YCW BJ: New Approaches to Multilateralism in the 21st Century

In recent years, multilateralism has been challenged by major countries. But even proponents of multilateralism have heavily criticized the United Nations and the Bretton Woods System as being not inclusive and fair enough. Yet, the Covid-19 pandemic and extreme weather events caused by climate change remind us that regardless of these criticisms, the world is closely interconnected, and governments must work together to tackle issues they are all facing. How can multilateralism re-invent itself in the 21st century to address these global challenges? With the foundation of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) in 2016, a new multilateral player joined the stage. At the time, some suspected that competition with the existing multilateral development banks would undermine them and lead to a global race to the bottom in investment standards. With a 15 trillion US Dollar financing gap in infrastructure (G20) and an increasing awareness for combating climate change, AIIB seems to have its work cut out for itself. But how did multilateral cooperation change after the AIIB began operations? Which role can the AIIB play in fostering multilateral cooperation?

Please join us for a conversation with Sir Danny Alexander about how new approaches to multilateralism can shape the future of international cooperation.

On the day of the event, please bring a form of ID (passport or Chinese ID card) and a photo of this event registration confirmation to the East Entrance of the AIIB building. Upon entering the building, guests will need to scan the Beijing Health Code before being escorted to the event location. Doors will open at 6:40pm.