[Plenary Session I] The Rise and Fall of LIO

Session: Plenary Session I
Date/Time: April 24, 2018 / 10:30-12:00

Moderator:
Hahm Chaibong, The Asan Institute for Policy Studies

Speakers:
Funabashi Yoichi, Asia Pacific Initiative
Karel De Gucht, Free University of Brussels
Charles A. Kupchan, Council on Foreign Relations; Georgetown University
James B. Steinberg, Syracuse University

Panel Description
Since the end of World War II, the “Liberal International Order” (LIO) has brought remarkable peace and prosperity. With the end of the Cold War, these benefits spread throughout the world, including the former Communist bloc countries and developing nations, raising hundreds of millions out of poverty. Today, however, the LIO faces serious challenges from a rising “Illiberal International Order.” Defined by resurgent authoritarianism and nationalism, this new vision of world order seeks to rewrite the economic, cultural, and military norms that have underpinned global affairs in the postwar era. What is the “Illiberal International Order,” and who are its major actors? Does the rise of “illiberalism” herald a return to great power politics and the demise of liberal institutions and a rules-based order so painstakingly constructed and defended over decades? What precipitated these changes, and where do we go from here?