Despite the best efforts of some populist leaders, Covid 19 could end up accelerating a new era of multilateralism to deal with the ever-increasing number of global “problems without passports”.

University of Otago international politics specialist Robert Patman says Covid 19 is reframing the international order, torn as it is between the opposing forces of nationalist fragmentation and international integration.

He will canvass the immediate and likely longer-term geopolitical implications of this global pandemic with Catalyst Trust on Sunday, October 4.

“States like New Zealand – that took World Health Organisation warnings seriously, listened to healthcare professionals and learned from the experience of other states – have seen their international credibility rise significantly.”

For “problems without passports” – ranging from the inevitable further pandemics to climate change, refugees to environmental destruction – will the soft power of good leadership overcome the strongmen of nationalist bent? Prof Patman will lead the discussion…

Sunday, October 4, 6 to 7.30 PM, The Rees Hotel Queenstown conference room. Registration is required to ensure your seat and for contact tracing purposes. Any necessary updates required by a change in alert levels will be notified to registrants and posted on our Facebook page. Koha will be donated to Happiness House, to support their work with our community’s most vulnerable people, who include many migrants from around the world.