Crisis of multilateralism highlighted at XIII Global Baku Forum

A panel on crisis of multilateralism was held as part of the XIII Global Baku Forum, according to Report.

Vaira Vike-Freiberga, co-chair of the International Center of Nizami Ganjavi and former President of Latvia, emphasized that the world is not made up solely of wealthy nations.

"Every country should have the opportunity to express its views on its own future," she said.

Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic, former President of Croatia, noted that global rules are not being properly applied.

"Rules imposed on both small and large states must be respected. Currently, I do not have high hopes for the situation in the world to improve. That is why we need multilateral organizations. Starting at the regional level, all parties must work with the UN," she stated. Grabar-Kitarovic added that the United Nations must openly communicate its positions.

Maria Fernanda Espinosa, President of the 73rd session of the UN General Assembly, said multilateralism is facing serious challenges today.

"We are talking about collective measures within our cooperation: how do we reach consensus to manage our independence and achieve our goals," she said.

Macky Sall, former President of Senegal, emphasized that despite difficulties, multilateralism remains the best framework for finding solutions.

"This is where challenges can be addressed. We must act taking into account the problems of nations and states. We need more dialogue to find common solutions. Above all, we must clarify what we want to achieve among peoples. We need a completely new UN, with higher-level representation. The main priority in global cooperation is to ensure a unified approach to peace, security, and development. This is critical to preventing conflicts," he said. Sall also highlighted the need to strengthen ties between the UN and regional organizations.

Benita Ferrero-Waldner, former Austrian Foreign Minister and ex-European Commissioner for Trade and European Neighbourhood Policy, stressed the importance of forming coalitions on specific issues.

"Decision-making in the European Union and other organizations takes time. Therefore, it is necessary to build important coalitions on concrete issues," she said.