ABSTRACT
As the unprecedented magnitude of global challenges becomes better understood by the day, the attention of scholars and decision-makers turns to the future shape of international politics and multilateral cooperation. The viability, possibly the very survival, of human civilization as we know it, seems to rest on an expeditious transformation toward a low-carbon economy and on a simultaneous reconfiguration of global governance. 1 The task of political adjustment is twofold: first, the claim of rising economies to equitable power-sharing needs to be adequately addressed. Second, the aspirations of all individuals for sustainable livelihoods have to be met in order to achieve human rights and safeguard political stability. In this period of rapid change, the stakes are enormous for all sides, engendering the risk of turbulent multilateralism, escalating confrontation, and violent conflict within and between states. 2 The world society is confronted with the existential problem of properly managing the transition process and laying the groundwork for long-term development and shared prosperity in a post-American world.
