Skip to main content

The Multilateralist: Morning multilateralism, Nov. 2

The Multilateralist

Morning multilateralism, Nov. 2

The veto on his mind: Ban Ki-moon stays mum on political prisoners during Beijing trip. Obama and Lee pledge to finalize U.S.-Korea free trade agreement in advance of G-20 summit. IMF expected to vote Friday on governance reform package. Speaking of emerging country investment in Africa, IMF chief warns of a "new form of colonialism." ...

By David Bosco, a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies.

November 2, 2010, 2:42 PM

The veto on his mind: Ban Ki-moon stays mum on political prisoners during Beijing trip.

The veto on his mind: Ban Ki-moon stays mum on political prisoners during Beijing trip.

Obama and Lee pledge to finalize U.S.-Korea free trade agreement in advance of G-20 summit.

IMF expected to vote Friday on governance reform package.

Speaking of emerging country investment in Africa, IMF chief warns of a "new form of colonialism."

How much will WTO accession actually help the Russian economy?

NATO’s secretary-general arrives in Moscow today for pre-Lisbon summit talks.

Brazilian president-elect Dilma Rousseff may accompany Lula to the G-20 summit.

Eyes on EU accession, Serbia hunts for Ratko Mladic. Meanwhile, French courts are considering several Rwanda extraditions, including one to the International Criminal Court.

David Bosco is a professor at Indiana University’s Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies. He is the author of The Poseidon Project: The Struggle to Govern the World’s Oceans. Twitter: @multilateralist

Tags: Africa, Barack Obama, China, East Asia, Eastern Europe, Finance and Banking, G20, Human Rights, International Organizations, Law, Russia, South America, Trade Policy & Agreements, United Nations

NEW FOR SUBSCRIBERS: Want to read more on this topic or region? Click + to receive email alerts when new stories are published on United Nations United Nations, Human Rights Human Rights, China China, Russia Russia, South America South America, East Asia East Asia, Africa Africa

More from Foreign Policy

Newspapers in Tehran feature on their front page news about the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, signed in Beijing the previous day, on March, 11 2023.

Saudi-Iranian Détente Is a Wake-Up Call for America

The peace plan is a big deal—and it’s no accident that China brokered it.

Austin and Gallant stand at podiums side by side next to each others' national flags.

The U.S.-Israel Relationship No Longer Makes Sense

If Israel and its supporters want the country to continue receiving U.S. largesse, they will need to come up with a new narrative.

Russian President Vladimir Putin lays flowers at the Moscow Kremlin Wall in the Alexander Garden during an event marking Defender of the Fatherland Day in Moscow.

Putin Is Trapped in the Sunk-Cost Fallacy of War

Moscow is grasping for meaning in a meaningless invasion.

An Iranian man holds a newspaper reporting the China-brokered deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia to restore ties, in Tehran on March 11.

How China’s Saudi-Iran Deal Can Serve U.S. Interests

And why there’s less to Beijing’s diplomatic breakthrough than meets the eye.

Loading graphics

Welcome to a world of insight.

Make the most of FP.

Explore the benefits of your FP subscription. Explore the benefits included in your subscription.

Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Sign up below. Stay updated on the topics you care about with email alerts. Sign up below.

Choose a few newsletters that interest you. Get more insight in your inbox.

Here are some we think you might like. Update your newsletter preferences.

Your guide to the most important world stories of the day. Delivered Monday-Friday.
Essential analysis of the stories shaping geopolitics on the continent. Delivered Wednesday.
One-stop digest of politics, economics, and culture. Delivered Friday.

The latest news, analysis, and data from the country each week. Delivered Wednesday.
Weekly update on developments in India and its neighbors. Delivered Thursday.
Weekly update on what’s driving U.S. national security policy. Delivered Thursday.

A curated selection of our very best long reads. Delivered Wednesday & Sunday.
Evening roundup with our editors’ favorite stories of the day. Delivered Monday-Saturday.
A monthly digest of the top articles read by FP subscribers.

Keep up with the world without stopping yours. Keep up with the world without stopping yours.

Download the FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere. Download the new FP mobile app to read anytime, anywhere.

Download on the App Store

Read the magazine
Save articles (and read offline)
Customize your feed
Listen to FP podcasts

Download on the Apple App Store

Download on the Google Play Store

Analyze the world’s biggest events. Analyze the world’s biggest events.

Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with Join in-depth conversations and interact with foreign-policy experts with

BEIJING, CHINA - MARCH 05: A general view of the Great Hall of the People during the Chinese Premier Li Keqiang delivers a speech in the opening of the first session of the 14th National People's Congress at The Great Hall of People on March 5, 2023 in Beijing, China.China's annual political gathering known as the Two Sessions will convene leaders and lawmakers to set the government's agenda for domestic economic and social development for the year. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

Inside China’s ‘Two Sessions’

March 28, 2023 | 12:00pm ET

Register now Ask a Question

Every year, the top Chinese legislative and advisory bodies meet for two weeks to rubber-stamp decisions already made by the Chinese Communist Party. It’s called the “two sessions,” an...Show more

made-in-america-protectionism-adam-posen-doug-chayka-illustration-fp-live-lead

Economist Adam Posen Explains Why He Thinks U.S. Industrial Policy Will Backfire

March 30, 2023 | 11:00am ET

Register now Ask a Question

Over the last few years, Washington has prioritized relocating manufacturing production back to the United States. Critics abroad argue that America’s new industrial policy is protectionis...Show more

A tank fires at Russian positions near Kreminna in the Lugansk region of Ukraine on Jan. 12. ANATOLII STEPANOV/AFP via Getty Images

Ukraine’s Battlefield Dynamics

April 6, 2023 | 12:00pm ET

Register now Ask a Question

Russia has gone from one mobilization to the next, burning through equipment and ammunition faster than it can replace it—even resorting to the recruitment of prisoners to fight its drawn-...Show more

See what’s trending. See what’s trending.

Most popular articles on FP right now. Most popular articles on FP right now.

An illustration shows piles of shipping containers and symbols of industry as protectionist islands in a sea.

America’s Zero-Sum Economics Doesn’t Add Up

Industrial policy and subsidies are nothing new and can be useful. But shutting off from the world will have consequences.

Xi and Putin shake hands while carrying red folders.

Xi and Putin Have the Most Consequential Undeclared Alliance in the World

It’s become more important than Washington’s official alliances today.

Jogaila and Jadwiga of Poland

It’s Time to Bring Back the Polish-Lithuanian Union

A political construct created nearly 700 years ago offers solutions for Europe today.

Israel, UNESCO, and the United States

The United States is about to lose its vote in UNESCO, the UN organization devoted to educational and cultural issues. Two years ago, UNESCO members voted to welcome Palestine as a member. Preexisting U.S. legislation required that the United States cease funding the organization, and Washington has now accumulated sufficient back dues to lose its ...

Could the IMF Get Stuck in the Russia-Ukraine Feud?

In the last several months, Ukraine has taken several steps toward a move advanced relationship with the European Union. Via the BBC: The EU has been pursuing closer economic and social ties with ex-Soviet states for many years, in a so-called "Eastern Partnership". The plan is to sign a far-reaching association and free trade agreement ...