The final report of the Global Relations Forum and Diplomats Without Borders joint initiative, "Peace and Security Through Diplomacy", has been published.
The initiative began with a simple observation: hard power has returned to the forefront of international politics, while sanctions, coercion and threats are increasingly employed as primary instruments of statecraft, often at the expense of dialogue and diplomacy.
Between February and July, three working groups worked independently under Chatham House rules on rules, norms and values in international relations; strengthening multilateralism and revitalizing global institutions; and European security architecture and the role of diplomacy. Eighteen contributors from nine countries took part, including ambassadors, former UN and OSCE officials, academics and experts.
Working separately, the three groups ultimately arrived at a convergent diagnosis. The system is not collapsing; the rules-based order, multilateral institutions and the European security architecture remain in place. What has eroded is the political will, mutual trust and sense of consensus needed to make them work.
The publication sets out this diagnosis in detail and presents the policy recommendations that flow from it.
The full report is available here.