A wave of armed conflicts and international political crises is redrawing power lines and pushing millions into perishing wars in Ukraine, Palestine, in the Middle East, Sudan, Yemen, Ethiopia, and Afghanistan, and now the recent US attack on Venezuela are not isolated episodes. They are part of a broader breakdown of cooperation and human solidarity.
When the United States withdrew from international aid, abandoning 66 organizations including 31 UN entities, many working on peace, democracy, and climate — it’s a clear and loud message — “multilateralism is losing ground, and national interests are taking its place”. The cost is not abstract. It is a voice for lives, rights, and the dignity of people who depended on these institutions.
Instead of preventing wars and protecting civilians, a retreat from multilateralism is fueling human rights violations, shrinking democratic freedoms, and giving more space to authoritarian politics. The world today is watching a system unraveling that was built after 1945 to keep humanity away from the horrors of another world war under UN Charter to uphold human rights, and promote peace and prosperity through cooperation.
When the United Nations was created, its promise was simple but powerful “prevent conflict, defend human rights, and promote social progress through cooperation”. Over time, multilateralism took shape through international human rights law, WHO-led global health cooperation, and development cooperation for decolonization and poverty reduction. It never claimed to erase conflict completely—but it did create a space where negotiation could replace violence.
The UN Security Council, is no doubt meant to maintain international peace, is now split by veto politics. In June 2025, a Gaza ceasefire resolution failed because of a veto, despite deepening humanitarian tragedy. Permanent members have become “Judge and Jury”, blocking peace efforts on Ukraine, Syria, and occupied Palestinian territory. The victims are civilians, not governments.
The war in Ukraine, now in its third year, has taken tens of thousands of lives and displaced millions. Its shockwaves hit food security across Africa and the Middle East. Gaza faces one of the worst humanitarian crises of this century, with massive civilian casualties and the displacement of millions. These conflicts show how far multilateral tools have weakened when power politics takes precedence over human protection.
The consequences go far beyond war zones. According to the “2025 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Progress Report,” many targets are now stalled or going backward, especially in countries affected by conflict and climate shocks. COVID-19 widened inequalities. Climate disasters — from “flooding in Southeast Asia and drought in the Horn of Africa” have wiped out livelihoods where safety nets are already fragile.
Meanwhile, states are turning inward. Sanctions and unilateral actions taken outside international frameworks often deepen suffering. US policy swings from halting development aid and withdrawing the Paris Climate Agreement have damaged international cooperation and support for millions suffering in the crisis in various parts of the world.
The erosion of multilateralism has a clear human face. It is women facing heightened violence. It is refugees losing access to basic services. It is families in climate-hit communities losing both land and hope. When global cooperation collapses, accountability weakens, conflicts last longer, and people become disposable.
And at precisely this moment, global threats are multiplying. Pandemics, climate change, cyber insecurity, and mass displacement do not respect borders. No single state can solve them alone. Walking away from multilateralism today is like walking away from lifeboats during a storm.
This is not about defending a perfect system. Multilateralism was never perfect. The real question is simple and urgent. Can humanity afford its collapse right now?
If the answer is no—then and it must be rebuilding cooperation becomes both a moral responsibility and a practical necessity. Reforming the UN Security Council, strengthening international law, and defending human rights systems are not academic debates. They are survival strategies.
The retreat from multilateralism and rising human rights violations are not separate trends. They are interconnected crises that feed each other. A world where vetoes silence humanity is a world that drifts toward darkness.
This moment is time-sensitive. Delay comes with a cost of perishing human lives, freedoms crushed, and futures erased. We are faced with a choice: renew our commitment to working together, or accept a future where power replaces principle, and human dignity becomes collateral damage. If multilateralism fails, it is not institutions alone that collapse. It is the promise that every life matters.
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