Brussels, Belgium – The World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos concluded this week with a stark assessment: multilateralism is in crisis. The assessment, delivered against a backdrop of escalating unilateral actions by the United States under President Donald Trump, points to a potentially irreversible unraveling of the international system.
The WEF, themed ‘A Spirit of Dialogue,’ brought together over 60 heads of state and 800 corporate executives, but the gathering was overshadowed by events preceding it. On January 3rd, President Trump authorized a military strike against Venezuela, reportedly aimed at abducting President Nicolás Maduro, an action widely condemned as a breach of international law. A week later, on January 7th, Trump signed an executive order withdrawing the U.S. From 66 international bodies and processes, including 31 UN entities such as the UN Democracy Fund, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and UN Women.
The withdrawal extends beyond simply disengaging from existing structures. The Trump administration has also launched what critics describe as a parallel effort to supplant the UN Security Council with a novel “Board of Peace.” Membership in the Board reportedly costs $1 billion, with the intended utilize of funds currently undisclosed. The Board’s draft charter, according to sources, lacks provisions for human rights protections, civil society participation, or accountability mechanisms. Israel recently joined the Board, despite ongoing international concerns regarding its adherence to international humanitarian law.
The U.S. Approach is characterized as “nakedly transactional,” engaging with international processes only when they align with immediate U.S. Interests and withdrawing when obligations arise. This stance, analysts say, undermines the core principles of multilateralism – accountability, equality, and universality – and encourages other nations to adopt similar approaches.
The financial consequences of the U.S. Withdrawal are already being felt. UN development, human rights, and peacekeeping programs, heavily reliant on U.S. Funding, are facing significant shortfalls. The World Health Organization is reportedly struggling with unpaid contributions, impacting its ability to respond to global health emergencies. Even U.S. Allies have not been spared, with Trump threatening 25% tariffs against Denmark unless it agreed to the sale of Greenland, and suggesting the possibility of forcibly seizing the territory.
Amidst the crisis, China is positioning itself as an alternative leader in global governance, promoting its “Friends of Global Governance” initiative. This group, comprised of 43 states – many with authoritarian governments, including Belarus, Nicaragua, and North Korea – has drawn significant interest from heads of state seeking alternatives to the U.S.-led order. However, China’s vision prioritizes state sovereignty and does not include provisions for international scrutiny of human rights or the promotion of democratic freedoms.
The WEF’s discussions highlighted the growing strategic autonomy of European states, who are increasing military spending and reducing contributions to international development aid and UN programs in response to the shifting geopolitical landscape. France and Canada have reportedly received threats of increased tariffs from the Trump administration after declining invitations to join the Board of Peace.
Civil society organizations are calling for increased mobilization to defend the principles of international law and human rights, and to challenge the hierarchies that exclude voices from the Global South. The UN, despite its current challenges, remains the only global framework built on formal equality and universal human rights, they argue.
