Multilateral Platforms Research Articles

Global Climate Change: Challenges, Opportunities, and Multilateral Strategies for Sustainable Development

Background: Climate change is one of the most pressing global challenges, demanding collaborative action from both developed and developing countries. Despite numerous international agreements like the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement, political will and leadership commitment have been inconsistent, hindering effective global climate action. Private actors and global partnerships have emerged as critical players in addressing climate risks, but geopolitical and economic tensions continue to impede progress. Objectives: This research explores the key challenges and opportunities in combating climate change, emphasizing the role of international cooperation, the involvement of private and public sectors, and the need for innovative solutions. It also seeks to examine the responsibilities of developed and developing countries in contributing to global climate goals. Methods: A qualitative analysis was conducted by reviewing relevant literature, international agreements, and case studies. Data from climate summits, reports, and expert opinions were integrated to understand the political, economic, and environmental dimensions of climate change. Findings: The study identifies several challenges, including a lack of political will among major powers, economic competition, and inconsistent global leadership. It also highlights opportunities, such as the potential for technological innovation, investment in renewable energy, and the strategic role of private actors in promoting sustainable development. The findings underscore the importance of global partnerships and multilateral platforms like the United Nations in fostering cooperation among nations. Conclusion: Addressing climate change requires a holistic approach involving state and non-state actors, strong political leadership, and global partnerships. The transition to a low-carbon economy will require significant economic restructuring, but it presents opportunities for innovation and sustainable development. The study emphasizes the need for developed countries to fulfill their financial commitments to support adaptation in developing nations. Novelty: This research contributes to the existing literature by providing a comprehensive analysis of both the challenges and opportunities in combating climate change. It highlights the critical role of private actors and international cooperation, offering a framework for future global actions.

Think globally, settle locally? Multilateral platforms for cross-border payments based on distributed ledger technology

Cross-border payments, especially between different currency areas, are still more expensive, slower and less transparent than domestic transactions. In addition to attempts to facilitate interoperability by harmonising message standards or legal frameworks, there is also the vision of using multilateral platforms to reduce existing inefficiencies. A particular focus here is on distributed ledger technology (DLT), which could create additional benefits beyond payment transactions, for example by facilitating broader economic activity by means of tokenised assets. Some private sector players, as well as international organisations such as the International Monetary Fund and the Bank for International Settlements, have already developed concepts for DLT-based multilateral platforms. However, their realisation faces broader policy challenges that are unlikely to be solved per se with the help of new technologies. Although a global multilateral platform does indeed harbour great potential for efficiency gains, regional solutions are more likely to emerge that could be linked together to achieve efficiency gains at a global level.

The impact of artificial intelligence big data technology on the development of media economy information security

With the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Big Data (BD), they provide people with new ways and tools in information acquisition, processing and dissemination. The purpose of this study is to deeply discuss the influence of AI and BD technologies on the development of Information Security (InfoSec) in media economy, and analyze the opportunities and challenges it brings. Firstly, the evaluation system of the influence of BD technology on the development of InfoSec, a media enterprise, is constructed. Then, this study discusses the development mode of the multilateral platform of media economy supported by BD technology. Finally, taking S company and X platform as examples, this study analyses the influence of BD technology on the development of InfoSec and the development mode of media economy supported by BD technology. The research results show that with the support of BD technology, the proportion of InfoSec products in enterprises has reached 0.2426, and the InfoSec score of S company has reached 77.74, reaching a high level. The profit margin of digital network media is three times that of traditional media. The number of users of multilateral digital media economic platform X has increased by 21%, and its turnover has increased by 54%. AI and BD technologies have brought opportunities and challenges to the InfoSec development of media economy. While applying these technologies, it is necessary to take effective measures to protect users’ privacy and strengthen the information review and verification mechanism to ensure the sustainable development of media economy. The uniqueness of this study lies in the construction of a comprehensive BD technology impact assessment system and the discussion of the development model of multilateral media economic platform, which provides a powerful reference and guidance for media enterprises. In addition, this study also reveals the positive influence of BD technology on InfoSec and the development of media economy, which provides beneficial enlightenment for the future development of media industry. In response to the challenges of privacy and InfoSec, this study puts forward important policy and practical suggestions to ensure the sustainable growth of media economy and the protection of users’ rights and interests. Therefore, this study has important contribution and innovative value in both theory and practice.

Trade Competitiveness and Sustainability Policies of Malaysian Palm Oil in the European Union: Strategic Responses by Stakeholders Agencies

The Malaysian palm oil industry is a significant contributor towards national development and economic growth. However, the industry has been facing rising tension to ensure sustainable development, as global demand for palm oil continue to grow in the coming years. The necessity for producing and trading sustainably produced palm oil is amplified with the European Union’s stringent requirement for importing responsibly sourced commodities into its market, with the aim to achieve climateneutral by 2050. The palm oil industry is also inundated with anti-palm oil campaigns and agendas, which emphasize allegations of unsustainable agricultural practices as large-scale plantations damage the natural ecosystem in producing countries. Collectively, these challenges could pose a formidable impact on the trade of palm oil between Malaysia and the European Union. Therefore, the article seeks to examine the strategic responses undertaken by Malaysian stakeholder agencies to address the regulations pertaining to sustainable production of palm oil. Using a qualitative approach, a total of ten sessions of in-depth interviews were held with expert informants in stakeholder agencies, both in Malaysia and the European Union. Among the key findings were the formulation and implementation of the National Agricommodity Policy, deployment of various missions to the European Union, implementation of Malaysian Sustainable Palm Oil (MSPO) certification as the national sustainability scheme, dissemination of accurate information on sustainable and certified palm oil, and continuous engagement through bilateral and multilateral platforms. Based on the findings, this study suggests that inclusive and transparent engagement must be conducted continuously. Constantly held dialogue sessions will help to promote better understanding and fruitful collaboration among stakeholder agencies in Malaysia and the European Union to balance environmental concerns with trade interests.

Legal challenges of additive manufacturing on the Moon

Additive manufacturing (AM) is promising for supporting sustainable human presence on the Moon as it reduces costs and dependency on the Earth. It has been incorporated into several lunar programs. Nonetheless, AM on the Moon is legally challenging. First, the legal field most challenged by AM is intellectual property (IP) law, and the peculiar location of AM on the Moon complicates the issue. Deciding the State to exercise jurisdiction and extend its IP protection to the Moon encounters difficulties. Second, AM on the Moon is most valuable when it uses lunar regolith as a source of printing material, which may face similar legal problems to in situ resource utilization, including determining the legality of the activity, deciding the State to exercise the jurisdiction and control over it, the protection of the lunar environment, and so forth. Lunar in situ AM using lunar regolith (LISAMUR), meaning using lunar regolith as raw materials to manufacture objects on the Moon through AM technologies, renders these problems more imminent and substantial. The article delves into the two categories of legal issues ignited by AM on the Moon and reveals that three reasons lead to the legal dilemma: the ambiguous terminology of the space treaties, the abstract principles, and the lacunae in space law. It suggests that as international legislation is slow, temporary approaches of coordinating the understanding of critical notions and relevant principles in space law and updating the registration regime through international cooperation on multilateral platforms would be more viable for coping with the legal challenges of AM on the Moon.

Relations between Russia and China in the context of the formation of a new world order

The article examines Russian-Chinese relations in the context of the emergence of a new world order. The author emphasizes that Russia and China consider each other as priority partners, always respect each other’s interests, becoming a model of relations between great powers. The countries maintain close exchanges and contacts at all levels, exchange views on major issues of mutual interest, strengthen mutual trust and develop cooperation in various fi elds. Russia and China have always adhered to the principles of non-alignment with blocs, non-confrontation, and they are not directed against a third party. They develop bilateral relations and cooperation in various fi elds on the basis of mutual respect, equality and mutual benefi t, which brings tangible benefi ts to the people of the two countries and also contributes to global development. China and Russia take common positions on most issues on the international agenda and are strengthening cooperation within the UN, SCO, BRICS, APEC, G20 and other multilateral platforms. They cooperate closely on global and regional issues, such as the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue, the situation in Afghanistan and the Iranian nuclear issue. When Russia and China join forces, global multipolarity and democratization of international relations will receive new impetus, which will guarantee global strategic balance and stability. Meetings between the leaders of Russia and China become the compass and anchor of Russian-Chinese relations, laying a solid foundation for deepening bilateral cooperation. Under the strategic leadership of the two heads of state, the Russian-Chinese relations of comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation will continue to move forward in the new era. The leaders of China and Russia agree that against the backdrop of unprecedented changes taking place today in the system of international relations, Russian-Chinese relations have reached unprecedented heights. The author comes to the conclusion that, in general, Russian-Chinese relations have not only withstood many new challenges, but have also strengthened signifi cantly over the past year.

EU Policy towards the Israel-Palestine Conflict: The Limitations of Mitigation Strategies

ABSTRACT Over the decades, the EU has aimed at resolving the Israel-Palestine conflict through its Foreign and Security Policy (EUFSP) tools, with the ‘two-state solution’ as the over-arching principle for conflict resolution. This policy has been ineffective due to the contextual interplay of multipolar competition, regional fragmentation and EU-level internal contestation. Faced with these contextual constraints, the EU has employed a range of mitigation strategies: delegation as an institutional measure through its Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) missions; multilateralisation as a diplomatic/coalitional measure through its participation in the Quartet and other multilateral platforms; and selective engagement as a functional measure through its trade ties with both actors and humanitarian aid policies in order to mitigate the impact of the contextual constraints. However, none of the EU’s mitigation actions have adequately alleviated the impact of the three contextual constraints because of intra-regional sensitivities, divergences and violent clashes, as well as Israel’s ongoing occupation of Palestinian lands with the protection of the United States (US).

How and why the Arctic Council survived until now – an analysis of the transition in chairship between Russia and Norway

ABSTRACT From Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine to the handover of the Norwegian chairship of the Arctic Council, concerns have arisen regarding the Council’s ability to weather this emerging geopolitical challenge. This article provides a chronological overview of the events within and outside the Council from 24 February 2022, until the chairship transition on 11 May 2023. Additionally, the article analyses the legal and political framework that has sustained the Arctic Council until now. Multiple factors have contributed to the Arctic Council’s ability still to be considered relevant: its role as a knowledge producer and facilitator, its strategic significance as a multilateral platform for cooperation, and the inclusion of non-state actors and indigenous peoples in decision-shaping processes. In addition to its incentivising individual states to demonstrate their commitment to Arctic governance when addressing climate and environmental issues in the north beyond the constraints of bilateral relations. By examining these incentives and contextualising the recent developments within the Arctic Council, this paper examines the chairship transition between Russia and Norway and discusses how and why the Arctic Council survived during this time.

Participação do Secretariado Permanente do Fórum de Macau em iniciativas de Saúde Global entre 2015 e 2022

Abstract The Forum for Economic and Trade Cooperation between China and Portuguese-speaking Countries, better known as Forum Macao, founded in 2003, has been acting as a link between China and Portuguese-speaking countries for 20 years. Since 2016, the Permanent Secretariat of Forum Macao has published a yearbook highlighting the main activities it carried out in the previous year. This article focuses on analyzing Forum Macao's role as an organizer and mediator of Global Health initiatives by analyzing all the articles published in its yearbooks between 2016 and 2023. We found 34 articles dealing with a health-related topic, with almost two thirds related to traditional Chinese medicine, reports of frequent organization of activities that foster international cooperation in health, as well as active participation during the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. Forum Macao is a multilateral platform for dialogue between China, Macao and the Portuguese-speaking world, with the health agenda and the dissemination of traditional Chinese medicine occupying a prominent place in its yearbook.

The rise of India's global health diplomacy amid COVID-19 pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the importance of global health diplomacy (GHD), with India emerging as a key player. India's commitment to GHD is demonstrated by its active participation in regional and multilateral projects, pharmaceutical expertise, and large-scale manufacturing capabilities, which include the production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and essential medicines. India has supported nations in need through bilateral and multilateral platforms, providing vaccines to countries experiencing shortages and offering technical assistance and capacity-building programs to improve healthcare infrastructure and response capabilities. India's unique approach to GHD, rooted in humanitarian diplomacy, emphasized collaboration and empathy and stressed the well-being of humanity by embracing the philosophy of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam," which translates to "the world is one family." Against this background, this paper's main focus is to analyze the rise of India's GHD amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and its leadership in addressing various global challenges. India has demonstrated its commitment to global solidarity by offering medical supplies, equipment, and expertise to more than 100 countries. India's rising global leadership can be attributed to its proactive approach, humanitarian diplomacy, and significant contributions to global health initiatives.

India’s G20 Presidency: An Opportune Time for Strengthening Global Health Agenda

Healthcare must be prioritised in multilateral platforms like the G20, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic from which the world is still recovering. India’s G20 presidency in 2023 is being hailed by various emerging economies and international organisations for its potential in espousing universal health coverage (UHC), digital health innovation, better healthcare architecture and service delivery as primary drivers in achieving robust healthcare systems in the twenty-first century. This leadership year of G20 gives a unique chance to boost sustainable growth in healthcare across the country, the developing world, and beyond. Therefore, this article aims to analyse the role of G20 in promoting global health as a vital agenda on its platform comprising the developed world, emerging economies and low- and middle-income countries. The article also seeks to review the health track priorities under India’s presidency and its potential for developing global health architecture in the forthcoming years. Last but not least, the article delves into the question of what are the challenges encountered by the G20 multilateral platform, along with some potential avenues for future cooperation.

EVALUATION AND CONTROL MANAGEMENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF DIGITALIZATION AT THE ENTERPRISE

The article examines the features of the fourth industrial revolution (G4). It is noted that the component of this revolution is Industry 4.0 with many technologies to create a single space for information exchange and virtual visualization of processes and objects. It also provides for the formation and implementation of robotic systems and Internet technologies in the format of "smart" enterprises. It is noted that there is an incorrect understanding of the very essence of the digital economy, which significantly hinders the successful implementation of digital transformation. Digital transformation (digitalization) is presented as a process of transition to such a digital business that uses digital technologies to change business processes in the company and provide new opportunities in the direction of obtaining additional income and prospects for its further development. A comparative analysis of individual approaches to the construction of models to identify the most general and priority directions for assessing the digital maturity of an enterprise is given. A conceptual scheme for managing the digital maturity of an enterprise is proposed. It is noted that the strategy serves as the basis of the entire digital transformation and it determines the focus of transformations and the target level of digital maturity of the enterprise. and also makes it possible to estimate resource, labor and financial costs in time and space. The tools for detailing and implementing the strategy are a business model, a road map and a corresponding portfolio of projects, balanced from the standpoint of the implementation of technological and non-technological innovations aimed at the permanent growth of the digital maturity of the enterprise. Updating the business model is one of the most important components of the growth of the digital maturity of the enterprise, which is carried out in the direction of expanding cooperative interactions, using multilateral platforms and creating a business ecosystem. Recommendations on digital transformation of the enterprise and increasing its digital maturity are given, and the stages of this work are substantiated.

Emerging security challenges on the island of Borneo

The trinational island of Borneo is facing several new challenges, including the planned construction of Indonesia’s new capital city, political tensions between Malaysia’s federal government and its states of Sabah and Sarawak and economic concerns in Brunei. While some multilateral platforms for regional and sub-regional security cooperation exist, none focuses on pan-Borneo security challenges, which will probably become more pressing during the current decade.

Capital Accumulation Dynamics

The article discusses the scheme of K. Marxian expanded reproduction through the prism of the capital accumulation analysis by R. Luxembourg taking into account of the infrastructure impact on the development of capitalism. The author gives examples of the 21st century infrastructure, in par ticular he examines multilateral platforms — payment systems for cross-border payments, associated with broadband satellite Internet access and an ar tificial intelligence environment.

Роль корреспондентских отношений в системе трансграничных платежей в условиях цифровизации

The current state of the network of banking correspondent relations serving a significant part of cross-border payments and international transactions is of concern to specialists and international organizations. The relevance of the tasks of improving the efficiency of cross-border settlements through correspondent banks determined the choice of the subject and the purpose of the study. The subject of the study is correspondent banking relations in the system of cross—border payments. The purpose of the work is to identify trends in the development of banking correspondent relations in the modern system of global payments, which is being transformed under the influence of digital technologies. The article analyzes the state and development trends of the global network of correspondent banks. As a result of the conducted research, it is concluded that correspondent relations are gradually losing their leading role in national jurisdictions due to the digitalization of national payment systems. However, they are still used in cross-border payments, ensuring the interconnection of payment systems of various levels and multilateral platforms. Digitalization of national and international settlement systems leads to the spread of alternative models of their implementation and the reduction by banks of networks of foreign correspondents to increase the efficiency of the use of funds and reduce costs and risks. However, the gradual degradation of the global system of correspondent banking relations is becoming a serious problem, fraught with an increase in the cost of cross-border payments, a decrease in the availability of settlement and payment financial services for participants in international economic relations, and in the context of increasing sanctions pressure on correspondent banks - fragmentation of the existing global system of cross—border payments.

Exploring Multilateral Platforms for Cross-Border Payments

Exploring Multilateral Platforms for Cross-Border Payments

WHY GLOBAL GOVERNANCE MATTERS FOR AFRICA: CRISES, LESSONS AND SETTING THE POLITICAL AGENDA FOR POST-WESTERN ORDER

Using Africa’s experience during the 2008 global financial crisis and COVID-19 pandemic, this study explores how the peripheral positions of Africa in global governance has disproportionately exposed the continent to inordinate impacts of global crises and argues for an increased role for Africa in global governance. A common Africa position premised on the AU is advanced as capable of providing the continent with adequate impetus to shape global affairs by espousing unified position of Africa in multilateral platforms. This study reiterates that developing such an expanded role that can shape global responses to issues such as reforms in the UNSC, international aid regime, climate change, debt management, global trade, and global economic governance, the continent should adopt common position and leverage its continental frameworks such as AfCFTA and the AfDB to unlock its economic capacity which is the foundation upon which contemporary political influence in global affairs is premised.

What Skills for Multi-Partner Open Innovation Projects? Open Innovation Competence Profile in a Cluster Ecosystem Context

Industry 4.0 and the turbulent environment have rendered increasing interest in open innovation that extends from the bilateral transmission of expertise to multilateral platform collaborations. Open innovation ventures are seen as intricate collaborations that require the commitment of numerous partners during the lifetime of the project. In order to examine the specific competence of open innovation teams, we set the research question as follows: What individual competencies facilitate the exchange of knowledge in open innovation projects? We explored the theoretical framework of open innovation and collected information from a nation-wide, cross-industrial set of OI projects from three high-performing clusters, facilitating a total of 102 OI projects to identify open innovation competence dimensions, thus creating a novel profile. The outcomes showed that competencies facilitate the exchange of knowledge in open innovation ventures in distinct ways. Our findings showed that open innovation competence can be captured using a profile with the dimensions of creativity, entrepreneurship, communication and networking, open-minded thinking, risk-taking, and self-efficacy in digital skills. These dimensions of the open innovation competence profile are necessary for cluster project set-up. This analysis demonstrated that components of the open innovation competence profile could be paramount in understanding the underlying factors in the success of collaborative innovation projects.

New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD) and the Challenges of Good Governance in Africa: An Appraisal of the Nigeria’s Democratic Journey in the Fourth Republic (1999-Date)

Though, Nigeria’s attempt to democratize its political space in the wake of the virtual continent-wide embrace of democracy following the demise of the cold-war was greeted with some attendant political stalemates. The impasse of the June 12th 1993 and the elongated transition to civil-rule programs of the Nigerian military government marked some turning points in the Nigeria’s journey towards democratic governance. The eventual departure of the Nigerian military from the political stage in 1999 and the birthing of democratic government only came into after the abrupt end of the cold war and the bipolar world system which, marked the triumphant emergence of the western liberal democracy, the final withdrawal of the Nigerian military from politics in 1999 and the formation of a democratic administration took over a decade to materialize. However, Nigeria , a leading proponent member-nation of the African home-grown initiative of NEPAD is today, challenged by a myriad of contending problems, arising paradoxically from some of the agenda with which NEPAD as a multilateral platform for the African nations has been put in place to address . This paper is essentially literature-based and therefore, attempts to historicize the Nigeria’s journey and its travails of democratization, as well as, the contradictions, which have also put to interrogation, the country’s democratic credentials amidst its crises of governance. The paper noted that, for Nigeria as a leading country on the continent, there is need for the self cleansing of its domestic polity and the civic space in keeping faith to the sacred creed of sowing the seed of democracy and consolidating such on the African continent.

South–South Cooperation and the Promise of Experimentalist Governance: The ASEAN Smart Cities Network

This article considers the impact that increasing pragmatism and pluralism are having on South–South cooperation (SSC). Focusing on the growing sway of multilateral platforms for cooperation between cities and the reinvigoration of regionalism, it identifies experimentalist design principles for fostering autonomy-enhancing initiatives between developing countries that have the capacity to learn from and scale up locally-informed, adaptive problem solving. The first part of the article frames SSC in light of experimentalist governance theory. The second part provides a case study of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Smart Cities Network, an initiative that captures the promise and challenges of enhancing SSC through regional experimentalist governance of city-to-city partnerships.