Category: Balkans

MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: Slovenia, Montenegro and Portugal must not assist the MV Kathrin’s delivery of explosives to Israel

Source: Amnesty International –

Slovenia and Montenegro must stop the Portuguese-flagged MV Kathrin, believed to be carrying explosives bound for Israel, from docking at their ports, given the clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes in Gaza, Amnesty International said.

According to Namibia’s government and Portugal’s Foreign Minister, the MV Kathrin’s cargo includes explosives destined for Israel. Namibian authorities refused to allow the vessel to enter its main harbour in August, citing information from the ship’s operator that its cargo includes eight containers of RDX Hexogen explosives bound for Israel. Statements from Slovenia’s Prime Minister’s office and Portugal’s Foreign Minister indicate the ship is heading for Montenegro and Slovenia’s port of Koper, where it will offload its cargo. It is unclear how the cargo will then reach Israel.

The deadly cargo believed to be on board the MV Kathrin must not reach Israel as there is a clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians.

Nataša Posel, head of Amnesty International Slovenia

“The deadly cargo believed to be on board the MV Kathrin must not reach Israel as there is a clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians,” said Nataša Posel, head of Amnesty International Slovenia.

“Namibia rightfully upheld its international obligations by ensuring that the MV Kathrin did not transit military cargo to Israel through its port. Now it is up to Slovenia, Montenegro and all other states to do the same and avoid facilitating an unlawful transfer.”

International humanitarian law (IHL) prohibits all states from transferring weapons to a party to an armed conflict where there is a clear risk that doing so would contribute to the commission of war crimes or other serious IHL violations.

Amnesty International has documented extensive evidence of war crimes committed by all parties to the most recent escalation of the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory using a wide variety of arms. Amnesty International research shows that Israel’s military has used explosive weapons to carry out direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects and indiscriminate attacks in Gaza, blocked humanitarian assistance and collectively punished Palestinians over the past year.

States that continue to transfer arms to Israel are therefore acting in contravention of their obligations under Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions and must act to prevent all such transfers with urgency.

Furthermore, as State Parties to the Arms Trade Treaty, Montenegro, Portugal and Slovenia have committed to establishing the highest possible common international standards for regulating the international trade in conventional arms for the purpose of reducing human suffering. As flag state, Portugal must not use its vessel to transfer the explosives or must remove its flag so as not to assist in the transfer.

“Amnesty International is calling for an immediate arms embargo on Israel and on Palestinian armed groups in Gaza due to their use of weapons to carry out war crimes and other serious violations. Any state that knowingly transfers arms to the parties in this ongoing conflict, including via transit of ships carrying arms and explosives, risks breaching their obligation not to encourage, aid or assist in violation of the Geneva Conventions. Portugal, Slovenia and Montenegro must not facilitate any such weapons transfer to Israel,” said Nataša Posel.

MIL OSI NGO –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Failure to apply the rule of law in Albania – E-001754/2024
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001754/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Nikolaos Anadiotis (NI)

On 29 May 2024, the European External Action Service (EEAS) – the Diplomatic Service of the EU – published its Annual Report on Human Rights and Democracy in the World.[1] On Albania (p. 7 of the report), it says that local elections ‘on 14 May 2023 were conducted in a generally calm manner’.[2]

In those elections, in the Municipality of Himarë, as we all know, the party of the ethnic Greek candidate from Northern Epirus, Fredi Beleri (now MEP for New Democracy and the EPP), won. However, the losing party continued in office, in fact for 15 months, until August 2024. Never since the 5th century BC, when democracy was established in Ancient Athens, has anything of that kind ever happened. It is unprecedented in the annals of world history for a party that loses an election to continue governing, while the winning party remains in opposition.

In view of this, can the Commission answer the following:

1.Why was Albania not formally condemned for this flagrant violation of the fundamental principle of democracy?

2.Have the reasons why this fact escaped the notice of the Diplomatic Service of the EU been looked into? Did those who drafted the EEAS Report conduct any investigation into who was responsible for its not being recorded?

Submitted: 18.9.2024

[1] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/2023-annual-report-human-rights-and-democracy-world-0_en?page_lang=en

[2] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2024/2023%20EU%20country%20updates%20on%20human%20rights%20and%20democracy_2.pdf
Last updated: 1 October 2024
MIL OSI Europe News –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: ‘explosives for Israel’ ship set to dock in Montenegro and Slovenia

Source: Amnesty International –

The MV Kathrin, a Portuguese-flagged vessel reportedly carrying explosives bound for Israel, is currently heading for Montenegro and Slovenia

Ship is believed to be carrying eight containers of components for aircraft bombs and missiles

‘The deadly cargo believed to be on board the MV Kathrin must not reach Israel’ – Nataša Posel

Slovenia and Montenegro must stop the Portuguese-flagged vessel MV Kathrin – believed to be carrying explosives bound for Israel – from docking at their ports given the clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes in Gaza and Lebanon, Amnesty International said today.

According to the Namibian government and Portugal’s Foreign Minister, the MV Kathrin’s cargo includes explosives destined for Israel.

In August, the Namibian authorities refused to allow the vessel to enter its main harbour citing information from the ship’s operator that its cargo includes eight containers of RDX Hexogen explosives bound for Israel. Statements from the Slovenian Prime Minister’s office and the Portuguese Foreign Minister indicate that the ship is heading for Montenegro and also for Slovenia’s port of Koper, where it will offload its cargo. It is unclear how the cargo will then reach Israel.

On 31 August, Francesca Albanese, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories, said that eight containers of explosives aboard MV Kathrin “are reportedly key components in the aircraft bombs and missiles” used by Israel against Palestinians. Albanese called on all countries to block the ship from docking at their harbours.

Countries which continue to transfer arms to Israel are acting in contravention of their obligations under Common Article 1 of the Geneva Conventions and must act to prevent all such transfers with urgency. Furthermore, as state parties to the international Arms Trade Treaty, Montenegro, Portugal and Slovenia have committed to establishing the highest possible common international standards for regulating the international trade in conventional arms for the purpose of reducing human suffering. As the flag state, Portugal must not use its vessel to transfer the explosives or must remove its flag so as not to assist in the transfer.

Amnesty has documented extensive evidence of war crimes committed by all parties to the most recent escalation of the conflict in Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory using a wide variety of arms. Amnesty research shows that the Israeli military has used explosive weapons to carry out direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects and indiscriminate attacks in Gaza, blocked humanitarian assistance and collectively punished Palestinians over the past year.

Nataša Posel, head of Amnesty International Slovenia, said:

“The deadly cargo believed to be on board the MV Kathrin must not reach Israel as there is a clear risk that such cargo would contribute to the commission of war crimes against Palestinian civilians.

“Namibia rightfully upheld its international obligations by ensuring that the MV Kathrin did not transit military cargo to Israel through its port.

“Now it is up to Slovenia, Montenegro and all other states to do the same and avoid facilitating an unlawful transfer.

“Amnesty International is calling for an immediate arms embargo on Israel and on Palestinian armed groups in Gaza due to their use of weapons to carry out war crimes and other serious violations.

“Any state that knowingly transfers arms to the parties in this ongoing conflict, including via transit of ships carrying arms and explosives, risks breaching their obligation not to encourage, aid or assist in violation of the Geneva Conventions. Portugal, Slovenia and Montenegro must not facilitate any such weapons transfer to Israel.”

Timeline

On 21 July, the MV Kathrin embarked with its cargo from Vietnam’s Hai Phong port.

On 24 August, the Namibian authorities revoked previously-granted permission for the MV Kathrin to enter Namibia’s main harbour, citing information from the ship’s operator that some of the explosives on board were destined for Israel. This decision was based on concerns of potential complicity in war crimes in Gaza. The MV Kathrin was scheduled to dock at Namibia’s Walvis Bay on 25 August.

MIL OSI NGO –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: President Erdoğan’s Address to the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

Source: Republic of Turkey

ADDRESS TO THE 79TH SESSION OF THE UNITED NATIONS GENERAL ASSEMBLY
by
THE PRESIDENT of the REPUBLIC of TÜRKİYE,
H.E. RECEP TAYYİP ERDOĞAN
(24 SEPTEMBER 2024, NEW YORK)

Mr. President,
Distinguished Heads of State and Government,
Mr. Secretary General,
Esteemed Delegates,
I greet you with my most heartfelt feelings and respect on behalf of myself, my country and my nation.
I am very pleased to have the opportunity to address the United Nations General Assembly once again today.
I wish the 79th General Assembly to be beneficial to our countries and to all humanity.
I would like to congratulate Mr. Dennis FRANCIS, who has completed his Presidency of the General Assembly, and I wish success to Mr. Philemon YANG, who assumed this duty.
I would like to express our pleasure in seeing the Representative of the friendly and brotherly Palestine in the place he deserves among the member states, after lengthy struggles.
I wish this historic step to be the last stage on the way to Palestine’s membership in the United Nations.
I also invite other states, that have not yet done so, to recognize the State of Palestine as soon as possible and take their place on the right side of history at this very critical period.
Distinguished Delegates…
We are living through and trying to manage the crises minute by minute that most of my friends here watch on TV screens.
Therefore, I am addressing you today as the leader of a country that is not far from the tensions, but right in their epicentre.
Even if some feel uncomfortable, even if some will once again criticize us, I wish to speak out certain truths openly today, in the name of humanity, from the common rostrum of humanity.
Let’s consider… the United Nations, under whose roof we are now, was established to maintain international peace and security after the Second World War, during which millions of people lost their lives.
With the establishment of the United Nations, expectations for global stability, peace and justice blossomed again, and hopes for peace revived.
However, we observe with regret that in recent years, the United Nations is struggling to fulfill its founding mission and is gradually turning into a dysfunctional, unwieldy and inert structure.
We need the values represented by the maxim “THE WORLD IS BIGGER THAN FIVE”, more and more nowadays.
We witness that international peace and security are too important to be left to the arbitrariness of the “privileged five”.
The most dramatic example of this is the massacre that has been going on in Gaza for 353 days.
More than 41 thousand Palestinians have lost their lives in the ongoing Israeli attacks since October 7.
41 thousand people, 41 thousand lives brutally taken away, most of whom are children and women.
Similarly, the whereabouts of more than 10 thousand Gazans, most of whom are children, is unknown.
In the same way, about 100 thousand people have been injured and become disabled.
172 journalists have been killed while trying to do their job under difficult conditions.
More than 500 paramedics working to save lives have been killed.
Humanitarian aid workers and more than 210 United Nations personnel, who rushed to the rescue of the people of Gaza struggling with hunger and thirst, have been killed.
They hit 820 mosques and 3 churches that should be protected even at war.
They hit tens of hospitals, hundreds of schools, and more than 130 ambulances carrying patients.
By tearing down the Charter of the United Nations at the United Nations rostrum, they shamelessly challenged the whole world, all the conscientious people right from here, from this rostrum.
Friends…
The leaked images from the prisons that Israel has turned into “concentration camps” indicate very clearly what kind of persecution we are facing.
As a result of the Israeli attacks, Gaza has become the largest cemetery for children and women in the world.
More than 17 thousand children have been the targets of Israeli bullets and bombs.
HİND RAJAB was only 6 years old.
Their vehicle was hit by Israeli forces while she was searching for a safe place with her relatives.
Her uncle, aunt-in-law, and cousins all died, only she survived.
For 12 days she waited desperately to be rescued.
She waited for a helping hand to reach out to her for 12 days, saying, “WILL YOU COME TO PICK ME UP? I AM SCARED!”
Despite the level of development which our world has reached, despite the technology at our disposal; despite our organisations with huge budgets employing thousands of personnel under their roofs, unfortunately, as humanity of 8 billion, we have not been able to save a 6-year-old girl, an injured sparrow fluttering in front of our eyes.
Hundreds of Gazan children have died so far because they were not able to find a bite of dry bread, a sip of water or a bowl of soup, and they are still dying.
Not only children are dying in Gaza; the United Nations system is also dying, the truth is dying, the values that the west claims to defend are dying, the hopes of humanity to live in a fairer world are dying one by one.
I am asking you frankly from here…
HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANISATIONS!
Are the ones in Gaza, the ones in the West Bank not human beings?
The children in Palestine, do they not have the right to study, live, and play in the streets?
INTERNATIONAL PRESS ORGANISATIONS!
The journalists that Israel massacred on live TV, whose offices were raided, are they not your colleagues?
THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL!
What are you waiting for to prevent the genocide in Gaza and to say “stop” to this cruelty, this barbarism?
What more are you waiting for to stop the massacre network that endangers also the lives of its own citizens along with the Palestinian people and drags the entire region into war for the sake of its political prospects?
AND THOSE WHO UNCONDITIONALLY SUPPORT ISRAEL!
For how long will you continue to bear the shame of looking on this massacre, of being accomplices in this atrocity?
Distinguished Friends…
While children are dying in Gaza, Ramallah, Lebanon, and babies are dying in incubators, unfortunately, the international community has also given a very bad account of itself.
What is happening in Palestine is an indicator of a huge moral breakdown.
I believe that all the peoples of the world, leaders, international organisations should reflect on this painful picture.
I also want to hereby express a truth loud and clear.
Ignoring basic human rights, the Israeli government, is practicing ethnic cleansing, an overt genocide against a nation, a people, and occupying their territory step by step.
Palestinians, whose freedom, independence and the most basic rights have been usurped, are very rightly exercising their “LEGITIMATE RIGHT OF RESISTANCE” against this occupation and these ethnic cleansing activities.
The rightful resistance of the Palestinian people against those who occupy their land is too noble, honourable, heroic to be portrayed as illegitimate.
From here, I wholeheartedly salute once again my Palestinian brothers who defend their country at the cost of their lives.
The only reason for Israel’s aggression against the Palestinian people is the unconditional support of a handful of countries to Israel.
The countries that have an influence over Israel are openly becoming accomplices of this massacre with the policy of “run with the hare, hunt with the hounds”.
Those who are supposedly working for a ceasefire in the limelight continue to send weapons and ammunition to Israel behind the stage, so that it can continue its massacres.
This is inconsistency and insincerity.
Please consider … there’s a document that has been going back and forth since May.
HAMAS has repeatedly declared its acceptance of the ceasefire proposal.
However, the Israeli government has very clearly indicated that it is the party that does not want peace by continuously hampering the process, constantly finding excuses, perfidiously killing the interlocutor it negotiated with at a time when the ceasefire was closest.
There should be no more credit given to Israel’s distraction and deception moves.
In an environment where United Nations Security Council Resolution 2735 is not being implemented, coercive measures against Israel should be put on the agenda.
Israel’s attitude has once again shown that it is essential for the international community to develop a protection mechanism for Palestinian civilians.
Just as HITLER was stopped by the alliance of humanity 70 years ago, Netanyahu and his murder network must be stopped by the “alliance of humanity”.
We believe that the power of the General Assembly to make recommendations on the use of force, as it exists in the “Uniting for Peace Resolution dated 1950”, should definitely be considered in this process.
An immediate and permanent ceasefire should be achieved, a hostage-prisoner exchange should be carried out, and humanitarian aid should be delivered to Gaza in an unhindered and uninterrupted way.
We have to extend a helping hand to the people of Gaza trying to survive, especially before winter when conditions will deteriorate.
Please consider, 70 percent of the water resources and 75 percent of the ovens in Gaza have been destroyed until now.
95 percent of health centres have been partially or completely damaged.
150 thousand houses were completely destroyed, 200 thousand houses were partially destroyed, 80 thousand houses became uninhabitable.
Infectious diseases, especially polio and hepatitis, are gradually increasing.
The people of Gaza can only reach a quarter of the amount of aid they need.
As Türkiye, we have maintained and are continuing to maintain our humanitarian aid activities for our Palestinian brothers since the first day.
With the amount of aid exceeding 60 thousand tons, Türkiye is the country that sends the highest amount of aid to Gaza.
In the same way, by stopping commercial transactions with Israel, we have demonstrated our sensitivity on this issue.
We also stand with the people and government of Lebanon, where Israel has stepped up its attacks in recent days.
Now we can all see this truth:
Our conscience cannot be at peace until those who massacred 41 thousand people are held accountable for the crimes they committed, from the person who gives the order to the ones who pull the trigger, and drop the bomb.
The bill for the billions of dollars of damage at the destroyed, wiped out, demolished cities must and will definitely be compensated by the perpetrators.
We support the lawsuit filed by the Republic of South Africa at the International Court of Justice to ensure that the crimes committed by Israel do not go unpunished.
We will take all necessary steps to ensure that justice is served in this case in which we have applied for intervention.
We will make every legal struggle to find justice for our daughter Ayşenur Ezgi Eygi, who was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during a peaceful protest in Nablus.
Although there is an urgent need for a ceasefire in Gaza, the main issue is the occupation of Palestinian territories by Israel.
Creation of an independent, sovereign and geographically contiguous Palestinian State on the basis of the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital can no longer be delayed.
I would like it to be known that we are also closely following the increasing attacks against our first Qibla, Al-Masjid al-Aqsa and Al-Haram Al-Sharif.
While saying all this as Tayyip Erdoğan, I never speak with empty words from this rostrum.
Here, I am speaking with the courage that I get from my history and the conscientious and fair stance of my ancestors.
Because we are a nation that has always been on the side of the oppressed and stood against oppressor and tyranny throughout history.
We had welcomed the Jews who escaped from the inquisition 500 years ago and the Jews who escaped from Hitler’s concentration camps.
I tell it frankly; as a country and as a nation, we have no hostility towards the people of Israel.
We are against ANTI-SEMITISM in the same way that we are against the targeting of Muslims just because of their beliefs.
Our problem is with the policies of massacre of the Israeli government.
Our problem is again with the oppressor and tyranny, just as it was 5 centuries ago.
Everyone should know that we do not refrain from crying out the truth.
Even if some feel uncomfortable, we are not afraid to tell the truth.
Insha’Allah, we will continue to stand by the righteous until the end and speak of what we know as truth, even if it is harsh.
Hereby, I would also like to thank all the brave people who show solidarity with the Palestinian people without distinction of faith, country, language or religion, and raise their voice against the massacre in Gaza by filling the streets almost every week.
Distinguished Delegates…
Unfortunately, in the 14th year of the conflict, Syria is also still far from stability.
The economic and humanitarian situation in the country, which is in the grip of terrorist and separatist organizations remains dire.
We hope that the political process will be advanced and national reconciliation will be achieved on the basis of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2254.
We are determined to maintain our position in favour of a realistic dialogue with sincerity.
While our neighbour Iraq continues its struggle against terrorism, it is taking decisive steps towards development, reconstruction and reintegration with the region.
The international community should support these efforts of Iraq.
It is important in this context to implement initiatives that will benefit the entire region, such as the Development Road Project.
The success of all these efforts depends on the elimination of the terrorist threat in Iraq, especially from the PKK.
We believe that taking steps towards reviving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with our other neighbour Iran will contribute to the establishment of the environment of trust and stability in the region.
As the third year of the war in Ukraine comes to an end, we are still far from reaching a just and lasting peace.
As the armament race accelerates, the field of diplomacy is gradually narrowing.
We will further increase our support to the efforts to end the war through diplomacy and dialogue, on the basis of Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.
In this process, we will continue to meticulously implement the Montreux Convention.
We support the peace process between Azerbaijan and Armenia, and we hope that the work will be completed with good news as soon as possible.
We are also taking mutually positive steps on the Türkiye-Armenia track.
The developments that can be achieved in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process will also have a positive impact on the Türkiye-Armenia normalization process.
Esteemed Friends…
We play a constructive role for the prosperity and peace of the Balkans, of which we are an integral part, and act in close cooperation with all actors in the region.
As a member of the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, we emphasize the importance of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s sovereignty, political unity and territorial integrity on every platform, and we continue to contribute to the EUFOR-ALTHEA Operation.
We successfully continue the KFOR command that we assumed last year and support the Belgrade-Prishtina Dialogue process.
We want to see the Aegean Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean as a region of stability and prosperity where the legitimate interests of all parties concerned are respected.
The limitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in accordance with international law, freedom and safety of navigation, and the development of cooperation, especially on maritime trade issues, are to the common interest of the entire region.
Türkiye is ready for constructive cooperation on all issues, especially energy and environment.
We expect the same approach from our neighbours.
As the country with the longest coastline in the Eastern Mediterranean, Türkiye’s key role is undeniable.
Türkiye has rights to the north and west of the Island of Cyprus in the declared continental shelf and Turkish Cypriots have rights all around the Island.
It has been 50 years since the Cyprus Peace Operation and 61 years since the Cyprus issue emerged as a result of the usurpation of the partnership state by Greek Cypriots.
From that day to this, peace and tranquillity have prevailed on the Island.
It has always been the Turkish Cypriots and Türkiye that have shown a sincere will to bring about a just, permanent and sustainable solution to the Cyprus issue.
The federation model has now completely lost its validity.
There are two separate states and two separate peoples on the island.
The sovereign equality and equal international status of the Turkish Cypriots, which are their inherent rights, should be reaffirmed, and the isolation should now come to an end.
Today, I once again call on the international community to recognize the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus and establish with it diplomatic, political and economic relations.
We provide active support to the establishment of stability in Libya and the preservation of the unity and integrity of the country.
We call on all states to take a sincere stand by Libya during this sensitive period and to contribute to the establishment of trust between the parties.
We need to exert more efforts to end the conflicts in Sudan.
We all have a responsibility to deliver humanitarian aid to millions of Sudanese displaced due to conflicts.
Africa has a very huge potential with its young and dynamic population, rich natural resources and fertile extensive lands.
On the basis of the principles of equal partnership and mutual respect, we support the Continent’s peace, stability and development efforts with the African peoples.
We will continue to be in full solidarity with our African brothers and sisters.
We are deepening our engagement with regional organizations, such as the Indian Ocean Rim Association, the Pacific Islands Forum and particularly ASEAN.
We maintain our will to develop our relations with BRICS, which brings together emerging economies.
We share a deep-rooted history with the Central Asian countries; we further strengthen our cooperation on bilateral and multilateral grounds.
Our Organisation of Turkic States is increasingly turning into a centre of attraction.
The Organisation is becoming an exemplary model of cooperation, also with the contributions of observer members Hungary and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus.
As the Turkic world, we will further strengthen our unity and solidarity.
Within the framework of respect for China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, we are in close dialogue with China to protect the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Uighur Turks, with whom we have strong historical, cultural and human ties.
We are trying to advance the friendly ties we have established with all the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean to a further stage.
Distinguished Delegates…
We are obliged to work together to eliminate global injustice.
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals’ notion of “leave no one behind” is a guide for these efforts.
As one of the countries that provide the highest aid in proportion to its national income, Türkiye’s activities contribute to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
We support the activities that will ensure fair, inclusive growth and development on all international platforms, especially within the G20.
We believe that all nations should benefit equally from the transformative power of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.
The United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries that we host is a concrete manifestation of our efforts in this direction.
The “cyber terrorist attacks” perpetrated against Lebanon last week demonstrated how these technologies can at the same time turn into a fatal weapon.
We address climate change with a similar approach.
No country can cope with the emission reduction and adaptation process to climate change alone.
The most important issues for developing countries are financing, technology transfer and capacity building.
I believe that the COP29 Climate Summit to be held in Baku will contribute to the solution of these issues.
With the vision of a more sustainable and cleaner world, we have carried the Zero Waste Movement, which we launched under the auspices of my Spouse, Mrs. Emine Erdoğan, to a global level with the resolution co-sponsored by 105 countries and adopted unanimously at the United Nations General Assembly.
Hereby, I invite all countries, international organisations and non-governmental organisations to become partners in our movement.
We see that Islamophobia, xenophobia and racism are enveloping the world like a poison ivy.
Hardly a day goes by that we do not witness attacks on mosques and our holy book, the Holy Quran.
In the middle of Europe, people’s houses are being set on fire; their lives are being targeted; their most fundamental rights are being usurped because of their ethnic and religious identities.
No one can ignore this growing danger any longer.
As stipulated in the resolution adopted on 15 March 2024, we expect the appointment of a “Special Envoy for Combating Islamophobia” at the United Nations as soon as possible.
Distinguished Friends…
Today I would like to draw your attention once again to a danger that I raised at this rostrum last year.
The attacks against the family institution, which is the basic pillar of society, are intensifying.
The disgrace staged at the opening of the 2024 Olympic Games has revealed the dimensions of the threat we face as humanity.
A sports event followed by innocent children and hundreds of millions of people of all ages and faiths has been used, in a very ugly manner, for degenderization propaganda.
Those wicked scenes have deeply wounded not only the Catholic world, the Christian world, but also Muslims and everyone who respects the sacred.
The issue of desexualisation is now turning into a global imposition rather than a “preference”, literally a war against the sacred and the creation.
Anyone who raises a voice against this destruction project and shows the slightest reaction is silenced and becomes the target of lynching campaigns.
Türkiye is determined to break this siege and resist this climate of fear at all cost.
For this purpose, we became a member of the United Nations Group of Friends of the Family.
Insha’Allah, we will not hold back from defending the family, the human being and the creation in solidarity with other member states.
I invite the countries that share the same concerns with us to support this struggle.
With these thoughts, I wish that the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly will be beneficial for all humanity.
I salute you all once again with affection and respect.
May you all remain in good health…

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: The seven greatest cover songs of all time – according to music experts

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Glenn Fosbraey, Associate Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester

We recently asked subscribers to our arts and culture newsletter, Something Good, to name their favourite cover song. We received a range of replies, from Beyoncé’s reimagining of the Dolly Parton classic, Jolene, to Nirvana’s MTV Unplugged recording of The Man Who Sold the World by David Bowie. Here’s how seven of our academic experts responded when we asked them the same question.

1. Heaven, by DJ Sammy (2001)

The late 1990s and early 2000s saw a glut of Euro-dance songs troubling the higher reaches of the UK charts, as artists like Alice Deejay, Fragma and Sash (all aliases for male DJs fronted by female guest vocalists) married heavy trance beats with catchy melodies. But above all others stood 2001’s Heaven, by DJ Sammy. A shining example of the energetic but straightforward approach to music that characterised the era, it had a generation of club-goers running for the dancefloor.

Heaven saw Spanish producer Sammy turn a mawkish 1983 Bryan Adams track into the ultimate dance track for all seasons, complete with a relentless beat, hypnotic synth riff, and earworm-of-all-earworm choruses delivered by Dutch singer Dominique Rijpma van Hulst (stage name Do). It’s fun, unapologetically simple, yet somehow seems to encompass every emotion going. An era-defining track that needs to be played loud and proud.

Glenn Fosbraey

2. Me and the Devil Blues, by Gil Scott-Heron (2014)

A great cover is more than a different version of a song – it re-articulates the track and injects it with new meaning. Some do this by radically changing the genre, others by making the song so intensely personal that it is difficult to imagine anyone else singing it. But Gil Scott-Heron’s cover of Robert Johnson’s Me and the Devil Blues (1938), on Scott-Heron’s final album, accomplishes an even rarer feat.

It layers the pain and anguish of a modern black life lived in the heavy bootprint of the fight for civil rights, de-industrialisation and the “war on drugs”, over the legend of original singer Robert Johnson’s daring and tragic story in the Jim Crow south.

Scott-Heron’s cover is an opaque homage that ruminates on living in the echoes of an American music legend’s ruins. It’s a reminder of the continuing horrors of racism, and the enduring artistry of resistance and resilience.

Justin Patch

3. Helter Skelter, by Siouxsie and the Banshees (1978)

As a young artist from Liverpool who was newly signed to Deltasonic Records in the early 2000s, I was keen to find inspiration from artists other than our beloved Beatles. Little did I expect that much of this inspiration would circle back to Paul, John, George and Ringo when I discovered Siouxsie and the Banshees’ album The Scream (1978).

Their cover of Helter Skelter from The Beatles’ White Album (1968) blew me away. Personally, I think this is the best cover of a Beatles song ever, performed by a woman who wasn’t afraid to take control of it.

Eva Petersen

4. Wild is the Wind, by David Bowie

David Bowie frequently supplemented his original material with thematically connected cover songs. There are covers on Hunky Dory (1971), The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust (1972) and Aladdin Sane (1973). These moments are often the weakest spots on Bowie’s records – with one major exception.

Bowie’s 1976 album Station To Station closes with his take on Wild Is The Wind, reworking Johnny Mathis’s two-minute original from 1957 into a soaring and theatrical six-minute showstopper. Bowie’s band dutifully rises to the occasion, decorating the track with elegant lead guitar work and one of the most exquisite drum performances ever committed to tape.

Never one to underplay, Bowie gives the vocal performance of a lifetime, culminating in a soaring climax guaranteed to leave goosebumps on any listener with a pulse.

Daniel Ash

5. Against All Odds, by The Postal Service (2004)

A good cover version needs to find ways to reinvent the texture and structure of the original. Beyond The Postal Service’s iconic 2003 album Give Up, the indie-tronica outfit have a tiny repertoire. For my money, their cover of Phil Collins’s Against All Odds (1984) was the only bright spot in the horrendous Josh Hartnett movie, Wicker Park (2004).

The familiar texture and soundscape of Give Up is heard in the distant and crackly vocal, reverse delays and keyboard of the opening verse and chorus. This gives way to a middle section which is cleaner and more purposeful than the first, with a brighter tempo. A final outro section repeats the lyrical hook – “take a look at me now” – with gentle guitar bringing the song to a close.

With this cover, The Postal Service manage to remake an emotional love ballad into a more angsty and complex work with their own musical stamp.

Conor Caldwell

6. Shipbuilding, by Suede

I always tell students to look at their hero’s heroes and find the covers they chose to do. It is often the case that we discover a classic song from a cover.

The 1995 charity album HELP featured 20 songs (many of them cover versions) by 20 artists in support of children displaced by the Bosnian War.

Suede’s cover of Shipbuilding (written by Elvis Costello and Clive Langer in 1982) was the first version of the song I heard. Such is the power of the piece, I suspect it was not difficult to convey the message. Written during the Falklands war, it concerned the resurgence of the shipyards caused by the necessity to replace ships lost in the conflict.

This led me to discover the definitive 1982 version sung by Robert Wyatt and featuring Costello, which has superb brushed drums and double bass. A masterpiece.

Howard Monk

7. Such Great Heights, by Iron and Wine

In this cover, Sam Beam of Iron and Wine strips what could be potentially considered the calling card of The Postal Service’s small but perfectly formed oeuvre to its bare bones. Featuring nothing more than a hushed voice, gently plucked acoustic guitar and subtle flourish of mandolin, the yearning romanticism of the lyrics is endearingly exposed.

Curiously, The Postal Service chose to include this wonderfully considered cover version as a b-side to their own single release of the song in 2003. This may have prompted its use in the divisive indie movie Garden State (2004), elevating Iron and Wine to deservedly greater heights in the process.

Steve Ryan

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Eva Petersen has previously received Arts Council funding for her research in 2019. She currently works for Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts.

Conor Caldwell, Daniel Ash, Glenn Fosbraey, Howard Monk, Justin Patch, and Stephen Ryan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The seven greatest cover songs of all time – according to music experts – https://theconversation.com/the-seven-greatest-cover-songs-of-all-time-according-to-music-experts-235145

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Translation: Canada-France Declaration on a Strengthened Partnership in Defence and Security

MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

Meeting in Ottawa on September 26, 2024, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, call for working together to foster the development of a strengthened partnership in defence and security.

September 26, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

Meeting in Ottawa on September 26, 2024, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, call for working together to foster the development of a strengthened partnership in defence and security.

Canada and France have a strong defence relationship, based on shared history and interests, a common language and universal values.

During the 20th century, Canada and France have forged a close defence relationship. During both world wars, Canadian and French soldiers fought side by side. This year, our two countries celebrated the eightieth anniversary of the Normandy landings. This defence relationship was solidified in 1949 with the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), of which our two countries are founding members, and with our joint participation in several peacekeeping operations under the auspices of the United Nations, in operations under NATO command, and as part of the international coalition against Daesh.

We share common security interests in a context of serious international tensions and, more broadly, the assertion of power logics and fait accompli. The year 2024 is thus characterized by an increase in meetings between our respective authorities, both at the political and military levels, with a shared desire to boost our exchanges in the field of defense and security, in order to establish a more ambitious strategic partnership. We are convinced that strengthened cooperation between our two countries will make it possible to better contribute to defending the international order based on the rules of respect for the sovereignty of States and our democratic principles. Together, we are determined to do our part to uphold the principles of the United Nations Charter, to contribute to the management of international crises and conflicts, including in the cyber domain, and to ensure the security and collective defense of NATO members.

We will therefore deepen our defence and security cooperation with a view to supporting Ukraine, contributing to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, strengthening our collaboration in crisis management and in the modernisation of our armed forces and combating foreign interference and the manipulation of information.

Support Ukraine

Canada and France will support Ukraine for as long as it takes to defeat Russia’s war of aggression in flagrant violation of international law, including the United Nations Charter. Our support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders is unwavering. In line with the G7 Joint Statement of Support for Ukraine of July 2023, Canada and France have respectively signed bilateral agreements with Ukraine committing them, over the long term, to strengthening Ukraine’s capacity to defend itself, developing the country’s resilience and deterring Russia from any further aggression.

We will strengthen our cooperation in the field of military material support to Ukraine and in the field of training, within the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG – also called the “Ramstein format”).

Canada and France have already trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers through Operation UNIFIER for Canada and the EU Military Assistance Mission in Support of Ukraine (EUMAM Ukraine) for France. Our armed forces have continued cooperation on the training of Ukrainian fighter pilots. Our armed forces will continue to deepen their strategic cooperation in the field of cyber defence in support of Ukraine. We are determined to work with Ukraine and our partners to enable Ukraine to defend its sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the face of Russian aggression, both in traditional domains and in cyberspace, including by supporting the strengthening of Ukraine’s civilian cybersecurity capacities through the Tallinn Mechanism. More broadly, we will continue our discussions on the topics of common interest discussed at the Paris conference on February 26, 2024.

Canada and France recognize that the deportation of Ukrainian children is a major issue and will continue their efforts, within the framework of the international coalition, for the return of Ukrainian children deported to Russia.

Contributing to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific

Canada and France are two Pacific countries that wish to actively contribute to regional stability and security. We aim to maintain an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, free from excessive dependencies and any form of coercion, and based on respect for international law, sovereignty and multilateralism.

We reaffirm our shared commitment to support peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula through the implementation of United Nations resolutions and the enforcement of sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council. We remain fully mobilized with our partners to deter any attempt to circumvent these sanctions through maritime and air-sea surveillance.

We deplore the escalating tensions in the South China Sea. We firmly oppose coercive or destabilizing activities, which lead to increasingly violent and recurring incidents, and call for enhanced dialogue between the different parties. We also emphasize the importance of the ability of all States to exercise their rights and freedoms, including freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Our two countries will strengthen their cooperation in strategic and military analysis in the area, study the deployment of future joint patrol missions and increase their participation in multilateral exercises. This cooperation will improve interoperability between the armed forces of our two countries. With this in mind, we will work on the possibility of integrating Canadian support for the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

Canada and France will deepen cooperation to combat illegal fishing and conduct maritime surveillance with Pacific Island countries to strengthen their sovereignty. We will work toward joint deployments in the area. We will also strengthen regional security by participating in training for Pacific Island partner countries.

Strengthening our collaboration in international crisis management and engaging together

Canada and France recognize that climate change is not only an environmental threat, but also one of the greatest security challenges of our time. We strongly support NATO’s Action Plan on Climate Change and Security, including as co-sponsors, with 10 other Allies, of the NATO Centre of Excellence for Climate Change and Security in Montreal.

We will share our crisis management situation assessments, as we did recently during the crisis in Haiti and in anticipation during targeted situation assessment exchanges in areas of common interest, such as the Middle East. We will identify new opportunities to deploy together. We will strengthen the NATO partnership by sharing experience between framework nations for the Canadian deployments in Latvia and the French deployments in Romania. France is ready to cooperate with Canada to facilitate logistical support to Canadian forces positioned in Latvia.

In the Canadian Arctic, Canada and France are collaborating on Operation NANOOK, the Canadian Armed Forces’ flagship operation in this region. Our two countries aim to increase joint navigation exercises, experience sharing, interoperability and crew training in polar environments, particularly by leveraging the expertise and support of the Canadian Armed Forces in the Canadian Arctic.

In the Sahel and more recently in the Gulf of Guinea, Canada provides unwavering support to the French armed forces through its operation FREQUENCE. We intend to renew this important and effective cooperation in 2025.

Strengthening our collaboration in the modernization of the armed forces

To better respond to crises, Canada and France will deepen their partnership to modernize their armed forces and improve their ability to engage together.

We will continue to share expertise in human resources, which form the heart of our armed forces, in order to improve recruitment or for training in specific skills, by drawing on the capabilities that each has, particularly in terms of transport and strategic supply or submarine forces.

Canada and France are committed to increasing their defence resources and strengthening their capabilities in order to ensure their sovereignty and support their partners. In this context, we will develop the sharing of our respective technological know-how, and work on new concrete cooperation in the land, maritime, air and cyber domains. We will continue our discussions on the organization and improvement of our industrial and acquisition processes.

Combating foreign interference and manipulation of information

Canada and France are facing foreign interference operations and the manipulation of information. Canada and France will strengthen their exchanges in order to respond effectively to these threats.

Through our commitment to the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (G7 RRM), our two countries are developing a collective response framework to counter foreign information manipulation operations, as announced at the G7 Summit in Puglia. These efforts must be accompanied by support for honest and quality information, for example through the Partnership for Information and Democracy and its Forum on Information and Democracy. We welcome initiatives such as the Journalism Trust Initiative, in which several of our Canadian and French media participate, to promote quality information.

Through the G7 MRR, we are also developing collective approaches to counter other threats to democracy and will continue to advance these goals under our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Canada: Canada–France Declaration on a Stronger Defence and Security Partnership

Source: Government of Canada News

On September 26, 2024, in Ottawa, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, called on our countries to work together towards a stronger defence and security partnership.

September 26, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

On September 26, 2024, in Ottawa, the Right Honourable Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada, and Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, called on our countries to work together towards a stronger defence and security partnership.

Canada and France have cultivated a strong defence relationship, founded upon shared history, interests, a common language and universal values.

During the 20th century, Canada and France developed a close defence relationship. During both World Wars, Canadian soldiers and French soldiers fought side by side and this year, our countries celebrated the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings. Our defence relationship was solidified in 1949 with the creation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), of which our two countries are founding members, as well as through our joint participation in various United Nations peacekeeping operations, NATO-led operations, and the Global Coalition Against Daesh.

We share common security interests in a world facing serious international tensions and, more broadly, one marked by unilateral assertions of power. Given this, our respective officials, both political and military, have met with one another more regularly in 2024, to enhance our conversations on defence and security, and ultimately build a more ambitious strategic partnership. We are convinced that stronger cooperation between our two countries will facilitate better defence of the rules-based international order founded on respect for state sovereignty, and our democratic principles. Together, we are committed to doing our part to uphold the principles of the Charter of the United Nations; to help manage international crises and conflicts, including in the cyber domain; and to ensure the collective security and defence of NATO members.

We will therefore expand our defence and security cooperation to support Ukraine, contribute to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, reinforce our collaboration on crisis management and modernization of our armed forces, and fight against foreign interference and information manipulation.

Support Ukraine

Canada and France will support Ukraine for as long as it takes to thwart Russia’s war of aggression, which is a flagrant violation of international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. Our support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders is unwavering. In line with the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine of July 2023, Canada and France respectively signed bilateral agreements with Ukraine to confirm our commitment to strengthen Ukraine’s ability to defend itself, foster resilience in the country, and deter future aggression from Russia in the long-term.

As part of the Ukraine Defence Contact Group (UDCG), also known as the Ramstein group, we will strengthen our cooperation in the area of military equipment support to Ukraine and training.

Canada and France have trained tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers through Operation UNIFIER (Canada) and the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine (France). Our armed forces have cooperated on training Ukrainian fighter pilots. Our armed forces will continue to deepen their strategic cooperation in the field of cyber defence in support of Ukraine. We are determined to work with Ukraine and our partners to support Ukraine in defending its sovereignty, independence and its territorial integrity against Russian aggression, both in the traditional domains and in cyberspace, including by helping strengthen Ukraine’s civilian cyber capacity through the Tallinn Mechanism. More broadly, we will continue our conversations on the topics of shared interest broached at the conference in Paris on February 26, 2024.

Canada and France recognize that the deportation of Ukrainian children is a major concern and, as part of the international coalition, we will continue our efforts to ensure the return of the Ukrainian children deported to Russia.

Contribute to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific

Canada and France are two Pacific nations that wish to actively contribute to regional stability and security. We aim to maintain an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, free of excessive dependencies and any form of coercion, and founded on respect for international law, sovereignty and multilateralism.

We reaffirm our shared commitment to support peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, through implementing United Nations resolutions and implementing sanctions decided upon by the United Nations Security Council. We remain fully engaged with our partners to dissuade any attempt to circumvent those sanctions by means of maritime surveillance and maritime air surveillance.

We deplore the rising tensions in the South China Sea. We strongly oppose coercive and destabilizing activities, which are leading to increasingly violent and recurrent incidents, and call for the various parties to engage in dialogue. We also highlight the importance for all states to be able to exercise their rights and freedoms, including freedom of navigation and overflight, in accordance with international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Our two countries will strengthen our cooperation in terms of strategic and military analysis in the region, study opportunities for deploying future joint patrol missions, and increase our participation in multilateral exercises. This cooperation will improve interoperability between the armed forces of our two countries. In the same vein, we will consider integrating Canadian support to the deployment of the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle.

Canada and France will cooperate more closely to fight against illegal fishing and ensure maritime surveillance with Pacific Island countries in order to strengthen their sovereignty. We will work on joint deployments in the area. We will also strengthen regional security by participating in the training of Pacific Island partner countries.

Collaborate more closely on international crisis management and conduct joint operations

Canada and France recognize that climate change is not only an environmental threat, but is also one of the greatest security challenges of our time. We wholeheartedly support NATO’s Climate Change and Security Action Plan, and we are two of the 12 sponsoring Allied nations of the NATO Climate Change and Security Centre of Excellence in Montreal.

We will share our crisis management situation assessments, as we did recently during the crisis in Haiti, and in anticipation of situations in areas of mutual interest, like the Middle East. We will identify new opportunities to deploy together. We will strengthen the partnership within NATO by sharing experience among framework nations for Canada’s deployment in Latvia and France’s deployment in Romania. France stands ready to cooperate with Canada to facilitate logistical support to Canadian forces prepositioned in Latvia.

In the Canadian Arctic, Canada and France collaborate on Operation NANOOK, the Canadian Armed Forces’ signature operation in that region. Our two countries wish to increase joint navigation exercises, knowledge sharing, interoperability and training of crews in polar environments, drawing on the expertise and support of the Canadian Armed Forces in the Canadian Arctic.

In the Sahel and more recently in the Gulf of Guinea, Canada has provided the French Armed Forces with unfailing support under Operation FREQUENCE. We intend to renew this important, effective collaboration in 2025.

Collaborate more closely on the modernization of armed forces

To better respond to crises, Canada and France will deepen our partnership to modernize our armed forces and improve our ability to conduct joint operations.

We will continue sharing expertise on human resources, the heart of our armies, to improve recruitment and training on specific skills, while leveraging each other’s capabilities in areas such as transport, strategic resupply, and submarine forces.

Canada and France are committed to increasing our defence capacity and strengthening our capabilities to ensure our sovereignty and support our partners. To that end, we will share our respective technical know-how, and will find tangible new ways to work together on land, sea, air and cyberspace. We will continue discussing how to organize and improve our industrial and procurement processes.

Fight against foreign interference and information manipulation

Canada and France are confronted with foreign interference operations and information manipulation. Canada and France will increase communication with each other to effectively respond to those threats.

Through our commitment to the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (G7 RRM), our two countries are developing a collective response framework to counter foreign operations of information manipulation, as announced at the G7 Summit in Apulia. These efforts must be accompanied by support for factual and high-quality information, such as through the International Partnership on Information and Democracy and the Forum on Information and Democracy. We welcome initiatives such as the Journalism Trust Initiative, in which Canadian and French media are participating, to foster high-quality information.

Thanks to the G7 RRM, we are also developing collective approaches to counter other threats to democracy and will continue to advance these objectives during our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026.

MIL OSI Canada News –

January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Eurojust supports major operation against Albanian drug-trafficking ring in Italy: 66 arrests
Source: Eurojust
26 September 2024|
A large-scale cocaine-smuggling ring was dismantled by authorities in Italy, Albania, Poland and Switzerland, coordinated by Eurojust. During an action day, a total of 45 suspects were arrested, most of them in Italy. Prior to the action day, 21 suspects involved in the sale of cocaine in and around the city of Brescia were arrested. In total, 66 arrests were made. The Albanian-led organised crime group (OCG) had been selling cocaine from Latin America for at least four years, mainly in the north of Italy.

Eurojust set up a coordination centre this week to support and coordinate the actions of all authorities involved. During the investigations and the action day, for an estimated amount of EUR 4 million in cash was seized, as well as 360 kilograms of cocaine, luxury vehicles and watches, telecommunications equipment, arms and ammunition.

Investigations into the drug-smuggling network started in 2020 at the request of the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) of Brescia. The OCG used five warehouses and storage centres in and around Brescia to distribute the cocaine.

[embedded content]
Credits: Guardia di Finanza di Brecia

The suspects laundered their illegal profits via an extensive network of enterprises run by an Italian-Chinese organisation set up for this purpose, which supplied fake invoices with a total value of around EUR 375 million. The OCG members will be charged with the trafficking of illicit drugs, money laundering and investment fraud.

During this week’s action day, over 400 officers were deployed across Italy. To assist the authorities on the ground, Eurojust set up a coordination centre at its premises in The Hague and supported the execution of European Arrest Warrants and requests for Mutual Legal Assistance towards Albania and Switzerland. Europol facilitated the exchange of information between the involved countries and provided operational coordination as well as analytical support. On the action day, a Europol analyst with a mobile office was deployed to cross-check information on the spot in Italy.

The operations were carried out at the request of the PPO of Brescia via the following authorities:

Italy: PPO Brescia; Anti-Mafia District Directorate of the Guardia di Finanza – Provincial Command of Brescia; Central Investigation Service for Organised Crime (SCICO), Rome; International Police Cooperation Service Liaison Bureau, Tirana

Poland: PPO Warsaw; Central Police Bureau of Investigations

Albania: Special Prosecution Office against Corruption and Organised Crime (SPAK); Albanian State Police

Switzerland: Office of Attorney-General; Federal Police (Fedpol)
MIL Security OSI –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Defence and Security Advocate reappointed
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Lord Lancaster’s appointment as the HMG Defence and Security Advocate extended by the Business and Trade Secretary.
Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds extends Lord Lancaster’s contract as Defence and Security Advocate for a further three months.

Lord Lancaster will continue to engage with industry leaders, ministers and other key players both in the UK and overseas to build export relationships with the UK’s partners.

Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds has reappointed Lord Mark Lancaster as the Government’s Defence and Security Advocate, to drive the UK’s defence and security export success for a further three months until 20 December 2024.

Lord Lancaster will report directly to the Business and Trade Secretary and will continue his programme of visits both overseas and at home to promote UK defence and security exports.

Lord Lancaster was initially appointed in January 2023 and has brought a wealth of specialist defence experience to the role. Major-General, Lord Lancaster, is Director of the Army Reserves and was a Defence Minister between 2015-2019. He was also previously a Major in the Territorial Army, having served as part of NATO peacekeeping forces in Kosovo and Bosnia.

Background

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Published 26 September 2024
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
January 23, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: High-level Open Debate: “Leadership for peace: United in respect of the UN Charter in search of a secure future” Address by Jean-Noël Barrot Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs at the Security Council (25.09.24

Source: Republic of France in English
The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

President,

I would like to thank Slovenia for organizing this open debate, and the UN Secretary-General, ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric Egger, and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for their remarks.

Our Council had to meet at a time when the world was being struck and divided by major conflicts of an exceptional gravity. And unfortunately, these conflicts are growing in number. It is the responsibility of our Council to resolve them and it needs to do more.

Our first responsibility is to enforce the rules that govern the international order and to enforce the Charter of the United Nations.

This means condemning without hesitation Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, its neighbour. As I said yesterday: the Ukrainian people have been subjected to atrocities, war crimes, and indiscriminate bombardments on civilian targets on a daily basis for over 900 days. They are unjustly living in fear and suffering.

This means condemning all violations committed by Russia. This means demanding that Russia end its war of aggression on Ukraine immediately and withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory. The General Assembly made this demand seven times in no uncertain terms.

We have a responsibility to support Ukraine in its right to self-defence. France and its partners will continue to support Ukrainians as long as it takes in its efforts to stop Russia’s aggression and to find a just peace. And a just peace can only be based on compliance with our common Charter. It is at the core of President Zelenskyy’s peace plan that we support.

We have a responsibility to uphold the fundamental principles of the Charter of the United Nations in the face of an unequivocally illegal and unjustifiable war of aggression. Of this I am certain: these principles are dear to all of us, particularly the sovereignty and territorial integrity of States. Without these principles, it is the strong who make the law and not the law that governs the strong. Without these principles, borders would no longer be intangible. Without these principles, States would no longer have security and everyone would fear an invasion by their neighbour. We must uphold these principles and enforce them. You all understand that compliance with international law is our compass everywhere.

We have clearly said since the barbaric terrorist attacks committed by Hamas and other terrorist groups on 7 October, which we condemn in the strongest terms, that Israel has the right to defend itself against aggression and the duty to do so in compliance with international law, particularly international humanitarian law. Everyone must respect this law, including Israel.

The war in Gaza must stop now. For civilians, for the men and women of Gaza whose suffering must end; for the hostages who must finally be released, and for stability in the region, which is currently deeply shaken.

The situation is untenable. The number of civilian victims is intolerable. In the face of this humanitarian disaster, it is vital to establish an immediate and permanent ceasefire and to enable the massive unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid as a matter of urgency. The civilian population’s needs are huge.

To ensure a lasting end to the crisis in the Middle East, it is vital to reach a political settlement of the conflict between Israel and Palestine as a matter of urgency. This settlement is a two-state solution. You can count on France to continue to take the helm, with its partners, in promoting a critical and irreversible revitalization of peace efforts.

It is also vital to now begin building the future of Gaza, the “day after”. It is up to the Palestinian Authority, which we support, to exercise its full authority over Gaza. For this to become a reality, the United Nations has and will have a central role to play.

President,

These vital demands must not be paid lip service but met with action. And I will say it again: our collective responsibility is to ensure this happens. That is why France will continue to work within this Council to sketch out this path.

I asked that a meeting be held this evening on Lebanon, as hundreds of Lebanese people, including children, have lost their lives in Israel’s strikes. At a time when this Council must call for de-escalation to avoid regional conflagration with devasting outcomes. Our Council must call for reason, which requires restraint and a ceasefire, something that it has been doing for a long time.

President,

No war, no humanitarian tragedy should be forgotten.

In Sudan, more than half the population is suffering from acute food insecurity. Famine has taken hold in the Zamzun camp in North Darfur. The situation is tragic. And we must remain mobilized. To raise awareness of the international community and to work together to address this tragic situation in Sudan, we held a conference in Paris where we raised more than €2 billion, €900 million of which from the European Union and its Member States, to support civilian populations in Sudan and its neighbouring countries. Many of our States signed a declaration of principles calling for Parties in the conflict to cease their hostilities, abide by their commitments and deliver on their obligations with respect to international humanitarian law and human rights. We have called on all States to refrain from any committing any acts that would fuel the conflict. I reiterate this appeal here today.

Many diplomatic efforts have been made in recent months to end the crisis. These initiatives have produced humanitarian advances, such as the issuance of visas for humanitarian workers and the re-opening of the Adre border post. These advances are encouraging but are still not enough given the urgency of the situation. Together, we must do more.

President,

As members of this Council, and more broadly as members of the United Nations, we must work to ensure the Security Council is capable of fully exercising its prime responsibility in upholding international peace and security.

That is the reason for France’s clear, long-standing and constant support for a comprehensive reform of the Security Council, based on the belief that expansion of both membership categories is required.

We have been tirelessly advocating greater representation of Africa on the Security Council for 20 years, including among the permanent members. That is a key aspect of the G4 model, which we support, just as we support the aspirations of Brazil, Germany, India and Japan to gain permanent membership.

In this same spirit of responsibility, France and Mexico promote an initiative that requires no amendment of the Charter. It is a commitment, an essential one, not to use a veto in the event of mass atrocities. That is a major expectation of the UN’s Member States. We owe it to them to progress on this matter.

President,

The principle of humanity must prevail. This year, we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the 1949 Geneva Conventions, and I would like to recall that they are universal and apply in all circumstances in the event of armed conflict.

We need to ensure they are enforced. We will reiterate this at high level, with the ICRC which is their guarantor. We need to enforce international humanitarian law. Because respect for these rules saves lives: the lives of women, children and men who suffer in war; the lives of the humanitarian personnel who try to save them, and whose immense courage I salute; and the lives of those, too, who will otherwise live with a terrible injury in their memory.

There is only one standard: the law, made up of our Charter and our Conventions, which put humanity first.

You can count on France to enforce this standard.

Our Council, too, must enforce it in all circumstances.

Thank you.

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI: Groupama Group 2024 half-year results

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Premium income (insurance premiums and other income) of €12.0 billion, up +8.7%

Growth in property and casualty insurance (+5.0%)
Increase in premium income in health and protection insurance (+10.0%)
Strong growth in the savings and pensions business (+20.7%)
Insurance revenue (IFRS 17) of €7.9 billion

Net income of €398 million

Economic operating income of €409 million, impacted by events in New Caledonia and by a better understanding of the seasonality effect
Fairly moderate weather loss experience
Combined non-life ratio of 95.9%

Strong solvency ratio of 190% without transitional measure

Solvency ratio of 249% with transitional measure on underwriting reserves
Group’s IFRS equity of €9.3 billion
Contractual services margin of €3.6 billion

The Board of Directors of Groupama Assurances Mutuelles met on 26 September 2024, under the chairmanship of Laurent Poupart, and approved the Group’s combined financial statements for the first half of 2024. The half-year financial statements underwent a limited review by the statutory auditors.

Activity (insurance premiums and other income)

As at 30 June 2024, Groupama’s combined premium income stood at €12.0 billion, a +8.7% increase from 30 June 2023. The increase came from property and casualty insurance (+5.0%), health and personal protection insurance (+10%), and savings and pensions (+20.7%).

Groupama premium income as at 30 June 2024

in millions of euros	30/06/2024	Like-for-like change (%)
Property & casualty insurance	6,470	+5.0%
Health & personal protection	3,690%	+10.0%
Savings & pensions	1,734	+20.7%
Financial businesses	120	+16.3%
GROUP TOTAL	12,014	+8.7%

In France

Insurance premium income in France as at 30 June 2024 amounted to €10.3 billion, up +8.8% compared with 30 June 2023.

In property and casualty insurance, premium income totalled €5.3 billion as at 30 June 2024, up +4.6% compared with 30 June 2023. All segments were up, including agricultural (+5.0%), home insurance (+3.9%) and motor insurance (+1.7%).

The health and personal protection business continued to grow (+9.4%) to €3.5 billion as at 30 June 2024, driven by individual health insurance (+5.5%) and growth in group insurance (+15.9%).

In savings and pensions, premium income increased significantly (+24.7%) to €1.5 billion as at 30 June 2024 thanks to strong inflows from unit-linked products. Unit-linked products accounted for more than 60% of premium income in individual savings and pensions.

Abroad

Over the first half of 2024, business reached €1.6 billion, up +7.6% at constant scope and exchange rates compared with 30 June 2023, mainly from the sustained business growth in Hungary (+14.2%) and Italy (+6.1%).

In property and casualty insurance, premium income totalled €1.1 billion as at 30 June 2024, up +7.2% compared with the previous period. This increase was due to the growth in home insurance in particular (+15.1%), mainly in Hungary and Greece, motor insurance (+5.5%) in Hungary and Italy, and good performance in business and local authorities casualty insurance (+13.5%).

Health and protection businesses grew significantly (+22.0%) to €195 million, benefiting from the growth of the group health and personal protection segments (+42.3%), particularly in Romania and Bulgaria.

Premium income in savings and pensions was stable (-0.3%), with strong growth in unit-linked products (+24.8%) mitigating the decline in euro funds (-33.8%).

Financial businesses

The Group’s premium income was €120 million, including €116 million from Groupama Asset Management and €4 million from Groupama Epargne Salariale.

Results

The Group’s economic operating income amounted to €409 million as at 30 June 2024 compared with €612 million as at 30 June 2023.

It came from property and casualty insurance for €181 million (€378 million as at June 30, 2023) and health and protection insurance for €68 million (€182 million as at June 30, 2023). The non-life combined ratio stood at 95.9% as at 30 June 2024, up +4.2 points compared with 30 June 2023. This increase was largely due to the cost of the events in New Caledonia in May and June 2024 as well as the recognition of a seasonality reserve, making it possible to better capture the effects of seasonal fluctuations. Weather claims remained at a fairly moderate level, comparable with the level at the end of June 2023. The operating costs ratio was virtually stable at 28.7% as at 30 June 2024.

Economic operating income in savings and pensions was €208 million as at 30 June 2024 compared with €57 million as at 30 June 2023. It benefited from the result of the switch of the share reinsured by Groupama Gan Vie to CNP Retraite in the PREFON Retraite reinsurance treaty, effective 1 January 2024.

Economic operating income amounted to +€20 million from financial businesses and -€68 million from the Group’s holding company business as at 30 December 2024.

The transition from economic operating income to net income includes non-recurring items, in particular the realisation of capital gains or losses, the change in the fair value of financial assets, and financing expenses. Overall, the Group’s net income amounted to €398 million as at 30 June 2024 compared with €447 million as at 30 June 2023.

Balance sheet

Group’s equity totalled €9.3 billion as at 30 June 2024 compared with €9.9 billion as at 31 December 2023. This change was mainly due to the redemption in May 2024 of perpetual subordinated bonds issued in 2014 for €871 million, partially offset by the positive contribution of the result. Note that the perpetual subordinated debt issued in early July 2024 for €600 million is not included in the 2024 half-year financial statements.

The Group’s contractual service margin, which represents the deferred future profits of outstanding contracts in savings and pensions and long-term protection, calculated discounted, was stable at €3.6 billion as at 30 June 2024.

As at 30 June 2024, the Solvency 2 ratio, without transitional measure on underwriting reserves, was 190%. The 7-point decrease in this ratio compared with end-2023 was mainly due to the redemption of subordinated bonds issued in 2014, mitigated by the result over the period. The perpetual subordinated debt issued at the beginning of July 2024 is not included in the ratio as at 30 June 2024. Including the transitional measure on underwriting reserves, authorised by the ACPR, the ratio was 249%.

The Group’s financial strength is highlighted by Fitch Ratings, which confirmed in March 2024 the IFS Groupama’s rating of ‘A+’ with a ‘Stable’ outlook.

Group Communications Department

For the financial statements as at 30/06/2024, the Group’s financial information consists of:

this press release, which is available on the website groupama.com,
Groupama Group’s half-year financial report, which will be filed with the AMF on 30 September 2024 and posted on the groupama.com website on the same day. The English version will be available on 22 October 2024.

About Groupama Group

For more than 100 years, Groupama Group has based its actions on timeless, humanist values to enable as many people as possible to build their lives in confidence. It relies on humane, caring, optimistic and responsible communities. The Groupama Group, one of the leading mutual insurers in France, carries out its insurance and service business activities in ten countries. The Group has 12 million members and customers and 31,000 employees throughout the world, with premium income of €17.0 billion.

Appendix: Groupama key figures

Premium income (insurance premiums and other income)

€ million	30/06/2023 pro forma*	30/06/2024	Change ** as %
> France	9,507	10,339	+8.8%
Property & casualty insurance	5,102	5,335	+4.6%
Health & personal protection	3,195	3,495	+9.4%
Savings & pensions	1,210	1,508	+24.7%
> International & Overseas	1,445	1,555	+7.6%
Property & casualty insurance	1,059	1,135	+7.2%
Health & personal protection	160	195	+22.0%
Savings & pensions	227	226	-0.3%
Total Insurance	10,952	11,894	+8.6%
Financial businesses	103	120	+16.3%
Groupama premium income	11,055	12,014	+8.7%

* Based on comparable data
** Change on a like-for-like exchange rate and consolidation basis

Net income

€ million	30/06/2023	30/06/2024
Insurance – France Insurance – International	545 71	396 62
Financial businesses	15	20
Holding companies	-19	-68
Economic operating income	612	409
Recurring financial margin	-69	31
Others	-96	-43
Net income	447	398

Balance sheet

€ million	31/12/2023	30/06/2024
Group’s IFRS quity	9,862	9,280
Subordinated debts	3,009	2,140
– equity instrument	871	–
– financing debts	2,138	2,140
Contractual services margin	3,649	3,638
Total balance sheet	91,949	88,587

Main ratios

	30/06/2023	30/06/2024
PAA combined ratio	91.6%	95.9%

	31/12/2023	30/06/2024
Solvency 2 ratio (with transitional measure)*	267%	249%
Solvency 2 ratio (without transitional measure)*	197%	190%

* transitional measure on underwriting reserves

Insurer Financial Strength rating – Fitch Ratings

	Rating	Outlook
Groupama Assurances Mutuelles and its subsidiaries	A+	Stable

Attachment

Groupama_HY 2024 results_press release

The MIL Network –

January 23, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Mission to Montenegro supports municipalities in drafting local youth action plans

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

Headline: OSCE Mission to Montenegro supports municipalities in drafting local youth action plans

(c) Giovanni Gabassi, Acting Head of OSCE Mission to Montenegro, and (l) Milica Bešović-Ljumović, acting General Director of Directorate for Youth and Co-operation with NGOs in the Ministry of Sports and Youth, opening the three-day workshop “Capacity building training for local authorities for development of local youth action plans”, Kolašin, Montenegro, 25 September 2024. (OSCE/Irena Marunović) Photo details

Strengthening the capacity of local self-government officials to develop youth action plans that support youth participation in local communities is the focus of a training session organized by the OSCE Mission to Montenegro and the Ministry of Sports and Youth in Kolašin from 25 to 27 September.
Over three days, 28 representatives of 19 Montenegrin local self-governments learnt how to design activities for young people based on their needs and to collaborate with different stakeholders when drafting action plans as contemplated by the youth policy.
Opening the training session, Mr. Giovanni Gabassi, Acting Head of the OSCE Mission, said that the Mission had worked with young people and a variety of stakeholders to design activities that promote and enhance youth inclusion in decision making processes, in line with the Youth Strategy. “Today is an opportunity for you as professionals, to develop the skill and tools to include youth in your everyday work through an even and consistent implementation of youth policies at the local level. The knowledge you will gain from this training, and hopefully you will share with your colleagues, should enable you to include young people in the work of your communities, where their voice should be heard and their opinions taken into consideration,” said Gabassi.
Ms. Milica Bešović-Ljumović, Acting General Director of Directorate for Youth and Co-operation with NGOs in the Ministry, emphasized the importance of preparing action plans as a concrete step to improve the position of young people in Montenegro. She added that the Law on Youth was being amended and she invited participants to provide their suggestions and comments on the revised text.
After this week’s training session, the Mission-engaged experts will provide mentoring support to participants in finalizing their local youth action plans for submission to the Ministry of Sports and Youth by 31 October
The 2019 Law on Youth prescribes that local self-governments are obliged to draft and adopt annual local youth action plans, containing youth policy measures and activities for realizing the interests and needs of young people on the local level by 31 December of each year.

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Montenegro’s digital transition starts at school

Source: European Investment Bank

Decades of urbanisation and funding shortages have placed a strain on Montenegro’s education system. Now, with funding from Team Europe, the country is investing in its education system to prepare students with the skills they need for the job market and the Western Balkan country’s bid to join Europe’s single market.

The government’s new Montenegro education programme aims to transform the learning experience for generations of pupils and provide them with the skills required for innovation and growth.

The funds will enable the reconstruction, digitalisation and equipping of 13 education facilities, including kindergartens, primary, vocational and secondary schools. The investments will create up to 1,700 new places for pupils and 530 full-time jobs for teachers, once the project is completed in 2027.

“The education sector in Montenegro is in need of attention and faces many challenges,” says Yngve Engstrom, Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Montenegro.

“We hope that these investments will improve the conditions for Montenegrin students, teachers and other school personnel and that they will support the comprehensive reforms needed in the education sector,” he added.

EU funds will also finance the construction of a new primary school in the capital city, Podgorica, that will use at least 20% less energy and water than comparable facilities and set a new energy efficiency standard for public buildings.

MIL OSI Europe News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Children get creative with plants and poetry to illustrate their hopes as child rights mark 100 years
Source: Save The Children

Photo: Oksana Parafeniuk/Save the Children

LONDON/GENEVA, 26 September 2024 – Using flowers, shells, leaves, and paper clips, children from Indonesia, Syria and Ukraine have created photo montages and written poems to show what is most important to them to mark 100 years of the global recognition of child rights.

Working with three award-winning photographers, children were encouraged to get creative by combining photos of themselves with everyday items for mixed media projects that celebrate their optimism and hopes for the future but also risks if progress on their rights stalls or is reversed.

The montages and poems are being used to commemorate the agreement on 26 September 1924 of the Geneva Declaration on the Rights of the Child, the groundbreaking document drafted by Save the Children founder Eglantyne Jebb that affirmed for the first time the existence of rights specific to children.

Elin, 15 from Sumba, Indonesia, said she was passionate about protecting the ocean but worried about the impact of climate change. She collected sand and shells while swimming and combined them with her photo portrait, writing the following poem. “In this scorching world, I have the right to be happy. I have the right to breathe fresh air. I have the right to access clean water, because my study time is not to fetch water. Together, we can protect the nature, because I am human, you are human, we are human.”

Anjar,18, from Indonesia tackles the lack of access to clean water in his friend Sandi’s village. Together, they designed a borehole that brought running water to the village for the first time. Anjar is worried about the impact of deforestation and used his artwork to portray himself as a warrior protecting the trees that he loves, using rocks and plants he has gathered.

“We have to learn and guard our nature, so it won’t be destroyed”, said Anjar, who was supported by Save the Children’s Inclusive Incubator for Young Changemakers (i2Change) programme which gives young people the chance to learn how to create a project that will change their community.

In Romania, eight-year-old Marko* is trying to rebuild his life and make new friends after he fled Ukraine with mother when the war broke out.

It took him months to settle into school, but with support from Save the Children’s hub in Romania, he is now more at ease. He made a collage by decorating his printed portrait with colourful clips and pegs. His montage represents his personality, his big dreams for the future and how important his homeland and school are to him.

“I want to be a captain because I would like to travel all over the world”, he said.

Shehab*, 16, is living in Za’atari, Jordan, the world’s largest camp for displaced Syrian refugees. She was born with a disability and bullied at school which made her drop out. At the Adolescent Girls Empowerment Centre, run by Save the Children and the United Nations Population Fund, Jordan is learning self-defence, art and yoga which is helping her find her inner strength.

Her portrait shows the importance to her of the rights to education and protection and includes a caption saying, “Women of the world, unite!”

“I was destroyed before I came to the centre, now I have more self-esteem and confidence” she said. “When I came here, I learned what children’s rights are and I started raising awareness for others and the younger ones. It’s a very good feeling because I felt like I was doing something for society, I was changing something. I felt like I was a leader for those children.”

The project that ran over three months involves the photographers Ulet Ifansasti from Indonesia, Kate Stanworth from the UK and Oksana Parafeniuk from Ukraine.

Despite much progress over the last century, children’s rights are today at risk of being eroded and inequality is growing.

One in five children globally is growing up in a conflict zone [1] and one in 50 is forcibly displaced- twice the number a decade ago, according to Save the Children analysis. [2] Thirty-three children were born into hunger each minute last year [3], while every year, extreme weather events interrupt learning for about 40 million children, a figure likely to rise as the intensity and frequency increase due to climate change [4].

Inger Ashing, Save the Children International’s Chief Executive Officer said: “So much has changed for children in 100 years. Most children now live to see their fifth birthday. Almost nine in 10 primary and six in 10 secondary-age school children complete their education. The vast majority are no longer forced to engage in the kind of work that deprives them of their childhood and harms their development.  “Today, every child has rights – including the right to health, to education, to protection, and to security. They have the right to be themselves, to have their voices heard and to design their futures.  “But this wasn’t always accepted or supported – and still isn’t in many places around the world. Children currently face a world in crisis where their rights are systematically undermined and violated. The vital progress made over the past 100 years is being reversed with catastrophic conflicts for children while children also experience all-too-frequent climate disasters, poverty and inequality. “Standing up for children’s rights is our history, present, and future. Our work to support children to claim their rights is just as urgent and relevant today as it was 100 years ago and we will not stop until children’s rights are respected, supported, and protected worldwide.”Save the Children is calling on leaders to listen to children and to provide safe, meaningful, child-friendly spaces where children can speak freely and their ideas are respected.

The child rights organisation is also calling for:
- States to hold perpetrators of crimes against children in conflict to account and ensure adherence to international humanitarian and human rights law.
- At the upcoming Ministerial Conference to Ending Violence against Children, states should make concrete, ambitious and funded commitments to protect children and end all forms of violence against them
- Children’s rights and views to be prioritised in climate policy and financing, including climate loss and damage and adaptation,
- Leaders to put children’s rights and the Sustainable Development Goals at the centre of policy and financing decisions to create a safer, greener and more sustainable world. 
Save the Children supports children around the world by providing safe spaces for those whose lives are shattered by conflict, improving access to affordable education and healthcare, amplifying the voices of children opposing child marriage, and campaigning for and with children to call for urgent action on the climate crisis and inequality.

For further enquiries please contact:

Our media out of hours (BST) contact is media@savethechildren.org.uk / +44(0)7831 650409. Please also check our Twitter account @Save_GlobalNews for news alerts, quotes, statements and location Vlogs.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –
January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Peace is Never Automatic: UN Chief on Leadership for peace | Security Council | United Nations

Source: United Nations (Video News)

Briefing by United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. António Guterres, on Leadership for peace: united in respect of the UN Charter, in search of a secure future – Security Council, 9732nd meeting.

———————————–

Mr. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.

It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.

These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

The situations on this Council’s agenda are complex and do not have quick fixes.

But the scale of the challenge should not deter us.

Our only hope for progress on peace is active collaboration and unity among Council Members.

Today, I call on all Members to live up to this great responsibility, and to the promise of the UN Charter.

Contribute to this Council’s success — not its diminishment.

Let’s ensure that this Council serves as an effective and representative forum for peace — today and in the years to come.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goPuYslcQ-E

MIL OSI Video –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow exporters, with the support of the city, found new partners in 24 friendly countries

MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Since the beginning of the year, the capital’s exporters, with the support of the city, have visited 11 international exhibitions in friendly countries. Among them are Gulfood in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tibo in Belarus, Gitex Africa in Morocco and Vietnam Expo in Vietnam. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

The costs of renting and building the negotiation area, delivering exhibits and organizing business meetings were covered by the Moscow Export Center (MEC).

“Since January, more than 180 Moscow brands have presented their products at the Made in Moscow stand. Another 122 companies have joined foreign business missions in nine countries,” said Natalia Sergunina.

Delegations from Indonesia, Mexico, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt came to the capital on a return visit.

“As a result of participation in exhibitions and business missions, city entrepreneurs found new partners in 24 friendly countries. Among them are the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Thailand, India and Uruguay. The total amount of contracts exceeded 1.5 billion rubles. Foreign buyers were interested in Moscow digital solutions, technology and equipment, food products and cartoons,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

Successful experience of participants

Thus, the adventure series about the magical girl Yesenia found a response from the foreign audience. Commercial director of the animation bureau Marina Povkh said that the story is universal and understandable to children from any corner of the world, but without the support of the city, it would have been more difficult for the company to reach the international level.

“If we went to exhibitions ourselves, we would have a small, unremarkable stand. But the Moscow Export Center pavilion provides us with scale, because we become part of the Made in Moscow brand,” said Marina Povkh.

The authors signed one of the contracts for the delivery of the series during the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival.

“The story about the sorceress is now being broadcast on children’s channels in Latin America, and will soon be shown in Thailand. The city does not forget about our successes, talks about them, and we are becoming more recognizable in the domestic market. Our bureau will continue to use the capital’s tools to develop its business, we are sure that this will bring new results,” the commercial director concluded.

Another active participant in the MEC programs is a manufacturer of innovative simulators for students of medical universities. The hybrid dental simulator allows practicing manipulations on a jaw model. Unique software monitors the accuracy of work due to electromagnetic tracking technology.

“With the support of the city, we attend leading industry events, it is completely free. After the exhibition in Alma-Ata, our simulators appeared in medical universities of Kazakhstan and the UAE,” shared the company’s founder Zalim Balkizov.

The capital will organize other trips before the end of the year.

Extensive toolkit

The Moscow Export Center was created seven years ago with the aim of creating a single window of support for businessmen engaged in foreign economic activity. Since the beginning of the year, over two thousand entrepreneurs have used its services. In addition to participation in exhibitions and business missions, educational programs have been developed for the business community of the capital, grants, expert support, and placement of products on the largest marketplaces and retail chains are available.

Before entering new markets, entrepreneurs should familiarize themselves with the rules of conduct at the international level. Legislation, culture, and mentality are unique in each country. Key aspects of working in specific markets can be learned during training at the Moscow School of Exporters.

Lectures, master classes and conferences tell about which goods are in demand in a particular region, how to find a common language with potential partners, what are the features of customs clearance and logistics. Each event focuses on a particular topic: opportunities in the Persian Gulf market, certification in Mexico or export of IT solutions to Malaysia. The current schedule is published on the MEC website.

Another convenient format for acquiring knowledge is accelerators. For example, within the framework of the program “Exporters 2.0” students analyze the competitive environment, develop a strategy, create a portrait of a future buyer and adapt the product to their needs. The course takes four months.

The “Accelerator for High-Tech Companies and Technology Export” lasts three months. During this time, participants go from choosing a foreign market to increasing turnover. More than 85 percent of the cost of training in accelerators is subsidized by the city.

Export cashback

Cooperation with foreign partners and the first experience in a new country require not only comprehensive preparation, but also financial investments. High-tech and manufacturing industries can cover part of the costs by receiving an export grant. The maximum amount is 10 million rubles per year (or 50 percent of the amount of taxes paid to the city budget).

The capital’s manufacturer of laser equipment for various industries, including surgical operations and microprocessing of materials (diamonds, sapphires and silicon), has had several applications approved in recent years for a total of more than 10 million rubles.

“The funds were used to develop technologies and production. Entering the foreign market is not easy, especially given the current situation in the world. But the grants motivate us not to slow down,” said the company’s deputy director Matvey Konyashchenko.

The enterprise cooperates with partners from the Eurasian Economic Union and China. This year, the size of grants for new and active exporters has been doubled — from 10 to 20 percent of the contract amount. Applications for them are open until October 31.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144482073/

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL OSI Russia News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Translation: Meeting with the Nai Qala association – a message of hope for the rural populations of Afghanistan

MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

Source: Switzerland – Canton Government of Geneva in French

On August 19, 2024, the President of the Council of State, Ms. Nathalie Fontanet, met with Ms. Taïba Rahim, President of the Nai Qala association, an organization supported by the canton which manages education projects for populations living in isolated areas of Afghanistan.

This meeting provided an opportunity to review the general situation in the country and more specifically that of women and girls, and to better understand the realities experienced by the inhabitants of rural and remote regions of the country. The approach of the organization, created in 2007, aims to strengthen the dignity, self-confidence and sense of initiative of the population and women in particular.

Since 2017, the canton of Geneva has supported various community education projects in several regions in the centre of the country, notably through the construction of schools. The project currently funded by the canton includes various activities, such as the opening of community classes and the provision of materials. The project also includes a training component for teachers from local communities, as well as workshops to prevent violence against children and within families.

Taïba Rahim, a life for education.

Taïba comes from a rural and precarious region of Afghanistan. Born into a family of 8 children, it was her father who insisted that all his children, including his daughters, could go to school. This humble man of modest means had a very clear vision: to give a different future to his nine children, especially his daughters, and to lift them out of poverty. To achieve his mission, there was only one watchword: study. Since there was no school in the region where they lived, her father decided to leave their village, his job and his status to settle in the city, where his children could go to school. Life there is very difficult, but the children can finally go to school.

Taïba then continued her studies, until she became a secondary school teacher. Life then led her to work for the International Committee of the Red Cross in Afghanistan, then in Bosnia and Geneva, where she remained for many years.

In 2007, when she felt like she was drifting away from her father’s mission and from Afghanistan, she decided to create an association to promote education in her home country. This is how Nai Qala was born. The association is named after her father’s native village, and also means “calligraphy castle”. Through her education project, Taïba shares a message of hope for Afghanistan. She wants to show the world that Afghanistan is the country of calligraphy, not war and poverty. She regrets that the world has a brutal vision of her country. Taïba is deeply grateful to her father, because it is thanks to him that she was able to realize and achieve her professional aspirations.

Today, Nai Qala is one of the few women-led organizations in Afghanistan. Through its educational projects, it has a significant impact on hundreds of women and girls, and offers hope in the face of the current challenges facing the country. Taiba strongly believes that Nai Qala is a key player in the Afghan community, led by Afghans for Afghans, with the guiding principle of always “getting involved in difficult times.” According to her, the various supports she receives for the Nai Qala project exemplify the true essence of humanity and inspire hope that Afghanistan, in these difficult times, will move towards a brighter future.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

MIL Translation OSI

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China to advance building of China-Serbia community with shared future — Chinese FM

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

China to advance building of China-Serbia community with shared future — Chinese FM

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

NEW YORK, Sept. 25 — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Tuesday that China is ready to steadily advance the building of a China-Serbia community with a shared future in the new era.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when he met with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

He said that China is ready to work with Serbia to implement the important consensus reached by the two heads of state and firmly safeguards the ironclad friendship between the two countries.

On the Kosovo issue, China firmly supports Serbia in maintaining its national sovereignty and territorial integrity, and in defending its legitimate rights and interests, Wang said.

For his part, Vucic said that Serbia cherishes its ironclad friendship with China and will never forget China’s support.

Serbia is willing to work with China to push for greater development of bilateral relations, he added.

MIL OSI China News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Luís Montenegro, Prime Minister of the Portuguese Republic

Source: United Nations secretary general

The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Luís Montenegro, Prime Minister of Portugal. The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for the close cooperation between the United Nations and Portugal, particularly recognizing Portugal’s contribution to peacekeeping in the Central African Republic.

They discussed the Summit of the Future and the implementation of the Pact of the Future. They also exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria

Source: United Nations secretary general

The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Rumen Radev, President of the Republic of Bulgaria.

The Secretary-General and the President exchanged views on the implementation of the Pact for the Future as well as the situation in the Middle East, including the war in Gaza.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: Slovenia on on Leadership for Peace – Security Council Media Stakeout | United Nations

Source: United Nations (Video News)

Comments to the media by Robert Golob, The Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia, on the upcoming Leadership for peace: united in respect of the UN Charter, in search of a secure future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQ5-d5j8y9U

MIL OSI Video –

January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI: Companjon to enable global car rental company Carwiz to offer its customers the opportunity to cancel their reservations for any reason and receive compensation
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- The partnership agreement was signed today by representatives from both parties during Carwiz’s third annual company conference in Zagreb, Croatia
- The Cancel For Any Reason protection is a first in the global car rental industry and will initially be available for reservations made within the EEA
- Carwiz customers can receive up to 80% of the value of their booking if they need to cancel – no questions asked, no documentation required
- Companjon will serve as technology provider, underwriter, and risk carrier
DUBLIN, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Leading insurtech Companjon today signed a partnership agreement with Carwiz International, one of the fastest growing car rental franchise companies worldwide, to offer Carwiz customers the ability to cancel their reservations for any reason and recover most of the booking cost. The offering, initially available to customers booking within the EEA, is an industry-first and is a key part of Carwiz’s ambition to deliver top-tier car rental services. Companjon will serve as the technology provider, underwriter, and risk carrier of the cancellation protection.

Carwiz customers will be able to add-on Cancel For Any Reason at the time of booking for an additional fee that is optimized to the specific details of the car rental. The customer can then seamlessly cancel their booking up to 48 hours before the rental start time – no questions asked, no documentation required – and receive up to 80% of the booking cost. The payout is offered to the customer instantly upon confirmation of cancellation.

Carwiz CEO, Krešimir Dobrilović, said “We are excited to sign this agreement today, in the presence of the larger Carwiz team, which demonstrates our commitment to providing our customers with an exceptional car rental experience. The ability to cancel for any reason, an industry first, creates a new level of flexibility and convenience for customers who are faced with unexpected situations and circumstances. We look forward to continuing our work with Companjon to launch this unique protection to any customer booking from within the EEA in the following weeks.”

Companjon CEO, Matthias Naumann, said: “We are proud to be Carwiz’s trusted insurtech partner and enable them to raise the standard for customer experience in the car rental industry with our Cancel For Any Reason solution. We share in Carwiz’s ambition to go where no one has gone before and applaud their boldness to set themselves apart from their competition by being ‘right there when life happens’ for their customers. We look forward to launching the offering with them before year’s end and celebrating its success with the Carwiz team in due course.”

Companjon, established in 2020, seeks to change the way people think about insurance. The company has implemented a variety of tailored, dynamic insurtech products with globally recognized brands in the travel, mobility, live events and entertainment, and fintech sectors. Its unparalleled end-to-end solution design leverages the latest technology, like machine learning and artificial intelligence, to delight its business partners’ customers through protection that enhances flexibility and convenience across 32 countries in Europe and North America.

About Companjon

Companjon is a leading B2B2C insurtech start-up specializing in fully digital, AI-driven embedded insurance. Its modern, end-to-end insurance solutions enable companies to delight their customers and drive more business value from stronger brand loyalty and new ancillary revenue opportunities. Companjon designs, builds, and underwrites its dynamic solutions on a 100% cloud-based platform capable of issuing 32,000 policies per second, integrating API gateways easily, and leveraging the latest advanced technology. It has been recognized as one of the World’s Top Insurtech Companies 2024 by CNBC and one of the world’s most innovative insurtechs by FinTech Global for three consecutive years (2021-2023).

Companjon seeks to change the way people think about insurance by creating seamless and positive experiences when things don’t go as planned: being right there when ‘life’ happens. The company is registered in Ireland and regulated by the Central Bank of Ireland.

http://www.companjon.com

Media Contact:
Kimberly Littlefield
+353 (0)86 107 0416
press@companjon.com

The MIL Network –
January 22, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE training course strengthens police response to violence against women and girls in North Macedonia

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

Headline: OSCE training course strengthens police response to violence against women and girls in North Macedonia

Participants of the training course on gender-responsive policing of violence against women and girls at the Police Training Center in Idrizovo, North Macedonia, 19 September 2024. (OSCE/Bjorn T. Saltvik) Photo details

From 18 to 24 September, the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department held a training course on gender-responsive policing of violence against women and girls in Idrizovo, North Macedonia.
A total of 505 police cadets (150 women, 355 men) from the Police Training Center learned how to effectively respond to cases of violence against women and girls while maintaining a victim-/survivor-centred approach.
The one-week course covered topics such as the definitions of key terms and concepts; the importance of the victim-centred approach; reporting and the role of the police in detecting and preventing gender-based violence; implementing protective measures and conducting risk assessments; the neurobiology of trauma; and the psychology of victims and perpetrators.
“Gender-based violence (GBV) is a serious crime that police officers need to handle in a way that protects and supports the victims. When the police succeed in doing that, it builds vital trust among the public and the authorities,” said OSCE Project Manager Bjorn Tore Saltvik. He underlined that all police officers need to be trained to provide an appropriate response, while holding the perpetrators accountable.
During the training course, the Centre for Youth Education (CEM) from Bosnia and Herzegovina, performed the role-play ‘Lullaby Goodbye’, based on the true story of a teenage girl who was exploited online which had a devastating effect on her life. The role-play also represented testimonies of numerous victims of this growing form of gender-based violence.
In addition, all police cadets attended a screening of the film “Domestic Violence”, which is produced by the International Association Chiefs of Police and highlights experiences from several real GBV cases in the U.S.
The training course and film-screening were organized in co-ordination with the OSCE Mission to Skopje and the Police Training Center, and took place under the “Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe” project, which is funded by Austria, Germany, Finland, France, Italy and Norway.

MIL OSI Europe News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE Presence trains Albanian State Police on environmental enforcement and investigation techniques

Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

Headline: OSCE Presence trains Albanian State Police on environmental enforcement and investigation techniques

Participants of training on environmental enforcement and investigation techniques that the OSCE Presence in Albania organized for the Albanian State Police on 25 and 26 September 2024, Tirana, 25 September 2024. (OSCE/) Photo details

On 25 September 2024, the OSCE Presence in Albania started a two-day training for the Albanian State Police on environmental enforcement and investigation techniques. The training brought together 17 police officers from all 12 regional directorate of police across Albania which cover criminal police, public safety, and environmental crime unit.
The training was delivered by a group of mixed international and national experts. The participants were equipped with knowledge of the domestic and international standards on environmental enforcement and investigation of environment crime in the European Union and Albania. They also benefitted from the experience and practices of the Slovak Environmental Crime Unit, its police structure of environmental crime police officers and their inter-institutional co-ordination.
“We hope that these two-day training and discussion will be useful for your work and will serve as a platform for collaboration and knowledge-sharing among all stakeholders invested in combating environmental crimes in Albania,”, said the Head of the Presence, Ambassador Michel Tarran, who opened the event alongside the Director of Criminal Police Department at the Albanian State Police, Neritan Nallbati.
The training builds upon the Presence’s support to environmental governance and security in Albania and its active involvement in developing national capacities to address such challenges.
In 2023, the Presence developed and delivered a new curriculum on environmental legislation for the School of Magistrates in Albania for the initial education system 2023-2024. In December 2023, the Presence supported a training needs assessment for all the institutional chains dealing with environmental enforcement in Albania and is working to address some of those needs within the frame of the project. The training need assessment underlined the importance of systematic training programs for civil servant of institutions dealing with environmental violations. It shed light on the current state of affairs, identified gaps in knowledge and skills, and ultimately paved the way for strategic interventions that will empower relevant stakeholders in their efforts to combat environmental crimes effectively.

MIL OSI Europe News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Leadership for Peace [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

Source: United Nations MIL-OSI 2

r. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.
It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.
These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

****

[all-English]

Mr. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.

It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.

These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

The situations on this Council’s agenda are complex and do not have quick fixes.

But the scale of the challenge should not deter us.

Our only hope for progress on peace is active collaboration and unity among Council Members.

Today, I call on all Members to live up to this great responsibility, and to the promise of the UN Charter.

Contribute to this Council’s success — not its diminishment.

Let’s ensure that this Council serves as an effective and representative forum for peace — today and in the years to come.

*******

[all-French]

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Je remercie le Gouvernement slovène d’avoir organisé ce débat de haut niveau sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le sujet traité repose sur une vérité fondamentale : la paix n’est jamais automatique.

Il n’y a pas de paix sans action.

Et il n’y a pas de paix sans leadership.

Pourtant, les divisions géopolitiques et la méfiance ne font qu’empirer.

L’impunité gagne du terrain, et l’on assiste à des violations répétées du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Les conflits se multiplient ; ils deviennent plus complexes et plus meurtriers.

Toutes les régions sont touchées.

Et ce sont les civils qui paient le plus lourd tribut.

De Gaza à l’Ukraine en passant par le Soudan – mais pas seulement – les guerres s’éternisent, la souffrance s’amplifie, la faim s’aggrave, des vies sont bouleversées et la légitimité et l’efficacité de l’ONU et de ce Conseil sont remises en cause.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Le leadership pour la paix exige d’agir dans au moins deux grands domaines.

Premièrement, le leadership pour la paix suppose que tous les États Membres respectent les engagements qu’ils ont pris dans le cadre de la Charte des Nations Unies, du droit international et des accords récents, tels que le Pacte pour l’avenir.

Ainsi, le Pacte invite notamment à renforcer les outils et les cadres de prévention des conflits, de pérennisation de la paix et d’action au service du développement durable, avec la participation pleine, égale et véritable des femmes.

Il demande que nous renouvelions les outils à notre disposition pour les opérations de paix, afin de trouver des réponses plus souples et mieux adaptées aux défis existants, émergents et à venir.

Il réaffirme l’importance attachée à tous les droits humains : civils, politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels.

Il prévoit des initiatives dans les domaines du désarmement, de la consolidation de la paix et de la gestion des menaces que représentent les armes létales autonomes et l’intelligence artificielle, ainsi que dans de nouveaux domaines, notamment l’espace extra-atmosphérique et le cyberespace.

Il préconise de prendre des mesures afin de pouvoir agir rapidement face aux chocs mondiaux complexes.

Et il cherche à donner un nouvel élan à la réforme des principales institutions de la gouvernance mondiale, y compris l’architecture financière mondiale et même le Conseil de sécurité.

Le Pacte constitue un engagement concret en faveur de ces réformes.

Mais nous aurons besoin d’une volonté politique ferme pour les mettre en œuvre et rétablir la légitimité et l’efficacité de ce Conseil.

Ce qui m’amène à mon deuxième point sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le leadership pour la paix suppose de donner au Conseil de sécurité les moyens d’agir véritablement pour apaiser les tensions mondiales et contribuer à régler les conflits qui causent tant de souffrances dans le monde.

Les divisions géopolitiques demeurent un obstacle à des solutions efficaces.

Un Conseil uni peut jouer un rôle déterminant en faveur de la paix.

Un Conseil divisé ne le peut pas.

Il est impératif que les membres du Conseil se concertent sans ménager leurs efforts pour trouver un terrain d’entente.

Le Conseil a prouvé qu’il était capable de parler d’une seule voix dans certains domaines importants.

Il supervise actuellement 11 opérations de maintien de la paix sur trois continents, où sont déployés près de 70 000 Casques bleus…

Il adopte des résolutions qui contribuent à l’acheminement ininterrompu d’une aide humanitaire vitale vers les points chauds de la planète…

Il a adopté une résolution historique, la résolution 2719, qui permet aux opérations d’appui à la paix dirigées par l’Union africaine et autorisées par le Conseil d’avoir accès aux contributions des États Membres de l’ONU…

Il a adopté des résolutions pionnières par lesquelles il a pris acte des incidences manifestes des problématiques de paix et de sécurité sur la vie des femmes et des jeunes…

Et il ne cesse de nouer des relations avec les organisations régionales et sous-régionales pour favoriser le consensus et la paix.

Tous ces exemples – et bien d’autres – prouvent qu’on peut instaurer la paix.

À la vue des conflits les plus complexes et les plus insolubles dont ce Conseil est saisi, on peut penser que la paix est un rêve irréalisable.

Mais je crois fermement que la paix est possible si nous nous en tenons aux principes.

La paix en Ukraine est possible.

En suivant la Charte des Nations Unies et en respectant le droit international.

La paix dans la bande de Gaza est possible.

En travaillant d’arrache-pied pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu immédiat, la libération immédiate de tous les otages et la mise en chantier d’un processus irréversible pour qu’une solution des deux États voie le jour.

La paix au Soudan est possible.

En envoyant un message clair aux parties belligérantes, à savoir que tous les membres de ce Conseil – y compris les cinq membres permanents – ne toléreront pas la terrible violence et la crise humanitaire effroyable que subissent des civils innocents.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Maintenance of International Peace and Security: Leadership for Peace [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

Source: United Nations – English

r. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.
It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.
These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

****

[all-English]

Mr. President, Excellencies,

I thank the government of Slovenia for convening this high-level debate on Leadership for Peace.

The topic is rooted in a fundamental truth: Peace is never automatic.

Peace demands action.

And peace demands leadership.

Instead, we’re seeing deepening geo-political divisions and mistrust.

Impunity is spreading, with repeated violations of international law and the UN Charter.

Conflicts are multiplying, becoming more complex and deadlier.

All regions are affected.

And civilians are paying the steepest price.

From Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond — wars grind on, suffering grows, hunger deepens, lives are upended, and the legitimacy and effectiveness of the United Nations, and this Council, are undermined.

Mr. President, Excellencies,
Leadership for peace requires action in at least two key areas.

First — leadership for peace means all Member States living up to their commitments in the UN Charter, in international law and in recent agreements such as the Pact for the Future.

Among other things, the Pact calls for strengthening tools and frameworks to prevent conflict, sustain peace and advance sustainable development, with the full, equal and meaningful participation of women.

It calls for updating our tools for peace operations to allow for more agile, tailored responses to existing, emerging and future challenges.

It reinforces the commitment to all human rights — civil, political, economic, social and cultural.

It includes initiatives around disarmament, peacebuilding, and managing threats posed by lethal autonomous weapons and artificial intelligence and in new domains, including outer space and cyberspace.

It calls for measures to quickly address complex global shocks.

And it contains a new push to reform key institutions of global governance, including the global financial architecture and this very Council.

The Pact is a down-payment on these reforms.

But we will need strong political will to implement them, and rebuild the legitimacy and effectiveness of this Council.

Which brings me to my second point about leadership for peace.

Leadership for peace means ensuring that the UN Security Council acts in a meaningful way to ease global tensions and help address the conflicts that are inflicting so much suffering around the world.

Geopolitical divisions continue to block effective solutions.

A united Council can make a tremendous difference for peace.

A divided Council cannot.

It is imperative that Council Members spare no effort to work together to find common ground.

And it has proven capable of doing so in some key areas.

From currently overseeing 11 peacekeeping operations on three continents, involving nearly 70,000 uniformed peacekeeping personnel…

To resolutions that help keep vital humanitarian aid flowing to the world’s hotspots…

To the landmark Resolution 2719, which provides for African-Union led peace support operations authorized by the Council to have access to UN assessed contributions…

To the groundbreaking Resolutions that recognized the clear implications of peace and security challenges on the lives of women and youth…

To this Council’s growing ties to regional and sub-regional organizations to foster consensus and peace.

These examples — and more — prove that forging peace is possible.

When we consider the most difficult and intractable conflicts on this Council’s agenda, peace can seem an impossible dream.

But I strongly believe that peace is possible if we stick to principles.

Peace in Ukraine is possible.

By following the UN Charter and abiding by international law.

Peace in Gaza is possible.

By sparing no effort for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

Peace in Sudan is possible.
By sending a clear message to the warring parties that all Members of this Council — including the five permanent Members — will not tolerate the horrific violence and desperate humanitarian crisis being unleashed on innocent civilians.

Mr. President, Excellencies,

The situations on this Council’s agenda are complex and do not have quick fixes.

But the scale of the challenge should not deter us.

Our only hope for progress on peace is active collaboration and unity among Council Members.

Today, I call on all Members to live up to this great responsibility, and to the promise of the UN Charter.

Contribute to this Council’s success — not its diminishment.

Let’s ensure that this Council serves as an effective and representative forum for peace — today and in the years to come.

*******

[all-French]

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Je remercie le Gouvernement slovène d’avoir organisé ce débat de haut niveau sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le sujet traité repose sur une vérité fondamentale : la paix n’est jamais automatique.

Il n’y a pas de paix sans action.

Et il n’y a pas de paix sans leadership.

Pourtant, les divisions géopolitiques et la méfiance ne font qu’empirer.

L’impunité gagne du terrain, et l’on assiste à des violations répétées du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Les conflits se multiplient ; ils deviennent plus complexes et plus meurtriers.

Toutes les régions sont touchées.

Et ce sont les civils qui paient le plus lourd tribut.

De Gaza à l’Ukraine en passant par le Soudan – mais pas seulement – les guerres s’éternisent, la souffrance s’amplifie, la faim s’aggrave, des vies sont bouleversées et la légitimité et l’efficacité de l’ONU et de ce Conseil sont remises en cause.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Le leadership pour la paix exige d’agir dans au moins deux grands domaines.

Premièrement, le leadership pour la paix suppose que tous les États Membres respectent les engagements qu’ils ont pris dans le cadre de la Charte des Nations Unies, du droit international et des accords récents, tels que le Pacte pour l’avenir.

Ainsi, le Pacte invite notamment à renforcer les outils et les cadres de prévention des conflits, de pérennisation de la paix et d’action au service du développement durable, avec la participation pleine, égale et véritable des femmes.

Il demande que nous renouvelions les outils à notre disposition pour les opérations de paix, afin de trouver des réponses plus souples et mieux adaptées aux défis existants, émergents et à venir.

Il réaffirme l’importance attachée à tous les droits humains : civils, politiques, économiques, sociaux et culturels.

Il prévoit des initiatives dans les domaines du désarmement, de la consolidation de la paix et de la gestion des menaces que représentent les armes létales autonomes et l’intelligence artificielle, ainsi que dans de nouveaux domaines, notamment l’espace extra-atmosphérique et le cyberespace.

Il préconise de prendre des mesures afin de pouvoir agir rapidement face aux chocs mondiaux complexes.

Et il cherche à donner un nouvel élan à la réforme des principales institutions de la gouvernance mondiale, y compris l’architecture financière mondiale et même le Conseil de sécurité.

Le Pacte constitue un engagement concret en faveur de ces réformes.

Mais nous aurons besoin d’une volonté politique ferme pour les mettre en œuvre et rétablir la légitimité et l’efficacité de ce Conseil.

Ce qui m’amène à mon deuxième point sur le leadership pour la paix.

Le leadership pour la paix suppose de donner au Conseil de sécurité les moyens d’agir véritablement pour apaiser les tensions mondiales et contribuer à régler les conflits qui causent tant de souffrances dans le monde.

Les divisions géopolitiques demeurent un obstacle à des solutions efficaces.

Un Conseil uni peut jouer un rôle déterminant en faveur de la paix.

Un Conseil divisé ne le peut pas.

Il est impératif que les membres du Conseil se concertent sans ménager leurs efforts pour trouver un terrain d’entente.

Le Conseil a prouvé qu’il était capable de parler d’une seule voix dans certains domaines importants.

Il supervise actuellement 11 opérations de maintien de la paix sur trois continents, où sont déployés près de 70 000 Casques bleus…

Il adopte des résolutions qui contribuent à l’acheminement ininterrompu d’une aide humanitaire vitale vers les points chauds de la planète…

Il a adopté une résolution historique, la résolution 2719, qui permet aux opérations d’appui à la paix dirigées par l’Union africaine et autorisées par le Conseil d’avoir accès aux contributions des États Membres de l’ONU…

Il a adopté des résolutions pionnières par lesquelles il a pris acte des incidences manifestes des problématiques de paix et de sécurité sur la vie des femmes et des jeunes…

Et il ne cesse de nouer des relations avec les organisations régionales et sous-régionales pour favoriser le consensus et la paix.

Tous ces exemples – et bien d’autres – prouvent qu’on peut instaurer la paix.

À la vue des conflits les plus complexes et les plus insolubles dont ce Conseil est saisi, on peut penser que la paix est un rêve irréalisable.

Mais je crois fermement que la paix est possible si nous nous en tenons aux principes.

La paix en Ukraine est possible.

En suivant la Charte des Nations Unies et en respectant le droit international.

La paix dans la bande de Gaza est possible.

En travaillant d’arrache-pied pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu immédiat, la libération immédiate de tous les otages et la mise en chantier d’un processus irréversible pour qu’une solution des deux États voie le jour.

La paix au Soudan est possible.

En envoyant un message clair aux parties belligérantes, à savoir que tous les membres de ce Conseil – y compris les cinq membres permanents – ne toléreront pas la terrible violence et la crise humanitaire effroyable que subissent des civils innocents.

Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

Les situations à l’ordre du jour de ce Conseil sont complexes et ne peuvent être résolues en un jour.

Mais l’ampleur du défi ne doit pas nous décourager.

Notre seul espoir d’avancer sur la voie de la paix réside dans une collaboration active et l’unité entre les membres du Conseil.

Aujourd’hui, j’appelle tous les États membres à se montrer à la hauteur de cette grande responsabilité – à la hauteur de la promesse de la Charte des Nations Unies.

Contribuez au succès de ce Conseil – et non à son affaiblissement.

Faisons en sorte que le Conseil soit un forum efficace et représentatif pour la paix – aujourd’hui comme dans les années à venir.

MIL OSI Africa –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Europe: Statement by the President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd at the UN Security Council

Source: Switzerland – Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport

Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports

Bern, 25.09.2024 – Statement by the President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd, head of the Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sport (DDPS), at the UN Security Council, open debate ‘Leadership for Peace’, New York, Wednesday, 25 September 2024.

Check against delivery

Mr Secretary-General,
Mr President of the Security Council,
Excellencies,
Ladies and gentlemen

Mr President, I am pleased that you are giving us the opportunity to debate the topic of ‘leadership for peace’. This discussion makes us realise how important it is to fulfil our responsibilities, especially as members of the Security Council.

Upon its election to the Council, Switzerland made a commitment to creating added value for peace, to be ‘A plus for peace’.

Now that we have embarked on the last hundred days of our mandate, it is a good time to consider where the Security Council stands and how it can best fulfil its responsibilities. I would like to emphasise two points in particular:

Firstly, leadership means setting standards, upholding them and holding those who violate the law accountable.

Today, international law, including international humanitarian law, is very often and gravely violated; be it in Ukraine, the Middle East, Sudan or Myanmar.

The international community cannot stand idly by and watch the breaches of law in these different contexts as well as the discord in the world. We condemn the disastrous consequences of the hostilities on the civilian population, including many children.

The Security Council must speak with one voice to ensure compliance with international law and the protection of the civilian population.

In the light of current events, I would like to underline that my country is deeply concerned about Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon and the rockets fired by Hezbollah into Israel.

I reiterate our call for a cessation of hostilities and a return to diplomacy to resolve the conflict, as well as full respect for Resolution 1701 and international humanitarian law.

The civilian population must be protected!

As a member of the Security Council, Switzerland is firmly committed to international peace and security.

The extension of the peace mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, supported by Switzerland in 2023, and the call by the ten elected members of the Council for a ceasefire in Gaza are two examples of this.

With the resolution introduced by Switzerland on the protection of humanitarian and UN personnel, and the commemoration of the 75th anniversary of the Geneva Conventions, we are reaffirming our commitment to the protection of vulnerable civilian populations.

We hosted talks on Sudan. We also advocate for fair procedures in the UN sanctions regimes. We are committed to the implementation of humanitarian exemptions and to ensuring that humanitarian actors can continue their life-saving activities.

Switzerland never tires of repeating its appeal for compliance with international law, regardless of the context. We are grateful that many here on the Council share this responsibility.

Now to my second point, which is our responsibility to anticipate challenges, prevent dangers and recognise opportunities.

The effects of climate change are further exacerbating and fueling existing crises and conflicts. Switzerland is working both within and outside the Security Council to ensuring that the international community addresses this challenge together.

In view of the many challenges, it seems likely that peace missions will be more agile in the future. We also consider it a matter of urgency that peace work becomes more inclusive. Women make an important contribution to building and sustaining peace. We must recognise and strengthen this.

This includes addressing the gender-specific impacts of conflicts and crises in a targeted manner. It will be an honour for me to chair a Council debate on the role of women in peace processes in a month’s time.

Prevention is particularly important. In the recently adopted Pact for the Future, states have committed themselves to doing more to prevent conflicts instead of merely alleviating their consequences. The New Agenda for Peace is essentially geared towards conflict prevention. Prevention includes development and security aspects, but above all respect for human rights. Without the protection and promotion of universal human rights, there can be no lasting peace.

Finally, I want to emphasize that we can only lead together. This principle applies to the multilateral system in general and to the Council in particular: no one can succeed alone. Partnerships, courage and trust between states are needed.

Equally important is the dialogue with civil society, business and science. International Geneva has long been a place where humanitarian tradition and scientific innovation are united in the ‘esprit de Genève’. Switzerland is proud to promote this spirit through the organisations in Geneva.

Regional partnerships are also valuable, as demonstrated by the African Union in the area of peacebuilding. I am pleased, therefore, that next month, under Switzerland’s chairmanship, we will be welcoming the Peace and Security Council of the African Union to New York.

Mr President,
Excellencies,

Sustainable solutions require the will of all parties involved. Peace remains possible, especially if states and their leaders reflect on common human values. By agreeing to work together, we help everyone – including ourselves.

Thank you.

Address for enquiries

DDPS Communication
Federal Palace East
CH-3003 Bern

Publisher

Federal Department of Defence, Civil Protection and Sports
http://www.vbs.admin.ch

MIL OSI Europe News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Security: Outgoing KFOR Commander briefs Allied and partner Ambassadors on contributions to regional stability

Source: NATO

The outgoing Commander of the NATO-led KFOR mission, Major General Özkan Ulutaş, from Türkiye, updated the North Atlantic Council and operational partners on Wednesday (25 September) at NATO Headquarters. He also met with NATO’s Acting Deputy Secretary General, Ambassador Boris Ruge.

KFOR makes critical contributions to stability in Kosovo and the Western Balkans, providing a safe and secure environment for all communities and freedom of movement in an impartial manner. During his tenure, Major General Ulutaş has forged close relations with representatives of the Institutions in Kosovo, the Chief of Staff of the Serbian Armed Forces, and the international community, including the EU, the OSCE and the UN missions.

One year after the attacks in Zvecan and Banjska, it is urgent to bring those responsible to justice and NATO looks to Serbia to help ensure full accountability. KFOR aims to ensure such attacks do not happen again. It is paramount that both sides refrain from uncoordinated actions which could fuel tensions, jeopardise security or put KFOR soldiers at risk. NATO continues to support the EU-facilitated Dialogue as the framework to achieve a long-term, sustainable solution that respects the rights of all communities.

“Under my command, KFOR has successfully maintained peace and security throughout Kosovo, in accordance with our long-standing UN mandate. Through a visible, flexible and adaptable posture, we have prevented risks for renewed violence, and swiftly contained situations that could lead to incidents or escalation. We have further reinforced the mission and continued our role as an impartial force, working with all communities to foster safety and security, for all. We have also continued to provide the secure environment necessary for diplomatic efforts to move forward,” said Major General Ulutaş.

Major General Ulutaş steps down on 11 October 2024. He will be succeeded by Major General Enrico Barduani, from Italy.

MIL Security OSI –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Ms. Amanda Dory Meeting With Minister of Defense of North Macedonia Mr. Vlado Misajlovski

Source: United States Department of Defense

Pentagon Spokesman LtCol Garron Garn, USMC, provided the following readout:

On September 25, 2024, Ms. Amanda Dory, the Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy in the Office of the Secretary of Defense, met with Mr. Vlado Misajlovski, Minister of Defense of North Macedonia. The meeting took place at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.

The leaders discussed progress made in the U.S.-North Macedonia bilateral defense relationship, including increased joint exercises and training, military-to-military engagements, and support to Ukraine. The leaders also exchanged views on security situation in the Western Balkans and how to strengthen their cooperation in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Alliance.

MIL OSI USA News –

September 29, 2024
MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Recent increase in electricity prices in central and eastern Europe – E-001736/2024
Source: European Parliament
Question for written answer E-001736/2024
to the Commission
Rule 144
Radan Kanev (PPE), Merja Kyllönen (The Left), Miriam Lexmann (PPE), Adrian-George Axinia (ECR), Daniel Buda (PPE), Dan-Ştefan Motreanu (PPE), Dan Barna (Renew), Zala Tomašič (PPE), Dirk Gotink (PPE), Dimitris Tsiodras (PPE), Matej Tonin (PPE), Eva Maydell (PPE), Tsvetelina Penkova (S&D), Tonino Picula (S&D), Ioan-Rareş Bogdan (PPE), Nikola Minchev (Renew), Virgil-Daniel Popescu (PPE), Hristo Petrov (Renew), Emil Radev (PPE)

For over four consecutive months, the internal energy market has faced a significant lack of uniformity, particularly in several Member States in south-eastern Europe, including Greece, Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary and Croatia. Electricity prices in these countries have surged dramatically compared with other regions of Europe, approaching the highest prices seen in the EU in this period. This disparity is having serious negative effects on industrial competitiveness and consumer prices, while also jeopardising economic convergence within the EU. Moreover, this situation is being massively exploited politically by Russian and populist propaganda, further undermining the democratic integrity of these nations.

1.Has the Commission assessed the causes behind the electricity price imbalances in these countries?

2.If so, can the Commission share its findings, including insights into the factors affecting the functioning of the common energy market and local influences?

3.What actions is the Commission planning to address this imbalance?

Submitted: 17.9.2024
Last updated: 25 September 2024
MIL OSI Europe News –
September 29, 2024

Category: Balkans

Timeline

1. Heaven, by DJ Sammy (2001)

2. Me and the Devil Blues, by Gil Scott-Heron (2014)

3. Helter Skelter, by Siouxsie and the Banshees (1978)

4. Wild is the Wind, by David Bowie

5. Against All Odds, by The Postal Service (2004)

6. Shipbuilding, by Suede

7. Such Great Heights, by Iron and Wine

Support Ukraine

Contributing to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific

Strengthening our collaboration in international crisis management and engaging together

Strengthening our collaboration in the modernization of the armed forces

Combating foreign interference and manipulation of information

Support Ukraine

Contribute to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific

Collaborate more closely on international crisis management and conduct joint operations

Collaborate more closely on the modernization of armed forces

Fight against foreign interference and information manipulation

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