Concerned about President Donald Trump’s decision to suspend USAID payments, an international committee of jurists is urging the European Union to take over as the world’s leading provider of development assistance.
Heading a collective of more than sixty organisations, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) is aiming an urgent call to action at the EU, in response to President Trump’s decision on January 20th to suspend US foreign aid for a minimum of 90 days.
The commission laments the “devastating” consequences of such a decision, citing
the closure of clinics, the suspension of life-saving disease treatment programmes, the disruption of human rights and rule of law initiatives, and a funding crisis for NGOs worldwide.
The commission’s concern is evident on a practical level and, above all, an ideological level. According to them, cuts in US funding will particularly target organisations that perform abortions or provide “essential sexual and reproductive health services.”
The shortfall created by the withdrawal of American capital must be made up, says the commission—which wants the EU to take over from the U.S. as the leading provider of foreign aid—in the name of its fight for “democracy, human rights, global health, and humanitarian assistance.” According to the ICJ, this is a historic opportunity to strengthen the EU’s leadership as a “global guardian of democracy” and thus consolidate its international credibility. Any retreat by the EU would be perceived as encouraging authoritarian regimes to establish their international influence.
The commission unveils a whole set of recommendations for Brussels to follow. It is a question of finding the missing funds, but above all, of directing them once they have been gathered in the ‘right’ direction, such as a second recommendation to:
Prioritise funding for sectors most affected, including reproductive rights, gender equality, and LGBTIQ rights.
In the full text of the press release, we also learn that the withdrawal of U.S. funds represents a weakening of the “independent” media and a threat “to transparency, access to information and media plurality.” It is quite striking to see how U.S. interference is welcome—as long as it goes in the right ideological direction.
Donors supporting the ICJ include—unsurprisingly—the Open Society Foundations: the network of foundations supported by progressive billionaire George Soros.
