This section invites paper and panel proposals examining the drivers, manifestations, and consequences of growing disorder and uncertainty in contemporary international politics. Particular attention will be given to the intentional production and strategic exploitation of disorder, the weakening of multilateralism, the erosion of respect for international law, and the renewed reliance on military power in global affairs, all of which carry profound implications for international security. Contributions may also address how economic interdependence, once seen as a foundation of cooperation and stability, is increasingly being weaponised through sanctions, export controls, and other coercive instruments of economic statecraft.
The section further welcomes submissions exploring the mounting challenges facing the United Nations and other multilateral institutions, as well as the parallel rise of bilateral, transactional, and ad hoc forms of cooperation. It also encourages reflection on the threats these developments pose to democratic governance, political stability, and the resilience of regional organisations such as the European Union. More broadly, the section seeks to engage with the uncertainty surrounding the evolving distribution of power among great and middle powers, and the implications of these transformations for global governance, conflict, and international order.
