Source: Radio New Zealand
Helen Clark said the US pulling out of 66 international organisations was a “troubling move”. AFP / Kena Betancur
A former head of the United Nations Development Programme is concerned that Donald Trump may set a precedent for other countries.
The President has signed a memorandum ordering the withdrawal of the United States from 66 international organisations.
These include the Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Democracy Fund, and nearly 30 other United Nations agencies.
Helen Clark, who was also the Prime Minister from 1999 to 2008, said it was a very troubling move.
“It is an assault on the international system of cooperation, which has been painstakingly built up over many, many decades,” she said.
Clark was concerned that other countries, which were like-minded with the current United States administration, would also withdraw.
However, Clark did not expect New Zealand to be one of them, as the country had always stood for multilateralism.
“I do think New Zealand, and other like-minded countries, do need to be thinking about their positioning, because to say nothing when there is a comprehensive assault on the international system is not a good position to be in.”
Clark said the Framework Convention on Climate Change was ratified by the United States Senate back in 1992.
“It’s not clear that President Trump can simply withdraw from it, and this will no doubt be litigated within the United States.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
