MULTILATERAL: UN Palestine & more– 14th May 2024

Saluton from BA! This is Rorshok’s Multilateral Update from the 14th of May twenty twenty-four. A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions.

In a landmark development, the United Nations passed a resolution supporting Palestinian membership with massive support on Friday the 10th. The United Arab Emirates proposed the resolution, which received 143 votes in favor, and twenty-five abstentions. Nine nations voted against it, including the United States and Israel. Israel Katz, the Israeli Foreign Minister, condemned the resolution, calling it an "absurd decision" that rewards violence. The approved resolution grants the Palestinian Authority new procedural rights and privileges within the UN, paving the way for further diplomatic efforts. Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, highlighted the threat that Israel’s military poses to Palestinians, and praised students at American college campuses for protesting against Israel’s aggression. Palestine previously attempted to gain privileges as a member state in twenty eleven but didn’t get the necessary votes.

On a related note, the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, or UNOCHA, released a report on the humanitarian impact of the war in Gaza on Wednesday the 8th. The report noted an astounding 35,000 deaths, 1.7 million internally displaced people, and over one million individuals facing food insecurity-related issues. An additional 78,000 people in Palestine have been injured in the conflict. The report also said that approximately 132 hostages are still being held in Gaza since the attack on the 7th of October. The UNOCHA regularly updates its statistics on the human toll of the war in Gaza and aids humanitarian entities in addressing the requirements of individuals impacted by crises, comprehending and assessing their needs, and acquiring international aid.

Still on the Israel-Palestine war, the International Organization for Migration, or IOM, released a statement on Twitter expressing concerns over displaced people in the Palestinian city of Rafah, located in the Gaza Strip, on Monday, the 6th. The statement called for additional aid to help the displaced, and noted that in order to be in accordance with international law, Israel would need to allow unrestricted access to aid. The international community, including multilateral organizations, has been pressuring Israel not to invade Rafah. The IOM facilitates organized migration management, offering humanitarian aid to refugees and internally displaced individuals.

Moving on, Russian advances in Ukraine have worried some Western leaders. On Wednesday the 8th, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary General, said that the military alliance has no plans to deploy foreign troops in Ukraine. Ukraine has reportedly not requested the aid of NATO troops, despite French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent comments that he would not rule out troop deployment. Stoltenberg also noted that diplomatic talks with Russia are unlikely to end the conflict, as Vladimir Putin, Russia’s President, believes he is winning the war. Lastly, Stoltenberg said that Russia could advance because the United States delayed its aid due to internal political conflicts.

Russian aggression has taken a different form in recent months in Georgia. Daily street protests against a parliamentary bill to limit the power of foreign NGOs inspired by Russian legislation have rocked the capital city of Tbilisi. Leaders of the EU have repeatedly said that passing the bill would affect Georgia’s potential EU membership. On Tuesday, the 7th, members of the European Parliament directly advocated for revoking Georgia’s candidate status. If you want to know more about this, check out Rorshok’s Georgia Update with the link in bio!

In a significant move, on Wednesday the 8th, the Presidency of the EU announced that EU ambassadors had agreed on a plan to use profits from frozen Russian assets to aid Ukraine's recovery and military requirements. The U.S. advocated for seizing Russian assets outright, but the EU has opted for a more cautious approach. It is still unclear exactly how the Russian assets will be used, as the final version of the proposition is still being developed.

On the same day In Africa, the International Monetary Fund (or IMF) reached an agreement with the Democratic Republic of Congo regarding the final review of a $1.5 billion dollar loan program. The IMF said that the country had to manage the funds from a mining deal better, putting the money into a public treasury fund rather than being managed by a public agency.

Moving on, on Thursday, the 9th, The African Union Commission (or AUC), in collaboration with the International Committee of the Red Cross (or ICRC), organized a round table discussion addressing the persistent challenges of Explosive Remnants of War (or ERW) and landmines in Africa. Bruce Mokaya, the Head of Delegation for the ICRC, emphasized the significance of providing a platform for African Member States to discuss progress, best practices, challenges, and the path forward in implementing the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention.

In some news from the Economic Community of West African States (or ECOWAS), during a three-day conference that started on Wednesday the 8th, The Vice-President of the ECOWASCommission emphasized the importance of collective efforts among member states to accelerate the implementation of the Human Capital Development Strategy in the region. During the opening ceremony, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Bank reaffirmed their commitment to collaborating with ECOWAS on human capital development.

On Wednesday, the 8th, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, or UNAIDS, released a statement saying that In sub-Saharan Africa, young women face a higher risk of getting HIV compared to men. UNAIDS has highlighted Nigeria's challenge in adequately addressing the sexual and reproductive rights of its youth, hindering efforts to curb HIV transmission. Disparities, driven by societal exclusion, bias, the sidelining and stigmatization of communities, as well as gender-based violence, persistently block progress in addressing HIV.

On that note about women, the United Nations Population Fund (or UNFPA) is calling on partners in the Asia-Pacific region to reshape the world for women. Its report released on Thursday, the 9th, said that women and girls face significant challenges in safety, health, and overall well-being in the region. There’s a lack of gender equity in the design and development of science, technology, and financial solutions. The UNFPA emphasizes the urgent need to empower women and girls and calls for a fundamental shift in the way the world is designed to ensure gender equality and inclusivity.

Still in Asia, Turkmenistan engaged in discussions regarding customs cooperation with European countries. Representatives from fifty-three member states of the World Customs Organization (or WCO) from the European region convened to address issues such as modernization, strengthening cooperation, and financial planning. Among the topics discussed were e-commerce, customs border vulnerabilities, upcoming events, and the selection of candidates for WCO positions. Turkmenistan is rich in natural resources, including natural gas, and is a crucial regional energy supplier. The main aim of the WCO is to improve the efficiency of customs administration, including contributions to national development objectives such as revenue collection, national security, trade facilitation, safeguarding communities, and gathering trade data.

And that’s it for this week! Thanks for joining us!

Rorshok's Multilateral Update is back after a 2-month break, hope you missed us! If this is your first time listening, subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and never miss an episode, there will be new ones every Wednesday! Visit rorshok.com/multilateral for more information.

See you next week!