Jaishankar calls for reformed multilateralism amid global fragmentation

EAM Jaishankar said the world cannot rely on a few countries to uphold global rules, calling for resilient supply chains, stronger cooperation and greater representation for the Global South

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday said “reformed multilateralism” was the need of the hour in an increasingly fragmented global order, arguing that “the world cannot rely on a few to uphold rules and norms.”

 

Jaishankar also spoke of de-risking the international economy and diversifying production and supply chains by building resilience and redundancy, or putting in place back-up systems, which “will limit hostage-taking in the economic domain.”

 

Addressing the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026 in South Korea, where the discussion centred on “a fragmented world as a problem” and “reinventing cooperation as a solution”, Jaishankar said that “fragmentation is here to stay” and “it is not altogether bad; in some ways, even good.”

 

 

The External Affairs Minister said fragmentation, after all, means less dominance, more space and greater democratisation.

 

He said there are at least three questions that need to be asked about the downsides of fragmentation: “Is it against efficiency, is it against stability, and is it against security?” He said those issues can only be addressed through deeper cooperation.

 

Jaishankar suggested a five-pronged approach to address the challenges of a more fragmented world.

 

He called for de-risking the global economy, diversifying production and supply chains, agenda-specific cooperation among influential nations to address global challenges, protecting international law and regimes such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and providing the Global South with greater capacity and opportunities.

 

The External Affairs Minister said the world cannot rely on a few countries to uphold rules and norms.

 

“The world must take more control over its own future. This, amongst others, must be expressed in reformed multilateralism,” Jaishankar said.

 

The comments come in the context of pressure on energy supplies because of the conflict in West Asia, India’s difficulties in sourcing critical minerals, and some permanent members of the UN Security Council violating international law.

 

Jaishankar said the world had always been partly globalised and partly fragmented. However, in the past, the forces that both united and divided countries were relatively more straightforward, with clearer lines of division.

 

The current situation is different because of the degree of economic integration and interdependence, with global supply chains, their efficiency and resilience playing a much larger role, he said.

 

The External Affairs Minister pointed to the leveraging of financial strength, production capabilities, market share and control over resources as divisive forces.

 

Referring to the disruption around the Strait of Hormuz, he said the natural flow of commerce is increasingly influenced by strategic calculations, with implications for global connectivity, whether involving maritime chokepoints or infrastructure projects.

 

Jaishankar said politics is also working against globalisation. When international regimes are perceived to be manipulated, their acceptance begins to diminish, he said.

 

“Some entrenched powers also find it hard to come to terms with loss of competitiveness,” he added.

 

The minister also flagged “double standards” in countering terrorism and criticised what he described as “empty promises, with some even in denial” on climate change.

 

He said the natural evolution of the international economy is being blocked by non-market factors and that developing countries are being denied the right and capacity to industrialise through the manipulation of competitiveness and restrictions on market access.

 

Jaishankar said the world is witnessing greater weaponisation, higher risk-taking and a style of politics suited to the social media era.

 

“As the interests of a few are openly prioritised, the costs to the many are less considered,” he said, adding that these trends can only be countered through broader cooperation involving more countries.

 

“At the end of the day, we will see whether multipolarity really delivers,” he said.