Is the Rules-Based International Order Coming to an End?

Abstract:

Russia’s war against Ukraine, the war in Gaza, challenges to the free trade order under Donald Trump, and most recently the escalating tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran: for many observers, these developments signal a turning point for the international order.

Indeed, core principles of the liberal international order are under increasing pressure. In academic debates, this is often described as “deep contestation” – forms of contestation that go beyond routine political disagreement and call into question the very foundations of the order itself. While such dynamics are frequently interpreted as signs of decline, this presentation argues that they do not necessarily mark the end of the international order.

On the contrary, contestation is a constitutive feature of liberal orders. The key question is how such contestation is managed. In this event, we will introduce different types of contestation and explore the conditions under which the international order can remain resilient. Particular attention will be paid to how institutional reforms can expand opportunities for both state and non-state actors to participate in “normal” contestation.