rigid frameworks resistant to innovation, weak enforcement, and growing hostility toward the private sector.
These challenges call for reflection. Without a more agile, inclusive framework grounded in pragmatism, collaboration, and shared responsibility, the international treaty system risks slipping into irrelevance.
