Jeffrey D. Sachs

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The Battle against the COVID-19 Calls for the Reestablishment of Effective Multilateralism∗

The Battle against the COVID-19 Calls for the Reestablishment of Effective Multilateralism

Jeffrey D. Sachs1, Chen Jing2, Zhou Wenxing3

Abstract】The world faces its greatest crisis since World War II and its greatest economic calamity since the Great Depression. History shows two ways out of a global crisis: a global leader that guides an effective response—and helps to pay for it—or global cooperation through the UNmultilateral framework. Alas, we have no global leader today. The United States today is more a force of destruction than a leader. Our only way forward is cooperation under the UN mandate. Let me explain.

Key words】COVID-19; multilateralism; UN; global cooperation; hegemon

* This article was firstly published in the journal Consilience: The Journal of Sustainable Development with the title “COVID-19 and Multilateralism.” The original author of this article, i.e., Jeffrey D. Sachs, authorized the translator and proofreader to translate, publish, and circulate it.

1 Jeffrey D. Sachs (the original author of this article), a world-renowned economics professor, now serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he holds the highest academic rank of University Professor, and President of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network as well as Chair of Lancet COVID-19 Commission. He served as Special Advisor to UN Secretaries-General Kofi-Annan, Ban Ki-moon, and António Guterres from 2001-2018. Dr. Sachs’s research area includes development economics, innovative education, and the control of pandemic and epidemic diseases.

2 Chen Jing (the translator of this article), Nanjing University. Her research area is international exchanges.

3 Zhou Wenxing (the proofreader of this article), Nanjing University. His research area includes China-U.S. relations and international relations.

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https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/wenxing/files/the_battle_against_the_covid-19_calls_for_the_reestablishment_of_effective_multilateralism.pdf