Road to global cooperation runs through regions

Mission-specific collaboration across Africa, Europe and Asia shows how regional approaches can deliver on global objectives at a time of geopolitical turbulence.

- Mirek Dusek

The world is undergoing geopolitical turbulence at the very moment when multilateral approaches are needed to advance critical shared priorities, including on climate change, the global economy and the impact of new technology. Temperatures reached record levels in 2024, economic growth looks uncertain, and questions remain over how to unlock the benefits of frontier technologies while minimising attendant risks.

While cooperative approaches may seem out of reach in the current challenging context, there are important signs that collaboration is continuing, most notably at the regional level.

Regional initiatives to strengthen economies, advance energy as well as climate goals, and develop equitable digital ecosystems have all progressed recently. They not only offer some good news, but can also serve as possible models for how to advance global goals despite the headwinds.

On the economic front, current projections show historically tepid prospects ahead, with 3.3 per cent global growth over the next five years, according to the International Monetary Fund.

One ingredient that can help boost growth both locally and globally is deeper integration at the regional level. Here, developments in Africa are showing how countries are working together to facilitate the flow of trade, capital and people.