MULTILATERAL: NATO-Ukraine Exercises & more – 24th Sep 2024

Saluton from BA! This is the Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 24th of September twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

Let’s start this edition with some news on NATO as it completed a large-scale anti-drone exercise with Ukraine on Thursday the 19th, marking a new major collaboration as Russia gains territory and intensifies its attacks on Ukraine. Held in the Netherlands, the event brought together many countries and companies to test new drone detection and defense systems. The drills ended with demonstrations of drone jamming and hacking.

In response, President Vladimir Putin announced plans to increase Russia's drone production tenfold, raising concerns that NATO needs to advance its own drone capabilities quickly. Experts have consistently noted that Ukraine is not as prepared to defend against drone attacks as it should be, especially as airstrikes from drones are frequent and deadly in Ukraine. Even though Ukraine and NATO frequently collaborate on defense, mainly through the transfer of weapons and defensive technology to Ukraine, some experts have also noted that training and drills are also needed to use this technology effectively.

Ukraine’s defense is also being discussed in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE. Finland is preparing to lead the OSCE in twenty twenty-five, and backing Ukraine in its battle against Russian aggression will be among its top priorities. During a meeting of the OSCE Permanent Council on Thursday the 19th in Vienna, Elina Valtonen, the Finnish Foreign Minister, laid out Finland's key objectives for its upcoming role as OSCE Chair-in-Office, including maintaining Ukraine's resilience after more than two years of war. She emphasized what she sees the collective duty of OSCE members to support Ukraine's legitimate defense. She called for a renewed focus on upholding international law and ensuring that globally agreed rules are respected.

The OSCE previously worked to foster peace and ease tensions in Ukraine, but many of the organization’s activities shifted with the invasion beginning in twenty twenty-two. Valtonen emphasized the goals of settling conflict and easing tensions.

Also on Thursday the 19th, the EU trade commissioner noted encouraging progress after talks with Wang Wentao, the Chinese Commerce Minister, about China seeking to strike a deal with the European Union to avoid steep tariffs on its electric vehicle exports to EU nations. The talks took place amid growing disagreements in Europe over the proposed tariffs, with Spain recently joining Germany in urging the EU to reconsider imposing duties as high as 36% on Chinese EVs. Current duty values vary, with the base being at about 10%. Wang also met with EV industry representatives in Brussels, later stating that China would continue pushing for a resolution until the negotiations conclude.

In other news, The recent attacks in Lebanon have the international community on edge, and the UN Security Council is trying to ease tensions. During a Security Council briefing on Wednesday the 18th, the UN envoy for Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts warned of an escalating regional conflict. He emphasized concern over ongoing settlement activities despite a Security Council resolution calling for an end to Israeli settlement expansion in Palestine. He highlighted recent UN findings, covering June to September, which noted the approval of around 7,000 housing units and tenders for about 1,000 more in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, amid rising violence both in Gaza and the West Bank. This settlement increase in the West Bank and East Jerusalem was put into question, as it could be seen as an unnecessary and provocative move by Israel that may also heighten tensions.

Speaking of Israel, it formally opposed the International Criminal Court, or ICC on Friday the 20th after the court’s prosecutor sought arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel’s Prime Minister, and Yoav Gallant, the Defense Minister. The Israeli Foreign Ministry contested both the ICC's jurisdiction and the legality of the arrest requests. In its objection, Israel argued that the court had no authority to issue the warrants and criticized the prosecutor for not allowing Israel to investigate the matter internally. The country also accused the court of violating the principle of complementarity, which prioritizes national legal proceedings before ICC involvement. Israel’s conflict with the ICC also comes at a time when Israel has intensified attacks on Lebanon, and the international community fears a greater war in the Middle East.

Onto Asia: The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, or MMRDA, signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with the World Economic Forum on Thursday the 19th. Professor Klaus Schwab, the Forum’s Founder, signed this agreement to enhance sustainable urban and infrastructure development in Mumbai. By tapping into the World Economic Forum’s network, the partnership seeks to provide innovative solutions for climate resilient and inclusive growth. This collaboration is designed to position MMR as a global hub for investment, commerce, and livability, while advancing various infrastructure sectors.

Next, the Coordinating Center for Humanitarian Assistance on Disaster Management of the Association of South East Asian Nations announced the delivery of humanitarian aid, which includes shelter and repair kits, to support communities in Laos affected by Typhoon Yagi and severe flooding. The organization was collaborating with Laos' National Disaster Management Office and Myanmar's Department of Disaster Management, to get more relief supplies from a satellite warehouse in Thailand, which fortunately arrived on Friday the 20th

In Africa, heads of state from the Economic Community of West African States met on Saturday the 21st to approve the design of the Lagos-Abidjan Corridor Highway Development Project, preparing for the procurement discussions scheduled for their next gathering. The meeting, led by Nigeria’s Minister of Works, centered on the 15 billion US Dollar initiative aimed at strengthening regional economic integration. Currently in its study phase, the project involves thorough research, planning, and design efforts.

For our last story on Africa, on Wednesday the 18th, a group of thirty-two military and police officials from the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia completed a training session aimed at integrating women’s rights and fostering gender equality within peace support operations. The four-day program focused on enhancing the skills of Gender Focal Point and Female Engagement officers. This training was intended to empower these officers to effectively implement gender equality reforms and contribute to the fight against sexual abuse and gender-based violence associated with ongoing conflicts in Somalia.

On another note, Football is very important for many nations, and now a multilateral organization is using it to promote health: On Wednesday the 18th, FIFA collaborated with the World Health Organization or WHO to launch a campaign aimed at raising awareness in the football community about the dangers of concussion injuries. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO’s Director General, emphasized in a statement that concussions pose a significant public health challenge across all levels of football, as well as in various other sports, so there’s the need for increased awareness.

On Friday the 20th, an official from the United Nations Development Program, or UNDP, warned about the critical need for digital inclusion and the urgency of addressing the gap between youngsters with internet access and those without. The UNDP reports that 2.2 billion children and young individuals under twenty-five lack internet connectivity at home, putting them at risk of falling behind, and remaining unaware and unable to participate in politics. The UNDP official highlighted that it supports intentionally inclusive digital development aimed at empowering young people.

And to wrap up this edition, on Friday the 20th, multilateral development banks said that their global climate finance achieved a record level of 125 billion US Dollars in twenty twenty-three. This total, which includes contributions from institutions such as the European Investment Bank, is more than twice the amount provided in twenty nineteen, which is the year banks pledged to enhance climate funding at the United Nations Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit. Development banks play an important role in combatting many global issues, but their initiatives to tackle climate change are often well-funded and address challenges many countries lack the financial resources to handle adequately.

Aaand that’s it for this week!

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See you next week!