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"To survive Trump, UN must learn from the past."

Views expressed in this geopolitical news and analysis are those of the reporters and correspondents.  Accessed on 16 April 2025, 2212 UTC.

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Russ Roberts (https://trendsingeopolitics.blogspot.com).

 

View this email in your browser. April 16, 2025 Hello, everyone. Today at WPR, we’re covering what the U.N. can learn from the resiliency of past international organizations, as well as how U.S. tariffs will hurt women in South Asia. But first, here’s our take on today’s top story: Argentine President Javier Milei poses for pictures after ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange, in New York, Sept. 23, 2024 (AP photo by Seth Wenig). Argentina: President Javier Milei removed most of the country’s strict capital and currency controls yesterday, after the IMF approved a new $20 billion bailout package last week. The IMF also released the first installment of the package yesterday. (AP) Our Take: Removing Argentina’s capital and currency controls, which were imposed over years by previous administrations, has been a goal of Milei’s since... Subscribe to WPR to read our take on today’s top story. International organizations are an endangered species these days. U.S. President Donald Trump’s whirlwind of aid cuts and freezes has hit the United Nations and other multilateral institutions hard. The U.N. Secretariat and its agencies are already shedding significant numbers of staff and warning that they will be able to offer much less help to vulnerable people worldwide. In New York, diplomats fret that the U.S. could eventually defund the organization altogether or simply leave it, with no other country seemingly ready to take on its financial and political leadership role. For those wondering if the U.N. system could collapse or at least shrink very drastically, it may be a good moment to look at how international institutions have fared in past existential crises. Fortunately, there is quite a solid academic literature on why some bodies are resilient and others are not. Columnist Richard Gowan reviews that literature and identifies its relevant insights: To Survive Its Existential Crisis, the U.N. Must Learn From the Past By Richard Gowan The U.N. system will likely be able to ride out its current existential crisis, but only if its members agree on what that crisis is. ***** After initially announcing tariffs as high as 44 percent on certain countries in South Asia, U.S. President Trump declared last week that he would pause his scheme for 90 days for all trading partners who had not retaliated. During this period, however, an across-the-board tariff of 10 percent will still be imposed on more than 75 countries, including those in South Asia. While negotiations are still ongoing, the remaining tariffs and the uncertainty around those that have been paused are set to disrupt global supply chains, including for the fashion industry. This could result in significant job losses and wage cuts in South Asia’s export-oriented textile industries, which are crucial suppliers for Western retailers and brands. As Bansari Kamdar writes, much of this apparel is made in textile factories in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and India, where labor is cheap—and predominantly female. In South Asia, Women Will Bear the Brunt of Trump’s Tariffs By Bansari Kamdar Women are the backbone of South Asia’s massive textile industry. Trump’s trade war could result in significant job losses and wage cuts for them. Talks between the U.S. and Iran about reaching a new deal over Tehran’s nuclear program began Saturday and are set to continue this weekend. But officials from the Trump administration—including the chief negotiator, Steve Witkoff—have given conflicting statement about whether the U.S. is pushing for a full dismantlement of the program or would settle for limits on it. This week’s question: What kind of deal should the U.S. seek with Iran? A full dismantling of its nuclear program. Enforceable limits on its nuclear program. We’ll select one person from those who answer the question above to receive a free month of full access to WPR. Migration through the Darien Gap—a dense jungle region that straddles Colombia and Panama—has virtually disappeared since U.S. President Donald Trump took office, AP reports. The dramatic drop has cratered the economy of many towns in the region, which just a year ago would see thousands of migrants pass through daily. As Anushka Srivastava wrote last year, many of these communities long suffered from underdevelopment and government neglect, which led them to cater to the migrant economy—including, at times, human smuggling—in the first place. The disappearance of that business is only set to worsen these communities’ economic marginalization. Migrants Aren’t the Only Ones Who Need Help in the Darien Gap By Anushka Srivastava Feb. 12, 2024 | Any solution to the migration crisis in the Darien Gap region of Panama and Colombia must include investment in border towns. ***** Nearly a hundred Serbian students arrived in Strasbourg, France, where they were greeted by hundreds of supporters, after cycling for nearly two weeks in an effort to draw EU attention to mass protests in the country. University students have been the driving force behind the demonstrations in Serbia, which had been gaining momentum since November and culminated in a March 15 rally in Belgrade that marked the largest protest in the country’s history. The demonstrations serve as a testament to the shifting tide of Serbian politics and the public’s frustration with the rampant corruption that is by now synonymous with the regime of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic. As Stefan Antić wrote last month, the protests have also cornered Vucic, as none of his options offer him a path to comfortably maintaining the status quo. Serbia’s Student-Led Protests Have Vucic Cornered By Stefan Antić March 31, 2025 | Mass protests reflect a shifting tide in Serbia’s politics and the public’s frustration with rampant corruption under President Vucic. ***** Israel’s defense minister said today that Israeli troops will remain in the Gaza Strip, Syria and Lebanon indefinitely, rather than withdrawing from areas it considered “cleared and seized.” The continued presence of Israeli troops in Gaza and Syria has, respectively, complicated ceasefire talks with Hamas and drawn condemnation from the new regime in Damascus. And as Bilal Y. Saab wrote yesterday, Israel’s presence in Lebanon has led to an impasse with the Lebanese government as it attempts to disarm Hezbollah. ***** A day after Algeria expelled 12 French officials, France announced yesterday it would expel the same number of Algerian officials. Read about the factors that have led to the escalating tensions between the two countries in yesterday’s Daily Review. More from WPR Mary Gallagher on China and Trump’s trade war. Paul Poast on the fading norm against territorial conquest. Jonathan Lincoln on Israel and the United Nations. Alana Moceri on the far right’s appeal to Spain’s youth. Read all of our latest coverage here. Copyright © 2025 World Politics Review LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you are subscribed to our free daily newsletter. Our mailing address is: World Politics Review LLC 401 E. 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