Global Governance in the Postpandemic Period: The World Health Organization and the Future of International Organizations

The COVID-19 disease, which first emerged in China in December 2019, has caused severe weaknesses in the global governance processes, especially in the functioning of the world health system, as well as in politics, security, and economic fields. The health crisis has turned into a stress test for the governments in internal politics, and international institutions in international politics. However, The World Health Organization (WHO), the main authority of the global health regime for the fight against the COVID-19 threat, which is supposed to be a source of hope for the international community, now has rather become the focal point of the power struggle and political debates among the great Powers in pandemic time. On the other hand, the UN, its specialized agencies, EU, NATO, and other regional international organizations, which are expected to take the initiative on COVID-19, have been ineffective in the management of the COVID-19 pandemic because the “big powers” failed to undertake the leadership role. Because of global governance weaknesses and failures, many states such as Turkey fought against pandemic by depending on their own resources and by developing their national measures and methods. As a result, many observers agree that the liberal international order established after 1945 has been seriously wounded in the COVID-19 process and that international institutions will face a deep legitimacy crisis. As far Turkey, it has proved its capacity by providing health security to its own people while also demonstrating its strong political will to cooperate internationally by sendingvital support to the needy nations in the time of crises.