Rethinking Good International Citizenship in a Changing Global Order

This introduction outlines the main aims of the edited volume in terms of re-evaluating the concept of good international citizenship from a non-Western perspective. The introduction notes how good international citizenship can provide the analytical framework for investigating the motivations and strategies of non-Western actors’ engagement with global issues, highlighting their contributions to cooperation, peace, and development. The discussion revisits International Relations (IR) perspectives on good international citizenship, noting how the concept can be used to examine the interplay between morals, values, national interests, and global norms. Overall, the introduction argues that good international citizenship can be used to understand the agency and potential of non-Western actors in shaping a more just and inclusive international system. It also notes how the concept can contribute to the ongoing debates on non-Western IR theory and practice.