Crises on the doorstep and the horizon: the role of multilateralism in addressing complex crises in the Sahel and beyond

This research addresses the central question of what is the role of multilateralism in managing contemporary crises such as those facing the Sahel, and why do multilateral efforts such as those used in the region often fail to reverse deteriorating situations despite receiving considerable international attention, intervention, and attempts at coordination? Combining a multi-method approach of in-depth interviews with relevant policy, governmental and civil society stakeholders within the region and relevant intergovernmental bodies alongside content analysis of key public facing policy documents this research presents three main arguments.

Firstly; multilateral forms of crisis management have historically fallen into a prevailing approach characterised by its state centricity, thematic truncation of efforts, divergent conceptualisations of multilateralism and a veneer of cooperation, that has ultimately undermined efforts to address crises in the Sahel. <br><br>Secondly, actors approach multilateralism in different ways based on a range of factors that informs how their conceptualisation and practice leading to different interpretations that converge/conform/contest both within the Sahel and wider international system.