MULTILATERAL: Killed Journalists & more – 16th Jan 2024

Saluton from BA! This is Rorshok’s Multilateral Update from the 16th of January twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) is reviewing attacks that killed journalists in the Israel-Hamas conflict as part of its broader investigation into alleged war crimes in the Gaza Strip. Journalists are protected as civilians under international humanitarian law and the Rome Statute, which governs the ICC. Karim Khan, the court's chief prosecutor, expressed concern about attacks on journalists worldwide. Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders has filed complaints with the ICC, alleging that both Palestinian and Israeli journalists were killed in attacks during the conflict. Israel, which is not a member of the ICC, does not recognize its jurisdiction, raising questions about the impact of the investigation.

In other news, Trump’s remarks have captured attention. He reportedly made comments in twenty twenty suggesting that the United States might not come to the aid of Europe if it were under attack and threatened to quit NATO. Thierry Breton, Commissioner for Internal Market of the European Union, revealed that Trump told European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen that "we will never come to help you and to support you" during a meeting in twenty twenty. These comments have raised concerns in Europe about the reliability of the United States as a NATO ally. President Joe Biden has reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO, but the comments from Trump continue to be a source of unease among European leaders.

Moving on, Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's junta chief, has met with the new ASEAN special envoy as Laos takes over the chair of the regional bloc. ASEAN has faced challenges in promoting peace efforts in Myanmar following the military coup. The meeting between the junta chief and the special envoy, Erywan Yusof of Brunei, is seen as a step toward a potential dialogue between the military regime and ASEAN. However, Myanmar's pro-democracy groups have expressed concerns about the effectiveness of ASEAN's efforts, calling for the release of political prisoners in the country, and a return to democracy.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo (or DRC), known as MONUSCO, will complete its withdrawal from the country by the end of twenty twenty-four. The withdrawal will take place in three phases, starting with the South Kivu province, where at least 2,000 security personnel will leave by the end of April. This decision comes after the Congolese government requested the mission's departure, citing the need for a new approach to security and peace efforts. MONUSCO, which has been in the DRC for over two decades, has faced criticism for not adequately protecting civilians from rebel attacks in the eastern part of the country, where violence and displacement have persisted.

According to the International Energy Agency (or IEA), in twenty twenty-three, the world's renewable energy capacity experienced its fastest growth in the past twenty-five years. The main driver of this rapid increase was the expansion of solar energy in China. Europe, the United States, and Brazil also saw record growth in renewable energy.

The IEA also said that solar component prices decreased by almost 50% in twenty twenty-three, with further cost reductions expected in twenty twenty-four.

Belarus has announced that it will not invite observers from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (or OSCE) to monitor its upcoming parliamentary election scheduled for the 25th of February. Belarus cited geographical and functional imbalances in the OSCE's election observation system, as well as logistical challenges related to border closures and air traffic restrictions. OSCE criticized the decision, saying it was "deeply regrettable." Belarus barred OSCE observers from its twenty twenty elections as well. The move comes amid international concerns about the political situation in Belarus, where President Aleksandr Lukashenko has faced widespread protests and criticism for his government's actions.

A Serbian man who was executed in front of his family in Brazil has been identified as a contract killer wanted by Interpol for multiple killings. The man had been living in Brazil under a false Slovenian name for nine years, hiding his identity after fleeing Montenegro, where he was wanted for homicide and possession of weapons and explosives. He was identified through a passport that did not belong to him, and authorities confirmed his criminal background. The execution took place in front of the man's wife and young son, and police are still investigating the case, believing his criminal past may have played a role in his death.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Brazil’s President, and Fumio Kishida, Japan’s Prime Minister, spoke on the phone about strengthening trade between Brazil and Japan and also explored the possibility of a trade agreement between Mercosur and Japan. While Mercosur has been in talks to finalize a trade deal with the European Union, President Lula has expressed interest in exploring new negotiation fronts with Asian countries, including Japan. A trade agreement between Mercosur and Japan could benefit Brazil's strong agricultural sector, which is interested in expanding food sales to Japan.

European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has found that the European Commission's inconsistent approach to engaging with tobacco lobbyists constitutes "maladministration." The Commission will investigate its exposure to the tobacco industry's interest representatives in response to her inquiry. O’Reilly's inquiry revealed that tobacco representatives met with officials from various Commission departments, often without detailed minutes or adherence to transparency requirements. She recommended greater consistency in transparency and the necessity of meeting tobacco representatives across all Commission directorate-generals.

The European Policy Center, which functions as an EU think tank, recently canceled the membership of Tobacco Europe, the bloc formed by the main tobacco companies. The reason was that the EU’s Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (or SANTE) refused to participate in the think tank’s events, as people from the tobacco industry would also be present. O'Reilly appears to endorse such moves, emphasizing the need for EU civil servants to avoid interactions with the tobacco industry that resemble "partnership or cooperation." twenty twenty-four will be a crucial year for the tobacco industry, with big companies pushing all the product’s past sins to traditional cigarettes in order to legitimize other tobacco products like Heated Tobacco Products, without adequate evidence for their safety.

In October twenty twenty-three, the European Union Agency for Asylum (or EUAA) reported a significant surge in asylum applications within EU countries and Norway and Switzerland, reaching 123,000 applications, the highest monthly figure in seven years. This alarming trend suggests that EU nations may receive well over one million asylum applications by the year's end.

Syrian applicants led the way with one-fifth of the applications, 24,000 applications, marking a substantial 30% increase from October twenty twenty-two. Turkish applicants saw a remarkable rise, with 17,000 applications and a 126% year-on-year increase marking a historical high for the EUAA.

Germany continued to be the primary destination, receiving 27% of all applications, that is 34,000 applications. France got 17,000 applications and Italy 16,000. Spain followed closely behind with 13,000 applications.

This surge in applications has strained national protection systems, leading to a growing backlog of cases pending a decision at first instance, which reached 822,000 by the end of October twenty twenty-three, excluding cases awaiting appeal. The EU recognition rate increased to 49% in October, the highest in over three years, although Turkish recognition rates have declined from 52% in December twenty twenty-one to 24% in October twenty twenty-three.

These developments highlight the mounting challenges faced by EU countries in managing the influx of asylum applications and the need for efficient processing systems.

Aaaaaand that's it for this week!

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