Global scholars, former senior officials from countries and international organizations, and diplomats have called for upholding and practicing multilateralism during the just-concluded 9th World Peace Forum (WPF).
The two-day forum themed "International Security Cooperation in the Post-pandemic Era: Upholding and Practicing Multilateralism" was held from July 3 to 4 at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
"Why multilateralism is becoming a hot topic for the panelists, speakers and audience? It is because people have realized that multilateral cooperation has been broken by COVID-19," said Yan Xuetong, WPF secretary-general and director of the Institute of Modern International Relations at Tsinghua University.
Herman Van Rompuy, former president of the European Council, who attended the forum via video link, said the world order must be based on trust, which is very much lacking today.