Beyond Trending: What is minilateralism?

In the evolving landscape of international cooperation, minilateralism is emerging as an alternative to the weakening multilateral institutions of the post-WWII world order. Countries resorting to minilateral cooperation aim to bypass the complexities and great-power dominance inherent in traditional multilateral bodies. The term "minilateralism" was introduced in 1992 by international political economist Miles Kahler, who noted its prevalence alongside multilateralism during the era of American hegemony.

Recent years have seen an increase in minilateral cooperation, driven by the failure of formal international organizations to address complex global challenges and rising normative divergences. Minilateral forums operate as flexible networks with variable memberships, tailored to specific interests, shared values, or capabilities.

The flexibility, efficiency, and exclusivity of these forums enable them to adopt a targeted approach to pressing issues. Minilateralism is seen as a response to the political deadlock and geopolitical divergence that plagues multilateral institutions. An example is the G20, established in 1999 to discuss global economic and financial issues.

The BRICS platform, initially conceived in 2001, has grown into a crucial forum for cooperation among emerging markets and developing economies. The 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami and the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement following the US-Israel war on Iran are further instances of minilateral cooperation in action. Despite the potential of minilateralism to complement multilateralism, challenges such as coordination and consensus remain.

As minilateral groups expand, achieving consensus becomes increasingly difficult due to the growing diversity of interests. Consequently, scholars argue that minilateralism and multilateralism can work together, with minilateral actors seeking legitimacy from multilateral institutions and major powers leveraging minilateral forums to build relationships with emerging powers and expand their influence within the broader multilateral system.