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The state of multilateralism: Shaky, fragile & stretched to capacity
Dr. Comfort Ero of the International Crisis Group has spent her career tackling the most difficult conflicts in the world, often exacerbated by severe environmental or social disasters. But as the climate crisis and war in Ukraine compound the forces pushing many fragile societies to the brink, she says multilateral institutions like the United Nations are not prepared to meet the challenge.
Faced with state collapse, food insecurity, and lack of governance, countries like Libya, Lebanon and Sri Lanka are not able to access the help they need to stabilize, build resilience and thrive.
“Countries are already facing difficult trend lines with a multilateral system that is shaky, that is fragile, that is already stretched to its capacity, not able to deal.” she said during a Global Stage livestream event at UN headquarters in New York on September 22, on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly.
The discussion was moderated by Nicholas Thompson of The Atlantic and was held by GZERO Media in collaboration with the United Nations, the Complex Risk Analytics Fund, and the Early Warnings for All initiative.
Watch the full Global Stage conversation: Can data and AI save lives and make the world safer?
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Is the Middle East becoming the "new Europe”?
Ian Bremmer shares his insights on global politics this week on World In :60.
First, will there be long-term regional consequences following the devastating Moroccan earthquake?
I hopefully I think the answer to that is, no. I mean, the response from the government was relatively, it wasn't immediate. And it wasn't great to begin with, in part, because the king, I guess, was in Paris. And it's very vertical. Nothing happens without the king. But now they're moving. There's a lot of international humanitarian aid going in. And as devastating as it is in terms of human lives, the ability to keep Marrakech going is pretty high. Even the IMF annual meeting in a few weeks’ time should still be there. So on balance, I think this is one where the consequences are borne by all of the families, but not on Morocco more broadly.
Secondly, is the Middle East on its way to becoming “the new Europe,” as Mohammed bin Salman recently said?
Yeah, no, I wouldn't go that far. But certainly, Mohammed bin Salman has done more in terms of reform and dramatic transformation of his country, and yes, with some downside, than anyone could have imagined before he came in. That's why he's so incredibly popular among the young people in Saudi Arabia, and certainly, it's why he's attracting a lot more attention to the region, including capital investment from a lot of different places.
And finally, Kim Jong Un is traveling to meet Putin. How concerned is the West?
Should be concerned in part because that's the only person out there that really supports Putin right now. It's like Belarus, it's North Korea, it's Iran, it's rogue states that the Americans and the Europeans cannot contain or constrain. And that's a serious problem.
That's it for me. I'll talk to you real soon.
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A woman reacts near the rubble of a building in the aftermath of a deadly earthquake in Talat N'yaaqoub, Morocco, September 11, 2023.
Why isn’t Morocco accepting more help?
Rescue teams organized by the Moroccan government began reaching remote villages in the Atlas Mountains yesterday, three days after the most devastating earthquake to strike the region in a century. Hopes for survivors grow slimmer by the minute, and the death count is approaching 3,000 at time of writing.
Faced with criticism about the apparent sluggishness of the government’s response, Rabat has begun pushing back. Government spokesperson Mustapha Baitas said the government had deployed military and civilian assets in a “swift and effective intervention to rescue the victims and recover the bodies” following the “instructions of His Royal Majesty.”
Don’t overlook that last bit: King Mohammed VI has worked hard to establish an image of himself as connected to the Moroccan public, and has played a central role in managing the emergency response due to his command of the military and control of foreign policy. Officials reluctant to preempt any royal statements may have contributed to some of the perceptions of a mismanaged response, according to Eurasia Group senior analyst Omar Monieb.
Rabat also took flak for only accepting aid from four countries, the United Kingdom, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, even though more neighbors and partners offered to step in. Monieb said there is a pragmatic element – too many crews attempting to use damaged infrastructure can hamper rescue operations – but politics played a role as well.
“Spain is a close ally of Morocco, and relations have improved significantly over the past couple of years, especially with the position that Spain has taken recently on the Sahara,” he said, referring to Madrid’s recent recognition of Moroccan claims over the former Spanish colony known as Western Sahara. The U.A.E. and Qatar have both long recognized Rabat’s claims. While the U.K.’s position is more circumspect, a senior Conservative Party MP recently backed Morocco’s position as the “only possible option” after visiting the region.People react during the funeral of two victims of the deadly earthquake, in Moulay Brahim, Morocco.
Killer quake strikes Morocco
The North African nation of Morocco continues to deal with the effects of a catastrophic earthquake that struck on Saturday night, killing at least 2,100 people and injuring another 2,400.
The quake struck in the High Atlas Mountain range, 45 miles southwest of the city of Marrakech, home to 840,000 people. At 6.8 on the Richter scale, it was the country’s most powerful tremor in a century, impacting 300,000 residents in the surrounding area, with some towns totally demolished. Thousands of displaced people are now sleeping outside, in tents, parks and even on roadways.
Rescue workers are struggling to reach survivors in remote areas and the death toll is expected to rise. Many ancient buildings in the Medina, or old town, of Marrakech have been reduced to rubble, and other historic sites destroyed.
Leaders around the world, including American President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin, sent condolences and many governments offered support.
Meanwhile, at the G20 summit in Delhi, President Emmanuel Macron of France, which remains Morocco’s main foreign investor, trade partner and creditor, announced the activation of a French government fund to support “solidarity actions”; as of Sunday evening, nearly 2 million euros ($2.14 million US) had been pledged. Many French companies have also offered assistance.
Turkey, which suffered its own devastating earthquake earlier this year, also offered emergency assistance, including tents and personnel, while Algeria, which severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 and closed its airspace to Moroccan aircraft, has reopened it for humanitarian aid and medical flights.
As of late Sunday, the Moroccan government declared that it had accepted emergency assistance from only four countries, the UK, Spain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, amid criticism about the length of time taken to approve assistance in the crucial hours after the disaster. King Mohammed VI also established a relief commission to distribute aid to survivors, including orphans and people who are now homeless, declared three days of national mourning, and indicated that the Moroccan government will consider other offers of assistance if it deems them necessary.