Latest news with #multilateralism
Bloomberg
8 hours ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Swiss Pumps $300 Million into a Geneva Left Reeling from US Cuts
Switzerland plans to invest more than $300 million to help international organizations in Geneva stay afloat after cuts in financing for multilateralism led by the US. Geneva, a historic hub for global diplomacy, is home to 38 international organizations including the World Health Organization, the World Trade Organization and the International Committee of the Red Cross. They employ 29,000 people, spend some $7 billion each year and support around 400 non-governmental organizations.
South China Morning Post
13 hours ago
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Singapore leader's visit gives China chance to pitch itself as reliable partner for Asean
Singapore's Prime Minister Lawrence Wong will visit China next week, on a trip that is expected to give Beijing a chance to promote itself as a reliable partner for Southeast Asian countries and defender of multilateralism. China will also be keen to reassure Singapore that the Chinese economy is 'back on track' as it gears up for a trade war with the United States, analysts said. It will be Wong's first trip to China since becoming prime minister in May 2024. The visit follows his People's Action Party's decisive win in the country's general election last month. On Friday the Chinese foreign ministry confirmed the visit would start on Sunday and run until Thursday. It added that Wong was visiting at the invitation of Premier Li Qiang 'China looks forward to using this visit to further enhance strategic communication with Singapore, deepen exchanges and cooperation across various fields, jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade and to advance bilateral relations to greater heights,' foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said. Dylan Loh, assistant professor of foreign policy at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, said trade and economic cooperation were expected to dominate the agenda.
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Why a UN Security Council seat is so important to the Philippines
The Philippines has a strong chance of gaining a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), according to observers. Manila has renewed its bid, with its foreign secretary stressing the country's track record as a 'pathfinder and peacemaker'. Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo reiterated the Philippines' UN aspirations in a speech in New York earlier this week to more than 300 diplomats and guests at his country's Independence Day celebrations. He pointed to the country's role as Asia's first republic, its long-standing dedication to equality among nations, as well as its commitment to multilateralism and global peace. 'The Philippines will bring to the Security Council 80 years of multilateral experience, a tradition of principled diplomacy, and a readiness to listen, engage, and lead with purpose,' Manalo said in his keynote speech at a diplomatic reception at the Philippine Centre on Sunday. The UNSC comprises five permanent members and 10 elected ones that serve a two-year term. It is primarily responsible for maintaining international peace and security in accordance with the UN Charter. Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon addresses a meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, following Israel's attack on Iran. Photo: Reuters Manalo said the Philippines 'wishes to harness our track record and the trust and goodwill we enjoy with UN member states as we work with all states in advancing the principles and our common purpose in the UN Charter', adding that the country would 'uphold the UN Charter with sincerity and resolve'.
National Post
3 days ago
- Business
- National Post
John Ivison: Trump came to Alberta to bury the G7, not to praise it
On day two of the G7 meeting in Kananaskis, Alta., Prime Minister Mark Carney issued a statement saying that, as global threats grow, unity among the world's most advanced economies matters more than ever. Article content The G7's origins date back to 1973, when then U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, George Shultz, convened an informal gathering of finance ministers to promote free trade, multilateralism and co-operation with the developing world (Canada was invited to join in 1976). Article content Article content Article content But at the G7's 51st meeting this week, there was no real unity, because its predominant member doesn't advocate for any of those things anymore. Article content Article content President Donald Trump headed back to Washington on Monday night, claiming he had 'big stuff' to sort out in regard to the Israel and Iran confrontation. Article content It was a legitimate pretext, but the feeling is that he would have gone anyway. He was like the embarrassing uncle at the wedding who, to everyone's relief, leaves early. Article content 'I wish I could stay for tomorrow,' the president said, as Carney turned to French president Emmanuel Macron and winked. Macron barely hides his belief that Trump is depriving a village somewhere of an idiot. Article content The French president had already upset the president by stopping off in Greenland on his way to Alberta, responding to Trump's threats to the island's sovereignty by saying that seizing territory 'is not what allies do.' Article content Macron told reporters in Kananaskis that things are not going in the right direction, 'whether it's Canada or Greenland or our friends in Denmark. That's why I was there two days ago. We need respect,' he said. Article content Article content Only Macron and Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni can know what he was talking about when the leaders gathered on Monday morning, and she rolled her eyes. But it's not hard to guess. Article content Article content Trump's presence in Kananaskis had the intense gravitational pull of a black hole. The president sat at the centre of this universe, caring nothing for matters beyond the boundaries of his personal event horizon. Article content On his way home, Trump had his revenge upon Macron, by saying on social media that the 'publicity-seeking French president' was mistaken in suggesting Trump had left early to work on a ceasefire. 'Much bigger than that,' he said. 'Whether purposely or not, Emmanuel always gets it wrong.'
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Exclusive: Historic UN building in Geneva could be abandoned as Trump cuts loom
GENEVA, June 17 (Reuters) - The U.N. building that was once the headquarters of the first modern global organisation dedicated to peace and international cooperation could soon be abandoned by the United Nations due to a funding crisis triggered partly by the Trump administration. Named after former U.S. President Woodrow Wilson, the opulent 225-room Palais Wilson in Geneva was the first headquarters of the forerunner of the U.N., the League of Nations, and today is home to the U.N. human rights arm. Now, with the Trump administration making cuts to foreign aid, hitting U.N. agencies, and also owing the U.N. nearly $1.5 billion in arrears and for this year, the body is trying to cut its budget by up to 20%, according to a memo. The U.N. Geneva office last week made a formal proposal to vacate Palais Wilson from mid-2026, according to two sources familiar with the situation and confirmed by the United Nations. That the U.N. is considering abandoning one of the most historic buildings in the annals of international cooperation underlines how the U.S. retreat from multilateralism has shaken the body to its foundations. In all, about 75 agencies and departments faced a June 13 deadline to propose budget cuts. Member states have the final say on the budget. Many have been supportive of financial retrenchment. Wilson, who died in 1924, was one of the architects of the League of Nations after World War One though the United States never formally joined. The U.N. in Geneva (UNOG) leases the 19th century Palais on behalf of the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights from a Swiss foundation under a nearly 30-year lease worth around 36 million Swiss francs ($44.25 million), U.N. documents show. "As part of UNOG's revised budget submission for 2026, and in line with guidance from headquarters to reduce the costs of lease payments, UNOG is indeed proposing in its submission for revised budget estimates that the end of the lease of Palais Wilson be brought forward," Alessandra Vellucci, director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said. The lease had been due to expire in 2027. OHCHR spokesperson Jeremy Laurence said: "The U.N. is looking at all options to decrease costs, including a proposal to rehouse our headquarters in Geneva away from Palais Wilson, the symbolic home of human rights." He added that the impact of the financial crisis went far beyond this one proposal and that funding cuts by the United States and others were already affecting its work. The Trump administration has repeatedly defended the foreign aid cuts, saying they are focused on wasted funds. Trump said in February that the United Nations had "great potential and ... we'll continue to go along with it, but they got to get their act together". The U.N. cuts are part of a major review called "UN80" that the body launched in March to make it more efficient. The U.N. Controller will analyse proposed cuts and submit recommendations to Secretary General Antonio Guterres by early July, officials said. ($1 = 0.8135 Swiss francs)
