The American administration withdrawal from 66 international organizations puts the very idea of multilateralism at risk.
This is the spirit of multilateralism. Long gone are the days of the isolationist policy that characterized the conduct of the United States. Today, we live in an age of globalization. Some analysts say that this is an age of post-globalization. Whatever debates about the terminology of the idea may be, one thing is clear—today, no country can solve problems or contribute to their internal stability without collaboration and cooperation.
Such is the enduring spirit of multilateralism. However, the very idea of this concept has come under severe strain thanks to the thoughtless and strategically regressive actions of the current American administration led by US President Donald Trump. In an executive order, Trump ordered the US withdrawal from 66 important multilateral organizations. The rationale—they do not serve ‘American national interests’.
Some of these organizations remain the pillars not only of the post-World War II political-economic order but also present the very future of humanity. Hence, an analysis of the withdrawal in the context of at least some important organizations in general and the overall scenario in particular becomes essential.
Climate Agreements
Formed during the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is a binding international climate treaty that has put in place an institutional framework that necessitates coordinated binding actions on the part of all countries across the world for the attainment of the overarching goal of mitigating the impact of climate change. Under it, the Conference of Parties (COP), the flagship summit, is held annually.
The scientific aspect of the global body is represented by the IPCC, or the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. It represents the convergence of the leading global scientific minds in the fields of ecology, climate science, and biology, among others. The report it generates from time to time represents the scientific backbone of anti-climate change global efforts.
Under it, the Paris Climate Accord, which sought to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius in general and 2 degrees Celsius in particular, was forged. The U.S. government withdrew from all three.
This is not an aberration; it is a part of an unscientific, callous mindset of Trump and his acolytes who echo the sentiment of the MAGA vote-bank. Not only has the U.S. withdrawn from the agreements but has also prioritized the production of more crude oil. While people around the world are grappling with the extremes of erratic weather and climate-induced increasing frequency of disasters, the actions of the largest emitter of the greenhouse gases is a signal that not only does the US not care about the health of Mother Earth, but it is hell-bent on prioritizing short-term energy gains over long-term environmental sustainability.
WHO
The World Health Organization, or WHO, is the most important global institution in the realm of global health and well-being. Playing a critical role during the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO has been, in collaboration with national medical bodies, at the forefront of this and other pestilence outbreaks in different parts of the world at different points in time.
By withdrawing from the WHO, the U.S. is putting at risk the healthcare and well-being of billions of people. In this day and age when pathogens can travel far and wide, this withdrawal will hurt in at least three ways—first, the WHO will be deprived of the financial backing of the US, the country contributes 22% of WHO’s core budget and 45% of global financial assistance, thereby undermining the existence and continuance of health programs against various diseases that target vulnerable populations around the world. Second, the global health body will be deprived of the state-of-the-art health infrastructure of the American health system and, last but not least, undermine the foundations of the global health order.
Clearly, the American actions are not only myopic but are also the quintessential case of scoring a self-goal.
Opportunity for India
At a time when the American administration is giving overt signals that it is going to adopt isolationism in its rudimentary form, India has a golden opportunity to step up its game. While New Delhi will take some time to match the financial contributions that China makes to the concerned multilateral organizations, New Delhi can make a difference in at least two ways.
First, use non-Western financial institutions like AIIB and NDB to try and fill the void the American withdrawal will create.
Second, become the moral voice behind the need to back multilateralism both in letter and spirit.
The world cannot afford to act in silos. It is imperative that the U.S. understand this simple fact and make amends; otherwise, the ordinary Americans will be the ones who pay the price for Trump’s unilateral actions.
Pranay Kumar Shome, a research analyst who is a PhD candidate at Mahatma Gandhi Central University, Bihar, India
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