Morning Multilateralism

Wednesday, July 8 2020

• Russia and China vetoed a draft Security Council resolution that would have extended two humanitarian border crossings from Turkey to Syria. Russia proposed instead a resolution with one border crossing, which will likely be voted on today. The resolution marks the first Council veto this year but the fifteenth Russian veto on Syria issues since the conflict there began in 2011. China has joined about half of those vetoes.

• The United States began the formal process of withdrawing from the World Health Organization. The U.S. exit would become complete in mid-2021, although there are some in Congress who argue that the legislative branch must be involved in any withdrawal decision.

• After pushback from more than two hundred scientists, the WHO pledges to reconsider its guidance on the airborne transmission of coronavirus.

• The deadline for nominations to lead the World Trade Organization is fast approaching, and there are several late entrants. The United Kingdom will reportedly nominate former minister Liam Fox. Kenya is putting forward Amina Mohamed, a former foreign minister with considerable WTO experience.

• During an online conference, senior International Monetary Fund and World Bank economists call for the world’s leading economies to offer more extensive debt relief to the poorest countries. (France’s finance minister appeared to agree with their assessment.)

• The debate about the international legality of European countries pushing back migrants on the Mediterranean continues.

• More detail on the push to bring China’s treatment of its Uighur population to the International Criminal Court.

• Russia accused a senior space advisor of spying for an unidentified NATO country.