External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday, 25 June 2026 made a strong pitch for reinventing international cooperation at the Jeju Forum for Peace and Prosperity 2026 in South Korea, invoking India's ancient philosophy of 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam' — the world is a family — as the moral foundation for a more collaborative global order.

The Core Argument

Addressing delegates at the Jeju Forum, Jaishankar argued that the very crises fragmenting the world — from pandemics to terrorism and climate disasters — are proof that no nation can go it alone. 'Whether it is pandemics like Covid, acts of terrorism, or the impact of extreme climate events, these cannot be contained within political jurisdictions. International cooperation is a must,' he said.

He acknowledged the inherent tension: that national identity and decision-making instincts work against multilateral reflex. 'Cultivating an openness towards the world is therefore essential,' he added, warning that much of today's global turbulence stems from societies that resist precisely that openness.

Five Steps to Reinvent Cooperation

Jaishankar laid out a five-point framework for rebuilding international cooperation in a fragmented world. First, he called for de-risking the global economy by diversifying production and supply chains to limit the scope for economic coercion. Second, he advocated forging closer ties among influential nations through agenda-specific partnerships to stabilise the international order.

Third, he stressed the need to build collective awareness of the costs of narrow thinking, including stronger protection of international law — citing UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) as a model framework. Fourth, he urged the global community to empower the Global South through greater capacity and opportunity, arguing this would also generate new engines of global growth.

Fifth and finally, Jaishankar called for delivering global public goods through shared endeavours. 'We cannot rely on a few to uphold rules and norms. The world must take more control over its own future. This, amongst others, must be expressed in reformed multilateralism,' he stated.

The Multipolarity Question

Jaishankar also struck a candid note on the limits of the current world order, warning that as the interests of a few nations are openly prioritised, the costs borne by the many go unacknowledged. 'This can only be countered by cooperation on more issues with greater players. At the end of the day, we will see whether multipolarity really delivers,' he said — a pointed remark that signals India's watchful stance on the emerging multipolar order rather than uncritical endorsement of it.

India-South Korea Ties in Focus

Jaishankar linked his five-point global framework directly to the India-South Korea bilateral relationship, identifying untapped complementarities in shipbuilding, digital technology, health, infrastructure, and defence. He noted that his bilateral meetings in Seoul the previous day had covered economic and technology partnerships, political and strategic cooperation, and people-to-people ties. This comes amid both countries deepening engagement under India's Act East Policy and South Korea's own Indo-Pacific strategy.

The Jeju Forum, one of Asia's premier multilateral dialogue platforms, provided a high-visibility stage for India to articulate its vision of reformed multilateralism at a moment when global institutions face mounting credibility pressure.