President Trump and the Future of Multilateralism

President Trump's plans indicate that furthering global governance institutions is not a goal for his administration. From plans to dramatically reduce funding for multilateral institutions, to draft executive orders signaling the potential withdrawal from various international treaties, to the decision to bomb a Syrian airstrip without Security Council authorization (or the support of a coalition of other states), President Trump has demonstrated a disinterest in the institutions and instruments that normally act as a forum for international cooperation. Recent developments suggest the current international legal system may soon be 'subjected to a kind of stress test,' which will clarify what is and what is not resilient about contemporary international law and its institutions. In this Essay, Professor Boon offers some opinions about the effect of these changes on the U.N. Security Council, the United Nations generally, and the potential role of customary international law going forward.