UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- "Multilateralism may not be the only answer to a perfect world order, but it is the most optimal option for a shared prosperity, peace and stability, a senior United Nations official said here Thursday.

"Multilateralism has been tested in the past and will continue to be tested in the future," Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Administrator and Director of the Regional Bureau for Africa, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), told Xinhua.

Globalization of people, finance, trade and technology has benefited countries unequally, which creates its opportunities and challenges, Ahunna said.

Today, unbalanced globalization has left in its trails risks that are more complex than ever -- lackluster growth, unemployment, terrorism, climate change, pandemic, large scale migrations and refugees, putting increasing demands on individual countries and the multilateral system, she said.

"One may be inclined to think that unilateralism and protectionist policies are the answer, but unfortunately, the scale of the challenges that we face today are huge to be left to individual countries to deal with," she said.

Multilateralism remains a potent force that is uniquely suited to resolve many of the world's most pressing problems, the UN official said.

The international community has a responsibility to create a better, and more inclusive multilateral system that can effectively support countries in their domestic agendas for growth and inclusion, and to manage trade-offs associated with global challenges like climate change, she said.