Multilateral Organisations are organisations made up of three or more countries that work together on issues that affect all of the members. International organisations, such as the United Nations (UN), UN Security Council (UNSC), World Health Assembly (WHA) and the World Trade Organisation, are multilateral in nature. This article will explain to you about Multilateral Organisations which will be helpful in preparing for the International Relations in UPSC Civil Services Examination.

What is a Multilateral Organisation?

• Three or more countries form multilateral organisations to work on issues that are important to each of them.
• They ensure that everyone is involved in the management of world affairs, as well as the legitimacy of any relief efforts.
• Multilateral organisations also effectively deal with global priorities by reducing the risk of making hasty and careless decisions in problem-solving.
• Multilateral organisations can fund their projects by receiving funding from a number of different governments.
• Multilateral organisations play a critical role in assisting with global issues.
• Many multilateral organisations are making a difference by partnering with like-minded nations some of which are explained below.

Some of the important Multilateral Organisations

UN Security Council (UNSC)

• The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the UN's six main organs, with responsibilities that include safeguarding international peace and security, recommending new UN members to the General Assembly and approving any UN Charter modifications.
• In 1945, the United Nations Charter established the Security Council. It is one of the United Nations' six primary organs.
• Its major responsibility is to work to keep the world safe and secure.
• The headquarters of the Council is located in New York.
• In 1947-48, India actively participated in the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and spoke out strongly against racial injustice in South Africa.

*To know more about this, click UNSC.

Non-Aligned Movement

• The Non-Aligned Movement, or NAM, is a major international organisation in which India has played a key role since its founding.
• During the Cold War, the Non-Aligned Movement was created as a group of countries that did not want to openly identify themselves with either the US or the Soviet Union, preferring to stay independent or neutral.
• The core concept for the organisation was conceived in 1955 during discussions at the Asia- Africa Bandung Conference in Indonesia.

*To know more about this, click NAM.

Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)

• BIMSTEC is a multidisciplinary regional organisation.
• The members of BIMSTEC live along the Bay of Bengal's shoreline and neighbouring places, forming a contiguous regional unity.
• There are seven members which include India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar.
• The Bangkok Declaration established this sub-regional organisation in 1997.
• The seven countries surrounding it are home to about one-fifth of the world's population(22%) and have a combined GDP of $2.7 trillion.
• BIMSTEC links not only South and Southeast Asia but also the Great Himalayan and Bay of Bengal ecologies.
• It is a logical platform for India to achieve our core foreign policy agendas of 'Neighbourhood First' and 'Act East.'

*To know more about this, click BIMSTEC.

BRICS

• The acronym BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, a grouping of the world's leading emerging economies.
• BRICS does not exist as an organisation. Rather it is an annual summit between the leaders of the included countries.
• According to the formula B-R-I-C-S, the chairmanship of the forum is rotated annually among the members.
• The significance of the BRICS is self-evident: they account for 42% of the global population, 30% of land area, 24% of global GDP, and 16% of international trade.
• The G-20 includes the five BRICS countries.

*To know more about this, click BRICS.

ASEAN-India Summit

• The ASEAN–India Summit is a major annual ASEAN event.
• This Summit takes place once a year and allows India and ASEAN to engage at the highest level.
• In contrast to China's aggressive policies, both India and ASEAN want to build a rules-based security architecture for peaceful development in the region.
• India recently spoke at the 16th East Asia Summit, reiterating its commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific, as well as the principle of ASEAN Centrality in the region.

*To know more about this, click ASEAN-India Summit

Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

• The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is a mega-regional economic agreement that ASEAN and Free Trade Agreement (FTA) member partners have been negotiating since 2012.
• Without India, it went into effect in November 2020.
• Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Laos, Myanmar, and the Philippines are among the ten ASEAN countries that have signed the agreement, as well as five key partners (China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand).
• Its goals are to cover goods and services trade, investment, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property, and dispute resolution.

*To know more about this, click Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)

United Nations Human Rights Council

• Human rights are rights that all people have, regardless of their race, gender, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, or another status.
• The United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) is an international organisation that promotes and protects human rights around the world.
• It was established in the year 2006 on 15th of March. It took the place of the former UN Commission on Human Rights.
• The headquarters of UNHRC is located in Geneva, Switzerland.
• It is a multilateral body tasked with strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the world.
• It is composed of 47 UN Member States that are chosen by the UN General Assembly (UNGA).
• Members of the Council serve three-year terms and are not eligible for immediate re-election after serving two terms in a row.

*To know more about this, click UN Human Rights Council.

International Criminal Court

• Governed by an international treaty called 'The Rome Statute', the ICC is the world’s first permanent international criminal court.
• On 1 July 2002 Rome Statute produced results upon approval by 60 states, authoritatively laying out the ICC.
• Since it has no retroactive ward, the ICC manages unlawful activities submitted on or after this date.
• The ICC aims to end exemption and consider those people answerable for deplorable violations against humankind to bring about justice.

*To know more about this, click International Criminal Court.

United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)

• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) is a peace accord that lays out rules for organisations, the climate, and the administration of marine regular assets.
• UNCLOS is otherwise called the Law of the Sea Convention or the Law of the Sea Treaty that characterises the freedoms as well as expectations of countries towards the utilisation of the world's seas.
• The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea sets out an exhaustive system of peace and lawfulness on the planet's seas and oceans laying out rules administering all purposes of the seas and their assets.

*To know more about this, click UNCLOS.

World Health Assembly (WHA)

• The World Health Assembly (WHA) is the forum through which the 194 member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) govern the organisation.
• It is made up of health ministers from member states and is the world's highest health policy-making body.
• Every year in May, the members of the World Health Assembly gather in Geneva, the headquarters of the World Health Organisation.
• The World Health Assembly's main responsibilities include determining the Organisation's policies, appointing the Director-General, supervising financial policies, and reviewing and approving the proposed programme budget.

*To know more about this, click World Health Assembly (WHA)

Open Skies Treaty

• The Open Skies Treaty allows each state-party to conduct short-notice, unarmed intelligence-gathering flights over the entire territory of the other state party in order to collect data on military forces and activities.
• A country can conduct aerial imaging over the host country if it gives 72 hours' notice and shares its exact flight path 24 hours in advance.
• It was enacted in 2002 after being signed in 1992.
• It is a treaty that allows its 34 signatory countries to monitor arm development by flying unarmed surveillance flights over each other's territories.
• As a result, the treaty enforced an aerial surveillance system for its signatories.
• The treaty has been signed by both the United States and Russia.
• India is not a signatory to this treaty.

*To know more about this, click Open Skies Treaty.

Group of Seven (G7)

• The G7 (or Group of Seven) is an intergovernmental political forum made up of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
• This is jointly represented by the President of the European Council and the President of the European Commission, and the EU participates in all debates as a guest.
• The G20 includes all of the G7 countries, as well as India.
• The G7 does not have a formal constitution or a permanent headquarters.
• The decisions made by leaders at annual summits are not legally binding.

*To know more about this, click G7.

G20

• The G20 is an informal group made up of representatives from 19 countries and the European Union, as well as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
• The G20 consists of a mix of developed and developing economies, representing over two-thirds of the global population, 85% of global GDP, 80% of global investment, and over 75% of global trade.

*To know more about this, click G20.

Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

• The SCO is an intergovernmental international permanent organisation.
• It's a political, economic, and military organisation based in Eurasian countries that aim to keep the region peaceful, secure, and stable.
• It was founded in the year 2001.
• In 2002, the SCO Charter was signed, and it went into effect in 2003.
• It is a statutory document that outlines the organisation's objectives, principles, structure, and core activities.

*To know more about this, click SCO.

The organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)

• The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries is a 13-country intergovernmental organisation.
• The Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) regulates the amount of oil that each country can produce.
• Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela founded OPEC at the Baghdad Conference in 1960.
• Its aim is to manage oil supply in order to set the price of oil on the global market and avoid price fluctuations that could harm the economies of both producing and purchasing countries.
• The headquarters of OPEC is in Vienna, Austria.

*To know more about this, click OPEC.

Benefits of Multilateral Organisations

• Multilateral organisations serve to bind powerful nations and discourage unilateralism through membership in international institutions.
• These organisations provide small powers with a voice and influence that they would not otherwise have.
• They may also allow one great power to exert influence over another great power.
• Multilateral organisations can provide security, trade opportunities, stronger relationship prospects and ultimately, a stronger voice in the international arena.
• They have aided in the establishment of order and the mitigation of destructive inter-state conflicts.
• These organisations perform a variety of responsibilities in the evolution of international law, including offering negotiation venues, such as resolving disputes.

India’s approach to multilateral organisations

• NORMS stands for "New Orientation for a Reformed Multilateral System." These priorities include the following:
  • New Prospects for Progress: India will collaborate constructively with partners to develop creative and inclusive development solutions, as well as to increase the participation of women and youth in shaping a new paradigm.
  • An effective response to international terrorism: India would push for the Council to take tangible, result-oriented measures.
  • The multilateral system has to be reformed: The restructuring of the Security Council is a first and crucial step. To be more effective, it must reflect current circumstances.
• An all-encompassing strategy for international peace and security:
  • Dialogue and cooperation, mutual respect, and adherence to international law are the guiding principles.
  • In UN peacekeeping operations, more clarity, direction, and professionalism are needed.
  • Promoting technology with a human touch as a solution driver: India will encourage partnerships to use technological innovation to alleviate human suffering, improve living conditions, and develop resilient communities.
• India will pursue these goals using the Five-S method: Samman (respect), Samvad (dialogue), Sahyog (cooperation), Shanti (peace), and Samriddhi (Prosperity).

Challenges faced by Multilateral Organisations

• Since the end of the Cold War, the multilateral system has faced increasing challenges.
• In terms of military and economic power, the United States has grown increasingly dominant, causing countries like Iran, China, and India to question the UN's relevance.
• National sovereignty is another issue that multilateral organisations face in global governance.
• Regional agreements such as the European Union and NAFTA, which are not incompatible with larger agreements, pose a challenge to global multilateralism, particularly in the area of trade.

Recent Developments

• On October 15, 2021, With an overwhelming majority in the United Nations General Assembly, India was re-elected to the UN Human Rights Council for the 2022-24 term (UNGA).
• The election, according to a New Delhi envoy, was a "robust endorsement" of India's Constitutional roots in democracy, fundamental rights, and pluralism.
• On September 17, 2021, At the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) virtual meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for the development of a template.
• To effectively deal with the challenges of extremism and radicalisation, a template was required.
• On March 27, 2020, The United Nations Security Council met via video conferencing for the first time in its history to discuss the COVID-19 situation.

Limitations

• The most significant disadvantage of agreements in multilateral organisations is that they are complicated.
• As a result, negotiating with them is difficult and time-consuming.
• The length of negotiation may indicate that it will not take place at all

Conclusion

To differentiate themselves from international non-governmental organisations (INGOs), which are non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that operate globally, international organisations are often referred to as intergovernmental organisations (IGOs). International charitable organisations such as the World Organisation of the Scout Movement, the International Committee of the Red Cross, as well as lobbying groups representing global corporations, fall into this category.

FAQs

Question. What are multilateral organizations?

Question. What are some examples of multilateral organizations?

Question. How do multilateral organizations influence international relations?

Question. What is the role of India in multilateral organizations?

Question. How do multilateral organizations contribute to global governance?

MCQs

1. Which of the following is a multilateral organization focused on economic cooperation?

A) United Nations

B) World Health Organization

C) World Trade Organization

D) North Atlantic Treaty Organization

2. What is the primary purpose of the United Nations (UN)?

A) To promote global trade

B) To address global health issues

C) To maintain international peace and security

D) To provide loans to developing countries

3. Which of the following is NOT a multilateral organization?

A) G20

B) World Bank

C) European Union

D) ASEAN

4. Which organization was created to promote global economic stability and development?

A) World Trade Organization

B) United Nations

C) International Monetary Fund

D) NATO

5. Which country is a permanent member of the UN Security Council?

A) India

B) Germany

C) Russia

D) Brazil

GS Mains Questions and Model Answers

Q1: Discuss the role of multilateral organizations in addressing global challenges.

Answer: Multilateral organizations play a critical role in addressing global challenges such as climate change, poverty, international conflicts, and health crises. By bringing together member countries, these organizations provide a platform for collective action, create binding agreements, and promote international norms. The United Nations, for example, works on conflict resolution and peacekeeping, while the World Trade Organization regulates international trade to ensure a stable global economy. Additionally, the World Health Organization has been crucial in managing global health issues like the COVID-19 pandemic. Multilateral organizations help coordinate efforts, mobilize resources, and facilitate cooperation, making them essential in solving problems that transcend national borders.

Q2: Evaluate the role of India in multilateral organizations and its influence on global governance.

Answer: India plays a significant role in multilateral organizations like the United Nations, BRICS, G20, and the World Trade Organization. As one of the largest democracies and emerging economies, India’s participation is crucial in shaping global policies, especially those related to development, trade, climate change, and security. India has consistently advocated for the interests of developing nations, particularly in terms of fair trade, equitable development, and climate justice. For instance, in the Paris Agreement on climate change, India emphasized the need for developed countries to fulfill their financial commitments. India’s involvement in peacekeeping missions and regional cooperation platforms like SAARC and ASEAN further underscores its commitment to multilateralism and global governance.

Q3: Analyze the challenges faced by multilateral organizations in the current global political environment.

Answer: Multilateral organizations face several challenges in the contemporary global political environment. One major challenge is the rise of nationalism and protectionism, which has led some countries to question the efficacy of multilateral agreements and institutions. For instance, the US's withdrawal from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization reflects growing skepticism towards multilateralism. Another challenge is the lack of consensus among member countries, especially on issues like trade, climate change, and conflict resolution. Moreover, the power dynamics within organizations like the UN Security Council, where five countries have veto power, can hinder decisive action. Lastly, the increasing influence of non-state actors, such as multinational corporations, can undermine the authority of multilateral institutions.

Previous Year Questions on  Multilateral Organizations

1. UPSC CSE 2017

Question: "Examine the role of multilateral organizations in managing global economic and political issues."

Answer: Multilateral organizations like the United Nations, World Trade Organization, and International Monetary Fund play a vital role in managing global economic and political issues. They provide platforms for negotiation, formulate international norms, and facilitate cooperation among nations on issues like trade, conflict resolution, climate change, and human rights. These organizations are essential in addressing problems that no single nation can solve alone, fostering a collaborative approach to global challenges.

2. UPSC CSE 2020

Question: "How do multilateral organizations contribute to global peace and security?"

Answer: Multilateral organizations such as the United Nations contribute to global peace and security by providing a framework for international cooperation, conflict resolution, and peacekeeping operations. The UN Security Council plays a key role in maintaining international peace through the deployment of peacekeeping forces, sanctions, and diplomatic interventions. These organizations help resolve disputes, prevent conflicts, and create an environment conducive to peaceful coexistence through international law, diplomacy, and dialogue.