I. Meaning of World Order:

(a) "Order" indicates a condition in which everything is in its correct place. It also refers to respect for and enforcement of rules. Dayto-day activities would be normal and peaceful, if order exists. In the world affairs, order brings a certain method in the way one country conducts its affairs with other states.

(b) The method can be noticed in the form of a set of rules and principles, which are commonly accepted and respected by governments. These rules and principles include equality of all countries, that one country should not interfere in the internal affairs of another state, that force should not be used or even threatened in the bilateral relations, that prisoners of wars and refugees should be treated humanely, etc.

(c) For assisting countries to make and implement these rules, they often establish common institutions like the United Nations. They are meant to assist in sorting out differences and problems between countries through dialogue and diplomacy.

(d) The phrase "world order" may sound strange in the light of opposite realities. Though they states are supposedly equal in a formal sense, there are gross inequalities among them. And some of these inequalities have been recognized in the form of veto power conferred on five permanent members in the UN Security Council.

(e) Countries often compete for resources and influence, they suspect each other's intentions and ambitions, and they quarrel about borders, trade, and several other issues. They fight wars at times.

(f) In fact,right now a dozen wars are going on in counties of Asia, Africa and Europe causing death to millions and destruction of valuable property.

(g) Moreover, problems arise not just between states but also within those states. Many states are fighting civil wars. Civil war is a prolonged situation of brutal war between military and certain groups of people wanting to remove a government from seat of power or form their own separate state. Sri Lanka is a good example of countries fighting a civil war. Linked to this aspect is the spread of terrorism, which causes fear among common people through indiscriminate violence and inhuman killings.

(h) Besides, additional commercial and social pressure groups have emerged to make heavy demands on state policies. Multinational Corporations (MNCs) in America and Europe have become powerful enough to dictate the economic policies of many poor states, whereas the influence of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) on official policies is growing very fast.

II. Basic features of the World Order:

(i) Europe as the theatre of World affairs: Europe remained the theatre of world affairs up to the Second World War. European countries maintained peace by forming alliances in order to ensure that no single country (like France,Great Britain, Germany) could dominate the rest.The system so prevailed was known as the balance of power.Britain mastered this policy for very long. However,the method collapsed in the beginning of the twentieth century with the First World War.In the meanwhile,the rise of countries outside of Europe such as the United States and Japan - extended the nature and scope of world politics.

(ii) Cold War and Rise of Superpowers as controller of World affairs (1945-1990): Soon after the Second World War, the erstwhile allies, viz. the United States and the Soviet Union developed differences about working together for the peace and stability of Europe. There were political and ideological reasons for these differences. The United States practised and preached democracy and free market enterprise as the desirable model of governance. On the other hand, the Soviet Union believed in and sought to spread the merits of governance by single (communist) party and of state-controlled economy. These differences led to feelings of one being threatened by the other. So began the bipolar phase in the world order immediately after the War.

(iii) Positive effects of the bipolar order:

(a) There were also some positive effects of the bipolar world order. Foremost, movements for independence from European colonial rule gained great momentum in Africa and Asia, as both Cold War blocs feverishly encouraged the trend in order to gain goodwill of the native peoples. Beginning in 1960 nearly 100 new countries were born.

(b) However, these newly freed countries did not want to compromise on their newly won political freedom by joining this or that military bloc. Hence they launched the "Nonaligned Movement" which tirelessly advocated world peace, nuclear disarmament, and economic advancement of the less developed countries. (India played leadership role in this effort.) Their collective voice and influence could not be missed in the working of world forums like the United Nations.

(c) Great many initiatives were undertaken to pressurise the superpowers for disarmament, and also calling for creating just and equitable economic order. Side by side, the clout of the oil rich countries (in West Asia and elsewhere) asserted their importance by manipulating production and price level.