OBELA Analysis

According to J. G. Ruggie, "Multilateralism consists of coordinating national policies among groups of three or more states, whether through ad hoc arrangements or through international institutions." The United States was the driving force behind multilateralism during the Second World War, seeking mechanisms for the political resolution of conflicts. It promoted the creation of the Atlantic Charter (1941), the United Nations (1944), the Washington-based institutions—the IMF and the World Bank (1945)—and, later, the International Trade Organisation, known through its derivative, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT, 1947).

Since the 1990s and until 2025, the USA was the cornerstone of international free trade, framed by the establishment of the WTO (1995). From the 2000s, a rise in the twin deficits (fiscal and trade, see Graph 1) was observed, partly explained by the 2008 crisis, the growth of China, and the loss of competitiveness against it. The opening up of trade decentralised the US industry, due to the creation of global value chains, which relocated industries previously established in the USA to China, to become part of international manufacturing.

The Amazon is the largest tropical rainforest in the world. It is home to approximately 20% of the planet's flora and fauna, as well as 20% of global freshwater (located in the Amazon Basin). By hosting 60% of the rainforest's 6.92 million square kilometres, Brazil bears the most significant responsibility for protecting this planetary lung. This text provides an overview of the Brazilian government's most recent actions on environmental issues and their potential impact on the Amazon rainforest.