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The rise of impunity–and its human cost
What happens when global norms collapse and no one is left to enforce them? On GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, International Rescue Committee president and CEO David Miliband warns that we are living through what he calls an “Age of Impunity,” where power is exercised without accountability, and civilians in conflict zones from Syria to Ukraine to Gaza are paying the price. “The Age of Impunity is becoming the Age of Cruelty,” Miliband says, as rights guaranteed under international law are ignored and no one is holding the powerful to account.
Miliband highlights findings from the Atlas of Impunity, an annual index published by the Eurasia Group, that tracks accountability across 170 countries. The data shows not only extreme cases of impunity in war-torn regions but also surprising results in advanced democracies like Canada, the US, and Nordic countries. Still, there are some signs of progress. For Miliband, the challenge is clear: it will take a massive push from governments, civil society, brave civilians, journalists and human rights advocates to reverse the retreat of accountability and uphold basic principles of human rights.
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
What (or who) will replace USAID?
As Washington pulls back from its decades-long role as the world’s leading aid donor, the humanitarian system is facing what David Miliband calls a “very big shock.” On GZERO World, the International Rescue Committee president and CEO tells Ian Bremmer that the US has historically been the anchor of the global aid system, contributing nearly $4 out of every $10 aid dollar. But amid the cancellation of USAID and a dramatic pullback in foreign funding, vital programs are now closing and the impacts are being felt all over the world.
Who–or what–could step in to fill the gap? Miliband says China isn’t interested in large-scale humanitarian aid, focused instead on economic development though initiatives like Belt and Road. Europe, meanwhile, is stretched thin by war in Ukraine and pandemic debt. The Gulf States and Japan are debating their role, but the scale of US funding remains unmatched. The result, Miliband argues, is “sucking sound” of money leaving the system, leaving the world’s poorest to pay the price.
“The US was the anchor of the global aid system,” Miliband explains, “When you pull an anchor in choppy waters, the boat rocks and the passengers get seasick. That’s what’s happening at the moment.”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube. Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
The global refugee crisis is at breaking point
The global refugee population is at historic highs, driven by war in Ukraine, violence in Sudan, state collapse in Venezuela, Taliban rule in Afghanistan, and a worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza. On GZERO World, David Miliband, president & CEO of the International Rescue Committee joins Ian Bremmer to discuss the refugee crisis, the rise of forcibly displaced people around the world, and the crumbling humanitarian aid system amid the cancellation of USAID. What happens when the poorest countries are left to solve the hardest problems? And who–if anyone–is stepping up to help?
Miliband says that in 20 countries in crisis, there are more than 275 million people in humanitarian need, people that depend on international aid and organizations like the IRC to survive. There have been some recent positive developments—hundreds of thousands of refugees returning to Syria after the fall of the Assad regime, the potential for progress in the Eastern DRC, new technologies improving aid delivery. Still, Miliband says the world is facing a humanitarian crisis of historic proportions and unless the international community steps up, tens of millions will suffer.
“We face a new abnormal. 10 years ago, there were 50 to 60 million internally displaced people and refugees. Now, there's 120 million,” Miliband says, “The scale of impunity, the loss of international engagement is epic.”
GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, the award-winning weekly global affairs series, airs nationwide on US public television stations (check local listings).
New digital episodes of GZERO World are released every Monday on YouTube.Don't miss an episode: subscribe to GZERO's YouTube channel and turn on notifications (🔔). GZERO World with Ian Bremmer airs on US public television weekly - check local listings.
Earthquakes expose political and humanitarian challenges in Turkey and Syria
In a recent episode of GZERO World, the International Rescue Committee's President and CEO, David Miliband, sheds light on the immense challenges of delivering aid in the aftermath of the deadly earthquakes that rocked Turkey and Syria. With the northwest of Syria controlled by armed opposition groups, aid delivery remains a hurdle that needs to be overcome urgently.
Miliband highlights the compounded crises in Syria, with inadequate medical care, cholera outbreaks, freezing temperatures, and ongoing border skirmishes threatening the survival of the population. He notes, "Hope is hard to find if you live there."
The political repercussions of the earthquakes are already being felt in Turkey, with citizens demanding accountability for lax building standards and corrupt permit systems. Miliband draws parallels to the 1999 earthquake, which saw accusations of corruption and the ousting of the prime minister. He predicts that the government's response to the disaster will be a hot-button issue in the upcoming election.
But it's not just about politics. The migrant crisis is an urgent humanitarian issue, with Miliband emphasizing the need for fair and humane treatment of those who have been driven from their homes. As he puts it, "We need to fulfill legal as well as moral obligations."
Note: This interview appeared in a GZERO World episode on March 6, 2023: Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
Northwest Syria's aid dilemma: the aftermath of devastating earthquakes
The two devastating earthquakes that hit Turkey near the Syrian border on February 6 have exacerbated the already-difficult challenge of getting humanitarian aid into a region plagued by conflict and political instability. In an interview with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, David Miliband, explains how aid delivery remains a challenge in northwest Syria, which is controlled by armed opposition group.
Although two new cross-border points opened after the earthquake, the IRC hasn't seen an increase in aid flows.“It's still very tough to get aid across the border," says Miliband. Humanitarian assistance for northwest Syria needs to travel across the border with Turkey because aid sent directly to Damascus stays with President Bashar al-Assad's government. Miliband notes that the situation was already dire in the region before the earthquakes, and the disaster has only compounded the crisis in Syria, with a lack of adequate medical care, cholera outbreaks, and freezing temperatures posing major risks to the population.
The overall politics of the region, which is still recovering from the decade-long Syrian Civil War, also remain dire. Northwest Syria was a conflict zone as recently as January, and 150 civilians were killed last year in border skirmishes.
“If you live there, it's very hard for people to keep any hope at all,” says Miliband.
Watch the GZERO World episode: Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
How Turkey's earthquake may shape the future of its democracy
The earthquake in Turkey has sparked a fiery debate about corruption and poor governance in the country. On GZERO World, Ian Bremmer talks to David Miliband, the President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, about the political implications of this disaster.
In the weeks following the earthquake, there's been a lot of public critisim of Turkey's building standards and accusations of corruption in the country's construction permit system. Miliband acknowledges that he is not an expert in structural engineering, but points out that the Turkish government's poor handling of the aftermath of a devastating 1999 earthquake led to the ouster of the prime minister.
Miliband describes the situation as an "absolute meltdown of the urban environment,” causing “a lot of anger” and grief. He predicts that the earthquake response will impact Turkey's upcoming election, but with 10 million lives upended in the quake, it's difficult to predict how they will “vote and participate.”
Miliband believes the response will focus on "survival, recovery, and blame," and "that's going to play out in technicolor in Turkey."
Watch the GZERO World episode: Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
Challenge of survival/Problem of governance: Aid for Turkey & Syria
The recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria have highlighted the challenges of providing aid in a region plagued by conflict and political instability. In conversation with Ian Bremmer on GZERO World, the International Rescue Committee's President and CEO, David Miliband, explains that aid delivery remains a challenge, particularly in the northwest of Syria controlled by armed opposition groups.
The earthquake has compounded the ongoing crises in Syria, as lack of adequate medical care, cholera outbreaks, freezing temperatures, and continued border skirmishes pose major risks to the population. Miliband notes, “If you live there, it's very hard for people to keep any hope at all.”
The critical task now is to scale up the delivery of aid to those still desperately in need in Turkey and Syria.
The disaster is quickly becoming a political issue in Turkey, as people accuse the government of lax building standards and corrupt permit systems. Although Miliband is no expert in structural engineering, he brings up Turkey's recovery after a devasting earthquake in 1999, which was plagued with accusations of corruption and led to the outster of the prime minister. Miliband predicts that the earthquake response will influence Turkey's upcoming election, adding to the political heat.
The migrant crisis is also a complex and pressing issue, with Miliband emphasizing the need to “balance fairness with humanity and fulfill legal as well as moral obligations for people who have been driven from their homes.”
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Migrants walk along a railway line after they have crossed the border from Serbia into Hungary.
Podcast: Survival is success: IRC’s David Miliband responds to “double crisis” in Turkey & Syria
Listen: As the world watches the aftermath of the recent earthquakes in Turkey and Syria, we are confronted with a sobering reality: delivering aid in a region rife with conflict and political instability is an immense challenge. On the GZERO World podcast, Ian Bremmer and David Miliband, President and CEO of the International Rescue Committee, discuss the dire situation in Turkey and Syria —especially in the northwest of Syria, where delivering aid remains an uphill battle.
As if the pre-existing crisis wasn't enough, the earthquakes have worsened the situation, leaving people without medical care as the region deals with a deadly cholera outbreak and freezing winter temperatures. Meanwhile, in Turkey, the earthquake has sparked a debate about corruption and poor governance, with the response likely to become a major issue in the upcoming election. Right now, the most urgent need is ensuring aid and humanitarian assistance continue to reach the people who desperately need it.
Adding to the urgency is the ongoing refugee crisis in the Turkey and throughout Europe. Miliband gives his prescription for the four elements of fair migration and stresses the urgency of "balancing fairness and humanity by fulfilling legal and moral obligations" towards those who have been displaced from their homes.
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