Global forums: Necessities or unnecessary burdens

In the era of constant change, the modern world continues to grapple with a range of crises geopolitical, economic, health, and climate related. Current examples abound:

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The Ukraine-Russia war, Israel-Gaza conflict, China-Taiwan tension, unrest in Korea, global trade crisis due to Trump tariffs, domestic political and economic strife in multiple nations, persistent health emergencies like Covid, and accelerating climate disasters. These challenges have repeatedly tested the resilience of nations and the global community.

To address similar difficulties, the earlier generation of leaders established a host of international forums to foster mature and peaceful dialogue and reason among countries. Over time, these have multiplied, creating an impressive roster of bodies aiming to promote peace, economic stability, and collaboration across borders. Few prominent ones and their sub-structures include global forums such as the United Nations, G-20, World Economic Forum, Global Diplomatic Forum, Tech Diplomacy Forum, Global Council for Diplomacy and International Relations, G-7, Bric (Brazil, Russia, India, China), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), World Health Organisation (WHO), and World Bank; regional forums including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), European Union (EU), Indian Ocean Rim Association (Iora), Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec), East Asian Summit (EAS), ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), and Raisina Dialogue; and specialised c+ limate focused platforms like COP, Global Climate Forum (GCF), and the Global Forum on Environment and Climate Change.