Missing: Global Leadership
(Source: The Indian Express, Editorial Page)
Also Read: The Indian Express Editorial Analysis: 18 June 2025
Also Read: The Hindu Editorial Analysis: 18 June 2025
| Topic: GS Paper 2 – International Relations; GS Paper 4 – International Ethics |
| Context |
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The editorial by Pratap Bhanu Mehta critically examines the erosion of international leadership amid overlapping global crises. It highlights how world powers have failed to mediate conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Iran, and South Asia, thereby intensifying the breakdown of global order and moral accountability. |
Crisis of International Institutions
- Global forums like the UN, UNSC, and G7 have shown paralysis in mediating major conflicts.
- They fail to prevent wars, enforce peace, or uphold international law.
- Power blocs act more for political alignment than for moral clarity.
- The World Bank, IMF, and climate summits offer technical fixes but lack the conviction to uphold global justice.
Rise of Multipolarity Without Responsibility
- With American hegemony in decline, the world has shifted toward a multipolar arrangement.
- However, emerging powers are pursuing transactional diplomacy.
- No global actor—whether the US, China, India, or Russia—is offering a moral alternative.
- This fragmented landscape emboldens regional conflicts and erodes shared norms.
Conflicts as Instruments of Politics
- Geopolitical tensions—once exceptional—are becoming normalized.
- Whether it is Israel’s bombing of Iran, Russia’s Ukraine invasion, or tensions in South Asia, these conflicts are no longer framed in ethical terms.
- Diplomacy has become procedural rather than transformational.
Moral Breakdown and Public Cynicism
- People across the globe are witnessing not only physical violence but a collapse of moral discourse.
- Political leaders and diplomats alike fail to condemn injustices consistently.
- Norms like human rights, sovereignty, or proportionality are inconsistently applied, leading to cynicism.
Crisis Zones and Leadership Gaps
| Conflict | Main Actors | Leadership Response | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|
| Russia–Ukraine | Russia, NATO, Ukraine | Fragmented sanctions, no resolution | Stalemate, war fatigue, displacement |
| Israel–Iran/Gaza | Israel, Iran, US, Hamas | Symbolic diplomacy, no ceasefire | High civilian casualties, regional risk |
| India–Pakistan | India, Pakistan | Strategic silence | Continued mistrust, no regional framework |
Conclusion/Way Forward:
- India, with its historical legacy of non-alignment and growing global clout, has the potential to lead a new moral consensus.
- This must involve institutional reforms at the UN level, inclusive development frameworks, and a shift from transactional diplomacy to transformative leadership based on justice and dialogue.
| Practice Question: (GS-2 | 15 Marks | 250 Words) Critically examine how the decline in global leadership is reshaping the international order. What role can India play in restoring faith in multilateralism? |
