A renewed faith in multilateralism

By Kaiyin Wu, Global Voices COP30 Fellow 2025

I was admittedly a pessimist when it came to global affairs and the United Nations. I’d seen too many failures of the international system – the meaningless talk, the inaction, the inability to meet the moment. Now with the United States and others hacking away at what remains, it’s become almost cliché to say that multilateralism is in decline. But that’s not what I saw at COP30. I saw innumerable talented, determined people reaching across national borders to tackle the most pressing global challenge of our time.

Being in the room where the climate negotiations occurred changed my point of view. I realised that I’d arrived in Belém with many preconceptions from being in an ‘Australia bubble’. My points of view were shaped by growing up in Australia, as part of the Global North. Although I’d been exposed to diverse, global perspectives, I’d only seen them online or in books. My opinions were shifted seeing delegates from across the world, particularly developing countries, articulate their perspectives so eloquently first-hand. Policy solutions that I was previously convinced would work, turned out to have some unintended and counterproductive consequences. I learned nuances about different countries that books just can’t capture. These insights could only be gained through a robust, international exchange of ideas with people who have diverse, lived experience. These debates slowed down action, but they were critical in deciding the right actions. Sitting in on these climate negotiations underscored the importance of a global perspective and a multiplicity of voices.

A highlight of my trip was attending a panel discussion on just transition held by the International Trade Union Confederation. Trade union representatives from Nigeria, Norway, Brazil, South Korea and Tunisia discussed how climate action should strengthen the rights of workers and communities. I learned that it was unhelpful to frame global climate action as country vs country, or Global North vs Global South. In reality, it was all the people suffering the consequences of pollution and exploitation, against the small number of people that were doing the polluting and exploiting. National identity had little to do with whether you were causing the problem or suffering from the problem. This underscored the importance of international knowledge exchange – although you wouldn’t think so, power station workers from South Korea were facing the same problems as trade unionists from Nigeria.

A meeting with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Secretariat reinforced the durability of multilateralism. I spoke with staff who dedicated decades of their careers to the spirit of international cooperation, putting it above their national identities and interests. They took time out of their busy schedules to engage sincerely with a group of young Australians to which they had no obligations. They spoke about the importance of young people keeping faith through the ups and downs of global climate action. Drawing on their years of experience, they challenged my assumptions about how the United Nations worked and how it can work better. Much is made of the differences between nations and people, but I saw a group of people putting aside national differences in pursuit of a common cause.

I end on a humorous note recounting some of my encounters with the people of Belém. What most convinced me of the enduring spirit of cooperation and multilateralism was the hospitalism of the people of Belém. Belém is a small regional capital, and judging by the number of times people asked to take photos with me and my fellow gringos, I guessed they don’t get a lot of international tourism. Despite the language and cultural differences, Belém always made me feel welcome. We found a way to understand each other despite my rudimentary Portuguese and imprecise gesticulating. I learned samba thanks to several Brazilian aunties. Strangers on the plane gave me restaurant recommendations. If an international conference with tens of thousands of people descended on my city, I’d be more than annoyed with the disruption. But the locals always engaged me with curiosity and warmth. The entire COP30 experience, both inside the conference centre and outside, reignited my faith in international cooperation.

-------

The views and opinions expressed by Global Voices Fellows do not necessarily reflect those of the organisation or its staff.