The liberal international order (LIO), which has structured much of international relations since 1945, is being tested in new ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. The LIO has been tested before, but those tests have largely been intentional and focused on particular regions or issues, as actors challenged various aspects of the order. The COVID test is unintentional and global, therefore challenging the order in unseen ways. While the global pandemic has exacerbated inherent tensions and challenges to the LIO, it has not created those tensions.

Thomas Risse and Lisa L. Martin explore the implications of the pandemic for the liberal order in their essay for the Political Economist. You can find the entire text freely accessible under this link.