Today’s roundtable is devoted to the topical question to find new conceptual approaches to the formation of the modern system of international relations within conditions of a global world. This topic has recently been widely discussed in expert circles and its basic assumption is the following question: “If we already live in the conditions of globalization that is already happening, it is logical to assume that an intelligent approach adapted under the description of past realities are not active and it subsequently requires the development of new conceptual models”.

Undoubtedly, this question is fundamental and today’s exchange of views we would like to start with it, namely with discussion of the competence of such a formulation of the problem for a system of international relations.

In our view, it is ostensible that the current system of international relations has entered a period of active transformations in a wide range of positions.

First and foremost this is a crisis of governance. The idea of a unipolar world, which owned the minds in the aftermath of the collapse of the Soviet Union is gradually eroding. In fact, crises that are being observed today demonstrate that an individual national strength or structure that represents some kind of ideological project cannot fully answer all of today’s challenges. This can be done only on a multilateral basis, because the very notion of “global” implies to something more than a single particularity, even though it claims about globality of its mission.

How can the principle of “global” in the control system at the institutional, theoretical and practical levels can be used is another crucial issue. Will any new structures be set up for this or will the implementation of the principle be held at the UN, which is itself a product of the Yalta system? All of these we could discuss in the forthcoming discussion.

It should be noted that the problem of “crisis management” carries wider character. It particularly, concerns the whole spectrum of problems of global societal functioning.

For example, financial and economic crisis that began in August 2008, put the dilemma before the international intellectual community - whether we are dealing with the usual cyclical crisis or it is a structural crisis? And if this is a structural crisis, then on which paradigmatic basis will the global economy and monetary system will continue to develop and what model of governance should be developed for the process of creating and implementing a new paradigm? Thus far, in our view, G-8 and G-20 does not cope well with this mission.

One cannot turn a blind eye to the problem of population explosion anymore. According to the “Report on the population of the planet” for 2010, published by the United Nations Population Fund, it is projected that by 2050 the world population will exceed 9 billion people and a number of countries with populations of more than 100 million will increase up to 17 (now 11). The population of the African region will increase from the current 1.033 billion to 1.985 billion people, which will be the biggest growth in the world. A relatively substantial population growth will be in the Asian Region: from the current 4.167 to 5.232 billion.

The demographic explosion already causing a number of problems, which will be escalating in case of inability to find effective models and management techniques to resolve them. Among them, the issue of food security, the commissioning of new arable land, a shortage of water, mineral resources, search for new sources of energy, conservation of ecology, expanding access to education.

All of these problems will certainly be more acutely affected by the system of international relations. In particular, the delay of their solution can lead to various conflicts. In principle, they are already starting to manifest. Many experts believe that one of the catalysts in the increase of instability in the Middle East and North Africa were the problems of providing the population with food and increase of prices. According to the estimates of UN scientists, today there are about 80 countries in the area of crisis that are unable to fully provide themselves with the most necessary food commodities and they are forced to import a substantial portion of food.

It is also being projected that in 2030, 47% of the world’s population will encounter with the threat of water shortages. By 2020, in Africa alone due to climate change from 75 to 250 million people will be in such a situation. In the case if in the sphere of water resources new technologies to reduce it will not be found, then the global demand for water by 2050 will increase by 70-90%.

In addition, it is worth noting conflicts that are associated with growing migration flows worldwide. According to various estimates, the potential for migration in 2050 may amount to at least 24, and a maximum of 700 million people. Thus, because of the migratory pressure, France recently refused to accept the next batch of refugees from Libya and Tunisia that wanted to get into its territory from Italy. The principles of the Schengen area were put under question. What to do with them next is not clear. In some regions of Italy there are increased ethnic tensions because of refugees. For instance, it reached a critical point on the island of Lampedusa - a transfer point for North African migrants. Similar trends are being observed with increasing frequency.

Currently, many experts have express fears that the options that resolution of some acute crises can go through various enforcement scenarios, including the scenario of the “clash of civilizations”. In this regard, the question of preventing such a development of events becomes more urgent and such an instrument as the «soft power» is being proposed for promotion.

With regards to the stated goal of the roundtable, “soft power’ can be defined as a method, oriented on implementation of intellectual instrument in resolution of problems in the system of international relations based on the principle of mutual understanding, mutual respect and multilateralism. Basically in a global world, where a separate regional problem already has a global resonance, other ways in the future does not exist. In fact, the discussion today is about the question of what kind of philosophy of thinking will be crucial in the future and this we would also like to discuss during our roundtable.