The Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and its MoU partner, the Mexican Council on Foreign Relations (COMEXI), Mexico held their inaugural dialogue on the theme ‘Multilateral Institutions: A Need for Reforms’on 13 April 2023. The dialogue was held online and saw the participation of diplomats, officials and scholars from both sides.
In her opening remarks, Amb Vijay Thakur Singh, DG,ICWA stated that, in the past few years, there has been a conscious effort by both India and Mexico to strengthen bilateral ties, expand economic engagement and explore new areas of cooperation such as space, digital technology and fintech. In the backdrop of the current geopolitical shifts underway towards a new world order, multilateral institutions need to be responsive and effective to meet multiple challenges. India’s Presidency of G20 also presents an opportunity for cooperation with Mexico, a member of the G20, on global crises including reformed multilateralism.
Prof. Celia Toro, Vice President, COMEXI,Amb. Pankaj Sharma, Ambassador of India, Mexico and Amb. Federico Salas, Ambassador of Mexico to Indiastated that both countries have underscored the need to reform the multilateral system and on building an inclusive multilateral order. The recent concerns before the international order including the US-China competition, the pandemic and the ongoing geopolitical crisis has challenged multilateralism. They highlighted the need to reform the multilateral organisations to reflect the present realities of the global order. There is a greater imperative today to bring change in the institutions of global governance – the UN, Bretton Woods Institutions, and WTO – to make these not only more representative but also effective and to enhance the coherence and consistency of the international monetary, financial and trading systems.
The panel discussion on Multilateral Institutions: A Need for Reforms was chaired by Amb. Diego Gómez Pickering, Coordinator of the Nucleus of Study for International Systems, COMEXI. The speakers in the panel were Amb. T.S. Tirumuti, India’s Former Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amb. Luis Alfonso de Alba,Ambassador of Mexico to the United Arab Emirates, Dr. NishaTaneja, Professor Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, New Delhi and AmbMariaAngelica Arce, Coordinator of the Unit of Study for the United Nations, COMEXI. The Panellistspointed that multilateralism is facing a crisis today accentuated by the geopolitical shifts that the world is experiencing. The Panellists recognised the urgent need for reforms of multilateral institutions, with the UN Security Council at the core, to address contemporary challenges. They elaborated upon their respective approaches on the issue and emphasized the need to find convergences to advance the agenda of reformed multilateralism. As pioneers of the Global South, India and Mexico can explore various vistas of cooperation in order to foster approaches towards multilateral reforms. It was noted that Mexico’s Presidency of CELAC and India’s G20 Presidency presented such opportunities.
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