In the article “The Changing Regional Faces of Peace: Toward a New Multilateralism?” published in Contemporary Security Policy (February 2025, 2025, VOL. 46) Oxford scholar Louise Fawcett examines the growing prominence of regional organisations in global peace and security. She argues that as traditional multilateral institutions like the United Nations face mounting crises of legitimacy and effectiveness, regional actors—such as the African Union, ASEAN, and the Arab League—are increasingly stepping in with peacebuilding initiatives shaped by local contexts.
Fawcett emphasises the diversity of these regional responses, arguing that there is no single model of “regional peace.” While regional organisations can provide more context-sensitive solutions and enhance local ownership of peace processes, they also risk reinforcing global power hierarchies or pursuing exclusionary political agendas. The article cautions against romanticising regionalism, noting that it is not inherently more equitable or effective than global mechanisms.
Ultimately, Fawcett calls for a “new multilateralism”—a more inclusive and adaptive global order that meaningfully integrates regional institutions into the international peace and security architecture. By re-centering regional actors in global governance, she urges a rethinking of the international order beyond state-centric and UN-dominated frameworks.
Fawcett presents the African Union (AU) and ASEAN as contrasting examples of regional approaches to peacebuilding. The AU is recognised for its assertive engagement, particularly through the African Peace and Security Architecture (APSA), with missions such as AMISOM in Somalia and mediation efforts in Mali. However, these initiatives are often constrained by heavy financial dependence on external donors. In contrast, ASEAN’s strong commitment to non-interference and consensus-based diplomacy promotes regional cohesion but restricts its ability to respond decisively to internal conflicts. Fawcett highlights the Myanmar crisis as a case in point, where ASEAN’s limited response reveals the tension between respect for sovereignty and the protection of human rights.
This article is significant because it challenges conventional, UN-centric paradigms of global peacebuilding by foregrounding the complex, varied, and increasingly influential roles of regional organisations—prompting scholars and policymakers alike to reconceive multilateralism as a more decentralised, context-responsive, and inclusive enterprise.
