Transnational Bodies

Experts: ICC Retreat from US Case Raises Red Flags

April 29, 2019

Brett Schaefer and Cully Stimson of the Heritage Foundation explain how the decision of a chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) not to pursue investigations of US service members for conduct in Afghanistan is a short-term vindication of US pressure on the ICC but “does not resolve the fundamental conflict” with the institution.
WEF Seeks “Operating System” Upgrade in Global Governance

April 26, 2019

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has published a white paper calling for governments around the world to confront the challenges of what it calls “Globalization 4.0” by launching a new global governance architecture that moves past the current UN and Bretton Woods system in encouraging intergovernmental cooperation.
US Revokes Visa of ICC Prosecutor

April 10, 2019

The US State Department has revoked the visa of the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, in response to her plans to investigate US military and Central Intelligence Agency personnel for alleged “war crimes” in Afghanistan.
World Bank Announces $22.5 Billion in African Climate Finance

April 10, 2019

At the recent One Planet Summit hosted in Nairobi, the World Bank Group announced plans to ramp up financing for “climate action” in Africa between 2021 and 2025 by $22.5 billion, half of which will be devoted to “adaptation” projects aimed at limiting the exposure of African countries to the future catastrophic impacts of global warming.
WTO Panel Rules Boeing Tax Breaks Violate Trade Rules

April 03, 2019

The World Trade Organization’s (WTO) Appellate Body has ruled that the US ignored previous WTO rulings by allowing Washington state to continue to apply a business and occupancy tax rate reduction for airplane manufacturing giant Boeing in violation of international trade law.
NATO Members Increase Defense Spending

March 18, 2019

Politico reports that, amid ongoing pressure by the Trump Administration on fellow NATO members to hit the treaty alliance’s two percent target for defense spending, such spending as a proportion of GDP by the EU members of NATO hit a five-year high in 2018.
World Bank Publishes Action Plan on African Climate Aid

March 14, 2019

The World Bank Group has published an Action Plan on Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience that seeks to inject $50 billion into projects aimed at “managing climate risks by fostering sustainable national development throughout every sector,” with a particular focus on sub-Saharan Africa.
World Bank Launches Global Project Embracing Wind Energy

March 13, 2019

As part of the ongoing embrace by multilateral development institutions of the UN’s Paris climate goals, the World Bank Group has launched a program to advise developing countries on the prospects of their installation of offshore wind energy projects and develop a “pipeline” of such projects as targets for private investment.
Schaefer: US Must Track All Contributions to International Bodies

March 12, 2019

Brett Schaefer of the Heritage Foundation has called on the US Congress to require government reporting tracking all US contributions to international organizations to improve transparency of such spending and permit lawmakers to hold the recipients of such contributions accountable.
World Bank Funds Climate Project in Bangladesh

March 07, 2019

Highlighting the global development institution’s expanding focus on fulfilling the UN’s agenda on combating climate change, the World Bank recently approved $185 million for a renewable energy generation project in Bangladesh that will help the country cut its greenhouse gas emissions.