The Political Language of Multilateralism in the United Nations

This book explores the political language of multilateralism in the context of three United Nations (UN) pillars: human rights, peace and security, and development. Focussing on the debates, ideas, and practices of international cooperation that have dominated the UN agenda since the early 1990s, it shows how a conceptual understanding of multilateralism could help strengthen the international community to face uncertainty and crises.

The authors analyze the language of multilateralism as employed when the UN handles cases of transnational challenges and seeks to establish an international response and argue that conceptual politics of multilateralism taking place in the UN concerning key contemporary challenges illustrate a lack of shared understanding of multilateralism but also a broad interest to promote alternatives for multilateral cooperation as an activity. Case studies illustrate the politics of multilateralism as an analytical concept and trace the practices, debates, and related concepts such as sovereignty, legitimacy, and authority.

This volume will appeal to scholars of political theory, international organizations, global governance, and international relations, as well as practitioners at think tanks and international organizations

Anna Kronlund has a PhD in political science and is a docent at the University of Jyväskylä. She currently works as a university lecturer in political science at the University of Turku. Her research interests include UN and multilateral international cooperation, Finnish UN policy, US politics and Congress, in addition to parliamentary studies, political debates, and concepts.

Teemu Häkkinen has a PhD in general history and is a docent at the University of Jyväskylä. His research interests include international organizations, concepts, civil-military relations, cognitive security, and foreign and defence policy decision-making.

Ratih D. Adiputri holds a PhD in political science, from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, and works as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Jyväskylä. Her research interests include parliament, Southeast Asian politics, (environmental) multilateralism, sustainable development and green transition.