ABSTRACT
The world is facing an increasing number of civilisational crises which pose catastrophic risks capable of eroding or ending human civilisation. Our current multilateral order is not capable of mitigating these crises. The United Nations is not able to prevent wars involving superpowers or restrain the arms race in weapons of mass destruction. The weakening of multilateralism is mirrored in the strengthening of hyper-nationalism in many countries. It is necessary to reinvent a multilateral order that can respond to civilisational crises. We need a Global Governance Grid to promote an integrated civilisational response to global crises, not to intervene in the daily business of the Security Council dealing with specific conflicts. At the apex of the grid, there should be a steering committee of persons who are elected for their high moral fibre and not for their national affiliations. The second layer should be made of a World Parliamentary Assembly. The third layer should be a Conflict Resolution Forum, with focus on conflicts between big powers or between a big power and a small power. In order to bring about such a huge transformation, it will be necessary for most countries of the world and peace movements to come together and launch a massive political campaign. The world’s population should be sensitised to the alternative of widespread conflict.
