MULTILATERAL: EU Criticizes Israel & more – 12th Aug 2025

Saluton from BA! This is the Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 12th of August twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

This week we'll start with Gaza. On Thursday the 7th, a top EU figure who is second in command at the European Commission told Politico that what’s unfolding in Gaza looks like a genocide. She said that civilians are trapped with bombs dropping, no homes left, and are being denied access to food, water, medicine, or aid. The EU’s officials have generally refrained from using the word genocide to describe the situation in Gaza, until now.

Recall that most EU countries have been slow to criticize Israel about its war in Gaza since the attacks in October twenty twenty-three. More recently, as Israel’s military campaign has led to starvation and malnourishment on a huge level, more countries are becoming critical of Israel.

In other news, on Tuesday the 5th, Lithuania’s foreign minister spoke with the head of NATO about a troubling pattern: Russian military drones have been entering Lithuanian airspace. Officials believe these unmanned aircraft, possibly intended for Ukraine, veered off course and wound up flying over NATO territory. A recent example involved a drone loaded with explosives found in a military training zone.

Russian planes have sometimes come near NATO airspace since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. While Russia has not used its planes to attack any countries in NATO, NATO usually responds defensively to ensure that its citizens are safe.

Since we mentioned Ukraine, on Friday the 8th, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe finished teaming up with Ukraine’s State Border Guard Service to help border officers master ways to spot fake identification documents. The four-day session built on previous training from March and covered practical classroom techniques alongside fraud detection skills. With nearly 3,300 forged documents caught across Ukraine’s borders in twenty twenty-three, the goal is to expand local expertise fast to stay a step ahead of evolving forgery tactics.

In some good news, on Wednesday the 6th, the Pan American Health Organization released its twenty twenty-four country-level reports, spotlighting real wins from its health partnerships with regional governments.

To highlight a few, Argentina advanced vaccine technology transfer to boost regional health cooperation, while several Eastern Caribbean nations integrated mental health into primary care. Belize, Jamaica, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines earned a new certification for eliminating mother-to-child HIV and syphilis transmission. Honduras reduced maternal mortality by over a quarter in targeted areas, and Mexico expanded hypertension and diabetes care in nine of its regions.

In energy updates, on Thursday the 7th, Kuwait’s oil minister said the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, is watching Trump’s moves on Russian oil closely and implied he was open to modifying oil sales accordingly.

For context, the United States threatened to impose heavy tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil, which would mainly target China and India. If China or India stops buying Russian oil, it could bring the price of oil down a lot, which would have a huge impact on global oil sales.

Like other members of OPEC, Kuwait can respond to what the United States does by increasing or decreasing how much oil they sell globally. Still, he predicted prices will likely stick under seventy-two US dollars a barrel and described the current demand situation as stable.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday the 5th, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, or ECLAC, announced that, according to its research, the region is experiencing economic hardship. The economy is expected to expand by just 2.2% in twenty twenty-five, the same as in twenty twenty-four, followed by 2.3% in twenty twenty-six. South America should see the highest increase next year at around 2.7 percent, while Mexico and Central America are projected to grow by only 1 percent.

Recall that ECLAC does research, gives policy advice, and encourages regional cooperation, all for citizens in the region.

On Wednesday the 6th, the Inter‑American Development Bank signed off on a $15 million dollar loan to help Chile roll out pension reforms. The bank’s goal is to modernize how social security is managed in the country. The tools they are trying to modify and improve include digital means for payments, automation of oversight work, and a system where everyone can access pension info more easily. They’re also investing in public awareness and making sure different agencies can share data smoothly.

On another note, on Friday the 8th, the Food and Agriculture Organization announced its food price index has climbed since June, mostly thanks to rising meat and vegetable oil prices. Meat prices crept to a record, thanks to strong demand for beef and lamb and a slight boost in poultry after Brazil resumed exports. Meanwhile, vegetable oils hit a three-year peak, driven by pricier palm, soy, and sunflower oils. On the flip side, cereals, dairy, and sugar went the other way.

Let’s go back to health with an update to a story from a previous show: on Friday the 8th, the UN High Commission for Refugees announced that a cholera outbreak is striking Sudanese refugees from Darfur living in eastern Chad, with hundreds of cases and several deaths.

In Darfur, the situation is much worse, with over 4,300 cases and over one hundred fatalities. Crowding, lack of clean water, and few sanitary facilities are fueling the spread, while violence and rainy-season road blockages are hobbling aid efforts. The UN agency is urgently calling for more funding to deliver health care, hygiene, water, shelter, and relocation support before things spiral further.

Still in Africa, on Thursday the 7th, the International Labor Organization just released some new and interesting research on how deeply rooted masculine norms in Madagascar’s construction sector are a real health hazard.

Workers often push through pain and skip safety steps to keep up a tough image, leading to a staggering number of work-related accidents and illnesses each year. Behind the scenes, this mindset discourages admitting injury or prioritizing safety.

The International Labor Organization is calling on authorities and employers to recognize how these stereotypes harm workers and create safer, more supportive environments where speaking up isn’t seen as weak.

On Tuesday the 5th, the United Nations Development Program, or UNDP, warned that landlocked developing countries are getting hit hard by global trade shake-ups and new tariffs, primarily from the United States. The UNDP’s new policy paper, shared at a recent conference in Turkmenistan, lays out two paths: business as usual, relying on raw-commodity exports; or a strategic shift toward economic diversification, deeper regional ties, and using infrastructure like China’s Belt & Road to unlock new markets and build resilience.

Back in Africa, on Friday the 8th, the head of the African Union urged member countries to make drastic reforms to reshape their farming sectors. The African Union’s Leaders are urging the countries to simplify trade rules, clear out non-tariff hurdles, and shift away from conventional practices, like heavy subsidies and cumbersome regulations, to more unified, efficient methods that boost productivity and openness.

The African Union typically coordinates agricultural policies, promoting investment in rural infrastructure and supporting access to modern farming technologies. It also works to strengthen trade within the continent. It mobilizes resources to improve food security and advocate for fair agricultural trade practices internationally, helping farmers increase productivity and incomes.

Closing this edition In East Asia, on Friday the 8th, the head of the Association of South East Asian Nations said that the region needs to be a calm and steady anchor of neutrality at a moment of global tensions, particularly between the United States and China, rather than taking strong sides. He also underscored the big problem of climate change.

The organization also aims to boost renewable energy, secure food and energy supplies, and invest in sustainable infrastructure to strengthen resilience for future generations.

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

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