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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI: TransAlta Corporation Announces Results of the 2025 Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders and Election of all Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TransAlta Corporation (TSX: TA) (NYSE: TAC) (“TransAlta” or the “Company”) held its Annual and Special Meeting of Shareholders (“the Meeting”) on April 24, 2025. The total number of common shares represented by shareholders at the Meeting and by proxy was 188,962,557, representing 63.43 per cent of the Company’s outstanding common shares.

    The following resolutions were considered by shareholders:

    Election of Directors

    The eleven director nominees proposed by management were elected.  The votes by ballot were received as follows:

    Nominee Votes For Per cent Against Per cent
    Brian Baker 185,156,967 99.63% 680,871 0.37%
    John P. Dielwart 184,711,189 99.39% 1,126,649 0.61%
    Alan J. Fohrer 183,827,004 98.92% 2,010,834 1.08%
    Laura W. Folse 183,557,637 98.77% 2,280,201 1.23%
    John H. Kousinioris 184,917,419 99.50% 920,419 0.50%
    Candace J. MacGibbon 185,275,486 99.70% 562,352 0.30%
    Thomas M. O’Flynn 169,353,529 91.13% 16,484,309 8.87%
    Bryan D. Pinney 184,445,303 99.25% 1,392,535 0.75%
    James Reid 185,232,712 99.67% 605,126 0.33%
    Manjit K. Sharma 185,215,308 99.67% 622,530 0.33%
    Sandra R. Sharman 183,128,129 98.54% 2,709,709 1.46%
             

    Appointment of Auditors 

    The appointment of Ernst & Young LLP to serve as the auditors for 2025 was approved.  The votes by ballot were received as follows:

    Votes For Per cent Abstained Per cent
    182,794,376 96.74% 6,167,467 3.26%
           

    Advisory Vote on Executive Compensation (also known as “say-on-pay”)

    The non-binding advisory vote on the Company’s approach to executive compensation or say-on-pay was approved.  The votes by ballot were received as follows:

    Votes For Per cent Against Per cent
    183,790,462 98.90% 2,047,376 1.10%
           

    Approval of the Company’s Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan

    The resolution approving the continuation of the Company’s Amended and Restated Shareholder Rights Plan was approved. The votes by ballot were received as follows:

    Votes For Per cent Against Per cent
    181,082,371 97.44% 4,754,201 2.56%
           

    About TransAlta Corporation:

    TransAlta owns, operates and develops a diverse fleet of electrical power generation assets in Canada, the United States and Australia with a focus on long-term shareholder value. TransAlta provides municipalities, medium and large industries, businesses and utility customers with affordable, energy efficient and reliable power. Today, TransAlta is one of Canada’s largest producers of wind power and Alberta’s largest producer of thermal generation and hydro-electric power. For over 114 years, TransAlta has been a responsible operator and a proud member of the communities where we operate and where our employees work and live. TransAlta aligns its corporate goals with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the Future-Fit Business Benchmark, which also defines sustainable goals for businesses. Our reporting on climate change management has been guided by the International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) S2 Climate-related Disclosures Standard and the Task Force on Climate-related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) recommendations. TransAlta has achieved a 70 per cent reduction in GHG emissions or 22.7 million tonnes CO2e since 2015 and received an upgraded MSCI ESG rating of AA.

    For more information about TransAlta, visit our web site at transalta.com.

    For more information:

    Investor Inquiries: Media Inquiries:
    Phone: 1-800-387-3598 in Canada and US Phone: 1-855-255-9184
    Email: investor_relations@transalta.com Email: ta_media_relations@transalta.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: It’s World Immunization Week. How prepared is Canada if vaccines are needed for a new pandemic?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kelley Lee, Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Health Governance; Scientific Co-Director, Bridge Research Consortium, Simon Fraser University

    With the global resurgence of many vaccine-preventable diseases, World Immunization Week (April 24-30) provides a timely opportunity for Canadians to reflect on the goal of “Immunization for All.”

    The World Health Organization (WHO) raises awareness each year of the importance of equitable access to lifesaving and health-protecting vaccines. More than 154 million lives worldwide over the past 50 years have been saved by vaccines, excluding vaccines for COVID-19, malaria, influenza, human papilloma virus, and other deadly diseases.

    Immunization programs underpin 14 of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The global eradication of smallpox, 99 per cent reduction of wild polio cases since 1988, and 40 per cent reduction in infant mortality are why vaccines are celebrated among public health’s greatest achievements

    Continued benefits from vaccines under threat in Canada

    Supported by a universal health-care system, strong public health infrastructure, and publicly funded programs, Canada has enjoyed a century of decline in diseases such as measles, diphtheria and pertussis thanks to vaccines.

    Recent trends, however, are cause for concern. A decline in vaccine confidence, worsening since the COVID-19 pandemic, challenges of access and the inclusion of vaccines in partisan political rhetoric have led to reduced vaccine uptake.

    In 2024, 17 per cent of Canadian parents were “really against” vaccinating their children, up from four per cent in 2019. The measles outbreak in Ontario, with more than 800 cases and 61 hospitalizations, are real consequences of these choices. The Council of Canadian Academies estimated that COVID-19 misinformation cost Canada more than 2,800 lives and $300 million in additional health-care and economic losses.

    Vaccines for future pandemics

    The spectre of a new pandemic looms with the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1). In the United States, infections in dairy cattle and on poultry farms continue.

    With vaccination likely playing a critical role in any public health response, the dismantling of parts of the American public health infrastructure, defunding of vaccine research and ramping up of political rhetoric against vaccines is highly concerning. The United States’s withdrawal from global health, including the termination of funding to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance and WHO, is likely to profoundly harm global immunization programs and pandemic preparedness.

    Canada must take stock of this changing landscape. Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam’s 2024 report, Realizing the Future of Vaccination for Public Health, sets out a clear framework for realizing the full potential of vaccination in Canada.
    In addition to major investments in new vaccine development and biomanufacturing in Canada, this public health framework is designed to support a better co-ordinated national immunization system, concerted efforts to address public trust, and efforts to improve equitable access.

    Need for a national immunization registry

    The lack of integration of Canada’s fragmented immunization data across provinces and territories makes it more challenging to plan vaccine rollouts, identify coverage gaps or rapidly track adverse events after immunization. The Canadian Public Health Association and others have long called for a comprehensive and harmonized immunization registry as essential for a modern and responsive system.

    A national framework for vaccine data collection would allow policymakers and practitioners to make evidence-informed decisions in real time.

    Supporting public trust

    Sustaining high vaccination coverage begins with public trust in science, government and public health. While most people still trust science and scientists, what constitutes trustworthy sources of information has become a serious problem.

    Insufficient transparency around vaccine development, regulation and monitoring of adverse reactions needs addressing. Concerns about the rapid pace of scientific advances, including the 100-days mission to produce an effective vaccine for a future pandemic, must be recognized.

    With so many new vaccines expected to roll out in coming years, including new frontiers in neurodegenerative disorders and vaccines for certain cancers, a harmonized vaccine schedule would foster public trust. In this context, vaccine misinformation has become a serious problem.

    Centring equitable access and design

    The COVID-19 pandemic showed how structural inequalities reduced the ability to access vaccines.

    Initiatives during the pandemic to support equitable access — such as mobile clinics, culturally appropriate information and community-led initiatives — increased uptake. These approaches need to be extended to routine vaccination.

    Moreover, building supportive environments means incorporating an “equity by design” approach, which applies regulatory tools and systems design to support vaccine equity, from discovery to rollout means that the ability to keep vaccines refridgerated cold chains or needle delivery, for example, do not contribute to disparities of access.

    Bridge Research Consortium

    The Bridge Research Consortium (BRC) is a multidisciplinary team of social scientists and humanities scholars established in 2024 to understand the social and behavioural factors that influence new vaccine uptake in Canada.

    Bridging understandings across the “pipeline” for developing new vaccines and therapeutics, and the public health system, the BRC supports tailored and equity-informed strategies that enhance public trust and equitable access. We will hear directly from communities across the country, identify concerns in real-time, and co-develop approaches that reflect diverse perspectives. We plan to achieve this through demystifying how vaccines are developed and produced, holding deliberative dialogues that bring together diverse perspectives on challenging topics, and creating a travelling science exhibit. World Immunization Week is a timely reminder of the importance of this work to enable Canada to realize the potential benefits of vaccines.

    Immunity and Society is a new series from The Conversation Canada that presents new vaccine discoveries and immune-based innovations that are changing how we understand and protect human health. Through a partnership with the Bridge Research Consortium, these articles — written by academics in Canada at the forefront of immunology and biomanufacturing — explore the latest developments and their social impacts.

    Kelley Lee receives funding from the Canada’s Biomedical Research Fund, Canada Foundation for Innovation, and British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund to support the work of the Bridge Research Consortium. The BRC is one of 19 projects funded to support Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. She also receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and New Frontiers in Research Fund to conduct research on pandemic preparedness and response. She currently serves as a Commissioner on the National University of Singapore-The Lancet Pandemic Readiness, Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation (PRIME) Commission.

    Ève Dubé receives funding from the Canada’s Biomedical Research Fund, Canada Foundation for Innovation, to support the work of the Bridge Research Consortium. The BRC is one of 19 projects funded to support Canada’s Biomanufacturing and Life Sciences Strategy. She also receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Fonds de recherche du Québec to conduct research on vaccine acceptance.

    Janice E. Graham receives funding from CIHR and PHAC.

    Noni MacDonald receives funding from CIHR, CIRN grants related to immunization as well as PHAC and CPHA consultation fees related to immunization. She is a member of the Canadian Paediatric Society and the International Pediatric Society, a donor to Canadian Public Health Association and WHO, and on board of the journal Vaccine.

    – ref. It’s World Immunization Week. How prepared is Canada if vaccines are needed for a new pandemic? – https://theconversation.com/its-world-immunization-week-how-prepared-is-canada-if-vaccines-are-needed-for-a-new-pandemic-254186

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — Tilt, Tremor, and Lava: Remembering Mauna Loa’s 2022 Eruption Onset

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

    Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) image of Mauna Loa spanning November 16 to December 2, 2022. Concentric patterns of colored fringes indicate the complex pattern of deformation during the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption. Lava flows are shown by light red areas and summit tiltmeter site locations are shown with white circles.

    Many residents remember Mauna Loa—the largest active volcano on Earth—roaring awake after decades of slumber with a dynamic summit and Northeast Rift Zone (NERZ) eruption in late 2022. Geophysical instruments recorded many major, and even subtle, details the night of the 2022 Mauna Loa eruption onset. Here we’ll explore some of these monitoring data observations that give us clues as to what was happening beneath the surface.

    Around 10:20 p.m. HST on November 27, 2022, the USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) monitoring networks detected rapid changes in Mauna Loa’s summit area. A swarm of small, shallow earthquakes occurred beneath the caldera and just south of the summit, lasting about an hour. At the same time, tiltmeters at Mauna Loa’s summit began to record significant ground deformation—a sign that magma was moving rapidly toward the surface.

    By 10:50 p.m., a tiltmeter designated MOK and located on the northeast rim of Mokuʻāweoweo (Mauna Loa’s summit caldera), measured inflationary tilt of over 100 microradians—pointing downwards to the northwest and away from the summit, which indicated that magma was continuing to rise upward from below. Tremor, a seismic signal often associated with magma movement, was also detected just minutes later.

    At 11:21 p.m. HST, the eruption began. Webcam imagery confirmed fissures had opened within Mokuʻāweoweo, and that lava was flooding the caldera floor. Almost immediately, the MOK tiltmeter showed rapid deflation, reflecting that magma from the summit reservoir was spilling out onto the surface.

    Meanwhile another tiltmeter designated SLC and located southwest of the summit—just above Mauna Loa’s Southwest Rift Zone (SWRZ)—began to show dramatic changes as well. By the early morning of November 28, the instrument had recorded over 500 microradians of tilt towards the north and northwest, and, soon after, it went off-scale because the amount of tilting was higher that it was designed to measure. The magnitude and direction of these readings were puzzling, as they weren’t exactly what would be expected if magma migrated toward the SWRZ, but any movement on this tiltmeter was concerning.  Such a scenario could result in lava flows threatening communities downslope, such as Hawaiian Ocean View Estates or others on the south Kona coast.

    However, no deformation was seen at a tiltmeter farther down the SWRZ (designated BLB), which suggested that the magma had not continued in that direction. Instead, the eruptive activity shifted northeast, and vents opened along Mauna Loa’s NERZ, feeding lava flows that mostly traveled north-northeast towards the Humuʻula Saddle. The eruption remained there until its end in mid-December. The large tilt magnitude measured at SLC was instead interpreted as a response to the summit reservoir’s extent and draining, not a sign of rift zone intrusion.

    As the eruption continued, significant deflation was recorded at summit GPS stations. Between November 27 and December 10, 2022, the summit caldera subsided nearly 40 centimeters (16 inches). This signal decreased with distance away from the summit, but even sites on Mauna Loa’s flanks measured several centimeters of subsidence. Satellite radar imagery from Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) showed additional complex patterns of ground movement, which indicate where magma either reached the surface or was very close to the surface.

    The effects of the eruption were not limited to just Mauna Loa. GPS stations on neighboring volcanoes on the Island of Hawai’i, including Kīlauea and Hualālai, recorded small but measurable motion in response to deflation of Mauna Loa during the active 2022 eruption. Some stations at Kīlauea began migrating northwest—toward Mauna Loa—within a single day of the eruption starting. This inter-volcano response illustrates how Mauna Loa’s activity can affect stress fields across the island and potentially influence other volcanic systems.

    Currently, instruments on Mauna Loa show low levels of seismicity and only minor inflation near the summit as the volcano recovers from the 2022 eruption and magma replenishes the reservoir system. Still, we know Mauna Loa will only slumber for so long, and another eruption will occur years or decades into the future. But the public can rest assured, while Kīlauea continues to erupt with its impressive lava fountains, HVO scientists are also continuing to closely monitor and study the now-quiet Mauna Loa behind the scenes as well as other volcanoes in Hawaii and American Samoa. 

    Volcano Activity Updates

    Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

    The summit eruption at Kīlauea volcano that began in Halemaʻumaʻu crater on December 23 continued over the past week. Low-level precursory activity of episode 18 began the evening of April 16, and the 10-hour fountaining phase began the morning of April 22.  Episode 18 fountains from the south vent reached heights over 600 feet (200 meters) while minor activity occurred at the north vent. Since the end of episode 18, the summit region has showed inflation suggesting another episode is possible. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

    One earthquake was reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week: a M2.7 earthquake 3 km (1 mi) SSE of Leilani Estates at 6 km (4 mi) depth on April 17 at 8:55 p.m. HST.

    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

    Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Chikunga leads SA delegation at Brazil BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Minister in the Presidency responsible for Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities, Sindisiwe Chikunga, is leading South Africa’s delegation to the BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasília, Brazil.

    The Ministerial meeting, taking place on Thursday, is one of several high-level engagements under the 2025 BRICS Presidency, led by Brazil, and is themed: “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance”.

    The meeting will bring together Ministers responsible for gender and women’s affairs across BRICS member states (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) to advance multilateral cooperation on women’s empowerment and gender-responsive governance.

    The BRICS Women Ministerial Meeting was first conceptualised during South Africa’s BRICS Presidency in 2023, when South Africa proposed the institutionalisation of a platform for Ministers responsible for women’s affairs.

    This initiative aimed to integrate gender equality and women’s empowerment more centrally into BRICS multilateralism. Since then, both Russia in 2024, and Brazil in 2025, have continued the momentum, hosting sessions that advance this collaborative agenda.

    The 2025 Ministerial will focus on three priority areas:
    •    Women, Development and Entrepreneurship,
    •    Digital Governance, Misogyny and Disinformation, and
    •    Women’s Empowerment, Climate Action and Sustainable Development.

    The Department of Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities said Chikunga will participate in all three thematic debates scheduled for the Ministerial Meeting, where she will contribute to discussions on women’s economic empowerment, digital governance, and climate resilience.

    “Her participation underscores South Africa’s commitment to ensuring that gender equality is mainstreamed across all areas of governance, policy, and development within the BRICS framework. These themes reflect shared challenges and ambitions across the BRICS countries, particularly in the context of inclusive economic development, digital rights, and sustainability.

    “The meeting offers a strategic space for exchanging policy approaches, aligning efforts, and strengthening collective commitments to gender justice. South Africa’s participation is consistent with its broader commitment to women development, social inclusion, and multilateral solidarity,” the department said in a statement on Thursday. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commissioner Kristin N. Johnson: Africa Fintech Summit 2025 Keynote Remarks

    Source: US Commodity Futures Trading Commission

    It is a privilege to join you today to kick-off the Africa Fintech Summit of 2025. Twice a year this convening serves as one of the largest gatherings of Africa’s Fintech Community—connecting entrepreneurs, investors, and regulators during the International Monetary Fund/World Bank spring meeting week in Washington, DC. and in the fall in Africa. My tremendous thanks to the organizers and hosts. 
    As you arrived this morning, I am sure you were able to appreciate the perfect spring weather and blooming cherry blossoms that we ordered for you this week. There are few places in DC that are lovelier this time of year than where we sit, here in Georgetown. 
    In my career, I have learned about entrepreneurship from mentors and clients at the world’s largest investment banks, small start-ups, and family-founded businesses. My family’s history as entrepreneurs and informal investors in community small businesses dates to the mid-1800s here in the United States. Perhaps one day, I will have the opportunity to continue this tradition and help fund the businesses of innovative founders. 
    Today, I am a Commissioner at the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission, nominated by former President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate.[1] At the CFTC, we oversee U.S. markets and market participants for derivatives contracts that reference commodities. According to a Bank for International Settlements report, the notional value of the global derivatives market is over $730 trillion.[2] In recent years, courts and Congress have indicated intentions to expand the CFTC’s mandate to include oversight of emerging technologies, including distributed digital ledger technologies commonly referred to as blockchain technologies, digital assets, including cryptocurrencies, and certain platforms within the assemblage of technologies referred to as artificial intelligence. 
    African Fintech Firms Inspire a World of Innovation
    African fintech firms demonstrate curiosity, creativity, and driven commitment to deliver first-rate fintech products and services to consumers and businesses on the continent and around the world.   
    During my time as a CFTC Commissioner, I have traveled to South Africa, Kenya, Zambia, and Ghana to meet with fintech entrepreneurs. I have witnessed first-hand the exceptional creativity and curiosity that drives African fintech entrepreneurs. As you well know from CNBC’s announcement last year, six African fintech firms are among the world’s top fintech companies PalmPay, Flutterwave, Kuda, MTN, Piggvest, and Yoco.[3] African fintech firms have emerged from every corner of the continent. 
    In various stages of development—from incubators to early stages (pre-seed) capital raising to joint ventures with Google, Microsoft, and AWS—African fintech firms enhance financial accessibility, inclusivity, and consumer empowerment. These businesses integrate the most advanced technologies available, reflect global thought leadership in the potential for emerging technologies to reshape access and opportunities for both consumer and commercial finance, and create pathways for inclusion that have inspired creative consumer finance solutions around the globe.
    As you know well, the recipe for entrepreneurial success begins with a great idea. Yet, building opportunities in fast-moving, high-tech markets requires a number of critical inputs as well as conditions to facilitate growth and development. Entrepreneurs or innovators, funders or sources of capital, and, yes, regulators all have an important role to play in promoting responsible innovation and growth. It has been my pleasure to collaborate with regulators around the continent as they consider ways to spur innovation and growth. Last year, during my keynote remarks at the South African Reserve Bank Fintech Summit in Johannesburg[4] and at the beginning of this year in Ghana, I emphasized the opportunities for African fintech firms to innovate using AI in consumer finance. 
    The Rise of AI in Fintech
    As I noted in my opening remarks at The South African Reserve Bank Fintech Summit last year,
    While our markets have long relied upon AI for a variety of risk management and predictive pricing functions, we are witnessing rapid developments beyond reinforcement learning and neural networks in generative AI.
    Increasingly, diverse industries and sectors of our economy identify opportunities to integrate aspects of the assemblage of technologies that we commonly describe as AI or AI technologies. AI enables doctors to diagnose and map diseases earlier, faster, and with greater accuracy than ever before in the history of medicine. Farmers who cultivate crops that feed [] nation[s] may integrate AI to better manage access to vital resources such as freshwater, enabling more efficient irrigation, fertilization, and crop rotation leading to more sustainable farming.
    In our markets, AI offers similar efficiencies for faster trade execution and settlement, more accurate pricing prediction, and more precise risk management oversight. Markets have witnessed increasing adoption of AI including AI-driven investment advising, trade execution, risk management, and market surveillance.[5]
    Financial services firms are fully embracing the powers of AI, making increasingly large investments in infrastructure to support AI and expanding the roster of use cases. One economist estimates that investments in AI may reach $97 billion by 2027.[6] 
    Notable Challenges for Inclusion 
    As AI adoption expands across markets, however, there are a number of notable challenges. For many, the costs of relying on large language models or agentic AI will place these technologies beyond the resources of their businesses. 
    Accessibility and Inclusivity Challenges for Global Competitors 
    The high cost of developing advanced AI technologies and the infrastructure to support their use poses significant accessibility and inclusivity barriers, particularly disadvantaging smaller competitors and institutions in emerging markets. These barriers limit the widespread adoption of AI-driven financial solutions, which can disproportionately affect underserved and economically disadvantaged populations who could most benefit from improved financial services. This can make it exceptionally hard for emerging companies to incorporate AI into their services if the infrastructure does not already exist. To that end, we are seeing private companies form partnerships to make necessary investments to scale up AI capabilities in Africa, like Cassava Technologies, a global technology leader, and their partnership with Nvidia to develop Africa’s first AI factory in South Africa.[7] 
    At the Commission, we have also explored regulatory frameworks addressing AI’s role in financial markets through an ongoing conversation with market participants.[8] The Commission has acknowledged the potential for AI-driven systems to impact consumer protection indirectly through enhanced market integrity and risk management protocols, but it has also acknowledged the dangers that consumers can face.[9] 
    I have repeatedly emphasized the need to establish robust principles-based regulatory frameworks at the Commission to combat consumer-facing issues like AI-enabled market manipulation and fraud, through my repeated emphasis on the need to promote the explainability of AI models, the implementation of data controls and measures to address bias, clear governance frameworks for accountability and testing, and the establishment of an interagency task force and an AI Fraud Task Force to tackle fraud full force.[10] In particular, firms implementing this technology in consumer-facing ways must adhere to existing laws on fairness, transparency, and privacy.
    The Financial Stability Board (FSB) has highlighted the importance of international collaboration in setting standards for responsible AI use, advocating for coordinated frameworks that ensure consumer protection, fairness, and transparency in AI-powered financial services globally.[11] International collaboration amongst regulators can aid in streamlining the growing body of international standards which can be difficult to navigate and present a significant barrier to emerging companies. Meanwhile, countries like Singapore have also made significant strides in regulating and supporting consumer-facing AI applications through initiatives like the Monetary Authority of Singapore’s regulatory sandbox framework, allowing fintech startups to test AI-driven solutions in controlled environments, balancing innovation with consumer protection.[12]
    Africa’s Embrace of AI to Promote Accessibility, Consumer Interaction, and Further Innovation
    Through strategic partnerships between AI startups, larger corporations, and governmental agencies, increased access to advanced AI technologies and traditional financial services have been more readily obtainable. Sitoyo Lopokoiyit, CEO and founder of M-Pesa, and others demonstrate how strategic partnerships, cost-effective approaches, and mobile-first innovations can significantly reduce barriers, enabling broader AI adoption and the growth of consumer inclusive financial services. M-Pesa, a mobile money services platform, which hosts millions of customers and facilitates billions in transactions per year, may be used to deposit money into an account, “store it on … cell phones, send balances using PINs secured by SMS text messages, and enable buyers and sellers of goods to redeem and access purchases as well as deposits for regular money…. M-Pesa represents the potential to develop platforms that give customers access to banking services, reduce transaction costs, and otherwise overcome the endemic frictions that have challenged access to financial services for millions.”[13] 
    M-Pesa’s business model is particularly interesting because of how effectively it has created access for individuals who have historically lacked access to basic financial services. I previously traveled to Kenya to meet with the CEO and President of M-Pesa, as well as central bankers, the governor of the Central Bank of Kenya, and deputy governors and market regulators, to discuss the uptick in retail market participation and the considerations for consumer protection that come with the increased accessibility to financial markets. 
    Conclusion
    Continued partnerships between African fintech innovators, African regulators, and U.S. regulators and institutions can help foster shared growth and technological advancement for both parties. Such collaborations offer significant opportunities, combining African innovation in financial inclusion and mobile technologies with U.S. strengths in regulatory frameworks, research, and infrastructure. These synergistic relationships can enhance global fintech capabilities, drive inclusive economic growth, and promote greater financial stability and consumer protection worldwide.
    Conferences like the one we are participating in today are of vital importance to the notion of collaboration. The issues discussed, the connections made, and the lessons shared here today can help propel markets forward in a way that not only protects the consumer but also empowers the consumer.
    Thank you again for allowing me to join you today. I look forward to hearing from each of the panels and speakers and continuing to develop great relationships with the leading voices in fintech in Africa.

    [1] The thoughts and perspectives that I share with you today are my own; they are not the views and perspectives of my fellow Commissioners, the Commission, or the staff of the CFTC.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Stands with Law Firm Targeted by Trump Administration

    Source: US State of New York

    EW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general today filed an amicus brief supporting the law firm Susman Godfrey against illegal attacks by the Trump administration. President Trump issued Executive Orders imposing severe sanctions against Susman Godfrey in retaliation for doing work disfavored by the Trump administration. Attorney General James and a coalition argue in their amicus brief submitted to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that the Executive Order violates the First Amendment, disregards the right to counsel, and undermines constitutional principles like the separation of powers.

    “The Trump administration cannot dictate which clients or issues law firms represent and support,” said Attorney General James. “These vindictive Executive Orders targeting law firms are a gross abuse of power and undermine our democracy and our Constitution. I will continue to use my voice and the force of my office to defend the rule of law and support the law firms bravely challenging these unjust attacks by the Trump administration.”

    President Trump has issued Executive Orders retaliating against law firms whose advocacy, clients, and personnel he dislikes. These orders require federal officials to suspend any active security clearances held by individuals at the targeted law firms, to refuse to engage with or hire employees of these firms, and to deny the law firms’ personnel entry to federal buildings. The orders also direct federal contractors to disclose any business they do with the law firms so that agencies can terminate any contract with the firms. 

    Susman Godfrey was named in one of these retaliatory executive orders in early April. Susman obtained temporary injunctive relief earlier this month and is now asking a judge to permanently block the Executive Order against it. When granting the temporary injunctive relief, a federal judge said, “the Executive Order is based on a personal vendetta against a particular firm. And, frankly, I think the framers of our Constitution would view it as a shocking abuse of power.”

    In their amicus brief, the attorneys general argue that a fair and functioning judicial system depends on lawyers being willing to work on controversial cases or represent unpopular clients without fearing retribution by the government. The attorneys general further assert that the orders will harm the residents of their states by making it more difficult for many potential clients – especially those who currently rely on pro bono representation – to obtain legal services and vindicate their rights in court. 

    Today’s briefs are the latest efforts by Attorney General James to support the legal industry against unconstitutional attacks by the Trump administration. Earlier this month, Attorney General James and a coalition of attorneys general submitted amicus briefs in support of Jenner & Block LLP and WilmerHale LLP. In March, Attorney General James filed an amicus brief in support of the law firm Perkins Coie LLP.

    Joining Attorney General James in filing today’s amicus briefs are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and the District of Columbia.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: IAEA Director General Grossi Discusses Global Non-proliferation, Nuclear Safety Issues with Senior US Officials in Washington DC

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    IAEA Director General Grossi met with World Bank President Ayaj Banga during his three-day visit to Washington DC.  (Photo: D. Candano/IAEA)

    “To achieve sustainable development and prosperity, the world needs an abundance of clean, reliable and sustainable energy,” Director General Grossi said.

    With World Bank President Banga, Director General Grossi shared the IAEA’s perspective on nuclear energy and said the IAEA stands ready, upon request, to provide technical support to MDBs, particularly on nuclear infrastructure development including nuclear safety, security and safeguards.

    The World Bank and other MDBs currently do not contribute financing to nuclear power new build projects, although some MDBs have provided lending for upgrades to existing nuclear power reactors or their decommissioning.

    Director General Grossi said that financing nuclear power would better align MDBs with the “new global consensus” forged at COP28 in Dubai, where the world called for accelerating the deployment of nuclear power along with other zero emission energy technologies to achieve deep and rapid decarbonization.

    In addition, the Director General spoke at two high-profile think-tank events organised by the Council on Foreign Relations and Carnegie Endowment for International Peace respectively, answering questions on Iran’s nuclear programme, North Korea’s nuclear activities, the renewed worldwide momentum for nuclear energy and other current issues.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington state joins coalition of AGs supporting law firm singled out by executive order

    Source: Washington State News

    OLYMPIA — Attorney General Nick Brown has joined 20 other attorneys general in an amicus brief in support of law firm Susman Godfrey, which is challenging an unconstitutional presidential order issued as retribution against the firm for representing clients in the aftermath of the 2020 election and defending the integrity of that election.

    The order, similar to others targeting specific law firms for who they’ve represented, violates the firm’s rights to free speech, due process, and other constitutional protections.

    “The president’s order is illegal — yet again — and a direct attack on the right to legal representation,” Brown said. “The Constitution and America’s defining values of fairness are both at risk under these actions.”

    President Donald Trump has issued five executive orders retaliating against law firms whose advocacy, clients, and staff he dislikes. These orders require federal officials to suspend any active security clearances held by the law firms’ workers, to refuse to engage with or hire employees of these firms, and to deny the law firms’ personnel entry to federal buildings. The orders also direct federal contractors to disclose any business with the law firms so that agencies can terminate any such contracts. Four courts that have reviewed those orders found they are likely unconstitutional.

    Susman Godfrey, a law firm with an office in Seattle, was named in one of these retaliatory executive orders in early April. Susman obtained temporary injunctive relief earlier this month and is now asking a judge to permanently block the executive order against it.

    When granting the temporary injunctive relief, a federal judge said, “The executive order is based on a personal vendetta against a particular firm. And, frankly, I think the framers of our Constitution would view it as a shocking abuse of power.”

    Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown and the other attorneys general note that a fair and functioning judicial system depends on lawyers being willing to work on controversial cases or represent unpopular clients without fearing retribution by the government. The attorneys general say the orders will harm their states’ residents by making it more difficult for many potential clients — especially those who currently rely on pro bono representation — to obtain legal services and vindicate their rights in court.

    The coalition was led by the attorneys general from Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. Joining them in filing the briefs were Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont.

    The brief can be found here. More information about previous amicus briefs in support of other law firms are here and here. State attorneys general also wrote a letter to support the legal community, which can be found here.

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Condemns Trump Administration Campaign to Silence Legal Sector, Files Brief in Support of Susman Godfrey

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today, along with 21 attorneys general, filed an amicus brief in support of Susman Godfrey LLP’s lawsuit seeking to block the Trump Administration from retaliating against the firm and its attorneys. The Trump Administration’s actions against Susman Godfrey are part of a larger campaign by President Trump to silence lawyers and law firms that represent individuals and causes that he does not agree with. In the amicus brief, the attorneys general defend the rule of law and ask the court to permanently halt the Trump Administration’s retaliatory actions.

    “Everybody is entitled to legal access and vigorous representation without fear of retribution. The Trump Administration’s political attack on Susman Godfrey based on the clients and ideas they represent is an attempt to silence people who challenge the President. If allowed to continue, this will have an immediate chilling effect on attorneys nationwide, making it harder for lawyers to provide the critical legal services on which our courts and residents depend,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Along with my fellow attorneys general, I proudly stand in support of Susman Godfrey and all other law firms whose free speech rights are being targeted and strongly condemn President Trump’s effort to silence those he disagrees with.”

    Over the past two months, President Trump has issued an unprecedented series of executive orders imposing severe sanctions on law firms whose advocacy, clients, and lawyers he dislikes. Earlier this month, the Trump Administration issued an executive order targeting Susman Godfrey, which sued Fox News for alleged election-related lies. The order strips the firm of active security clearances and terminates federal contracts with the firm and its clients, among other things. Susman Godfrey sued to halt enforcement of the order targeting their firm, citing violations of free speech and unconstitutional interference with the rights of their clients to select lawyers of their choosing.  

    In the brief, the attorneys general argue that by retaliating against Susman Godfrey and discriminating based on viewpoint, the Trump Administration is violating the First Amendment and ask the court to permanently halt the Trump Administration’s retaliatory actions. The attorneys general make the point that a well-functioning judicial system depends on the willingness of lawyers to take on difficult cases or unpopular clients without retribution by their government. Any attempts to deter lawyers from representing the full spectrum of clients and causes would undermine judicial systems across the country.  

    Attorney General Bonta has vigorously called out President Trump’s assault on the rule of law. Last month, Attorney General Bonta, along with 20 other state attorneys general issued an open letter urging the legal community to stand together in defense of the rule of law in response to President Trump’s recent attacks, which include calls for the impeachment of federal judges and threats of retribution against law firms and attorneys who take or have taken positions in opposition to him or his Administration. Attorney General Bonta also issued a separate statement on the need to speak up and push back when our democratic norms are violated, our legal system undermined, and our laws broken. Attorney General Bonta has filed amicus briefs in support of Perkins Coie, WilmerHale, and Jenner & Block, law firms that have also been targeted by the Trump Administration over their representation of clients or positions President Trump disagrees with.   

    In filing the brief, Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Washington, Illinois, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Arizona, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and the District of Columbia. 

    A copy of the brief can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Commend Ukraine’s Presence Despite the Prevailing Circumstances, Raise Questions on the Treatment of Ukraine’s Indigenous Peoples and the Roma Population

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination today concluded its consideration of the combined twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth periodic reports of Ukraine.  Committee Experts congratulated the State party for appearing before the Committee despite prevailing circumstances, while raising questions on the treatment of Ukraine’s indigenous peoples and the Roma population. 

    A Committee Expert congratulated the Ukrainian delegation for making a laudable effort to assess the implementation of the Convention in the country, despite prevailing circumstances. Ukraine should be praised for this effort. 

    Chinsung Chung, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, said the Committee noted that the State party adopted the law on indigenous peoples in 2021.  However, according to information before the Committee, the law only recognised Crimean Tatars, Karaims and Krymchaks as indigenous peoples in Ukraine, while excluding other groups, such as Hutsuls, Lemkos and Gagauz peoples.  Could the delegation provide clarifications on the law on indigenous peoples and how it aligned with international standards? What measures were in place to preserve and promote the identity, language and culture of all indigenous people under the jurisdiction of the State party?

    Ms. Chung also said that according to the representative of the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, around 100,000 Roma became refugees, and around the same number of Ukrainian Roma became internally displaced persons.  Were accurate statistics available?  Did the State party find durable solutions for internally displaced Roma and take measures to ensure that they benefitted from assistance?  What were the State’s plans to include Roma people in recovery and reconstruction programmes?

    The delegation said in 2021, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the law on indigenous peoples in Ukraine, which was developed through extensive consultations with indigenous groups and civil society, and represented the aspirations of these groups.  In addition, a draft law was developed on the status of the Crimean Tartar people which would be registered in Parliament in the near future. 

    Officially, Ukraine recognised three indigenous groups of peoples, including Crimean Tartars, Karaims and Krymchaks.  The Lemkos people were not considered a national minority group, but rather a cultural group.  The public broadcaster of Ukraine produced programmes for national minorities in their national languages, across broadcast, radio and digital formats. 

    Mr. Lossovskyi said in 2021, the Ukrainian Government approved the Roma strategy, and every two years action plans were prepared for its implementation.  The Roma community was a young community, one of the youngest among the national minorities in Ukraine.  It would be beneficial to use their innovation and abilities in the process of renovating Ukraine when the war was over.  The State was working on providing the Roma with more education. There were many grants provided to Roma for studying in universities. 

     

    Introducing the report, Ihor Lossovskyi, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said during the reporting period from 2014 to 2019, fundamental tragic changes took place in Ukraine, in particular the beginning of the Russian aggression.  At the height of the Russian invasion, in April 2022, Ukraine applied for membership in the European Union, and in June 2022, it received candidate status along with seven relevant recommendations in all spheres of human activity, including recommendation no. 7 on completion of the reform of legislation in the field of national minorities and interethnic relations. 

    To implement these recommendations, Ukraine developed and approved three laws, including the new law on national minorities (communities) of Ukraine, as well as 16 subordinate regulatory legal acts (bylaws) approved by the Government.

    In concluding remarks, Ibrahima Guisse, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, thanked the delegation for the dialogue held, particularly given the context.  War was ended through negotiation and diplomacy, not capitulation. It was hoped this would happen with Ukraine.  The fact that Ukraine was here before the Committee was an example of the State’s willingness to cooperate.

    In his concluding remarks, Mr. Lossovskyi thanked the Committee for their time and interest in the situation in Ukraine.  The Committee’s recommendations were very much appreciated. 

    The delegation of Ukraine consisted of representatives of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience; the Coordination Centre for Legal Aid Provision; the State Committee for Television and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine; and the Permanent Mission of Ukraine to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue its concluding observations on the report of Ukraine after the conclusion of its one hundred and fifteenth session on 9 May 2025.  The programme of work and other documents related to the session can be found here.  Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here.

    The Committee will next meet in public on Friday, 25 April at 3.p.m for a half day general discussion on reparations for the injustices from the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans, their treatment as chattel, and the ongoing harms to and crimes against people of African descent.

    Report

    The Committee has before it the combined twenty-fourth to twenty-sixth periodic reports of Ukraine (CERD/C/UKR/24-26).

    Presentation of Report

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said during the reporting period from 2014 to 2019, fundamental tragic changes took place in Ukraine, in particular the beginning of the Russian aggression, Russia’s brazen destruction of international law, the occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, the occupation by the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation and terrorist organizations supported by it of certain parts of the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as the financing by the Russian Federation of terrorist organizations of the occupation administrations. 

    Due to these circumstances, collecting information in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine was difficult. As a result of the temporary occupation of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol by the Russian Federation, and the aggression of the Russian Federation in eastern Ukraine, ensuring the rights of minorities in these areas, especially Crimea, had sharply deteriorated.  Ukrainians and Crimean Tatars, and those who adhered to pro-Ukrainian views, were subject to discrimination in Crimea. 

    During the reporting period, important changes also took place in the religious sphere in Ukraine.  On 15 December 2018, the Unification Council was held, at which representatives of the three Orthodox Churches of Ukraine united into a single church structure, which was called the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”, and the Metropolitan Epiphany of Kyiv and All Ukraine was elected as its primate.  As of the beginning of 2021, this church jurisdiction had 7,097 religious organizations on the territory of Ukraine, handled by 4,537 clergy. 

    The principles of preventing and combatting discrimination were defined by the 2012 law on the principles of preventing and combatting discrimination in Ukraine.  In May 2014, amendments were made to the law, which improved the legislative definition of discrimination.  In 2019, the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience was established to deal with State policy in the field of national minorities and interethnic relations, freedom of conscience, and freedom of religion. 

    At the height of the Russian invasion, in April 2022, Ukraine applied for membership in the European Union, and in June 2022, it received candidate status along with seven relevant recommendations in all spheres of human activity, including recommendation no. 7 on completion of the reform of legislation in the field of national minorities and interethnic relations.  To implement these recommendations, Ukraine developed and approved three laws, including the new law on national minorities (communities) of Ukraine, as well as 16 subordinate regulatory legal acts (bylaws) approved by the Government. 

    The first stages of the negotiation process with the European Commission regarding Ukraine’s membership in the European Union took place, in particular, the screening of Ukrainian legislation for its compliance with European legislation.  The screening was provided under four subsections on judiciary and fundamental rights: freedom of conscience, freedom of religion; racism, xenophobia, hate speech; racial and ethnic discrimination, including Roma; and rights of national minorities. 

    Based on the results, the European Commission prepared a positive report on the state of Ukrainian legislation and its compliance with European legislation in October 2024.  The next stage of the negotiation process was the preparation of strategic documents, including an action plan to ensure the rights of national minorities in Ukraine, which were in the final stage of preparation. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    IBRAHIMA GUISSE, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, welcomed that Ukraine had a diverse and high-level delegation.  Ukraine’s presence before the Committee despite the difficult context in the country highlighted the country’s commitment to appear before the treaty bodies. Mr. Guisse then paid tribute to Pope Francis who had been a man of peace. 

    During the period under review, Ukraine had experienced deep upheavals, including the large-scale invasion in 2022, which had given rise to large-scale destruction, human loss and mass displacement. According to information before the Committee, the last census conducted in 2001 showed that the main minority groups included Russians, Belarusians, Moldovans, Crimean Tatars and Bulgarians. Ukraine also has smaller populations of Poles, Romanians, Armenians, Hungarians, Roma and other nationalities.  A subsequent census was supposed to be conducted in 2011, which was postponed until 2020, and had not taken place until now. 

    Other data was also not provided, and the Committee emphasised that the lack of statistics limited the ability to evaluate the enjoyment of different groups of their economic, social and cultural rights.  Were there plans to conduct the census based on the principle of self-identification? What were the measures planned to collect data on the enjoyment of economic and social rights by the different groups under the jurisdiction of the State party? 

    The Committee noted that the legal framework, particularly on principles of preventing and combatting discrimination in Ukraine, did not prohibit discrimination based on all grounds listed in the Convention, particularly national origin and descent.  Were there plans to amend and align the national legislation framework with article 1 of the Convention?  What measures were taken to ensure that the legislative framework prohibited intersecting forms of discrimination? 

    Could the delegation inform the Committee on the implementation of the national human rights strategy for 2015–2020 in 2015 and its action plan?  Was there a timeframe for developing and adopting a strategy on combatting racial discrimination?

    Could the delegation provide information on the mandate and activities of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience?  What were the measures to ensure the consultation and participation of groups vulnerable to racial discrimination in the work of the State Service?  Was the State party planning to establish a central mechanism to coordinate and monitor the implementation of measures designed to combat racial discrimination?

     

    The Committee was concerned that the legislative framework, including the Criminal Code, did not include a definition of all forms of discrimination, or a specific definition of hate speech or sanction for hate speech and crimes.  What measures were being undertaken to review and amend the legislative framework to prohibit all forms of racial discrimination, hate speech and hate crimes in accordance with the Convention? 

    Was the State party planning to amend its Criminal Code, particularly article 161, to remove the requirements and restrictive approach as recommended by the Committee in 2016?  What was the status of the draft law no. 5488 before the Parliament?  How were its provisions in line with the Convention?   

    Could information be provided on the legislative framework on combatting racial discrimination in political discourse, as well as information on complaints received, investigations initiated, and imposed sanctions in this field?  The Committee noted that the law on media included provisions on discrimination and incitement to hatred.  Could clarifications on the law and how its provisions aligned with the Convention be provided?  Could the delegation inform the Committee about measures taken to combat hate speech in the media and over the Internet?  Was there a designated entity to monitor hate speech or avenues to submit complaints by victims? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said unfortunately, the last census of Ukraine had taken place in 2001, which was 24 years ago.  There were several reasons for this, including two Ukrainian political revolutions during this time and the beginning of the war with Russia in 2014. The next census had been planned for 2023, but this had been postponed due to the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation in 2022.  It was impossible in current circumstances to hold another census. 

    Significant work in combatting racial discrimination had been undertaken in the past three to four years.  The State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience was established in 2019 and began its work in 2020. The institute directly dealt with issues of national minorities and ethnic policies and consisted of around 40 people. 

    Over the past couple of years, three laws had been adopted by the parliament, including the new law on national minority communities of Ukraine.  This new law was revolutionary, as it described the ethnic policy for Ukraine and prescribed tasks for the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience. According to the law, all those who considered themselves to be national minorities would be recognised by the State as such.  Ukraine had 130 national minorities, and the State took responsibility for all these communities. 

    There was a lack of strict definitions in Ukrainian laws around hate speech and hate crimes.  Ukrainian institutions were working hard to integrate these into Ukrainian legislation.  There was an interagency working group dealing with issues of discrimination, hate speech and hate crime. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    IBRAHIMA GUISSE, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, appreciated the answers given, noting the circumstances within the country.

    CHINSUNG CHUNG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, asked for more details on the interagency working group to be provided?  Could more information on the national human rights institution be provided? 

    A Committee Expert said Ukraine’s non-compliance with article 4 was an ongoing issue.  It was strongly recommended that the State follow up on this. 

    Another Expert asked how effective the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience had been in protecting minority rights in Ukraine?  What was the level of participation of national minorities in consultations on State decisions?  Had there been any improvements based on these discussions? 

    A Committee Expert said the situation in Ukraine was incomprehensible.  What could be done about hate speech?  Did Russian people hate Ukrainian people?  Personally, the Expert did not feel this was the case. How could this explain why not everyone opposed the war which continued to take more lives?  While there was hatred, men would continue to wage war. 

     

    FAITH DIKELEDI PANSY TLAKULA, Committee Expert and Follow-Up Rapporteur, expressed gratitude to the State party for responding to the Committee’s request in the one-year time frame, however, many questions by the Committee were not addressed, nor were they provided in the current State report.  Could the State party provide the Committee with the previously requested information in paragraph 16 of the concluding observations? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said the questions about the war were philosophical.  This was an existential war for the Ukrainian nation. According to the Russian dictator, Ukrainians did not exist and needed to be re-educated.  To stop the war, the Russian dictator should provide a decree to forces to stop the fight and withdraw from the territory of Ukraine. 

    The Commissioner of Human Rights had a special department focusing on discrimination.  After the screening exercise with the European Union, Ukraine understood there were some gaps in its legislation, particularly when it came to definitions.  Many new laws and bylaws had been approved to fill these gaps, and this was a key focus of the State Service for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience. Communication with national minorities was a key step in this regard. 

    Around seven million Ukrainians had left Ukraine as refugees or moved around Ukraine as internally displaced persons. Many people treated the Roma community differently.  The national action plan for the Roma strategy to 2030 was evaluated every two years. Every year, many different roundtables and conferences were organised by the State on the Roma community. 

    Two forums had been organised for the different minorities to discuss any issues they had and how to address them. A forum was organised in Kiev with Polish national minorities, and another one with Greek national minorities. There was a strategy on the development of the Crimea Tartare language.  This year, work had also been finished on the new spelling of the Crimean Tartare language. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    CHINSUNG CHUNG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, asked about concrete cases of racially motivated violence and racial profiling, and the measures taken to respond to these cases?  What measures had been taken for increasing public awareness-raising campaigns and other measures to counter incitement to hatred and hate crimes?  The Committee would also like to receive information on measures to prevent discriminatory violence by the police and other law enforcement officers; measures to ensure accountability for incidents of discriminatory violence; and data on these kinds of incidents?

    The Committee was concerned about racist hate speech and discriminatory statements in the public discourse, including by public and political figures and in the media.  How did these victims address their cases, and how effectively were these cases treated?  How many complaints had been received in the last five years, and what was the number of investigations initiated, cases considered before courts, and sanctions imposed on perpetrators?  Could detailed information be provided on complaints registered with the courts, or any other national institution, including the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, concerning acts of racial discrimination, racist hate speech and racist hate crimes?

    According to information before the Committee, there were gaps in the implementation of the legal framework, including the lack of specialisation among law enforcement officials and lack of operational standards to handle, register and investigate complaints of racial discrimination and hate crimes.  What measures were being taken to address these concerns, particularly to enhance the capacity of law enforcement officials in handling and investigating complaints related to racial discrimination and hate speech? 

    Information before the Committee indicated that there was a lack of awareness on the rights of victims of racial discrimination and fear of approaching law enforcement officials on this topic.  What measures were being taken to address these issues?  Could a reason be provided for the low rate of complaints at the National Human Rights Commission?  What measures were being taken to enable victims to make complaints more effectively? 

    The Committee welcomed the adoption of amendments in 2024 on the law on free legal aid to allow victims of hate crimes on specific grounds to benefit from secondary legal aid.  However, the information before the Committee indicated that the victims were only entitled to the legal aid at the secondary stage and not to initiate a complaint.  In addition, the implementation of the amendment was postponed until one year after the martial law was abolished.  Could the delegation provide information on these two concerns? 

    Could disaggregated data be provided on complaints by ethnic origin such as by Roma, Jews, Africans and other minorities, as well as by national origin and gender?  Had the complaints changed during the armed conflict, in terms of quantity, nature and results?  What measures were being taken to promote human rights education, including on racial discrimination, in university programmes and teacher training?

    What measures were being taken to raise awareness of the public, civil servants, and law enforcement officials in order to combat societal prejudice against certain minority groups, including the Roma?

    Could accurate statistics of ethnic minorities, including Roma, be provided?  The Committee remained concerned at the persistence of discrimination, stereotypes and prejudices against Roma, including reports of physical attacks and killings. 

    Recent research also demonstrated that the level of antigypsyism in Ukraine was still very high.  According to the social cohesion study, 35 per cent of the Ukrainian population did not want Roma to be in their community at all. What measures had the Government of Ukraine taken to fight antigypsyism? 

    Could data on the education conditions of Roma be provided?  What measures had been taken for improving the situation of education for Roma children? Were they educated in their mother tongue without discrimination?

    The Committee noted the various measures taken by the State party to improve the situation of Roma, including the strategy for the protection and integration of the Roma national minority to 2020 and its action plan.  Could information on the progress and results of strategies and programmes directed at the Roma be provided, particularly the allocated resources to ensure the effective implementation of the strategy and action plan and monitoring of its implementation?  How were members of the Roma ethnic minorities involved in the implementation and monitoring of these policies?  Had the Government consulted with Roma communities when planning and implementing such integration measures, including at the local level?  How were the low levels of funding for these plans being addressed? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the issues affecting the Roma community were a problem, not just for Ukraine but for all European countries.  Prejudices still existed, however, during the war, many Roma men had served in the Ukrainian armed forces and in some cases sacrificed their lives, which had changed the attitude of Ukrainians towards Roma people.  A unity and diversity programme was implemented last year, which was a Ukrainian national cultural programme, with training for Ukrainian police officers. 

    The lack of documents in Roma communities was an issue but this was being addressed through regular visits to regions where the Roma community lived.  Thousands of Roma people had been provided with new documents.

    In 2023, around 60 consultations were organised with different national minority groups.  Permanent consultations and meetings were held with Roma communities. The consultations included members of all relevant ministries.  The next meeting had been planned for the end of April.  April 8 was International Roma Day and a large event had been organised in Kiev, including a roundtable and an all-day conference with the participation of ambassadors and the diplomatic corps.  On the same day, several regions also organised International Roma Day celebrations with different events. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations were lacking.  How were the stakeholders in the consultations selected? The Expert expressed hope that the war would end soon with a fair and sustainable solution.  It was important to remember that the unity towards Roma people should be sustained after the war, and that the stereotypes did not return. 

    FAITH DIKELEDI PANSY TLAKULA, Committee Expert and Follow-Up Rapporteur, said the Committee’s recommendations regarding measures taken to conduct training to raise awareness on the amendments to article 161 of the Criminal Code had not been addressed, and urged the State party to provide this information. 

    Another Expert asked what existing mechanisms were in place to receive complaints from victims of hate crimes? Were they user friendly?

    A Committee Expert asked whether the education system in the State party allowed for the type of education help to prevent hate crimes and racial intolerance for children?  Were there any significant numbers of people of African descent in the State party?  Would Ukraine support the Second Decade for People of African Descent? 

    IBRAHIMA GUISSE, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, asked if Ukraine’s desire to align itself with the European Union’s legislation on hate speech was to address hate speech, or to bring its legislation into line with that of the European Union? 

    An Expert asked if the outcome of today’s dialogue would be brought to the attention of the media?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said if the Committee approved, Ukraine would provide information to the media about the meeting. Regardless of the ethnicity or culture of any citizen, they could contact the police and make a complaint. There were special school curricula on tolerance and education.  There should be more education in schools, from the youngest level possible. 

    There was an African community in Ukraine; it was not very big but its members were consulted on many issues. The African community had never informed the Government about any issues when dealing with the Ukrainian community. 

    The legal aid system of Ukraine provided several services, including primary and secondary legal aid and access to alternative dispute resolutions.  Regular targeted information campaigns were conducted on the right to legal aid, to provide empowerment for vulnerable groups and build trust in the legal aid system in Ukraine.  There had been only 91 cases of requests for legal aid during the past three years.  There were 500 legal aid centres across Ukraine, as well as an online service. 

    Six months ago, the Government adopted the list of the languages of the national minorities of Ukraine which were under threat of disappearance, and this included the Roma language. Currently, there was a special working group of experts who were familiar with these languages working on initiatives in this regard.

    In a brief comment at the end of the first meeting, MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Chair, said the dialogue was public and it was up to Ukraine if it wished to produce information on the discussion. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    IBRAHIMA GUISSE, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, asked if measures were planned to assess and review the law on national minorities (communities) of Ukraine that aimed to eliminate all discriminatory provisions?  What measures had been taken to consult and ensure the participation of all ethnic and national minority groups in the process of developing and drafting the law and its amendments? 

    While noting the measures taken by the State party to protect Crimean Tatars, in particular those who fled Crimea after 2014, the Committee remained concerned about reports that Crimean Tatars in regions under the authority of the State party faced difficulties in accessing employment, social services and education, and did not receive assistance. What mechanisms had been developed to ensure consultations with ethnic minority groups? 

    Did the State party have information concerning the National Council for Interethnic Harmony?  What measures had been taken by the State party to support women belonging to ethnic or national minority groups in exercising their political rights, including participation in public affairs and raising awareness on their rights and the vital impact of their participation?  What measures were being taken to mitigate the impact of the ongoing conflict on the participation of women in politics?   

     

    According to information received, legislative amendments relating to religious organizations entered into force on 23 September 2024, invoking “national security” as a ground for restricting freedom of religion or belief and freedom of religious association. However, this was not considered a permissible grounds for restriction of freedom of religion under the Convention. What were the measures restricting freedom of religion and belief and their impact on the ethno-religious communities concerned?  Information received referred to practices tending to prohibit the activities of religious organizations, specifically the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. Could information be provided on the necessity and proportionality of such punitive measures?

    The situation of migrants, asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons in Ukraine had been significantly impacted by recent legal and practical developments, particularly since the introduction of martial law in February 2022.  The current legal framework and its implementation presented several challenges that were inconsistent with the Convention. 

    The refugee status determination process in Ukraine did not align with international standards, leading to inconsistent application of legal interpretations and time limits for lodging asylum applications.  This often resulted in the rejection of asylum claims.  New practices had restricted access to asylum and statelessness determination procedures, especially for individuals with ties to the Russian Federation and Belarus.  The State Migration Service often issued oral refusals for asylum applications without official decisions, citing martial law as a reason.  This practice had been recognised by courts as illegal, yet it persisted, leaving applicants in legal limbo.

    How would Ukraine address the inconsistencies in the asylum procedures to ensure alignment with international standards and the Convention?  What legal amendments were introduced under martial law and what was their impact on the rights of refugees and stateless persons?  What procedural safeguards were in place to protect individuals from forcible deportation?  What steps were being taken to improve access to the asylum and statelessness determination procedures, particularly for individuals with ties to the Russian Federation and Belarus? 

    How was the Government addressing the challenges posed by the suspension of diplomatic relations with Russia in verifying nationality in statelessness determination procedures?  What plans did the Ukrainian Government have to develop an integration strategy for refugees and improve reception conditions for asylum seekers?  What steps were being taken to address the unlawful practice of issuing verbal refusals for asylum applications and ensure that applicants received official decisions?

    The Government of Ukraine had made significant strides in addressing statelessness since 2020, including the introduction of a statelessness determination procedure. Despite these efforts, several challenges remained, particularly in the implementation of the procedure and the accessibility of necessary documentation for applicants, which was further exacerbated by the conflict. 

    On 22 January 2024, draft law no. 11469, titled “on amendments to certain laws of Ukraine on ensuring the right to acquire and preserve Ukrainian citizenship” was registered in the Ukrainian Parliament.  The draft law, if passed, could result in the loss of Ukrainian citizenship for residents in Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories, who often had to obtain Russian passports to access basic services, employment, and social benefits. How did the Ukrainian Government plan to address the potential risk of stripping Ukrainian citizenship from residents of occupied territories who acquired Russian citizenship under duress or due to essential needs, such as access to basic services and employment?

    MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Chair, said Kiev had been under attack the night before and there had been casualties.  This was a serious and sad situation.  The Committee understood the situation and was very concerned about these tragic events. 

    Responses by the Delegation

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said many members of the delegation had barely slept the night before. Russia had launched missiles from the Black Sea and inside Russia and had bombed Kiev.  Up to now, there were 10 citizens who had been killed and 100 wounded, including children.  Every day, there were peaceful victims of this tragic and bloody war.  The delegation in Ukraine had lost contact with the Committee at the beginning of the session and missed some questions.

    Regarding the law on ethnic minorities, several meetings had been organised with national minorities during the development of the law, predominantly online due to the war.  In December 2022, Parliament adopted the law. At the request of some national minority organizations, the State used the term “communities” instead of minorities. The law encompassed all groups of ethnic peoples, which was around 130 according to the most recent census. 

    Ukraine did not have many new asylum seekers as the situation in the country was not sustainable for a peaceful life. 

    The Ombudsman’s Office was referred to as the Parliamentary Commission of Human Rights.  The independence of this Office was guaranteed, ensuring it could function without undue influence from any external entities.  This enabled the Office to effectively address human rights and issues of non-discrimination.  Its annual report outlined steps taken to combat discrimination. It was a large institution with around 500 employees.  There were branches located across 24 regions of Ukraine.  In 2024, there were 454 complaints received by the Office.  The Office monitored all issues of non-discrimination.  All reports of the Office were public and could be found online.   

    Questions by Committee Experts

    IBRAHIMA GUISSE, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, expressed sorrow at the recent shocking events which had wracked the Ukrainian capital.  What was the impact of martial law on asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons? 

    CHINSUNG CHUNG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, asked about the situation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons belonging to minority groups, as well as the situation of elderly people belonging to these groups?  What was the situation of migrant workers, particularly in this situation of armed conflict?

    A Committee Expert asked how far Ukraine had gone in implementing the decision of the European Court of Human Rights on a case versus Ukraine?   

    Another Committee Expert congratulated the Ukrainian delegation for making a laudable effort to assess the implementation of the Convention in Ukraine, despite prevailing circumstances. Ukraine should be praised for this effort.  The Expert was concerned about allegations of racism at the Ukrainian Polish border. Had there been any follow-up on such reports?  How many cases had been brought to court? 

    There had been allegations of racism in sport, including with a Brazilian footballer who was banned for one game after reacting to crowds calling him monkey.  How had this case been handled?  Ukraine should be congratulated for adopting the law on stateless in 2021.  How many individuals had benefitted from the enforcement of that law?  How did the State party plan to provide Roma with national documents? 

    Another Expert said African nationals had been facing discrimination at the borders. 

    What measures were being taken by the State party to ensure the protection, safety and security of all persons living in its jurisdiction? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said Ukrainian legislation underscored equal rights for men and women. Half of the ministers of the Government were women.  Many women in Ukrainian society occupied high-level positions.  Women from Roma communities were among the most vulnerable. The State had organised several events, including roundtables, which assisted Roma women to find their place in society. 

    Due to the war, Ukraine no longer had many migrant workers.  It was hoped that this would change after the war.  The country would need many workers for innovation and to help rebuild Ukraine. It was hoped workers from many countries would come to Ukraine after the war and help rebuild the hundreds of cities which had been destroyed or partially destroyed. 

    Mr. Lossovskyi said he had not heard of cases of discrimination on the border between Ukraine and Poland.  The case of discrimination regarding the Brazilian football player was an awful occurrence which was not typical for Ukraine. There had been a police investigation, but he could not recall the exact outcome. 

    The delegation said the aggression by the Russian federation had led to a huge influx across Ukraine’s borders. The Government took all accounts of discriminatory treatment very seriously.  Despite difficult conditions, the Government had managed to keep all checkpoints on the borders open. 

    Mr. Lossovskyi said in 2022, a pilot project was launched to provide documents to Roma people in a more effective way.  This was organised in a region where the majority of Roma people lived.  Every year, the State continued this work and made several visits to these places. 

    The delegation said the draft law 5488 was being considered before parliament.  It was hoped the law would be adopted during the current session of Parliament.  The draft law provided for the term “intolerance” and addressed issues under this topic.  All law enforcement agencies were currently working together to introduce the necessary amendments to the Criminal Code.  Police officers had completed specialised human rights training.  Outreach activities, including in schools, were carried out to combat negative stereotypes on the Roma population. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    CHINSUNG CHUNG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, said the Committee believed in the necessity of investigating and documenting all human rights violations and abuses committed in the context of the ongoing armed conflict and invasion initiated by the Russian Federation against the State party on 24 February 2022.  What measures had been taken to ensure prompt and impartial investigations?  Could the delegation provide information on investigations and prosecutions into allegations of human rights violations and abuses during the armed conflict with the Russian Federation?

     

    On 11 October 2018, the Holy and Sacred Synod of the Istanbul-based Ecumenical Patriarchate granted autocephaly to a new church, the “Orthodox Church of Ukraine”.  This led to tensions with the Ukrainian Orthodox Church.  The Church was formerly linked to the Russian Orthodox Church under the Patriarch in Moscow, but stated that it severed those ties in May 2022, following the full-scale invasion by the Russian Federation. 

    It was reported that on 23 September 2024 in territory controlled by the Government of Ukraine, new legal provisions regarding religious organizations entered into force, prohibiting the activities of foreign religious organizations based in a State responsible for armed aggression against Ukraine or occupation of its territory, and specifically prohibiting the activities of the Russian Orthodox Church. Could detailed explanations be provided on this and on measures to ensure the respect of the rights to freedom of thought, conscience and religion?

    According to media reports in January 2025, the State party announced the capturing in Russia of two soldiers from the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, and indicated that they were detained and provided with medical care.  Could the delegation provide information on the situation of these two prisoners of war? What were the legal measures taken against them?  Were there more prisoners of war captured by the State party from other nationalities, including mercenaries? 

    The Committee noted that the State party adopted the law on indigenous peoples in 2021.  However, according to information before the Committee, the law only recognised Crimean Tatars, Karaims and Krymchaks as indigenous peoples in Ukraine, while excluding other groups, such as Hutsuls, Lemkos and Gagauz peoples.  Could the delegation provide clarifications on the law on indigenous peoples and how it aligned with international standards?

    Were there plans to assess and review the law?  What was the situation of the Hutsuls, Lemkos and Gagauz peoples?  What measures were in place to preserve and promote the identity, language and culture of all indigenous people under the jurisdiction of the State party?  Could information be provided on the situation of internally displaced Crimean Tatars, and measures to ensure their access to education, housing, employment, healthcare services and humanitarian assistance?  Was the State party taking measures in consultation with the Crimean Tatar community to find durable solutions for an appropriate settlement of Crimean Tatars in Ukraine?

    The Committee was concerned that during the war, persons belonging to minorities, such as Roma, had difficulties in registering as internally displaced persons and having access to social assistance.  According to the representative of the Office of the Ombudsman of Ukraine, around 100,000 Roma became refugees, and around the same number of Ukrainian Roma became internally displaced persons.  Were accurate statistics available on the Roma?  Did the State party find durable solutions for internally displaced Roma and take measures to ensure that they benefitted from assistance?  What were the State’s plans to include Roma people in recovery and reconstruction programmes?

    What efforts were being made to restore linkages between displaced children and their families?  What efforts were being made to ensure access to education and basic services for displaced children?

    Ukraine’s inadequate response to hate crimes against migrants, African and Asian students and other foreigners had previously attracted international criticism.  What was the situation of non-citizens, particularly migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and people of African and/or Asian descent during the armed conflict?  Could the delegation provide clarification on the situation of detained undocumented migrants and non-citizens?  Could the delegation also please provide information on measures to ensure their access to education, housing, employment, healthcare services and humanitarian assistance?

    Responses by the Delegation

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said Ukraine did not refer to what was going on in Ukraine as conflict. This was a bloody, existential, colonial war with Russia, not simply a conflict.  In 2018, the Ukrainian Church received independence from the Patriarchal Eastern Christianity Church based in Istanbul, Türkiye.  This was a revolutionary decision, as Ukraine was a big country and did not have an orthodox church.  Now there was an independent church of Ukraine, like all other Christian Orthodox countries.  No other activities of other churches were forbidden in Ukraine.  The only restrictions were for the Russian Orthodox Church, which had restricted activity on the territory of Ukraine. This was because it was an accompaniment of the Russian aggression which had destroyed the country and killed hundreds of thousands of people. 

    Ukraine provided the international standard for prisoners of war in their prison facilities, which were regularly visited by the Ukrainian Ombudsman.  In 2021, Ukraine adopted the law on indigenous peoples and consulted with many minorities on this law.  Indigenous peoples were defined as those who lived on the territory of Ukraine and did not have a mother country.  The Lemkos people were not considered a national minority group, but rather a cultural group. 

    In 2021, the Ukrainian Government approved the Roma strategy, and every two years action plans were prepared for its implementation.  The Roma community was a young community, one of the youngest among the national minorities in Ukraine.  It would be beneficial to use their innovation and abilities in the process of renovating Ukraine when the war was over.  The State was working on providing the Roma with more education.  There were many grants provided to Roma for studying in universities. 

    The delegation said in 2021, the Ukrainian Parliament adopted the law on indigenous people in Ukraine, which was developed through extensive consultations with indigenous groups and civil society, and represented the aspirations of these groups.  In addition, a draft law was developed on the status of the Crimean Tartar people which would be registered in Parliament in the near future. 

    To ensure prisoners of war were not tortured, relevant legislation and policies had been developed.  Three legislative acts had been produced to regulate these affairs. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    CHINSUNG CHUNG, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, asked if there were representative bodies of minorities inside the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine?  How did the State party ensure consultations with all indigenous peoples under the framework of this law? 

    Another Expert said 10 to 20 per cent of Ukrainian Roma did not have identity documents?  Was there a provision for determining statelessness in the act on statelessness?  Did the Roma community benefit from universal birth registration? 

    A Committee Expert asked how many of the ethnic and national minorities participated in the relevant bodies in the Government?  How many Roma, indigenous, or migrant women had been hired or granted responsibility positions, or were integrated in the responsibility of the work? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, said when the law on indigenous peoples was adopted, several bylaws were prepared for the implementation of the law.  According to one of the bylaws, Crimean Tatars regularly consulted with the Government.  Only during the population census could the Government request information about the ethnic groups.  Sometimes women with high-ranking positions did not disclose their ethnicity.  It was up to people to declare this. 

    The delegation said due to the Russian full-scale invasion, there were problems preparing full statistical information on ethnic minorities.  The legal aid system in Ukraine had provided legal assistance to more than 1,000 Roma people over the past three years.  Most of these related to the processing of identity documents.  Secondary legal aid had been provided for 27,000 internally displaced people over the past three years, due to the full-scale invasion. 

    Officially, Ukraine recognised three indigenous groups of peoples, including Crimean Tartars, Karaims and Krymchaks.  Crimean Tartars were represented by an executive body; the spiritual administration of Ukraine represented the Karaim people; and there was no official information regarding a body for the Krymchaks, although they had the full rights to establish such a body under law. 

    Currently, there was no definition of hate speech under Ukrainian law.  The Government of Ukraine had prepared a draft roadmap covering this issue. In Ukraine, a working group made up of State authorities and public organizations was working on a definition of hate speech and establishing administrative and criminal liability depending on the severity of the crime. 

    The public broadcaster of Ukraine continued to create a single information space for minorities.  The broadcaster produced programmes for national minorities in their national languages, across broadcast, radio and digital formats.  The State bodies would do their best to cover all the information needs of the national minorities in Ukraine. 

    Closing Remarks

    FAITH DIKELEDI PANSY TLAKULA, Committee Expert and Follow-Up Rapporteur, said the Committee would send Ukraine concluding observations after the dialogue, with specific recommendations to be enacted within a period of one year. 

    IBRAHIMA GUISSE, Committee Expert and Co-Rapporteur, thanked the delegation for the dialogue held, particularly given the context.  War was ended through negotiation and diplomacy, not capitulation.  It was hoped this would happen with Ukraine. The fact that Ukraine was here before the Committee was an example of the State’s willingness to cooperate. Ukraine was also meeting with the Committee against Torture at the same time, which may have weakened Ukraine’s ability to provide comprehensive answers. 

    IHOR LOSSOVSKYI, Deputy Head of the State Service of Ukraine for Ethnic Affairs and Freedom of Conscience, thanked the Committee members for their time and interest in the situation in Ukraine.  The Committee’s recommendations were very much appreciated. 

    MICHAL BALCERZAK, Committee Chair, said racial discrimination was about ethnic and national origin.  The Committee was concerned when ethnic minorities were denied their identity.  This led to wars.  It was now the sixtieth anniversary of the Convention, and the first composition of the Committee had included an expert of Ukrainian origin.

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CERD25.002E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 24th, 2025 Heinrich Fights Against Trump-Musk Administration’s Tax Cuts for Billionaires, with Tax Cuts for New Mexican Workers Legislation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich joined U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), and 42 democratic senators in introducing the Tax Cut for Workers Act to give millions of hardworking Americans a much-needed tax break.  
    The existing Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) – the Worker Tax Cut – has been delivering tax relief for millions of workers for decades. But it’s just not enough. This legislation would cut taxes for working class Americans without children, who currently receive a much smaller EITC than workers with children. This expansion would include over 111,000 New Mexicans by nearly tripling the average tax break many of these Americans receive from the existing EITC. It also extends eligibility for the tax cut to workers under the age of 25 and over the age of 64.
    “Under this administration, we are seeing incredible tax breaks for the rich like Donald Trump and Elon Musk. Here’s an idea: let’s cut taxes for the middle class instead,” said Heinrich. “Through the Tax Cuts for Workers Act, I am fighting back. I will never stop advocating for the hardworking families New Mexico struggling with rising costs. Because it’s time our economy works for the people who build it — not just those who bankroll it.”
    In addition to Heinrich, Cortez Masto, and Bennet, the follow cosponsors include Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Read the full bill here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: AXIS Completes Previously Announced Transaction With Enstar

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PEMBROKE, Bermuda, April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AXIS Capital Holdings Limited (“AXIS Capital” or “AXIS” or the “Company”) (NYSE: AXS) and Enstar Group Limited (“Enstar”) (Nasdaq: ESGR) announced today that they have completed a loss portfolio transfer (“LPT”) transaction, covering reinsurance segment reserves predominantly attributable to casualty portfolios related to 2021 and prior underwriting years.

    The LPT reinsurance agreement covers reinsurance segment reserves totalling $3.1 billion at September 30, 2024, and is structured as a 75% ground-up quota share, with AXIS retroceding $2.3 billion of reinsurance segment reserves to Enstar.

    The LPT reinsurance agreement was provided by Enstar’s wholly owned subsidiary, Cavello Bay Reinsurance Limited, which has S&P and AM Best ‘A’ financial strength ratings.

    Completion of the transaction followed receipt of regulatory approvals and satisfaction of various other closing conditions.

    About AXIS Capital
    AXIS Capital, through its operating subsidiaries, is a global specialty underwriter and provider of insurance and reinsurance solutions. The Company has shareholders’ equity of $6.1 billion at September 30, 2024, and locations in Bermuda, the United States, Europe, Singapore, and Canada. Its operating subsidiaries have been assigned a financial strength rating of “A+” (“Strong”) by Standard & Poor’s and “A” (“Excellent”) by A.M. Best. For more information about AXIS Capital, visit our website at www.axiscapital.com.

    About Enstar

    Enstar is a NASDAQ-listed global insurance group that offers innovative capital release solutions through its network of group companies in Bermuda, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Lichtenstein and Belgium. A market leader in completing legacy acquisitions, Enstar has acquired more than 120 companies and portfolios since its formation in 2001. For further information about Enstar, see www.enstargroup.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: DLNR News Release-Kaua’i Sanctuary is Hugely Popular with Native and Transpacific Waterbirds, April 23, 2025

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    DLNR News Release-Kaua’i Sanctuary is Hugely Popular with Native and Transpacific Waterbirds, April 23, 2025

    Posted on Apr 24, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF      HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF LAND AND NATURAL RESOURCES

    KA ‘OIHANA KUMUWAIWAI ‘ĀINA

     

         JOSH GREEN, M.D.
    GOVERNOR

    DAWN CHANG
    CHAIRPERSON

    KAUA‘I SANCTUARY IS HUGELY POPULAR WITH NATIVE AND TRANSPACIFIC WATER BIRDS

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

    April 23, 2025

    KAWAIʻELE BIRD SANCTUARY, Kaua‘i – West Kaua‘i’s Mānā Plain is attracting larger numbers of native waterbirds and migratory shore birds than DLNR  Division of Forestry and Wildlife (DOFAW) biologist Jason Vercelli has ever seen in his 18 years of work in the wetlands.

    Four native birds, all endangered, are the Hawaiian coot, the Hawaiian gallinule or moorhen, the Hawaiian stilt, and the Koloa duck — and they’re sharing the 100 acres of wetlands with migratory shorebirds. Vercelli has nearly as many stories about his long service as there are birds, ranging from tales about birds’ cultural significance to how to manage wetlands for optimal conditions.

    “The Mānā Plain used to be a huge wetland, largest one in the state. In the early 1900s it was drained for agricultural purposes and that’s the primary reason the four endangered water birds are of concern. They lost their habitat. So, in the 1990s the state decided to restore some of that lost habitat. It started with Kawaiʻele, which is the older sanctuary. Another 50 acres of newer wetlands adjoins it, and another 50 acres is set to become part of the larger sanctuary soon,” Vercelli explained. All 150 acres will be managed as the Mānā Plain wetland restoration project

    The sanctuary has created intense interest from nature lovers, photographers and bird watchers, especially this time of year when parents and their offspring fill the air with flight.

    Vercelli said, “People come out here to see birds they don’t usually see. I have a lot of school kids come out and help with work and enjoy the place. We have volunteer days where people can come out and enjoy the area and get a little dirty at times. It’s just a really peaceful place, especially in the morning. It’s really nice place to be at sunset.”

    Perhaps the most fascinating stories Vercelli shares are about the visiting birds. “We’re seeing a lot of migratory birds now. Pretty soon they’re going to start staging where they come together as groups, get as fat as they can, and then head back to the mainland,” he said.

    The small birds fly for four days, non-stop, as they can’t land in the ocean. Vercelli remarked, “I think they’re more relaxed flying to the continent as it’s a bigger target. I’m not sure, on their return, how they find this little rock out here in the middle of the Pacific.”

    In addition to creating a paradise for birds and bird lovers, the Mānā Plain wetlands provide important ecological services. It helps clean and clarify water before it deposits sediment out on the reef. It acts as a natural filter and furthers the concept of care for the ‘aina, mauka to makai. It provides a service in clarifying water, because the water we draw out of this canal has a lot of sediment in the water. So, the wetland acts as a natural filter, which benefits us. It cleans up the water before it goes out to the reef.

    Much of Vercelli’s work these days involves management of the wetland by improving bird habitat, controlling predators, and conducting water manipulation to keep the basins full of water and at optimal levels for various seasons, like the feeding season. At other times he needs to drop the water level to create more breeding and nesting habitat.

    Vercelli sums up nearly two decades of work saying, “I can have a bad day and then come out here and see something, a new bird, or see chicks, and just seeing this and getting feedback from the people and just knowing that I was helpful in developing this is definitely a pride factor.”

    He wants to continue to see the bird sanctuary grow and thrive. DOFAW has a grant to establish a visitor’s center, which Vercelli says would be a really nice addition.

    # # #

    RESOURCES

    (All images/video Courtesy: DLNR)

    HD video – Hugely Popular: Kaua‘i Sanctuary for Waterbirds and Shorebirds (web feature):

     HD video – Mānā Plain wetland restoration project media clips (April 11, 2025):

    (Shot sheet/transcriptions attached)

    Photographs – Mānā Plain wetland restoration project media clips (April 11, 2025):

     

    Media Contact:

    Dan Dennison

    Communications Director

    Hawai‘i Dept. of Land and Natural Resources

    808-587-0396

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Truck drivers on strike in Venlo, the Netherlands – E-001422/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001422/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Marit Maij (S&D), Gabriele Bischoff (S&D), Marc Angel (S&D), Johan Danielsson (S&D), Estelle Ceulemans (S&D), Marianne Vind (S&D)

    In Venlo, truck drivers from Central Asia are on strike. Their employers, often based in Lithuania where the truck drivers barely work, exploit them, deny them transparent information, fail to comply with pay legislation and make them work under poor conditions; their trucks are not even heated. These employers instruct the truck drivers to manipulate their tachographs and to knowingly lie to police officers – for example, to lie that they have slept outside of their vehicle over the weekend and have been staying with family – to avoid problems of compliance with EU legislation. If the drivers demand their pay documentation and salary, the transport companies’ reaction is to threaten them and even to send men to use violence against them.

    • 1.Is the Commission aware of the situation of the truck drivers in Venlo, and does the Commission intend to help find a solution to the situation that these drivers are in?
    • 2.How is the Commission planning to ensure that compliance with existing legislation, such as Regulation (EC) No 561/2006 and (EU) 2020/1054 on road transport and drivers’ working conditions, and Regulation (EU) No 165/2014 on recording equipment in road transport, is better enforced?
    • 3.What is the Commission’s view of the role of these transport companies’ clients, and are they also responsible for remedying such situations?

    Submitted: 8.4.2025

    Last updated: 24 April 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Saudi Arabia: Families fear imminent execution of loved ones amid surge in drug-related executions

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Dozens of men on death row in Saudi Arabia for drug -related crimes are terrified for their lives amid a dramatic surge in executions for drug offences in the country over recent months, Amnesty International said today, based on information from family members of detainees on death row.

    Between January and April 2025, the Saudi Arabian authorities executed at least 88 people including 52 for drug-related crimes. This is a dramatic increase from 2024, which saw record executions, and when a total of 46 people were executed during the same period, none of them for drug-related crimes. Just this week, in one day on 22 April, the Saudi Press Agency announced the execution of three people, two Saudi nationals for “promoting hashish” and one Pakistani national for “trafficking heroin”. 

    “Despite Saudi Arabia’s repeated claims that it is limiting its use of the death penalty for crimes not mandated under sharia, the alarming surge in executions for drug-related offences exposes the stark reality: Saudi Arabia is blatantly disregarding international law and standards, which restrict the use of the death penalty to only ‘the most serious crimes’ involving intentional killing,” said Kristine Beckerle, Deputy Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa at Amnesty International.

    “Saudi Arabia’s authorities must immediately stop this execution spree, establish an official moratorium on all executions, and move towards abolishing the death penalty for all crimes.”

    Saudi Arabia is blatantly disregarding international law and standards, which restrict the use of the death penalty to only ‘the most serious crimes’ involving intentional killing

    Kristine Beckerle, MENA Deputy Regional Director

    Pending these changes, Saudi Arabia must urgently revise its laws to eliminate provisions that allow for the death penalty to be imposed and ensure that any penal code adopted abolishes the death penalty, including for crimes that do not meet the threshold of ‘most serious crimes’ under international standards, such as drug-related offences, and ensuring that all individuals have access to fair trials and adequate legal representation.

    While Saudi authorities do not publish or share figures of individuals on death row, arrests for drug-related offences are routinely reported in state-aligned media, indicating that a large number of people are in detention and on death row for such offences.

    In November 2024, prison authorities in Tabuk transferred 35 Egyptian nationals convicted of drug-related offences to a single ward, a move widely feared to signal their impending executions. Since November 2024, at least 10 foreign nationals and two Saudi nationals have been executed for drug-related offences in the same prison, raising fears of the imminent executions of the remaining men.

    In addition, as of March 2025, at least 44 Somali nationals, all men, are on death row in Najran Prison, southwestern Saudi Arabia, for drug-related crimes, according to the Somali Consulate in Saudi Arabia. On 16 February 2025, the Saudi Ministry of Interior announced an execution in Najran of Mohamed Nur Hussein, a Somali national, for “smuggling hashish”, also raising fears for the fate of dozens of others on death row.

    One Egyptian man on death row told his family in April: “A few days ago, a Sudanese man was taken in the middle of the night, as we were sleeping.”

    Another deeply distressed family member told Amnesty International: “There is no time left to save them, time is running out.”

    Following a pause, between 20 February to 6 April, a few weeks before and during Ramadan, executions resumed with alarming speed in April and have included a startling surge in drug-related executions of foreign nationals. Between 6 and 24 April 2025, Saudi Arabia executed 22 individuals, more than one per day on average. Of these, 17 were foreign nationals from eight Arab, sub-Saharan African and Asian, including South Asian, countries, all convicted of drug-related crimes. Three Saudi nationals were also executed for drug-related offences, while three other Saudi nationals were put to death for murder and terrorism-related charges.

    Grossly unfair trials

    Amnesty International has documented a pattern of serious fair trial violations preceding executions, including of foreign nationals in Saudi Arabia.

    At least five Egyptian men currently held on death row were unable to afford legal representation due to financial constraints and were not provided with a court-appointed lawyer during investigation nor trial.

    In another case, also of an Egyptian national currently on death row, the individual had a court-appointed lawyer, but the lawyer failed to share crucial case information during the trial to support his defence.

    Several of the Egyptian nationals currently at risk of execution told their families and their judge that they were tortured during their interrogations to extract “confessions”. None of these torture complaints were investigated, according to court documents reviewed by Amnesty International and the torture-tainted “confessions” used as evidence against them.

    Issam Shazly, an Egyptian national convicted and sentenced to death under Article 37 of the Narcotics and Psychotropic Substances Control Law in 2022, had no legal representation during his arrest and investigation. His family told Amnesty International that the court later appointed a legal representative to support his defence, but the lawyer was uncooperative and failed to inform them about crucial details including the possibility of clemency, the deadline to appeal or when to expect the Supreme Court ruling.

    “We knew absolutely nothing because it’s a foreign country and we don’t know its laws. We expected the lawyer to inform us,” they said.

    A Saudi court convicted Rami al-Najjar in 2019 of bringing controlled drugs into Saudi Arabia to sell and eight grams of hashish for personal consumption, according to court documents analyzed by Amnesty International. He did not receive the support of an appointed lawyer. He told Amnesty International that during his appeal session, the judge said that he could not argue against his conviction “because you don’t have a lawyer.” He submitted an appeal himself to the Supreme Judicial Council but received no response. Rami’s family were finally able to appoint a lawyer in early 2025, but they said that, as of March 2025, the lawyer had not taken any action because he was waiting for updates in the case. They said: “I don’t understand what updates other than Rami’s imminent execution there need to be for the lawyer to re-open the case”.

    Mohamed Ahmed Saad and Omar Ahmad Ibrahim were arrested in May 2017 and accused of trafficking the synthetic drug Captagon. They weredetained incommunicado for a year and a half after arrest. They have been on death row for almost eight years. Both men were denied access to legal representation and, according to court documents, “confessed” to the charge after being subjected to severe beatings. On October 9, 2019, the Court of Appeal upheld their death sentence.

    Background

    Saudi Arabia has consistently been one of the world’s countries with the highest number of recorded executions. In 2024, authorities announced the execution of 122 people for drug-related crimes, a significant proportion of the total 345 executions known to have been carried out that year. This sharp rise occurred after a nearly three-year hiatus in such executions, following a moratorium announced by the Saudi Human Rights Commission in January 2021. Last year, Saudi Arabia was one of four countries known to have carried out executions for drug-related offences.

    Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception, regardless of the nature or circumstances of the crime; guilt, innocence or characteristics of the individual; or the method used by the state to carry out the execution.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Verizon Frontline Network Slice launches coast-to-coast

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon Frontline Network Slice launches coast-to-coast

    BASKING RIDGE, N.J. – Verizon today announced the availability of the Verizon Frontline Network Slice in select markets nationwide, continuing to build on the company’s more than 30-year history of cutting-edge innovation in support of our nation’s first responders.

    The Verizon Frontline Network Slice is a 5G Ultra Wideband (UW) virtual network slice completely dedicated to public safety that allows for the allocation of network resources within Verizon’s network infrastructure. This helps provide first responders several key advantages including (but not limited to):

    • Dedicated 5G UW network capacity reserved exclusively for first responders, helping ensure network resource availability, priority and enhanced quality of service.
    • Tailored performance for critical applications and devices to help ensure data traffic is optimized for the operational needs of first responders.
    • Enhanced reliability which significantly reduces the risk of disruption to mission-critical communications even during periods of high network congestion.
    • Flexible scalability allowing Verizon to efficiently allocate dedicated network resources in real-time based on the operational needs of first responders.

    For example, Verizon Frontline Network Slicing for Connected Vehicles can deliver enhanced in-vehicle connectivity for first responders, providing a mobile working environment with access to 5G UW network resources completely dedicated to the needs of public safety users.

    With dedicated 5G UW network capacity reserved for the Verizon Frontline Network Slice, first responders will have access to enhanced mission-critical connectivity in even the most population-dense environments or during periods of high network congestion.

    “When every second counts, Verizon Frontline is the #1 network of choice of first responders,

    enabling more than 40,000 public safety agencies across the nation,” said Kyle Malady, CEO of Verizon Business. “The launch of the Verizon Frontline Network Slice continues our unwavering commitment to meeting the highly specialized needs of first responders and is a crucial step forward in the evolution of public safety communications.”

    Verizon Frontline is dedicated to meeting the mission-critical communication needs of those on the front lines and eligible public safety agencies will have access to plans featuring the Verizon Frontline Network Slice for the same cost as current 5G UW plans. The Verizon Frontline Network Slice is now available in the following markets:

    • Charlotte, N.C.
    • Phoenix
    • Los Angeles
    • San Francisco
    • San Diego
    • Atlanta
    • Chicago
    • Minneapolis
    • Salt Lake City
    • Seattle
    • Cupertino, Calif.
    • Denver
    • Miami
    • Portland, Ore.
    • Omaha, Neb.
    • Las Vegas
    • Huntsville, Ala.
    • Milwaukee
    • Kansas City, Mo.
    • Albuquerque, N.M.
    • Indianapolis
    • Augusta, Ga.
    • Fresno, Calif.
    • Tampa, Fla.
    • Des Moines, Iowa
    • Ann Arbor, Mich.
    • Detroit
    • St. Louis
    • Raleigh, N.C.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Syria, Haiti & other topics – Daily Press Briefing (24 April 2025) | United Nations

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    Highlights:

    – Syria
    – Briefings Tomorrow
    – Secretary-General
    – Deputy Secretary-General
    – Occupied Palestinian Territory
    – U.N.I.F.I.L.
    – Yemen
    – Democratic Republic of the Congo
    – Haitian Migrants
    – Haiti
    – Ukraine
    – Myanmar
    – Immunization Week
    – International Days

    SYRIA
    Tomorrow at 8 a.m., the new three-starred Syrian flag will be raised, next to the flags of the other 193 Member States and the two permanent observers. If you have any questions about media coverage, please ask the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (MALU). They will facilitate that. And just to stay on Syria, Geir Pedersen will be here to brief the Council tomorrow and he will be speaking to you at the stakeout afterwards.

    BRIEFINGS TOMORROW
    Tomorrow at 11:00 a.m., there will be a hybrid press briefing by Ambassador Jürg Lauber, the President of the Human Rights Council.
    And our Noon Briefing guest will be Ulrika Richardson, the Humanitarian Coordinator for Haiti, who also serves as the Deputy Special Representative and Resident Coordinator for Haiti. She will brief us virtually on Haiti.

    SECRETARY-GENERAL
    This evening, the Secretary-General will be traveling this evening to Rome, where on Saturday he will attend the funeral of Pope Francis at St. Peter’s Basilica.
    This afternoon, the Secretary-General will sign the Book of Condolences for the Pope at the Observer Mission of the Holy See.
    On Tuesday, the UN flag will fly at half-mast to honour the passing of the late Pontiff.

    DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL
    Our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, continues her visit to Washington, D.C., for the World Bank/IMF Annual Spring Meetings.
    This morning, she took part in a Women Lead Breakfast with over 50 female leaders, which was hosted by the World Bank Managing Directors. Amina Mohammed highlighted women’s labour and economic participation as one of the most powerful forces driving inclusive and sustainable development, and she called for women’s leadership to be placed at the centre of decision-making.
    Later, she participated in the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting, where she underscored the importance of advancing reforms to the international financial architecture to make it more inclusive and responsive.
    This afternoon, she will deliver remarks at the 111th meeting of the World Bank/IMF Development Committee and continue her engagements with senior government officials and other key stakeholders. She will be on her way back later today.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=24%20April%202025

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VIPt0O88YQ

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh hails a decade of Panchayati Raj Reforms under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership on Panchayati Raj Diwas, in Bihar

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh hails a decade of Panchayati Raj Reforms under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership on Panchayati Raj Diwas, in Bihar

    Finance Commission Grants for Gram Panchayats increased sevenfold  in the last 10 years; Panchayat Representatives being trained in Premier Institutions: Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh

    Centre Awards Six Panchayats, Three Institutions; Women Sarpanches of Motipur ( Bihar) , Dawwa S (Maharashtra) & Hatbadra (Odisha) Lead the Spotlight

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 6:45PM by PIB Delhi

    On the occasion of National Panchayati Raj Day, 24th April 2025, a historic  event was organized at Lohna Uttar Gram Panchayat in Madhubani District of Bihar in the august presence of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. The national commemoration was marked by vibrant participation from elected representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), beneficiaries of several government schemes, and local residents. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, on this occasion launched/ laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects amounting to over Rs.13,480 crores. These initiatives spanned across key sectors including housing, rural development, power, transportation, and connectivity. In his address, the Prime Minister reaffirmed the Government’s unwavering commitment to strengthening grassroots democracy and empowering Panchayats as the driving force behind rural transformation. Addressing from the soil of a Gram Panchayat, Shri Modi underlined the spirit of Gram Swaraj and the role of Panchayats in building a developed and inclusive India.

    Union Minister of Panchayati Raj, Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh alias Lalan Singh, in his address highlighted the transformation witnessed by Panchayats across India over the past decade. He emphasized how digital tools such as eGramSwaraj have empowered local self-governments, enhancing efficiency, transparency, and ease of living in rural India. The Union Minister underlined the significant increase in financial devolution to PRIs that is nearly seven times more compared to the 13th Finance Commission in the last ten years.

    “A truly developed India cannot be imagined until its villages and Panchayats are fully developed,” stated Shri Rajiv Ranjan Singh. The  event was also graced by Bihar Governor Shri Arif Mohammed Khan, Chief Minister of Bihar Shri Nitish Kumar, and several Union Ministers, public representatives and senior officials, including Shri Vivek Bharadwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Panchayati Raj.

    In his address, Union Minister of Panchayati Raj outlined the transformative progress made under the leadership of the Prime Minister in empowering Panchayati Raj Institutions over the last decade. He highlighted a seven-fold increase in fund devolution to Panchayats, advancements like the e-Gram Swaraj portal for enhanced transparency, weather forecasting at the Panchayat level, and leadership development through training at prestigious institutions like IIMs. The Union Minister emphasized the special focus on strengthening women’s leadership in Panchayats through targeted skill development initiatives. Shri Singh said that Prime Minister’s decision to address the nation from a Gram Panchayat underscores the government’s commitment to grassroots democracy. He called the national celebration at Lohna Uttar a historic moment in India’s journey towards a self-reliant, inclusive, and sustainable rural governance system – a solid foundation for a truly Viksit Bharat.

    A major highlight of the event was the conferring of the Climate Action Special Panchayat Award (CASPA), Atma Nirbhar Panchayat Special Award (ANPSA), and Panchayat Kshamta Nirman Sarvottam Sansthan Puraskar (PKNSSP), recognizing exemplary contributions in Climate Action (CASPA), Self-Reliance (ANPSA), and Capacity Building (PKNSSP). A total of six Gram Panchayats and three institutions from eight States were felicitated. Notably, three award-winning Panchayats – Motipur (Bihar), Dawwa S (Maharashtra), and Hatbadra (Odisha) are headed by women Sarpanches, exemplifying the role of women leadership in driving local development. 

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    Aditi Agrawal

    (Release ID: 2124144) Visitor Counter : 24

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong celebrates World Intellectual Property Day 2025 (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Hong Kong celebrates World Intellectual Property Day 2025  
         Addressing the reception, Mr Lam emphasised that Hong Kong is taking active steps to develop itself into an international innovation and technology centre. To achieve this goal, it is essential to ensure that the legal system offers sufficient protection to IP right as intangible assets, and regulate their use and transfer. This underscores Hong Kong’s unique advantages as the only common law jurisdiction in China under the principle of “one country, two systems”.
     
         Mr Lam pointed out that Hong Kong’s highly regarded common law system plays two important roles in IP development — serving as a dispute resolution centre and a hub for IP trading. With the rapid growth of the IP industry in both Hong Kong and the Mainland, there is increasing demand for services related to IP disputes and trading. Hong Kong’s user-friendly bilingual common law system and an abundant supply of high quality legal professionals create an ideal environment for IP trading in any form.
     
         Mr Lam said, “China has become the global technological giant and powerhouse. Hong Kong is also taking active steps to develop itself into an international innovation and technology centre. I am very confident that Hong Kong can and will play a more significant role in future in the area of IP protection and trading, which will in turn contribute to the innovation and technology development of not just Hong Kong but our country as a whole.”
     
         Echoing the theme of this year’s World IP Day, namely, “IP and music: Feel the beat of IP”, the Director of Intellectual Property, Mr David Wong, in his welcoming remarks cited music as a perfect example of how IP fuels creativity, adding that the vibrant music landscape worldwide owes much to strong copyright protection that rewards originality and entrepreneurial efforts. He stressed that the Government is committed to enhancing the copyright law to encourage creativity and support innovation.
     
         The pursuit of artificial intelligence (AI) development globally has prompted sea change. In order to enhance the Copyright Ordinance for addressing the copyright issues arising from the rapid development of AI, the Government, having conducted a public consultation, is putting forward a legislative proposal for introducing a new text and data mining exception into the copyright law. This exception will be subject to stringent conditions to ensure a careful balance between the interests of copyright owners in exploiting their works and the public interest in supporting innovation. Importantly, the rights reservation mechanism would be paramount for protecting copyright owners’ legitimate interests.
     
         About 180 guests including the Acting Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Dr Bernard Chan, the Permanent Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Ms Maggie Wong, stakeholders from the legal community and IP-related associations, academics, consulate representatives, government officials and representatives from the public and business sectors attended the reception.
     
         Celebrated annually on April 26, the World IP Day aims to increase general understanding of IP, pay tributes to inventors and creators, and explore how IP helps shape the world. The IPD promoted the World IP Day and related activities through various channels, including sponsoring the “Licensing Academy” workshops of the Asian Licensing Conference to offer industry players insights into new developments in IP licensing.
    Issued at HKT 21:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Paving the Way for Integrative Healthcare: Key Meeting Held on Establishing Integrative Medicine Department at TATA IISc Medical School

    Source: Government of India

    Paving the Way for Integrative Healthcare: Key Meeting Held on Establishing Integrative Medicine Department at TATA IISc Medical School

    Ayush and IISc collaborate to institutionalise integrative healthcare for a healthier, holistic India

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 6:18PM by PIB Delhi

    In a significant step towards strengthening India’s traditional healthcare infrastructure through an integrative approach, a virtual meeting was convened today to discuss the establishment of a Department of Integrative Medicine at the TATA IISc Medical School, Bengaluru.

    The meeting brought together top health and academic leaders, including Dr. B.N. Gangadhar, Chairman, National Medical Commission (NMC); Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush; Vaidya Jayant Deopujari, Chairman, National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM); and Prof. Swaminathan, Inaugural Chair and Professor, Department of Nephrology, IISc Bengaluru.

    Deliberations centred around the urgent need to blend the strengths of contemporary medicine with the time-tested practices of traditional systems like Ayurveda to enhance healthcare delivery, medical education, and research. The participants unanimously agreed on developing a White Paper on Integrative Medicine, outlining its scope and strategic applications in clinical practice, academics, and scientific inquiry. The document will serve as a roadmap for nationwide implementation, following expert consultation and policy-level approvals.

    This initiative follows the momentum built during the ‘RISE for Healthy Ageing’ International Conference at IISc, where top scientists and Ayush leaders discussed the future of Integrative Medicine. Today’s meeting marks a concrete development in institutionalising integrative healthcare, reaffirming India’s commitment to evidence-based, patient-centric health systems.

    ****

    MV/AKS

    (Release ID: 2124132) Visitor Counter : 76

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Commission for Scheduled Tribes takes suo motu cognizance of the incident of Barkani village in Sundargarh district of Odisha

    Source: Government of India

    National Commission for Scheduled Tribes takes suo motu cognizance of the incident of Barkani village in Sundargarh district of Odisha

     Commission has sought action taken report from the District Collector and Superintendent of Police, Sundargarh and the concerned officials of Steel Authority of India

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 5:39PM by PIB Delhi

    The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) has taken suomotu cognizance of a tragic incident that occurred on April 19, 2025, in Barkani village, Sundargarh district, Odisha. The incident took place during a protest by the local tribal community against the proposed construction of a railway line by Rourkela Steel Plant, extending up to Dumertha. During the protest, an unfortunate event led to the death of a tribal villager who was run over by a JCB machine. Subsequent unrest was also reported in the area.

    Taking serious note of the matter, the Commission has issued notices to the District Collector, Superintendent of Police, and concerned officials of the Steel Authority of India, seeking a detailed factual report and an account of the action taken in response to the incident.

    ****

    RN

    (Release ID: 2124105) Visitor Counter : 101

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Speech by Acting CE at World Intellectual Property Day Reception 2025 (English only)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Following is the speech by the Acting Chief Executive, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the World Intellectual Property (IP) Day Reception 2025 today (April 24):

    Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, 
    Turning to arbitration, Hong Kong’s status as an international arbitration centre is beyond doubt. According to the 2025 International Arbitration Survey published recently by the White & Case and School of International Arbitration, Queen Mary University of London, Hong Kong and Singapore both rank as the second most preferred seat of arbitration in the world after London.
     
    In respect of resolving IP disputes by arbitration, the Arbitration (Amendment) Ordinance 2017 amended the Arbitration Ordinance (Cap. 609) by, among other things, clarifying that all disputes over IP rights, whether arising within or outside Hong Kong, may be resolved by arbitration, and that IP arbitral awards are enforceable in Hong Kong as it is not contrary to the public policy of Hong Kong to do so.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: SUFALAM 2025: Set to Ignite Innovation in Food Processing Sector

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 5:13PM by PIB Delhi

    Ministry of Food Processing Industries, in collaboration with NIFTEM Kundli, is pleased to announce the second edition of SUFALAM (Start-Up Forum for Aspiring Leaders and Mentors), scheduled for April 25–26, 2025, at NIFTEM-K campus. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, this year’s conclave reinforces the Government of India’s commitment to fostering a vibrant start-up ecosystem in line with the vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. The event aims to strengthen the food processing sector by promoting innovation, sustainability and entrepreneurship through targeted initiatives.

    The two-day program will feature a series of activities designed to empower startups, facilitate knowledge sharing and create networking opportunities. Union Cabinet Minister, MoFPI Shri Chirag Paswan will inaugurate the conclave with a focus on enhancing ease of doing business for young entrepreneurs through government schemes and subsidies. NIFTEM-K will play a key role by providing mentorship, consultancy services and access to state-of-the-art infrastructure to support emerging startups.

    The event will commence with keynote address by Prof. Harpal Singh from IIT Delhi, who will share insights from his entrepreneurial journey. Prof. Rakesh Mohan Joshi, Vice Chancellor of the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, New Delhi will join as the special guest for the occasion. Dr. Subrata Gupta, Secretary, Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), will grace the occasion as the Guest of Honour.

     The events on first day will feature experience-sharing sessions where industry leaders and startups will share their entrepreneurial journeys and insights. A series of expert-led sessions will cover critical themes such as sustainable growth in food sector, branding, digital outreach, and government support. Highlights include a panel discussion on scaling businesses responsibly, featuring industry leaders like Mr. Abhishek Kakkar, Indian Angel Network and Mr. Durlabh Rawat, Barosi Foods. Another session on digital marketing strategies for food startups will be led by senior officials from MeitY and marketing experts such as Ms. Yashna Garg from Zeon Life Sciences.

     On the second day, young entrepreneurs will share their experiences in a session titled “Pep Talk by Budding Startups.” Speakers include Ms. Isha Jhawar of Reipeat Gud Pvt Ltd. known for her work in healthy, preservative free tomato ketchup and mayonnaise and Mr. Romi Kulthia of Atpata, who combines traditional knowledge with modern technology. Other participants, such as Mr. Priyanshu Raj of Aromaé and Ms. Palak Arora of SatGuru Superfoods, will discuss challenges in scaling and rural-urban market linkages. Sustainability-focused innovators like Mr. Anagh Goyal of 1.5 Degree will also share insights on climate-resilient business models.

    Over 250 startups from 23 states across the country including Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Kerala, Manipur, Bihar, Odisha, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttarakhand have already registered, showcasing the diverse innovation landscape of India. Some of the startups are likely to exhibit innovative technologies, such as cell cultured meat, plant-based foods, functional foods and rapid detection kits for contaminants and adulterants required for strengthening food processing and safety eco system in the country. Around 35 startups have registered to   pitch their ground-breaking ideas to esteemed evaluators from leading organizations such as Nestlé, Bühler Group, Eureka Analytical Systems Pvt. Ltd. and the Indian Angel Network. A dedicated session on sustainable food solutions, moderated by Dr. Siddharth Manvati of Clear Meat, will feature perspectives from industry veterans like Mr. Sanjay Khajuria, Former Director, Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Nestle India and Mr. Hemendra Mathur, Bharat Innovation Fund.

    Beyond formal sessions, the event will include networking opportunities through a Mentor Lounge and an exhibition showcasing innovations by startups and MSMEs. Reflecting on the conclave’s importance, Union Cabinet Minister, MoFPI Shri Chirag Paswan remarked, “SUFALAM 2025 underscores our commitment to nurturing entrepreneurship in the food sector. By equipping startups with the right tools and networks, we are paving the way for a more self-reliant India.” With over 300 participants, over 65 exhibitors representing 20 states across the country including entrepreneurs, investors and policymakers, the conclave aims to drive collaboration and accelerate growth in India’s food processing industry.

    *****

    Shahid

    (Release ID: 2124088) Visitor Counter : 68

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CE: Hong Kong/Zhejiang Co-operation Conference Mechanism advances mutual benefits to new levels (with photos/videos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CE: Hong Kong/Zhejiang Co-operation Conference Mechanism advances mutual benefits to new levels (with photos/videos) 
    In the morning, Mr Lee and the Secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, Mr Wang Hao, jointly attended the High-Level Meeting cum the First Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Zhejiang Co-operation Conference, witnessing the establishment of the Hong Kong/Zhejiang Co-operation Conference Mechanism, symbolising a new stage of comprehensive exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and Zhejiang. The Executive Deputy Director of the Hong Kong and Macao Work Office of the CPC Central Committee and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council, Mr Zhou Ji, also attended the meeting.
     
    Officials of the HKSAR Government that attended the meeting included the Chief Secretary for Administration, Mr Chan Kwok-ki; the Secretary for Constitutional and Mainland Affairs, Mr Erick Tsang Kwok-wai; the Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, Mr Algernon Yau; the Secretary for Housing, Ms Winnie Ho; the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong; the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak; and the Director of the Chief Executive’s Office, Ms Carol Yip.
     
    During the meeting, Mr Wang, Mr Lee, and the Governor of Zhejiang Province, Mr Liu Jie, witnessed the signing of the Hong Kong/Zhejiang Co-operation Conference Mechanism and the Co-operation Memorandum of the High-Level Meeting cum First Plenary Session of the Hong Kong/Zhejiang Co-operation Conference, as well as four co-operation agreements signed by representatives of government departments and institutions of the two places, covering areas of innovation and technology (I&T), housing, economic and trade co-operation, and youth development. Hong Kong and Zhejiang established the new Hong Kong/Zhejiang Co-operation Conference Mechanism and reached consensus on 13 co-operation areas.
     
    Mr Lee noted that the new co-operation conference mechanism symbolises a new stage of comprehensive exchanges and co-operation between Hong Kong and Zhejiang, which is of great significance. He expressed gratitude to Zhejiang Province and the Zhejiang Provincial Government for its importance and support attached to the new co-operation conference mechanism. He said he looks forward to Hong Kong and Zhejiang continuing to work together and deepen co-operation on all fronts for mutual benefits. He added that Hong Kong and Zhejiang will seize national opportunities and leverage their respective strengths to make new and greater contributions to the further reform and opening up of the country, and the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation.
     
    Mr Lee said that Hong Kong has long been the largest source of external investment in Zhejiang, as well as a favourable platform for Zhejiang enterprises to expand into overseas markets. Hong Kong will give full play to its role as a “super connector” and “super value-adder” to continue serving Zhejiang in expanding international markets.
     
    Mr Lee then met with the Mayor of the Hangzhou Municipal People’s Government, Mr Yao Gaoyuan, and attended a luncheon hosted by Mr Yao. Mr Lee said that Hangzhou has made rapid achievements in the fields of the digital economy and AI in recent years, while the HKSAR Government is also developing the AI industry proactively and has been implementing a series of measures to support AI development. Mr Lee expressed his confidence in the huge potential for co-operation between Hong Kong and Hangzhou in I&T, adding that under the new co-operation mechanism established between Hong Kong and Zhejiang, exchanges and collaboration between Hong Kong and cities in Zhejiang, including Hangzhou, will be even closer.
     
    In the afternoon, Mr Lee arrived in Ningbo to continue his visit. He first visited a local high-end scientific instrument manufacturing enterprise to learn more about its business development and projects in the manufacturing and research of optical instruments.
     
    Mr Lee then met with entrepreneurs of Ningbo descent. Mr Lee commended Ningbo entrepreneurs for their significant contributions to Hong Kong’s economic and social development over the years, as well as acting as a bridge to promote economic and trade co-operation and cultural exchanges between Hong Kong and Ningbo.
     
    In the evening, Mr Lee met with the Secretary of the CPC Ningbo Municipal Committee, Mr Peng Jiaxue, and attended a dinner hosted by Mr Peng. Mr Lee highlighted that Ningbo is a major city in the Yangtze River Delta region, while Hong Kong, the world’s freest economy and the third-largest international financial centre which possesses the advantages of the “one country, two systems” principle, is proactively developing into an international I&T hub. He said he believes that entrepreneurs in Hong Kong and Ningbo will continue to scale new heights and forge closer ties and co-operation, and that Hong Kong and Ningbo can achieve complementarity to make greater contributions to the country’s high-quality development.
     
    Mr Lee will continue his visit tomorrow (April 25). He will attend the Hong Kong Investment Promotion Conference – Zhejiang (Ningbo) Forum cum Ningbo-Hong Kong Economic Co-operation Forum.
    Issued at HKT 19:30

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: InvestHK, HKETO Singapore and HKTDC jointly hold seminar in India to promote Hong Kong’s business advantages and opportunities (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    InvestHK, HKETO Singapore and HKTDC jointly hold seminar in India to promote Hong Kong’s business advantages and opportunities      
         During the duty visit to Mumbai and Delhi, Mr Ng had fruitful discussions with a number of large family businesses, large enterprises, family offices, business founders and entrepreneurs from across different sectors to explain the unique benefits of the “one country, two systems” framework, conveying the advantages and business and investment opportunities available to them in Hong Kong and the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
         
         The Director of Trade and Investment Promotion, World Trade Center Mumbai, Ms Priya Pansare, said, “At World Trade Center Mumbai, we are delighted to explore synergies with InvestHK to foster stronger economic linkages between India and Hong Kong. This collaboration presents a valuable opportunity to bridge markets, promote cross-border investments, and enable businesses from both economies to grow through shared knowledge, innovation, and trade facilitation.”
         
         The seminar cohosted by InvestHK, the HKETO Singapore and the HKTDC in Mumbai yesterday, entitled Gateway to Growth: Exploring Business & Investment Opportunities in and via Hong Kong, brought together local senior executives, entrepreneurs, and partners to discuss the benefits of using Hong Kong as a gateway for expansion into Mainland China and across Asia. It commenced with opening remarks by the Director of the HKETO Singapore, Mr Owin Fung, and the Regional Director of South East Asia and South Asia of the HKTDC, Mr Ronald Ho, followed by a presentation on Hong Kong’s dynamic capital market and the abundant investment opportunities it offers, delivered by Mr Ng.
         
         During his opening speech, Mr Fung emphasised Hong Kong’s benefits to Indian businesses. He said, “As an international financial, trade and shipping centre, Hong Kong has long thrived under the ‘one country, two systems’ principle. This enables Hong Kong to play the pivotal role as a ‘super connector’ and a ‘super value-adder’ to facilitate Indian businesses expanding into the GBA and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations markets.”
         
         During the presentation, Mr Ng underscored Hong Kong’s status as a premier international financial and business hub, spotlighting the city’s vibrant start-up ecosystem, robust capital markets, and free flow of information, talent, and capital. He also highlighted the New Capital Investment Entrant Scheme, which offers high-net-worth individuals and their families an attractive pathway to residency in Hong Kong. Mr Ng said, “It has been a genuine privilege to engage with India’s forward-looking business community and showcase the latest developments in Hong Kong. We are keen to support more Indian companies in learning more about Hong Kong’s strategic position, robust capital markets, and diverse talent pool, enabling them to expand across Asia – and ultimately, beyond.”
    Issued at HKT 19:20

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: State Mourning on 26th April 2025 on the day of the funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis, Supreme Pontiff of the Holy See

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 4:50PM by PIB Delhi

    The funeral of His Holiness Pope Francis, Supreme Pontiff of the Holy See will be held on Saturday 26th April, 2025. The State Mourning shall be observed on that day. On 26th April, 2025, the National Flag will be flown at Half Mast throughout India on all buildings where the National Flag is flown regularly and there will be no official entertainment.

    The Government of India had announced three-Day State Mourning, as a mark of respect on the passing away of His Holiness Pope Francis, Supreme Pontiff of the Holy See. Two days’ State Mourning was observed on 22nd April and 23rd April, 2025 and one day’s State Mourning will be observed on the day of the funeral.

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    RK/VV/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2124080) Visitor Counter : 139

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Indian Delegation visits Pretoria, South Africa for the second session of the India-South Africa JWGTI

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 7:58PM by PIB Delhi

    A nine member delegation held the Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment meeting with the South African side in Pretoria, South Africa on 22nd – 23rd April, 2025. The discussions were held in a cordial and friendly atmosphere and were fruitful. There was enthusiastic response towards greater cooperation, addressing pending issues, boosting trade and investment, greater people to people contacts.

    The JTC was co-chaired by Mr. Malose Letsoalo, Chief Director, Bilateral Trade Relations, The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition, Republic of South Africa; and Ms. Priya Nair, Economic Adviser Department of Commerce. Official delegation from India consisted of officials from High Commission of India in South Africa, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare. The officials of both India and South Africa actively engaged in the proceedings of the India-South Africa JWGTI.

    Both sides explored potential areas of collaboration such as Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare, Agriculture, MSME, Jewelry manufacturing among others. Major points for discussion in JWGTI included revival of CEO Forum, investment cooperation, Market access issues with regard to agricultural products, Recognition of Indian Pharmacopoeia, Local Currency Settlement System, Fast payment systems/Unified Payment Linkage system, Discussion on India-SACU PTA etc. to further expand trade and economic ties between both the countries.

    In a comprehensive dialogue, both sides undertook a detailed review of recent developments in bilateral trade and investment ties and acknowledged the vast untapped potential for further expansion. To this effect, both sides identified several areas of focus for enhancing both bilateral trade as well as mutually beneficial investments.

    South Africa is the largest trading partner of India in the Africa region. Bilateral trade between India and South Africa stood at USD 19.25 billion in 2023-24. Indian businesses have invested over US$ 1.3 billion in South Africa from April 2000 to September 2024. These investments traverse diverse sectors, encompassing pharmaceuticals, IT, automotive, banking, and mining.

    The deliberations of the 2nd Session of India-South Africa Joint Working Group on Trade and Investment on 22nd April, 2025 were cordial and forward-looking, indicative of the amicable and special relations between the two countries.

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    Abhishek Dayal/Abhijith Narayanan

    (Release ID: 2124166) Visitor Counter : 52

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Launches Issuance of Sports Certificates via DigiLocker

    Source: Government of India

    Union Minister Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya Launches Issuance of Sports Certificates via DigiLocker

    Inaugurates National Centre for Sports Science and Research at IG Stadium

    All sports initiatives undertaken by Modi Government are athlete-centric – Dr. Mandaviya

    NCSSR will serve as a hub for high-level research, education, and innovation aimed at enhancing elite athlete performance: Union Minister

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 4:44PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports and Labour & Employment, Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya today launched the issuance of sports certificates via DigiLocker at the Indira Gandhi Stadium in New Delhi.

    Prior to the launch, he inaugurated the National Centre for Sports Science and Research (NCSSR) at the same venue.

    Addressing the gathering, Dr. Mandaviya reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to athlete welfare, stating that all sports initiatives undertaken by Modi Government are athlete-centric. Citing examples of the Draft National Sports Governance Bill 2024, Draft National Sports Policy 2024, and the Draft National Code Against Age Fraud in Sports (NCAAFS) 2025, the Minister said these reflect the Government’s resolve to ensure transparency, fairness and good governance in the Indian sports ecosystem.

    He announced that sports certificates issued via DigiLocker will soon be integrated with the National Sports Repository System (NSRS), enabling automatic disbursal of Government cash rewards directly into athletes’ bank accounts through Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), eliminating the need for paper applications.

    “In the past what used to happen is that a sportsperson had to apply for Government cash rewards after winning medals in international competitions. I don’t want that the athletes have to suffer or face any roadblocks in getting their well-deserved reward. So, these initiatives are meant to make it smooth for them. If everyone has watched him/her win a medal internationally why do they need to apply,” Union Minister said.

    Highlighting future plans, Dr. Mandaviya spoke about the comprehensive roadmap being implemented to support India’s bid to host the 2036 Olympics. He also reiterated India’s interest in hosting the Commonwealth Games in 2030.

    Calling on National Sports Federations (NSFs) to prioritize good governance and athlete welfare, Union Minister urged collective efforts from athletes, federations, and the Government to strengthen the sports ecosystem. As a step in this direction, he announced that office space at IG Stadium in Delhi will be made available to interested NSFs.

    Dr. Mandaviya also announced the forthcoming launch of a ‘One Sport–One Corporate’ policy aimed at facilitating federation handholding and attracting financial support for sports development. Additionally, Olympic training centres for high-priority sports disciplines will be developed under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, he added.

    Speaking on the inauguration of the NCSSR, Dr. Mandaviya said the Centre will serve as a hub for high-level research, education, and innovation aimed at enhancing elite athlete performance. He emphasized that such initiatives will be instrumental in fulfilling India’s long-term sporting vision under Viksit Bharat by 2047.

    “Let us all work together to build a strong sports culture for a new India,” Dr. Mandaviya concluded.

    Praising the initiative by the government, Olympic silver medallist and Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna awardee Mirabai Chanu said: “This is a really good scheme for players. The issuance of sports certificates by DigiLocker will take a lot of stress away from all sportspersons like me. Many times sportspersons have to rush back home for certain documents – for government jobs, visa etc. – as we don’t carry them with us always. I want to thank our Sports Minister on behalf of all players for this initiative.”

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    Himanshu Pathak

    (Release ID: 2124076) Visitor Counter : 43

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani inaugurates the state-of-the-art packaging facility of National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) in Noida, Uttar Pradesh

    Source: Government of India

    Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani inaugurates the state-of-the-art packaging facility of National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) in Noida, Uttar Pradesh

    The facility is dedicated to packaging pulses and organic products while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and quality

    Cooperation Secretary termed it as a major milestone in NCOL’s journey to promote and distribute high quality, organic products under the brand ‘Bharat Organics’

    Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has envisioned a greater role for cooperatives in making India the largest organic producer in the world

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry is taking several initiatives to increase market access for organic produce of farmers

    NCOL is passing on the benefits of its venture to its member farmers, thereby encouraging them to adopt organic farming in greater numbers

    NCOL aims to ensure premium prices to farmers for their hard work towards organic farming and make organic food affordable and accessible to Indian consumers

    Mother Dairy is committed to make ‘Bharat Organics’ available across its channels to benefit accessibility to the customer and it stands for purity & trust

    Posted On: 24 APR 2025 7:29PM by PIB Delhi

    Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani today addressed the inauguration of the state-of-the-art packaging facility of National Cooperative Organics Limited (NCOL) in Noida, Uttar Pradesh. Equipped with cutting-edge technology, the facility is designed to optimize efficiency while maintaining the highest standards of hygiene and quality. It is dedicated to the packaging of pulses and a wide range of organic food products.

    Speaking at the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Cooperation, Dr Ashish Kumar Bhutani said that the inauguration marks a major milestone in NCOL’s journey to promote and deliver high-quality, sustainable organic products under the ‘Bharat Organics’ brand.  He said that the NCOL has a huge role to play in empowering farmers and expanding access of market to genuine organic produce across India. He said Bharat Organics is making healthy food accessible to all for a healthier India.

    Dr Bhutani said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and guidance of Union Home and Cooperation Minister Shri Amit Shah, the Ministry is taking several initiatives to increase market access for organic produce of farmers. Cooperation Secretary said that the inauguration of the packaging facility of NCOL marks a critical step in the organisation’s efforts to scale operations and expand the reach of certified organic produce, while delivering fair value to primary producers.

    Dr Bhutani said that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi has envisioned a greater role for cooperatives in making India the largest organic producer in the world. Being in the cooperative sector, NCOL is passing on the benefits of its venture to its member farmers, thereby encouraging them to adopt organic farming in greater numbers.

    With 21 organic products, including pulses, cereals, spices and sweetners, already launched, Bharat Organics is available through 200+ SAFAL outlets in Delhi NCR, It is also being launched across major e-commerce & Q-Com platforms like Swiggy, Blinkit, BigBasket, Amazon, Flipkart, etc. It is also available at all NCCF and NAFED, outlets, who also happen to be our promoter members. Bharat Organics shall soon be available across all Reliance outlets.

     

    Speaking on the occasion, Chairman of NCOL Shri Meenesh Shah said that NCOL aims to ensure premium prices to farmers for their hard work towards organic farming and make organic food affordable and accessible to Indian consumers. He said NCOL lays extra emphasis on the authenticity of certified organic products under the Bharat Brand name, by mandatorily testing each batch for 245+ pesticide residues.

    Speaking on the occasion, Managing Director of NCOL, Shri Vipul Mittal said that it is our proud privilege to launch this range of ‘Bharat Organics’ pulses, while celebrating the international year of cooperation, chaired by India in 2025. The packaging carries this logo along with a QR code to test authenticity of the product. The consumer can scan this code and check the PR test report of the said batch.

    Addressing the event, the Managing Director of Mother Dairy Shri Manish Bandlish, emphasized that Mother Dairy is committed to make ‘Bharat Organics’ available across its channels to benefit accessibility to the customer. Mother Dairy stands for purity & trust for the last 50 years for the customers of Delhi.

    NCOL was established by the Ministry of Cooperation, Government of India, in 2023 as an umbrella organization for the aggregation, procurement, certification, testing, branding, and marketing of organic products produced by the cooperative sector. NCOL operates with the support of relevant government ministries, following a “Whole of Government” approach, and is aligned with the national vision of “Sahkar se Samriddhi”.

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    RK/VV/RR/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2124157) Visitor Counter : 36

    Read this release in: Hindi

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LegCo Panel on Security conducts duty visit to Guangzhou (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:
     
    The Legislative Council Panel on Security conducted a duty visit to Guangzhou today (April 24) to learn about the work experience in areas related to enhancing crime prevention and law enforcement efficiency. The Secretary for Security, Mr Tang Ping-keung, also led government officials to join the visit.
     
    Members went to Tianhe District of Guangzhou in the morning to observe a minimum emergency unit drill in Tianhe City Central Business District. Minimum emergency units are formed by various entities or premises in the city, and under the supervision of local police stations. They are responsible for taking initial actions in response to emergencies that endanger public safety, as well as assisting public security authorities in maintaining daily law and order. Members noted from the drill that minimum emergency units help prevent and curb illegal and criminal acts at an early stage and effectively enhance community safety. Members also exchanged views with representatives of relevant Mainland authorities on, among others, ways to consolidate and leverage community resources and forces to ensure public safety.
     
    Members then visited the Huale Police Station of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau. The Police Station has received numerous national and provincial honours, including the title of People’s Satisfaction Police Station awarded by the State Council. During the visit, Members exchanged views with representatives of the Police Station on enhancing public satisfaction with police work, leveraging technology to enhance crime prevention and law enforcement efficiency, etc.
     
    Members visited the integrated service hall of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau in the afternoon to better understand the “one service window” arrangements provided therein and the measures to offer convenient services to the public through the use of technology and self-service facilities, as well as to receive a briefing on the city’s experience in providing facilitation to citizens by streamlining workflows and leveraging technology. Members also toured the police history museum of the Guangzhou Municipal Public Security Bureau to gain further insight into the development of public security services.
     
    Through the duty visit, Members obtained first-hand knowledge of Guangzhou’s effort in crime prevention, law enforcement and facilitation measures for citizens, and exchanged views with representatives of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department on related issues. The experience and information obtained through the duty visit will facilitate the Panel in performing duties pursuant to its terms of reference for building a safer and more liveable community together.
     
    A total of 14 members and non-members of the Panel on Security participated in the duty visit and they returned to Hong Kong in the afternoon.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –