The Upgrade of the EU in the UN and the Changing Nature of Multilateralism

Two major developments are currently transforming the multilateral system. The first is the trend towards multipolarity as expressed by the raising number of states that act as key players. There have been times where only a few or even one player dominated the geopolitical game. But today several states seem to become dominant players as global or regional actors. The (voting-) behaviour of the BRICS in the UN and their presence in the G20 illustrates this trend. The second development is that meanwhile new types of actors are changing the nature of the playing multilateral field. Regions with statehood properties are increasingly present in the area of international relations.