Summits in an age of global governance

Abstract

The international system has witnessed fundamental change over recent decades. Since the end of the Cold War and its bloc-based confrontation, a more complex constellation of multipolarity has emerged, featuring the rise of several ambitious countries eager to make an impression on the world stage. The influence of 20th-century hegemons has simultaneously been weakened (or at least transformed in nature), turning the coordination of state interests for purposes of international policy-making into an intricate and often challenging affair. Significant parts of such processes have also been moved to dedicated institutions at the supranational level, such as IGOs within the UN framework or regional alliances like ASEAN, AU, or EU. Despite being mandated by state principals, such agents might pursue independent agendas and constitute autonomous political voices in the international system.