Minilateralism

Minilateralism is a form of multilateralism. It describes diplomacy that is performed in a group of countries and / or organizations (governmental and non -governmental) or other entities in international politics, dealing with specific topics or issues. It recognizes that the topics of the modern global agenda are:

• Global and trans-national, that no country can deal with on its own (such as climate change, terrorism, war, poverty, or infectious diseases).
• Too complex and complicated to address as a whole, and are required to be dismantled and taken apart into smaller sub-topics that can be addressed and treated in a practical manner.
• There are many difficulties in promoting issues in forums with large numbers of member states, representing different interests, different administration methods and diverse economic capabilities.

Multilateralism has sometimes proved unable to significantly advance global policy issues within existing frameworks. Therefore, ad hoc frameworks are established, with a limited number of participants, dealing with specific issues. Hence the use of the term "Mini ": a forum consisting of a limited number of members, dealing with defined subject matters.

The term seems to have been coined by Venezuelan scholar Moisés Naím in an article for Foreign Policy. [1]. In this same magazine, Stewart Patrick describes that in order to promote significant global policies, the smallest number of states or countries needed to create the greatest impact on a specific subject should be brought to the table.[2] For example, the G20 , a forum of 20 countries representing 85% of global GDP, which can be handled more effectively and more practically than, say, the World Trade Organization of nearly 200 members.