Yesterday's "global" #COVID19 vaccine telethon conference had an impressive list of participants.
But the list of attendees also highlights a core lesson of international relations: "Achieving cooperation in world politics is difficult"
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But the list of attendees also highlights a core lesson of international relations: "Achieving cooperation in world politics is difficult"
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As for the vaccine conference, note the non-participants, namely he United States
@mcopelov aptly pointed out how this isn't the first time in history the US has sat on the sidelines of an international cooperation attempt
As @RobinNiblett of @ChathamHouse remarked in the above @nytimes piece:
"The United States is led by a president who embodies the US's most basic instincts -- sovereign above all. Any international cooperation he engages in needs to be very firmly in the interests of USA"
"The United States is led by a president who embodies the US's most basic instincts -- sovereign above all. Any international cooperation he engages in needs to be very firmly in the interests of USA"
That statement echoes a point I made in @DuckofMinerva: when it comes to international cooperation, 🇺🇸 has historically been very, well, "self-obsessed"
duckofminerva.com/2019/03/asshol…
duckofminerva.com/2019/03/asshol…
And this is a long practiced tendency by the US.
Consider the observation made by Colonel House when he met with the European allies in the fall of 1917 (as the US was starting to send troops and material to Europe during WWI)
Consider the observation made by Colonel House when he met with the European allies in the fall of 1917 (as the US was starting to send troops and material to Europe during WWI)
He observed:
"There is but little coordination anywhere between the [European] Allies. Jealousies are everywhere rife. None of them at heart like one another, and I doubt whether any of them like us.”
"There is but little coordination anywhere between the [European] Allies. Jealousies are everywhere rife. None of them at heart like one another, and I doubt whether any of them like us.”
But the US wasn't the only major power absent. Also missing? Russia
This is consistent with a point I raised about Russia's general response to #COVID19
This is consistent with a point I raised about Russia's general response to #COVID19
What about China? Their ambassador to the EU was there, but China made no pledges (and apparently had to be persuaded to attend)
theguardian.com/world/2020/may…
theguardian.com/world/2020/may…
Also absent was India: a major emerging power and a country that could be highly vulnerable to the virus
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…
telegraph.co.uk/global-health/…
Aside from the non-participation of major powers, there is also the question of what will happen to the pledged money:
- Will the countries follow through?
- Will the money actually be shared?
- What if one country's labs develop a vaccine? Will IT be shared?
- Will the countries follow through?
- Will the money actually be shared?
- What if one country's labs develop a vaccine? Will IT be shared?
Those are tough questions and the prospects of "vaccine nationalism" remain real...even for those countries who DID participate in the conference.
Just the latest example of "The Power Politics of Pandemics"
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Just the latest example of "The Power Politics of Pandemics"
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