Table Of ContentMULTILATERALISM AND
WESTERN STRATEGY
Also by Michael Brenner
THE FUNCTIONALIST THEORY OF EUROPEAN
INTEGRATION
NUCLEAR POWER AND NON-PROLIFERATION
THE POLITICAL ECONOMY OF INTERNATIONAL
MONETARY REFORM
Multilateralism and
Western Strategy
Edited by
Michael Brenner
Professor of International Affairs
Graduate School of Public and International Affairs
University of Pittsburgh
Selection, editorial matter and Chapters I, 5 and 8 © Michael Brenner 1995
Chapters 2-4, 6-7 C> Macmillan Press Ltd 1995
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1995
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of
this publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced, copied or
transmitted save with written permission or in accordance with
the provisions of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988,
or under the terms of any licence permitting limited copying
issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90 Tottenham Court
Road, London WIP 9HE.
Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this
publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil
claims for damages.
First published in Great Britain 1995 by
MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG21 2XS
and London
Companies and representatives
throughout the world
A catalogue record for this book is available
from the British Library.
ISBN 978-1-349-23717-3 ISBN 978-1-349-23715-9 (eBook)
DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-23715-9
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2
04 03 02 OJ 00 99 98 97 96
First published in the United States of America 1995 by
Scholarly and Reference Division,
ST. MARTIN'S PRESS, INC.,
17 5 Fifth Avenue,
New York, N.Y. 10010
ISBN 978-0-312-12361-1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Multilateralism and western strategy I edited by Michael Brenner.
p. em.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-312-12361-1
J.lntemational relations. 2. Europe-Foreign relations.
3. United States-Foreign relations. I. Brenner, Michael J.
I. Title.
JX1395.M86 1995
327.1 '7-(Jc20 94-25722
CIP
The editor dedicates this book to Professor
Mounira Charrad.
Contents
Foreword by James E. Goodby viii
Acknowledgements X
Notes on the Contributors xi
1 The Multilateral Moment 1
Michael Brenner
2 A German Perspective 42
Hanns W. Maull
3 A British Perspective 77
Trevor Taylor
4 A French Perspective 98
JertJme Paolini
5 A United States Perspective 131
Michael Brenner
6 A European Perspective 185
Simon Serfaty
7 Multilateralism: Critique and Appraisal 209
Phil Williams
8 Conclusion 232
Michael Brenner
Index 237
vii
Foreword
The conduct of a great nation's business is inescapably multilateral
these days, whether intentionally or not, and even internal actions
increasingly affect the lives of others in distant parts of the globe. To
base national policies on romantic ideas about self-sufficiency, isola
tionism or unipolarity is to practise self-deception. It is equally mis
guided to assume that a blind faith in robust multilateralism can
substitute for a searching and rigorously critical evaluation of the
idea and its utility in present conditions and in relation to specific
problems. A good deal of confused debate has clouded the subject of
multilateralism and obscured the true nature of the public policy
issues that are so much a part of the current political science. This
book is a most welcome contribution to the cause of clarity and pre
cision of thought about what is, after all, one of the vital issues of the
day.
The questions that this book investigates presume a high degree of
interaction among the major powers but, happily, there is no pre
sumption that the answers to bedrock questions are self-evident.
Should multilateralism be regarded merely as a condition of inter
national life? What is the case for formalizing and codifying multilat
eral connections? Is it rational for great powers to carry out policies
through the medium of multilateral organizations? Many observers
of the international scene have ready answers to each of these ques
tions. Their answers often are different but, even in those fortunate
countries where ~ consensus exists, it is difficult to translate princi
ples into policies that commit a great power to acting in unison, or
even in harmony, with other states. This was one of the lessons of the
first year of the Clinton administration and, for the European Union,
the lesson of Yugoslavia.
The school of hard knocks teaches each of us differently. One
reading is that multilateralism is a pretext for inaction. Another is
that if a few states, or perhaps even one, are prepared to act regardless
of the collective opinion, multilateral organizations may be galva
nized into action. A third interpretation is that global multilateralism
is still too weak a reed. The maintenance of international peace and
security cannot depend on wishful thinking. A conclusion common
to any of these theses is that the Western Alliance, broadly defined,
is central to the search for peace. A study of multilateralism could do
viii
Foreword ix
no better than to focus on this institution, considering in particular
its relevance to the construction of a new security system in Europe.
The editor and authors of this book have done just that.
American, British, French and German analysts here assess the
need for and the prospects for the transatlantic connection and
the structure associated with it. They do so from the perspective of
the fundamental requirements of a secure, just and stable international
society. This is not a 'how to fix NATO' book. The issues addressed
here are profound; they deserve intense thought. The theoretical
discussion contained in this book is rewarding. We all need to reflect
on the variety of forms that multilateralism can take and whether
multilateral regimes can affect the behaviour of nation-states. Will a
major world power - the United States or European powers, for
example - be influenced by the rules, norms and expectations of a
multilateral system of which it is a part? This has become one of the
liveliest partisan issues in the United States in the recent past. At the
same time, this is one of the more interesting theoretical questions in
the field of political science.
For citizens concerned with the direction of travel of the Western
world - or its lack thereof-here is a guide to evaluating the policies
of governments as they navigate through the fog that blankets the
post-Cold War international scene. There are many temptations in
multilateralism. Sub-contracting a great nation's foreign policy to some
international organization is not one of them. A more insidious threat
is that liberal democracies will fail to recognize their common herit
age and their common fate. This is a book that will retain its value
for many years because its essential focus is on this point.
James E. Goodby
US Institute of Peace
Washington, DC
Acknowledgements
This book is the outcome of a project that benefited from the support
of individuals and institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. Initial
drafts of the four country perspectives were prepared for presenta
tion at a workshop held in Washington, DC, in December 1992 that
received financial contributions from NATO's Office of Information
and Press which provided encouragement as well as practical assist
ance); the Delegation of the European Commissions-in particular,
Mr Jonathan Davidson; the Hewlett Foundation; the Matthew B.
Ridgway Center for International Security Studies at the University
of Pittsburgh; and Miles, Inc. where Dr Richard White made us the
beneficiary of his enlightened corporate multinationalism.
At the University of Pittsburgh, the project enjoyed the sponsorship
of Davis B. Bobrow, Dean of the Graduate School of Public and
International Affairs, and Burkhart Holzner, Director of the Univer
sity Center for International Studies.
Ms Clare Andrews, editor at Macmillan, deserves a special word of
appreciation. She offered unfailingly sound advice as well as uncom
mon patience with tardy authors and editor.
Lynn Cohen at the Ridgway Center was instrumental in organizing
and ensuring the smooth running of the Washington meeting. Ms
Enid Johnson worked diligently at the myriad tasks needed to bring
the project to fruition. Special thanks for grooming an unruly manu
script with skill and attentive care go to Kathleen Rud, Rochelle
Cook and, most especially, to Kendall Stanley.
Michael Brenner
X
Description:The first years of the post-Cold-War era have made abundantly clear that it is imperative for the Western allies to pursue a common strategy and a concerted diplomacy in order to secure their interests in a still unruly Europe. Doing so requires ingenuity in adapting the modes of cooperation inherit
