Online Reporter
Inwa Downs
Correspondent
The initiative to withdraw the United States from numerous United Nations agencies and international organisations, the unnecessary military intervention in Venezuela and the brutal war in Iran, sums up the second coming of Donald Trump.
In many ways than one, in his second term, Trump has recklessly disrupted world order, destabilised fuel supply, subsequently kicking up prices and cause unnecessary suffering and deaths.
Trump’s shenanigans in Iran, Venezuela, Cuba and Palestine, among others, are clear testimony of his bully tactics and craving for war and disorder.
In Israel’s Benjamin Netanhayu, Trump has found a willing and very complicit partner, who finds killing people much easier than saving their lives.
The world is at its most critical moment as Iran refuses to back off and there is no UN resolution to give US and Israel the legal impetus to attack Iran.
All this is unprecedented. But probably Trump’s most outlandish adventure has been his denigration of the United Nations and attempts for form alternative organisations such as the Peace Council.
Metaphorically, here is a devil incarnate preaching sanctity, here is a devil running away with the Bible.
It is fact not fiction that Trump’s entire game plan is to destroy the UN and circumvent the all-important Veto system.
This, to Trump and his satellites is a means to undermine Russia’s and China’s checkmating position in the UN and allow himself to do wrong things as he wishes.
Well, this is very wrong and the progressive world must quickly see how Trump is going about dangerous business, like invasion of other countries without UN resolutions.
By withdrawing from about 180 UN systems, Trump has proved that he does not believe in co-ordinated international safety nets and that the US is more superior that the UN.
Trump is even trying to replace such structures as the UN Security Council because there, he knows that countries like Russia would never allow him to do the bizarre and unthinkable.
For instance, the capture of Nicholas Maduro is an affront to all democratic principles and those of national sovereignty. It is total US defiance of UN systems.
A case of interest and in point would be the 2002 International Court of Justice (ICJ) that set the tone for national sovereignty.
On April 11, 2000, a Belgian investigating judge issued an international arrest warrant in absentia against Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi, who was then the acting Minister for Foreign Affairs of the DRC.
The warrant accused Ndombasi of serious violations of international humanitarian law (inciting racial hatred and massacres) under Belgian universal jurisdiction law.
The DRC challenged this in the ICJ, arguing that as a sitting Foreign Minister, Yerodia enjoyed full immunity from criminal process under international law, and that Belgium violated its sovereignty.
The ICJ ruled in favour of the DRC, concluding that the issuance of the warrant by Belgium was a violation of international law. What does this say to the capture of Maduro?
So, to Trump the UN is an impediment to his idea of doing things unchallenged and uncheckmated. Trump is not a fan of justice and team work. He is a bulldozer who does not want to be stopped or questioned. His attitude to the smaller nations in very contemptuous. But he needs to be checked.
If anything, the UN needs to be strengthened against Trump and hi satellites like United Kingdom, Israel and European Union.
Because of Trump’s actions, the world has been plunged into a fuel crisis and this, with a bit of carefulness and following UN statues, could have been avoided.
The problem of Trump with drawing from many UN organs, and creating what others call a “Leave Group” strategy, is that is faces significant challenges in achieving its stated goals of enhancing national sovereignty and reducing wasteful spending.
Iran is a good example. How Billions of dollars has the war cost?
Based on reports and expert analyses, the initiative may not work for the reasons that by withdrawing from international organisations, the U.S. creates a power vacuum that other nations, particularly China and Russia, are likely to fill, allowing them to shape global rules and standards in their favour.
Some critics argue that walking away takes the US out of the arena entirely, limiting its ability to project power and influence global affairs, rather than just “setting its own terms”.
The Washington administration proposes replacing multilateral cooperation with one-on-one agreements, but this is a time-consuming process.
Reports show that after months of effort, only a limited number of agreements (e.g., nine African nations in health care) have been reached.
Many problems, such as climate change, pandemics, and terrorism, span borders, making it difficult to achieve progress through bilateral agreements alone.
Many targeted organisations are small and obscure. Experts suggest that “pruning around the margins” fails to address the largest recipients of US funding within the UN, making the savings minimal compared to the loss of influence.
Lastly, the withdrawal includes agencies focused on crucial areas like preventing sexual violence, counterterrorism, and humanitarian relief, which could affect America’s reputation and security.
Suffice it to say, the UN and other nations have signalled they will continue to operate despite US withdrawal, meaning Washington loses its voice, but the institutions themselves continue.
The UN has noted that assessed contributions are legal obligations, which could create legal and diplomatic friction for the U.S. in the future.
Withdrawing from bodies like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and other treaties does not stop the science, but it leaves US policymakers and businesses “flying in the dark” without firsthand input into global scientific data.
Withdrawing from health or trade-related groups can have direct, negative consequences on American economic and health interests.
Trump but rethink. These antics to try and destroy the UN are not to the advantage of the US.
Inwa Downs is a professor of political science and international relations based in Brussels. Belgian.
