Multilateralism Archives

The EU on Wednesday (7 December) escalated disputes with China to the WTO, requesting panels be assembled to hear cases over trade restrictions on Lithuania and on legal recourses for EU patent holders.

The United States and Russia accused each other on 6 December of not being interested in Ukraine peace talks as calls grow at the UN for diplomacy to end the war started by Moscow's invasion nine months ago.

Around 300 people died in an attack on villagers in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last week blamed on the M23 rebel group, government minister Julien Paluku said on Monday (5 December).

Sudan's military and civilian leaders signed Monday (5 December) an initial deal aimed at ending a deep crisis caused by last year's military coup, prompting sceptical protesters to cry betrayal.

EU member states agreed on Friday (3 December) on a $60 per barrel price cap on Russian seaborne crude oil, after holdout Poland dropped its objections, paving the way for formal approval over the weekend. EU ambassadors had wrangled for days …

As a response to the US Inflation Reduction Act, German economy minister Robert Habeck is calling for Europe's own 'local content rule', but in a 'WTO-compatible' manner. He argued that this was for climate protection reasons, but however green he may be, this is just plain and simple industrial policy.

As India takes over the G20 presidency, Prime Minister Narendra Modi describes its challenges and priorities, based on promoting fairness and harmony throughout the world, under the slogan 'One Earth, One Family, One Future'.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy urged the United Nations Security Council to act against Russia over air strikes on civilian infrastructure that again plunged Ukrainian cities into darkness and cold as winter sets in.

The Group of Seven nations should soon announce the price cap on Russian oil exports and the coalition will probably adjust the level a few times a year rather than monthly, a senior US Treasury official said on 22 November.

Kazakhstan has dismissed international criticism of its presidential vote, in which incumbent Kassym-Jomart Tokayev secured a landslide re-election victory.

Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev was reelected on Sunday (20 November), building on hopes and promises of democratic reforms, in a country that had been ruled  for almost 30 years by a predecessor who concentrated too much power. 

The EU and several G20 governments pledged $20 billion to help Indonesia phase out coal, its main energy source, according to a joint declaration signed on the sidelines of the G20 summit Tuesday (15 November).

Leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations deplored Russia's aggression in Ukraine "in the strongest terms" on Wednesday (16 November) and demanded its unconditional withdrawal in a declaration adopted at the end of a two-day summit.

Leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations were considering a draft resolution on Tuesday (15 November) in which most members strongly condemn the war in Ukraine and stress it is exacerbating fragilities in the global economy, diplomats said.

The world’s population will reach 8 billion in the middle of November – a testament to scientific breakthroughs and improvements in nutrition, public health and sanitation. But as our human family grows larger, it is also growing more divided, writes António Guterres.

Leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) nations opened talks on 15 November on the island of Bali, with a plea by host Indonesia for concrete action to mend the global economy despite deep rifts over the war in Ukraine.

Vladimir Putin has disappeared. He is no longer on TV daily, as was the case in recent weeks. Even the Kremlin website doesn’t provide tangible proof of his existence after 9 November, except for a photo that, for all we know, may have been taken earlier.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping and US President Joe Biden met on 14 November for long-awaited talks that come as bilateral relations are at their lowest in decades, marred by disagreements over a host of issues from Taiwan to trade.

Chinese leader Xi Jinping will arrive on the Indonesian island of Bali on 14 November for a long-awaited meeting with US President Joe Biden, ahead of a G20 summit set to be fraught with tension over Russia's war in Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin will not attend a gathering of leaders from the Group of 20 (G20) nations in Bali next week, an Indonesian government official told Reuters on Thursday (10 November).

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his forces would not yield "a single centimetre" in battles for the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk while Russian-installed officials said Ukrainian forces were moving into a southern town with tanks.

Russia wants the West to ease restrictions on state agriculture lender Rosselkhozbank to facilitate Russian grain exports, according to four sources familiar with the request, made during talks to extend a deal on food shipments from Ukraine.

No progress has been made on the decision to extend the waiver of part of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) agreement on Trade-related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to COVID-19 diagnostics and therapeutics, despite the looming deadline.

A senior UN official said on Thursday (3 November) that the global body was prioritising efforts to export stranded Russian fertilisers from European ports and hopes to make advances before a deadline for renewing the Black Sea grains deal this …