Multilateralism is a concept in international relations that refers to an alliance of multiple countries pursuing a common goal. It involves organizing relations between groups of three or more states. Multilateralism is generally associated with the era after World War II, during which there was a burgeoning of multilateral agreements led primarily by the United States. The main proponents of multilateralism have traditionally been the middle powers, such as Canada, Australia, Switzerland, the Benelux countries, and the Nordic countries. International organizations, such as the United Nations (UN) and the World Trade Organization, are multilateral in nature.
Multilateralism is often defined in opposition to bilateralism and unilateralism. While unilateralism is when one country acts alone and bilateralism is when two countries work in partnership, multilateralism is usually defined as collaboration between several countries in pursuit of a common goal, where other parties such as civil society or the private sector may also be involved. Multilateralism allows countries to pool resources, enabling them to share the burden of complex and costly operations.
In summary, multilateralism is a concept in international relations that involves organizing relations between groups of three or more states in pursuit of a common goal. It is often defined in opposition to bilateralism and unilateralism and allows countries to pool resources and share the burden of complex and costly operations.
