Plenary 1

A new era for multilateralism in health

Collective action or greater divides?

Organised by the European Health Forum Gastein

Two years ago one would have been forgiven for imagining that the sudden onset of a global pandemic - leaving no person or country unaffected - could be the moment that the world pulls together to fight a common challenge. Yet instead, the problems of the multilateral system have been revealed centre stage.

Rising nationalism has undermined global cooperation, there has been open hostility towards multilateral institutions and a growing tendency to pursue unilateral approaches especially when it comes to COVID-19 vaccines - ignoring the oft-repeated mantra that no one is safe until everyone is safe. Following years of policies that successively eroded multilateral institutions, the need for improved collaboration and knowledge sharing to ensure a resilient future has become crystal clear. Countries need to strengthen the collaborative fora and instruments that are crucial for effective global solidarity.

This plenary will ask how we can better cooperate in the face of future crises. What alliances and strategies are crucial to more effectively engage with diverse rival powers? Can we invent a new and more inclusive kind of multilateralism? To what extent is the EU a credible partner for countries in the Global South right now? Above all, what role can Europe play in a “refresh” of multilateralism?