Opening to OMNILATERALISM

About the Book

Opening to Omnilateralism After a century of western-inspired multi-lateralism, its much criticised 75-years old stronghold, the UN, needs a new narrative: omni-lateralism. The right vehicle is omnibus - for and by all -, firstly, to widen the way for input of more ideas and good practices of non-Western origin, and secondly, to include non-state actors as legitimate stakeholders in global governance. Some trends already signal an opening towards omnilateralism: enhancing global governance in the COP by adding Eastern understanding of cycles in nature to protect the environment (e.g. in circular economies) and a wider appreciation of ‘holism’ beyond the rather linear individualistic thinking of Western societies; also accountable groups of civil society - more trusted than officials driven by narrow national interest - increasingly enrich deliberations about climate change and other global problems that need global solutions. These require East-West and North-South cooperation as currently obvious in the urgent cross-border exchanges among experts to combat the pandemic and save lives and livelihood worldwide. Globalisation has elevated millions out of poverty. However, narrow-minded politicians still claim national ‘sovereignty’ and parochial interests against global solutions for the common good while the Westphalian ‘nation’ is becoming a historic aberration. Almost all governments nowadays claim democracy, but respect for its principles is falling. Democracy must adapt to each level of governance, from local, national, regional to global. More direct democracy may suit the directly informed local stage. The higher the stage and the wider the impact, the more expertise and responsibility with all stakeholders is needed to reach the common global good, i.e. omnilaterally.

About the Author

Dr Wolfgang PAPE is currently a free writer after recent Fellowships in Seoul and Taipei. During his service in the European Commission over 30 years, including postings as a diplomat in Tokyo, he was at EU-HQ in Brussels in charge of the ‘Asia Strategy’ and contributed to the ‘White Paper on Governance’ in the Think Tank of EC President Jacques Delors, following a Fellowship at the Brookings Institution in Wash. DC. After graduating from High School in Rochester, N.Y. and his Abitur in Kassel (D), he studied law and economics at the universities of Marburg (D) and Genève (CH), researched during two years at Osaka Gaidai (J), Kyoto University (J) and Harvard (USA) for his Dr iuris in Freiburg (D) in 1981. Before joining the EU, he served as Advisor at the Japanese Embassy in Bonn. His publications in English, German, Japanese and French are ranging from cultural diversity to trade issues and global governance, for which he coined the term of “Omnilateralism.”