The Geopolitical Challenges In A Multipolar International System

Abstract

The study examines the emerging geopolitical challenges amid the transition from a U.S.-led unipolar international system to a multipolar order marked by the rise of powers such as China, Russia, and India. This shift has intensified strategic, military, and economic rivalries while undermining the capacity of traditional international institutions like the United Nations and the World Trade Organization to address global crises. The research hypothesizes that multipolarity fosters a competitive environment that heightens the risks of indirect conflicts, impedes cooperation on transnational challenges such as pandemics and climate change, and diminishes the effectiveness of collective conflict-resolution mechanisms. The study aims to analyze the nature of these challenges, evaluate the performance of international institutions, and explore the role of regional powers in either fostering balance or deepening divisions. Employing a critical analytical methodology, the findings reveal escalating military and technological competition, particularly in strategic regions of influence. They also highlight the inability of international institutions to forge consensus due to entrenched divisions, while regional powers like India and Turkey have capitalized on institutional vacuums to expand their influence. Additionally, transnational challenges have worsened due to conflicting national agendas and a lack of global coordination.