MULTILATERAL: New Gaza Footage & more – 8th April 2025

Saluton from BA! This is the Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 8th of April twenty twenty-five. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

Beginning on a somber note this week, on Saturday the 5th the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs called for accountability after new footage surfaced showing the final moments of medics in Gaza who were killed during an Israeli strike. The video shows the team clearly marked as medical personnel and unarmed when they were hit.

UN officials say attacks on aid workers can't be ignored.

In Europe, Hungary’s government announced on Wednesday the 2nd that it plans to leave the International Criminal Court, or ICC, as Prime Minister Orbán hosts Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu, who currently has an ICC arrest warrant against him. Orbán’s government criticized the warrant and made clear its support for Israel, calling the charges unfair. Hungary would be the first EU country to pull out of the court.

The timing of the announcement, while Netanyahu was visiting, sent a strong message about where Hungary stands on the issue and its alignment with Israel.

On Saturday the 5th, the French Finance Minister said the EU might take a closer look at how big American tech companies handle data as a result of Trump’s tariffs, and regulate them further as a response. French officials say that particularly tech giants like Google and Meta, could be in the crosshairs. It’s basically a warning that if trade tensions continue, digital regulation could be used to hit back.

Also related to Trump’s tariffs, on Thursday the 3rd, the head of the International Monetary Fund warned that the new tariffs pose a serious threat to the global economy, especially during this period of slow growth. She urged the U.S. and its trading partners to address these trade tensions constructively to avoid further economic harm. She also emphasized the importance of reducing uncertainty and maintaining stability in international markets.

On Friday the 4th, ​Malaysia's Prime Minister announced that he's been in talks with other leaders of the Association of SouthEast Asian Nations, or ASEAN, to come up with a joint response to the new U.S. tariffs. He mentioned that ASEAN economic ministers will meet next week to figure out the best approach for all member countries. As the current ASEAN chair, Malaysia is focused on ensuring fairness in trade talks, especially with the U.S.

ASEAN nations were imposed different rates, with Malaysia dealing with 24%.

In Africa, on Wednesday the 2nd, ​African Union mediators arrived in South Sudan's capital, aiming to prevent a slide back into civil war. The team includes Burundi’s former President and a former Kenyan judge. Burundi’s ex-President is accusing one of the parties in South Sudan of inciting rebellion, an allegation stemming from recent clashes in Upper Nile state. The African Union's Peace and Security Council has demanded the release of the Vice President, among other measures to facilitate peace.

On Thursday the 3rd, ​Marco Rubio, the U.S. Secretary of State, reaffirmed the U.S. commitment to NATO but is urging European allies to boost their defense spending to 5% of their GDPs. This push comes amid concerns over Europe's reliance on U.S. military support. For context, some high-profile U.S. politicians and allies of President Trump have advocated for the U.S. to leave NATO altogether, leading to even more concern in Europe. However, European nations are hesitant, with some proposing a more modest increase to around 3.5%.

​On the same day, the Inter-American Development Bank released a report discussing how Latin America and the Caribbean can take advantage of current global shifts to bolster their economies. The report points out that boosting trade and foreign direct investment within the region is key to increasing productivity and diversifying industries.

It notes that intraregional trade is currently low, accounting for just 15% of total trade, compared to 55% in Asia and 68% in Europe. By improving regional integration, the bank believes the region can better tap into global value chains and drive economic growth.

In some hopeful news, on Wednesday the 2nd, Manny Pacquiao, a former boxer and politician from the Philippines, spoke at the UN General Assembly, championing sports as a powerful tool for promoting peace. The boxing legend highlighted how sports can break down barriers, bring people together, and create understanding between different cultures. He believes that increasing global participation in sports can help reduce conflict and encourage cooperation, making it a key part of peacebuilding efforts.

Pacquiao is considered to be one of the best boxers of all time, and has already been involved in politics: he was a senator in the Philippines for almost a decade and has been involved in a lot of philanthropic efforts.

On Thursday the 3rd, France announced plans to take Iran to the International Court of Justice over the detentions of two French citizens. The citizens, who are a couple, have been held in Iran for almost three years, and are accused by Iran of espionage, a charge France denies. France says that the detention violates international law, particularly consular rights, as the couple has not had access to French consular services.

On another note, on Wednesday the 2nd, The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, or OSCE, announced that it has sent observers to monitor Albania's upcoming parliamentary elections. The mission, which will oversee the entire election process, aims to ensure transparency and fairness. The OSCE has been involved in Albanian elections since nineteen ninety-six, working to ensure that the country meets international standards in its democratic processes.

Albania wants election observation missions to strengthen its democracy and ensure that its process is in line with what the EU wants, partially because it has hopes of eventually joining the EU.

On Friday the 3rd, the Organization of American States or OAS announced that it also launched an election observation mission, this one for Ecuador’s presidential runoff elections next week. The mission includes eighty-four observers from twenty countries. They will monitor everything from election organization to voting abroad. The mission plans to be active in twenty provinces, as well as locations like London and New York for voters who are abroad. After the election, the OAS will release a report with findings and recommendations to help improve Ecuador’s future elections.

The OAS has been observing elections in the region for more than fifty years, with the goal of promoting effective democracy. In nineteen sixty-two, the OAS established its electoral observation mission to support countries in the region as they navigated political transitions and conflicts.

Back to Africa: on Thursday the 3rd, the Economic Community of West African States announced that it has been working to strengthen national early warning response systems in The Gambia and Liberia. These efforts aim to improve how both countries can anticipate and respond to security challenges, particularly human trafficking and gender-based violence.

The initiative includes funding for both nations, with each receiving $25,000 US dollars to improve their early warning capabilities. The organization is also focusing on improving coordination between governments, civil society, and the private sector to better protect vulnerable groups and prevent conflicts before they escalate.

Our final story is about work: on Tuesday the 1st, the International Labor Organization announced that it is helping Kenya refine its national plan for green jobs to support a low-carbon economy. The strategy aims to address areas like green governance, skills development, research, and financing to create sustainable jobs. The goal is to ensure that Kenya’s workforce is ready for green jobs, helping the country meet its climate targets, including reducing emissions by 32% by twenty thirty.

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

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See you next week!