OBELA Analysis

On 7 January 2026, President Donald Trump announced the withdrawal of the United States from 35 organisations not belonging to the UN system and 31 United Nations institutions (see Annexe 1). The justification is that these organisations are contrary to US interests. This statement partially aligns with President Trump's narrative on some issues, such as climate change, where his scepticism towards climate science makes the abandonment of these forums consistent. However, there is a strong inconsistency when looking at institutions linked to issues such as security, counter-terrorism, international justice and cyber security.

Global action against climate change has been further weakened by the initial measures of President Trump's second administration. On 7 January 2026, he formalised the United States' withdrawal from 66 international organisations and agreements, including 31 related to environmental protection. This text will discuss the implications of this withdrawal for global climate efforts.

After more than 30 years of negotiations, the EU-Mercosur Free Trade Agreement was initially signed on 17 January 2026 (ratification). Almost 800 million people and more than 30 nations are involved in what will be one of the most important free trade agreements globally. However, the treaty is the subject of considerable controversy, with questions about whether the free trade agreement benefits all these people and whether they participate equally in it. Faced with a United States that uses tariffs as an aggressive trade policy, several countries are changing the direction of their trade, such as Mercosur, which has agreed to a free trade agreement with the European Free Trade Association