India’s Role in a Disordered World
Key takeaways
- With some of the greatest powers displaying contempt for norms and international law, there is no longer a world order, or even a pretense of one.
- The changes in the international system make much harder the fundamental task of Indian foreign and security policy, which is to enable the transformation of India into a modern, prosperous, and secure country.
- Rather than getting involved in others’ quarrels or engage in mediation, the greatest contribution that India can make at this time is to continue to manage its own development and security well.
Like most of Asia, India is adjusting to a disordered world, in which conflict is rising, international and particularly multinational institutions are increasingly ineffective, and existing mechanisms for stability such as the international trading system and the nonproliferation regime are being dismantled. With some of the greatest powers displaying contempt for norms and international law, there is no longer a world order, or even a pretense of one. An international system remains—international flights continue, and your cellphone will work around the world—but there are no rules or institutions or inhibitions that prevent the powerful from attacking another country, despite commitments in the United Nations Charter and elsewhere.
The changes in the international system make much harder the fundamental task of Indian foreign and security policy, which is to enable the transformation of India into a modern, prosperous, and secure country. A disordered world is not likely to give India the peace, predictability, and security that India’s development needs. Yet these challenging circumstances also represent a chance to change what we do.
Like most of Asia, India is adjusting to a disordered world, in which conflict is rising, international and particularly multinational institutions are increasingly ineffective, and existing mechanisms for stability such as the international trading system and the nonproliferation regime are being dismantled. With some of the greatest powers displaying contempt for norms and international law, there is no longer a world order, or even a pretense of one. An international system remains—international flights continue, and your cellphone will work around the world—but there are no rules or institutions or inhibitions that prevent the powerful from attacking another country, despite commitments in the United Nations Charter and elsewhere.