Ukrainian Pilots to Fly F-16 Fighter Jets on US Approval & more– 18th July 2023

Saluton from Tibidabo! This is Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 18th of July twenty twenty-three A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions

Nearly a dozen European countries in NATO have already pledged to train Ukrainian pilots to fly F-16 fighter jets. However, the program is awaiting formal approval from the U.S.

At the NATO summit in Lithuania, the European bloc, led by Denmark and the Netherlands, agreed to train Ukrainian pilots in August. European officials have expressed their readiness to start the program, with training centers planned to be located in Denmark and Romania. But the training depends on the U.S. State Department's approval because the country has to transfer instruction manuals, flight simulators, and other associated materials to the European countries. While President Joe Biden has promised to give the green light, the formal request is still under review. Ukrainian officials have expressed their urgent need for F-16s as their forces face challenges in dealing with Russia. The training is expected to include pilots from other countries such as Romania, Bulgaria, and Slovakia.

Now, let's take a look at what's happening in Syria. On Friday the 14th, The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (or OCHA) said that the conditions the Syrian government imposed on aid deliveries from Turkey to northwest Syria were "unacceptable." The issue arose after the UN Security Council didn’t reach an agreement on extending the mandate for aid deliveries through the Bab al Hawa border crossing.

Aid delivery to northwest Syria has long been a contentious matter, with the country’s government and its ally Russia advocating for deliveries through the Syrian capital, Damascus, while humanitarian organizations argue for direct deliveries to the northwest.

The Syrian government proposed allowing aid deliveries for six months but imposed conditions such as coordination with the government, no communication with "terrorist organizations," and oversight of the Red Cross or Red Crescent. OCHA described these conditions as unacceptable, as they hindered the ability to carry out humanitarian operations and infringed on the independence of the UN.

On Wednesday the 12th, Southeast Asian foreign ministers gathered in Jakarta, Indonesia, to discuss the ongoing violence in Myanmar. While they condemned the air strikes, shelling, and other acts of violence, they faced challenges in finding a unified approach to address Myanmar’s situation.

Myanmar, as a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (or ASEAN), had its foreign minister barred from the meetings due to the military government's failure to comply with an emergency plan aimed at reducing violence. ASEAN has been attempting to enforce the plan, which calls for an immediate end to violence, talks among contending parties, and aid for displaced villagers. Myanmar's military government has done little to implement the plan, leading ASEAN to exclude its representatives from high-level meetings.

Don Pramudwinai, Thailand's foreign minister, revealed that he had met with detained former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi, urging dialogue with the military junta to resolve the situation. However, the meeting was not authorized by ASEAN, as the regional bloc is divided on this issue. The thing is that members such as Indonesia believe that the previously voted plan on the stability of Myanmar, also called the Five Point Plan, should be adopted even by a military junta. ASEAN emphasized its commitment to peace dialogues and condemned the violence in Myanmar, urging international support for humanitarian assistance.

Moving on to Africa, the continent’s leaders gathered on Sunday the 16th of July in Gigiri, Nairobi County, for the African Union's (or AUs) fifth Mid-Year coordination meeting. The gathering included representatives from Regional Economic Communities, Regional Mechanisms, and AU Member States. Azali Assoumani, The President of Comoros, chaired the meeting.

The summit aimed to address critical issues of African integration and division of labor. William Ruto, Kenya's President, led the summit and called for a reform of the AU, particularly focusing on the body's financial autonomy. Ruto emphasized the importance of reducing chronic dependence on external partners and increasing the organization's self-sustainability. Currently, less than 40% of member states contribute their yearly dues to the AU. The meeting aimed to develop a sustainable funding strategy. President Ruto also highlighted the burden of debt carried by many African countries and advocated for a fairer financial system. The focus of the meeting was on accelerating the implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Also on Sunday the 16th, Ajay Banga, the newly appointed President of the World Bank, said that the Bank should focus on creating a world that is sustainable and free from poverty. Banga emphasized that poverty eradication cannot be achieved without addressing challenges like climate change, pandemics, and food insecurity, as these issues are interconnected. His comments about this policy shift were made at the sidelines of the G20 ministerial summit.

As for the rest of the G20 summit, finance ministers and central bank chiefs engaged in extensive discussions to address pressing global challenges and revive the faltering global economy. Key agenda items included debt restructuring, multilateral bank reform, and climate finance. Indian Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the summit's chair, emphasized the responsibility to steer the global economy toward sustainable growth. Talks centered on facilitating consensus on rising indebtedness. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen highlighted the importance of addressing climate change and debt distress among the world's poorest countries. The summit also addressed concerns over Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the fair distribution of tax revenues from multinational firms.

To wrap things up, on Friday the 14th of July, the United Nations Children's Fund (or UNICEF) disclosed that at least 289 children had died while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea from North Africa to Europe in twenty twenty-three. According to UNICEF, this number translates to nearly eleven children dying or disappearing every week. Verena Knaus, the global lead on migration and displacement at the agency, said that compared to the same period in twenty twenty-two the figure has doubled However, the actual number is likely higher due to unrecorded or unsurvived shipwrecks in the central Mediterranean. Knaus emphasized the need for expanded safe, legal, and accessible pathways for children seeking protection in Europe. The UN body also reported that in the first three months of twenty twenty-three, around three thousand three hundred children, accounting for 71% of all children arriving through the central Mediterranean route, were recorded as unaccompanied or separated. The dangerous journey across the Mediterranean Sea remains a significant issue, as many individuals attempt to illegally migrate to Europe.

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