Barbados has been ranked the world’s top performer in multilateral cooperation, according to the United Nations’ latest Multilateralism Index.
Barbados is a small island State in the eastern Caribbean with a population of around 300,000 people. It is known for being stable, democratic, and well-governed. Despite its size, Barbados plays an active role in international affairs, especially in areas like climate change, regional cooperation, and global diplomacy. The UN report’s recognition further reflects its ongoing engagement.
Background
The United Nations takes the view that global cooperation and a strong United Nations system are essential for achieving outcomes like the Paris Climate Agreement and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. To help measure the extent of State support for this kind of international cooperation, the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network created a tool called the UN Multilateralism Index (UN-MI). The UN-MI specifically measures how States support multilateral cooperation through the United Nations system. This does not include efforts by countries to work together in regional or bilateral groups such as BRICS, G20, G7, or the OECD.
Key Aspects
The UN-MI is based on the core values of the UN Charter. It looks at six main areas of international activity to evaluate States:
1. How many UN treaties they have signed;
2. How often they vote with the international majority at the UN General Assembly;
3. Whether they are members of UN organisations;
4. Their role in armed conflicts and military spending;
5. Whether they use sanctions or pressure against other countries on their own, and
6. How much they contribute financially to the UN and to global solidarity.
The first indicator measures the number of major UN treaties a State has ratified. The second indicator monitors how often States are part of the majority in votes at the UN General Assembly. The third indicator calculates membership in 24 key UN agencies and programmes. The fourth indicator examines levels of militarisation and involvement in external conflicts. The fifth indicator looks at the use of unilateral sanctions that are not authorised by the UN Security Council. The sixth indicator evaluates whether States pay their UN contributions on time.
Barbados’s Highlights
Barbados scored strongly across all six indicators:
1. It has ratified most major UN treaties;
2. It often votes with the majority at the UN General Assembly;
3. It is a member of key UN organisations;
4. It has low militarisation and involvement in external conflicts;
5. It does not impose unilateral sanctions;
6. It pays its UN contributions on time.
Barbados is also highly active and plays a leadership role in international climate and environmental protection initiatives. For example, on 3 July 2025, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued a landmark ruling on States’ responsibilities related to the climate crisis, adopting many of Barbados’s legal and factual arguments directly from Barbados’s written and oral submissions.
Barbados’s top ranking in the UN-MI shows that small island developing States can and do have an impactful role in global affairs. The Volterra Fietta team is honoured and proud to have been external international law advisers to Barbados for many decades.
For further information, please contact info@volterrafietta.com.
