September 22, 2020

Daily News Brief

September 22, 2020

Top of the Agenda

Virtual UN General Assembly Debate Set to Begin

High-level debate at the UN General Assembly begins today, kicking off the international body’s seventy-fifth year, which it celebrated yesterday (NYT), in an unprecedented virtual fashion amid the pandemic.

The UN headquarters in New York, typically bustling during the annual event, will be far quieter this year. One representative from each member country is allowed to attend (Times of Israel) in person, while others will participate by videoconference. Leaders will deliver prerecorded statements, with U.S. President Donald J. Trump, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and Russian President Vladimir Putin among those set to speak today (AP).

Analysis

“Overall the UN has disappointed, owing to great power rivalries and member countries’ reluctance to cede freedom of action. The organization’s own shortcomings haven’t helped: a spoils system that puts too many people in important positions for reasons other than competence, lack of accountability, and hypocrisy,” CFR President Richard N. Haass writes.

“The problem is that much of the world is questioning whether the UN is still relevant at 75,” Amnesty International’s Sherine Tadros tells the Guardian. “To use a Covid analogy, it’s a matter of whether it’s got too many underlying pre-existing conditions to make it through this next period.”

This CFR Backgrounder looks at the role of the UN General Assembly.

Pacific Rim

Chinese Government Critic Receives Heavy Prison Sentence

A Chinese court sentenced (SCMP) real estate tycoon Ren Zhiqiang to eighteen years in prison after convicting him of corruption in a secretive trial. It also fined Ren, an outspoken government critic (NYT), roughly $620,000.

Philippines: President Rodrigo Duterte said he extended (AP) the country’s pandemic-related state of calamity by a year. The move allows the government to draw emergency funds faster, control commodity prices, and use security forces to maintain law and order.

South and Central Asia

Violence Surges Amid Afghan Peace Talks

Afghanistan saw its deadliest day (Al Jazeera) since the start of intra-Afghan peace talks earlier this month, with at least fifty-seven security force members killed in clashes with the Taliban. Dozens of Taliban combatants were also reportedly killed.

This CFR timeline looks at the U.S. war in Afghanistan.

India: The country reported (Reuters, Statesman/Asia News Network) its lowest daily rise in coronavirus cases in nearly a month—75,083 infections—and its highest daily number of patients recovered.

Middle East and North Africa

U.S. Announces New Sanctions on Iran

The United States imposed sanctions on twenty-seven Iranian individuals and entities, and said France, Germany, and the United Kingdom are required to enforce (Guardian) the sanctions. The U.S. State Department also declared the UN arms embargo on Iran “reimposed indefinitely.” Meanwhile, during a CFR event, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif demanded compensation for damages U.S. sanctions have caused Iran.

Libya: The European Union sanctioned (DW) two Libyan men and three companies—one each from Jordan, Kazakhstan, and Turkey—for violating the 2011 UN arms embargo on Libya.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Mali’s Junta Appoints Interim President

Mali’s military junta appointed (Nation) former Defense Minister Ba N’Daou interim president of the country’s transitional government. The group’s leader, Assimi Goita, will be vice president. N’Daou’s appointment follows pressure by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to install civilian leadership.

For CFR’s Africa in Transition blog, John Campbell writes that Mali’s coup is unlikely to lead to fundamental change.

Botswana: Government officials said the widely publicized deaths (Guardian) of 350 elephants earlier this year were caused by cyanobacterial neurotoxins, which are linked to algal blooms. Authorities plan to test watering holes for algal blooms to prevent more deaths next rainy season.

Europe

EU Again Fails to Impose Sanctions on Belarus

The EU’s top diplomat, Josep Borrell, said the bloc’s credibility on foreign policy “is at stake” after EU foreign ministers again failed to sanction (Politico) Belarus. The move requires unanimous approval, but Cyprus held out in a bid to force EU sanctions on Turkey.

Italy: Voters approved cutting the size of parliament (BBC) by more than one-third, from 945 to 600 seats, in a referendum. The move could save money, but some fear it will undermine parliamentary authority. In regional elections, a right-wing coalition gained control of the eastern region of Marche.

Americas

New Protests Emerge Across Colombia

Thousands of people gathered across Colombia (Colombia Reports) to protest the country’s economic crisis, police brutality, and war. Police and protesters reportedly clashed in Bogota, but the rallies were largely peaceful (DW) compared to protests earlier this month, where police killed at least thirteen people.

El Salvador/Paraguay/Venezuela: Human rights watchdog Amnesty International accused the countries (LAHT) of detaining thousands of people under “appalling” conditions in state-run coronavirus quarantine centers. El Salvador and Paraguay have closed most of these facilities.

United States

Justice Department Names Three Cities ‘Anarchical Jurisdictions’

The Justice Department declared New York City, Portland, and Seattle “anarchical jurisdictions,” citing factors including the cities’ responses to protests over police brutality toward Black people. The move falls under (NBC) a presidential directive to review funding for local governments that have not counteracted violence and vandalism during protests.

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