US Shift From Multilateralism Impacts Global Order and India’s Role

Source: The post US Shift From Multilateralism Impacts Global Order and India’s Role has been created, based on the article “The assault on multilateralism and international law” published in “The Hindu” on 21st March 2025. US Shift From Multilateralism Impacts Global Order and India’s Role.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper2-International Relations-Effect of policies and politics of developed and developing countries on India’s interests.

Context: The Trump administration’s “America First” policy has initiated a series of withdrawals from major international organizations and agreements, including the World Health Organization, the UN Human Rights Council, and the Paris Climate Agreement. This shift is part of a broader move away from multilateralism, highlighted by proposed legislation like the DEFUND Act which aims to sever U.S. ties with the United Nations.

Change in US approach, toward international legal institution

1. The U.S. has moved from supporting to opposing international legal institutions under the Trump administration.
2. It imposed sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming it targeted the U.S. and Israel unfairly.
3. This shift is in contrast to the U.S.’s earlier role in creating the Nuremberg Trials after World War II to ensure accountability for war crimes.
4. The executive order challenges the ICC’s mission to punish genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
5. These actions mark a clear break from multilateral legal cooperation, weakening global efforts to uphold international law and justice.

Potential Consequences of Change in US approach

1. Undermining of Multilateral Institutions: Withdrawal from institutions such as the WHO, UNHRC, and the Paris Agreement erodes the legitimacy and effectiveness of global governance frameworks developed after World War II.
2. Economic Instability: The administration’s protectionist policies, including aggressive tariffs, echo the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act of the 1930s, which worsened the Great Depression. Such economic nationalism threatens to disrupt global trade and long-standing multilateral trading systems like the WTO.
3. Legal and Human Rights Implications: The sanctions against the ICC weaken international mechanisms for ensuring accountability for atrocities, undermining the very legal principles the U.S. once championed through the Nuremberg Trials.

Opportunities created for other nations like India

1. Global Leadership Opportunity: The U.S.’s retreat from multilateralism provides space for countries like India to take on leadership roles in shaping global cooperation.
2. Influencing Global Governance: During the G-20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg (February 2025), External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar reinforced the call for inclusive and law-based solutions to global challenges.
3. Push for UNSC Reform: The shifting global order presents India with a timely opportunity to push forward its longstanding demand for reforms in the United Nations Security Council.

Question for practice:

Examine how the Trump administration’s shift away from multilateralism has impacted global legal institutions and created opportunities for countries like India.