After COVID-19: Cooperation or Competition in the World Ahead?

As an international community, once we see the end of the tunnel with regard to the ongoing pandemic, we will be in a better position to make a more realistic damage assessment. We will therefore be able to assess the true impact of the pandemic on dominant and emerging trends in international relations. However, since the steps taken - or not taken - by states and global organisations today determine the opportunities and challenges they will face in the future, it is important to make some preliminary assessments. Similarly, there is a strong link between the performance of states in the fight against the pandemic and the analysis of global politics after COVID-19. At the same time, developing a sustainable vision and securing local and global support for this vision is of vital importance for states in the aftermath of the pandemic. The roles and capacities of states in the global system will have a significant impact on their future positions.

This book, the second in a series published by the Centre for Strategic Research and Antalya Diplomacy Forum, was written at a time when the international community has yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel. This book consists of assessments and analyses by respected scholars, global thinkers and experts on the likely impact of COVID-19 on the international system, states, people, great power competition, international institutions, security, globalisation and conflicts. While the pandemic has been contained in some states, no vaccine has yet been found, lockdowns of varying intensity remain in place, shops and manufacturing facilities have not fully reopened in many countries, and there are severe restrictions on international travel. Nevertheless, each article provides valuable insights into the subject matter and offers a variety of perspectives and ways of thinking. Authors from different corners of the world bring their unique backgrounds and experiences to bear. To ensure that the book provides a global perspective on the global crisis, a list of respected authors from all over the world has been compiled.