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Category: Economy

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Indian minister says ‘we can change the world for the better’

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the world stands fractious, polarized and frustrated amid war, unfair trade practices, climate change and food and health insecurity. Trust has eroded, processes have broken down and countries have extracted more from the international system than they have put in it, enfeebling it along the way.

    “Conversations have become difficult, agreements even more so,” he said. “This is surely not what the founders of the UN would have wanted for us. Reforming multilateralism is, therefore, an imperative.”

    The General Assembly must ask itself “how has this come to pass?” he said.

    “Every change must begin somewhere, and there is no better place than where it started,” he continued.

    “We, the Members of the United Nations, must now seriously and purposefully address ourselves to that task. If we carry on like this, the state of the world is only going to get worse, and that could mean that more of us are going to be left behind.

    For its part, India has sought to respond in a variety of ways, including targeted policies and initiatives focused on issues of the vulnerable, women, farmers and youth, from assured access to piped water, electricity, cooking gas and new homes to financial support for food producers.

    India has also expanded employment and entrepreneurship opportunities, created digital infrastructure for public services and convened three Global South summits while also responding to pressing needs in 78 nations.

    “In these troubled times, it is necessary to provide hope and rekindle optimism,” he said.

    “When India lands on the moon, rolls out its own 5G stack, dispatches vaccines worldwide, embraces fin-tech or houses so many Global Capability Centres, there is a message here. Our quest for a Viksit Bharat, or developed India, will understandably be followed closely.”

    However, challenges persist, he said, underscoring that many countries get left behind due to circumstances beyond their control. But some make conscious choices with disastrous consequences, with one example being neighbouring Pakistan, “a dysfunctional nation coveting the lands of others”. As such, he stressed, “Pakistan’s cross-border terrorism policy will never succeed.”

    When it comes to deciding on key issues, large parts of the world cannot be left behind, he said, emphasising that an effective, efficient UN must be more representative and fit for purpose.

    “Let us, therefore, send out a clear message from this UN General Assembly session: we are determined not to be left behind,” he said. “By coming together, sharing experiences, pooling resources and strengthening our resolve, we can change the world for the better.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Kazakhstan tightens laws to combat trafficking of newborns

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By  Kulpash Konyrova, in Kazakhstan

    Law and Crime Prevention

    Babies are being sold for up to $4,500 in Kazakhstan, but the government is cracking down on traffickers with a new law adopted earlier this month.

    To fight against trafficking newborns, the new legislation facilitates the criminal prosecution for such crimes as kidnapping, illegal deprivation of liberty, human trafficking, involvement in prostitution and more.

    Approved ahead of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, marked annually on 30 July, the law responds to a grim reality.

    Last year, 19 cases of trade in newborns were registered in the country, for which more than 15 people were brought to justice, according to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs.

    So far in 2024, six cases of trade in newborns have been registered, with the ministry reporting prices for each child range from $200 to $4,500.

    © Ministry of Health of Kazakhstan

    Doctors check the condition of a newborn baby who needs medical assistance at a hospital in Kazakhstan.

    True extent of the problem

    But, that is just the surface, said Gulnaz Kelekeyeva, head of the project Kazakhstan’s Actions in Combating Child Trafficking project at Winrock International, a United States-based non-governmental organization (NGO). Ms. Kelekeyeva said she believes that official statistics do not reflect the real state of affairs.

    “Unfortunately, in Kazakhstan, there has been virtually no nationwide research on socially vulnerable children and the vulnerability of children to trafficking and exploitation,” she told UN News. “There are also no accurate statistics to assess the true scale of the problem.”

    The only study on vulnerable Kazakhstani children who have been victims of human trafficking in and outside the country, as well as sexual exploitation, was conducted in 2012 by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Kazakhstan.

    Trafficking moves online

    Since then, human and child trafficking has moved online, Ms. Kelekeyeva warned.

    “Much has changed over the past 12 years, in particular, human and child trafficking is now increasingly taking place in cyberspace,” she said. “It is necessary to conduct a new analysis of the current situation in the country regarding the protection of children from trafficking and exploitation.”

    Human and child trafficking is now increasingly taking place in cyberspace

    Today, there is only isolated information about cases of child trafficking that gets into the media from crime reports, she emphasised.

    Last fall, media reports spotlighted a case about the sale of an abandoned baby by obstetricians at a maternity hospital in Kazakhstan. The doctors were found guilty of selling a newborn for $3,000 and sentenced to eight years of imprisonment.

    Another case involved a 23-year-old mother tried to sell her two children. The eldest was about a year old, and the second was less than a month old. The children are now under state protection.

    Protecting children

    Unfortunately, those tasked with caring for children are often unaware of the role they play in preventing and combatting child trafficking, Ms. Kelekeyeva said. That includes health and education authorities, maternity hospitals and schools, children’s homes, guardianship and trusteeship institutions, visiting nurses and paediatricians at clinics, emergency wards and private medical centres in Kazakhstan.

    “Often, they mistakenly believe that this issue falls within the competence of purely law enforcement agencies,” she said. “Although it is precisely in this issue that there should be interaction between all interested services.”

    Child trafficking is not only the adoption of children, but also sexual exploitation, forced labour and the sale of organs, she said.

    Digital tools are helping

    The new Kazakh law is toughening penalties for human trafficking requires healthcare workers to report abandoned newborns or face administrative liability, and digital technologies are helping to identify such cases.

    Since last year, a pilot project has been tested in one of the maternity hospitals Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Each newborn was immediately given an individual identification number, which eliminates the possibility of criminal transactions.

    This year, the pilot is being rolled out across the country.

    Legal support

    Scientific achievements at the time, such as the possibility of artificial insemination, are now causing many difficulties in developing a law aimed at preventing the trafficking of newborns, explained member of parliament Sergei Ponomarev, who took part in developing the new anti-trafficking legislation.

    Today, cases have been encountered where women from Kazakhstan, especially from the southern regions of the country, are used as incubators to bear other people’s children, he said.

    The child’s DNA is then taken to determine parental rights with a man who is a citizen of another country, he said, noting that when determining kinship, the biological father has every right to take his child abroad.

    “Regarding this matter, we are open to studying the experience of other countries,” he said.

    A Kazakh sold abroad returns home

    When 21-year-old Eddy Jean (born Zhanibek) was born, he was adopted by a single Belgian woman who reportedly paid €12,000. In 2022, he came to Kazakhstan in search of his birth mother.

    “I don’t need anything; I just want to see my mother’s face, hug her at least once and calm my heart,” Eddy said at the time on a popular talk show that aired on national television. “I still worry, especially when I talk about my mother.”

    I just want to see my mother’s face, hug her at least once and calm my heart

    Renowned journalist Kymbat Doszhan told UN News that she was so moved by Eddy’s story that she became his official representative in Kazakhstan in the search for his biological mother.

    She said Eddy’s biological mother had asked to leave the maternity hospital with a receipt in 2002, but never returned. In those years, when the nation’s economy was recovering after the Soviet Union’s collapse, she said many Kazakhstani children were adopted by foreigners and taken abroad.

    The Kazakhstan Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that foreigners can now pay as much as $50,000 for a trafficked newborn. But, Ms. Doszhan said “it is still very difficult to find Eddy’s biological mother.”

    She said archival documents from the orphanage have either disappeared or do not contain accurate information.

    “Perhaps this was done intentionally,” she continued. “There were two meetings with Eddy’s alleged mothers, but the DNA results did not confirm the relationship. When we contacted his adoptive mother from Belgium, it turned out that she had paid the orphanage staff €12,000.”

    Today in Kazakhstan, issues of child adoption are regulated by law. In the event of the detection of a crime, in particular an act of purchase and sale or other transactions in relation to a minor, the fact is registered under article 135, on trafficking minors, of the Criminal Code.

    Still, the search for Eddy’s birth mother continues, Ms. Doszhan said.

    “We were faced with the fact that we had no one to even file claims against,” she said. “Those who sold children in those years have long since left Kazakhstan.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guinea: Senior UN officials welcome verdict in 2009 stadium massacre trial

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Law and Crime Prevention

    The fight against impunity must continue in Guinea, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights said on Thursday, welcoming the long-awaited verdict in the trial into the 2009 massacre at a stadium in the capital, Conakry.

    On Wednesday, a court in Conakry found former President Moussa Dadis Camara and several other military leaders guilty of crimes against humanity. Four other men were acquitted.

    Those convicted were also ordered to provide reparations to the victims and their families.

    Right to justice

    “After nearly 15 years, the victims, survivors and their families have the right to full justice and transparency,” UN rights chief Volker Türk said.

    “It is necessary to continue the path that Guinea has already started towards an end to impunity and ensuring that all those responsible for human rights violations are brought to justice,” he added.

    The High Commissioner also called for further strengthening of Guinea’s judicial institutions and guaranteeing their independence as key to preventing such violations from recurring.

    Killings, sexual violence and torture

    At least 156 people were killed, many disappeared and at least 109 girls and women were subjected to sexual violence, including sexual mutilation and sexual slavery, when security and military forces attacked a peaceful political rally at the Conakry Stadium on 28 September 2009.

    A number of victims were tortured to death and buried in mass graves.

    In the aftermath, a UN Commission of Inquiry was mandated to establish the facts and circumstances, to identify those responsible and make recommendations.

    With the support of the UN human rights office, OHCHR, the Commission concluded at the time that there was a “strong presumption that crimes against humanity were committed”, with “reasonable grounds to suspect individual criminal responsibility”.

    “Those who have lost loved ones and those who have been subjected to torture and sexual violence have the right to comprehensive psychosocial as well as financial support,” Mr. Türk said.

    The High Commissioner noted that it was also crucial for the Guinean Government to determine the whereabouts of all those who went missing and ensure those responsible for enforced disappearances and associated violations are held to account.

    He also stressed the importance of guaranteeing the defendants’ right to appeal.

    Powerful message against impunity

    Separately, the senior UN official working to end rape in wartime also welcomed the outcome of the trial.

    Pramila Patten, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on sexual violence in conflict, said the verdict sends a powerful message that impunity will not be tolerated and reaffirms commitment to upholding the rights of survivors.

    “The delivery of the first-instance verdict is a significant milestone in the pursuit of justice for survivors of sexual violence and accountability for perpetrators. Sexual violence crimes have always been at the centre of this accountability process, both in investigations and trial,” she added.

    The Special Representative’s Office has supported this process since 2011, when the Guinean Government and the UN signed a joint communiqué on the fight against impunity for the 28 September 2009 events, including sexual violence.

    Through the Team of Experts on the rule of law and sexual violence in conflict, the Office has provided technical assistance to the investigating judges throughout the investigation phase and in the establishment of a steering committee for the organization of the trial.

    Ms. Patten commended the crucial efforts by Guinean authorities in organising this nationally owned process.

    She also praised the proactive role of the national judicial system and the magistrates’ professionalism in the conduct of a fair trial.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Today’s challenges are ‘opportunities for transformation’, Somali leader tells UN

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

    In his address to the UN General Assembly’s annual debate, Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre of Somalia highlighted the multitude of challenges facing the world today, including transnational conflicts, humanitarian crises, and the existential threat of climate change. 

    Underscoring the theme of this year’s Assembly session, he said that these challenges come with “an opportunity for transformation” that can only be realized through “closer cooperation, collective resolve, and an unwavering commitment to the principles of humanity and multilateralism.”  

    The Prime Minister addressed the urgency of escalating global conflicts, notably the humanitarian crises in Sudan, Gaza, and Ukraine. Denouncing the violence in Sudan, where ongoing conflict has displaced millions and led to severe food insecurity, he urged a cessation of hostilities and the protection of civilians, emphasizing the need for humanitarian access and inclusive dialogue.  

    Turning to Gaza, Mr. Barre said, “The ongoing conflict has not only destroyed the physical infrastructure of Gaza but has also crushed the hopes of an entire generation,” and called for an unconditional ceasefire and the lifting of the inhumane blockade, advocating for a political process that respects the rights of the Palestinian people.  

    He also addressed the ongoing war in Ukraine, again calling for a ceasefire and adherence to international humanitarian law. He stressed the importance of dialogue to achieve a lasting political settlement and prevent further escalation.  

    The Prime Minister noted that while global conflicts demand attention, regional threats should not be overlooked, particularly highlighting the threats posed by Ethiopia’s recent actions, which he described as violations of Somalia’s territorial integrity. He condemned Ethiopia’s attempts to annex parts of Somalia and called for international support to uphold Somalia’s sovereignty.  

    He went on to emphasize the critical need for sustainable funding for peacekeeping, particularly in Somalia, where African Union forces have played a vital role in combating terrorism. He urged the international community to support innovative funding solutions to ensure the success of these missions.  

    Climate change was another focal point of Mr. Barre’s address. He highlighted the severe impacts of climate change on Somalia, including droughts and floods. He noted, “For many developing countries, the reality is that the complex bureaucracy, rigid criteria, and lack of necessary resources often stand in the way of receiving the help they so desperately need” and called for simplified access to international funds to help vulnerable nations build resilience.  

    Mr. Barre also advocated for reforming the UN Security Council to better reflect today’s geopolitical realities, supporting the ‘Ezulwini Consensus’ for a more inclusive Council. He also called for reforms in international financial institutions to create a more equitable global economy, emphasizing the need for accountability and transparency.  

    Highlighting Somalia’s progress, PM Barre celebrated recent milestones, including the completion of debt relief and accession to the East African Community, and emphasized Somalia’s potential for economic growth and development, citing natural resources and a strategic location for trade.  

    Click here for the full statement.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Conor Lennon

    Climate and Environment

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

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

    1 Can we keep 1.5 alive?

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

    © UNICEF/Lasse Bak Mejlvang

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

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

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

    2 Protecting nature

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

    © Unsplash/Sreenivas

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

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

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

    3 Who’s going to pay for all this?

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

    © UNFCCC/Habib Samadov

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

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

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

    4 Laying down the law

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

    © UNDP/Silke von Brockhausen

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

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

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

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

    5 Plastic pollution

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

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

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

    UNDP India

    Plastic bottles are collected for recycling in India.

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

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

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 2024 to become the hottest year on record

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    The year 2024 is set to be the warmest on record, capping a decade of unprecedented heat fuelled by human activities, according to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). 

    “Today I can officially report that we have just endured a decade of deadly heat. The top ten hottest years on record have happened in the last ten years, including 2024,” said Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for the New Year.  

    “This is climate breakdown — in real time. We must exit this road to ruin — and we have no time to lose,” he gravely emphasised.

    WMO will publish the consolidated global temperature figure for 2024 in January and its full State of the Global Climate 2024 report in March 2025.  

    Climate catastrophes 

    Throughout 2024, a series of reports from the WMO community highlighted the rapid pace of climate change and its far-reaching impacts on every aspect of sustainable development.

    Record-breaking rainfalls were documented as well as catastrophic flooding, scorching heat waves with temperatures exceeding 50°C, and devastating wildfires.  

    The organization found that climate change added 41 days of dangerous heat in 2024, harming human health and ecosystems in their report When Risks Become Reality: Extreme Weather.  

    Climate change also intensified 26 of the 29 weather events studied by World Weather Attribution that killed at least 3700 people and displaced millions. 

    Celeste Saulo, the WMO Secretary-General, described the year as a sobering wake-up call. 

    “This year we saw record-breaking rainfall and flooding events and terrible loss of life in so many countries, causing heartbreak to communities on every continent,” she stated.

    “Every fraction of a degree of warming matters, and increases climate extremes, impacts and risks,” she underscored.  

    Hope amid crises  

    Despite the grim realities, the year 2024 saw notable advancements with the adoption of the Pact for the Future – a landmark agreement to promote disarmament, financial reform, gender equality, and ethical technological innovation.  

    The COP29 UN climate conference also recently discussed ways to increase finance for poor countries to support them in coping with the impacts of extreme weather.  

    Developing countries are responsible for a small amount of historic carbon emissions, but as WMO research has highlighted, are being hit the hardest by extreme weather. 

    Moreover, in response to the Secretary-General’s Call to Action on Extreme Heat, a targeted group of experts representing 15 international organizations and 12 countries convened at WMO headquarters in December to advance a coordinated framework for tackling the growing threat of extreme heat.  

    2025: A pivotal year  

    With 2025 designated as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, WMO and the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) aim to prioritise efforts to protect the cryosphere – the Earth’s frozen regions, critical to regulating global temperatures.  

    Additionally, WMO is advancing initiatives like the Global Greenhouse Gas Watch which aims to improve the monitoring of greenhouse gas (GHG) net fluxes globally.  

    By 2027, the organization also aims to ensure universal protection from hazardous environmental events through life-saving anticipatory systems currently developed in the Early Warnings for All programme.  

    Reflecting on WMO’s upcoming 75th anniversary, Ms. Saulo reinforced the shared responsibility to act.

    “If we want a safer planet, we must act now. It’s our responsibility. It’s a common responsibility, a global responsibility,” she firmly stated.  

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Climate emergency: 2025 declared international year of glaciers

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Pia Blondel

    Climate and Environment

    As glaciers disappear at an alarming rate due to climate change, the UN General Assembly has declared 2025 the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation (IYGP).

    Co-facilitated by the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this global initiative seeks to unite efforts worldwide to protect these vital water sources, which provide freshwater to more than 2 billion people.

    Glaciers and ice sheets hold around 70 per cent of the world’s freshwater and their rapid loss presents an urgent environmental and humanitarian crisis.

    WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo emphasised this urgency, saying “Melting ice and glaciers threaten long-term water security for many millions of people. This international year must be a wake-up call to the world.”

    Alarming data

    In 2023, glaciers experienced their greatest water loss in over 50 years, marking the second consecutive year in which all glaciated regions worldwide reported ice loss.

    Switzerland, for instance, saw their glaciers lose 10 per cent of their total mass between 2022 and 2023, according to the WMO.

    Dr. Lydia Brito, UNESCO’s Assistant Director-General for Natural Sciences, explained during the launch event in Geneva that the “50 UNESCO heritage sites with glaciers represent almost 10 per cent of Earth’s glacier area.” However, a recent study warned that glaciers in one-third of these sites are projected to disappear by 2050.

    With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, the need for immediate and decisive action has never been more critical.

    2025 key initiatives

    A key focus, the panel explained, is raising global awareness about the essential role glaciers, snow and ice play in regulating the climate and supporting ecosystems and communities.

    “Glaciers don’t care if we believe in science – they just melt in the heat,” said Dr. Carolina Adler of the Mountain Research Initiative.

    The initiative also aims to enhance scientific understanding through programmes like the Global Cryosphere Watch, ensuring that data guides effective climate action.

    Strengthening policy frameworks is another priority, with the integration of glacier preservation into global and national climate strategies, such as the Paris Agreement.

    Mobilising financial resources is another priority – essential to support vulnerable communities and fund adaptation and mitigation efforts – alongside engaging youth and local communities.

    Milestones on climate

    The first World Glacier Day will be celebrated on 21 March 2025, coinciding with World Water Day, coming a day later.

    In May, Tajikistan will host the International Glacier Preservation Conference, bringing together scientists, policymakers and community leaders to discuss solutions and form partnerships.

    “Tajikistan is immensely proud to have played an instrumental role in advocating for this resolution,” said Bahodur Sheralizoda, Chair of Tajikistan’s Committee of Environmental Protection.

    “Let us be clear, the only way to preserve glaciers as an important resource for the entire planet is for all governments to collectively course correct with Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) fully consistent with the 1.5°C Paris Agreement limit,” he underscored.

    Challenges ahead

    According to the policy brief on the IYGP, “Some level of glacier loss remains inevitable given current loss rates, which modelling shows will continue until temperatures stabilise.”

    “We must prepare for cryospheric destruction through urgent policy changes,” explained Dr. John Pomeroy from the University of Saskatchewan.

    These efforts will require global cooperation, particularly in regions like Central Asia, where glacier loss has led to significant water security challenges.

    “In Tajikistan alone nearly 1,000 glaciers have melted, accounting for one-third of the country’s glacier volume,” Dr. Brito highlighted.

    A shared responsibility

    The IYGP seeks to unite nations, organizations and individuals in a common mission.

    “[It] provides a mechanism to kick start both renewed efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the science and adaptation necessary to prepare for a warmer, less icy world,” said Dr. Pomeroy

    “History will record that 2025 was the tipping point where humanity changed course and eventually saved the glaciers, ourselves and our planet,” he concluded.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Twenty Defendants Indicted in Akron Drug Trafficking and Firearms Conspiracy

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    AKRON, Ohio – A 51-count superseding indictment was unsealed today charging 17 Ohio residents of operating a large-scale drug trafficking scheme based in Akron. The Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) is alleged to be responsible for trafficking distribution quantities of controlled substances in the Summit County, Ohio area including methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, as well as Alprazolam, which is more commonly known under the brand name Xanax. Three other defendants were indicted separately for their involvement in the conspiracy.

    According to court documents, the investigation that led to the indictment began in December 2023 and continued to around August 2024. The alleged leader, Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, 41, of Akron, was believed to be the center of the DTO that distributed illegal drugs throughout Northeast Ohio. He was regularly supplied by co-conspirators who funneled drug inventory from sources connected to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG or Jalisco Cartel). Sanders-Taylor developed a drug distribution process that employed a number of individuals to serve as drug dealers throughout the Northeast Ohio region.

    Court documents show that Sanders-Taylor used a network of associates to re-sell the drugs, assist with financial transactions, or act as lookouts while drug deals took place. Several co-defendants and other members of the conspiracy maintained and used residences in Summit County, Ohio, to store and distribute their drug supplies, or to manufacture controlled substances. Members of the conspiracy also possessed firearms to further their illegal business activities and protect their drug inventory.

    Sanders-Taylor was arrested on June 10, 2024, after he engaged in a pursuit by the Ohio State Highway Patrol on Interstate 77 in Summit County. As he fled from police, he threw two loaded firearms with high-capacity magazines from the vehicle. Sanders-Taylor crashed the vehicle and then fled on foot and attempted to carjack two separate vehicles with people still inside. Sanders-Taylor was later discovered to have prior federal convictions which prohibits him from possessing firearms. Further investigation of the incident determined that he also possessed distribution amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The remaining defendants were apprehended in a series of coordinated arrests.

    The superseding indictment charges the following 17 defendants:

    • Joe Nathan Sanders-Taylor, aka Red, 41, Akron
    • Brooke Marie Logan, aka Bee, 29, Akron
    • Tyrell Jerome Jennings, aka 50, 35, Cleveland
    • Christopher Michael Andrews, aka Blondy, 28, Akron
    • Crystal Marie Harris, 50, Akron
    • Ronald Oscar Clark, 58, Akron
    • Chelsey Marie Connelly, 35, Akron
    • Angela Grace Wade, 47, Akron
    • Demardre Leshawn Johnson, aka Icey, 37, Akron
    • Denetris Condra May, aka D-May, aka Mayday, 38, Akron
    • John P. Burton, 41, Akron
    • Brian Keith Hinkle, aka Hizzle, 38, Akron
    • Joshua Lee Hackney, aka Country, 38, Akron
    • Matthew Dion Inman, 54, Akron
    • Thomas Franklin Casanova, 27, Akron
    • Donnie Keith Eugene Schaffer, 30, Akron
    • Julia Francesca Stavole-Habimana, 26, Richfield

    The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants did unlawfully, knowingly, and intentionally combine, conspire, confederate, and agree with each other to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, all Schedule II controlled substances, and Alprazolam, a Schedule IV controlled substance.

    In addition, three other defendants involved with this drug trafficking and firearms conspiracy were charged in a separate superseding indictment:

    • Robert Parham, 54, Akron
    • Laverne Fortson, 50, Akron
    • Jeffery Goldbach, 54, Ravenna

    According to court documents, in July 2024, Parham had 28 firearms, which included a machine gun, distribution amounts of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine in his possession at his apartment in Akron. Fortson and Goldbach also possessed distribution amounts of narcotics at their residences.

    An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

    If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to this case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, the defendant’s role in the offense and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.

    The investigation preceding the superseding indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the FBI Akron Field Office, with assistance from the Akron Police Department, Ohio State Highway Patrol, Portage County Sheriff’s Office, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, Girard Police Department, Barberton Police Department, Liberty Police Department, and the University of Akron Police Department.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Granite Credit Union Selects Appli to Modernize Digital Lending Experience

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Appli, a provider of artificial intelligence-powered financial calculators, announced that Granite Credit Union has selected its financial calculator solution to improve the digital lending experience for its members.

    “In our market, which is very credit union-heavy, staying competitive technologically while maintaining our focus on member service is crucial,” said Garrett Laws, chief lending officer at Granite Credit Union. “Financial calculators are often the first step in a member’s lending journey, but traditional calculators provide limited value. Appli’s guided experience gives members the confidence to move forward with applications while helping those who might not initially qualify understand their path to approval. Even if someone isn’t ready for loan approval today, being able to show them a path forward aligns perfectly with our mission of helping people be confident in their financial future.”

    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

    Granite Credit Union will implement Appli’s technology to help members better understand their borrowing options and loan qualification potential before submitting formal applications. Starting with auto loans, including its unique “vanishing rate auto loan” program that rewards members with rate discounts for consistent on-time payments, the credit union plans to integrate the calculators throughout its digital presence – from its website and online banking portal to new member onboarding communications. Future phases will expand to personal loans and credit cards, with plans to explore mortgage and business lending applications.

    “Granite Credit Union is a perfect example of the innovative, member-focused approach we designed Appli for,” said Tim Pranger, CEO of Appli. “Their commitment to serving diverse communities and helping members build financial confidence through technology makes them an ideal partner as we continue expanding our platform’s capabilities.”

    About Granite Credit Union
    Founded in 1935, Granite Credit Union serves over 35,000 members and has just over $800 million in assets. Committed to helping members achieve their financial goals, Granite Credit Union offers a variety of financial products and services, including competitive rates, flexible lending options, and personalized financial guidance. With a vision of “always there… so you can make life happen,” the credit union strives to empower members with the tools and support they need to succeed financially. Members enjoy access to secure mobile banking services, online tools, and personalized in-branch assistance at locations across Utah. Granite Credit Union is dedicated to making a positive impact in the communities it serves through financial education, trusted relationships, and exceptional service. Granite Credit Union is always there… so you can make life happen. Learn more at granite.org.

    About Appli
    Appli, founded in 2024 by POPi/o co-founder Tim Pranger, provides AI-powered financial calculators that help lenders and member service representatives create personalized, engaging shopping experiences for financial products. By combining real-time analysis with generative AI, Appli’s tools boost customer confidence and increase conversion rates for financial institutions. For more information about Appli and its smart financial calculator for credit unions, visit hiappli.com.

    Media Contact:
    marketing@granite.org

    The MIL Network –

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

    US Senate News:

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

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN expert calls for action as Marshall Islands faces dual displacement crisis

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

    An independent UN expert on Thursday called on the international community to fulfill its “urgent moral obligation” to support the Marshall Islands in addressing displacement challenges stemming from the impacts of historical nuclear testing and the growing threat of climate change. 

    The appeal from Paula Gaviria Betancur, UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights of internally displaced persons, comes as the Pacific nation grapples with generational displacement and the threat posed by rising sea levels and unprecedented global heating.

    The Marshall Islands, a frontline nation in the fight to slow global warming, faces unique challenges.

    As one of the small island developing States (SIDS), it has played a significant role in international climate action. Under the Paris Agreement of 2015, the Marshall Islands was instrumental, along with other SIDS, in advocating strongly for the inclusion of the 1.5 C temperature goal.

    The nation also submitted one of the first Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCS) under the agreement.

    The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) identifies the Marshall Islands as particularly vulnerable to climate change impacts, with rising sea levels posing an existential threat.

    Despite these challenges, the agreement on ‘Loss and Damage funding’ at COP27,  marks a critical development for vulnerable nations like the Marshall Islands. This mechanism aims to provide financial assistance to the most vulnerable nations impacted by climate change effects.

    Nuclear testing threatens communities

    Beyond environmental challenges, research conducted by the UN human rights office, OHCHR, revealed that 67 nuclear tests performed between 1946 and 1958 by the United States Government in the Marshall Islands left communities displaced and contributed to radioactive land and sea pollution.

    “Legacies of nuclear testing and military land requisitions by a foreign power have displaced hundreds of Marshallese for generations,” while the adverse effects of climate change threaten to displace thousands more,” said Ms. Gaviria Betancur, following her 10-day visit to the country.

    The UN Human Rights Council-appointed expert who receives no salary and represents no government or organization, welcomed Marshall Islanders’ efforts to seek remedy and solutions for displaced persons while emphasizing that the “situation has been largely driven beyond the country’s control”.

    Indigenous rights

    During her visit, Ms. Gaviria Betancur emphasized the profound impact of displacement on Marshallese communities.

    “Many Marshallese I spoke with recounted the profound sense of dislocation they feel as a result of their displacement from lands deeply intertwined with their sense of culture and identity as Indigenous Peoples,” she reported.

    She congratulated the Marshall Islands on its recent election to the Human Rights Council and its introduction of a resolution addressing the human rights implications of the nuclear legacy.

    She also outlined specific recommendations for the government, stating, “the Government should adopt a comprehensive, rights-based policy on displacement, promote greater transparency around laws and policies relevant to displaced persons and continue working with traditional leaders”.

    International Responsibility

    Addressing historical responsibility, the expert noted that displacement occurred while the Marshall Islands were under US administration as a Strategic Trust Territory of the United Nations. She urged the United States to provide complete information about the displacement and health risks to affected communities, ensure meaningful remedy, and seek full consent from those with traditional rights to lands it currently occupies for military purposes.

    “While current compensation agreements may have been put in place after independence, these aims to codify displacement that took place when those displaced could not reasonably have provide free, prior and informed consent in line with Indigenous Peoples’ right to self-determination,” she stated.

    Ms. Gaviria Betancur called on the international community to provide more support for the Marshall Islands’ climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, highlighting the countries minimal contribution to global emissions. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Underinvestment threatens universal health coverage goals

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    Coinciding with Universal Health Coverage Day on Thursday the World Health Organization (WHO) released its 2024 Global Health Expenditure Report, revealing troubling declines in government health spending.

    The report, titled Global Spending on Health: Emerging from the Pandemic, shows a reduction in per capita government health expenditures in 2022 across all income groups, following a surge during the early COVID-19 pandemic years.

    This concerning trend undermines progress toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC), a goal enshrined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the agency said.

    This year, Universal Health Coverage Day emphasises the urgent need for governments to prioritise financial protection, ensuring access to essential health services for all without risking financial hardship.

    A global health emergency

    The statistics are stark: 4.5 billion people worldwide lack access to basic health services, and 2 billion experience financial hardship from healthcare costs.

    For many, the high price of medical care presents impossible choices between vital treatments and necessities like food and housing.

    These challenges disproportionately impact vulnerable populations, including women, children, and adolescents, who face the greatest barriers to healthcare access.

    “While access to health services has been improving globally, using those services is driving more and more people into financial hardship or poverty,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

    “Universal Health Coverage Day is a reminder that health for all, means everyone can access the health services they need, without financial hardship,” he added.

    The cost of inaction

    Reduced government health investments can have far-reaching consequences.

    Without sufficient funding, health systems waver, leaving populations vulnerable in both their routine health needs and crises.

    The COVID-19 pandemic shed light on the connection between UHC and health security, underscoring the need for resilient health systems that protect everyone, everywhere.

    Investing in health is not just a moral imperative but an economic one.

    Access to affordable healthcare improves workforce participation, boosts productivity, and fosters social cohesion.

    On the contrary, when healthcare costs force people into poverty, the economic ripple effects can be devastating.

    UHC Day 2024: A call to action

    Since the UN General Assembly’s endorsement of UHC in 2012, global leaders have reaffirmed their commitments in multiple declarations. Yet, financial protection has worsened over the last two decades.

    This Universal Health Coverage Day, advocates are urging governments to meet their commitments by prioritising health funding in national budgets.

    The 2024 UHC Day theme, “Health: It’s on the Government”, underscores the role of governments in ensuring equitable and affordable healthcare for all.

    Advocates are calling on leaders to protect the poorest and most vulnerable from impoverishing health costs and to ensure no one has to choose between healthcare and basic needs.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    UN Affairs

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

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

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

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

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

    Soundcloud

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Soundcloud

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: First Person: Swapping guns for ballpens in the Philippines

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Peace and Security

    A former combatant fighting for the rights of her people on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines has been talking about how she has swapped her combat fatigues for jilbabs [outer garment] and her life in the jungle for a more peaceful rural community.

    A former combatant fighting for the rights of her people on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines has been talking about how she has swapped her combat fatigues for jilbabs [outer garment]and her life in the jungle for a more peaceful rural community.

    Suraida ‘Sur’ Amil joined the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB) as an 18-year-old with the with the goal of achieving autonomy for the predominantly Muslim regions of Mindanao.

    After an agreement was signed to end the insurrection and provide a greater autonomy and self-governance for the people of Bangsamoro, she participated in a reconciliation programme supported by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) to reintegrate and rehabilitate former combatants. 

    © UNODC/Laura Gil

    Suraida ‘Sur’ Amil is now a community peace advocate.

    “From an early age growing up in Bangsamoro, I saw how difficult life was for my parents. They faced different forms of discrimination, and they witnessed the brutality of the nine-year-long martial law which was declared in 1972 and which deeply affected many communities across Mindanao, including Muslim populations.

    My parents had a hard life, they lived in poverty and were not able to achieve their dreams. This has affected my life and the life of my nine other siblings. I had hoped to become a teacher but I was never able to do so as I did not finish school due to the lack of financial support.

    At eighteen I realized I had to fight for the rights of our people for our self-determination, not just for my generation but also for future generations.

    A friend of mine was a member of BIWAB and as soon as I heard about its goals, it made me think about the suffering my parents had experienced and what I could do to improve the situation for our community.

    If you ask me whether I would choose war or peace, of course I would never choose war over peace, but we had to fight for that peace.

    © Suraida Amil

    Suraida ‘Amil joined the Bangsamoro Islamic Women Auxiliary Brigade (BIWAB) as an 18-year-old.

    I spent time operating in the jungles as a combatant. It was a harsh environment living in the mountains alongside wild animals without the comforts of home.

    But women are very strong; they have the ability to become fighters while at the same time be providers for their families.

    Ballpens not guns, jilbabs not military uniforms

    In 2014 the peace agreement for Bangsamoro  (the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, CAB) was signed and so little by little we are transforming ourselves into civilians. I have swapped my combat boots for lipstick, I carry ballpens for writing rather than a gun for shooting, I wear a jilbab and not a military uniform and I have moved out of the jungle and back into my community.

    I have become a peace facilitator and work with people in my local area on issues such as gender-based violence and how to prevent violent extremism.

    Islam teaches us to be kind to one another and not to harm other human beings. We have a saying in Islam that if we save one life, it is as if we have saved humanity.

    I value and am proud of my role as a peace advocate in my community.

    As part of the workshop discussion on modern forms of communications, which I participated in, I learned how to promote the awareness and prevention of violent extremism on social media.

    I am now living a life of peace but my message to my young daughter has always been that she should always fight for her rights.

    When you are fighting for a noble cause, it doesn’t matter if you gain or you lose something, because it is the cause itself which truly matters.”

    • Suraida Amil participated in the Strategic Communications workshop on Preventing and Countering Violent Extremism (PCVE) under the EU-STRIVE programme.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Law and Crime Prevention

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

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

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

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

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

    Pillar of international cooperation       

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

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

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

    UN Video | United Nations takes on organized crime

    Cocaine, deforestation, community impact

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

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

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

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

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

    UN News / David Mottershead

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

    Opium resurgence in Afghanistan

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

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

    Southeast Asia: The Golden Triangle’s drug economy

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

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

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

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

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

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

    UN News/Daniel Dickinson

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

    Global drug crisis

    The impact of transnational crime extends far beyond producer countries.

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

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

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

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

    Nevertheless, UNODC remains committed to supporting global efforts.

    People-centred approach

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Human Rights

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

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

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

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

    Alarming trends

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

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

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

    A glimmer of hope

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

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

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

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

    Beyond the numbers

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

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

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

    Emerging threats

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN General Assembly adopts milestone cybercrime treaty

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Law and Crime Prevention

    The General Assembly on Tuesday adopted the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime, a landmark global treaty aimed at strengthening international cooperation to combat cybercrime and protecting societies from digital threats.

    The agreement on the legally binding treaty marked the culmination of a five-year effort by UN Member States, with inputs from civil society, information security experts, academia and the private sector.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the adoption of the Convention – the first international criminal justice treaty to have been negotiated in over 20 years.

    “This treaty is a demonstration of multilateralism succeeding during difficult times and reflects the collective will of Member States to promote international cooperation to prevent and combat cybercrime,” his spokesperson said in a statement.

    The statement added that the Convention “creates an unprecedented platform for collaboration” in the exchange of evidence, protection for victims and prevention, while safeguarding human rights online.

    “The Secretary-General trusts that the new treaty will promote a safe cyberspace and calls on all States to join the Convention and to implement it in cooperation with relevant stakeholders.”

    New tool to protect people

    Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, highlighted the importance of the new Convention.

    “We live in a digital world, one where information and communications technologies have enormous potential for the development of societies, but also increases the potential threat of cybercrime,” he said.

    “With the adoption of this Convention, Member States have at hand the tools and means to strengthen international cooperation in preventing and combating cybercrime, protecting people and their rights online.”

    The resolution containing the Convention was adopted without a vote by the 193-member General Assembly.

    A victory for multilateralism

    Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also described the adoption of the treaty as a “major victory” for multilateralism.

    “It is a crucial step forward in our efforts to address crimes like online child sexual abuse, sophisticated online scams and money laundering,” she said.

    Ms. Waly reiterated the UN agency’s commitment to support all nations in signing, ratifying and implementing the new treaty, as well as providing them with the tools and support they need to protect their economies and safeguard the digital sphere from cybercrime.

    The Convention

    The Convention against Cybercrime acknowledges the significant risks posed by the misuse of information and communications technologies (ICT), which enable criminal activities on an unprecedented scale, speed, and scope.

    It highlights the adverse impacts such crimes can have on States, enterprises, and the well-being of individuals and society, and focuses on protecting them from offenses such as terrorism, human trafficking, drug smuggling and online financial crimes.

    It also recognises the growing impact of cybercrime on victims and prioritises justice, especially for vulnerable groups. It further underscores the need for technical assistance, capacity-building and collaboration among States and other stakeholders.

    Read more about why the Convention against Cybercrime matters in this explainer.

    Next steps

    The Convention against Cybercrime will open for signature at a formal ceremony to be hosted in Hanoi, Viet Nam, in 2025. It will enter into force 90 days after being ratified by the 40th signatory.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

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

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Migrants and Refugees

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Challenges remain

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

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

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

    A call for solidarity

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Rise in Afghan opium cultivation reflects economic hardship, despite Taliban ban

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    Law and Crime Prevention

    Opium cultivation in Afghanistan spiked by 19 per cent in 2024, covering an estimated 12,800 hectares despite a ban imposed by the Taliban, a report released on Wednesday by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has revealed.

    The rebound follows a massive 95 per cent decrease in 2023, when the ban nearly eliminated poppy production nationwide, leading to a severe decline in Afghanistan’s opium output.

    However, while cultivation has increased, the current levels remain substantially lower than in 2022, which saw 232,000 hectares under poppy cultivation.

    UNODC Executive Director Ghada Waly emphasized the urgency of sustainable alternatives for Afghan farmers, given their pressing challenges.

    “With opium cultivation remaining at a low level in Afghanistan, we have the opportunity and responsibility to support Afghan farmers to develop sustainable sources of income free from illicit markets,” she said.

    “The women and men of Afghanistan continue to face dire financial and humanitarian challenges, and alternative livelihoods are urgently needed.”

    Shift in cultivation patterns

    The UNODC report pointed to a notable geographic shift in cultivation patterns. While southwest Afghanistan has traditionally been the country’s opium hub, 59 per cent of opium cultivation this year has taken place in provinces in the northeast.  

    This represents a nearly four-fold increase in the region compared to last year, suggesting the potential for both adaptive planting practices and the influence of market pressures, as rural communities seek alternatives amidst strict enforcement of the opium ban.

    A factor behind the resurgence in opium cultivation could be market dynamics combined with hardships farmers face, according to UNODC. Dry opium prices stand at approximately $730 per kilogramme in the first half of 2024, a steep increase from pre-ban levels, which averaged around $100 per kilo.  

    “The high prices and dwindling opium stocks may encourage farmers to flout the ban, particularly in areas outside of traditional cultivation centres, including neighbouring countries,” UNODC said.

    Farmers left without sustainable alternatives faced a more precarious financial situation, underscoring the need for other income streams so they can become resilient against returning to poppy cultivation in the future, it added.

    Need for support

    Roza Otunbayeva, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and head of the UN Assistance Mission in the country (UNAMA), acknowledged both the success in reducing opium output and the ongoing hardship faced by Afghan farmers.

    “This is important further evidence that opium cultivation has indeed been reduced, and this will be welcomed by Afghanistan’s neighbours, the region and the world,” she said.

    She also cautioned however that rural Afghan communities have lost a vital income source and urgently require international assistance to ensure a sustainable shift away from opium production.  

    “If we want this transition to be sustainable…they desperately need international support.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief proposes $3.6 billion budget for 2025, highlighting peace, development and reforms

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    By Vibhu Mishra

    UN Affairs

    The UN Secretary-General on Wednesday presented a $3.6 billion budget proposal for programmes in 2025, highlighting the Organization’s commitment to peace, sustainable development, and human rights initiatives, while advancing key reforms.

    Outlining his proposal at the General Assembly’s Fifth Committee, the forum for administrative and budgetary matters, António Guterres said the proposal for UN’s regular budget comes with a sense of urgency, amid multiplicity of challenges.

    “In a context of major global shocks, the United Nations is more needed than ever,” he said.

    The proposal reflects the priorities set out in recent landmark agreements, he emphasised, citing the Pact for the Future and its annexes, the Global Digital Compact, and the Declaration on Future Generations.

    “[These] represent a commitment towards updating and reforming international cooperation to make it more networked, effective, fair and inclusive,” he added.

    The regular budget (RB) encompasses UN programmes spanning various domains, such as political affairs, international justice and law, regional cooperation for development, human rights and humanitarian affairs, and public information.

    Organization maintains a separate budget for peacekeeping operations, which follows a fiscal cycle from July 1 to June 30, while the regular budget aligns with the calendar year.

    Budget highlights

    Excluding the Special Political Missions (SPMs), the proposed budget for 2025 includes a total of 10,494 posts, representing a net increase of 115 posts for new or strengthened mandates.

    $711 million is proposed for SPMs, reflecting a $31 million decrease due to the discontinuation of field operations in Sudan (UNITAMS) and the investigative team in Iraq (UNITAD).

    Secretary-General Guterres presenting 2025 proposed programme budget to the Fifth Committee.

    The budget proposal also includes, among other programmes, $50 million for the Peacebuilding Fund to address ongoing funding gaps; an increase of $8 million for the UN human rights office, OHCHR, to support regional initiatives; and an additional $8.3 million to support the work of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in Syria.

    The proposed budget further includes $3.5 million in additional humanitarian resources for the crisis Gaza, including an increase of $2.5 million for the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), a lifeline for Palestine refugees.

    The 2025 budget proposal also includes measures to place the System-Wide Evaluation Office on firmer footing with RB funding, alongside a $2 million increase for the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) and the Ethics Office to bolster capacities.

    Focus on development

    Sustainable development remains a core priority, with an increase of about $4.5 million, marking the sixth consecutive annual increase.

    The Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation (RPTC) will receive a $2 million boost, and an additional $500,000 is proposed for technical assistance and advice to nations on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and African Union’s Agenda 2063.

    The proposal also includes an increase of $1 million for the Development Account to enhance targeted, country-level support.

    Mr. Guterres also highlighted the “chronic funding shortfall” facing the Resident Coordinator system and need for “a sustainable and predictable funding mechanism”, through partial RB financing.

    Liquidity challenges

    Mr. Guterres concluded by urging Member States to fulfil their financial obligations in full and on time, stressing that the UN’s ability to meet its mandates depends on the availability of funds.

    He explained that the Organization started 2024 with only $67 million in cash, down from $700 million the previous year, “making it extremely vulnerable to adverse changes in payment patterns of assessed contributions”.

    To stave off implementation constraints next year, Mr. Guterres proposed that the General Assembly temporarily suspend the return of credits for 2023 against the 2025 assessment. The credits would be held in a reserve and released as conditions improve.

    “Ultimately, the effectiveness of programme delivery and use of financial resources in 2025 will depend on the availability of cash,” he said.

    UN budget discussions

    Over the next several weeks, the Fifth Committee will discuss the proposal, including with heads of UN Secretariat departments and senior programme managers.

    The Committee will then present its report with recommendations to the General Assembly plenary, for approval of the UN budget by the end of December.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The trial that brought down a warlord

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Our team took the Anthem Award’s gold medal in the diversity, equity and inclusion category announced earlier this week. The documentary follows the intricate proceedings that saw the DR Congo’s military court system prosecute Sheka in a landmark case followed around the world.

    Watch the full UN Video documentary directed by Nathan Beriro below:

    Read our feature story published in July last year that accompanied the video’s release:

    For 96 hours, the orders kept coming. By the end, 287 people were dead, 387 women and children had been raped and 13 villages in eastern DR Congo had been robbed of any sense of normalcy.

    The trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka was the most emblematic, complex case the court in North Kivu province had ever handled, and its proceedings and final judgement in 2020 provide a compelling example of how to bring a war criminal to justice.

    UN News took a closer look at a trial that provides an important case study for nations meting out criminal justice around the world. The case also illustrates the importance of UN peace operations’s support to national justice and security institutions.

    MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

    Residents of Bunia in DR Congo protesting the capture by the M23 rebel group of Goma in 2012. (file)

    The crimes: ‘On a scale never seen’

    On 30 July 2010, armed members of the militia Nduma Défense of Congo (NDC) fanned out across 13 remote villages in restive, resource-rich Walikale, the largest territory in North Kivu, 150 kilometres west of the provincial capital of Goma.

    Situated within a large equatorial forest, the area had been plagued by two decades of conflict, with myriad armed groups fighting to control lucrative mines, including those extracting tin’s primary mineral, cassiterite.

    The then 34-year-old Mr. Sheka – a former miner who founded a year earlier what Goma’s chief military prosecutor called the area’s “most organised” armed group, complete with units, brigades, battalions, and companies – had given his orders.

    For four days and nights, his recruits discharged them.

    “Sheka wasn’t just anyone,” Nadine Sayiba Mpila, the lawyer representing civil parties in the case, told UN News. “Sheka committed crimes on a scale never seen in DR Congo.”

    She described how his soldiers “would slaughter people and put the heads of these people on stakes and walk through the streets of the villages to say this is what awaits you if you don’t denounce what he called ‘the enemies’”.

    By 2 August 2010, the armed militia had begun to fully occupy the villages.

    UN Photo

    Sheka (second from left) led an armed group in eastern DR Congo. (file)

    The warrant: Wanted for war crimes

    Those who could, fled to safety. Some sought medical help from a nearby non-governmental organization (NGO).

    Within two weeks, the survivors’s stories had reached the authorities. Media reports headlined the attacks as “mass rapes”. The UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, supported the deployment of a police contingent.

    By November 2010, a case was brought against the warlord. Congolese authorities then issued a national arrest warrant for Mr. Sheka, and the UN Security Council added him to its sanctions list.

    Mandated to protect civilians and support national authorities, MONUSCO launched Operation Silent Valley in early August 2011, helping residents to safely return to their villages.

    ‘No choice but to surrender’

    Mr. Sheka was now a fugitive. Also known as the Mai-Mai militia, NDC continued to operate in the area along with other armed groups.

    “Cornered on all sides, he was now weakened and had no choice but to surrender,” said Colonel Ndaka Mbwedi Hyppolite, Chief Prosecutor of the Operational Military Court of North Kivu, which tried Mr. Sheka’s case.

    He turned himself in on 26 July 2017 to MONUSCO, who handed him over to Congolese authorities, which in turn charged him with war crimes, including murder, sexual slavery, recruitment of children, looting and rape.

    “The time had come to tell the truth and face the consequences of the truth,” Ms. Sayiba said.

    MONUSCO

    The trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka. (file)

    The trial: 3,000 pieces of evidence

    Ahead of the trial, UN peacekeepers helped to build the detention cells that housed Mr. Sheka and the courtroom itself, where military court proceedings unfolded over two years, pausing from March to June 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Starting in November 2018, the court would consider 3,000 pieces of evidence and hear from 178 witnesses at 108 hearings.

    Their testimonies played a key role, representing the prosecution’s “last resort” to prove that crimes had been committed, said Patient Iraguha, Senior Legal Advisor for TRIAL International in DRC, who helped authorities with the case.

    But, getting victims to testify was a serious challenge, the Congolese prosecutors said.

    During the trial, Mr. Sheka had “reached out to certain victims to intimidate them”, jeopardising their willingness to appear in court. However, a joint effort involving the UN and such partners as TRIAL International changed that, Ms. Sayiba explained.

    MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

    People displaced by fighting between M23 and national armed forces set up camp in late 2012 on the outskirts of Goma, in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)

    Colonel Ndaka agreed, adding that some rape victims also feared being stigmatised by society. Protection measures were established, and judicial authorities were able to gather evidence in collaboration with MONUSCO, which also trained the judiciary in international criminal law procedures, giving the court sufficient knowledge to properly investigate the case, he said.

    “When the Congolese authorities had to go into the field to investigate or to listen to the victims, they were surrounded by a MONUSCO contingent,” he said. “The victims who did appear did so thanks to the support provided by our partners.”

    MONUSCO and the UN Justice and Corrections Service provided technical, logistical and financial support throughout the investigation and trial, empowering the country’s judicial system to investigate and prosecute serious crimes while protecting the victims.

    Tonderai Chikuhwa, Chief of Staff at the UN Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict, recalled hearing first-hand about the crimes.

    “The harrowing testimonies I heard from survivors in seven villages from Kibua to Mpofu in Walikale in 2010 are indelibly etched on my mind,” he wrote on social media at the time.

    The first witnesses to appear in court were six children, with victims testifying through July 2020.

    “After his testimony before the jury, Sheka started crying,” Ms. Sayiba recalled. “A defendant’s tears are a response. I believe Sheka realised that he was now alone. He had to take responsibility for his actions.”

    MONUSCO

    Trial of Ntabo Ntaberi Sheka.

    The verdict: Congolese justice ‘did it’

    On 23 November 2020, the Operational Military Court sentenced Mr. Sheka to life in prison.

    “This marks an important step forward in combating impunity for perpetrators of child recruitment and other grave violations,” the UN Secretary-General wrote about the case in his 2022 report on children and armed conflict in the DRC.

    Yet, in 2022, the country had the world’s highest number of cases of conflict-related sexual violence, his Special Representative on the topic told the UN Security Council last year, presenting the latest related report.

    “We must act urgently, and with sustained resolve, to save succeeding generations from this scourge,” said Pramila Patten, adding that “so many” women she met during a visit last year to the DRC “stressed the daily risk of sexual violence while carrying out livelihood activities”.

    She had welcomed Mr. Sheka’s conviction, calling it “a formidable example showing that no individual, no matter how powerful, is immune from being held accountable for those violations”.

    Indeed, the trial sent “a great message”, said Ms. Sayiba, adding that the verdict was “an assurance to the victims who could now see that their testimonies were not in vain”.

    For Colonel Ndaka, the verdict was “a source of pride for myself, for my country, for Congolese justice”.

    Today, the UN continues to support efforts to end impunity in the DRC, including with help from the UN Team of Experts on the rule of law and sexual violence in conflict, and in Central African Republic, Mali, South Sudan and other nations. In North Kivu, the Public Prosecutor’s Office expanded in June, with UN support, into the Peace Court of Goma.

    Mr. Sheka, now 48, continues his life sentence in a facility in the capital, Kinshasa.

    “The fact that Sheka was tried and sentenced is proof that the rule of law exists and that you cannot remain unpunished when you have committed the gravest, most abominable crimes,” Colonel Ndaka said. “Congolese justice could do it, with will, determination and means. It was able to do it, and it did it.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Landmark climate change hearings represent largest ever case before UN world court

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Climate and Environment

    A record number of oral statements are expected to be presented to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as highly awaited public hearings on States’ legal obligations with respect to climate change got underway on Monday.

    The hearings are part of the process towards the court issuing an advisory opinion, which will clarify States’ legal obligations under international law and the consequences for breaching them.

    They are scheduled to take place from 2 December until 13 December in the Hague, Netherlands.

    Here are five things you need to know about the historic proceedings:

    1.What are the hearings about?

    The hearings broadly concern the obligations of States with respect to climate change and the legal consequences of these obligations. They are significant because they represent the international community’s efforts to come up with a legal framework for addressing climate change. 

    More simply put, the court is being asked to provide clarity on international law with respect to climate change. The legal advice it provides may in turn influence any multilateral processes involving climate action.

    The two central questions asked of the court are as follows: 

    1.What are the obligations of States under international law to ensure the protection of the climate system and other parts of the environment from anthropogenic [human caused] emissions of greenhouse gases for States and for present and future generations;

    2.What are the legal consequences under these obligations for States where they, by their acts and omissions, have caused significant harm to the climate system and other parts of the environment, with respect to:

    a. States, including, in particular, small island developing States, which due to their geographical circumstances and level of development, are injured or specifically affected by, or are particularly vulnerable to, the adverse effects of climate change?

    b. Peoples and individuals of the present and future generations affected by the adverse effects of climate change? 

    © UNICEF/Vlad Sokhin

    Children in a Pacific Island stand in an area heavily affected by sea level rise and coastal erosion.

    2.How did this case come to the ICJ? 

    In September 2021, the Pacific island of Vanuatu announced its intention to seek an advisory opinion from the ICJ on climate change. It explained that this initiative, which had been pushed for by the youth group Pacific Island Students Fighting Climate Change, was necessitated by its vulnerability and that of other small island developing States to climate change and the need for increased action to address the global climate crisis. 

    Vanuatu then lobbied other countries to support this initiative and formed the core group of UN Member States to take the initiative forward in the General Assembly. 

    The discussions within the core group led to the development of resolution A/RES/77/276, which was eventually adopted by the General Assembly on 29 March 2023. A total of 132 countries co-sponsored the resolution. 

    The resolution drew upon “particular regard” to the UN Charter, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the Paris Agreement, the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and rights recognised in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, “the principle of prevention of significant harm to the environment and the duty to protect and preserve the marine environment”. 

    The request was transmitted to the court by the UN Secretary-General in a letter dated 12 April 2023. 

    3.Who is authorised to request advisory opinions and what happens next? 

    Advisory proceedings are only open to five organs of the United Nations and 16 specialised agencies of the UN.  While the UN General Assembly and Security Council may request advisory opinions on “any legal question”, the other UN organs and specialised agencies can only do so with respect to “legal questions arising within the scope of their activities”. The majority of advisory opinions have been requested by the UN General Assembly. 

    As a rule, organizations and States authorised to participate in the proceedings submit written statements, followed by written comments on the other statements submitted if the court considers it necessary. 

    The court will decide whether to hold oral proceedings, after which the advisory opinion is delivered following a sitting of the court.   

    4.Why is this case so significant?

    This case is the largest ever seen by the world court, with 91 written statements filed with the court’s registry alongside 62 written comments on these statements submitted by the court’s extended deadline of 15 August 2024. 

    A similar record number of 97 States and eleven international organizations are scheduled to participate in the oral proceedings. These hearings are a chance for countries and organizations to elaborate on their written statements and testify directly. 

    The proceedings have particular importance for the small island developing States which initially pushed for the opinion. Significantly, they are taking place just one week after developing nations criticised a deal at COP29 to provide $300 billion a year in climate finance by 2035, calling the agreement “insulting” and arguing it did not give them the vital resources they require to truly address the complexities of the climate crisis.

    “We are literally sinking,” one representative said following COP29, pointing out the agreement highlighted “what a very different boat our vulnerable countries are in, compared to the developed countries”. 

    With small island developing States already facing some of the worst impacts of climate change, these hearings are vital to establish a stronger framework of accountability that sets clear international legal obligations for climate action.

    UN Photo

    The towers and gables of the Peace Palace, home of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague.

    5.What effect can an advisory opinion have? 

    Unlike judgments in contentious cases, the court’s advisory opinions are not binding. They clarify legal questions. The requesting organ, agency or organization – the General Assembly in this particular case – remains free to decide, as it sees fit, what effect to give to these opinions.  

    However, while not binding, advisory opinions have “an authoritative value and cannot be neglected”, according to the ICJ Registrar in a recent interview with UN News. They carry great moral authority by what is considered the world’s highest court and the principal judicial body of the UN. 

    This opinion on climate change can help inform subsequent judicial proceedings such as domestic cases, influence the diplomatic process and will likely be cited in thousands of climate-driven lawsuits around the world, including those where small island States are seeking compensation from developed nations for historic climate damage, according to one media source. 

    The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has stated that such an opinion will help the General Assembly, the United Nations and Member States to “take the bolder and stronger climate action that our world so desperately needs”.

    “It could also guide the actions and conduct of States in their relations with each other, as well as towards their own citizens. This is essential,” he emphasised. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: What the UN is doing in DR Congo

    Source: United Nations 2

    By Eileen Travers

    Humanitarian Aid

    The current phase of fighting erupted in late January in the mineral-rich eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo between government forces and the armed M23 group.

    Despite security challenges, UN agencies and peacekeepers have pledged to stay and deliver amid rising deaths and injuries alongside an alarming spread of highly contagious mpox and other endemic diseases as the rainy season intensifies.

    Here’s what you need to know about how the UN, its peacekeepers and humanitarian agencies are helping on the ground in this central African country of 105 million people, many currently facing urgent multipronged crises.

    Humanitarian assistance

    Operating in DRC since 1960, when the country declared its independence from Belgium’s colonial rule and became a UN Member State, UN field agencies have served those in need, from education and lifesaving vaccines to food and shelter for people displaced by the current spiralling violence. The country has been caught in cycles of violence over the decades with an uptick of violence in the early 2000s and the emergence of the M23 armed group.

    Even though recent deadly clashes led to the deaths of peacekeepers and the temporary relocation of non-essential UN staff from North Kivu in the eastern region last week, the UN emergency relief agency, OCHA, reports that teams are currently on the ground, where they say needs are growing.

    Just a few details for context:

    Food to shelter

    In a deteriorating environment, food insecurity is on the rise as other health, shelter and living conditions worsen. For example:

    • Currently, 2.7 million people face severe food insecurity in the eastern towns of Ituri and North and South Kivu, OCHA reported. As such, the agency is currently working with such partners as the UN food agency (WFP), UN Development Programme (UNDP) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to deliver lifesaving aid, from groceries to medical supplies and services.
    • The UN refugee agency, UNCHR, is providing protection and assistance to those forced to flee.
    • The UN human rights agency, OHCHR, is connecting those in need with UN partners.

    • Meanwhile, the UN migration organization, IOM, is supporting displaced and host communities in and around Goma by providing emergency shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene services and camp coordination and management services. It is also monitoring population movements through its displacement tracking matrix, which informs humanitarian agencies of critical information for effective response efforts.

      © WHO/Guerchom Ndebo

      A three-week-old girl suffering from mpox in the emergency room at Kavumu Hospital in South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo. (file)

    Public health ‘nightmare’

    • The UN health agency reported that repeated mass displacement has created a public health “nightmare” with ideal conditions for the spread of many endemic diseases, from cholera to mpox, in camps and communities around North and South Kivu. WHO teams remain in place to deliver much-needed healthcare services as hospitals are overwhelmed by growing numbers of patients injured by the ongoing violence. Thousands of doses of mpox vaccines are stockpiled and ready to be administered.
    • The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is responding to urgent needs, including deliveries of emergency medical kits to hospitals in Goma to treat more than 50,000 people affected by the violence.
    • A breakdown in healthcare infrastructure has also led maternal mortality rates to soar, with three women dying every hour from pregnancy or childbirth complications, and recurrent kidnappings, rape and exploitation continue to be wielded as weapons of war against women and girls, according to the UN sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA.
    • While the agency suspended staff travel to camps for displaced people due to the security crisis, UNFPA continues to provide lifesaving support, from mobile clinics to rapidly adapting to respond to the needs of the newly displaced. However, due to swiftly growing needs, these and other UN agencies are calling for urgent support to fund emergency operations.

    To support the DRC Humanitarian Fund, click here.

    Peacekeeping operations

    The UN peacekeeping mission, known by its French acronym MONUSCO, was mandated by the Security Council in 2010 to assist the Congolese Government in protecting civilians and humanitarians as well as help with its peace and stabilisation efforts.  Peacekeeping operations are often located in conflict areas but their responsibilities and those of the humanitarian agencies are distinct, although complementary, in terms of protecting and meeting the needs of civilians.

    Read our explainer on UN peacekeeping history in DRC, dating back to 1960, here.

    While the 11,500 UN Blue Helmets were meant to disengage by 2025, the Security Council renewed the mandate at the request of the government in late December.

    Weeks later, MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita told the Security Council in an emergency meeting held on Sunday, 26 January that “we are trapped.”

    Over the last week, M23 combatants have killed almost 20 peacekeepers serving with the UN and the South African Development Community (SADC) mission in the country, both mandated to provide combat support for the Congolese armed forces.

    MONUSCO/Aubin Mukoni

    UN peacekeepers patrol in Goma past discarded military uniforms.

    Working closely with Congolese authorities

    In line with its civilian protection mandate, the UN mission has enhanced its support to the Congolese armed forces, FARDC, and is actively participating in combat along with the SADC security mission in the country, the UN mission chief explained to the Council.

    Since then, the MONUSCO chief has held discussions with top officials, including the prime minister and the leaders of the army and police. A joint government-MONUSCO group has also been established to coordinate on various issues, including in the security, human rights, humanitarian and communications spheres as well as the legal status of the territories under the control of the M23.

    Learn more about MONUSCO here.

    MONUSCO/Sylvain Liechti

    Residents of Bunia, DRC, protesting the capture by the M23 rebel group of Goma in 2012. (file)

    Addressing the roots of the crises

    The clashes in the east date back to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis in neighbouring Rwanda. The sporadic fighting has been deadly and vicious, as shown in the Congolese military court’s landmark case against armed group leader Sheka, which was instrumental in recognising rape as a war crime.

    Watch our award-winning documentary on bringing a war criminal to justice here.

    The crisis remains partly rooted in the rare mineral deposits dotting the border areas of DRC and Rwanda. DRC’s vast deposits of precious metals, gems and rare minerals include gold and diamonds along with key components used in making mobile phones and other electronic devices.

    Coltan, tin, tantalum, tungsten and others are known as conflict minerals, which are mined and sold by armed groups to finance their militias.

    Find more details on this sinister trend in the December report of the Security Council’s group of experts on DRC here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Prairie Provident Announces up to $9.1 Million Brokered Equity Financing with $7.35 Million in Lead Orders and Basal Quartz Horizontal Drilling Program

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 11, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prairie Provident Resources Inc. (TSX:PPR) (“Prairie Provident” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has entered into an agreement with Research Capital Corporation, as lead agent and sole bookrunner, on behalf of a syndicate of agents including Haywood Securities Inc. (collectively, the “Agents”), for a brokered “best efforts” equity financing for aggregate gross proceeds of up to approximately $9,100,000, comprised of:

    (a) an offering up to 96,470,589 units of the Company (“Units”) at a price of $0.0425 per Unit for gross proceeds of up to $4,100,000, on a prospectus-exempt basis pursuant to the ‘listed issuer financing exemption’ (LIFE) under applicable Canadian securities laws (the “LIFE Offering”), with (i) each Unit consisting of one common share of the Company (“Common Share”) and one Common Share purchase warrant (“Warrant”), and (ii) each Warrant to entitle the holder to subscribe for and purchase one Common Share at an exercise price of $0.05 for a period of 36 months following closing; and

    (b) a private placement of up to 117,647,059 Common Shares at a price of $0.0425 per Common Share for gross proceeds of up to $5,000,000, pursuant to available exemptions from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws (the “Private Placement” and, together with the LIFE Offering, the “Offerings”). Warrants will not be issued to purchasers under the Private Placement.

    The Company’s principal and largest shareholder, PCEP Canadian Holdco LLC (“PCEP”), along with certain directors and officers of the Company, have indicated an intention to participate in the Offerings in an aggregate amount of approximately $7,350,000 (collectively, the “Lead Orders”). It is expected that the Private Placement will be fully subscribed through the Lead Orders, and that the balance of the Lead Orders not fulfilled under the Private Placement will be fulfilled under the LIFE Offering. All subscriptions on account of Lead Orders will be subject to insider participation limits under applicable Toronto Stock Exchange (“TSX”) rules.

    Prairie Provident intends to use the net proceeds from the Offerings to drill two additional Basal Quartz horizontal wells in the first quarter of 2025 and for working capital and general corporate purposes, including expenses related to the Offerings. Including the above two Basal Quartz horizontal wells, the Company anticipates drilling a total of three Basal Quartz horizontal wells in the first quarter of 2025.

    Prairie Provident’s Basal Quartz Play in Michichi: A Unique Publicly Traded BQ Junior

    Prairie Provident has established its Basal Quartz (“BQ”) play in the Michichi core area as a significant growth driver, supported by robust well economics, an extensive drilling inventory, and strategic infrastructure. In December 2024, Prairie Provident reported strong initial results from its first two BQ wells, effectively proving the play concept. The first horizontal well achieved an IP30 (initial 30-day average production) rate of approximately 415 boe/d (66% liquids)1 and the second delivered an IP21 (initial 21-day average production) rate of approximately 375 boe/d (64% liquids).2 Continued production in the weeks following has yielded IP60 (initial 60-day average production) rates of approximately 333 boe/d (66% liquids)3 and approximately 305 boe/d (62% liquids)4, respectively. A focus on operational efficiency brought both wells on-stream within 25 days of their respective spud dates.

    Prairie Provident has a Michichi-area land position of approximately 153,000 net acres (239 net sections) on which it has identified over 40 horizontal BQ drilling opportunities, providing ample room for growth. None of the Company’s BQ drilling opportunities are booked locations to which any reserves were attributed in the most recent independent evaluation of Prairie Provident’s reserves data, effective December 31, 2023, by Sproule Associates Limited.

    Activity in the BQ play is primarily led by private operators. Prairie Provident has a unique position as the only publicly-traded company actively drilling in this play.

    Basal Quartz: A Top-Tier Play in the WCSB

    The BQ fairway, extending from Brooks to Drumheller (Michichi) in central Alberta, has rapidly become, in the Company’s view, one of the premier oil-producing plays in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB). The availability of extensive 2D and 3D seismic data, along with legacy vertical wells penetrating the Mannville group, has significantly de-risked this play. Modern horizontal drilling techniques combined with enhanced frac completion designs have unlocked substantial economic potential, making the BQ competitive with other leading plays in the WCSB, including the Montney and Clearwater. Publicly-available industry data indicates that production along the BQ trend has surpassed 40,000 boe/d (77% liquids), with operators having drilled over 100 horizontal wells in 2024 alone, further de-risking the play. Offset competitor wells in analogous zones have demonstrated peak production rates exceeding 1,200 bbl/d, further validating the play’s potential.

    Basal Quartz Well Economics: High Returns, Quick Payouts

    The Company estimates that the average drill, complete, equip, and tie-in cost for a single BQ horizontal well in Michichi is approximately $3.5 million. The BQ play offers attractive returns and payouts, making it, in the Company’s view, one of the most competitive plays in the WCSB. Based on internal estimates, the Company’s BQ wells have the potential to deliver impressive internal rates of return (“IRRs”) greater than 300% (based on WTI US$70/bbl and AECO C$3.00/mcf) with payout periods of approximately eight months or less.

    Strategic Land Base with Multi-Year Inventory

    Prairie Provident holds a strategic and concentrated approximately 153,000 net acre (239 net sections) land base in Michichi and with multi-zone potential. In addition to the BQ, the acreage offers development opportunities in the Banff and other formations. With over 40 identified BQ drilling opportunities, Prairie Provident has the scalability to support long-term growth, benefiting from the de-risked nature of its lands due to offsetting competitor activity.

    Company-Owned Infrastructure and Significant Tax Pool Coverage

    Prairie Provident benefits from a combination of legacy and third-party infrastructure in the Michichi area, providing advantageous egress solutions. The Company owns two oil batteries (one LACT-connected) and two gas plants with a combined inlet capacity of 10 MMscf/d. Year-round access, existing surface leases and on-site facilities combine to facilitate cost-efficient operations with reduced downtime, supporting Prairie Provident’s development strategy.

    Prairie Provident has significant tax pool coverage with approximately $590 million in tax pools, including approximately $330 million of non-capital losses.

    Additional Financing Details

    The Agents will be granted an option to increase the size of the LIFE Offering by up to an additional 14,470,589 Units (up to $615,000), exercisable in whole or in part up to two business days before closing.

    Closing of the Offerings is expected to occur on or about February 24, 2025, or such other date or dates as Prairie Provident and the Agents may agree, and is subject to certain conditions including receipt by Prairie Provident of all necessary approvals from the TSX.

    The LIFE Offering will be made in accordance with the ‘listed issuer financing exemption’ in Part 5A of National Instrument 45-106 – Prospectus Exemptions (“NI 45-106”), to purchasers in any province of Canada, except Québec. The Units issued and sold under the LIFE Offering will not be subject to a ‘hold period’ pursuant to applicable Canadian securities laws.

    There is an offering document related to the LIFE Offering that can be accessed under the Company’s issuer profile at www.sedarplus.ca and on the Company’s website at www.ppr.ca. Prospective investors should read this offering document before making an investment decision.

    The Private Placement will be made in reliance on available exemptions from the prospectus requirements of applicable Canadian securities laws, and the Common Shares issued and sold thereunder will subject to a hold period of four months and one day from the date of issuance.

    In consideration for their services, the Agents will receive a cash commission of 8.0% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Offerings (reduced for Lead Orders) and non-transferable broker warrants equal to 8.0% of the total number of Units sold under the LIFE Offering (except for Lead Orders). Each broker warrant will entitle the holder to purchase one Unit at an exercise price of $0.0425 per Unit for a period of 36 months following closing.

    This news release does not constitute an offer to sell, or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, any securities in the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons or persons in the United States, or in any other jurisdiction in which, or to or for the account or benefit of any other person to whom, any such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful. These securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act“), or the securities laws of any state of the United States, and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to, or for the account or benefit of, U.S. persons or persons in the United States except in compliance with, or pursuant to an available exemption from, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and applicable U.S. state securities laws. “United States” and “U.S. person” have the meanings ascribed to them in Regulation S under the U.S. Securities Act.

    ABOUT PRAIRIE PROVIDENT

    Prairie Provident is a Calgary-based company engaged in the exploration and development of oil and natural gas properties in Alberta, including a position in the emerging Basal Quartz trend in the Michichi area of Central Alberta.

    For further information, please contact:

    Prairie Provident Resources Inc.
    Dale Miller, Executive Chairman
    Phone: (403) 292-8150
    Email: info@ppr.ca

    Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains certain statements (“forward-looking statements”) that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. Forward-looking statements relate to future performance, events or circumstances, are based upon internal assumptions, plans, intentions, expectations and beliefs, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those indicated or suggested therein. All statements other than statements of current or historical fact constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified by words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “intend”, “plan”, “budget”, “forecast”, “target”, “estimate”, “propose”, “potential”, “project”, “seek”, “continue”, “may”, “will”, “should” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or events or statements regarding an outlook.

    Without limiting the foregoing, this news release contains forward-looking statements pertaining to: Basal Quartz drilling opportunities, including estimated payout periods on potential Basal Quartz wells; completion of the Offerings; the expected closing date of the Offerings; the successful completion of the Lead Orders; the intended use of proceeds from the Offerings; and the intended number of Basal Quartz wells that are anticipated to be drilled by the Company in the first quarter of 2025.

    Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors, expectations or assumptions of Prairie Provident which have been used to develop such statements, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although the Company believes that the expectations and assumptions reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements, which are inherently uncertain and depend upon the accuracy of such expectations and assumptions. Prairie Provident can give no assurance that the forward-looking statements contained herein will prove to be correct or that the expectations and assumptions upon which they are based will occur or be realized. Actual results or events will differ, and the differences may be material and adverse to the Company. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified herein, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things: results from drilling and development activities; consistency with past operations; the quality of the reservoirs in which Prairie Provident operates and continued performance from existing wells (including with respect to production profile, decline rate and product type mix); the continued and timely development of infrastructure in areas of new production; the accuracy of the estimates of Prairie Provident’s reserves volumes; future commodity prices; future operating and other costs; future USD/CAD exchange rates; future interest rates; continued availability of external financing and internally generated cash flow to fund Prairie Provident’s current and future plans and expenditures, with external financing on acceptable terms; the impact of competition; the general stability of the economic and political environment in which Prairie Provident operates; the general continuance of current industry conditions; the timely receipt of any required regulatory approvals; the ability of Prairie Provident to obtain qualified staff, equipment and services in a timely and cost efficient manner; drilling results; the ability of the operator of the projects in which Prairie Provident has an interest in to operate the field in a safe, efficient and effective manner; field production rates and decline rates; the ability to replace and expand oil and natural gas reserves through acquisition, development and exploration; the timing and cost of pipeline, storage and facility construction and expansion and the ability of Prairie Provident to secure adequate product transportation; the regulatory framework regarding royalties, taxes and environmental matters in the jurisdictions in which Prairie Provident operates; and the ability of Prairie Provident to successfully market its oil and natural gas production.

    The forward-looking statements included in this news release are not guarantees of future performance or promises of future outcomes and should not be relied upon. Such statements, including the assumptions made in respect thereof, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in such forward- looking statements including, without limitation: reduced access to external debt financing; higher interest costs or other restrictive terms of debt financing; changes in realized commodity prices; changes in the demand for or supply of Prairie Provident’s products; the early stage of development of some of the evaluated areas and zones; the potential for variation in the quality of the geologic formations targeted by Prairie Provident’s operations; unanticipated operating results or production declines; changes in tax or environmental laws, royalty rates or other regulatory matters; the imposition of any tariffs or other restrictive trade measures or countermeasures affecting trade between Canada and the United States; changes in development plans of Prairie Provident or by third party operators; increased debt levels or debt service requirements; inaccurate estimation of Prairie Provident’s oil and reserves volumes; limited, unfavourable or a lack of access to capital markets; increased costs; a lack of adequate insurance coverage; the impact of competitors; and such other risks as may be detailed from time-to-time in Prairie Provident’s public disclosure documents (including, without limitation, those risks identified in this news release and Prairie Provident’s current Annual Information Form dated April 1, 2024 as filed with Canadian securities regulators and available from the SEDAR+ website (www.sedarplus.ca) under Prairie Provident’s issuer profile).

    The forward-looking statements contained in this news release speak only as of the date of this news release, and Prairie Provident assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, or otherwise, except as may be required pursuant to applicable laws. All forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    Oil and Gas Reader Advisories

    Barrels of Oil Equivalent

    The oil and natural gas industry commonly expresses production volumes and reserves on a “barrel of oil equivalent” basis (“boe”) whereby natural gas volumes are converted at the ratio of six thousand cubic feet to one barrel of oil. The intention is to sum oil and natural gas measurement units into one basis for improved analysis of results and comparisons with other industry participants. A boe conversion ratio of six thousand cubic feet to one barrel of oil is based on an energy equivalency conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip. It does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead nor at the plant gate, which is where Prairie Provident sells its production volumes. Boe’s may therefore be a misleading measure, particularly if used in isolation. Given that the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency ratio of 6:1, utilizing a 6:1 conversion ratio may be misleading as an indication of value.

    Analogous Information

    Information in this news release regarding initial production rates from offset wells drilled by other industry participants located in geographical proximity to the Company’s lands may constitute “analogous information” within the meaning of National Instrument 51-101 – Standards of Disclosure for Oil and Gas Activities (NI 51-101). This information is derived from publicly available information sources (as at the date of this news release) that Prairie Provident believes (but cannot confirm) to be independent in nature. The Company is unable to confirm that the information was prepared by a qualified reserves evaluator or auditor within the meaning of NI 51-101, or in accordance with the Canadian Oil and Gas Evaluation (COGE) Handbook. Although the Company believes that this information regarding geographically proximate wells helps management understand and define reservoir characteristics of lands in which Prairie Provident has an interest, the data relied upon by the Company may be inaccurate or erroneous, may not in fact be indicative or otherwise analogous to the Company’s land holdings, and may not be representative of actual results from wells that may be drilled or completed by the Company in the future.

    Potential Drilling Opportunities vs Booked Locations

    This news release refers to potential drilling opportunities and booked locations. Unless otherwise indicated, references to booked locations in this news release are references to proved drilling locations or probable drilling locations, being locations to which Sproule Associated Limited (Sproule) attributed proved or probable reserves in its most recent year-end evaluation of Prairie Provident’s reserves data, effective December 31, 2023. Sproule’s year‑end evaluation was in accordance with NI 51-101 and, pursuant thereto, the COGE Handbook. References in this news release to potential drilling opportunities are references to locations for which there are no attributed reserves or resources, but which the Company internally estimates can be drilled based on current land holdings, industry practice regarding well density, and internal review of geologic, geophysical, seismic, engineering, production and resource information. There is no certainty that the Company will drill any particular locations, or that drilling activity on any locations will result in additional reserves, resources or production. Locations on which Prairie Provident in fact drills wells will ultimately depend upon the availability of capital, regulatory approvals, seasonal restrictions, commodity prices, costs, actual drilling results, additional reservoir information and other factors. There is a higher level of risk associated with locations that are potential drilling opportunities and not booked locations. Prairie Provident generally has less information about reservoir characteristics associated with locations that are potential drilling opportunities and, accordingly, there is greater uncertainty whether wells will ultimately be drilled in such locations and, if drilled, whether they will result in additional reserves, resources or production.

    Type Well Information

    Information contained in this news release regarding estimated payout periods and internal rate of return (IRR) on potential Basal Quartz wells is based on the Company’s internally-defined type wells. Type well information reflects Prairie Provident’s expectations and experience in relation to wells of the indicated types, including with respect to costs, production and decline rates. There is no assurance that actual well-related results (including payout periods and IRR) will be in accordance with those suggested by the type well information. Actual results will differ, and the difference may be material.

    Payout

    Prairie Provident considers payout on a well to be achieved when future net revenue from the well is equal to the capital costs to drill, complete, equip and tie-in the well based on project economics. Forecasted payout periods disclosed in this news release are based on the following commodity price and CAD/USD exchange rate assumptions: USD $70.00/bbl WTI, CAD $3.00/Mcf AECO, CAD $1.35-to-USD $1.00.

    Initial Production Rates

    This news release discloses initial production rates for certain wells as indicated. Initial production rates are not necessarily indicative of long-term well or reservoir performance or of ultimate recovery. Actual results will differ from those realized during an initial short-term production period, and the difference may be material.

    Non-GAAP Measures

    This news release uses the financial measure internal rate of return (IRR). IRR is a non-GAAP financial measure within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws , which does not have a standardized or prescribed meaning under International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) and may not be comparable to similar measures presented by other issuers. Investors are cautioned that non-GAAP measures should not be construed as a substitute or an alternative to net income or cash flows from operating activities as determined in accordance with IFRS. IRR is a measure used in financial analysis to estimate the profitability of potential investments and/or projects, and means the discount rate that makes the net present value equal to zero in a discounted cash flow analysis.

    1 Comprised of approximately 275 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 850 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    2 Comprised of approximately 240 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 800 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    3 Comprised of approximately 221 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 674 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    4 Comprised of approximately 189 bbl/d of medium crude oil and 697 Mcf/d of conventional natural gas.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Introduces Legislation to Cap the Cost of Prescription Medication

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

    Senator Reverend Warnock Introduces Legislation to Cap the Cost of Prescription Medication

    The Capping Prescription Costs Act would cap annual out-of-pocket prescription drug costs per year at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families
    The legislation builds on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act and extends out-of-pocket caps to the commercial health care market
    Senator Reverend Warnock successfully capped the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare recipients
    Senator Reverend Warnock: “When you are sick, nothing else matters, this is a moral issue that transcends partisan politics, and I will keep fighting until we get it done”
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA), introduced the Capping Prescription Costs Act. The legislation would lower prescription drug costs for millions of Americans by placing annual caps on out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs at $2,000 for individuals and $4,000 for families with private insurance. 
    The Senator’s bill builds on the success of the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes the Senator’s provision capping prescription drug cost-sharing for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, extending the savings to the commercial health care market.
    “In my decades-long fight to lower medication costs and make health care more accessible, I’ve heard stories of people having to skip refills, ration prescriptions, and make financial decisions that risk their health just to afford the medications they need to survive,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “In a nation as rich and powerful as the United States, that should never be the case, which is why the Capping Prescription Costs Act is so important. When you are sick, nothing else matters, this is a moral issue that transcends partisan politics, and I will keep fighting until we get it done.”
    “No Nevadan – and no American – should have to negotiate against themselves when choosing between the medications they need to be healthy and food they need to survive,” Rep. Horsford said. “I’m proud to partner with Senator Warnock on the Capping Prescription Costs Act, and look forward to introducing the House companion bill. Our legislation would help Americans with private insurance save on needed prescriptions each year. The choice between health and survival is impossible – it’s beyond time we stop forcing Americans to make it.”
    Over 60 percent of American adults take at least one prescription drug, with 25 percent of adults taking four or more. Yet Americans often pay more for the same prescription drugs than people in other countries, and due to the cost burden, American patients often cannot afford their medications as prescribed. This results in patients skipping doses, cutting doses in half, or taking over-the-counter medications instead of their prescriptions. One study found that 31 percent of patients did not take their medications as prescribed due to cost. The new $2,000 cap on cost-sharing for individuals and $4,000 for families will apply to all of the 173 million Americans who have private health insurance.
    “This bill would provide desperately needed relief for patients with chronic conditions and many others that face prescription drug bills that total thousands of dollars in a given year. Capping out-of-pocket costs for medications in Medicare is popular and provides practical help for many, but millions more who rely on private insurance should have the same benefit. Congress should continue to address the underlying price of prescription drugs, while also capping out-of-pocket costs to provide practical relief to patients and families. We appreciate leadership from Senator Warnock to continue to lower daily and monthly costs for families that desperately need help accessing and affording care,” said Anthony Wright, Executive Director of Families USA.
    “By introducing the Capping Prescription Costs Act, Senator Warnock is fighting to help level the playing field for working families. As Republicans push to raise health care costs for Americans struggling to pay their bills, Democrats are fighting to lower prescription drug costs for millions of families nationwide. The contrast couldn’t be more clear: Republicans want to put profits over people and raise costs to fund tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy, and Democrats want to lower costs, improve care, and ensure that every American can afford the health care they need,”said Leslie Dach, Chair of Protect Our Care Chair.
    Senator Reverend Warnock has long championed efforts to expand affordable health care access, starting with his advocacy to close the health care coverage gap in Georgia. In the Inflation Reduction Act, Senator Warnock got two proposals included in the final version of the bill —provisions from his bill to cap the cost of insulin at $35 a month for Medicare patients, and his plan to cap the cost of prescription drugs for seniors at $2,000 a year. The Senator has been a years-long advocate for expanding Medicaid. In Washington he’s pushed for solutions to close the coverage gap. Senator Warnock is committed to preserving and protecting access to health care for the most vulnerable. Last year, Senator Warnock also introduced the Bridge to Medicaid Act, legislation to provide health care coverage to the hundreds of thousands of Georgians in the health care coverage gap. The bill would provide a temporary health care option for people in the Medicaid coverage gap to get subsidized private health care until non-expansion states like Georgia finally expand Medicaid.
    In addition to Senator Warnock, the Capping Prescription Costs Act was cosponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Maritn Heinrich (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Patty Murray (D-WA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).
    Full bill text of the Capping Prescription Costs Act is available HERE.
    A one-pager on the Capping Prescription Costs Act is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts Rebuts Elizabeth Warren’s False Claim That CFPB is Only Cop on the Beat: “We Ought Not to Try and Scare Consumers Right Now”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)
    February 11, 2025
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a member of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, rebutted a false claim by Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is the only entity responsible for protecting consumers in the banking industry.
    “I want to address something that the Ranking Member started talking about, which was characterizing the CFPB as being the cop on the beat here,” Ricketts said. “But I can tell you, having been a Governor and having a Department of Banking that reported to me, that if any consumer would contact us and make a complaint about a bank, even a big bank like JP Morgan, we would investigate. As could the OCC, the FDIC, FTC. So to characterize it ‘no one is out there working for consumers’ is inaccurate. And we ought not to try and scare consumers right now that somehow this is the case.”
    During questioning of Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Ricketts also highlighted his concerns about the expansion of the Federal Reserve’s balance sheet.
    [embedded content]
    “The Fed’s balance sheet at the end of 2019, so before the pandemic, was about $4.1 trillion,” Ricketts said. “By May of 2020, the Fed expanded that to $7 trillion, and by 2022, the Fed’s balance sheet hit an all-time record of $8.9 trillion. Inflation peaked at 9.1% that year, a high we had not seen since 1981. Now, I’m encouraged by the actions the Fed has taken with quantitative tightening, to shrink the balance sheet down to $6.85 trillion, but $6.85 trillion is still too high.”
    Ricketts’ comments came in a hearing of the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs entitled: “The Semiannual Monetary Policy Report to the Congress.”
    TRANSCRIPT:
    Senator Ricketts: “Well thank you, Mr. Chairman and Ranking Member for holding this important hearing and thank you Chairman Powell for being here today to talk about our economy and all of the things that are going on.
    “I want to address something that the Ranking Member started talking off about, which was characterizing the CFPB as being the cop on the beat here. But I can tell you, having been a governor and having a Department of Banking that reported to me, that if any consumer would contact us and make a complaint about a bank, even a big bank like JP Morgan, we would investigate, as could the OCC, FDIC, FTC.
    “So to characterize it ‘nobody’s out there looking for consumers,’ I think is inaccurate.
    “And we ought not to try and scare consumers right now that somehow, this is the case, because if you do have an issue, if you’re a consumer, please reach out to your state Department of Banking because those folks are going to look out for you.
    “I can tell you that because I used to have one of those Department of Banking, so they did a fantastic job of looking out for the consumers.
    “One of the things that has also impacted consumers is inflation. Prices under the Biden Administration were up 20%. An average household is paying $13,000 more today than they were for the same standard of living they had before Joe Biden got elected. We see that, grocery prices, for example, are up 22%, rents up 23%. Simply put, Nebraskans are economically worse off today than they were four years ago, and I expect that that’s part of the reason why we saw this change in the administration. They thought that that was not something that they wanted to continue to pursue. They didn’t want the same policies being followed. We have to end the reckless federal spending, rein in inflation and, you know, be responsible about how we make decisions to be able to grow the economy.
    “One of those areas that I’m concerned about is the expansion of the Fed balance sheet. The Fed’s balance sheet before, at the end of 2019, so before the pandemic was about $4.1 trillion. By May of 2020, the Fed expanded that to $7 trillion, and by 2022, the Fed’s balance sheet hit an all-time record of $8.9 trillion. Inflation peaked at 9.1% that year, a high we had not seen since 1981. Now, I’m encouraged by the actions the Fed has taken with quantitative tightening, to shrink the balance sheet down to $6.85 trillion, but $6.85 trillion is still too high. And one of my concerns with this, Chairman, is that, that’s kind of what are your tools, to be able to guard against a downturn in the economy or some sort of shock? Obviously used it during the pandemic. Looking ahead long term, will the Fed Reserve continue to this course of unwinding the balance sheet?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “Yeah. So, what we said is that we intend to slow and then stop the decline when reserve balances are somewhat above the level that we judge, consistent with so-called ample reserves. The most recent data and the feel of the markets is definitely the reserves are still abundant. They’re about the level that they were at when run off started because the, the run off is really happened out of the overnight repo facility, reverse repo. So yes, it’s, it’s an ongoing thing and we’re not, we’re not yet we’re where we’re headed.”
    Senator Ricketts: “So what kind of pace can we expect, and I know that obviously there’s going be a lot of factors like what happens to the economy over the course of next year, but if you were, if things were going to go along the way you are today, you’ve already said the economy’s doing well, inflation’s a little higher than we want it to be at 2.6%, but unemployment’s at 4%. If these conditions, and I think you use the word stable quite a bit, if these conditions were to remain stable throughout the course of the year, would you have a range to give us a where the balance you might be, if we were talking again here in January 2026?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “We basically we’re going to be, looking at reserve conditions, conditions in reserve markets, and trying to stop a little bit above what we consider ample. And we think we’re, you know, meaningfully above that now. We, we can’t put a number on it because you can’t directly know the demand for reserves other than by observing behavior in the market and then putting a little bit of a of a buffer on it. So I can’t give you an exact number. But for now, it’s ongoing and we have a ways to go.”
    Senator Ricketts: “What kind of conditions would happen, have to happen for you to start going back to quantitative easing?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “You know, so quantitative easing, so, you know, that’s a tool we, we tend to use when we’re at the effect of lower bound and we can’t cut interest rates anymore, so nothing like what you’re seeing in the current day. It’s a different test for stopping quantitative tightening, but we would use QE going forward only, only in a situation where when we’re rates are at zero and, you know, we’re a long way from zero now.”
    Senator Ricketts: “So that, you think that, again, just generally speaking, then if things remain stable, you’ll continue to unwind the balance sheet, you’ll continue to the quantitative tightening? Can’t give me a range on that, is that what I hear you saying?”
    Chairman Jerome Powell: “That’s right, that’s right.”
    Senator Ricketts: “Okay. Great. Well, I encourage you to keep doing that because, again, I think that’s important, to be able to make sure that you’ve got powder, for the next, issue that we may face. So, thank you very much. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate you being here.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nobody wants to talk about AI safety. Instead they cling to 5 comforting myths

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Salmon, Professor of Human Factors, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Google Deepmind / Unsplash

    This week, France hosted an AI Action Summit in Paris to discuss burning questions around artificial intelligence (AI), such as how people can trust AI technologies and how the world can govern them.

    Sixty countries, including France, China, India, Japan, Australia and Canada, signed a declaration for “inclusive and sustainable” AI. The United Kingdom and United States notably refused to sign, with the UK saying the statement failed to address global governance and national security adequately, and US Vice President JD Vance criticising Europe’s “excessive regulation” of AI.

    Critics say the summit sidelined safety concerns in favour of discussing commercial opportunities.

    Last week, I attended the inaugural AI safety conference held by the International Association for Safe & Ethical AI, also in Paris, where I heard talks by AI luminaries Geoffrey Hinton, Yoshua Bengio, Anca Dragan, Margaret Mitchell, Max Tegmark, Kate Crawford, Joseph Stiglitz and Stuart Russell.

    As I listened, I realised the disregard for AI safety concerns among governments and the public rests on a handful of comforting myths about AI that are no longer true – if they ever were.

    1: Artificial general intelligence isn’t just science fiction

    The most severe concerns about AI – that it could pose a threat to human existence – typically involve so-called artificial general intelligence (AGI). In theory, AGI will be far more advanced than current systems.

    AGI systems will be able to learn, evolve and modify their own capabilities. They will be able to undertake tasks beyond those for which they were originally designed, and eventually surpass human intelligence.

    AGI does not exist yet, and it is not certain it will ever be developed. Critics often dismiss AGI as something that belongs only in science fiction movies. As a result, the most critical risks are not taken seriously by some and are seen as fanciful by others.

    However, many experts believe we are close to achieving AGI. Developers have suggested that, for the first time, they know what technical tasks are required to achieve the goal.

    AGI will not stay solely in sci-fi forever. It will eventually be with us, and likely sooner than we think.

    2: We already need to worry about current AI technologies

    Given the most severe risks are often discussed in relation to AGI, there is often a misplaced belief we do not need to worry too much about the risks associated with contemporary “narrow” AI.

    However, current AI technologies are already causing significant harm to humans and society. This includes through obvious mechanisms such as fatal road and aviation crashes, warfare, cyber incidents, and even encouraging suicide.

    AI systems have also caused harm in more oblique ways, such as election interference, the replacement of human work, biased decision-making, deepfakes, and disinformation and misinformation.

    According to MIT’s AI Incident Tracker, the harms caused by current AI technologies are on the rise. There is a critical need to manage current AI technologies as well as those that might appear in future.

    3: Contemporary AI technologies are ‘smarter’ than we think

    A third myth is that current AI technologies are not actually that clever and hence are easy to control. This myth is most often seen when discussing the large language models (LLMs) behind chatbots such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.

    There is plenty of debate about exactly how to define intelligence and whether AI technologies truly are intelligent, but for practical purposes these are distracting side issues.
    It is enough that AI systems behave in unexpected ways and create unforeseen risks.

    Several AI chatbots appear to display surprising behaviours, such as attempts at ‘scheming’ to ensure their own preservation.
    Apollo Research

    For example, existing AI technologies have been found to engage in behaviours that most people would not expect from non-intelligent entities. These include deceit, collusion, hacking, and even acting to ensure their own preservation.

    Whether these behaviours are evidence of intelligence is a moot point. The behaviours may cause harm to humans either way.

    What matters is that we have the controls in place to prevent harmful behaviour. The idea that “AI is dumb” isn’t helping anyone.

    4: Regulation alone is not enough

    Many people concerned about AI safety have advocated for AI safety regulations.

    Last year the European Union’s AI Act, representing the world’s first AI law, was widely praised. It built on already established AI safety principles to provide guidance around AI safety and risk.

    While regulation is crucial, it is not all that’s required to ensure AI is safe and beneficial. Regulation is only part of a complex network of controls required to keep AI safe.

    These controls will also include codes of practice, standards, research, education and training, performance measurement and evaluation, procedures, security and privacy controls, incident reporting and learning systems, and more. The EU AI act is a step in the right direction, but a huge amount of work is still required to develop the appropriate mechanisms required to ensure it works.

    5: It’s not just about the AI

    The fifth and perhaps most entrenched myth centres around the idea that AI technologies themselves create risk.

    AI technologies form one component of a broader “sociotechnical” system. There are many other essential components: humans, other technologies, data, artefacts, organisations, procedures and so on.

    Safety depends on the behaviour of all these components and their interactions. This “systems thinking” philosophy demands a different approach to AI safety.

    Instead of controlling the behaviour of individual components of the system, we need to manage interactions and emergent properties.

    With AI agents on the rise – AI systems with more autonomy and the ability to carry out more tasks – the interactions between different AI technologies will become increasingly important.

    At present, there has been little work examining these interactions and the risks that could arise in the broader sociotechnical system in which AI technologies are deployed. AI safety controls are required for all interactions within the system, not just the AI technologies themselves.

    AI safety is arguably one of the most important challenges our societies face. To get anywhere in addressing it, we will need a shared understanding of what the risks really are.

    Paul Salmon receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Nobody wants to talk about AI safety. Instead they cling to 5 comforting myths – https://theconversation.com/nobody-wants-to-talk-about-ai-safety-instead-they-cling-to-5-comforting-myths-249489

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –