ISCP Webinar: Prominent Leaders Analyze Emerging Global Order

ISCP  – The International Summit Council for Peace (ISCP) hosted a global webinar on June 18, 2026, on the theme “The Future of the Rules-based World Order," addressing the fracturing post-World War II international system. Moderated by Dr. Franco Famularo, ISCP global coordinator, the event convened four former heads of state or government and a global leadership expert, broadcasting to over 360 participants across more than 80 countries.

The panel provided a highly detailed analysis of the current "world disorder," emphasizing that the rules-based order requires urgent, courageous evolution rather than dismantling. The consensus demands democratizing global governance (specifically the UN Security Council), establishing an International Environmental Court with compulsory jurisdiction, managing the rapid rise of AI and alternative financial systems, and cultivating a moral leadership framework that prioritizes human dignity.

Panelist Insights and Policy Recommendations

Hon. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, former president of the Philippines, described geopolitical and economic shifts and the AI revolution as profound challenges fracturing the current system. The rise of the Global South and the BRICS nations is producing an emerging Eurasian-centered bloc, she said. Driven by the weaponization of the global financial system via sanctions, developing nations are actively seeking alternative payment schemes and reserve arrangements.

She warned of the existential risks of delegating sensitive decisions (employment, credit, war) to automated AI systems that fundamentally lack human compassion, noting that autonomous weapons make war more feasible.

Ms. Arroyo urged international bodies to manage rather than block these multipolar shifts. She called for the demilitarization of AI through democratic oversight, and advocated for an "Asian way of peace," a strategy prioritizing pragmatic economic integration and regional dialogue over balance-of-power military blocs.

Hon. Goodluck Jonathan, former president of Nigeria, focused on the structural inequalities embedded within global institutions. He highlighted the glaring demographic imbalance of the UN Security Council. Africa, with 54 sovereign states and over 1.5 billion people, lacks permanent representation. Reforming the Council would help restore legitimacy and effectiveness to the United Nations, he said. He stressed that calls for reform from the developing world must not be viewed as attempts to dismantle the global order, but rather necessary contributions to make it inclusive and balanced.

Hon. Anthony Carmona, former president of Trinidad and Tobago and former judge at the International Criminal Court (ICC), delivered an impassioned defense of multilateralism and sovereign equality. He argued that the rules-based order is only as strong as its defense of the weakest nations; the sovereignty of small island developing states cannot be treated as secondary.

Carmona identified the lack of a permanent mechanism to prosecute environmental destruction a catastrophic gap in global justice. The ICC lacks the resources and scientific expertise to handle crimes against the environment, like ecocide, he said. He proposed a stand-alone International Environmental Court with compulsory jurisdiction to hold states and corporations legally accountable for climate negligence, utilizing both legal judges and environmental scientists.

Hon. José Manuel Barroso, former prime minister of Portugal and former European Commission president, noted that while the post-WWII system was heavily Western-inspired, its core tenets were universally adopted and facilitated the remarkable growth of the Global South. He predicted a messy rebalancing characterized by plurilateral, region-to-region agreements rather than universal multilateral consensus.

He stressed that the Global North must abandon its arrogance, while the Global South must move past historical colonial resentment. Future diplomacy must focus on the fundamental dignity of the individual and cooperative frameworks for delivering global public good.

Dr. Tageldin Hamad, president of UPF International, focused on the internal, moral architecture required to sustain external international law. He advocated the civilizational principle of humanity as one family, highlighting that no nation can secure its future by treating others as expendable. Without universal values, international rules become empty technical procedures, he said. Dr. Hamad proposed "leadership with a parental heart" that pursues reconciliation and healing. He also suggested creating an Interfaith Council within the UN framework to bring vital ethical and spiritual wisdom to international deliberations.

Conclusion and Strategic Directives

The ISCP webinar concluded that preserving global stability requires moving beyond the rigid structures of 1945. To transition successfully into a multipolar reality, global governance bodies must execute three major directives:

Democratize power: Undertake structural reform of the UN Security Council to dismantle monopolistic veto powers and ensure equitable representation.

Enforce environmental law: Establish an International Environmental Court with compulsory jurisdiction and deep scientific expertise to hold entities legally liable for ecological destruction.

Reform leadership models: Institutionalize female and youth leadership at the highest levels of global diplomacy, and embed ethical frameworks into international deliberation to ensure rules serve justice, healing and universal human dignity.

Click here for a recording of the webinar.

Compiled by Alvin Pang, UPF-Asia Pacific June 18, 2026