NIICE holds discussion on reimagining South Asia in a plurilateral world order

LALUTPUR: Nepal Institute for International Cooperation and Engagement (NIICE) on Friday held a discussion titled ‘Reimagining South Asia in a Plurilateral World Order’, featuring Lailufar Yasmin, professor of International Relations at the University of Dhaka.

Yasmin opened the session by outlining the differences between multilateral and plurilateral approaches to international cooperation and noting shifts in global political dynamics.

"Multilateral is a sort of understanding that countries of the world, on a specific sort of issue, work together," Yasmin said. "But plurilateralism, rather, does not talk about a multilateral sort of agreement. It rather talks about short-term interest-based association."

She traced the evolution of world orders from Pax Britannica to Pax Americana and argued that the current reality reflects a move away from traditional multilateral frameworks towards more flexible, interest-driven plurilateral arrangements.

Yasmin said South Asia, despite its strategic importance, remains one of the least integrated regions globally and called for new thinking to strengthen cooperation. She also addressed geopolitical challenges and the current stances of regional organisations such as SAARC and BIMSTEC.

The event concluded with an audience interaction in which attendees discussed the changing nature of the international order, the emergence of new centres of power, and the opportunities and risks for South Asian countries as they seek to protect national and regional interests.