The 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue highlighted a shift towards issue-specific, flexible cooperation as traditional multilateralism faces strain, exemplified by new initiatives like Guide for Underwater Infrastructure Defence.
The recent 23rd Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore highlighted a fundamental question for nations: as the post-Cold War order becomes less secure and military capability regains primacy, what role remains for multilateralism?
The forum, dedicated to defense diplomacy, saw speakers and delegates grappling with this uncertainty. While there is broad agreement that old certainties are fading, clarity on what will replace them remains elusive. Events such as attacks on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and disruptions to freedom of passage have exposed the limits of an international order built on established rules and norms, raising questions about states' willingness and ability to uphold them.
Yet, conversations at the Dialogue suggest that the issue is not whether multilateralism will survive, but how it is evolving. Multilateralism is going back to basics, focusing on practical cooperation in a more contested environment. Instead of pursuing broad ambitions through formal institutions, countries are directing attention to specific issues and workable solutions. Cooperation is being reconfigured into flexible, issue-specific groupings that operate alongside traditional bodies.
As one defense minister noted, the objective is not to create competing rules but building blocks for cooperation that can attract broader participation over time. States have long worked in smaller, purpose-built configurations when consensus is difficult, as seen in Southeast Asia. The Malacca Straits Patrol, established in 2008, brings together Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and Thailand to safeguard a critical maritime corridor.
The Trilateral Cooperative Agreement, initiated in 2017 by Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines, manages maritime crime in the Sulu and Celebes Seas. These pragmatic arrangements are increasingly central to international cooperation, especially as new challenges transcend regions and existing institutions. A notable example launched at this year's Dialogue is the Guiding Principles for Underwater Infrastructure Defence Exchanges, or GUIDE.
Singapore's Defence Minister Chan Chun Sing and 16 counterparts introduced this initiative to address vulnerabilities in critical underwater infrastructure, such as submarine communication cables, energy cables, and pipelines that lie outside territorial waters. The legal tools to protect these assets are limited, and responsibility is unclear. Australia's Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles noted that attacks on subsea infrastructure over the past 18 months have been historically unprecedented.
GUIDE aims to provide a broad understanding of principles and potential areas for practical defence cooperation among like-minded countries. This initiative exemplifies the evolving nature of multilateralism, where states come together on specific issues to find workable solutions, even as the broader international order remains uncertain
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