MULTILATERAL: Counterfeit Goods in Global Trade & more – 13th May 2025

Saluton from BA! This is the Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 13th of May twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

To kick things off for the week, on Thursday the 8th, the EU announced that it may challenge reciprocal tariffs from the U.S. through the World Trade Organization, or WTO. It has also compiled a list of American products that could face retaliatory duties. While the U.S. justifies its tariffs on national security grounds, the EU says they violate global trade rules, setting the stage for a significant legal confrontation within the WTO framework.

Meanwhile, on Friday the 9th, the World Food Programme said that about 52 million people across West and Central Africa will struggle for enough food during the June–August lean season. They warn nearly 3 million will hit emergency hunger levels, and in Mali more than 2,000 could face outright catastrophe. Drivers include ongoing violence, repeated brutal weather swings, and skyrocketing food and fuel prices in places like Ghana, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

In some positive news, on Tuesday the 6th, the President of the Inter-American Development Bank pledged $15 million US dollars for the reconstruction of a hospital in Haiti. This funding aims to renovate and expand the hospital, starting with upgrades to its emergency and surgical units. Located in a city on the Northern Coast of Haiti, the Justinien University Hospital is a critical healthcare provider in the region and has faced challenges such as inadequate facilities and resource shortages.

Haiti’s health care infrastructure is failing due to gang violence and political instability, so this investment comes as great news. Over 60% of hospitals in Haiti’s capital are non-operational due to attacks, looting, and staff shortages. Additionally, tens of thousands of healthcare workers have left Haiti, making the problem even worse.

On Thursday the 8th, The UN Security Council extended the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan for another year. The resolution, introduced by the United States and supported by eleven other members, allows the mission to continue its efforts in protecting civilians, facilitating humanitarian aid, supporting the twenty eighteen peace agreement, and monitoring human rights violations.

The extension comes as South Sudan faces renewed tensions, with delays in implementing the peace deal and increasing violence threatening to derail progress.

For context, the mission maintains a force of 17,000 troops and more than 2,000 police officers.

On another note, the EU announced on Friday the 9th that it will try to advance the Capital Markets Union initiative before the summer. The goal is to create a more integrated and efficient financial market across member states, creating easier access to company funding and supporting key areas like defense, digital innovation, and environmental projects. Despite a decade of discussions, progress has been slow due to varying national interests and regulatory differences.

Turning to the Middle East, on Friday the 9th, a special committee within the UN investigating Israeli practices in Palestine reported that Israel's actions, including the expansion of settlements, forced displacements, and restrictions on essential resources, are causing severe suffering among Palestinians.

On Wednesday the 7th, the head of the Pan American Health Organization urged health ministries across the Americas to ramp up efforts against mosquito-borne illnesses like dengue and Zika. He highlighted that climate change, rapid urbanization, water storage issues, and poor waste management are creating ideal conditions for mosquitoes to thrive.

In twenty twenty-four, the region saw over 13 million suspected dengue cases—almost a 300% jump from twenty twenty-three—and significant increases in Zika infections. The head of the organization emphasized that these diseases not only cause physical discomfort but also disrupt daily life and strain healthcare systems. He called for coordinated action across sectors like education, sanitation, and urban planning to eliminate breeding sites and protect public health.

Back in Europe, on Saturday the 10th, a Ukrainian official announced that the country is planning to document violations against Ukrainian prisoners of war through the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE. She also highlighted the importance of the OSCE’s role in addressing issues like the suppression of media freedom and the abduction of Ukrainian children.

She stressed that the return of all Ukrainian children and the release of detainees are essential steps toward peace, underscoring the OSCE's potential to apply pressure on Russia in these matters.

In some global news, on Wednesday the 7th, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development reported that in twenty twenty-one, counterfeit goods accounted for about $467 billion US dollars in global trade, representing more than 2% of worldwide imports. This illicit market spans a wide range of products, from fashion items to electronics, and the number of hazardous counterfeits like fake car parts and medications is increasing. China remains the leading source, but other regions are also significant contributors. It is difficult to determine the value of counterfeit goods in the years after twenty twenty-one, but the EU alone managed to seize counterfeit goods worth about $3 billion US dollars in twenty twenty-three.

Counterfeiters are getting better at evading the authorities in a variety of ways, including by assembling their products closer to their final markets and using small packages for shipping. Both of these tactics make it easier for them not to get caught. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development stressed the need for coordinated international efforts to address this growing challenge.

On Wednesday the 7th, the International Labour Organization announced that it will work with the EU to begin a new phase of its Ship to Shore Rights South-East Asia program to improve conditions for Cambodian migrants working in the fishing and seafood sectors, primarily in Thailand and other countries nearby. This initiative focuses on strengthening labor protections, ensuring safer migration processes, and improving working conditions for these workers.

It aims to address issues such as exploitative recruitment practices and inadequate legal safeguards, promoting fair treatment and decent work opportunities for Cambodian migrants in the industry.

On Monday the 12th, the World Wide Fund for Nature, or WWF, announced that it is developing a new financial plan to support nature-based solutions to protect parts of the Amazon Rainforest. This initiative aims to address environmental challenges and promote sustainable development in an area facing threats from activities like illegal mining and deforestation.

The plan involves proposals to modify cattle farming practices to make them more sustainable and changes to the production of wood products to reduce deforestation. These initiatives aim to balance ecological preservation with economic viability, providing benefits to local communities while protecting vital ecosystems.

The WWF announced that it would launch the plan in the coming months. The goal is to attract investment from financial institutions and private sector actors interested in contributing to Amazon conservation efforts. This approach represents a significant step toward integrating environmental sustainability with economic development in the region.

And for our last story, on Friday the 9th, Barbados signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the International Effects of Judicial Sales of Ships. This move makes Barbados the second country to become a contracting state to the Convention. This ratification matters because it helps regulate the sale of ships to pay debts. This way the new owner would get full ownership, with no leftover claims or problems from the past. This rule helps people feel safe buying ships, even if they’re in other countries.

The Convention, prepared by the UN General Assembly a few years ago, aims to establish a standardized legal framework for recognizing judicial sales of ships internationally, while respecting domestic laws governing such sales. If only one country in a ship sale has adopted the convention, its rules would only apply to that country.

While only two countries, now including Barbados, have ratified this convention, more than thirty others have expressed interest in ratification.

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

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