NewzIntel.com

Category: Americas

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign trade grows despite headwinds

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    An aerial drone photo shows the China-Kazakhstan (Lianyungang) Logistics Cooperation Base in Lianyungang, east China’s Jiangsu Province, July 25, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Continuous innovation, global expansion and industrial upgrade will empower Chinese companies to counter rising protectionism and geopolitical tensions this year, driving foreign trade growth and reinforcing China’s global competitiveness, said market observers and exporters.

    Despite challenges, China’s foreign trade remains resilient, adapting to an increasingly complex global landscape shaped by the United States’ new tariff policies, supply chain disruptions, and regulatory uncertainties in certain countries, they added.

    Zhang Xiaotao, dean of the School of International Trade and Economics at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, said that as a major player in global trade, China has accumulated extensive experience in navigating international political and economic shifts over the past decade.

    “Foreign trade companies have already seen positive results from their strategic adjustments to tackle headwinds, including building new factories and overseas warehouses in countries such as Thailand, Hungary, the U.S. and Brazil, as well as increasing investment in research and development,” Zhang said.

    Denis Depoux, global managing director at German management consultancy Roland Berger, said that China is now increasingly recognized for its high-value, technologically advanced products, including electric vehicles, solar cells and liquefied natural gas carriers, as it moves up the value chain to drive export growth.

    Chinese companies exporting high-value products include Narwal, a manufacturer of household robots based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province. The company saw the number of its export markets expand from less than 10 in 2023 to over 30 last year, covering multiple regions and countries including North America, Europe, Australia and Japan.

    “We will continue to invest in multiple fields such as 3D perception, artificial intelligence solutions, binocular vision technologies and big data applications to win more orders,” said Zhang Junbin, the company’s founder.

    Li Lizhong, sales director at Zhejiang Yueli Electrical Co, a home appliances manufacturer based in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, said the company’s personal care products, such as hair dryers and curling irons, previously targeted the U.S. and Western Europe markets.

    “However, our exports to these traditional markets have been impacted by the U.S. tariff hike and the Russia-Ukraine conflict in recent years,” he said, adding that the company has launched more intelligent, eco-friendly home appliances to expand into markets in Central and Eastern Europe, and economies participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

    Data from Ningbo Customs showed that Zhejiang Yueli’s hair dryer exports reached 602 million yuan ($82.4 million) in 2024, marking a 6.3 percent year-on-year increase, while the company’s exports in this category to Central and Eastern Europe totaled 45.46 million yuan, up 39.2 percent compared with 2023.

    Li said the increasing penetration of the internet in Central and Eastern Europe has allowed e-commerce to expand at a remarkable pace in countries such as Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania. The company’s cross-border e-commerce exports emerged as a key growth driver after it deployed resources in this business segment in the region, he added.

    As China continued to enhance its high-value export portfolio and deepen its market presence in emerging economies, the nation’s foreign trade rose 5 percent year-on-year to reach a record high of 43.85 trillion yuan in 2024, according to the General Administration of Customs.

    Meanwhile, China’s mechanical and electrical product exports grew 8.7 percent year-on-year, accounting for 59.4 percent of the country’s total exports. Last year, the country’s EV exports rose 13.1 percent compared with 2023, while its 3D printer exports increased 32.8 percent and industrial robot exports surged 45.2 percent.

    Lan Qingxin, a professor at the School of International Trade and Economics of the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said the restructuring of global supply chains and protectionist moves in certain countries have pushed Chinese companies to adapt and leverage their strong manufacturing and technological capabilities.

    By responding innovatively to these changes, the companies can meet market needs in other emerging economies, thereby enhancing their competitiveness and expanding their global presence, said Lan.

    A Chinese business delegation, organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade, departed on Monday for Kazakhstan to explore new opportunities for economic and trade exchanges.

    During the four-day trip, the delegation, comprising representatives of more than 30 Chinese companies across industries such as petrochemicals and machinery manufacturing, hopes to sign several cooperation agreements and foster mutually beneficial outcomes.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: AFSCME’s Saunders: Federal workers protect the public. That’s why they’re under attack.

    Source: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Union

    WASHINGTON – AFSCME President Lee Saunders released the following statement after President Trump signed an Executive Order directing DOGE to slash the federal workforce:

    “It is unsurprising that an administration run by billionaires is eliminating oversight and firing dedicated federal workers. They know federal workers protect the public against corporate abuse and won’t allow them to use taxpayer dollars as their own personal slush fund. So, instead of trying to improve the lives of working people, they are creating a staffing crisis in the public service that hurts children, seniors, people with disabilities, working people and those most vulnerable. We won’t stand for it, and we will keep fighting back.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: China is committed to dialogue, ‘not throwing gas on the fire’, Foreign Minister Wang says

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Wang Yi, the Foreign Minister of China reiterated on Saturday his country’s commitment to playing a constructive role and engaging in mediation for peace, not exploiting volatile situations for “selfish gains”.

    To that end, China, jointly with Brazil and other countries of the Global South, launched a Group of Friends for Peace, he said in his address the UN General Assembly.

    “Its very purpose is to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, build consensus for a political settlement of the crisis and contribute to a prospect of peace,” the Minister said.

    He noted that the question of Palestine is the “biggest wound” to the human conscience.

    The ongoing conflict in Gaza is causing more casualties with each passing day, he said, adding that fighting has started again in Lebanon.

    “But might cannot replace justice. Palestine’s long held aspiration to establish an independent state should not be shunned anymore, and the historical injustice suffered by the Palestinian people should not be ignored anymore.”

    The Foreign Minister also noted China’s partnerships with African nations as well as with some least developed countries (LDCs), while highlighting its opposition to unilateral coercive measures, such as sanctions and blockades, and disruption of supply chains.

    “Sanctions and pressure will not bring monopolistic advantages. Suppressing and containing others will not solve problems at home. The right of people of all countries to pursue a better life should not be taken away,” he said, calling on the United States to completely lift its blockade, sanctions and terrorism related designation against Cuba.

    Mr. Wang also emphasized China’s commitment to a “path of green, low-carbon, and sustainable development”.

    “We will move from carbon peaking to carbon neutrality in the shortest time span in world history, contributing China’s efforts to harmonious coexistence between humanity and nature at the global level,” he said.

    He also highlighted that the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities must be upheld, and that the Paris Agreement on climate change must be implemented in earnest.  

    Developed countries should also assist developing nations in building their capacity to cope with climate change, he added.

    Foreign Minister Wang further highlighted China’s support for UN reform and modernization, as well as for international financial systems to be fit for current times. China would also continue fulfil its obligations, providing financial support and qualified human resources.

    He urged the Organization to “respond to the legitimate calls” of developing countries and increase the representation and voice of those in the Global South.

    Concluding his address, Mr. Wang said next year will mark the 80th anniversary of end of World War II and the founding of the United Nations.

    “China stands ready to work with all countries to renew the founding purposes and mission of the UN, reaffirm our steadfast commitment to the UN Charter, advocate and practice true multilateralism, build a community with a shared future for mankind, and jointly usher in a better world.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Violations of UN Charter and international law now ‘facts of life’, Cuban Foreign Minister says

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    The Foreign Minister of Cuba expressed solidarity with the Palestinian people, and highlighted global challenges such as wealth inequality, climate financing and debt relief, in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Saturday.

    Bruno Eduardo Rodríguez Parrilla said the Israeli army has “massacred” over 40,000 civilians in Gaza over the past 11 months. He also paid tribute to the more than 220 UN staff killed in the conflict.

    “The genocide against the Palestinian people must end unconditionally and without further delay,” he said.

    Addressing the risk of escalation, he said that “Israel, with the complicity of the United States, has brought the world to the brink of a major world conflict”, adding that “the irresponsible aggression against Lebanon, Syria, Iran and the people of the Middle East will have consequences that are hard to predict.”

    Mr. Rodríguez Parrilla stated that nearly 80 years after the UN’s establishment, “the continued violations of the United Nations Charter and international law, aggressions, interference in the internal affairs of States, and the imposition of unilateral coercive measures for political purposes, have become facts of life.”

    Global peace and security are being undermined by “aggressive expansionist and supremacist military doctrines of domination”.

    He said world military expenditure continued to increase for a ninth consecutive year, reaching $2.44 trillion in 2023 – a figure that also includes the development of new nuclear weapons.

    He warned that there will be no peace without development, yet “developed countries, which inhabit the very same planet, blindly refuse to invest even minimally in its prosperity and security.”

    Furthermore, “the aspiration of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) has vanished”, he continued, noting that the collective wealth of the world’s five richest people has increased while five billion globally continue to live in poverty.

    “With a tax on the wealth of billionaires, two billion people could be brought out of poverty,” Mr. Rodríguez Parrilla said.

    Turning to the climate emergency, he recalled that scientists reported in July that the planet had experienced 13 consecutive months of record high temperatures.

    “If irrational and unsustainable production and consumption patterns of capitalism are not changed in an urgent and significant way, it will be impossible to limit the global average temperature increase by 1.5 degrees Celsius in comparison with pre-industrial levels,” he said.

    He expressed hope that governments meeting at the UN COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan this November will adopt a new climate financing goal.

    Richer countries “will have a new possibility to begin closing the climate finance gap and pay their financing debts”, while developing nations “will have to design a sufficient goal that responds to our own needs, with guarantees for development and social justice.”

    He said the solution will inevitably have to include the write-off of foreign debt, “which has already been paid several times over”.

    Mr. Rodríguez Parrilla called for a “fair, democratic international order” which, among other points, “guarantees the general good and prosperity of all peoples in harmony with nature, and the sustainable management of natural resources to ensure the exercise of all human rights for all people”.

    The Foreign Minister also addressed the United States’s nearly 65-year trade and economic embargo against Cuba, which has caused “visible and undeniable” damage and impacted the daily life of the population.

    Meanwhile, the inclusion of the Caribbean Island in a US State Department list of countries that allegedly sponsor terrorism is “a fraudulent designation, void of any international authority or mandate”. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Venezuela: UN rights office describes pervasive ‘climate of fear’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    The UN human rights office, OHCHR, reiterated deep concerns on Tuesday over the continuing “climate of fear” in Venezuela, after an arrest warrant was issued for the opposition’s presidential candidate in the country’s recent election.

    “It is a climate of fear in the country at the moment. We are urging the government to ensure that all steps are taken in line with international human rights law with transparency and that steps are taken to resolve this dispute peacefully,” OHCHR spokesperson Ravina Shamdasani told journalists in Geneva.

    The alert is just the latest of many warnings from the UN, top independent rights experts and independent investigators appointed by the Human Rights Council over the violent repression of dissenting voices in the South American country.

    “People are being detained for expressing their right to political participation, for their freedom of expression, for freedom of assembly,” Ms. Shamdasani said, a day after the authorities called for the detention of Edmundo Gonzalez.

    His campaign proved unsuccessful against President Nicolas Maduro who was announced the winner of the July election, a result contested by opposition supporters who have questioned the absence of voting numbers to back up the victory from official electoral authorities.

    Polling result query

    According to news reports, Mr. Gonzalez’s arrest followed publication by his camp of granular polling data indicating that he had won the election easily. He stands accused of numerous crimes including falsifying documents.

    Although the UN human rights office does not have a presence in Venezuela, Ms. Shamdasani noted that OHCHR still has had “contact” and “engagement” with the authorities in Caracas, amid street protests and online criticism following the election result, which returned Mr. Maduro to power.

    “We still put our concerns to them; we are continuing to urge…all parties to resolve all electoral disputes by peaceful means and there needs to be a climate where there is a full protection of the human rights of all individuals regardless of their political affiliation,” Ms. Shamdasani insisted.

    State-sponsored violence

    According to the Human Rights Council-appointed Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela, the election protests were met with “fierce repression by the State, as directed by its highest authorities, inducing a climate of widespread fear. The Mission has recorded 23 deaths, the vast majority caused by gunfire, between 28 July and 8 August in the context of the protests. In 18 of these cases, the victims were men under the age of 30.”

    Echoing those concerns last month, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, noted that more 2,400 people have been arrested in Venezuela since 29 July, following the Presidential elections.

    “It is especially troubling that so many people are being detained, accused or charged either with incitement to hatred or under counterterrorism legislation. Criminal law must never be used to limit unduly the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and association,” the High Commissioner said. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Venezuela: Rights probe points to ‘unprecedented’ repression

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Johnson

    Human Rights

    Violence used against opponents of the Venezuelan authorities has reached unprecedented levels, a top independent human rights probe alleged on Tuesday, citing arrests, sexual abuse and torture as just some of the methods used by the Government of President Nicolas Maduro to stay in power.

    In a new report, the Human Rights Council-mandated investigators described how security forces had raided dozens of homes of suspected critics of the Government “just using social media videos as the only evidence to arrest people”.

    Violence and threats

    Victims’ testimonies gathered either side of the disputed Presidential election on 28 July which returned Mr. Maduro to office for the third time pointed to “one of the most acute human rights crises in recent history”, the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission on Venezuela further maintained.

    Speaking to journalists in Geneva, Marta Valiñas, Chair of the investigation, insisted that that its latest findings were “overwhelming: not only have there been no improvements, but the violations have intensified, reaching unprecedented levels of violence”.

    The independent rights expert described “an intensification of the State’s repressive machinery” with regard to its critics which represented “a continuation of previous patterns” that the independent rights panel had already condemned as likely crimes against humanity.

    Following the re-election of Mr. Maduro – whose victory announcement prompted widespread protests across Venezuela – Ms. Valiñas said that the probe had confirmed 25 fatalities.

    Grisly findings

    Most of the victims were “young people under 30 years old from popular neighbourhoods. There are two children among them,” she said. One of the deceased was a member of the Bolivarian National Guard, Ms. Valiñas noted, before adding that 24 “died from gunshot wounds [and] the other was beaten to death”.

    The fact-finding mission’s latest report examines the human rights situation in Venezuela between September 2023 and August 2024. It points to a further deterioration of the rule of law following the presidential elections, while public authorities “have abandoned all semblance of independence”, leaving citizens “helpless” against the “arbitrary exercise” of power.

    “We documented more than 40 cases in which the security forces entered private homes without warrants, just using social media videos as the only evidence to arrest people who they thought had participated in protests or who had expressed criticism in social media,” explained Francisco Cox Vial, Member of the fact-finding mission that was created by the Human Rights Council in 2019.

    Children among those arrested

    According to the independent investigators, more than 120 people were arrested in July in the context of opposition campaign events. In the first week of protests following the elections, based on figures released by the authorities, more than 2,000 people were detained.

    Individuals included more than 100 children, some with disabilities, who faced accusations of terrorism and incitement to hatred and serious violations of due process, the investigators added.

    “Of the people detained in this period, many were subjected to torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment, as well as sexual violence which was perpetrated against women and girls, but also against men with reported electric shocks, beating with blunt objects, suffocation with plastic bags, immersion in cold water and forced sleep deprivation,” said Patricia Tappatá Valdez, member of the fact-finding mission.

    “We had been able to verify that at least 143 of these arrests involved members of seven opposition parties, including 66 leaders of political movements,” she noted.

    According to the rights probe, from December 2023 to March 2024, at least 48 people were detained on the grounds of “so-called conspiracy theories” against the Government, with arrest warrants issued for others. The individuals included military personnel, human rights defenders, journalists and political opposition representatives, the fact-finding mission said.

    “We cannot ignore that these violations represent a clear and deliberate line of conduct by the authorities of politically motivated persecution,” said Mr. Cox Vial. “We have come to the conclusion that many of these allegations constitute crimes against humanity.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The climate crisis: 5 things to watch out for in 2025

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Conor Lennon

    Climate and Environment

    The Amazonian city of Belém, Brazil, will be the global focus of efforts to tackle the climate crisis in November 2025, when it hosts one of the most significant UN climate conferences in recent years. 

    However, throughout the years there will be plenty of opportunities to make important progress on several climate-related issues, from the staggering levels of plastic pollution to financing the shift to a cleaner global economy.

    1 Can we keep 1.5 alive?

    “Keep 1.5 alive” has been the UN’s rallying cry for a number of years, a reference to the goal of ensuring that average global temperatures don’t soar beyond 1.5 degrees higher than pre-industrial levels. The scientific consensus is that a lack of action would have catastrophic consequences, not least for the so-called “frontline States”, such as developing island nations which could disappear under the ocean, as sea levels rise.

    © UNICEF/Lasse Bak Mejlvang

    A man fishes sitting on sandbags which protect the Pacific Ocean island nation Tuvalu against sea erosion.

    At COP30, the UN climate conference scheduled to take place between 10 and 21 November 2025, mitigation (in other words, actions and policies designed to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to rising temperatures) is likely to a key focus.

    The nations of the world will arrive with upgraded, more ambitious commitments to lowering greenhouse gases. This is both a recognition that existing pledges are wholly inadequate, in terms of getting temperatures down, and part of the deal that Member States signed up to in 2015 at the Paris COP (nations are expected to “ratchet up” their commitments every five years. The last time this happened was at the 2021 Glasgow COP, delayed by one year because of the COVID-19 pandemic).

    2 Protecting nature

    Holding COP30 in the Amazonian rainforest region of Brazil is of symbolic importance. It harks back to the early days of international attempts to protect the environment: the pivotal “Earth Summit”, which led to the establishment of three environmental treaties on climate change, biodiversity, and desertification, took place in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro in 1992.

    © Unsplash/Sreenivas

    A parrot stands on a tree branch in Maharashtra, India.

    The location also highlights the role that nature has to play in the climate crisis. The rainforest is a massive “carbon sink”, a system that sucks up and stores CO2, a greenhouse gas, and prevents it from entering the atmosphere, where it contributes to warming.

    Unfortunately, rainforests and other “nature-based solutions” face threats from human development, such as illegal logging which has devastated huge swathes of the region. The UN will continue efforts begun in 2024 to improve the protection of the rainforest and other ecosystems, at biodiversity talks due to be resumed in Rome in February.

    3 Who’s going to pay for all this?

    Finance has long been a thorny issue in international climate negotiations. Developing countries argue that wealthy nations should contribute far more towards projects and initiatives that will enable them to move away from fossil fuels, and power their economies on clean energy sources. The pushback from the rich countries is that fast-growing economies such as China, which is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, should also pay their share.

    © UNFCCC/Habib Samadov

    Activists protest against fossil fuels at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan.

    At COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, a breakthrough of sorts was made, with the adoption of an agreement to triple the amount of climate finance paid to developing countries, to $300 billion per year, by 2035. The deal is a definite step forward, but the final sum is far less than the $1.3 trillion that climate experts say these countries need in order to adapt to the crisis.

    Expect more progress to be made on financing in 2025, at a summit in Spain at the end of June. The Financing for Development conferences only take place once every 10 years, and next year’s edition is being billed as an opportunity to make radical changes to the international financial architecture. Environmental and climate concerns will be raised, and potential solutions such as green taxation, carbon pricing and subsidies will all be on the table.

    4 Laying down the law

    When the attention of the International Court of Justice turned to climate change in December, it was hailed as a landmark moment with regards to States’ legal obligations under international law.

    © UNDP/Silke von Brockhausen

    Vanuatu often experiences destructive extreme weather, such as typhoons, which are being exacerbated by climate change.

    Vanuatu, a Pacific island state particularly vulnerable to the crisis, asked the court for an advisory position, in order to clarify the obligations of States with regard to climate change, and inform any future judicial proceedings.

    Over a two-week period, 96 countries and 11 regional organizations took part in public hearings before the Court, including Vanuatu and a group of other Pacific islands States, and major economies including China and the USA.

    The ICJ will deliberate for several months before delivering its advisory opinion on the subject. Although this opinion will be non-binding, it is expected to guide future international climate law.

    5 Plastic pollution

    UN-convened talks on getting to grips with the global epidemic of plastic pollution edged closer to a deal during negotiations in Busan, South Korea.

    Some key advances were made during the November 2024 talks – the fifth round of negotiations following the 2022 UN Environment Assembly resolution calling for an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment.

    Agreement on three pivotal areas needs to be ironed: plastic products, including the issue of chemicals; sustainable production and consumption; and financing.

    UNDP India

    Plastic bottles are collected for recycling in India.

    Member States are now charged with finding political solutions to their differences before the resumed session begins, and with landing a final deal that addresses the full lifecycle of plastics and delivers on the growing global momentum to end plastic pollution.

    “It is clear that the world still wants and demands an end to plastic pollution,” said UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Executive Director Inger Andersen. “We need to ensure we craft an instrument that hits the problem hard instead of punching below its potential weight. I call on all Member States to lean in.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Risch, King, Thompson, Golden Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Future Logging Careers Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho James E Risch
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho) and Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Representatives Glenn “GT” Thompson (R-Pa.) and Jared Golden (D-Maine) introduced the Future Logging Careers Act to support America’s family-run timber industry.
    This legislation would allow teenage members of logging families to gain critical, hands-on experience in the trade so they may carry on the family business. The Future Logging Careers Act would amend the Fair Labor Standards Act to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to work in certain mechanized logging operations under parental supervision. Similar exemptions already exist for farming families.
    “Idaho’s logging industry is rooted in family-run businesses, but current law is preventing them from passing down the trade,” said Risch. “The Future Logging Careers Act empowers timber families to prepare the next generation of loggers to properly manage our forests and support rural economies.”
    “For centuries, logging has been synonymous with the success of Maine — creating good jobs, supporting proud, hard-working families and boosting local rural economies,” said King. “As we prepare for the next generation of Maine loggers, we should provide opportunities for young people to explore this exciting field in a safe and supervised way. The bipartisan Future Logging Careers Act would give aspiring, young loggers the option to jumpstart their career, get valuable hands-on experience, and begin critical training by logging with their parents or grandparents. I’m proud to join my colleagues in working to expand good job opportunities and further build upon our state’s rich forest heritage.”
    “Pennsylvania has long been a leader in the forestry industry, and I have the great privilege of representing numerous family-owned logging businesses,” said Thompson. “By allowing young men and women to work alongside their families in this industry, we’re ensuring that the skills, knowledge, and traditions of logging can be passed down to the next generation.”
    “Maine’s working forests are a distinct part of our identity, thanks to the passionate work of generations today and past,” Golden said. “To carry on that proud tradition, young Mainers need the personal investment that comes only from experiencing something with your own two hands — an opportunity that this bipartisan legislation would finally create.”
    Additional cosponsors of the legislation include U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), and John Cornyn (R-Texas).
    The Future Logging Careers Act has received support from the American Loggers Council and the Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho. 
    “The timber industry is traditionally a multi-generational business where the skills and knowledge are passed on from one generation to the next. This succession process is critical to ensuring that the timber industry infrastructure remains viable to support public and private healthy forest management, rural jobs, wildfire mitigation, and U.S. made forest products. The Future Logging Careers Act will afford the timber industry sector of the agricultural economy the same opportunities and benefits currently extended to the family farm. Workforce development is critical to maintaining the resources necessary to provide the forest management services required to meet the U.S. sustainable healthy forests objectives for today and the future. The American Loggers Council appreciates the bipartisan/bicameral sponsorship of Senator Risch (ID) and Senator King (ME), and Representative Golden (ME) and Representative Thompson (PA), of the Future Logging Careers Act and their continued support of the American timber industry,” said Scott Dane, Executive Director of the American Loggers Council. 
    “We need this today, more than ever. With the modern mechanized logging practices of today, our contractors have invested millions of dollars in machinery which necessitates the need for equipment operators. In Idaho’s Forest Products Industry, like many others, there is a shortage of labor that is having devastating consequences for our members. We are in the process of a workforce development plan to attract, train and retain workers for our industry, but for now, we rely heavily on family. Our sons and daughters grow up in our family logging operations, visit our jobsites often and many develop a love for logging that fills us with pride. By the time they are 16, they are ready and willing to jump in and start working but are hamstrung by an archaic 1938 Law. We then lose our sons and daughters to other occupations where they are allowed to work, and sadly, many don’t return to the family logging businesses. The Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho fully supports theFuture Logging Careers Actand thank Senator Risch for introducing this important legislation,”said Clete Edmunson, Executive Director of the Associated Logging Contractors of Idaho.
    ?

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo, Risch Join REINS Act to Put Power Back in the People’s Hands

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senators Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Jim Risch (R-Idaho) joined in co-sponsoring the Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act to help reduce overly-burdensome major federal rules.
    “While, thankfully, the current Administration is receptive to eliminating over-reaching federal regulation to help American businesses expand and increase jobs, that has not always been the case,” said Crapo.  “We have been working on this legislation for years, and I welcome the reintroduction of the REINS Act that would allow more scrutiny of new regulations and provide cleanup of current overregulation.”
    “Federal bureaucrats and excessive red tape have burdened Idahoans’ lives for too long,” said Risch.  “The REINS Act restores accountability by requiring Congress to review costly regulations and stop bureaucratic overreach.  We must get the federal government out of the way and restore the freedoms guaranteed to Idahoans by the Constitution.”   
    Under the REINS Act, once major rules are drafted, both chambers of Congress would need to approve them and the President sign them into law.  This would satisfy the bicameralism and presentment requirements of the U.S. Constitution.  Currently, federal agency regulations ultimately take effect unless Congress specifically disapproves.
    The bill defines a “major” rule as one that the Office of Management and Budget determines may result in an economic impact of $100 million or greater each year; “a major increase in costs or prices” for American consumers, government agencies, regions, or industries; or “significant adverse effects” on the economy.
    The REINS Act also includes the following changes from the original bill Crapo and Risch co-sponsored in past Congresses:
    New Defense for Individuals: Individuals can argue that the average person would not have known their actions violated federal law if the statute did not clearly state it.
    Right to Sue: People can sue to stop enforcement if an agency implements a major rule without getting congressional approval.
    LIBERTY Act: Agency guidance with an economic impact of $100 million or more needs congressional approval just like major rules.
    Deregulatory Actions Exempted: Agencies do not need congressional approval to withdraw costly or burdensome rules
    Access full bill text HERE.
    Additional co-sponsors include U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Katie Britt (R-Alabama), Ted Budd (R-North Carolina), Kevin Cramer (R-North Dakota), Steve Daines (R-Montana), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), James Lankford (R-Oklahoma), Mike Lee (R-Utah), Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Bernie Moreno (R-Ohio), Rick Scott (R-Florida), Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota), Tim Sheehy (R-Montana), Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) and Eric Schmitt (R-Missouri ).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Colleagues Reintroduce Bill to Boost Broadband Supply Chain

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) reintroduced their bipartisan Network Equipment Transparency (NET) Act to increase broadband supply chain transparency through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make sure federal broadband programs stay on track. 
    “In order to effectively connect our communities, it’s critical that our federal agencies work to address any potential problems that would slow or hinder this process of deployment. I’m proud to join my colleagues in reintroducing the NET Act, which will provide us with another tool to monitor the supply chain so these crucial projects can be executed in a timely manner,” Senator Capito said.
    BACKGROUND:
    Previous supply chain disruptions have delayed broadband infrastructure projects. A lack of transparency into the health of the telecommunications supply chain may contribute to future equipment shortages as federal broadband programs prioritize high-speed, reliable, and accessible networks.
    The Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) invested billions to jumpstart broadband projects nationwide. This bill would help to identify supply chain issues earlier so they can be addressed with less impact on these ongoing projects.
    Specifically, the bill would require the FCC’s Communications Marketplace Report to describe to Congress the impact of supply chain disruptions on the timely completion or deployment of broadband infrastructure projects. 
    Senator Capito previously introduced the NET Act in the 118th Congress. 
    Full text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN Assembly President calls for global unity as high-level debate concludes

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    UN Affairs

    The President of the General Assembly on Monday reminded UN Member States that the Organization’s strength “lies in our diversity” and ability to unite around common goals, as the curtains drew on the 79th session’s high-level debate.

    This year’s general debate opened with Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva addressing UN’s membership.

    Over six days, 190 Member States took to the iconic green marble podium, highlighting the pressing challenges confronting the international community and the need for global unity to overcome. In addition, three Observers also spoke.

    As these leaders addressed global challenges, Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, closed the session with a powerful reminder of the ongoing conflicts and the urgent need for peace.

    Conflicts raging in Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan and Ukraine are unfortunately not an exhaustive list, he said.

    “In the last few days, the world has seen an extremely dramatic escalation of violence between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. That escalation risks causing war in the entire Middle East region.”

    “This must stop, and it must stop now. The world must not allow an all-out war to happen in this volatile region,” he stressed, calling on all parties – Israel, Hamas and Hezbollah – to urgently come to a ceasefire.

    “And for all remaining hostages to be freed immediately and unharmed.”

    Move forward together

    Mr. Yang emphasized that only by working together can the international community confront and overcome the complex and discouraging challenges before it.

    “Only through dialogue, listening, and collective action, can we find solutions that benefit all of us.”

    He emphasized that the theme for the 79th Session – Unity in diversity, for the advancement of peace, sustainable development, and human dignity for everyone, everywhere – is not just a guiding principle, it is a call to action.

    “The theme reminds us that our strength lies in our diversity, and our ability to unite stakeholders around our common goals,” he said.

    “Let us all move forward together with this spirit of unity and shared responsibility. Let us continue our work, with the clear aim of building a peaceful, just, and dignified future for all.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The week the world comes to Manhattan: Looking back at UNGA79

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    Every September when UN Headquarters in New York is swamped – massive motorcades, intense security, snipers on rooftops and world leaders descending along with throngs of diplomats, media and celebrities – it’s not easy to grasp what exactly is going on or what was achieved. 

    Let’s try to unscramble those 10 days for you. This year, some 235 events and hundreds of speakers later, the spotlight was shone on what the world was facing – how to move towards a revamp of an outdated global economic order, forging new pathways to peace, and finding solutions to the growing threat of nuclear war, global public health challenges, climate disruption and dangerous levels of impunity, inequality and uncertainty.

    Kicking off the Summit of the Future (22-23 September) ahead of the General Assembly’s annual high-level week, Secretary-General António Guterres’ clarion call for change made the stakes plain: “We cannot build a future fit for our grandchildren with systems built for our grandparents.” 

    More than 140 leaders spoke in the action-packed gathering while the UN was taken over by youth and civil society. The end-goal? Torchbearers of change trying to chart a course to rejig a UN that can be fit for purpose and ready to meet 21st century challenges with modernized, upgraded institutions that do not reflect the world of 1945.

    The good news is they agreed on a rescue plan to steer the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) back on track, a groundbreaking Pact for the Future that now needs to be implemented. Despite a last-minute challenge from a group of countries opposed to the pact, UN Member States actually inked a deal – and agreed on the need for justice and reform.

    Soundcloud

    The big wins? Economic justice pledges included a promise to overhaul the international financial architecture so that developing countries reeling under a debt burden can begin to invest in development and not be crippled by debt repayments. Security Council reform saw a groundswell of support to expand and balance rights of membership. Strong backing was expressed for Africa to have permanent representation in the Security Council – along with other contenders like Brazil, India, and Japan. South African Prime Minister Cyril Ramaphosa called for the Security Council to be “more representative and inclusive,” noting that Africa and its 1.4 billion people remain excluded from this key decision-making structure.

    A group of experts delivered findings on the critical need to embrace digital innovation and harness how artificialintelligence could transform our world; but equally to close the digital divide and ensure guardrails around a responsible advance for humanity. 

    A Global Digital Compact was agreed, with the aim of opening the doors to a brave, new and accountable digital world order.

    On the sidelines, a dark moment was captured in a conversation on the future of women in Afghanistan – actress Meryl Streep questioned how it was possible that cats and birds had more freedom in the country where girls were banned from education. “A cat may go sit on her front stoop and feel the sun on her face. She may chase a squirrel into the park. A squirrel has more rights than a girl in Afghanistan today because the public parks have been closed to women and girls by the Taliban,” Streep said. “This is a suppression of the natural law.”

    In a devastating testimonial during a ministerial meeting “The Cost of Inaction in Sudan”, Sudanese activist Nisreen al-Saem lamented that the war in her country was a “war on women” and appealed: “Oh, Burhan and Hemediti, we’re tired, unite the Sudanese people and lay down your arms”.

    As the General Assembly began its 79th session, 190 countries out of 193 Member States spoke in what is not a debate at all – but a chance for governments to speak their mind on the state of the world or their region or pressing global problems. Highlighting an ignominious fact, Iceland’s Foreign Minister Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjord Gylfadottir – as one of only 19 women speaking in the hallowed hall – chastised: “I thought we had come further than this.”

    Another female leader, the outspoken premier of Barbados, Mia Mottley, a fierce advocate of the Bridgetown Initiative which aims to kickstart global financial restructuring exhorted global institutions to give developing countries – especially small vulnerable ones – “seats at the tables of decision-making”. 

    The chorus was loud on the need for institutional reform at the UN, stoked by fears of an outdated and archaic institution unable to keep pace with a world that has changed profoundly. 

    If the UN is to become a “central platform for finding common ground” according to the Minister for External Affairs of India, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, “it cannot, by remaining anachronistic.” In his swansong speech, US President Joe Biden reminded fellow leaders: “Never forget we are here to serve the people, not the other way around.” 

    Soundcloud

    The eclipse of multilateralism and international law bubbled up repeatedly – Singapore’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Vivian Balakrishnan, warned that multilateralism is not an option but an existential necessity while Amery Browne, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Trinidad and Tobago wagged his finger at the selective respect for international law.

    A refrain heard repeatedly on the war in Ukraine and Gaza was captured by Denmark’s Foreign Minister, Lars Rasmussen, who worried that the respect for international law is slowly being undermined and flagged that, “Wars of aggression and altering borders is — and should remain — a thing of the past.”

    Many sounded the alarm on the climate-security nexus with President Ramkalawan of the Seychelles flagging this as an existential issue that would plague future generations – a sentiment widely echoed by the young activists who flocked to the UN.

    As nation after nation spoke out about the unimaginable destruction and devastation in Gaza following the terror attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October 2023, and with the drumbeat of war growing in the region, Brazil’s President Luiz Ignacio Lula had warning words: “The right to defense has become the right to vengeance.”  While committing to sending forces to counter the deteriorating security in Haiti, President William Ruto of Kenya regretted that the Charter’s foundations have been shaken. 

    The President of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang pleaded for an end to the spiralling conflict and retribution between Israel and Gaza and a return to a solution grounded in international law for the good of Israelis and Palestinians. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu came to the UN to “set the record straight” in a session that was sparsely attended because of a walkout – but his speech was watched by record numbers online illustrating how the Israeli-Palestinian conflict dominated the discussions.

    The entire General Assembly session was supposed to be about the future, devoted to uplifting commitments to reset the world on the path to sustainable development, to rethink how we can make the world more equitable and efficient, find ways to tackle public health threats like Anti-Microbial Resistance and to showcase how the world can leverage the potential of new technologies. Yet, the focus inevitably ended up on what the Secretary-General called “the purgatory of polarity” and the threat of an “age of impunity.”

    In the spirit of the Pact for Future Generations, heartwarming moments came from youth who showed up for the Action Days and the SDG Media Zone. Sanjana Sanghi, a UN Development Programme climate activist from India, praised the positivity of the younger generation that inspired hope. She summed up the buzz felt around the UN campus: “I am deeply inspired by these young changemakers who are passionately working to address climate issues and secure a sustainable future for everyone.” 

    *This is not an official record. It is a snapshot of this year’s General Assembly High-Level Week.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Turning the tide’ on childhood violence

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Law and Crime Prevention

    More than 100 governments made historic commitments to end childhood violence on Thursday at a landmark event in Bogotá, Colombia.

    Among the pledges, nine countries pledged to ban corporal punishment – an issue that affects three out of every five children regularly in their homes.

    “Despite being highly preventable, violence remains a horrific day to day reality for millions of children around the world – leaving scars that span generations,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General.

    “Today countries made critical pledges that, once enacted, could finally turn the tide on childhood violence,” he added.

    One billion children affected

    Over half of all children aged two to 17 worldwide – some one billion – are estimated to suffer some form of violence, such as child maltreatment (including corporal punishment, the most prevalent form of childhood violence), physical or emotional abuse and sexual violence.

    Some three in five children are regularly punished by physical means in their home, and one in five girls and one in seven boys experience sexual violence.

    For some of these children, violence results in death or serious injury. Every 13 minutes, a child or adolescent dies as a result of homicide – equating to around 40,000 preventable deaths each year. Moreover, violence, often involving firearms or other weapons, is now the leading cause of death among adolescent males.

    For others, experiencing violence has devastating and life-long consequences. These include anxiety and depression, risky behaviours like unsafe sex, smoking and substance abuse and reduced academic achievement.

    Violence against children is also often hidden, with WHO estimates that fewer than half of affected children tell anyone they experienced violence and under 10 per cent receive any help.

    Enacted prevention strategies

    At the Bogotá conference, countries committed to a range of evidence-based strategies aimed at preventing childhood violence.

    Key measures include expanding parenting support programmes to encourage positive, non-violent discipline. School-based programmes targeting bullying and enhancing social skills also play a crucial role in fostering safer learning spaces.

    Additionally, governments pledged to improve child-friendly health and social services to support young survivors, while new digital safety initiatives aim to protect children from online exploitation.

    Research shows that implementing these strategies could reduce violence against children by 20 to 50 per cent, underscoring the importance of these new commitments in turning the tide on childhood violence.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Transnational organised crime: ‘It’s time we pull together to push back’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Law and Crime Prevention

    Marking the inaugural International Day for the Prevention of and Fight against All Forms of Transnational Organised Crime on Friday, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has called for unified global efforts to counter these pervasive threats.

    Proclaimed by the General Assembly in March 2024, the observance honours victims of organised crime – including law enforcement and judicial personnel who have lost their lives in pursuit of justice.

    The inaugural theme: Organised crime steals, corrupts and kills. It’s time we pull together to push back, underscores the urgency of collective action.

    Speaking to UN News, Candice Welsch, UNODC Regional Representative for the Andean Region and southernmost areas of South America, emphasised the global nature of the threat: “Almost all organised crime is transnational, it does not take place within a single country, but often crosses borders within regions and even beyond.”  

    “Therefore, this UN observance aims at boosting action by governments, the private sector, civil society and the public,” she said.  

    Pillar of international cooperation       

    The UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime adopted in 2000 and ratified by 192 States, serves as the cornerstone of UNODC’s efforts to combat and eventually eliminate the scourge of transnational organised crime.

    “We are working hard to strengthen cooperation between countries so that they can share information and intelligence between police forces, or so that border agencies and prosecutors can conduct joint operations,” said Ms. Welsch.  

    UNODC’s efforts include bolstering local, national and international capacities to better understand and combat these challenges.

    UN Video | United Nations takes on organized crime

    Cocaine, deforestation, community impact

    In the Andean region, Colombia and Ecuador face significant challenges with transnational criminal groups. Colombia’s coca cultivation reached 253,000 hectares in 2023, yielding an estimated 2,664 metric tons of cocaine in 2022, according to UNODC data.

    However, the issue is not confined to drug trafficking. Illegal mining, deforestation and wildlife trafficking – particularly in the Galapagos Islands – are also on the rise.

    These activities disrupt security for communities, exacerbate gang violence and contribute to high homicide rates, impacting indigenous communities and young people who face recruitment risks. Migrant flows through the region also make vulnerable populations susceptible to human trafficking and other abuses.

    To address these challenges, UNODC supports alternative development programmes for farmers reliant on coca cultivation. These initiatives promote legal crops such as coffee, cocoa, vanilla and sacha inchi, a nutrient-rich Amazonian plant.

    “What we are trying to do with alternative development programmes is to offer these communities ways to move towards licit economies and a more secure future,” said Ms. Welsch.

    UN News / David Mottershead

    A former opium poppy farmer cultivating tomatoes in Nangarhar province, Afghanistan. (file)

    Opium resurgence in Afghanistan

    Despite a 2022 Taliban ban that initially reduced opium cultivation by 95 per cent, 2024 saw a 19 per cent resurgence driven by economic hardship and rising prices.

    Since 2016, UNODC has aided over 85,000 households through alternative development initiatives, such as poultry farming projects that provide both food security and income generation for families affected by drugs.

    Southeast Asia: The Golden Triangle’s drug economy

    Myanmar has surpassed Afghanistan as the world’s leading opium producer, with production rising 36 per cent in 2023.

    Collaborating on security issues can be challenging for states, but the UN plays a crucial role in fostering dialogue
    – Jeremy Douglas, UNODC

    The country also leads global methamphetamine production, which has become the dominant drug according to UNODC data, with seizures quadrupling between 2013 and 2022.

    Furthermore, criminal groups in the Golden Triangle – Myanmar, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, and Thailand – have expanded into online scams, wildlife trafficking, money laundering and human trafficking.

    In response, UNODC has promoted regional cooperation through the establishment of approximately 120 border liaison offices to facilitate intelligence sharing and coordinated action.

    “Collaborating on security issues can be challenging for States, but the UN plays a crucial role in fostering dialogue,” said Jeremy Douglas, former UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific and now Chief of Staff and Strategy Advisor to the Executive Director.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Goods being loaded onto a boat in Lao People’s Democratic Republic to be transported across the Mekong river to Thailand. (file)

    Global drug crisis

    The impact of transnational crime extends far beyond producer countries.

    New synthetic drugs are on the rise, particularly in North America, which faces a fentanyl crisis, as well as in areas of Asia and Africa.

    Western and Central European countries, particularly those with a North Sea coastline, also face considerable challenges, with their ports becoming major entry points for cocaine.

    In the Sahel, illicit gold and fuel trafficking undermine governance and security and complicates sustainable development, depriving the nation of critical income.

    Wildlife crimes, gold smuggling, and organised fraud are just a few examples of how these crimes converge, exploiting fragile ecosystems and vulnerable communities worldwide.

    Nevertheless, UNODC remains committed to supporting global efforts.

    People-centred approach

    “Despite these challenges, there is hope,” Ms. Welsch said.

    She highlighted the importance of public awareness campaigns targeting youth and community programmes involving parents and teachers, as well as the need to ensure that everyone who requires treatment for drug abuse can access it.

    “The only way to overcome global problems is to galvanise international action. That is why UNODC is joining forces with partners to help secure our common future,” she concluded.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Trump Announces the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today, President Donald J. Trump is pleased to announce a distinguished and trusted group of Patriots to serve on the President’s Intelligence Advisory Board (PIAB). These individuals will advise the President on our nation’s most important security challenges and ensure that the Intelligence Community is working to advance the President’s America First agenda. The President’s PIAB appointees represent a broad range of experience and intellect that will help restore integrity to our Intelligence Community. The following individuals have been appointed to the PIAB:
     
    Devin Gerald Nunes, Chair
    Scott Glabe
    Amaryllis Fox Kennedy
    Brad Robert Wenstrup
    Wayne Berman
    Reince Priebus
    Robert O’Brien
    Joshua Lobel
    Sander R. Gerber
    Katie Miller
    Jeremy Katz
    Thomas Ollis Hicks, Jr.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Mast, HFAC Members Meet with King and Crown Prince of Jordan

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast welcomed Jordan’s King Abdullah II and Crown Prince Al-Hussein bin Abdullah to Capitol Hill for a meeting with committee members.

    During the meeting, Chairman Mast underscored the close friendship between the U.S. and Jordan and thanked the two leaders for their work to further strengthen the bilateral ties.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Join 32 Senators on Bipartisan Legislation to Make High-Quality Job Training More Accessible

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 11, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Senate colleagues in introducing bipartisan legislation that would make high-quality job training more accessible. 
    “The last thing hardworking students should have to worry about is not being able to afford a pathway to a successful career,” Wyden said. “No student should ever be denied the chance to work hard and get ahead. The JOBS Act would make the playing field fairer by giving low-income students the chance to pursue their dreams of securing a good paying job.” 
    “In order for every American to have a good-paying job, they need access to affordable, high-quality job training,” Merkley said. “As employers face critical shortages of skilled workers, too many people are still struggling to find opportunities that match their potential. The bipartisan JOBS Act is a win for our workforce, a win for our businesses, and a win for our economy.”
    The Jumpstarting Our Businesses by Supporting Students (JOBS) Act would allow students to use Pell Grants, need-based federal financial aid for undergraduates from low-income households, to pay for shorter-term job training programs. 
    Students now can only use Pell Grants for two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Students in shorter-term high-quality job training programs are ineligible for this crucial assistance. By expanding Pell Grant eligibility, the JOBS Act would allow students to have access to job training they might not be able to afford but that they need for careers in high-demand fields.
    There is also a skilled labor shortage that is expected to intensify in the coming years, in part because unemployed Americans lack access to the job training needed to fill vacant jobs. The JOBS Act would allow Pell Grants to be used for high-quality job training programs that are at least eight weeks long and lead to industry-recognized credentials or certificates. 
    In addition to Wyden and Merkley, the legislation is led by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine, D-Va., Susan Collins, R-Maine, Tina Smith, D-Minn., and Roger Marshal, R-Kan. and cosponsored by Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Lisa Blunt Rochester D-Del., Cory Booker D-N.J., John Boozman, R-Ark., Shelley Moore Capito, R-W. V.a., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., Steve Daines, R-Mont., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Maggie Hassan, D-N.H., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., John Hickenlooper, D-Colo., John Hoeven, R-N.D., Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Angus King, I-Maine, Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Jon Ossoff D-Ga., Gary Peters, D-Mich., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Dan Sullivan, D-Ark., Thom Tillis, R-N.C., Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Mark R. Warner, D-Va., and Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
    The JOBS Act is endorsed by Advance CTE, the American Association of Community Colleges, the Association for Career and Technical Education , the Association of Community College Trustees, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, Business Roundtable, the Center for Law and Social Policy , the Exhibitions and Conferences Alliance, Higher Learning Advocates, HP Inc., the Information Technology Industry Council, Jobs for the Future, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies, NAF, the National Association of Workforce Boards, the National Association of Workforce Development Professionals, the National Skills Coalition, the Progressive Policy Institute, Rebuilding America’s Middle Class, and the Virginia Community College System.
    The text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley, Colleagues Urge Trump Administration to Exempt Seasonal Firefighters from Federal Hiring Freeze

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 11, 2025
    Washington D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley today joined their Senate colleagues to urge the Trump Administration to exempt seasonal firefighters from the federal hiring freeze that’s reportedly preventing the hiring and onboarding of seasonal firefighters, a workforce that already struggles with recruitment and retention. 
    “We write today following reports that hiring and onboarding for federal seasonal firefighters has stopped due to the Trump Administration’s federal hiring freeze,” wrote the senators. “We are extremely concerned to hear that this is happening across the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service ahead of what’s expected to be another devastating wildfire year.”
    “Although there is an urgent need to hire more federal firefighters, the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze does the opposite and is pausing hiring at a critical time for this already understaffed workforce,” they continued. “We urge you to put the safety of families and communities across the country first and allow the federal seasonal firefighter hiring process to continue without delay.”
    The letter was led by U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., and along with Wyden and Merkley, the letter was co-signed by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Michael Bennet, D-Colo., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Angus King, I-Maine, Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., and John Hickenlooper, D-Colo.
    Wyden and Merkley have been champions for wildland firefighters. In January, Wyden joined Senate colleagues in reintroducing legislation to expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and other first responders who died or became permanently disabled from service-related cancers. When he was Chair of the Senate Interior Appropriations Subcommittee – which funds the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and National Park Service – Merkley wrote government funding legislation that honors the courageous work of federal wildland firefighters by establishing a permanent fix to prevent a devastating pay cut and providing additional support. In 2023, Wyden and Merkley urged the Senate to prioritize permanent, comprehensive pay reform for wildland firefighters in Oregon and nationwide.
    Full text of the letter is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bringing Accountability and Transparency Back

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Ron Johnson

    The first subpoena I issued as the new chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations was to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) for records relating to COVID-19 vaccine safety data and communications about the COVID-19 pandemic, including Dr. Anthony Fauci’s emails.
    These records and data were previously withheld by the Biden administration. This is a  culmination of a multi-year fight to overcome the obstruction of the Biden administration to get unredacted records and data about the COVID-19 pandemic and the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. For years, Biden officials at HHS and its subcomponent agencies withheld crucial health information the public. Many of my 70 oversight letters were either completely ignored or inadequately addressed.
    It is well past time to bring accountability and transparency back to our U.S. health agencies.
    I made this announcement during Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s confirmation hearingbefore the Senate Finance Committee. Watch my call for this nomination to unify and heal our nation.

    Robert F. Kennedy Jr. joining forces with President Trump to address chronic illness was the answer to my – and millions of other Americans’ – prayers. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to confirm his nomination and give him the opportunity to Make America Healthy Again.
    WATCH: Sen. Johnson’s entire 7-minute questioning of RFK Jr. 
    WATCH: News Nation interview with Sen. Johnson on RFK Jr. hearing
    SOCIAL: Daily Signal X post
    SOCIAL: Eric Daugherty X post
    READ: Why Sen. Johnson suggests a Secretary of Information Extraction

    My budget proposals are as close as we will ever get to zero-based budgeting. Use one of the pre-pandemic spending levels as a starting point instead of starting at $7 trillion and suffering death by a thousand cuts. I’ve suggested using $5.5 trillion (which would match Biden’s projected revenue) and add if we must.
    If we use President Trump’s projected FY2025 outlays, plus Biden’s projected FY2025 spending for Social Security, Medicare, and Interest, then FY2025 outlays would equal $6.1 trillion. This will dramatically reduce the deficit, and put us in a position where actually balancing the budget is entirely doable.
    We’ve got to bring spending down. It’s not a revenue problem, it’s a spending problem.
    We just released the text of the Senate’s fiscal year 2025 budget resolution. 
    This will be the blueprint that unlocks the pathway for a fully paid-for reconciliation bill to secure the border, bolster our military, increase American energy independence, and begin the process of fiscal sanity.
    WATCH: Newsmax interview on budget battle
    WATCH: “I have greater faith in Elon Musk to root out waste, fraud, and abuse than unelected bureaucrats who refuse to be held accountable.”
    READ: Sen. Johnson’s Wall Street Journal op-ed on fiscal sanity
    SOCIAL: Sen. Johnson’s X post response to Elon Musk
    WATCH: Badger Institute Speaker Series — Forthright facts from the Senate’s pre-eminent accountant

    I joined the Megyn Kelly Show to talk about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s nomination and restoring integrity to science. We need to make sure that the data is transparent and that everybody has a seat at the table.

    On the Steve Deace Show, I talked about why ALL of Trump’s cabinet appointments must be approved and why we must balance the budget with out-of-the-box thinking. 

    On the Daily Signal podcast, I sat down with Fred Lucas to talk about serving as chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. I told him I’ll be like a mosquito in a nudist colony — it’s a target rich environment!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reed Denounces Hegseth’s Order to Rename Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed
    WASHINGTON, DC—This week, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth signed a memorandum to rename U.S. Army base Fort Liberty to Fort Bragg. The base, originally named ‘Bragg’ after Confederate General Braxton Bragg, was first renamed to ‘Liberty’ after Congress passed a 2019 law—overriding then-President Trump’s veto—to prohibit the Department of Defense from naming installations after Confederate leaders.
    In response to Hegseth’s order, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, issued the following statement:
    “I oppose Secretary Hegseth’s cynical maneuver.
    “On a bipartisan basis, Congress passed a law to prohibit the Department of Defense from naming any installations after Confederate leaders. The bipartisan ‘Naming Commission’ removed the name of Confederate General Braxton Bragg and, at the request of Gold Star families, established ‘Fort Liberty’ to honor our fallen military men and women.
    “By instead invoking the name of World War II soldier Private Roland Bragg, Secretary Hegseth has not violated the letter of the law, but he has violated its spirit. Worse, he has insulted the Gold Star families who proudly supported Fort Liberty’s name, and he has dishonored himself by associating Private Bragg’s good name with a Confederate traitor.
    “This is typical of the Trump Administration’s obsession with fighting culture wars instead of actually supporting our warfighters and their families.
    “This order disregards the law and disrespects our servicemembers. Secretary Hegseth must immediately rescind it.”
    Background
    In the FY 2020 and FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Acts, respectively, Congress prohibited the Department of Defense from naming any assets after Confederate leaders or victories, and directed the establishment of a Naming Commission to identify assets with Confederate names and to recommend new names for such assets. The bipartisan Naming Commission produced a report in 2022 recommending the renaming of nine U.S. Army bases, including then-Fort Bragg, all of which were approved and completed in 2023.
    The relevant legislative language is detailed below.
    FY 2020 National Defense Authorization Act
    SEC. 1749. Prohibition on Names Related to the Confederacy.
    (a) Prohibition on Names Related to the Confederacy.— In naming a new asset or renaming an existing asset, the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of a military department may not give a name to an asset that refers to, or includes a term referring to, the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the ‘‘Confederacy’’), including any name referring to— (1) a person who served or held leadership within the Confederacy; or (2) a Confederate battlefield victory.
    (b) Asset Defined.—In this section, the term ‘‘asset’’ includes any base, installation, facility, aircraft, ship, equipment, or any other property owned or controlled by the Department of Defense or a military department.
    Read the full legislative text.
    FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act
    SEC. 370. Commission on the Naming of Items of the Department of Defense That Commemorate the Confederate States of America or Any Person Who Served Voluntarily With the Confederate States of America.
    Under the law, the Commission shall:
            (1) assess the cost of renaming or removing names, symbols, displays, monuments, or paraphernalia that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America;
            (2) develop procedures and criteria to assess whether an existing name, symbol, monument, display, or paraphernalia commemorates the Confederate States of America or person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America;
            (3) recommend procedures for renaming assets of the Department of Defense to prevent commemoration of the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America;
            (4) develop a plan to remove names, symbols, displays, monuments, or paraphernalia that commemorate the Confederate States of America or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederate States of America from assets of the Department of Defense, within the timeline established by this Act; and
            (5) include in the plan procedures and criteria for collecting and incorporating local sensitivities associated with naming or renaming of assets of the Department of Defense.
    Read the full legislative text.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Collins Urge Navy to Protect Jobs at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Warn of Negative Impact on National Security

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee and Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate Navy Caucus, and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, are sending a bipartisan letter to the U.S. Department of the Navy urging an exemption for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees from the Office of Personnel Management’s deferred resignation program for federal employees. In their letter to Acting Secretary Terence G. Emmert, the Senators note that any reduction to the Shipyard’s workforce will jeopardize our nation’s security by increasing submarine maintenance timelines.
    The Senators wrote, in part: “We write with concern regarding the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) recently announced policy which offers a deferred resignation program for federal employees. […] the men and women who work at our public shipyards are critical members of our defense industrial base, without whom the ability to repair, retrofit and refuel our country’s submarines would be in jeopardy. In our states, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY) has nearly eight thousand civilian employees, creating more than $1.5 billion in annual economic impact in surrounding communities.”
    They concluded: “We ask that the Department of the Navy engage with OPM to provide an exception for employees at PNSY and other parts of the defense industrial base from recently announced workforce-shaping policies. […] While we continue to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, reductions to the size of our defense industrial workforce cannot be one of them. To do so would make our country less safe, and we urge you to maintain this necessary investment in our economic and national security.”
    The full text of the letter can be found here.
    Senator Shaheen has long advocated for New England’s shipbuilding industry and workforce, including through authorizing funding and workforce development for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Through the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Shaheen secured full authorization for the Shipbuilding Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which will expand the Shipyard’s capacity to maintain America’s fast-attack submarine fleet. Shaheen recently attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Shipyard for its new Waterfront Production Facility funded under SIOP. As a member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations and Armed Services Committees, Senator Shaheen helped secure this funding beginning in the FY 2019 funding legislation, which she has continued in ensuing years.
    Additionally, in the FY 2025 government funding bills, Shaheen and Collins worked to include a $9.5 million Congressionally Directed Spending add for a new parking structure at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard—which will contribute to quality of life for the Shipyard’s workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Trump EO Ordering Reckless Mass Firings at Critical Agencies that Serve Americans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ICYMI: Senator Murray, Former WA Federal Workers Highlight How Trump Administration’s Unprecedented Assault on Federal Workers in WA State and Nationwide is Undermining Essential Services
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, issued the following statement on President Trump signing a new executive order ordering massive, careless job cuts to federal agencies that are already understaffed—and are struggling to keep up with the demand for their services from the American people.
    “Donald Trump and Elon Musk have never waited in line at a Social Security office or tried to get health care at the VA—and their reckless assault on our federal workforce shows that they sure couldn’t care less about the people who do. Arbitrary staffing cuts across government are the exact opposite of efficient; they will just make it harder for taxpayers to get the essential services they have earned. It means no one will be able to pick up the phone to help with your Social Security and Medicare benefits, it means energy and infrastructure projects will be delayed or canceled because their permits can’t get approved, and it means national parks will be closed because they don’t have the rangers to staff them.
    “This executive action is yet another senseless move by two billionaires who have no clue what the federal government does or what it’s like for regular people who have to work every day for a living. Make no mistake, the contempt Trump and Musk have for federal workers will push out critical personnel across government—air traffic controllers, VA doctors, wildland firefighters, food safety inspectors, and more. Who on earth would want to work for someone who does nothing but denigrate their employees? This executive order will only make government worse and less efficient for the taxpayers who count on Social Security, Medicaid, and so much else.“
    Just this morning, Senator Murray held a virtual press conference with former federal workers in Washington state to sound the alarm on the Trump administration’s all-out assault on America’s federal workforce. Senator Murray has spoken out forcefully on the Senate floor against this administration’s attacks on federal workers, and sent an open letter to federal workers and a warning to her constituents in Washington state outlining her concerns with the administration’s so-called “Fork in the Road” offer.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hickenlooper, Bennet, Western Senators  Warn Trump’s Illegal Funding Freeze Threatens Wildfire Mitigation Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Hickenlooper – Colorado
    Stop-work orders for wildfire risk reduction projects on public lands undermine community preparedness
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper, Michael Bennet, and 10 of their Senate colleagues from Western states wrote a letter to Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and Acting Agriculture Secretary Gary Washington to raise the alarm about wildfire risk reduction projects that remove hazardous fuels on Bureau of Land Management lands, and to express concerns about the potential for a future freeze at the U.S. Forest Service.
    “Catastrophic wildfires across the United States are an ongoing national crisis and responding to them must be a national priority. These stop work orders and funding freezes jeopardize communities that depend on a robust federal response to our wildfire crisis – and also jeopardize small businesses, often in frontier and rural communities, that are contracted to do the work on the ground to reduce hazardous fuels,” wrote the senators.
    This follows President Trump’s illegal executive orders cutting federal funds to mitigate and fight wildfires and comes as communities in Colorado and nationwide prepare for wildfire season. Hazardous fuel removal projects cut off fuel to wildfires which increases ecosystem resilience – protecting firefighters and civilians alike. Delaying these treatments even for a short period can mean missing out on the right seasonal and weather conditions for safe removal. 
    The full text of the letter can be found HERE or below:
    Dear Secretary Burgum and Acting Secretary Washington,
    We are writing with great concern about reports from our constituents that the Bureau of Land Management has issued stop work orders for hazardous fuels reduction projects. We are further concerned that fuels projects overseen by the U.S. Forest Service will be next. These projects are integral to increased safety and resiliency and any delay in implementation puts those communities at greater risk. We urge you to immediately rescind these stop work orders, halt any further stop work orders or funding freezes, and instead work with the tools and funds Congress has provided to better safeguard our communities from the serious risk of catastrophic wildfire.
    These projects are part of the Wildfire Crisis Strategy, funded by theInfrastructure and Investment in Jobs Act (IIJA) and the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). Investing in fuels reduction treatments is a primary recommendation in the Wildland Fire Mitigation and Management Commission Report, a nonpartisan strategy document to tackle the myriad challenges associated with wildfire across the country. We also note with alarm that this report was removed from federal websites this week.
    In 2022, the Forest Service identified high-risk firesheds across the country to be prioritized for hazardous fuels reduction work through the Wildlife Crisis Strategy and Implementation Plan. The Forest Service chose 10 high-priority landscapes with the enactment of IIJA and an additional 11 landscapes with the enactment of IRA – each of these landscapes require significant investment to reduce wildfire risk. These 21 landscapes were awarded a total of $1.73 billion to protect at-risk communities, critical infrastructure, public water sources, and adjacent Tribal lands in 10 Western states: Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. The Bureau of Land Management, Forest Service, States, Tribes, local stakeholders, and small businesses have been working together over the last three years to implement fuels reduction on these landscapes.
    Catastrophic wildfires across the United States are an ongoing national crisis and responding to them must be a national priority. These stop work orders and funding freezes jeopardize communities that depend on a robust federal response to our wildfire crisis – and also jeopardize small businesses, often in frontier and rural communities, that are contracted to do the work on the ground to reduce hazardous fuels. 
    In addition to endangering communities, the President’s Executive Orders freezing funding are flagrantly illegal. The Government Accountability Office, the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (including in an opinion written by future Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, William H. Rehnquist), and the Supreme Court of the United States have all disavowed the notion of some “inherent Presidential power to impound,” as some in the Administration, as well as pending Administration nominees, have tried to argue without legal or textual basis.
    Not only does the Constitution vest the power of the purse with Congress and provide no power to the President to impound funds, but there have been several bedrock fiscal statutes enacted to protect Congress’ constitutional power of the purse and prevent unlawful executive overreach, including the Antideficiency Act and the Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (ICA). The ICA prohibits any action or inaction that precludes Federal funds from being obligated or spent, either temporarily or permanently, without following the strictly circumscribed requirements of that law, which have not been honored in this instance.
    As we’ve seen with the recent fires surrounding Los Angeles, wildfire does not distinguish between homes and trees. But we do have ways to mitigate the risk. One of the most effective strategies to reduce that risk is to reduce the hazardous natural fuels that surround our communities. These fuels reduction projects save lives and property, reduce the danger to firefighters, and return our lands to a fire-adapted ecosystem that can better withstand the threat to human life, communities, infrastructure, and property.   
    By terminating or even pausing these projects, all of the progress made at protecting these communities is at risk. We are imploring you to rescind the order to stop work on these hazardous fuels reduction efforts, as well as any other wildland fire management programs that are working to reduce risk and safeguard communities from catastrophic wildfire.
    We hope to work with you to combat the scourge of catastrophic wildfire.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: At least 68 journalist killings in 2024, UNESCO reports

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    For the second consecutive year, conflict zones have proven dangerous for journalists and media workers, with 2024 seeing at least 68 deaths in the line of duty, according to new data from the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). 

    More than 60 per cent of these killings occurred in countries experiencing conflict – the highest percentage in over a decade.

    “Reliable information is vital in conflict situations to help affected populations and to enlighten the world,” said UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay.

    “It is unacceptable that journalists pay with their lives for this work. I call on all States to step up and ensure the protection of media workers, in accordance with international law,” she added.

    Alarming trends

    The report highlights that 42 journalists were killed in conflict zones this year, including 18 in Palestine, which recorded the highest toll.

    Other countries such as Ukraine, Colombia, Iraq, Lebanon, Myanmar, and Sudan also saw multiple fatalities, underscoring the heightened risks in regions marked by violence and instability.

    This follows an unsettling trend seen in 2023, with more journalists losing their lives in conflicts over the past two years than in any comparable period since 2016-2017.

    A glimmer of hope

    While conflict zones remain a critical concern, the overall number of journalist killings decreased slightly during this year.

    A notable reduction in deaths occurred in non-conflict areas, where 26 journalists were killed – the lowest figure in 16 years.

    This decline was particularly evident in Latin America and the Caribbean, where journalist killings dropped from 43 in 2022 to 12 in 2024.

    This suggests some progress in addressing threats against journalists in peacetime, especially in regions previously plagued by violence against media workers.

    Beyond the numbers

    UNESCO‘s data, sourced from leading international press freedom organizations, is rigorously verified to ensure impartiality.

    Cases are excluded if deaths are deemed unrelated to the victims’ journalistic work. However, dozens of cases remain under review, and UNESCO continues to monitor developments closely.

    The Organization’s mandate extends beyond tracking fatalities. It works to protect journalists through initiatives such as the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity.

    Emerging threats

    In addition to physical threats, journalists are facing new challenges, including financial and legal pressures.

    UNESCO has reported a 42 per cent increase in attacks on journalists reporting on environmental issues between 2019 and 2024, highlighting the evolving nature of risks confronting the media.

    As UNESCO continues its efforts to promote press freedom and safeguard journalists, the agency calls on the international community to strengthen protections for media workers – ensuring that the quest for truth does not come at the ultimate cost.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN galvanizes regional migrant and refugee response amid persistent challenges

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Migrants and Refugees

    Migrants and refugees across Latin America and the Caribbean face profound challenges in accessing basic needs, formal employment and safe living conditions, UN agencies reported on Friday, launching a $1.4 billion regional plan to address their urgent needs.

    The Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Platform for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela (R4V), co-led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced the 2025-2026 regional response plan to support over 2.3 million vulnerable individuals, including host communities, in 17 countries.

    “The integration of refugees and migrants is crucial for building inclusive and resilient societies,” said Eduardo Stein, UNHCR-IOM Joint Special Representative for Refugees and Migrants from Venezuela.

    “When migrants and refugees are empowered to contribute fully to their communities, they enrich the social fabric while driving economic growth and innovation. By ensuring access to essential services, like labour markets and social networks, we create a win-win situation for refugees, migrants, and host communities.”

    Since 2019, more than 4.5 million Venezuelan migrants and refugees have obtained regular status in 17 countries thanks to the proactive measures taken by host governments and support from the international community.

    This regularization has enabled many to access documentation and protection, while also boosting local economies and fostering stability.

    Challenges remain

    Despite strides in regularization and support, many refugees and migrants continue to suffer with few job opportunities, substandard wages, and barriers to healthcare, education and essential services.

    Among the 6.7 million Venezuelans residing in the region, 82 per cent are in informal jobs, 42 per cent cannot afford enough food and 23 per cent live in overcrowded conditions.

    Migrants and refugees of other nationalities in transit across the region face even greater challenges, with up to 90 per cent lacking access to food, shelter and protection.

    A call for solidarity

    The newly launched regional response plan emphasises the need for sustained financial and political commitment from the international community.

    “By securing this funding, life-saving assistance and long-term initiatives will be implemented that foster successful stabilization and socioeconomic integration while addressing discrimination and improving access to documentation, health care, education, and decent employment,” UNHCR and IOM said.

    The plan will be implemented by 230 partner organizations, including UN agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), civil society groups and the Red Cross.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: First Person: Tears of joy as Argentinian city children encounter nature for first time

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Daniel Dickinson

    Climate and Environment

    An environmental lawyer has told UN News how children and teenagers from some of the most vulnerable neighbourhoods of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, have been moved to tears after encountering nature for the first time.

    Ana Di Pangracio works for the civil society organization Fundación Ambiente y Recursos Naturales or FARN which is involved in projects to restore degraded land in Argentina.

    She spoke to UN News in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where she was attending a UN conference (COP16) focused on desertification, drought and land restoration.

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

    Ana Di Pangracio attends the COP16 desertification conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

    “We work in the Matanza Riachuelo basin which is a polluted area on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, which is home to around 4.5 million people, many of whom are living in socio-environmental vulnerable situations or other difficult circumstances.

    Restoration activities include planting native flora and removing non-native invasive species across some 4.5 hectares, as well as building viewpoints and interpretative trails and cleaning up illegal garbage disposal.

    Part of our work is bringing people, especially young people, to experience this restored natural wetland.

    Many live close by in very urban, built-up areas and may come from challenging or violent environments but have never seen this land or had not even known of its existence.

    Emotions and tears

    Some are moved to tears when they experience nature for the first time in their lives.

    We comfort them and tell them it is OK to be emotional; I’m really pleased that they are able to connect with nature in this way, as I can see that our work is having a big impact.

    Some are moved to tears when they experience nature for the first time in their lives.

    They tell their friends and teachers about the experience as well and so we get more visitors.

    There is an educational element to our work as we teach the children about the importance of protecting wetlands but also the adjacent grasslands and native forest.

    I am a birdwatching lawyer, and although I am no expert, I enjoy showing our visitors my favourite bird, the carancho, which is a very clever and funny bird which you can see across Argentina, including in urban areas. It is my way to connect with nature.

    The recognition that the right to a healthy environment is a human right underpins all of our work.

    © FARN

    An ibis and ducks graze the wetlands close to Buenos Aires.

    There is a lot of land loss in Argentina, including areas which have become degraded by drought. In 2020, we experienced a three-year-long drought, the worst in over 60 years. This had serious social and environmental impacts.

    UN desertification conference

    It’s important to come to this conference of the UN Convention on Combatting Desertification (UNCCD) as it gives us the opportunity to engage with civil society constituencies and to consider the interface between national and global policy on a range of issues including land restoration and biodiversity.

    If you believe in multilateralism, it is important to be here and civil society organizations (CSOs) can make a difference.

    It was the pressure from CSOs which led to the inclusion of human rights and gender-focused elements in the Biodiversity Convention and its recently adopted Global Biodiversity Framework.

    In the UNCCD, the issue of land tenure, reflected in COP decisions, was also promoted by CSOs.

    © FARN

    A carancho sits on a sign in the wetlands in Buenos Aires Province.

    The UNCCD process, and this COP16 is no exception, does facilitate inclusivity, as CSOs are able to access the plenary meetings and deliver statements so we are being listened to.

    We are mindful that CSOs in other international fora like the UN climate COPs do not have the same level of access.

    We have received a grant from the G20 Global Land Initiative and are presenting our work at the meeting in Riyadh. This support will enable us to carry on our work in the Matanza Riachuelo basin.

    I’m excited to give more young people the opportunity to enjoy nature and for them to become the new guardians of wetlands and take the message back to their peers about the importance of preserving ecosystems for future generations.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN rights chief urges accountability for post-electoral violence in Venezuela

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights on Friday reiterated the need for accountability for post-electoral violence in Venezuela and alleged excessive use of force during protests that left at least 28 people dead.

    Hundreds more were reportedly injured in clashes following the disputed elections and around 2,000 arrested, including teenagers, young adults, opposition members, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers, as well as bystanders.

    Since then, the Government has announced the conditional release of over 100 of those detained.

    Addressing the UN Human Rights Council, High Commissioner Volker Türk termed the move “an important step” and called for review of cases of all those still held.

    “I also urge the authorities to provide guarantees of a fair trial for detainees. This includes allowing them to designate a lawyer of their choice, and providing Indigenous People with interpreters,” he said.

    Concern over anti-terror laws

    The UN rights chief also voiced concern over the continued use of counter-terrorism legislation against protestors, including adolescents, as well as reports of enforced disappearances and ill treatment.

    In addition, he urged authorities to ensure that detention conditions comply with international norms.

    “The authorities must provide adequate food, drinking water and healthcare for all detainees, many of whom are incarcerated in overcrowded cells and are in critical need of medical attention,” he said.

    Restricted civic space

    Mr. Türk also highlighted the restrictive civic space in Venezuela, which has been increasingly monitored by his Office, OHCHR.

    There have been reports of threats and harassment against human rights defenders, union leaders and journalists, further undermining freedom of expression and assembly in the country.

    At least three non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are said to have ceased operations amid allegations of surveillance, persecution and acts of reprisal – including the cancellation of passports.

    “This contributes to a climate of fear and social tension and prevents civil society organizations from conducting their vital work,” Mr. Türk warned, also noting concerns over suspension of salaries for workers over alleged political views.

    Open for business

    Mr. Türk also informed the Human Rights Council – the paramount rights body in the UN System – that his office has resumed operations in Venezuela, after it was reportedly ordered to suspend its work in February.

    “My hope is that we will be able to restore our full presence,” he said.

    “As in other situations, my Office can play an important role as a bridge-builder between the institutions of the State and the people of the country.”

    OHCHR has been working in Venezuela since October 2019, providing technical assistance and monitoring the situation to protect and promote respect for human rights, enhance rule of law and protect democratic space.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Major step forward for child protection in Colombia, as politicians ban underage marriage

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    In November, following several failed attempts, politicians of all stripes approved a bill to overhaul legislation that has been in effect since 1887, reflecting a deep-rooted practice that violates the rights of children and adolescents: according to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). one in five girls aged between 14 and 18 is in a union.

    “This approval has been possible because we have gathered the consensus of all political parties, highlights Senator Clara López. “It not only implies prohibition but also a robust public policy that reflects changing customs and raises awareness among the population about the great harm done to children and adolescents with marriages and unions”.

    Courtesy Leonardo Vargas/Press Senate of Colombia

    Activists celebrate the elimination of child marriage in the Colombian Parliament.

    Advancing children’s rights

    “We want to congratulate Colombia on the magnificent news,” says Bibiana Aido Almagro, the head of UN Women in Colombia.

    “These practices severely affect the rights to life, health, education, and integrity of women and girls and negatively impact their development.”

    Andrea Tague Montaña, gender and development officer at UNICEF in Colombia, agrees that the decision is a positive move.

    “Child marriages and early unions are understood as harmful practices that not only lead to gender violence but also cause the victims, especially girls, to fall into poverty,” she warns. “They reinforce discrimination and the idea that the best thing that can happen to them is to marry and have children”.

    By entering into an unequal power relationship with older partners, explains Ms. Montaña, girls have few opportunities to decide if they want to have sexual relations, how many children they want to have, or what kind of life they want to lead.

    “They enter scenarios where, in many cases, they start fulfilling adult women’s roles. Child labour, domestic work, and caregiving become their almost daily tasks,” adds the UNICEF official.

    “These are girls who stop studying, who lose their rights by entering an early union. It is important to call on society to stop normalizing early unions; this is a violation of rights. Girls do not stop being girls because they are living with a man”.

    The bill also establishes actions to strengthen national public policy on childhood and adolescence, including measures to restore the rights of children and adolescents affected by underage marriages and unions, with a special emphasis on remote rural areas – ensuring that indigenous peoples and other vulnerable communities can take part.

    The new law comes into effect once it is signed by President Gustavo Petro. 

    Colombia and gender equality

    • Colombia ranks 20th worldwide in terms of the number of girls married or in unions before the age of 15, and 11th in Latin America and the Caribbean in adolescents who marry before the age of 18.
    • By adopting the decision to end underage marriage and unions, Colombia has taken a decisive step towards protecting children’s rights and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, specifically, Goal 5 – achieving gender equality, empowering women and girls, and eliminating all harmful practices, such as child, early, and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation by 2030.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: Egypt malaria-free, tropical storm lashes Cuba, Mozambique killings, WHO support for South Sudan

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially certified Egypt as malaria-free. The achievement marks the culmination of a century-long effort to eradicate a disease that has plagued the nation since ancient times.

    “Malaria is as old as Egyptian civilisation itself, but the disease that plagued pharaohs now belongs to its history and not its future,” said Tedros Adhanom-Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

    “This certification of Egypt as malaria-free is truly historic, and a testament to the commitment of the people and Government of Egypt to rid themselves of this ancient scourge.”

    Egypt’s success story represents a significant victory in the global fight against malaria, especially for a country with a population exceeding 100 million.

    Growing list

    In the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region, Egypt becomes only the third country to receive this certification, following the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

    Egypt joins a group of 44 countries and one territory worldwide that have achieved this status.

    Tedros emphasised the broader implications of this achievement.

    “I congratulate Egypt on this achievement, which is an inspiration to other countries in the region, and shows what’s possible with the right resources and right tools.”

    UN ready to support Cuba, as millions left without power

    The UN Country Team in Cuba stands ready to support the Caribbean nation and mobilise technical assistance amidst reports of rolling power outages and a slow-moving tropical storm which threatens flooding in both urban and rural areas.

    Cuba’s power grid reportedly failed on Friday after weeks of rolling outages, leaving an estimated 10 million without electricity. There have been three other crashes up to Monday, all of which is being compounded by Tropical Storm Oscar, which made landfall on Sunday.

    According to news reports, the Cuban Government has said the weeks of worsening blackouts are due to infrastructure problems, fuel shortages and rising demand, together with the impact of the United States trade embargo and an inability to acquire spare parts for Cuba’s oil-fired fuel plants, resulting from economic sanctions.

    Significant rain

    “The strong but slow-moving storm has generated significant rainfall in the eastern and central parts of Cuba over the past few days,” said UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, at the regular press briefing in New York on Monday.

    “The slow movement of the storm at only four kilometres an hour will compound the situation with more rainfall and potential flooding in the coming hours.”

    He said the UN was aware of the reported ongoing outages adding that under the leadership of the Resident Coordinator in Cuba Francisco Pichon, “we stand ready to support and mobilise technical assistance if needed. The UN Emergency Technical Team is activated and in touch with national counterparts.”

    Mr. Haq said the storm was also impacting the Bahamas where the UN is working together with local and regional authorities to respond as necessary.

    Guterres calls for swift probe into killing of opposition figures in Mozambique

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres has appealed for calm in Mozambique following the killing of two opposition figures amid a dispute over elections held earlier this month.

    Elvino Dias, legal advisor to presidential candidate Venâncio Mondlane, and Paulo Guambe, the legal representative of the political party PODEMOS, were gunned down in the capital, Maputo, on Friday night.

    PODEMOS rejected provisional results of the 9 October presidential elections which showed that the FRELIMO party, which has ruled Mozambique for nearly 50 years, was in the lead.

    Secretary-General Guterres urged the authorities to swiftly investigate the killings and bring the perpetrators to justice.

    He called on all Mozambicans, including political leaders and their supporters, to remain calm, exercise restraint and reject all forms of violence ahead of the official announcement of the electoral results.

    He also reaffirmed the UN’s unwavering support to peace and stability in Mozambique during this important phase in the country’s history.

    WHO supports South Sudan amid severe flooding

    The World Health Organization (WHO) is working with authorities and partners in South Sudan as the country faces some of the worst flooding in decades, affecting 42 out of 78 counties and impacting some 890,000 people.

    Although heavy downpours during the rainy season between April and November often trigger floods, they have become increasingly severe due to climate change, WHO said.

    So far, more than 226,000 people have been displaced, and roads and key infrastructure have been submerged. This includes 58 health facilities, while nearly 90 others are inaccessible.

    The floods have exacerbated the already dire humanitarian situation in the country, which is hosting almost 800,000 refugees and returnees fleeing the war in neighbouring Sudan.

    Most refugees and returnees pass through Renk county in Upper Nile state, where two suspected cholera cases have been detected. Meanwhile, malaria is on the rise, with more than 120,000 suspected cases and 31 suspected deaths as of late September.

    WHO has distributed about 88 metric tonnes of emergency health kits to Renk and other key locations to assist flood-affected communities. The kits can treat over 870,000 people and include critical medical supplies such cholera treatment and antimalarial drugs.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief tells President Putin Russian invasion violates UN Charter

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres reiterated in a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that his country’s on-going invasion of Ukraine violates the United Nations Charter and international law.

    Their meeting took place on Thursday, in Kazan, Russia, the venue for the 16th BRICS Summit.

    In a post on social media platform X, Mr. Guterres wrote on Friday that during the meeting, he had emphasized to President Putin the illegality of the Russian invasion.

    “I reiterated the points I made in the Summit session,” Mr. Guterres said.

    The BRICS group was founded by Brazil, Russia, India and China in 2006 – with South Africa joining in 2010 – and has since expanded to a bloc of nations which collectively represents nearly half of the world’s population.

    Addressing the Summit on Thursday, the Secretary-General highlighted the need for peace in Ukraine, “a just peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions.”

    He also emphasized the importance of upholding everywhere the values of the UN Charter, the rule of law, and the principles of sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of States.

    In his meeting with Mr. Putin, Secretary-General Guterres also expressed his strong support for the establishment of an agreement for safe navigation in the Black Sea, which an essential avenue for global food security.

    “The Secretary-General expressed his belief that establishing freedom of navigation in the Black Sea is of paramount importance for Ukraine, the Russian Federation and for the world’s food and energy security,” according to a readout of the meeting issued by the Mr. Guterres’ spokesperson.  

    “He fully supports the continuation of negotiations in this regard and expresses his deep appreciation for the work being done by Türkiye,” the readout added.

    Transport of agricultural goods, in particular grain from Ukraine and other ports on the Black Sea, as well as fertilizers have been severely affected since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, jeopardizing food security and skyrocketing prices globally.

    Brokered by the UN and Türkiye in July 2022, the Black Sea Grain Initiative and the subsequent parallel accord between UN and Russia were crucial in restoring trade in the vital commodities.  

    The Initiative was not renewed after its third term, which expired on 17 July 2023, impacting again the trade route.

    At a news briefing in New York on Friday, a UN spokesperson addressed questions about Secretary-General António Guterres’ meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite an active International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against the Russian leader.

    UN Deputy Spokesperson, Farhan Haq, said that any engagement between UN officials and individuals under indictment is based strictly on operational necessity.

    “There are very clear operational issues that we have to deal with,” Mr. Haq explained, referring to the readout from the meeting and noted concerns about the war in Ukraine and safe navigation in the Black Sea.

    “These are all reasons for having a meeting such as this, again, under strict conditions in terms of dealing with operational matters, while you have to deal with indicted personnel.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –