Thursday, October 8

Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council

Global organizations deserve a category because they matter so much to world politics and economies. Large ones coming from the Bretton Woods system include the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the World Trade Organization.

War Poses Obstacle To G20 Global Collaboration
Diplomacy and International Law, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

War Poses Obstacle To G20 Global Collaboration

Leaders Can't Come To Terms On Joint Statement March 2, 2023—Foreign ministers meeting in India had difficulty overcoming an obstacle to collaborating on global problems due to one big elephant in the room: Russia's invasion of and ongoing war in Ukraine. Heads of state of G20 countries are scheduled to meet in New Delhi in September 2023. Their top diplomats met yesterday and today. Normally, delegates would conclude meetings up with a joint statement detailing areas of agreement on issues like climate change and the global economy. Instead, they settled for an outcome document acknowledging major differences about the Russia-Ukraine war. "The war in Ukraine has further adversely impacted the global economy," the foreign ministers said in the document. "Most members strongly co...
G7 Tightening Sanctions, Warns Against Helping Russia’s War
Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Sanctions, Types of News: Brief

G7 Tightening Sanctions, Warns Against Helping Russia’s War

Photo of Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio meeting with G7 counterpart on Feb. 24, 2023. Japan is chairing the G7 in 2023. Leaders Announce 'New Sanctions To Condemn Russia's Illegal 'Unwavering Support' For Ukraine February 25, 2023—The G7 countries of Japan, the United States, Britain, Italy, Germany, Canada, and France issued the harshest statement yet condemning Russia's illegal war against Ukraine. "Russia’s heinous attacks over the last 365 days have laid bare the cruelty of the ongoing aggression," the G7 leaders said Friday. "We condemn Russia’s illegal, unjustifiable, and unprovokedwar, disregard for the Charter of the United Nations (UN) and indifference to the impacts that itswar is having on people worldwide." The G7 leaders promised to give "unwavering suppor...
Turkey Demands Finland And Sweden Extradite ‘Terrorists’
Diplomacy and International Law, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

Turkey Demands Finland And Sweden Extradite ‘Terrorists’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan speaks out against asylum policies that harbor terror suspects. NATO Expansion Opposed By Turkey And Hungary January 19, 2023—NATO defense ministers met in Brussels yesterday, joined by their counterparts from Finland and Sweden, two countries eager to join the alliance. But to join NATO, Finland and Sweden need to win over all 30 NATO members, and that's not so easy. Since May of 2022, Turkey and Hungary have opposed their membership bids of Finland and Sweden. In Turkey's case, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has long complained that the two countries provide refuge for Kurdish terrorists. This week, he reiterated his call for Sweden and Finland to extradite more than 100 asylum seekers to Turkey. "For this to pass the parliamen...
Facing A Surge In COVID-19, China’s Epidemic Control Is Put To The Test
Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

Facing A Surge In COVID-19, China’s Epidemic Control Is Put To The Test

WHO Asks China To Cooperate On Understanding COVID-19 Origins January 16, 2023—After a three-year span of its zero-COVID policy ended last month, China's health system is once again being put to the test. On Saturday health officials held a press conference releasing information and putting a positive spin on China's management of the virus. But the World Health Organization is asking health officials in China for more detailed data. Furthermore, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wants China to coordinate more to help the agency understand the origins of the virus. China's Joint Prevention and Control Mechanism of the State Council held a press conference on COVID-19 on Saturday, January 14, 2023. WHO Seeks Information, Transparency Since ending its strict zer...
G7 Aims To Improve War Crimes Investigations
Diplomacy and International Law, Human rights, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

G7 Aims To Improve War Crimes Investigations

November 30, 2022—Justice ministers representing G7 countries met on Tuesday to plan ways to investigate war crimes and bring war criminals to justice. Justice ministers from G7 countries and the European Union met in Berlin, Germany on Nov. 29, 2022. The G7 includes the United States, Japan, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Italy. Photo credit: BMJ/Thomas Trutschel Since the start of Russia's war against Ukraine in February 2022, the international community has sought ways to prevent and condemn the aggressive actions, particularly against civilians. For example, in March the UN’s Human Rights Council passed a resolution condemning Russia’s action against Ukraine and establishing a UN Council of Inquiry. That same month the International Court of Justice (IJC) author...
Algeria Hosts Arab League Summit
Diplomacy and International Law, Middle East, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

Algeria Hosts Arab League Summit

Algeria hosts Arab League The Summit Comes On The Heels Of Historic Agreement Uniting Palestinian Factions November 2, 2022—Member of the 22-member Arab League met for the first time since 2019 in Algiers, Algeria Tuesday. It is the first Arab League meeting since Israel normalized its relations with several Arab countries, the UAE, Bahrain and Morocco. It also comes on the heels of a successful effort on the part of Algerian President Abdulmajeed Tabboune to bring sparring Palestinian factions together. On Tuesday, Tabboune welcomed the guests, saying that the League's "central and primary cause" is the "Palestinian cause," according to reporting by TRT World, a Turkish news broadcaster. "The Palestinian question is the mother of all questions," Tabboune said. Economi...
NATO Reaffirms Support For Ukraine, Strengthens Air Defense
Arms Sales, Military Industry, Eastern Europe, Geopolitics, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Brief

NATO Reaffirms Support For Ukraine, Strengthens Air Defense

Photo by Kongsberg October 13, 2022—As NATO ministers met in Brussels yesterday and today, Russia's bombardment of Ukraine's capital and nine other cities was fresh on their minds. The war intensified, and NATO and the G7 nations of Western countries strengthened their support for Ukraine. Ukraine has asked the military alliance of 30 countries to fast track its request for membership. Russian President Vladimir Putin warned that would lead to World War II. And many NATO-member leaders took heed. "We do not want world war," French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter. Germany, meanwhile, is leading the effort to strengthen Europe's military defense. Air Defense System While NATO treads lightly on expansion. Today, 14 NATO members agreed to jointly develop an air de...
OECD Ministers Emphasize ‘Shared Values,’ Open Path To New Members
Diplomacy and International Law, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council

OECD Ministers Emphasize ‘Shared Values,’ Open Path To New Members

June 10, 2022—Ministers from the 38-member organization of Western powers focused on coordinating a response to economic challenges coming primarily from Russia's war against Ukraine. In operation since 1960, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development is drawing up plans to unite around an agenda of democratic values, climate action and expansion. The group is making way for new members to join, and Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Peru, and Romania are the primary contenders. After a two-day meeting, OECD ministers released a 17-point statement. It set goals, such as avoiding protectionism, including export restrictions, restoring trust in democratic participation, regulating digital transformation, reforming international tax systems, and maintaining a rules-based internatio...
Timeline Of UN-Related Responses To Russia’s 2022 Invasion Of Ukraine
Diplomacy and International Law, Legal Battles, International Law, Justice, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council, Types of News: Infographic

Timeline Of UN-Related Responses To Russia’s 2022 Invasion Of Ukraine

Editor's note: The United Nations and its agencies are responding on a regular basis to the Russia-Ukraine war, condemning Russia's aggression with multiple acts and resolutions. Here is a snapshot of that action. February 24, 2022         The Russian Federation invaded Ukraine. February 26, 2022  The U.N. Security Council considered a resolution on Russia's invasion. February 28, 2022         The International Criminal Court launches an investigation concerning potential atrocities and war crimes against Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Starting on March 2nd. March 2, 2022               The UN General Assembly voted 141-5 in favor of a resolution to condemn Russia’s war on Ukraine and call for an immediate end to the violence. March 7, 2022               ...
IMF Adjusts Economic Forecast for New Fragmented World
Global Economics, Globalization, Disintegration, Nationalism, Populism, Organizations, IMF, WTO, G7, UN Security Council

IMF Adjusts Economic Forecast for New Fragmented World

Inflation Expected To Remain High 'For Much Longer' April 19, 2022—War, rising energy costs, and a de-globalizing world are impacting the global economy in large and small ways. The International Monetary Fund is taking note and is adjusting its projection for economic growth to 3.6 percent for 2022 and 2023. That's down from 6.1 percent growth last year. Russia's war on Ukraine and the retaliating sanctions against Russia and Belarus are having the largest impact, according to Pierre-Olivier Courinchas, a lead economist with the IMF. But other factors are weighing down growth prospects too: Inflation, a slowdown in China, and monetary tightening by central banks. Fragmentation Reversing Gains From Globalization The IMF is trying to keep the world integrated, Courinchas said. D...