Abstract
Multilateralism has long been analysed as a form of international relations falling exclusively under the institutional repertoire of states. It is ordinarily defined in terms similar to those used by Robert Keohane (1990): ‘The practice of coordinating national policies in groups of three or more states’. This state-centred approach reflects a vision of the world that sees the state as the main (though not the only) actor in international relations and the principal mediator between citizens and world politics. The state has the power to decide whether to use force (power over war or peace) and is responsible for fostering the well-being and development of the population. Human rights are claims individuals can make on the state. World politics can only function properly when state policies are coordinated ‘on the basis of generalized principles of conduct’ (the very definition of multilateralism according to Ruggie 1992).
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Smouts, MC. (1999). Multilateralism from Below: a Prerequisite for Global Governance. In: Schechter, M.G. (eds) Future Multilateralism. International Political Economy Series. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27153-5_11
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-27153-5_11
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