This possibility raised the prospect of developing multilateral agreements, such as a multilateral framework convention, which respondents felt would be particularly long in the making, complicated and with uncertain results.
Again, however, China has not historically played such a role in multilateral settings.
Other punitive measures must be pursued, with other countries in Europe, he said, calling such an approach "an international, a multilateral, decision," and as such one that suits him.
The goal of such cooperation would be a multilateral body analogous to the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.
This can be done through a multilateral body such as the IMF and is not entirely new thinking.
But in practice, thinks Steve Charnovitz, an expert on environment-related trade law, if America ever challenged an EU ban on GMOs, the WTO would have no choice but to take account of a multilateral agreement such as the Biosafety Protocol.This is a messy compromise.
If Russia switches from its proverbial "nyet" at the UN to a more flexible game in a bid to build influence through the UN – and not against the UN – that will favour a country such as Italy, which has a multilateral foreign policy.
A multilateral regional partnership, such as the United Nations Development Program's Greater Tumen Initiative (full disclosure: I am chairman of the business advisory council of the G.T.I).
But the Europeans are concerned that, if it came to it, America might move away from a multilateral approach to issues such as trade and the environment.Such concerns are not new.
And yes, the Bush administration has shown a crude, impolitic tendency to diss diplomatic niceties, such as multilateral treaty-making.
