ABSTRACT
The post-World War II era saw the emergence of new processes and new actors in global governance, marked by the founding of the UN. Intergovernmentalism appeared to answer the dual demands for state sovereignty and for peace and security in the context of growing interconnectedness and interdependence of countries. Political authority was thus diffused by compromise and agreement. In the twenty-first century, the landscape of global politics is fast changing. The resurgence of nationalism alongside the rise of multipolarity within the international order have energized unilateralism and bilateralism. However, there has also been a growth of transnational bodies and non-state actors wielding greater normative and regulatory authority. Yet, without a renewed commitment to multilateralism underpinned by legitimate authority wielded by state as well as non-state actors, urgently needed action on global “bads” such as nuclear proliferation, climate change, and pandemics will remain fragmented, weak, and ineffective.
