The Paris Peace Forum: a Medium for Renewed Multilateralism?

The 4^th edition of the Paris Peace Forum took place from November 11 to 13 to advance concrete solutions to the challenges posed by Covid-19. Justin Vaïsse, Founder and Director General of the Paris Peace Forum, and Trisha Shetty, President and member of the Steering Committee of the Forum, answer our questions to assess this event’s impact on global governance. 

2020 and the global health pandemic handed multilateralism a very concrete challenge, which was then followed by major geopolitical events such as the Afghanistan withdrawal, all in an atmosphere of increasing Sino-American rivalry. In what ways is it still relevant to talk about multilateralism today? 

Justin Vaïsse:

States still negotiate in larger formats than just bilaterally, including in New York or Geneva, so they do practice multilateralism on a regular basis. The problem is that great power competition is making the joint resolution of common problems much more difficult, sometimes intractable. This has become especially apparent during the Covid-19 pandemic or with regards to efforts to mitigate climate change. Geopolitical tensions will be detrimental to us all, not least because of the wars they will set off, but because of the global perils they will prevent us from solving. In this context, the Paris Peace Forum offers a platform where North and South, but also East and West, can cooperate on global challenges that elude resolution at the United Nations. A crucial element in this question are the other non-State players that are a fundamental part of the solution, from businesses to NGOs and philanthropies.

How would you describe the role of the Paris Peace Forum in reviving and improving global governance since its creation in 2018? Any key lessons learned since? 

Justin Vaïsse:

In four editions, the Paris Peace Forum has received more than 150 Heads of State, 40,000 participants, 400 civil society projects. It has carved a space for multi-actor coordination and better global governance in the international agenda. More importantly, the hundreds of projects showcased at the PPF have made a difference on the ground. The same applies for the multi-actor initiatives launched since 2018, tackling issues as wide ranging as cybersecurity, jointly fighting space debris that threaten satellites, or thinking about the governance of climate risks. 

Trisha Shetty:

It’s important to understand how the annual projects that get selected to showcase their work define the structure of the Forum. That includes having panels and discussions around the common areas of work that are uncovered from analysing the projects, and ensuring that project leaders are seeded within the panels to sit alongside Heads of States or International Organizations to talk about solutions and resources. It makes it a Forum for the people as opposed to a select few who have the authority to make governance decisions. 

Civil society and citizen engagement are a key part of the Paris Peace Forum. In what ways do they challenge and complement global governance and what observations could be made about their current place in it? 

Trisha Shetty:

With the rising trends of majoritarianism and nationalism, and with the attacks we’ve seen against civil society that have accelerated during Covid-19, the need to protect civil spaces and bring all relevant stakeholders together to push for projects that promote democratic principles is more critical than ever before. 

From the initiative "Declaration on Information and Democracy" launched at PPF in 2018 led by Reporters Without Borders in response to Jamal Kashoggi’s murder, to the conversations around the need for drug policy reform, to protecting civil space the Paris Peace Forum has made a longstanding commitment to platform projects, initiatives and dialogue that are reflecting the current concerns of civil society whilst simultaneously pushing for solutions and reforms needed.

Copyright: Ludovic MARIN / AFP