Multilateralism is undoubtedly under strain, says External Affairs Minister Jaishankar

It is important for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) to work together and take the lead in building multilateral governance to meet geopolitical challenges, said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar during his address at the NAM Ministerial Meeting in Baku on Wednesday.

"Multilateralism is undoubtedly under strain today. It is important that our Movement - that represents two-thirds of the world's population - continues to work together and take the lead in building multilateral governance structures that are capable of meeting these challenges," wrote Jaishanker on Twitter.

The External Affairs Minister also called for reform in the current arrangements and working methods of NAM and the need to pursue a forward-looking agenda while guarding attempts to misuse multilateral platforms to further narrow interests.

He also urged for a reformed multilateralism as a 21st century imperative.

"The world today has moved on from what the NAM founding leaders faced in Bandung in 1955. The scales of global geopolitical balance have shifted and continue to do so, propelled by forces of globalisation and transformational technological progress," Jaishankar said.

Speaking on the current geopolitical environment he said "We are more interconnected and interdependent than ever before. Climate change, environmental degradation, terrorism, poverty, humanitarian/natural calamities, cyber security threats, serious security implications of frontier technologies are just some of the challenges of this new world."

On the global challenges faced by nation-states, Jaishankar said, "These challenges can only be faced together, not when we are divided. It requires collaboration, not coercion. In short, effective multilateralism remains the only answer. And that requires all of us to be truly independent and think for ourselves.