Iran's inclusion in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a significant development, considering the UN Security Council sanctions it still faces. The SCO members had previously agreed that any state wishing to join should not have any UN Security Council sanctions imposed on it. This issue holds importance when analyzing the transformation in the world order.
Contrary to popular belief, Iran's membership in the SCO is not a result of the removal of Security Council sanctions through the JCPOA. Iran continues to be sanctioned by the Security Council, and a list of Iranian individuals and entities under these sanctions can be found on the UN website.
What is crucial to note is that the members of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization no longer attribute the same importance to the UN Security Council in the current circumstances. This suggests that even if the West triggers the snapback mechanism and reinstates previous Security Council resolutions against Iran, it is unlikely to affect Iran's membership in the SCO.
The UN Security Council has traditionally been viewed as a fundamental pillar of the post Cold War world order. However, Iran's inclusion in the SCO signifies a significant blow to its authority, emphasizing the operational phase of the transformation in the world order.
The liberal order, which emerged from America's victory in the Cold War, is facing a crisis of attractiveness and effectiveness. The number of liberal democracies in the world has decreased, and only a small percentage of the global population lives in such countries. America, as the leader of the liberal order, is experiencing economic and social crises rooted in the liberal ideology. The effectiveness of America's hard and soft power in safeguarding the liberal order has diminished, and it has been repeatedly defeated by its rivals.
In response to this, the RAND Corporation has proposed the concept of Power to Coerce as an alternative to America's traditional power sources. This concept includes financial sanctions, cyber operations, and support for internal opposition. Financial sanctions have been a crucial tool in America's foreign policy toolbox, but their effectiveness is diminishing due to overuse. The Ukraine crisis and unprecedented sanctions against Russia have provided an opportunity to neutralize America's financial sanctions through the development of non dollar payment systems and reserves.
There is a consensus about the emergence of a new multipolar order. However, with the collapse of communism and liberalism, there will no longer be an order based on a hegemonic ideology claiming civilization. Instead, international cooperation and interactions will be based on mutual interests, with power units and weaker countries operating within their spheres of influence. China and Russia are economic and military power units but lack a civilizational ideology to lead the creation of a new order. In this context, Islam can emerge as the only leading ideology for creating a new civilization.
In light of the current challenges faced by the liberal order and the emergence of a new multipolar order, it is crucial for Islamic countries to assert their interests and values. Islamic countries should adopt a two pronged strategy in the current period. The first prong should focus on undermining the remaining foundations of America's leadership in order to end the liberal order. The second prong should focus on shaping a new internal order based on shared Islamic values.
It is proposed that Muslim countries establish a charter based on their shared Islamic values. This Muslim Nations Charter with its special institutions would serve as an alternative to the current United Nations Charter, which is rooted in liberal values and has institutions dedicated to its defense.
