“The strong do what they can, the weak suffer what they must.”

The Thucydides phrase from the History of the Peloponnesian War seems sensible in today’s global politics. When great powers tend to be aggressive in serving their self-interests while being hands-off from their responsibility and global commitment, on the other hand, lesser powers suffer and are left behind amidst great power rivalry. It creates a global disorder that reflects the US’s transactional and isolationist policy, China’s aggressiveness in its region, and Russia’s unilateralist move to invade Ukraine. Meanwhile, the global institutions are powerless, and the others are neglected.

In this critical moment, the marginalized states, dependent on certainty in global politics, can be the driving force to rectify the global order. They refuse to be exploited by great power as in the colonization era, and aspire for a decolonization spirit for their peer lesser power. It is in their very interests to survive by creating a favorable environment for them to grow. By being bound with each other, they have the potential for the diplomatic entrepreneur to find solutions by emulating cooperation, bringing back multilateralism, shouting out their interests, and becoming relevant in global politics.

The 5th Biennial ICON-IR 2026 calls all scholars and practitioners around the world to contribute valuable insights about how lesser powers or small states survive in today’s global politics.