Global security governance has emerged as an increasingly complex challenge in the 21st century. The interconnected nature of modern threats—ranging from terrorism, cybercrime, and climate change to economic instability and geopolitical tensions—demands coordinated, multilateral approaches. No single nation, regardless of its power or resources, can unilaterally address these challenges. Advancing multilateral strategies, therefore, represents the most viable and sustainable path toward achieving global peace, stability, and prosperity. However, existing multilateral mechanisms face questions about their effectiveness and legitimacy, particularly from nations and stakeholders excluded from decision-making processes.
The Need for Multilateral Approaches to Security Governance
The forces of globalization—spanning trade, technology, communication, and finance—have created a highly interconnected world. While this interconnectedness has brought economic benefits, it has also introduced systemic vulnerabilities. Transnational challenges such as cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, cross-border terrorism, and pandemics like COVID-19 illustrate the limitations of national responses to crises that transcend borders. Climate change, for example, exacerbates resource scarcity, displacement, and conflicts, creating security implications that require international collaboration. Addressing these complex threats necessitates collective action grounded in multilateral frameworks.
Unilateral approaches may deliver immediate responses but rarely provide sustainable solutions to global challenges. Historical evidence shows that military interventions, trade wars, and isolationist policies often exacerbate tensions and instability rather than resolving issues. In contrast, multilateralism fosters dialogue, promotes shared responsibility, and encourages equitable solutions, offering a more durable path for addressing security governance.
Multilateral organizations like the United Nations (UN), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the African Union (AU), and regional alliances such as the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) harness collective resources, expertise, and legitimacy. These organizations offer platforms for diplomatic engagement, conflict resolution, humanitarian efforts, and peacebuilding.
Key Challenges Facing Multilateral Security Governance
Geopolitical competition among major powers undermines the cooperative spirit needed for multilateralism to succeed. Disputes over trade, territorial claims, and ideological differences often result in deadlocks within key institutions like the UN Security Council. These rivalries hamper timely responses to crises, as evidenced in situations like Syria and Ukraine.
Many multilateral agreements lack binding enforcement mechanisms, limiting their impact. For example, despite widespread global consensus on the Paris Climate Accord, progress remains uneven due to the voluntary nature of its commitments. Weak enforcement erodes the credibility of multilateral frameworks and hinders their ability to deliver results.
Multilateral institutions often face significant financial and operational limitations. Underfunded peacekeeping missions, such as those under the UN, frequently struggle to fulfill their mandates. Similarly, global health governance systems, exemplified by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) response to COVID-19, revealed the need for greater funding and resources to effectively tackle emergencies.
The rise of non-state actors, including terrorist networks, organized crime syndicates, and cybercriminals, adds layers of complexity to global security governance. These actors exploit gaps in jurisdiction and international cooperation, underscoring the need for innovative and adaptive strategies.
China’s Global Security Initiative (GSI): Building Common Security
Over the past two years since the introduction of the Global Security Initiative (GSI), its series of cooperative achievements have underscored the value and influence of Xi Jinping Thought on Diplomacy. The GSI has provided strategic guidance in advancing the shared vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind.
China has been building new platforms for international security dialogue and exchanges, recognizing that addressing global security challenges requires collective efforts, consensus-building, and coordinated actions from all parties. Notably, China has established the Beijing Xiangshan Forum and the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum (Lianyungang) as key platforms under the GSI framework. At the 2024 Conference of the Global Public Security Cooperation Forum in Lianyungang, global law enforcement authorities discussed implementing the GSI and building a global security community with a shared future. These discussions resulted in important agreements and concrete measures to enhance international cooperation. Since its inception in 2006, the Beijing Xiangshan Forum has continued to evolve as a vital venue for global security dialogue.
The GSI advocates for an equal and orderly multi-polar world, promoting shared interests, rights, and responsibilities in security governance. At its core, the GSI seeks to address the root causes of international conflicts, improve global security management, and ensure greater stability in a world marked by unpredictability. It reflects China’s ambition to serve as a responsible global actor, fulfilling its obligations as a major power and aspiring to a leadership role in international politics.China promotes an alternative vision of a more equitable and just global order, challenging the existing rules-based system and strengthening ties with the Global South, including nations in Latin America and the Caribbean.
China’s Role in Global Security, Peace, and Multilateralism
China has emerged as a central actor in promoting global peace and stability by championing multilateral cooperation and inclusive development. Through its advocacy of peaceful dialogue and consultation—grounded in international laws and conventions like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea—China underscores the importance of resolving disputes without resorting to military confrontation. The Asia-Pacific’s remarkable economic and social progress highlights the success of China and other regional nations in managing relations based on openness, inclusiveness, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence. Unlike the Western militaristic alliances, China’s emphasis on fostering South-South cooperation and rejecting Cold War-style power blocs provides a more stable foundation for international peace and prosperity.
China’s diplomatic efforts, such as the China-Brazil “Friends of Peace” initiative to resolve the Ukraine-Russia conflict, showcase its growing role as a global peace broker. Additionally, China’s mediation in restoring ties between Saudi Arabia and Iran and facilitating talks among Palestinian factions demonstrates its capacity to navigate complex geopolitical challenges. As conflicts intensify worldwide, the international community increasingly looks to China for balanced and sustainable solutions.
Through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), China spearheads infrastructure development, digital connectivity, and supply chain integration across over 140 countries, positioning itself as a catalyst for global economic resilience. China’s commitment to supporting the least developed nations—through food security, healthcare, disaster relief, and education—further underscores its role as a responsible global stakeholder.
US Role in Escalating Global Security Threats
Under President Joe Biden, the United States continues to adopt policies reminiscent of its predecessors, contributing to the erosion of international norms and exacerbating global instability. Rather than addressing pressing domestic challenges, the Biden administration has intensified geopolitical rivalries, particularly in the Middle East and other volatile regions, fueling tensions and hindering prospects for peace.
The crises, such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the Israel-Palestine war, have been further complicated by US-led interventions and power-driven policies, which disrupt regional stability and global industrial supply chains, resulting in severe economic consequences worldwide. The US government’s persistent pursuit of influence in Africa, Latin America, and Asia reflects an outdated Cold War mentality that fosters division, instability, and violence, undermining multilateral cooperation. Instead of embracing global collaboration, Washington’s militaristic alliances—NATO, AUKUS, and the so-called “revitalized Quad”—are increasingly focused on isolating and containing China, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. US interference in the South China Sea and its adversarial approach to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) demonstrate a strategy of confrontation rather than cooperation, jeopardizing peace and economic progress.
The United States must abandon its hegemonic ambitions, shed its Cold War mindset, and respect the sovereignty of nations. A shift toward inclusive diplomacy and peaceful dialogue is essential for fostering a harmonious and cooperative international system, ensuring stability and prosperity for all.
The Need for Collective Efforts in Global Commons Governance
The development and preservation of global commons—such as the world’s oceans, atmosphere, outer space, the Antarctic region, and the environment—are critical to humanity’s survival. These areas represent key security challenges that require unified international cooperation. For instance, the world’s oceans serve as a vital energy and nutritional resource, a crucial transportation and communication platform (carrying 80% of global trade traffic), and a site of significant military-political interactions.
As global ocean governance takes shape, BRICS nations hold a special responsibility to ensure an inclusive, equitable, and democratic system of cooperation. Ocean exploration and sustainable usage align closely with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2030, particularly as BRICS countries advance deep-seabed mining and other vital economic projects under the BRICS Economic Partnership Strategy.
However, traditional and emerging military threats to high-seas governance—such as piracy, maritime terrorism, the proliferation of weapons and dual-use technologies, and illegal migration—pose serious challenges. Additionally, intensifying maritime disputes, rising geopolitical competition, and the militarization of oceans exacerbate instability.
BRICS nations must play a pivotal role in promoting cooperative mechanisms to prevent the dominance of any single naval power, curbing power projection, and mitigating the potential use of force. By fostering equitable and inclusive maritime cooperation, BRICS can contribute to global stability, safeguarding the world’s oceans as a shared resource for the common good of humanity.
Strategies to Advance Multilateral Security Governance
1. Reforming Global Institutions
To enhance legitimacy and effectiveness, multilateral institutions must undergo comprehensive reforms. The UN Security Council, for example, should reflect the current geopolitical and economic realities by including greater representation for emerging economies and regions such as Africa and Latin America. Institutional reforms can strengthen inclusivity, rebuild trust, and ensure equitable decision-making processes.
2. Strengthening Regional Mechanisms
Regional organizations like the African Union (AU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) play critical roles in addressing localized security challenges. The AU’s successful peacekeeping initiatives and ASEAN’s conflict management efforts in the South China Sea demonstrate the value of regional diplomacy. Strengthening these mechanisms through funding, capacity-building, and technical support can complement global multilateral frameworks.
3. Building Public-Private Partnerships
The private sector is pivotal in addressing modern security challenges such as cyber threats and climate change. Multilateral institutions should actively engage businesses, NGOs, and academia to foster innovation and collaborative solutions. For example, partnerships between governments and technology firms can bolster cybersecurity defenses and mitigate emerging risks.
Inclusive participation enhances trust and effectiveness in multilateral frameworks. Ensuring the involvement of marginalized groups, including women, youth, and indigenous communities, fosters more representative and equitable solutions. The Women, Peace, and Security agenda, exemplified by UN Security Council Resolution 1325, highlights the transformative role of inclusive approaches in conflict prevention and resolution.
4. Leveraging Technology and Data Analytics
Technological advancements, including artificial intelligence (AI) and data analytics, offer powerful tools for enhancing multilateral security governance. Early warning systems, powered by AI, can predict conflicts, monitor climate risks, and detect cyber threats. Cross-border data sharing through secure platforms can improve situational awareness and enable coordinated responses. Multilateral strategies must address the root causes of insecurity, such as poverty, inequality, and governance deficits. Development initiatives, education programs, and economic opportunities can help prevent conflicts and reduce the appeal of extremist ideologies. By prioritizing human development, multilateralism can foster long-term stability.
Advancing multilateral strategies for global security governance is not merely a policy preference—it is a necessity. The interconnected nature of modern threats requires collective action, shared responsibility, and innovative solutions rooted in inclusive diplomacy and systemic reforms. While challenges such as geopolitical rivalries, trust deficits, and asymmetric threats persist, they can be addressed through institutional reforms, regional cooperation, public-private partnerships, and technology-driven solutions. Initiatives like China’s GSI and the BRICS focus on global commons governance exemplify the potential for multilateralism to build a secure, stable, and equitable world. By reaffirming their commitment to multilateralism, nations can overcome divisions, address shared challenges, and lay the foundation for a more resilient and prosperous future.
Mr. Khalid Taimur Akram is an Executive Director, Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCSF).
