Can Multilateralism Be Re-Invented? With Elizabeth N. Saunders, Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Tim Heinkelmann-Wild

A panel discussion presented by the Marc Bloch Center, the Alliance Program, and Deutsches Haus, Columbia University.

Recorded on 16 September 2026 at the Deutsches Haus at Columbia University

With Elizabeth N. Saunders (Columbia University), Jean-Marie Guéhenno (SIPA, Columbia University), Tim Heinkelmann-Wild (LMU Munich, EUI)

Moderator: Emmanuel Kattan (Columbia University)

The world order that emerged out of World War II helped affirm the power of diplomacy and the need to uphold international law. But it wasn’t perfect. Countries in the Global South did not always reap the benefits of the multilateral system, which often favored the most powerful countries. Today, the post-World War II order is cracking at the seams and we are experiencing a return to power politics and a „might is right“ ideology. While many support some of the achievements of the past decades—international collaboration that led to advances in science, health, human rights, gender equality, and socio-economic development—trust in the institutions and the global architecture behind this progress is waning.

What is left of multilateralism, and can it be reinvented? Is the current geopolitical and economic fragmentation inevitable? Will international cooperation give way to a patchwork of regional coalitions and issue-specific alliances, or can new forms of global governance emerge? Could coalitions of middle powers help shape a more stable and more equitable international order?

In order to examine these questions and to cast not only the future of multilateralism but also the historical foundations upon which it still rests, the Alliance Program and the Centre Marc Bloch are bringing together a transatlantic panel of experts.

Hébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.