Source: Government of Sweden
The Swedish Government has decided to adopt a new strategy for humanitarian aid for 2025—2029. Sida is tasked with its implementation. The humanitarian core mandate of saving lives and alleviating suffering is a government priority. Cost-effectiveness, new transformative approaches and innovation are guiding principles for the strategy.
Source: Government of Sweden
The Swedish Government has decided to adopt a new strategy for humanitarian aid for 2025—2029. Sida is tasked with its implementation. The humanitarian core mandate of saving lives and alleviating suffering is a government priority. Cost-effectiveness, new transformative approaches and innovation are guiding principles for the strategy.
Source: Government of Sweden
The Swedish Government has decided to adopt a new strategy for humanitarian aid for 2025—2029. Sida is tasked with its implementation. The humanitarian core mandate of saving lives and alleviating suffering is a government priority. Cost-effectiveness, new transformative approaches and innovation are guiding principles for the strategy.
Source: Government of Sweden
The Swedish Government has decided to adopt a new strategy for humanitarian aid for 2025—2029. Sida is tasked with its implementation. The humanitarian core mandate of saving lives and alleviating suffering is a government priority. Cost-effectiveness, new transformative approaches and innovation are guiding principles for the strategy.
Source: Government of Sweden
Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa has presented the Government’s Music Export Prize to songwriter and producer Ilya Salmanzadeh. The Government’s Special Prize was awarded to singer Björn Skifs and the Government’s Honourable Mention went to music publisher Gehrmans Musikförlag.
Source: Government of Sweden
Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard is in New York on 18 June to meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. She will also speak at the annual session of the UN Women Executive Board, the Presidency of which is held by Sweden this year.
Source: Government of Sweden
Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard is in New York on 18 June to meet with UN Secretary-General António Guterres. She will also speak at the annual session of the UN Women Executive Board, the Presidency of which is held by Sweden this year.
Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE
Headline: Moldovan police strengthen capabilities in intelligence‑led policing through OSCE training
Senior managers and crime analysts from the Moldovan General Police Inspectorate took part in OSCE training courses to sharpen their skills in intelligence-led policing, Chisinau, 23 June. (OSCE) Photo details
Senior managers and crime analysts from the Moldovan General Police Inspectorate took part in OSCE training courses from 23 to 27 June in Chisinau to equip them with the tools to implement intelligence-led policing, a proactive and intelligence-driven approach to identifying, assessing, and addressing crime threats.
The training course for crime analysts from 25 to 27 June featured sessions on the principles of the intelligence cycle, advanced analytical techniques, and good practices in intelligence reporting. A particular emphasis was placed on the importance of data protection, privacy, and human rights compliance, as well as the use of technology and innovation in support of analytical functions.
A separate course was held for senior representatives from 23 to 24 June and focused on tools for managers to integrate intelligence-led approaches into daily operations, including core concepts, strategic thinking, inter-agency co-operation, threat analysis, and the use of emerging technologies in law enforcement.
Discussions also addressed ethical and legal considerations, data protection, and oversight mechanisms. They also explored how intelligence-led policing supports case prioritization, threat analysis, and resource allocation, emphasizing intelligence-led policing in combating organized crime, terrorism, and other major incidents.
The training courses were complemented by the OSCE’s donation of hardware and software to the Moldovan General Police Inspectorate’s Directorate for Information Analysis and the National Inspectorate for Investigations. The equipment will help bolster their analytical capabilities and reinforce Moldova’s efforts to develop modern, intelligence-driven policing practices.
“This training and the accompanying technical support mark a shift toward more informed and proactive policing,” said a senior manager from the General Police Inspectorate. “By strengthening our intelligence function and adopting modern approaches, we can better anticipate threats, allocate resources more effectively, and respond to complex criminal activities with greater precision and confidence.
These efforts were organized as part of the OSCE’s extrabudgetary project, “Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region,” implemented jointly by the OSCE Secretariat’s Transnational Threats Department and the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre. The project is funded by France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –
A survey on the operation of Moscow’s ground transport has been launched among passengers. They are asked to share their opinions about traveling on an electric bus or bus, talk about the route from home to the stop, and evaluate the route network. To take part in the survey, you need to scan a special QR code located in the cabin of electric buses and buses near the driver’s cabin, as well as above the accumulation area.
“We are striving to make travel around the city more convenient and comfortable for passengers, this task was set by Sergei Sobyanin. We ask you to take part in the survey and evaluate your trip on an electric bus or bus. All responses will be processed and taken into account in future adjustments to the infrastructure,” the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Transport and Industry addressed the city residents.
Special survey posters were placed on the boards near houses in Otradny and Losinoostrovsky. These areas were chosen due to the potential for developing the route network in them.
Systematic work based on real feedback from passengers is being conducted throughout the city. The survey is open-ended and can be completed at any time. It will help the city stay in touch with residents and take their wishes into account. Based on the results of the analysis of the responses, the work of transport in the capital will be improved.
In accordance with the objectives of the national project “Infrastructure for life” In Moscow, much attention is paid to the modernization of social and municipal infrastructure, including increasing the number of convenient public transport routes and updating the rolling stock. In addition, within the framework of the national project, Moscow has begun developing the Central Transport Hub. It will become a single circuit with predictable suburban rail transport for more than 30 million residents of 11 regions of Russia.
Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.
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 access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect
https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155874073/
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney
In just four days, one-third of the population of Tuvalu entered a ballot for a new permanent visa to Australia.
This world-first visa will enable up to 280 Tuvaluans to move permanently to Australia each year, from a current population of about 10,000. The visa is open to anyone who wants to work, study or live in Australia. Unlike other visa schemes for Pacific peoples, a job offer in Australia is not required.
While the visa itself doesn’t mention climate change, the treaty that created it is framed in the context of the “existential threat posed by climate change”. That’s why when it was announced, I described it as the world’s first bilateral agreement on climate mobility.
The Australian government, too, has called it “the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world, providing a pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen”.
The high number of ballot applications may come as a surprise to many, especially given there were multiple concerns within Tuvalu when the treaty was first announced. Even so, some analysts predicted all Tuvaluans would apply eventually, to keep their options open.
The visa highlights the importance of creating opportunities for people to move in the context of climate change and disasters. The dangers of rising sea levels are clearly apparent, including coastal flooding, storm damage and water supplies. But there is a lot more at play here.
For many, especially young families, this will be seen as a chance for education and skills training in Australia. Giving people choices about if, when and where they move is empowering and enables them to make informed decisions about their own lives.
For the government of Tuvalu, the new visa is also about shoring up the economy. Migration is now a structural component of many Pacific countries’ economies.
The money migrants send back to their home countries to support their families and communities is known as remittances. In 2023, remittances comprised 28% of GDP in Samoa and nearly 42% of GDP in Tonga – the highest in the world. Currently, Tuvalu sits at 3.2%.
Well before climate change became an issue of concern, Tuvalu had been lobbying Australia for special visa pathways. Demographic pressures, combined with limited livelihood and educational opportunities, made it a live policy issue throughout the 1980s and ‘90s. In 1984, a review of Australia’s foreign aid program suggested improved migration opportunities for Tuvaluans may be the most useful form of assistance.
By the early 2000s, the focus had shifted to the existential threats posed by climate change. In 2006, as then-shadow environment minister, Anthony Albanese released a policy discussion paper called Our Drowning Neighbours. It proposed that Australia create Pacific migration pathways as part of a neighbourly response. In 2009, a spokesperson for Penny Wong, then minister for climate change, stated permanent migration might eventually be the only option for some Pacific peoples.
When combined with other Pacific pathways to Australia and New Zealand, nearly 4% of the population could migrate each year. This is “an extraordinarily high level”, according to one expert. Within a decade, close to 40% of the population could have moved – although some people may return home or go backwards and forwards.
The real test of the new visa’s success will be how people are treated when they arrive in Australia.
Will they be helped to adjust to life here, or will they feel isolated and shut out? Will they be able to find work and training, or will they find themselves in insecure and uncertain circumstances? Will they feel a loss of cultural connection, or will they be able to maintain cultural traditions within the growing Tuvaluan diaspora?
Ensuring sound and culturally appropriate settlement services are in place will be crucial. These would ideally be co-developed with members of the Tuvaluan community, to “centralise Tuvaluan culture and values, in order to ensure ongoing dialogue and trust”.
It has been suggested by experts that a “liaison officer with Tuvaluan cultural expertise and language skills could assist in facilitating activities such as post-arrival programs”, for instance.
There are also many important lessons to be learned from the migration of Tuvaluans to New Zealand, to reduce the risk of newcomers experiencing economic and social hardship.
Ongoing monitoring and refinement of the scheme will also be key. It should involve the Tuvaluan diaspora, communities back in Tuvalu, service providers in Australia, as well as federal, state/territory and local governments.
By freeing up resources and alleviating stress on what is already a fragile atoll environment, migration may enable some people to remain in Tuvalu for longer, supported by remittances and extended family networks abroad.
As some experts have suggested, money sent home from overseas could be used to make families less vulnerable to climate change. It might help them buy rainwater tanks or small boats, or improve internet and other communications. Remittances are also beneficial when they are invested in services that lift the level of education of children or boost social capital.
It is difficult to know when a tipping point might be reached. For instance, some have warned that if too few people remain in Tuvalu, this could constrain development by limiting the availability of labour and skills. A former president of Kiribati, Teburoro Tito, once told me migration was “a double-edged sword”. While it could help people secure employment overseas and remit money, “the local economy, the local setup, also has to have enough skilled people” – otherwise it’s counterproductive.
With visas capped at 280 a year – and scope to adjust the numbers if concerns arise – we are still a long way from that point. Right now, the new visa provides a safety net to ensure people have choices about how they respond to climate change. With the visa ballot open until July 18, many more people may yet apply.
Jane McAdam receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and is the Director of the ARC Evacuations Research Hub at the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney.
– ref. 1 in 3 Tuvaluans is bidding for a new ‘climate visa’ to Australia – here’s why everyone may ultimately end up applying – https://theconversation.com/1-in-3-tuvaluans-is-bidding-for-a-new-climate-visa-to-australia-heres-why-everyone-may-ultimately-end-up-applying-259990
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney
In just four days, one-third of the population of Tuvalu entered a ballot for a new permanent visa to Australia.
This world-first visa will enable up to 280 Tuvaluans to move permanently to Australia each year, from a current population of about 10,000. The visa is open to anyone who wants to work, study or live in Australia. Unlike other visa schemes for Pacific peoples, a job offer in Australia is not required.
While the visa itself doesn’t mention climate change, the treaty that created it is framed in the context of the “existential threat posed by climate change”. That’s why when it was announced, I described it as the world’s first bilateral agreement on climate mobility.
The Australian government, too, has called it “the first agreement of its kind anywhere in the world, providing a pathway for mobility with dignity as climate impacts worsen”.
The high number of ballot applications may come as a surprise to many, especially given there were multiple concerns within Tuvalu when the treaty was first announced. Even so, some analysts predicted all Tuvaluans would apply eventually, to keep their options open.
The visa highlights the importance of creating opportunities for people to move in the context of climate change and disasters. The dangers of rising sea levels are clearly apparent, including coastal flooding, storm damage and water supplies. But there is a lot more at play here.
For many, especially young families, this will be seen as a chance for education and skills training in Australia. Giving people choices about if, when and where they move is empowering and enables them to make informed decisions about their own lives.
For the government of Tuvalu, the new visa is also about shoring up the economy. Migration is now a structural component of many Pacific countries’ economies.
The money migrants send back to their home countries to support their families and communities is known as remittances. In 2023, remittances comprised 28% of GDP in Samoa and nearly 42% of GDP in Tonga – the highest in the world. Currently, Tuvalu sits at 3.2%.
Well before climate change became an issue of concern, Tuvalu had been lobbying Australia for special visa pathways. Demographic pressures, combined with limited livelihood and educational opportunities, made it a live policy issue throughout the 1980s and ‘90s. In 1984, a review of Australia’s foreign aid program suggested improved migration opportunities for Tuvaluans may be the most useful form of assistance.
By the early 2000s, the focus had shifted to the existential threats posed by climate change. In 2006, as then-shadow environment minister, Anthony Albanese released a policy discussion paper called Our Drowning Neighbours. It proposed that Australia create Pacific migration pathways as part of a neighbourly response. In 2009, a spokesperson for Penny Wong, then minister for climate change, stated permanent migration might eventually be the only option for some Pacific peoples.
When combined with other Pacific pathways to Australia and New Zealand, nearly 4% of the population could migrate each year. This is “an extraordinarily high level”, according to one expert. Within a decade, close to 40% of the population could have moved – although some people may return home or go backwards and forwards.
The real test of the new visa’s success will be how people are treated when they arrive in Australia.
Will they be helped to adjust to life here, or will they feel isolated and shut out? Will they be able to find work and training, or will they find themselves in insecure and uncertain circumstances? Will they feel a loss of cultural connection, or will they be able to maintain cultural traditions within the growing Tuvaluan diaspora?
Ensuring sound and culturally appropriate settlement services are in place will be crucial. These would ideally be co-developed with members of the Tuvaluan community, to “centralise Tuvaluan culture and values, in order to ensure ongoing dialogue and trust”.
It has been suggested by experts that a “liaison officer with Tuvaluan cultural expertise and language skills could assist in facilitating activities such as post-arrival programs”, for instance.
There are also many important lessons to be learned from the migration of Tuvaluans to New Zealand, to reduce the risk of newcomers experiencing economic and social hardship.
Ongoing monitoring and refinement of the scheme will also be key. It should involve the Tuvaluan diaspora, communities back in Tuvalu, service providers in Australia, as well as federal, state/territory and local governments.
By freeing up resources and alleviating stress on what is already a fragile atoll environment, migration may enable some people to remain in Tuvalu for longer, supported by remittances and extended family networks abroad.
As some experts have suggested, money sent home from overseas could be used to make families less vulnerable to climate change. It might help them buy rainwater tanks or small boats, or improve internet and other communications. Remittances are also beneficial when they are invested in services that lift the level of education of children or boost social capital.
It is difficult to know when a tipping point might be reached. For instance, some have warned that if too few people remain in Tuvalu, this could constrain development by limiting the availability of labour and skills. A former president of Kiribati, Teburoro Tito, once told me migration was “a double-edged sword”. While it could help people secure employment overseas and remit money, “the local economy, the local setup, also has to have enough skilled people” – otherwise it’s counterproductive.
With visas capped at 280 a year – and scope to adjust the numbers if concerns arise – we are still a long way from that point. Right now, the new visa provides a safety net to ensure people have choices about how they respond to climate change. With the visa ballot open until July 18, many more people may yet apply.
Jane McAdam receives funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) and is the Director of the ARC Evacuations Research Hub at the Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney.
– ref. 1 in 3 Tuvaluans is bidding for a new ‘climate visa’ to Australia – here’s why everyone may ultimately end up applying – https://theconversation.com/1-in-3-tuvaluans-is-bidding-for-a-new-climate-visa-to-australia-heres-why-everyone-may-ultimately-end-up-applying-259990
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
On the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ meeting in China’s Qingdao, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral discussions with his counterparts from Belarus, Tajikistan, and Kazakhstan on Thursday.
Singh met with Belarusian Defence Minister Lieutenant General Victor Khrenin, Tajik Defence Minister Lieutenant General Sobrizoda Emomali Abdurakhim, and Kazakh Defence Minister Lieutenant General Dauren Kosanov, with a focus on strengthening defence cooperation and exploring new avenues of collaboration.
During the meetings, Singh emphasised the importance of sustained engagement in defence partnerships and highlighted India’s rapid progress in defence production, particularly in achieving self-reliance across key sectors. He encouraged deeper collaboration in technical areas, defence manufacturing, and innovation.
Singh also briefed his counterparts on the recent terror attack in Pahalgam, which resulted in the deaths of 26 civilians, and on Operation Sindoor, India’s counter-terror initiative aimed at dismantling cross-border terror infrastructure in Pakistan.
All three ministers acknowledged the importance of continued cooperation and agreed to enhance collaboration in areas such as capacity building, joint training, military education, and technical cooperation. The discussions underscored mutual commitment to strengthening defence ties and promoting regional security.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on Thursday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China. The meeting focused on a broad spectrum of issues, including current geopolitical developments, cross-border terrorism, and Indo-Russian defence cooperation.
In what was described as one of the most crucial interactions between the two nations, being held in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, the ministers held in-depth discussions on the consequent necessity of augmenting defence production, especially in critical items such as air defence, air-to-air missiles, modern capabilities, and upgrades of air platforms.
The Russian Defence Minister reiterated the strength of the long-standing Indo-Russian relationship, describing it as a time-tested partnership. He also expressed Russia’s solidarity with India over the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, condemning it as a heinous and cowardly act.
Key takeaways from the meeting included discussions on the expedited supply of critical military hardware such as S-400 air defence systems, upgrades of Su-30 MKI fighter jets, air-to-air missile systems, and other advanced defence technologies. The two sides also explored opportunities for joint production, modernisation of defence platforms, and enhancement of strategic collaboration.
The meeting reaffirmed the strategic depth of Indo-Russian defence ties and the shared commitment to regional and global security amid evolving geopolitical challenges.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held a bilateral meeting with Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov on Thursday on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Ministers’ Meeting in Qingdao, China. The meeting focused on a broad spectrum of issues, including current geopolitical developments, cross-border terrorism, and Indo-Russian defence cooperation.
In what was described as one of the most crucial interactions between the two nations, being held in the backdrop of Operation Sindoor, the ministers held in-depth discussions on the consequent necessity of augmenting defence production, especially in critical items such as air defence, air-to-air missiles, modern capabilities, and upgrades of air platforms.
The Russian Defence Minister reiterated the strength of the long-standing Indo-Russian relationship, describing it as a time-tested partnership. He also expressed Russia’s solidarity with India over the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, condemning it as a heinous and cowardly act.
Key takeaways from the meeting included discussions on the expedited supply of critical military hardware such as S-400 air defence systems, upgrades of Su-30 MKI fighter jets, air-to-air missile systems, and other advanced defence technologies. The two sides also explored opportunities for joint production, modernisation of defence platforms, and enhancement of strategic collaboration.
The meeting reaffirmed the strategic depth of Indo-Russian defence ties and the shared commitment to regional and global security amid evolving geopolitical challenges.
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Friday inaugurated a newly built DTC bus depot in Sector A9, Narela, and flagged off 105 electric buses under the Delhi Electric Vehicle Interchange (DEVI) initiative. The move is part of the capital’s ongoing efforts to expand clean public transport infrastructure and improve last-mile connectivity.
The event was attended by BJP MP Yogender Chandoliya, Minister Pankaj Kumar Singh, and Minister Ravinder Indraj Singh, among others.
The DEVI buses, aimed at reducing emissions and offering a smoother commuting experience, are part of the government’s broader push towards sustainable mobility.
Speaking at the event, Minister Singh highlighted the environmental significance of the move.
“Pollution has always been a major issue in Delhi, but this time, you would have noticed there hasn’t been any situation that led the NGT to impose bans. This is a new step toward a pollution-free Delhi. To provide people with a pleasant travel experience, electric buses have been introduced,” he said.
Singh also praised the speed and quality of the depot’s construction. “This terminal has been built in just 90 days and inaugurated with all modern amenities. For drivers, conductors, and the general public, RO drinking water and a large EV charging centre have been set up here,” he added.
Highlighting the growing importance of the Narela region, Chandoliya said, “Today, 105 electric DEVI buses are being flagged off from here. Many major government projects and universities are coming up in Narela.”
IANS
Source: Government of India
Source: Government of India (4)
The 148th Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath commenced in Ahmedabad on Friday, seamlessly blending centuries-old tradition with state-of-the-art security arrangements.
Held annually on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya (Ashadhi Bij), the Rath Yatra is India’s second-largest chariot festival after Puri, attracting lakhs of devotees from across Gujarat and beyond.
The day began with the sacred Mangla Aarti, performed by Union Home Minister Amit Shah at around 4:00 a.m., continuing his longstanding personal tradition.
Soon after, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel performed the symbolic ‘Pahind Vidhi’—the ceremonial sweeping of the road with a golden broom—before officially flagging off the Yatra by pulling Lord Jagannath’s chariot from the 400-year-old Jagannath Temple in Jamalpur.
The Yatra follows a 16-kilometre route through key parts of Ahmedabad’s walled city, with the holy chariots of Lord Jagannath, his brother Balbhadra, and sister Subhadra passing landmarks such as Jamalpur Chakla, Khadia, Kalupur Circle, and Saraspur, where locals traditionally host a grand feast for the deities and devotees.
The procession will be monitored through heightened surveillance.
This year, the Rath Yatra has evolved into a full-fledged Lokotsav (people’s festival), showcasing Gujarat’s rich cultural heritage. The grand spectacle features 18 decorated elephants, 100 tableau trucks, 30 akhadas performing martial arts, along with bhajan mandalis, raas-garba troupes, and traditional music bands.
The sacred duty of pulling the chariots continues to be led by the Khalashi community, upholding a revered centuries-old tradition.
To ensure safety and smooth conduct, the Ahmedabad Police have implemented one of the most extensive security operations in recent years. More than 23,800 personnel, including State Reserve Police (SRP) battalions, Rapid Action Force (RAF), and Chetak Commandos, are deployed. An additional 4,500 police officers are escorting the procession, with 1,000 traffic police managing vehicular movement across the city.
For the first time, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is being used for crowd management, enabling real-time monitoring of overcrowding and fire hazards.
A comprehensive surveillance system has been put in place with 227 CCTV cameras, 41 drones, 2,872 body-worn cameras, and 25 watchtowers keeping constant watch along the route. Precautionary barricading has been erected around 484 structurally weak buildings, and public assistance centers have been activated to support the crowd.
The run-up to the Yatra saw extensive community engagement efforts by the police, who conducted over 450 outreach meetings, including Peace Committees, Mohalla Committees, and Women’s Committees. In addition, interactive events such as cricket matches, blood donation camps, and volleyball tournaments were organised to foster civic unity and communal harmony.
(With inputs from IANS)
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
Speech delivered by the UK’s Special Envoy for Women and Girls, Baroness Harriet Harman.
Thank you Madame Vice Chair,
I am pleased to join you here today to honour the role of women in leadership, decision making and diplomacy.
Trailblazing women, in diplomacy, politics and governments, and women peacebuilders and activists, like those who we have heard from today, have striven and have made so much progress. Yet more progress is needed.
We know that women suffer disproportionately in conflict, with sexual violence, displacement, and impacts on their health and their livelihoods.
Yet for the most part, they don’t have a seat at the table to bring about peace, making up just 16 per cent of negotiators in processes led or co-led by the UN.
Yet, we know that when women are part of peace processes, the resulting agreement is more than three times more likely to succeed.
It is not just that women are not included, they are actively silenced and excluded, facing active obstruction to their participation with threats, violence and reprisals, including online.
We must challenge this and change it.
As penholder on the Women Peace and Security agenda at the UN Security Council, the UK is determined to champion women’s effective and safe participation in all spheres of decision making.
As we approach the 25th anniversary of the agenda, we must work together, women and our male allies, to promote and defend women’s and girls’ rights and actively resist the misogynist insurgency which seeks to roll back women’s hard-won advances.
Source: NSW Government puts trust in NAB to transform banking and payments
27 06 2025 – Media release
Marton Csokas and Lila McGuire of Goolagong. Image courtesy of ABC.
The ABC, Screen Australia and VicScreen are thrilled to announce that production has commenced on Goolagong, a three-part event mini-series based on the inspiring true-life story of world champion tennis player Evonne Goolagong.
In her breakthrough role portraying one of Australia’s most-loved female sporting heroes, is rising new star and proud Whadjuk and Ballardong Noongar woman Lila McGuire (The Twelve) alongside renowned fellow lead actors Marton Csokas (Asylum, Equalizer), Felix Mallard (Ginny and Georgia, Turtles All The Way Down) and Luke Carroll (Mystery Road: Origin and Scrublands season 2).
Currently filming on the lands of the Wurundjeri, Boonwurrung, Taungurung, and Dja Dja Wurrung peoples of the Kulin Nations, Goolagong is made by Werner Film Productions, part of BBC Studios, directed by Wayne Blair (Mystery Road, Total Control) and written by Steven McGregor (Mystery Road Origin, Sweet Country) and Megan Simpson Huberman (Dating The Enemy, On The Job). Evonne Goolagong Cawley and Roger Cawley are Associate Producers.
The journey will take us from the tiny NSW regional town of Barellan, where an eager eight-year-old Aboriginal kid first peered through the cyclone wire fence of a tennis court to the centre courts of the world, where Evonne (McGuire) would reach the world number one ranking and endear herself to millions around the globe.
Along the way, the obstacles will be immense. At age 12, Evonne will leave behind her family to be coached by the imperious Vic Edwards (Csokas). While the on-court success that follows unites a nation, a deeply disturbing dynamic is playing out behind the scenes that will threaten to tear everything apart. And, when she falls deeply in love with Roger Cawley (Mallard), Evonne will have to decide whether to follow her heart or follow her career. Or, whether she can do both.
Screen Australia Director of Narrative Content Louise Gough and First Nations Department Development and Investment Manager Jorjia Gillis said, “Evonne Goolagong-Cawley, is one of Australia’s greatest sporting legends with a story destined for screen. This distinctive series from a powerhouse creative team cleverly balances a celebration of Goolagong’s sporting triumphs and a lifetime of adversity as a First Nations woman living, winning and loving in a patriarchal world. What shines through is a story of commitment, community and culture — a story that will resonate with audiences worldwide.”
ABC Head of Scripted, Rachel Okine said, “We are thrilled to bring the inspiring story of Evonne Goolagong Cawley to ABC screens. This is the story of a true sporting trailblazer whose resilience, humility and grace created a legacy that continues to reverberate around the globe. With an exceptional creative team bringing this remarkable life to screen, Goolagong promises to be a landmark television event”.
Werner Films Productions Producer, Joanna Werner said, “It’s so incredibly rewarding to see Goolagong move into production after nearly nine years in development. Having Evonne and Roger involved as Associate Producers has been invaluable, and we’re so proud to be telling such an important Australian story with their guidance. We’ve undertaken a nationwide casting process to assemble an exceptional ensemble, including exciting new talent and skilled tennis players. Lila McGuire brings something truly special to the role of Evonne — we’re excited for audiences to see her in this breakout role and to be moved by Evonne’s inspiring story. We’re deeply grateful to the ABC for championing this project and recognising its significance from the outset. And we’re thrilled that BBC Studios will now take this uniquely Australian story to audiences around the world”.
“Working on the Goolagong series is one of the proudest moments of my career,” said Goolagong’s Co-Producer, Danielle MacLean. “Evonne’s success in the world of tennis broke barriers for our people and inspired a generation. Her story is one of perseverance, talent and the inner strength that helped her succeed against the odds. As a First Nations filmmaker, I feel deeply honoured to help bring it to life”.
VicScreen CEO Caroline Pitcher said, “We are honoured to support some of Australia’s most exciting First Peoples talent both in front of and behind the camera, including writer Steven McGregor, producer Danielle MacLean and director Wayne Blair, who will bring Evonne Goolagong’s inspiring story to the screen. This is a story that will resonate with all Australians and will deepen our connection to Evonne as both First Peoples woman and athlete, and her unique strength, resilience, and vulnerability as she navigates her life’s journey”.
Goolagong will air on ABC TV and ABC iview in 2026.
ABC Media Enquiries
Rob Caulley | [email protected]
Media enquiries
Maddie Walsh | Publicist
+ 61 2 8113 5915 | [email protected]
Jessica Parry | Senior Publicist (Mon, Tue, Thu)
+ 61 428 767 836 | [email protected]
All other general/non-media enquiries
Sydney + 61 2 8113 5800 | Melbourne + 61 3 8682 1900 | [email protected]
Source: Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission
“Snow is some distance away and it takes a lot of energy to melt it”
Davis makes around 1.5 million litres of its own water every year and another 250,000 litres is shipped in on RSV Nuyina.
In summer, drinking water is produced by pumping water from a high-saline tarn near the station into a reverse osmosis (RO), or desalination, plant.
In winter that tarn freezes over, forcing the station to rely on stored water.
“Although there is a lot of ice around Davis, melting it isn’t really an option,” Mr Wuersching said.
“The snow is some distance away and it takes a lot of energy to melt it. That’s the second challenge we have at Davis – power.
“We can’t solve the water problems without addressing the power problems.”
In November 2026, works will start at Davis station to install a second reverse osmosis plant. This will replace the existing one and will also incorporate a new seawater intake.
Salt water will be pumped out of the ocean and heated before it’s sent to the RO plants to be turned into drinking water (heating is required first to make the reverse osmosis process work most efficiently).
After that comes a new utilities building that will house the main powerhouse, trades and mechanical workshops. The old buildings will be dismantled and returned to Australia.
An architectural impression of how inside Davis research station will look after the upgrades. Photo: Hugh Broughton Architects
Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority
BLAIR BOYER, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, TRAINING AND SKILLS: It is my great pleasure this morning to welcome Federal Education Minister Jason Clare and Early Years Federal Minister Jess Walsh here along with my education colleagues from around Australia for what will be our first Education Ministers Meeting since the Federal Election. And it’s a great thrill for me not only as South Australia’s Education Minister but as the local Member in this area to welcome these Ministers to The Heights School but, more specifically, where we’ll be holding our meeting just across the way at what will be South Australia’s brand new technical college at The Heights.
We have a big agenda today, of course, being the first meeting post the Federal Election, a lot of things that, I think, are shared priorities for the Ministers here. We’re talking about issues around child safety in the early years, bullying, preschool reform, infrastructure, a whole range of things that have been issues of priority for the Ministers here for a number of years but, of course, we’re entering into what I think is now a more exciting phase given the fantastic work that was done by Jason and the Federal Government before the last Election to actually land that historic national school reform agreement, which means securing across 10 years here in South Australia an extra $1.3 billion dollars of funding for public schools and also locking in for us the 22 per cent contribution to our non-government schools.
So South Australia is very excited to be the host today and show off some of the things that we are doing in vocational education and training. We were here just last week with the Premier to announce the Boeing partnership with us at that technical school. And I’ll be showing off some of the new equipment inside to the Ministers but also keen to sink our teeth into a really solid agenda today dealing with some of the issues that all state and territory education systems are grappling with at the moment. I’ll pass over now to Jason.
JASON CLARE, FEDERAL MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks very much, Blair. And thank you so much, mate, for hosting us here today at the first Education Ministers meeting since the Federal Election. I think I can speak for all of my colleagues that we feel very, very fortunate that we have the best job in the world – a job where we get the opportunity and the responsibility to help children get the education that starts their life on a great track, helps them to build the life of their dreams.
All of us understand the power of education. It’s the most powerful cause for good in this world to change lives, create opportunity for the youngest Australians. And we collectively have a big responsibility to make sure that we build a better and a fairer education system for children at school today but also for the young Australians that aren’t even born yet.
A lot of the things that we talk about today, that we work on today are about planting seeds in a garden that will grow over time. Education is about big reform that sometimes takes time to manifest itself. But the work needs to start right now. And as I said, this is the first time we’ve met since the Election. It’s also the first time since we signed that historic agreement to fix the funding of public schools. And I know it’s something, Blair, that you’re really proud of, something they’re pretty proud of as well – you can hear them in the background.
It means a billion dollars of extra funding over the next 10 years for South Australian public schools, just like The Heights. It means more than $16 billion in extra federal funding right across the nation over the next 10 years. And that funding isn’t a blank cheque; that funding is tied to real, practical reforms to make sure that more kids like this finish high school and go on to TAFE and to university and get the skills they need for the future.
And so today we’re going to be talking about the next big step implementing the agreement. Tying that funding to things like phonics checks when kids are in Year 1, and that’s rolling out this year and next year, and numeracy checks in Year 1 as well. That’s happening in South Australia next year. There’ll be other states that will talk about their plans for numeracy checks as well.
That’s not a test; that’s a 10-minute check to identify kids that might need additional help and then it’s our job as Ministers with the funding we’re providing to make sure kids get that additional help to help them to catch up and keep up and ultimately meaning more kids finish high school.
We’re going to talk about the most important people who work in places like this today as well – our school teachers. The most important job in the world. The work we’ve done over the last few years means that there are now more teachers than ever, there’s fewer vacancies, there are more young people enrolling in teaching courses this year than there has been in a very, very long time, up something like 11 per cent. That’s a good sign, but there’s more work to do to support our teachers, and we’ll talk about that today.
We’ll also talk about the scourge of bullying in our schools. It’s not just the push and shove in the playground or stealing someone else’s lunch money; it’s much more insidious than that. And sometimes it involves what happens online in the dark after school where in the most horrific of examples somebody might clip a photograph of someone else’s face and put it on a naked body and use that to bully and harass other kids in the school or even teachers in the school as well. We’ll talk about what we can do to help to tackle that.
And perhaps most importantly of all, we’re going to talk about the safety of our youngest Australians in early education and care. As a team we’ve done a lot of work on that over the last three years but there is a lot more work that we need to do to make sure that our kids are safe in early education and care. And that will be one of the key things that we discuss today.
To talk about that in a bit more detail, let me hand over to the new Minister for Early Childhood Education, Jess Walsh.
JESS WALSH, MINISTER FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION: Thank you very much, Jason, and thank you, Blair, for having us not just in your home state but in your electorate and your fantastic school. I am the new Commonwealth Minister for Early Childhood Education and keeping children safe in our early learning settings is my number one priority. And it will be the top priority for the early education discussion at today’s meeting.
The Commonwealth and State and Territory leaders have already taken strong action to keep children safe because children deserve to be safe in early learning and because parents need to know that their children are safe too. But as Minister Clare has said, there is more to do.
The Commonwealth has announced that we will take tough measures and restrict funding, cut funding to providers that put profit ahead of child safety. And as a group of Ministers we have already put into place restrictions on the use of personal devices in early learning, which is a really important protection for children. And we’ve also strengthened mandatory reporting requirements.
A lot of work has been done, as Minister Clare said, but there is more to do. And we look forward to doing that work today. Our work today will be informed by the work that has just been done in New South Wales. We welcome the Wheeler inquiry and we welcome the work that New South Wales has done in the area of child safety in early learning.
And to tell us more about that, I welcome Minister Houssos.
COURTNEY HOUSSOS, NSW ACTING MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND EARLY LEARNING: Thank you. So my name’s Courtney Houssos. I’m the Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning in New South Wales. I’m here representing New South Wales and passing on the apologies of the Deputy Premier who is currently seeking treatment. And I’d just like to say thank you so for the well wishes that I’ve received from colleagues that I’ll be conveying to Prue. We know that she’s an extraordinarily strong individual. She’s confronting this challenge just like she does with any other.
But it’s an immense privilege to be here with my colleagues from around the country to talk about the program of reform that Prue has started across New South Wales. We’re looking forward to speaking and sharing some of the things that we’ve been doing in New South Wales particularly in relation to the numbers check, the phonics check that was pioneered here in South Australia. We’ve rolled that out in our schools, but we think this is an opportunity from New South Wales to work collaboratively with colleagues.
And I just thank particularly Minister Clare and Minister Walsh for the opportunities already to start those initial discussions. Specifically, I’d just speak about the Wheeler Review that Minister Walsh referenced, which is a report that the Deputy Premier commissioned, Prue commissioned, in February this year. We released the review yesterday, and our immediate response – and that’s really focused on improving transparency.
We believe parents have the right to make sure when they drop off their kids each day that they are going to be safe in a quality environment. And that is at the forefront of our minds. So, giving parents information, giving the community information is really important for us. We are also going to be – and, again, I would say we’ve had some really productive early conversations, and we look forward to discussing that today and sharing the opportunity, sharing the review with our colleagues.
It’s an important opportunity for us to come together, share experiences and find learnings. I’d like to really thank Minister Clare and Blair for hosting us here in this beautiful place in South Australia.
And I’ll hand over to Yvette, yes.
YVETTE BERRY, ACT MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND EARLY CHILDHOOD: Thanks very much, everyone. My name’s Yvette Berry. I’m the Minister for Education and Early Childhood in the ACT. The conversation that we’re having today is broad and complex and there’s a lot of work to do, as Minister Jason Clare spoke about earlier. But one of the areas that I really wanted to focus on during our conversations today is around early childhood education and care. And if we value the education and health and wellbeing of our children, then we simply must value the expertise of early childhood educators.
For years across the country, but especially in the ACT, we’ve been working hard to lift the profession and support early childhood educators through a range of different scholarship programs to encourage that increased qualification and expertise within our early childhood settings. We know as a community how important and vital education in those early years are to the brain development of young people. And in the early childhood space educators are the brain builders.
So valuing children means that we must value educators. One of the ways that we saw educators doing incredibly vital work in educating young people was during the COVID pandemic. Our workforce had stopped all across the country and we depended on our early childhood education sector to provide education for those young people in a time when we were most in need. They were going to work educating young people while the rest of us were staying at home safe. Often, they were going to work looking after and educating young people when their own children were at home. So, at one point in time, they were vital to our cities’ education in those early years, but also the survival of a global health pandemic.
Now, we’re seeing some really challenging issues in the early childhood space, particularly around the Affinity and the Genius early childhood providers. And some of the incidences that we saw scared us, and it should scare us. We’re worried about our children, and we need to make sure that they’re safe.
So part of the work that I want to see us doing going forward is, yes, absolutely working with our parents about making sure that our children are safe in their early childhood settings but working with the sector about what that looks like and how we can value and lift the profession through a range of different initiatives like scholarship programs, like requiring early childhood educators to be licensed the same way as we would as our teachers in our school settings.
We need to consider those early years the same way as we consider our education years from five up – everything below five just as important if not more so in developing our children’s brains ready for a formal education in their later years.
So, today’s conversation is an important one and we need to understand what’s happening more in our sector. And I really have appreciated the work that New South Wales has done on their report, the Wheeler Report, and we’ve been looking at it very closely and we think a lot of those recommendations will work for the ACT as well. So, I want to work a bit more harder and deeply in that space and work with the New South Wales Acting Minister about what is it that we in the ACT can do that works alongside the work that they’ve been doing in New South Wales.
Thanks again, Jason and Blair, for having us here today. And I look forward to talking more after our meeting.
JO HERSEY, NT MINISTER FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING AND MINISTER FOR EARLY EDUCATION: Jo Hersey, Minister for Early Education from the Northern Territory. It’s great to be down here in Adelaide – thankfully the weather is pleasant to us today. I really look forward to working collaboratively with my counterparts right across the nation and the work that’s going on in the early education space but also something that’s close to my heart – the bullying, talking about that today, and having a look at the new trade training centre here, which is something that we’re working towards in the Territory as well.
So, I’m looking forward to really robust conversations that will happen today and continue the work with the Federal Government throughout my time as Education Minister. Thank you.
JOURNALIST: You’ve obviously talked about bullying and AI and how that might have impacted that. The eSafety Commissioner has kind of recommended that schools report any incidences of AI deep fakes. How can the government kind of ensure that that crackdown is really happening in schools?
CLARE: We welcome the advice and the support of the eSafety Commissioner. She’s written to all of us yesterday with a tool kit for schools, information and support for teachers and principals about what to do when this happens. Also some really practical advice about when the law is broken and when police should be involved as well.
I said a moment ago how insidious this is. This is the sort of thing that can cause teachers to quit or young people to think about not wanting to go to school or worse. That’s why we’re taking this as seriously as we are. That’s why it’s on the agenda today. That’s why we’re asking the team that are putting together the bullying review for us – the rapid review of bullying in schools – we’re asking them to make sure that as part of that review they’re looking at this. They will present their final report to us when we meet again in October. And what we’ll be discussing today – I don’t want to pre-empt the conversation that we’re having, but I’m sure colleagues will agree – that we’ll ask the eSafety Commissioner, Julie Inman Grant, to brief us at that meeting as well. About the work that she’s doing, about the tool kit that she’s providing for schools to help schools grapple with this difficult issue, but also to provide us with a little bit of advice about the impending changes to social media access for young people under the age of 16.
So at the end of this year the ban on access to social media for young people under the age of 16 will come into effect. That work is being led by the Communications Minister right now. And ahead of that I’m going to ask the eSafety Commissioner to brief us when we meet in October about implementation plans for that change, which I think is a crucial part of helping young people grapple with this issue.
Over the course of the last year and a half or so as a nation, as Ministers, we’ve banned access to mobile phones in schools. And I might just ask Blair to talk about this a little bit in a South Australian context. It was a decision that all of us have made because we thought it would have a positive impact in our school environment. And it has. A bigger impact than we ever expected in the class and in the playground.
But the fact is, when the bell rings and school finishes, the phones come back out, and if you look at the bus stop, you’ll see kids doing what some people are doing at this press conference – looking at their phones. And young people get thrown back into that toxic cesspit of social media. So, what we do next in terms of banning access to social media is important. It’s not the only thing that we need to do, though. And that’s why the work that the eSafety Commissioner is doing is so important.
BOYER: Thanks, Jason. And, yes one of the first election commitments that we made before coming to Government in March of 2022 was to ban mobile phones in all public high schools. We knew that banning mobile phones would help with distraction in the classroom, and it has. We knew that banning mobile phones would help in terms of stopping the kind of bullying that Jason was just talking about that occurs through the use of a mobile phone. But there have been some other real benefits, too, that we didn’t anticipate, and that is in terms of increased physical and social activity from young people at recess and lunchtime.
And I had one principal of a school not far from here who said a very powerful comment to me: he said that the school yard at lunchtime reminds him of a school yard in the 1990s, and that’s the school yard I remember when I went to school where you’re out kicking the footy and talking to friends. But I think such had been our gradual increasing reliance on mobile phones at schools that we had forgotten how much of that old-fashioned kind of social interaction and physical activity that had actually dissipated and gone away. So, the benefits of the mobile phone ban have been in some cases obvious but also some unexpected ones, too. And we’re really pleased that the policy we put in place was for the phone to be off from the start of the day to the end of the day.
I might just add specifically in terms of deep fakes and what we’re trying to do here in South Australia, we have updated what is called our Keeping Safe: Child Protection Curriculum around how young people can keep themselves safe in all sorts of different ways, to explain at a very young age around the dangers and pitfalls of deep fakes. And I think that’s a conversation that needs to start early and it’s one that we are starting early here in South Australia.
JOURNALIST: I mean, on that, I guess, a lot of children that are coming through school now won’t have really known a world without AI. Do you think – I mean, do you think they have enough appreciation of the fact that generative AI can be just as impactful as a real nude photograph of someone?
BOYER: No, I think they don’t. I think that is the big problem. I think we are now seeing generations of young people starting at schools who have grown up with this technology. This is just normal practice for them, and a lot of risks come with that. But in terms of what we’ve done in South Australia with AI, we made what I think was a kind of bold decision back in 2022 to instead of banning AI work with Microsoft to codesign our own version of a chatbot, called EdChat, include a whole heap of extra safety protocols in it, but we did it with the simple philosophy – I’ve often likened it to teaching young people how to drive. Is driving dangerous? Absolutely it is. Do we ban driving? No, we don’t, we teach people how to do it safely.
And the simple truth is that young people now are going to be expected to have an understanding of how to use AI, both in a productive sense in the workplace but also safely. And I think it is incumbent on us as the people who run education systems to do that. But along with that, we need to make sure that we have those conversations around how serious things like deep fakes are in terms of the affect it can have on a student or a teacher and also actually explain, as you said, to a generation which doesn’t realise it the very serious legal and often criminal implications that can come from using social media or generative AI to create a deep fake.
JOURNALIST: Are there kind of concerns around generative AI, how that might be impacting people’s – young people’s kind of reading, comprehension, writing skills? Is that something that will be discussed today?
CLARE: To build on what Blair said, a bit over a year ago we had this conversation as Ministers and we recognised, a little bit like the calculator and the internet after that, that AI is going to be with us forever. And this is a tool. It’s not something that we can just pretend isn’t there, but we’ve got to make sure is used properly and ethically.
One of the things we were concerned about when we discussed this a bit over a year ago was making sure that this is not a tool that students used to cheat, sort of to get around the system, to make sure that young people are learning. And we built a framework or a protocol around that. One of the things we were also really concerned about when we built that framework was whether the information that young people put into generative AI, like an EdChat, for example, or any product you might buy off the shelf, isn’t then sold off to a third party. We were very, very worried, as we should be, that personal information or any information that a child puts into generative AI at school can then be sold off to a third party and then come back as an ad that they see on social media targeting them.
This is the next step. We’re now seeing AI used for another purpose – to intimidate and to threaten and to hurt other people. And that’s why what Blair what said a moment ago is so important. It’s about making sure that young people know how to use it properly and when using it improperly is not just wrong, but breaking the law.
JOURNALIST: And on the early education centres, there was a bit of discussion around potentially, people working there being treated the same as teachers in terms of registrations or things like that. How quickly can those kind of changes be put into place?
BERRY: We’re already doing it in the ACT. So, we’ve started with a voluntary registration process, I guess, for early childhood teachers, the same way that we would with our teachers in primary and high school and college settings through our Teacher Quality Institute, which actually does the teaching and learning for teachers outside of their learning in university – 20 hours learning a year of professional development. And the same for our early childhood teachers.
We’ve started as a voluntary process, and we’ve found it’s really popular because early childhood educators want to be recognised. They have the same qualifications, if not more, than a primary school or high school teacher under very highly regulated service. So, we know that it can be done. As I said, we’ve started voluntary, but it will be our plan to mandate it as we move through the voluntary process.
We’re providing scholarships and the Federal Government are also doing work around recognising educators as well through the 15 per cent wage increase. And that is a really important part of recognising the expertise of these young – of these educators, particularly in a female-dominated workplace that has been underpaid and undervalued for decades. And we were just seeing a turn in that when, unfortunately, we’ve had these bad players in the for-profit early childhood sector which has really brought the sector down. So, we need to keep lifting them, otherwise we are going to lose the sector completely. We’ll lose the expertise, and people won’t want to work in early childhood education.
CLARE: I’ll jump in just to support what Yvette said. This is not babysitting, this is early education. And what I’m at pains to do whenever I’m talking about this is not talk about child care. This is early education and care. Every minute, every moment that young people spend in early education and care helps to prepare them to get ready for school. It’s not just about helping parents return to work, this helps to prepare young people be ready to start school.
We’re at a high school today, but if you were at a primary school and you asked principals can you tell the children in the first year of school that have been in early education, they can pick them all out. They know the children that are starting school ready to learn. That’s why this is so important. That’s why collectively we do everything that we can to promote the professionalism of this extraordinary workforce, and the 15 per cent pay rise is a big part of that. So many people who work in this sector have told me that they left to go and work at Bunnings or at Woolies because they could get paid more, not because they didn’t love the job. That 15 per cent pay rise is bringing people back to the sector.
Goodstart, who are the biggest not-for-profit providers in the country, told me that their application numbers are through the roof, their vacancy numbers are down. That’s a good thing. That’s a good turnaround. That’s helping more young people get access to early education and care. But the truth is the most disadvantaged kids in the country are still missing out. The kids who need that support the most are still missing out. That’s what the 3 Day Guarantee reforms that come into place next year are about – making sure that every family, every child, can get access to three days a week of guaranteed access to the Commonwealth Subsidy to make sure that all children get the support they need to get ready to start school.
There was some data that came out a couple of weeks ago that showed in large part because of the pandemic that we’ve seen a decline in the readiness, developmental readiness, of children to start school. And it also showed that the children that went to preschool, four-year-olds, that they were one and a half times more ready, more developed, to start school than children who haven’t. That’s why this is so important to get right. That’s why it’s so important that where we see terrible things happening with safety and quality, that we crack down. That’s what we’re determined to do.
JOURNALIST: Just finally, there was a report, I think it was in The Guardian this morning, about attendance rates kind of going down. Is that another thing that you’ll be discussing? And, I guess, how do you think we can approach that and change that?
CLARE: You bet. It’s going to be one of the things we talk about as well. I mentioned off the top the agreement that we struck over the last 12 months. One of the things in that agreement is the target that was set to get attendance rates at school back to pre-pandemic levels, back to where they were in 2019. And Tasmania is in caretaker mode at the moment, so unfortunately Jo, the Minister in Tasmania, won’t be with us. But in her absence we’ll lead a conversation about what are the things we want our departments to work on to help build attendance rates back in our schools.
There’s great things happening in different jurisdictions across the country that we can learn from each other. I was in WA a couple of weeks ago and they’re using this additional funding with different programs. I was at one school where they’ve increased attendance rates by 10 per cent just in the last couple of months. But the thing is there’s nothing new here. We can all learn from each other. And as part of the conversation about implementing this agreement we’re going to be talking about how we boost attendance rates.
Speaking from the Goma region, whose main city was overrun by Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in January, UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher explained that people had suffered “decades of trauma”.
The last few months have been “particularly horrific for so many”, he added, referring to the lawless fall-out from heavy fighting this year between the rebel fighters and the regular DRC army that has been linked to serious human rights abuses, including potential war crimes.
“Most striking today and yesterday has been the stories of sexual violence, and sitting with women who tell horrific stories which are too horrific for me to tell here and who are trying to find the courage to rebuild their lives,” the UN relief chief said.
“We’re there providing that support to them, trying to help them rebuild, but they have been through hell.”
Peace call
All those newly displaced by the M23 rebel advance are in addition to the five million people already living in displacement camps in eastern DRC. Today, more than 20 million people need relief assistance. “They are desperate for this conflict to end,” Mr. Fletcher continued.
A day after NATO Member States agreed to a five per cent increase in funding for their collective defence, investment in the humanitarian work of the UN and its partners is at rock bottom.
In DRC, a full 70 per cent of UN aid programmes was historically funded by the United States – “amazing generosity over decades” – Mr. Fletcher noted. But today “we’re seeing most of that disappearing”, he insisted, forcing the humanitarian community to make “brutal choices, life-and-death choices” about who receives help.
“For these women – the survivors of sexual violence, for the kids who told me they needed water, for the communities that told me they needed shelter, medicine, these cuts are real right now and people are dying because of the cuts,” the top UN official explained.
Aid teams haven’t stopped
Despite the difficulties linked to the protracted nature of the conflict in DRC and the massive needs, UN aid teams and their partners are “working hard to get access to those communities,” Mr. Fletcher insisted – “trying to get the airport back open, trying to get roads open, trying to unblock checkpoints that are impeding our aid from getting through”.
In an attempt to square the circle of the steadily diminishing amount of aid funding provided globally, Mr. Fletcher recently announced a “hyper-prioritized” plan to save 114 million lives this year. But that is dependent on receiving the necessary funding. “All we’re asking for to do that is one per cent of what the world spent on defence last year,” he continued.
After visiting and connecting with communities impacted time and again by the fighting, the top UN official insisted that they should not be forgotten. “They are the frontlines of the humanitarian effort,” he said.
Communities on front line
“I suppose the glimmer of hope in all of this is, yes, we can work in that more efficient and prioritized way and will do that; but also, the communities here who are – basically – they’ve come through so much and they are determined to support each other.”
And despite rising antipathy in some countries towards international cooperation including the work and peace-promoting efforts of the United Nations, Mr. Fletcher insisted that reasons for optimism remain.
“I really strongly believe there is a movement out there that will back this work, that will support this work,” he told UN News. “We’ve got to find them. We’ve got to enlist them, and we’ve got to show them that we can deliver for them.
“And, you know, I have not given up on human kindness and human solidarity. I have not given up on the UN Charter for a second. And this work is at the heart of it.”
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of UN News.
The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, H.E. Mahmoud Ali Youssouf, extends his warmest congratulations to the Government and people of the Republic of Mozambique on the joyful occasion of their Independence Day.
This golden jubilee commemorates five decades of sovereignty, hard-won through the unwavering courage and sacrifice of Mozambique’s liberation struggle in 1975. Your journey to freedom remains an inspiring testament to Africa’s relentless pursuit of self-determination, dignity, and unity. Today, we honor the heroes of the past and celebrate the resilience that continues to define Mozambique’s progress.
We commend Mozambique’s remarkable achievements in fostering peace, reconciliation, and sustainable development, as well as its vital contributions to Africa’s shared prosperity.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Union (AU).
The Portfolio Committee on Women, Youth and Persons with Disabilities met this week to receive a briefing on the funding of the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide, the appointment of the National Youth Development Agency Board (NYDA) and the department’s Strategic Plan for 2025-2030 and annual performance plan for the 2025/26 financial year.
During the committee meeting, members raised serious concerns about the allocated budget of about R5 million for the National Council on Gender-Based Violence and Femicide. The committee noted that this amount was insufficient to meet the comprehensive needs of the Council and the scale of the challenges the Council aims to address.
Emphasising the importance of sustainable funding, the Chairperson of the committee, Ms Liezl van der Merwe, said, “It is imperative that we advocate for a budget that reflects the significance of this issue. The Council must be adequately funded to fulfil its mandate.”
Members also wanted to know how the budget would be used for staffing and operational costs. The department informed the members that discussions with National Treasury are ongoing. The department also assured the committee that it is committed to ensuring the Council has the resources it needs to develop and implement programmes to combat gender-based violence.
The committee was also concerned about the effectiveness of the Sanitary Dignity Framework – a policy aimed at preserving and maintaining the dignity of indigent girls and women during menstruation. “The framework is fragmented and not functioning effectively,” the Chairperson said. “It requires a thorough review to ensure that the funds allocated are spent appropriately.” The committee was also concerned provinces often misallocated the funds they receive for the sanitary dignity programme and highlighted the need for robust oversight to hold provinces accountable.
Tomorrow (27 June), the committee will receive a briefing from the National Youth Development Agency on its strategic plan and annual performance plan for the 2025/26 financial year.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Republic of South Africa: The Parliament.
Dr. George Agyekum Donkor, President of the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID), has extended heartfelt congratulations to President Julius Maada Bio on his recent election as Chairman of ECOWAS Authority. In a congratulatory letter, Dr. Donkor emphasized that the election reflects the sub-region’s strong confidence in President Bio’s leadership. He also commended the President’s proven governance record and expressed optimism that his leadership will effectively tackle pressing regional issues such as economic growth, peace, and security throughout West Africa.
The ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) stands as a premier financial institution dedicated to advancing economic progress across West Africa. Based in Lomé, Togo, EBID finances critical sectors including infrastructure, agriculture, energy, and small to medium enterprises (SMEs). The Bank is instrumental in promoting regional integration, strengthening the private sector, and reducing poverty within ECOWAS member countries.
During the 67th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government in Abuja, Dr. Donkor also engaged in a productive discussion with President Bio. He reaffirmed EBID’s commitment to supporting Sierra Leone’s developmental priorities and lauded President Bio’s leadership. Dr. Donkor pledged to explore potential areas of collaboration between EBID and Sierra Leone.
President Bio’s new role as ECOWAS Chairman highlights Sierra Leone’s expanding influence in regional affairs and represents a pivotal achievement for the nation. His tenure is expected to focus on fostering sustainable economic development, empowering communities, and revitalizing cultural heritage across West Africa.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of State House Sierra Leone.
In early May, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) launched an emergency response to a cholera outbreak in Lomera, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo, where a gold rush and poor sanitation fuelled rapid spread of the disease. Over 8,000 people were vaccinated and more than 600 patients received treatment, as teams worked around the clock to provide care and improve access to clean water.
Until recently, Lomera was a quiet lakeside village, barely known to most residents of South Kivu, DRC. That changed overnight last December when gold was discovered in its hills.
The rush for fortune—intensified by economic insecurity caused by clashes between the M23/AFC armed group, the Congolese army (FARDC), and their Wazalendo militia allies—has turned Lomera into a magnet for thousands of people seeking work and safety.
In less than a year, the population exploded from 1,500 to more than 12,000. The village is now a sprawling chaos of mineshafts and makeshift shelters.
“We live in tough conditions without much space, but we put up with it because we need to earn a living,” says Chiza Blonza, who left his farm in Walungu (some 90 kilometres away) behind to work the mines.
Every day, more people arrive, crowding into already packed shelters—sometimes 20 to a room. It was only a matter of time before disaster struck.
“Everything that could possibly fuel a cholera outbreak is here,” says Mathilde Cilley, MSF medical adviser. “We’re seeing severe overcrowding, barely any clean water, open defecation on the hills, and a total lack of waste management.”
Cholera is endemic in this part of DRC, and the lake is contaminated by the bacteria, but an epidemic of this scale is unusual. The first 13 cases in Lomera were reported on 20 April. Within two weeks, that number soared by over 700% to 109 cases—a figure likely underestimated. Today, the town accounts for 95% of cholera cases in the Katana health zone, an area that is home to more than 275,000 people.
MSF launched a rapid emergency response on 9 May. Our teams worked around the clock to contain the epidemic. In just four days, we vaccinated more than 8,000 people—though limited supplies meant only single-dose regimens were administered, instead of the recommended two.
More than 600 people have been treated for cholera at a temporary 20-bed cholera treatment unit we set up, with many arriving in critical condition.
“The vast majority of our patients work in the mines, where they use contaminated lake water to separate gold from the earth, exposing themselves to the bacteria,” says Dr Théophile Amani, an MSF doctor in Lomera. “Tough manual labour and high levels of alcohol consumption mean many are already dehydrated even prior to getting infected.”
After treatment, patients receive hygiene kits—buckets, water purification tablets, and soap—and vital health education from MSF staff on how to prevent future infections.
Bonheur Maganda, originally from Kabamba, is among them. He came to work in the mines to provide for his children and said that many of his colleagues had also fallen ill.
“Without MSF, many of them would have died,” he says. “The health promotion officer explained the importance of washing my hands with clean water and being careful with food. I will share this advice with others.”
MSF also installed a lakeside water treatment facility and distribution point, delivering around 60,000 litres of clean water daily. One hundred latrines and twenty-five supervised handwashing points were set up across the settlement, including at restaurants and public gathering spots. Contact tracing and preventive treatment for those exposed to cholera have been crucial in containing the spread.
MSF’s emergency response will soon be handed over to other partners, but there is an urgent need for long-term solutions to guarantee continued access to clean water.
“Without significant investment in water, sanitation, and hygiene infrastructure, outbreaks like this are likely to persist on a regular basis,” warns Muriel Boursier, MSF’s head of mission in Bukavu. “At present, the nearest well is three kilometres away. International partners and local authorities must step up and implement sustainable solutions.”
Given the constant flux of people moving in and out of the town, further vaccine supplies will also be necessary to protect people.
“South Kivu—and eastern DRC as a whole—are facing major logistical hurdles in getting essential medical supplies, including vaccines, medicines, and equipment, to where they’re needed most,” says Boursier.
“While insecurity is a factor, the closure of airports in Bukavu and Goma has had an even greater impact, severely restricting our ability to deliver lifesaving aid,” she says. “International cuts to humanitarian funding have also limited the availability of medical supplies. We urge governing authorities and international partners to do everything possible to help restore access and support the sanitary response to the wide range of health emergencies impacting the region.”
Responding to cholera outbreaks remains a central priority for MSF in DRC. In 2024 alone, MSF teams treated more than 15,000 cholera cases nationwide, working alongside local health authorities and communities to save lives and stop the spread of disease.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Médecins sans frontières (MSF).
“I was coughing. My eyes were red, and my nose was running. My skin had rashes.”
7-year-old Djoubeda from Mayo-Oulo village in Cameroon’s North region was at home with her grandmother when she started showing worrying symptoms of measles.
A highly contagious viral infection, measles spreads easily among the unvaccinated—with young children at highest risk. It’s a serious illness that can require hospital admission, cause permanent disability, and even kill if not treated properly.
But thankfully help wasn’t far away. Local Cameroon Red Cross Society volunteer, Ramatou—affectionately known as Aunty Ramatou in the village—was called to come see little Djoubeda straight away.
Ramatou had previously received training in how to recognize and prevent disease outbreaks, and how to quickly report any unusual health events to authorities, through the Community Epidemic and Pandemic Preparedness Programme (CP3).
“I received training on detecting diseases in the population. When I visited Djoubeda, I deduced her symptoms resembled measles and that inaction could spread it,” she explains.
Without hesitation, Ramatou notified local health authorities of the suspected measles case using a digital community-based surveillance tool set up through the CP3 programme, then took Djoubeda straight to the nearest health centre.
Within three days, tests confirmed that Djoubeda did indeed have measles. During that time, Ramatou and fellow CP3 volunteers got to work educating the community in Mayo-Oulo about measles signs and symptoms, how to prevent it from spreading, and how to report if they noticed something was wrong.
Upon confirmation of measles, local health authorities immediately launched a mass vaccination campaign in and around the village—calling upon Cameroon Red Cross volunteers for their support in sharing trusted health information about the vaccines and encouraging families to bring their children along to be immunized.
“It’s you, the Red Cross, going around to sensitize us. It’s because of people going around the village talking about vaccination that I brought him,” explains Maya Sylvie, a mother from Mayo-Oulo village who was supported by the Cameroon Red Cross to vaccinate her baby boy.
To achieve herd immunity against measles and prevent recurring outbreaks, at least 95% of the population must be fully vaccinated. This vaccination campaign was therefore a huge joint effort between local health authorities and Cameroon Red Cross volunteers, who mobilized as many community members as possible to bring their children for their jabs. Thankfully, since this outbreak, local health authorities haven’t recorded any further measles cases.
“We vaccinated nearly 500 children. What if this epidemic had not been stopped? Measles is deadly. We could have recorded a lot of deaths. After the Ministry vaccinated all the children, we have not had any more cases of measles,” explains Dr Laboulaye, Head of the Mayo-Oulo Health Centre.
“I want to say to the Red Cross: thank you. Thank you for your support, for all your disease prevention activities and help with the response,” she adds.
For Ramatou, learning the skills to quickly detect and report outbreaks in Mayo-Oulo was exactly why she wanted to volunteer in the first place:
“I’ve lived here for over 30 years, since I was 6 years old. I became a CP3 volunteer to help my community. As a volunteer, my motivation is to save lives, ease pain, help the sick, and prevent diseases from spreading. What pleases me is that people listen, volunteers work well, the past diseases are gone and the community values and appreciates our efforts.”
And as for little Djoubeda, she happily made a full recovery from measles and is grateful to Ramatou for being there for her when she was sick.
“I was injected and given medicine. I got better and went back home. Aunty Ramatou, who wears the uniform, does her job well,” she says.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).
H.E. Dr. Rania A. Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation, participated in the high-level discussion session titled “Where is the Belt and Road in 2025?” during her role as a co-chair of the World Economic Forum meetings, held from June 23-26, 2025, under the theme “Resilient Economic Policies to Keep Up with Global Change” in Tianjin, China.
The event saw high-level participation from policymakers, private sector leaders, and entrepreneurs from over 90 countries.
During her speech, H.E. Dr. Rania Al-Mashat pointed out that international partnerships are always built on shared and mutual interests, adding that the large number of countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative reflects its importance. She noted the celebration last year of the 10th anniversary of the initiative’s launch, where participating countries showcased projects being implemented under the Belt and Road Initiative, which supported sustainable infrastructure in areas such as transport, renewable energy, and ports.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat added that each of these projects reflects the national priorities of the countries, and for Egypt, the projects were consistent with the national agenda and strategic goals of the state.
Regarding the stimulating factors contributing to accelerating the implementation of these projects, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat outlined that the Belt and Road Initiative has been a real catalyst in many cases for advancing national strategies. She pointed to the emergence of a number of national and international initiatives that integrate with and support the Belt and Road Initiative in the recent period, noting that China launched the Global Development Initiative several years ago, and many projects implemented under that initiative run in parallel with and support Belt and Road projects.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat also mentioned the issue of financing, explaining that much of the funding directed to these projects came through development finance. She highlighted that, with regard to sustainable transport and renewable energy projects in Egypt, there is a significant mobilization of resources towards the private sector, including low-cost development finance that has contributed to advancing investments.
Regarding relations between Egypt and China, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat stated that the historic visit of the Chinese President to Egypt in 2014 was an important starting point in Egyptian-Chinese relations, followed by the signing of MoU on the Belt and Road Initiative. She noted that relations between the two countries are based on two main aspects: the first relates to investments, with Chinese companies investing in Egypt, and the second is development cooperation between the two governments.
Regarding development cooperation, H.E. Minister Al-Mashat indicated that it includes projects in multiple fields such as health, satellites, and capacity building, noting the role of the China International Development Cooperation Agency (CIDCA) in supporting Egypt’s development agenda, in addition to China signing a debt swap agreement several years ago. She added that Egyptian-Chinese relations are also based on investment and trade, pointing to a large number of Chinese companies within the China-Egypt Suez Economic and Trade Cooperation Zone in Egypt, where more than 150 companies operate, providing over 10,000 job opportunities, with diverse activities across multiple sectors.
H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat reiterated that the Belt and Road Initiative does not impose a specific plan on countries; it is not an initiative based on a centralized blueprint that obliges each country to a specific path or project. Instead, it is a flexible framework that adapts to the priorities of each individual country.
Regarding the issue of financing, H.E. Dr. Al-Mashat referred to the “4th Financing for Development” conference to be held in Seville on June 30, a UN conference held every ten years focusing on ways to finance development in developing and emerging economies. She explained that one of the most prominent messages of this conference is that the world needs to reduce reliance on debt and increase the mobilization of resources from the private sector to finance development projects.
H.E. Minister Al-Mashat added that each country has full ownership in designing its projects, in line with its national vision, to then include these projects within the broader framework of the Belt and Road Initiative. Furthermore, the cost of implementing these projects represents a common challenge and has been a strongly debated issue on the global stage for years, requiring innovative solutions and multiple sources of financing. She noted that, concerning debt, there are many international initiatives aimed at addressing this issue, including “debt-for-development and investment swaps” mechanisms.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Planning, Economic Development, and International Cooperation – Egypt.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jye Marshall, Lecturer, Fashion Design, School of Design and Architecture, Swinburne University of Technology
After 37 years at the helm, fashion industry heavyweight Anna Wintour is stepping down from her position as editor-in-chief of American Vogue.
It’s not a retirement, though, as Wintour will maintain a leadership position at global fashion and lifestyle publisher Condé Nast (the owner of Vogue and other publications, such as Vanity Fair and Glamour).
Nonetheless, Wintour’s departure from the US edition of the magazine is a big moment for the fashion industry – one which she has single-handedly changed forever.
Fashion magazines as we know them today were first formalised in the 19th century. They helped establish the “trickle down theory” of fashion, wherein trends were traditionally dictated by certain industry elites, including major magazine editors.
In Australia, getting your hands on a monthly issue meant rare exposure to the latest European or American fashion trends.
Vogue itself was established in New York in 1892 by businessman Arthur Baldwin Turnure. The magazine targeted the city’s elite class, initially covering various aspects of high-society life. In 1909, Vogue was acquired by Condé Nast. From then, the magazine increasingly cemented itself as a cornerstone of the fashion publishing.
The period following the second world war particularly opened the doors to mass fashion consumerism and an expanding fashion magazine culture.
Wintour came on as editor of Vogue in 1988, at which point the magazine became less conservative, and more culturally significant.
Fashion publishing changed as a result of Wintour’s bold editorial choices – especially when it came to the magazine’s covers. Her choices both reflected, and dictated, shifts in fashion culture.
Wintour’s first cover at Vogue, published in 1988, mixed couture garments (Christian Lacroix) with mainstream brands (stonewashed Guess jeans) – something which had never been done before. It was also the first time a Vogue cover had featured jeans at all – perfectly setting the scene for a long career spent pushing the magazine into new domains.
Wintour also pioneered the centring of celebrities (rather than just models) within fashion discourse. And while she leveraged big names such as Beyonce, Madonna, Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss, Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey, she also featured rising stars as cover models – often helping propel their careers in the process.
Wintour’s legacy at Vogue involved elevating fashion from a frivolous runway to a powerful industry, which is not scared to make a statement. Nowhere is this truer than at the Met Gala, which is held each year to celebrate the opening of a new fashion exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute.
The event started as a simple fundraiser for the Met in 1948, before being linked to a fashion exhibit for the first time in 1974.
Wintour took over its organisation in 1995. Her focus on securing exclusive celebrity guests helped propel it to the prestigious event it is today.
This year’s theme for the event was Superfine: Tailoring Black Style. In a time where the US faces great political instability, Wintour was celebrated for her role in helping elevate Black history through the event.
However, while her cultural influence can’t be doubted, Wintour’s legacy at American Vogue is not without fault.
Notably, her ongoing feud with animal rights organisation PETA – due to the her unwavering support for fur – has bubbled in the background since the heydays of the anti-fur movement.
Wintour has been targeted directly by anti-fur activists, both physically (she was hit with a tofu cream pie in 2005 while leaving a Chloe show) and through numerous protests.
This issue was never resolved. Vogue has continued to showcase and feature fur clothing, even as the social license for using animal materials starts to run out.
Fashion continues to grow increasingly political. How magazines such as Vogue will engage with this shift remains to be seen.
The rise of fashion blogging in recent decades has led to a wave of fashion influencers, with throngs of followers, who are challenging the unidirectional “trickle-down” structure of the fashion industry.
Today, social media platforms have overtaken traditional media influence both within and outside of fashion. And with this, the power of fashion editors such as Wintour is diminishing significantly.
Many words will flow regarding Wintour’s departure as editor-in-chief, but nowhere near as many as what she oversaw at the helm of the world’s biggest fashion magazine.
Rachel Lamarche-Beauchesne has been affiliated with the Animal Justice Party.
Jye Marshall does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
– ref. Celebrities, blue jeans and couture: how Anna Wintour changed fashion over 37 years at Vogue – https://theconversation.com/celebrities-blue-jeans-and-couture-how-anna-wintour-changed-fashion-over-37-years-at-vogue-259989
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments
UK Statement for the Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on Belarus. Delivered by the UK’s Human Rights Ambassador, Eleanor Sanders.
Thank you, Mr Vice President.
The United Kingdom thanks you, Special Rapporteur, for your latest report and reiterates our strong support for your mandate.
We remain gravely concerned by the persistent and worsening human rights situation in Belarus. The systematic repression of civil society, independent media and political opposition continues unabated. Reports of arbitrary detention, torture and forced labour in detention facilities are alarming.
We welcome the recent release of several political prisoners, which offers a moment of hope. We urge Belarus to unconditionally release the nearly 1,200 individuals who remain unjustly detained for exercising their fundamental rights.
We are also concerned by the targeting of women and girls, including gender-based violence and discriminatory practices. The extraterritorial reach of repression, including threats to exiled Belarusians, is also deeply troubling.
We are following closely reports of the transfer of Ukrainian children to Belarus. Any such actions must be transparent, voluntary and fully in line with international humanitarian and human rights law.
Special Rapporteur,
How can the international community best support accountability efforts? What more can be done to protect exiled Belarusians from transnational repression?
