Donald Trump’s administration has announced its withdrawal from 66 international organizations. Almost half of them are connected with the United Nations, and experts assess this as a prelude to major changes in the field of global leadership.
The Council for Regional Cooperation is one of the organizations that the USA will leave, according to the announcement. In the Council, focused on issues of Euro-Atlantic integration, they are waiting for an official notification about the withdrawal.
“Formal exit from the Board of Directors does not automatically mean the end of cooperation. And so far we have successfully cooperated with countries that are not formally part of the governing structures, but are essentially dedicated to preserving regional stability and prosperity of Southeast Europe,” said the Secretary General of the Council for Regional Cooperation Amer Kapetanović.
The United States is withdrawing from organizations dealing mainly with climate change, labor relations, migration and similar issues. Withdrawal is justified by the fact that organizations, agreements and treaties are not in line with the interests of the United States.
“The very fact that the United States of America is withdrawing will in some way threaten the credibility of these organizations in terms of their activities,” academician Kasim Trnka points out.
“Trump is withdrawing because he has narrowed the interests of the USA. In fact, it is important for him to maintain the world or the so-called fossil fuel industry in the West. He is withdrawing at this moment to demonstrate his strength,” says analyst Enver Kazaz.
“It is most likely that we will soon see how strong America is, how strong Russia is, how strong China is, and then Brazil, India, and South Africa can certainly join within those relations. This is an open challenge and above all a challenge to Europe,” says Miloš Šolaja, a professor at the FPN in Banja Luka.
The decision of the United States of America to withdraw from the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts, the institution that succeeded the Hague Tribunal, is part of a broader shift in American foreign policy. Journalist Ivica Puljić warns that such moves by the Trump administration will inevitably lead to a change in global leadership.
“On the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Courts, the newly emerging situation will have an impact on its budget and operations. This withdrawal signals a reduction in financial and political support from America, which affects the mechanism’s ability to perform key tasks, such as execution of sentences, protection of victims, which is very important,” Puljić emphasized.
This court is the successor of the Hague Tribunal, before which proceedings were conducted for war crimes on the territory of the former Yugoslavia. The withdrawal process has not been completed, so it is not limited to these 66 organizations, which means that the list of institutions that could be affected could grow further in the coming period.
