COVID-19 Pandemic: A Lost Opportunity for International Cooperation?

ABSTRACT

The unsolved riddle of interstate cooperation lies at the core of subject matter of international relations theory. Many believe that shocks e.g. wars, natural disasters and pandemics serve as the triggers of international cooperation. Basing on these assumptions, after the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, many advocates of liberal internationalism were optimistic about seeing enhanced cooperation among states in order to respond to this unique threat. This paper, however, argues that contrary to such assumptions, COVID-19 failed to serve as a catalyst for international cooperation. Despite being hit by a common enemy, states not only failed to mute their conflicts rather in many regions conflicts were intensified and faults lines became more visible than before. The paper digs into the questions that why the neoliberalism fails to seize the opportunity and what factors led to the dominance of state behaviour dictated by neoclassical realist assumptions. It also investigates that how the future can be foreseen in the context of this scenario. The paper justifies the central preposition using the framework of neoclassical realist theory of international relations.