Rajorshi Roy replies: The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) has emerged as a prominent Eurasian organisation in the last few years. Today, it has expanded in geographical reach, scope and importance. Along with its eight full members as well as dialogue and observer partners, SCO today straddles Central, South, West and North Asia. This makes it one of the world’s largest pan-regional organisations. SCO’s growing heft is reflected in it contributing 30 per cent of the global GDP and 40 percent of the world’s population.

Rajeesh Kumar replies: The Group of Twenty (G20) is an informal grouping of the world's largest 20 economies. It accounts for nearly 80 per cent of the world GDP, 75 per cent of global trade, and 60 per cent of the world population and has become one of the most prominent multilateral groupings in contemporary global politics. India took over the G20 Presidency from Indonesia on 01 December 2022. 

Rajeesh Kumar replies: Western powers, particularly the United States (US), predominate the two major post-World War international financial institutions, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. The US is the only country with sufficient voting power to have a de facto veto right in both these institutions over certain decisions.

Rajeesh Kumar replies: Donald Trump’s presidency and his ‘America First’ policy have done irreversible damage to the liberal international order, particularly international institutions. From the initial days of his presidency itself, Trump has attacked several multilateral institutions and agreements and reduced the US funding.

Rajeesh Kumar replies: India was one of the 23 original signatories to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) concluded in 1947. Since then, India has effectively involved in the formulation of all significant multilateral trade agreements. In the multilateral trade negotiations under GATT, India has often positioned itself as a leader of developing countries and led these countries in challenging some of GATT’s fundamental principles, including the reciprocity.

Rajeesh Kumar replies: The implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on multilateral diplomacy are multifold. First, it has exposed the current crisis of multilateral institutions and exacerbated their decline. For instance, while the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) seemed more paralysed, agencies like the World Health Organisation (WHO) suffered scepticism of accountability and effectiveness.

Arpita Anant replies: Simply put, multilateralism refers to the coming together of three or more states, in formal or informal institutional settings, to discuss issues of mutual interest and coordinate their policies. If such a grouping is small in size, it is best referred to as a mini-lateral or plurilateral forum. One example of a plurilateral forum is BRICS, of which India is a member along with Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa.