UN Acusses Russia of Famine & more– 25th July 2023

Saluton from Tibidabo! This is Rorshok Multilateral Update from the 25th of July twenty twenty-three A summary of what's going down in the world's major multilateral institutions

At the UN security council meeting on Wednesday the 19th of July, Russia was accused of causing famine.

The UN body is criticizing Moscow for blocking grain exports through the Black Sea, allegedly to profit from higher global food prices.

The Black Sea grain initiative, which the Kremlin did not renew and expired in mid-July, was successful in allowing the export of thirty-three million metric tonnes of grain from Ukrainian ports to forty-five countries over a year, bringing down average grain prices by 23%.

However, after the initiative’s expiration, grain prices are rapidly rebounding, and the world's poorest and most vulnerable people, dependent on food relief, will suffer the consequences.

Western diplomats accused Russia of using the Black Sea as blackmail, while in the meantime Moscow’s food exports increase, benefiting the country's economy.

Russia's representative stated they might reconsider being involved in the initiative if the West lifted financial and economic sanctions impacting their grain and fertilizer exports.

The situation at the Ukrainian front is looking very grim.

The OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (or ODIHR) has issued a troubling report on alleged human rights violations in Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine following a military attack. ODIHR aims at addressing urgent issues affecting civilians and prisoners of war in Ukraine.

The report reveals frequent instances of arbitrary imprisonment, enforced disappearances, torture, and ill-treatment of civilians, including sexual violence. The document also contains evidence of summary executions and poor detention conditions for Ukrainian prisoners of war.

The use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in populated regions caused numerous civilian casualties.

ODIHR stresses the importance of upholding international humanitarian and human rights law, which prohibits attacks on civilians and cruel treatment under any circumstances.

Both parties, Russia and Ukraine, are urged to respect these laws, investigate violations, and ensure accountability through fair trials.

Keeping up with Russia, Vladimir Putin won’t attend the upcoming BRICS summit which will take place in South Africa from the 24th to the 26th of August. There were speculations that if he traveled to South Africa he would be arrested because of an international criminal court warrant for his alleged involvement in war crimes during the invasion of Ukraine.

In South Africa, the opposition took legal action to demand Putin’s arrest if he set foot in the country. President of South Africa Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized that arresting Putin could risk a confrontation with Russia.

Recall that in March, the ICC issued a rare arrest warrant for Putin related to war crimes, including the abduction of Ukrainian children during the invasion.

Putin will now participate in the BRICS summit through videoconference, while Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will lead the delegation to South Africa.

Moving on to East Asia, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi proposed high-level talks between China, Japan, and South Korea during a meeting with the Japanese foreign minister in Indonesia.

Japan is reportedly accelerating preparations to make the meeting happen by the end of the year.

Japan and South Korea, both U.S. allies, have expressed concerns about China's increasing military assertiveness and about growing tensions between China and the U.S. over various issues, including trade and Taiwan.

The specific issue of discharging treated radioactive water from Japan's Fukushima nuclear power plant into the sea could be a sticking point in arranging the meeting.

The last time the leaders of the three countries met was in December twenty nineteen.

In East Africa, the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (or ATMIS) commended the Somali National Army (or SNA) for repelling an al-Shabab attack on a military base in Southwest State.

The SNA thwarted the terrorists' attempt on Albao military base and Elishabiya detachment.

This base, along with five others, was recently handed over to Somali security forces in line with the African Union mission's withdrawal plan.

Recall that the Geriley military base in southern Somalia was protected by ATMIS, but then ATMIS started leaving the base and handed it to local Somali forces. However, al-Shabab managed to seize the base. In compliance with UN Security Council Resolutions, ATMIS has already withdrawn two thousand troops and will draw down another three thousand by September, transferring security responsibilities to the Somali security forces.

The SNA also reported that during the operation in the southwest region, they successfully killed fifteen al-Shabab terrorists, including three commanders.

Going back to the far east, the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (or AIIB) has approved a significant international partnership with the World Bank's lending arm, the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (or IBRD).

As a young institution established in twenty fifteen, the AIIB still has substantial unused lending capacity. The AIIB's board granted approval to issue $1 billion dollars in credit guarantees against sovereign-backed loans made by the IBRD. This partnership aims to mobilize finance and increase lending capacity for both institutions.

The deal allows the World Bank to overcome financing constraints and extend new lending, while the AIIB can deploy its surplus capital to a broader range of borrowers.

It follows an internal review that concluded the AIIB adheres to the highest standards of multilateral governance and denies any undue influence.

The yuan, also known as the renminbi (or RMB), is one of the five freely usable currencies that members can use to settle obligations with the IMF..

Argentina paid off a portion of its debts at the beginning of July, equivalent to $1.1 billion US Dollars, in Chinese currency out of the $2.7 billion due last month. Earlier the same month, IMF spokesperson Julie Kozack confirmed that Argentina is adhering to its financial obligations to the organization.

In a significant move, Argentina's Central Bank has incorporated the yuan as a currency accepted for deposits in savings and checking accounts, indicating a shift from the U.S. dollar as its sole official reserve currency.

Similarly, Brazil has also signed an agreement with China to conduct trade and investments in their respective currencies, reducing the dominance of the U.S. dollar further.

Speaking of Brazil, President Luiz Inacio Lula Da Silva announced on Wednesday the 19th of July, that he will send a counter-proposal to the European Union regarding the long-delayed trade deal with Mercosur.

Lula stated that the response, compiled by Brazil, is currently under discussion within the Mercosur bloc, which includes Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

The agreement between the EU and Mercosur was initially completed in twenty nineteen but implementation has been on hold due to concerns about Amazon deforestation and Brazil's stance on climate change action.

The EU proposed adding an annex to the agreement to address deforestation and sustainability, awaiting Mercosur's reply. Despite political and economic cooperation at the EU-Community of Latin American and Caribbean States summit, tensions arose over how to address Russia's war in Ukraine.

Lula expressed optimism that the trade agreement could be concluded later this year, marking a new era of cooperation between the continents

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