Multilateralism gains momentum amid new developments in world relations, economic growth
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BEIJING, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- As the United States toned down its unilateral rhetoric over world affairs, the influence of other major powers and developing nations grew in 2007, in a context of robust economic growth in the world and a gathering momentum for troubleshooting and a sustainable future.
Although the Bush administration continues to pursue its strategic goal to dominate world affairs, it no longer does so without constraints, observers here said. U.S. unilateral policy has met with resistance over many issues, including Iraq, Afghanistan, the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, nuclear non-proliferation and counterterrorism.
Russia, on the other hand, is flexing its muscles. President Vladimir Putin has made no secret of Russia's opposition to U.S. unilateralism.
Putin openly slammed Washington's unilateral approach and missile defense plans in Eastern Europe at a high-profile security conference in Munich, Germany, in February.
In recent months, Russia's air force has resumed long-distance patrol flights by its strategic bombers, suspended following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the navy has resumed the deployment of naval vessels in the Atlantic and Mediterranean.
In a move widely seen as a response to U.S. plans to build missile defense facilities in Eastern Europe, Russia withdrew from the Conventional Forces in Europe treaty.
At the same time, the European Union (EU) has seen its influence on the international stage grow. The 27-member bloc moved a step forward in political integration by signing the landmark Lisbon Treaty, which replaces the defunct EU constitution.
"By resolving its institutional matters, Europe is readying itself to address global problems," European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said at the signing ceremony of the treaty in Lisbon.
And with growing strength, developing nations have an increasingly bigger say in world affairs. In particular, China, India, Brazil, South Africa and Mexico grew in influence this year.
In Asia, leaders of the 10 member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) approved the ASEAN Charter, which will transform ASEAN into a more effective, rules-based and rules-bound organization and pave the way for closer integration.
While African leaders stressed the "need to accelerate the economic and political integration of the African continent" in the Accra Declaration issued at the end of an African Union summit, Latin American leaders called for the democratization of international organizations and the promotion of multilateralism at a Rio Group summit.
TROUBLESHOOTING BRINGS MIXED RESULTS
A breakthrough was achieved in resolving the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula. The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has shut down its nuclear facilities in Yongbyon and is in the process of disabling the facilities.
In Africa, the Sudanese government has agreed to the deployment of a 26,000-strong 'hybrid' peacekeeping force, made up of the United Nations and the African Union, in Darfur.
At the U.S.-sponsored conference on the Middle East in Annapolis, Maryland, in which many Arab nations participated, Palestinian and Israeli leaders agreed to resume stalled peace talks and pledged to work for the conclusion of a possible peace deal before the end of 2008.
But over other issues, the impasse is yet to be broken.
Iran and the West are deadlocked in a dispute over Tehran's nuclear program. Iran has refused to suspend its uranium enrichment while Western countries have been threatening to slap new sanctions on Tehran.
Kosovo is at a crossroads. Talks failed as Serbia and Kosovo remain wide apart on the breakaway Serbian province's status, leaving Kosovo leaders to threaten to declare independence.
In Iraq, fighting between insurgents and U.S. forces continues unabated, along with spiraling sectarian violence.
Conflicting interests and political differences, particularly over the issue of whether to recognize Israel, led infighting to escalate in the Palestinian territories. Clashes between rival movements Fatah and Hamas plunged the land into de facto division.
In Afghanistan, meanwhile, the Taliban has fought back with frequent attacks and kidnappings in the war-torn country still languishing in the absence of a powerful Afghan army.
ROBUST GROWTH AND SUSTAINABILITY
The global economy is running in high gear, with an estimated growth rate of 5.2 percent for this year. Developing countries in Asia, sub-Sahara Africa, Latin America and the Mediterranean, particularly China, India and Russia, are posting even stronger data on growth.
African countries have brought their external debt, inflation and financial deficit under control, while poverty in Latin America has been reduced.
Regional cooperation has been stepped up with a slew of regional summits, including meetings of APEC, ASEAN, the African Union, the European Union and the Rio Group.
This year, global awareness of climate change has been heightened as global warming is affecting the world's natural environment and species.
At the UN climate change conference in December on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, over 180 countries agreed on a roadmap for addressing climate change, which set a clear agenda for the key issues to be discussed in negotiations due to be launched by the end of 2009.
Despite rapid growth and a consensus on cooperation, global development has been undercut by financial turmoil, soaring energy prices and economic frictions.
The U.S. subprime mortgage crisis has led to hundreds of billions of U.S. dollars in losses for banks and investors, sending shockwaves across the U.S. stock market and the larger global financial market.
Oil prices have skyrocketed from 50 dollars at the beginning of the year to around 90 dollars per barrel at present, putting a potential curb on continued global growth.
Economic globalization, while spurring growth, also led to an increase in economic frictions and a yawning gap in economic leverage between rich and poor nations.
