The EU in the world: from multilateralism to global governance

Abstract

This chapter frames the most important issues for European Union (EU) Member States' national foreign policies in the multilateral system in the context of frozen privileges in the United Nation Committee on Human Rights (UNCHR), International Monetary Fund (IMF) and United Nations Security Council (UNSC). The three are at the nexus of EU Member States national prestige and the European pursuit of effective multilateralism, pinpointing the tension between national foreign policy and European common foreign policy. The changing distribution of power in the international system magnifies European bias and increases the pressure for reform. In the three cases, reform is at different stages of completion, allowing a comparison of EU Member State reactions. However, the varying degrees of salience between cases cannot be overlooked as it partially explains the willingness of privileged states to forgo their advantages. The chapter presents an overview of each case in turn, summarising context, Member State groups, policy changes and policy performance.