MULTILATERAL: A Russian Ballistic Missile & more – 26th Nov 2024

Saluton from BA! This is the Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 26th of November twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

Kicking off this edition, the war in Ukraine has taken an even more dangerous turn: NATO announced an emergency meeting for Tuesday the 26th to address escalating threats from Putin, who recently launched a ballistic missile at Dnipro, Ukraine, and pledged to deploy more hypersonic weapons. Kyiv has warned that Russia might mass produce dozens of these advanced missiles, intensifying fears of front-line vulnerabilities and raising global security concerns. Fears were especially intensified as Ukrainian authorities called the attack the first use of an intercontinental ballistic missile ever in a war.

Russia’s escalation may be in response to the United States beginning to allow Ukraine to strike deeper within Russia with American weapons last week, a move that Putin said he would respond to strongly.

Ukrainian refugees are also facing dire situations: a report from the International Organization for Migration from Thursday the 21st shows that unemployment among recently displaced Ukrainians has reached 24%, highlighting challenges in economic integration and labor market disparities caused by the ongoing conflict. Women and internally displaced persons are disproportionately affected, with job opportunities and low wages being significant hurdles. Despite efforts to support livelihoods through grants and vocational training, over three million people remain displaced, and almost fifteen million require humanitarian assistance.

For our last story on Ukraine, the IMF announced a deal with the country on Tuesday the 19th to provide over $1 billion US dollars, pending final approval. If approved, this would increase total funds sent to Ukraine under the Extended Fund Facility Arrangement to $9.8 billion. This program aims to help stabilize the country’s economy, supported by additional aid, including $50 billion US dollars pledged by G7 nations to assist Ukraine during the conflict.

Turning to the Middle East, on Thursday the 21st, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister, Yoav Gallant, the former Defense Minister, and Mohammad Deif, Hamas' military leader. The court accuses Netanyahu and Gallant of crimes against humanity, including using starvation as warfare and targeting civilians during Israel’s campaign in Gaza. Israeli officials deny the charges.

A couple of days later, on Saturday the 23rd, Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, said that the arrest warrants were legally binding. According to Borrell, EU member states must adhere to these warrants and cannot pick and choose whether to comply with the court’s decisions, reinforcing the EU's commitment to international law and the court’s authority.

Before we move on to another topic, the US announced its veto against a UN Security Council resolution related to the Gaza conflict on Wednesday the 20th. The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire and increased humanitarian aid in Gaza. The US maintains its stance that the resolution doesn't adequately address the root cause of the violence, and has no provisions related to Hamas’ hostages.

The decision from the US drew international criticism as Israel’s war has now lasted for well over a year. Israel has received only a small amount of criticism from the US about how it has conducted airstrikes and other aspects of its violent conflict that began with the terrorist attacks in Israel last October.

A key UN committee approved a resolution that paves the way for creating a treaty on crimes against humanity on Friday the 22nd. This resolution was passed after overcoming challenges, particularly with Russia, and aims to create a legally binding framework for preventing and punishing such crimes. The treaty would address acts like murder, torture, and sexual slavery on a global scale, filling a gap not fully covered by existing treaties on genocide or war crimes.

In other news, the defense ministers of the Association of South East Asian Nations met to reaffirm their push for a binding Code of Conduct in the South China Sea on Saturday the 23rd. They called for self-restraint to prevent escalating tensions in the contested waters. In their joint declaration, they emphasized the importance of maintaining the region as one of peace and stability. Leaders of the Association have made many attempts to create a more peaceful South China Sea, as China maintains that its territorial boundaries in the Pacific region go beyond what is internationally recognized.

Now, we’ll turn to the COP29, the global climate conference that ended this week, where the Director of the Food and Agriculture Organization stressed that transforming agriculture is crucial for meeting the Paris Agreement's goals on Tuesday the 19th. He highlighted agriculture's role in both adaptation and mitigation strategies against climate change. He spoke about the need for increased climate finance to support agricultural solutions, including those at the community level, and urged nations to integrate agricultural priorities into their national climate plans for greater impact.

The COP29 ended with a pledge from rich nations to contribute $300 billion US dollars annually to support the Global South on Sunday the 24th. This funding is part of an effort to address climate change, sustainable development, and other challenges facing these nations. However, the proposal faces significant challenges, as it depends on long-term political commitments and negotiations.

The push is part of broader discussions about climate justice, including climate debt owed by wealthier countries due to their historic emissions and impact on the Global South​. Some countries from the global South and climate advocates criticized the investment saying it was not enough. They had urged rich nations to contribute much more to the global effort to mitigate climate change, especially considering how small the collective investment was in relation to other ways that these nations sometimes spend their own money.

Moving Southwest, Argentina’s economy ministry announced on Wednesday the 20th that the country secured $1.4 billion US dollars in loans from the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank. These funds will support the country's economic recovery by addressing infrastructure, social issues, and sustainable development. The loans come as part of Argentina's strategy to stabilize its economy amid challenges like high inflation and public debt.

Next up, The African Union pledged $200,000 US dollars to assist victims of recent floods in Libya and Sudan on Tuesday the 19th. This donation is part of the African Union’s ongoing humanitarian response to help communities impacted by severe weather conditions. The funds will be used for immediate relief efforts, including providing essential supplies and infrastructure support. The Union aims to further mobilize resources to mitigate the humanitarian crisis in affected regions. The contribution aligns with the Union's commitment to solidarity and assistance in times of need.

On Saturday the 23rd, Sisi, Egypt’s President, met with the head of the World Economic Forum, or WEF, to discuss ways to strengthen global cooperation. Their talks emphasized boosting economic partnerships, focusing on sustainable development, and addressing the challenges faced by developing nations. The meeting highlighted Egypt’s role in global economic discussions and its commitment to the WEF’s initiatives on tackling climate change, innovation, and inclusive growth.

For our final story, the World Health Organization, or WHO, reaffirmed on Friday the 22nd that the ongoing Mpox outbreak is still a public health emergency. Despite initial concerns raised in August regarding its spread from the Democratic Republic of Congo, the situation remains critical. The WHO emphasizes the need for coordinated international efforts to address the rising cases, logistical challenges, and continuing geographical spread of the virus.

The disease can be deadly, and spreads through close contact, causing flu-like symptoms and lesions, which appear on a person’s skin. While the disease is not typically deadly, it does have a fatality rate high enough to be of concern, reaching as high as about 10%, according to the UN.

Aaand that’s it for this week! Thank you for joining us!

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