Guest Lecture: Martin Kobler on the Crisis of Multilateralism
2025-02-06
On 6 February 2025, Martin Kobler was a guest at Leuphana University Lüneburg. On this occasion he shared his experiences in international politics with the fellows of the Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law and other interested parties. He focused in particular on the crisis of multilateralism, wars and conflicts, and current challenges to the international order.
Mr Kobler is a former diplomat and ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Egypt, Iraq, and Pakistan. He has also held a number of senior positions at the United Nations, serving as Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the UN Support Mission in Libya, the UN Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and the UN Support Mission in Iraq. He also served as Deputy Head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan.
These profound insights into the processes of high-level international politics, bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, and crisis and conflict management make his assessments of the current global situation unique and invaluable. Understanding this background is essential for doctoral students in the Joachim Herz Doctoral Programme who are involved in global, international, or interstate transformation processes. Reports from international practice and glimpses behind the scenes therefore enable them to develop a better and more substantiated understanding of how solutions can be achieved in this context - or where they may not be feasible due to political constraints.
Mr Kobler dealt with the above topics with a keen sense of political and legal pitfalls, outstanding expertise, and always in an entertaining and humorous way. In doing so, he enabled his audience to gain a better understanding (of the practical aspects) of the international system. We thank him very much.
