Multilateralism emerged after the Cold War as multiple states worked together on issues through general rules and consideration of all interests. Effective multilateralism means international organizations, regimes, and treaties can resolve problems by achieving goals and solving citizen issues. For the EU, effective multilateralism is at the core of its international interactions and its 2003 security strategy committed to dealing with security challenges through holistic and multilateral approaches.

1. Effective Multilateralism
1) Multilateralism:
End of the Cold War and the bipolar world → need for
security reconceptualising and requirement for a new
international regime.
→ multilateralism emerged.

2. ●
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multiple actors working together on a given matter.
All of them are in principle equal and the interests
of all matter.
“Multilateralism consists of action among three or
more states on the basis of generalised rules of
conduct.” (Ruggie 1993)
is based on certain principles of ordering relations
among states. (Ruggie 1992)
not only about states, take international
organisation into account as well. (Keohane 2006)

3. Effectiveness:
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the capacity of a political system, its institutions
and procedures, to satisfy the demands they
were designed to cope with by achieving the
goals and producing policies that solve the
problemes of the citizens.
(Heard-Lauréote, 2010)

4. Effective multilateralism:
“must function as an enabler, allowing the
international community of states to resolve
problems, and it is about ensuring that forms of
collaborative action such as international
organisations, regimes and treaties are
themselves up to the job of confronting threats to
peace and able to defend breaches of rules.”
(de Vasconcelos, 2008)

5. Effective Multilateralism and the EU
At the cornerstone of the EU's interactions with
the international community.
Debates on whether the EU's commitment to
multilateralism is interest- or principle-based.

6. In 2003 the EU adopted a European Security
Strategy identifying the main security challenges
as well as the appropriate way of dealing with
them – multilaterally / holistic.
Therein, the EU declared its commitment to
external policies based on effective
multilateralism.

7. In 2003 the EU adopted a European Security
Strategy identifying the main security challenges
as well as the appropriate way of dealing with
them – multilaterally / holistic.
Therein, the EU declared its commitment to
external policies based on effective
multilateralism.