Panel Discussion on Multilateralism in Times of Global Polycrises: Problem or Solution?

The panel discussion focused on the theme "Multilateralism in Times of Global Polycrises: Problem or Solution?" The event aimed to examine the effectiveness of multilateralism in addressing crises transcending national borders and accelerating sustainable transformations. Panelists Mark Manns from UNESCO and Marlen Meissner from the German UNESCO Commission provided insights into the role and challenges of multilateralism. 

Daniel Fischer, the moderator started the discussion with highlighting the role of multilateralism in dealing with crises in recent years. He highlighted successful collaboration efforts during the COVID19 pandemic but noted that these efforts were not so successful with other crises (e.g., climate crises). The goal of the panel discussion was not to critically discuss the role of multilateralism in times of global polycrises (crises that go beyond national borders).  

Mark Manns elucidated UNESCO's mission and its efforts in promoting peace through education to explain the notion of multilateralism. He asked the audience what their understanding was about the work of UNESCO. He explains that UNESCO stands for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, founded in the year 1946 to support peace through dialogue. Now, it has 194 member states, which come together with partners and other stakeholders twice a year to discuss their efforts to promote peace. Mark’s focus is on the education component and Sustainable Development Goal 4 on quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all. UNESCO is the leading organization to achieve this goal.  

Marlen Meissner discussed the role of UNESCO National Commissions in bridging international and national efforts, emphasizing the importance of collaboration within and across borders. She proceeded with discussing the role of the German UNESCO Commission and her work. She noted that UNESCO is the only UN organization that has national commissions that act as intermediaries between international and national levels. They are responsible for bringing UNESCO programmes to Germany and, at the same time, bringing national perspective to UNESCO. She highlighted the importance of multilateralism and collaboration, both inside Germany (“down to every single community”) and outside with other countries.  

Daniel invited the panelists  to address a more critical approach to multilateralism. Mark noted the complexity of multilateralism and the lengthy process of bringing everyone together and defining roles. At the same time, he emphasized the need for such a seemingly inefficient process from a long perspective, as it provides a more sustainable outcome. Ultimately, there is a trade-off. Marlen highlighted the successful results of multilateralism and argued that people feel the effect of these efforts, which is also a reason for bringing up criticism. Social media facilitates these critical discussions. Nevertheless, the feedback they receive in the German UNESCO Commission is highly positive.  

Mark and Marlen shared successful stories of multilateralism projects. Mark talked about the recently adopted New Recommendation on Education for Peace, Human Rights, and Sustainable Development, which is a revision of the 1974 Recommendation. This revision was able to bring different perspectives, which were reflected in the text. Another example is organizing multi-stakeholder working groups at national levels. Marlen described how the collaboration of different countries to save ancient temples during the construction of dams (International Campaign to Save the Monuments of Nubia) inspired the adoption of World Heritage Convention in 1972, which brought the understanding that cultural heritage is the responsibility of everyone and not just a single state.  

Daniel invited the panel members to discuss what is needed for the successful implementation of multilateralism projects, namely the documents the panelists mentioned. Mark described different types of documents that have different goals and binding powers. What is important, is that UNESCO provides a platform for such discussions on the terms and contents of documents. Marlen further added the importance of having multiple perspectives and, at the same time, finding common goals and understandings. 

Discussion proceeded with the (slow or little) progress in SDGs shown in recent reports and questions about whether SDGs are ultimately a success or failure. Marlen defended the goals, as they provide a global common framework and concrete measurements to track progress. Additionally, the success of these Goals is that they are so widely known. Mark added that the SDGs were a very ambitious project, considering where we started. There are still different things to consider, e.g., monitoring issues, to explain the slow progress. Nevertheless, the speaker agreed that it was a great success that these common goals were created.  Mark added that such trends certainly impact the international work of UNESCO, but they also want to respect national autonomy. What is still important, however, is to strengthen collaboration and dialogue on all levels.  

Key factors for successful multilateralism projects were outlined during the discussion, including openness to diverse perspectives, exploring common goals, and practicing dialogue with a genuine interest in understanding others’ viewpoints and backgrounds. Despite challenges, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) were regarded as a significant achievement in this regard, providing a first-time ever, collaborative agreement on a complex global framework for progress tracking. 

In the last part of the conversation, the rising trend of nationalism and populism was discussed as posing challenges to international cooperation and emphasizing the need for strengthened multilateralism. The panelists stressed that multilateralism does not only apply to the international level, but that it is also key on a local level to provide places for communication and deliberation. Audience questions underscored the importance of respecting diverse perspectives and involving local communities in decision-making processes, particularly concerning heritage preservation. Overall, the panel discussion provided insights into the complexities and potentials of multilateralism in addressing global crises, advocating for sustained collaboration and dialogue across diverse stakeholders. 

The views reflected by the speakers and moderator are their personal opinions. 

For any further information about the panel discussion, please write to unescochair@leuphana.de 

UNESCO Chair in Higher Education for Sustainable Development