The Disorderly Society: Rethinking Global Governance in the Twenty-First Century

The post-Cold War global order has unravelled. Liberal values and institutions are in full retreat, while authoritarians everywhere are emboldened. International law has given way to the rule of lawlessness. The world is more globalized than ever, but also increasingly fragmented and disorderly. Meanwhile, humanity faces a perfect storm of threats from runaway climate change to escalating geopolitical confrontation. In this trenchant critique, Bobo Lo argues that revitalizing global order is the central task of our time, the key to addressing the realities and demands of the twenty-first century. He proposes a new internationalism, centred on a broad view of self-interest, greater representativeness and inclusiveness, and the acceptance of flexibility and diversity. The world has moved on, and so must its governance.

Bobo Lo is an independent international relaions analyst. He is a non-resident fellow with the Lowry Institute, Sydney, and an associate research fellow at the French Institute of International Relations. He was previously Director of the China and Russia programmes at the Centre for European Reform in London, and Head of the Russia and Eurasia programmme at Chatham House. His books include A Wary Embrace: What the China–Russia Relationship Means for the World (2017) and Russia and the New World Disorder (2015).