Recently European leaders as Juncker or Merkel has stressed the fact that after the withdrawal of US from Iran Deal the European Union must take action under a new framework. This decision comes after several steps taken from the American Administration to impose a strategic line against any attempt towards negotiation with Middle East or/and be part of global agreements.
For those leaders and countries that believe on international agreements and are committed to respect them, SDG16 supposes an steady work on peace building that has as a main pillar the reshape of institutions and by sure, the own fair relationship with their partners. Is in this context that SDG 17 acquires a new dimension that should be taken into account for the EU on their political relations.
As clearly identified by European leaders, US is not a partner anymore, although we could expect that in certain and very specific situations it could be possible to make a bilateral agreement, but not much more than that.
An isolationist strategy focused on breaking international agreements, having Israel as main –maybe only- partner, making “political friendship” and “Make America 1st” is not in line with an European and global perspective under the framework of a revolutionary focus marked by the SDG´s.
The EU must lead a new process by integrating more countries and building new bridges with Asia and Latin America on an attempt to implement the SDG´s on a global basis. For achieving those goals an innovative work on Diplomacy is strongly needed and a new framework of cooperation and international relations should give path to current predominant role of US.
A country that is not showing capacity to negotiate or even keep promises is not a reliable partner anymore and may affect current agreements including TPP. The political goals of US are not the one that the European Union or the rest of the ffinternational community aim to. In fact recent inauguration of US embassy in Jerusalem exposure clearly that building bridges around peace and commitment with SDG 16 is not a priority for US. Indeed, their hidden interests with Israel go beyond the fulfillment of global values but to bilateral interests.
The agenda is more than evident and if US decide it to give their back to the rest of the world it doesn’t mean that the international community should accompanied this selfish step towards bilateralism, violation of international agreements and complete break with global institutions and law framework.
Is under this circumstances that the reshape of global institutions -particularly the European Union- becomes paramount. A solid decentralization of the bureaucratic apparatus created by the European Union becomes essential for gaining trust, confidence and credibility from European citizens*. Going to the roots of the own existence of the Union that is citizens will to belong and remain united. There relies the legitimacy, strength and power of the structure to continue moving forward and leading a process in which they need to look for new partners under a brand new global order.
International relations are changing dramatically under this new boost from US which supposes drawing a new map based on the pursue of SDG´s by strong and new international links, global citizens joint action and a reshape of global institutions.
New innovative bridges should be built as this “Lucy Knot bridge in China – and new perspectives and agreements done for achieving a new wave of geopolitical relations that tend to stability and not to break the world into several pieces of a chaotic puzzle of confrontation.