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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill  Biden at a Celebration for the Opening of “The People’s House: A White  House Experience”

    Source: The White House

    The South Lawn

    Thank you, Fig. You inspire young people to get excited about their education, especially in STEM. We’re lucky to have you guiding the future of the White House Historical Association.

    And I’m glad to see so many Association board members with us. I know you all have had a packed schedule these past few days. Your commitment to this project warms my heart. Thank you.

    Earlier, we heard from the Suitland High School Choir. We appreciate you sharing your voices with us today.

    And thank you, Emma, JD, and Jonas, for leading us in the Pledge of Allegiance!

    We’ve also had the Armed Forces Color Guard presenting the colors, and the President’s Own Marine Band playing the beautiful music we’ve heard this afternoon. Joe and I are so grateful to you and your families for your service to our nation.

    And it’s great to see so many kids on the South Lawn. The project we’re celebrating today is for you.    

    Welcome, everyone, to the White House!

    Doorway by doorway, moment by moment, every piece of the White House is cloaked in history—whether it’s in the Cabinet Room where President Kennedy deliberated over the Cuban Missile Crisis, or the East Room where President Theodore Roosevelt once held a wrestling match.

    Kids roller skated in the room where we host heads of state, and nearby, in the Red Room, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt held her own press conferences back when women were excluded from the President’s press briefings.

    Some guests at the White House have the chance to step inside these rooms—in fact, around 3,000 people come through these halls every day. But the reality is that many people never get that opportunity.

    Even fewer get to walk through the Rose Garden and the Oval Office. And almost no one gets to go behind the scenes to hear from the Chief Floral Designer or glimpse the upper floor of the residence.

    Until now.

    Starting Monday, an immersive learning center will be open to all.

    “The People’s House: A White House Experience” will bring new generations closer to the home behind me, sparking greater curiosity for civics education and our democracy.

    Teachers know the best way to learn is by involving all of the senses—and lingering in the little details that stand out to you.

    Right across the street, people will be able to interact and experience how our government works. 

    That makes this new space a powerful kind of classroom. Because when people learn more about our democracy, they will be more inspired to participate in it.

    At 1700 Pennsylvania Avenue, in an exact replica of the Oval Office, you can feel the gravity of sitting behind the President’s Resolute desk. You can join the intense deliberations of a Cabinet meeting. And you can get swept away by the 360-degree enchantment of a State Dinner.

    Along the way, you’ll meet people who have lived and worked here across centuries—from Cabinet Secretaries advising the President in times of war, to the chefs, ushers, and florists who work together to arrange the most intricate details of American diplomacy.

    Students will imagine themselves as public servants through interactive technology, and teachers will have dedicated spaces to bring their lesson plans to life.

    Stewart, you’ve put your whole heart and soul into “The People’s House”—and frankly, I’m not sure when you found the time to sleep! Month after month, you guided this project with careful precision and breathtaking speed.

    I’ve been a part of the process from when it was just an idea, to the final touches—and I can’t wait for everyone to see it.

    So, let’s get started. In just a moment, a group of students will load onto a bus to experience this incredible, immersive space. 

    I know it will encourage them to embrace the wonder of White House history, and inspire them to shape our nation’s future.

    Thank you, and please enjoy the celebration!

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/VIETNAM – “WYO4children”: a musical project that heals wounds and opens people up

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Ho Chi Minh City (Agenzia Fides) – The orphans of the home run by the Missionary sisters of Charity in the diocese of Phu Cuong, in southern Vietnam, have learned that “music heals the wounds of the heart”, said Fr. Dominic Nguyen Van Lam, a 40-year-old Vietnamese priest, to Fides, referring to a special musical initiative with orphans on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City. “They are children marked by suffering and the hardships of life. Music has given them back their self-confidence and joy in life, which is reflected in the relationships between them and in the not always easy relationship with the teachers and the sisters. Music is and remains a tool for human and spiritual growth that can restore the virtuous circle of love,” explains the Catholic priest who coordinates the WYO4children project as part of the Sounds of Brotherhood initiative promoted by the World Youth Orchestra (WYO) Foundation, which is being carried out this year in Vietnam thanks to the support of the Italian Cassa Depositi e Prestiti Foundation and other sponsors.As part of a cultural cooperation initiative, the project offered concrete support to orphaned and abandoned children in Vietnam, “to emphasize three fundamental values of life: friendship, brotherhood, peace,” explained Adolfo Vannucci, President of the World Youth Orchestra Foundation.At the “Home of Mother’s Love” in Binh Duong, where around 20 nuns look after a total of 80 orphaned and abandoned children and young people aged 5 to 17 from difficult family backgrounds, the young people took part in music workshops throughout the year and at the end presented the musical skills they had acquired in the last few days.Father Dominic emphasizes “the power of music, which has brought about positive changes in the children’s lives. Since they have come into contact with music and play an instrument, they are happier and the results can also be seen at school. The atmosphere in the house has become more cheerful.” “Music,” the priest continues, “builds mutual love: this path has not only helped the children to become more sensitive, both internally and in their relationships with their neighbors; it has also helped me, the teachers and the sisters to rediscover the joy of love and care when we share our time with them.” “The Missionaries of Charity confirm how much the children’s lives have improved, especially because everyone is now smiling. Music was a means of bringing back smiles and openness to love God and neighbour,” the priest concluded.In the diocese of Phu Cuong, which has around 165,000 Catholics in a population of more than 4 million people, the Catholic community is very keen on charitable and social activities. It works to help disadvantaged or poor people and provides scholarships to poor students, an initiative that the local bishop Joseph Nguyen Tan Tuoc wanted to extend to the “Home of Mother’s Love”. This enables the children to attend school for free. The local church provides accommodation and care for children of ethnic minorities from remote areas and works to improve their material and spiritual life. The “Wyo4children” project is part of this framework.The World Youth Orchestra, which has 23 years of musical and social activity, is present in 75 countries, has 300 international partners, including universities and music academies, and has involved more than 3,500 talented young musicians worldwide. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 21/9/2024)

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill  Biden at the First-Ever Back-to-School Night at the White  House

    Source: The White House

    The South Lawn

    Welcome to the White House!

    “Back to School” means different things, depending on who you ask.

    For students, it’s about reuniting with friends after a summer apart, learning new subjects, and trying out for sports teams.

    For teachers like me, it means re-imagining our classrooms, and showing students all that they can do.

    For parents, it’s a huge sigh of relief—right?

    I’ve also been thinking about what “Back to School” meant four years ago.

    The pandemic was still raging. And our schools were silent. Teachers had to reach out to students through Zoom squares. Bus drivers dropped off Wifi hot-spots to neighborhoods with no connection. Counselors took call after call from parents in tears, just trying to juggle it all.

    Our educators came to the rescue.

    Thank you for being the heroes we needed.

    As President, Joe has had your back and been your champion.

    His Administration helped reopen our schools safely, made historic investments in public schools, fixed student loan relief for public servants. And Joe is fighting to make sure educators are paid what you’re worth.

    Since he took office, 30 states and Washington, D.C. have increased teacher pay.

    For my last “Back to School” season here at the White House, I wanted to celebrate all of that progress.

    Thank you to the President’s Own Marine Band for providing the soundtrack for today’s festivities. I’m so grateful to you and your families for your service to our nation—and so is your Commander-in-Chief.

    We also have several Teachers of the Year with us. I got to meet so many of you at the first-ever State Dinner for Teachers of the Year a few months ago. I am amazed by the love and care you pour into your students and classrooms.

    And it’s great to have Secretary Cardona here, along with his wife, Marissa, who is also an educator. Secretary Cardona—Miguel—you spend every day thinking about how to best support students, and lifting up teachers and schools. Joe and I are grateful for your commitment to our nation’s learners.

    With each new school year, we stand on the precipice of possibility.

    Teachers will broaden horizons from their classrooms, parents will see how much their kids can grow and learn, students will let their imaginations soar. And Joe and I will be cheering you on. 

    But tonight, everybody remember: it’s not a school night.

    So please have fun on the best lawn in America.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Awards inspire innovative teaching

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Studying history can sometimes be difficult for students as it involves assessing large amounts of information.

    Antonio Kwan has been working in the field of education for about 20 years, mainly teaching history, and now works for The Methodist Church Hong Kong Wesley College. He believes that understanding history is more than just about reading and memorising facts.

    Enriched learning

    Mr Kwan uses a variety of creative teaching methods to engage students. He also organises extended activities beyond the classroom to enrich their learning experiences.

    Together with his colleagues, Mr Kwan designed a board game that introduces players to the ancient Silk Road and Maritime Silk Road, as well as Arab civilisation. Playing the game helps students to grasp timelines and deepens their understanding of historical materials.

    Mr Kwan’s dedication to enhancing students’ interest and learning capacities resulted in him becoming a recipient of the Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence, in recognition of his outstanding performance in the Personal, Social and Humanities Education Key Learning Area.

    He said the award has motivated him to continue innovating and exploring new methods in his teaching career. He believes that studying history is not only about absorbing information, but also about cultivating students’ historical awareness, global vision and cultural respect.

    “I hope that students can learn from historical events and put these lessons into practice,” he said.

    Character development

    Alongside imparting knowledge, character development is equally important in teaching.

    Wanki Suen, a teacher at the TWGHs Tin Wan (1996-1997 Directors) Kindergarten, believes early childhood is a critical period for character formation and that educators have a vital role to play in influencing its development in students.

    “I think teaching by example is always more important,” she said. “Teachers should always set a good example for the children and create a positive learning atmosphere.”

    In order to instil a clear idea of good conduct, her kindergarten makes use of picture books, activities and games that encourage children to behave appropriately. Parents are also invited to make picture books with their children at home to reinforce their learning.

    To cater to children’s interests and learning needs, Ms Suen and her colleagues have also designed their own picture books, highlighting different aspects of Chinese culture, with a subsidy provided by the Quality Education Fund.

    Innovative education

    Over 950 teachers from different fields have been honoured since the launch of the Chief Executive’s Awards for Teaching Excellence in 2003. The Education Bureau said the awards recognise teaching excellence and help to elevate the professional image and social status of teachers.

    The bureau’s Chief Professional Development Officer (Teacher Awards & Language Teacher Qualifications) Nongyao Vitayatprapaiphan said that the initiative brings together outstanding teachers, promoting a culture of collaboration and the pursuit of excellence.

    The award presentation ceremony is held in July every year. A new round of nominations is currently open. In addition to the existing award categories, two new awards – namely the Award for Budding Teachers and the Award for Education Innovation – have been added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Wilmington Declaration Joint Statement from the Leaders of Australia, India, Japan, and the United  States

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Today, we—Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States—met for the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit, hosted by President Biden in Wilmington, Delaware.
    Four years since elevating the Quad to a leader-level format, the Quad is more strategically aligned than ever before and is a force for good that delivers real, positive, and enduring impact for the Indo-Pacific. We celebrate the fact that over just four years, Quad countries have built a vital and enduring regional grouping that will buttress the Indo-Pacific for decades to come.
    Anchored by shared values, we seek to uphold the international order based on the rule of law. Together we represent nearly two billion people and over one-third of global gross domestic product. We reaffirm our steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient. Through our cooperation, the Quad is harnessing all of our collective strengths and resources, from governments to the private sector to people-to-people relationships, to support the region’s sustainable development, stability, and prosperity by delivering tangible benefits to the people of the Indo-Pacific.
    As four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, we unequivocally stand for the maintenance of peace and stability across this dynamic region, as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. We strongly oppose any destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We condemn recent illicit missile launches in the region that violate UN Security Council resolutions. We express serious concern over recent dangerous and aggressive actions in the maritime domain. We seek a region where no country dominates and no country is dominated—one where all countries are free from coercion, and can exercise their agency to determine their futures. We are united in our commitment to upholding a stable and open international system, with its strong support for human rights, the principle of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes and prohibition on the threat or use of force in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter.
    Reflecting the Vision Statement issued by Leaders at the 2023 Quad Summit, we are and will continue to be transparent in what we do. Respect for the leadership of regional institutions, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), is and will remain at the center of the Quad’s efforts.
    A Global Force for Good
    Health Security
    The COVID-19 pandemic reminded the world how important health security is to our societies, our economies, and the stability of our region. In 2021 and 2022, the Quad came together to deliver more than 400 million safe and effective COVID-19 doses to Indo-Pacific countries and almost 800 million vaccines globally, and provided $5.6 billion to the COVAX Advance Market Commitment for vaccine supply to low and middle-income countries. In 2023, we announced the Quad Health Security Partnership, through which the Quad continues to deliver for partners across the region, including through the delivery of pandemic preparedness training.
    In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, we plan to coordinate our efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.
    Today we are proud to announce the Quad Cancer Moonshot, a groundbreaking partnership to save lives in the Indo-Pacific region. Building on the Quad’s successful partnership during the COVID-19 pandemic, our collective investments to address cancer in the region, our scientific and medical capabilities, and contributions from our private and non-profit sectors, we will collaborate with partner nations to reduce the burden of cancer in the region.
    The Quad Cancer Moonshot will focus initially on combatting cervical cancer—a preventable cancer that continues to claim too many lives—in the Indo-Pacific region, while laying the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well. The United States intends to support this initiative, including through U.S. Navy medical trainings and professional exchanges around cervical cancer prevention in the region starting in 2025, and through U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) openness to finance eligible private sector-driven projects to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, including cervical cancer. Australia is announcing the expansion of the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer Program (EPICC) with support of the Australian Government and the Minderoo Foundation to AUD 29.6 million, to cover up to eleven countries in the Indo-Pacific in helping advance the elimination of cervical cancer and support complementary initiatives focused on cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, detection kits, and cervical cancer vaccines worth $7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region.  India, through its $10 million commitment to the WHO’s Global Initiative on Digital Health, will offer technical assistance to interested countries in the Indo-Pacific region for the adoption and deployment of its Digital Public Infrastructure that helps in cancer screening and care. Japan is providing medical equipment, including CT and MRI scanners, and other assistance worth approximately $27 million, including in Cambodia, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, and is contributing to international organizations such as the Gavi Vaccine Alliance. Quad partners also intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer and to increase private sector and non-governmental sector activities in support of reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the region. We welcome a number of new, ambitious commitments from non-governmental institutions, including the Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi, which will support orders of up to 40 million HPV vaccine doses, subject to necessary approvals, for the Indo-Pacific region, and which may be increased consistent with demand. We also welcome a new $100 million commitment from Women’s Health and Empowerment Network to address cervical cancer in Southeast Asia.
    Altogether, our scientific experts assess that the Quad Cancer Moonshot will save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades.
    Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR)
    Twenty years since the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, when the Quad first came together to surge humanitarian assistance, we continue to respond to the vulnerabilities caused by natural disasters in the Indo-Pacific. In 2022, the Quad established the “Quad Partnership on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief in the Indo-Pacific” and signed Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific, which enable Quad countries to rapidly coordinate in the face of natural disasters. We welcome Quad governments working to ensure readiness to rapidly respond, including through pre-positioning of essential relief supplies, in the event of a natural disaster; this effort extends from the Indian Ocean region, to Southeast Asia, to the Pacific.
    In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, Quad partners collectively contributed over $5 million in humanitarian assistance. Quad partners are working together to provide over $4 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Vietnam in light of the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi. The Quad continues to support partners in the region in their longer-term resiliency efforts.
    Maritime Security
    In 2022, we announced the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) to offer near-real-time, integrated, and cost-effective maritime domain awareness information to partners in the region. Since then, in consultation with partners, we have successfully scaled the program across the Indo-Pacific region—through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, with partners in Southeast Asia, to the Information Fusion Center—Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram. In doing so, the Quad has helped well over two dozen countries access dark vessel maritime domain awareness data, so they can better monitor the activities in their exclusive economic zones—including unlawful activity. Australia commits to boosting its cooperation with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency to enhance regional maritime domain awareness in the Pacific through satellite data, training, and capacity building.
    Today we are announcing a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI), to enable our partners in the region to maximize tools provided through IPMDA and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior. We look forward to India hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025. Furthermore, we welcome the launch of a Quad maritime legal dialogue to support efforts to uphold the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific. In addition, Quad partners intend to layer new technology and data into IPMDA over the coming year, to continue to deliver cutting edge capability and information to the region.
    We are also announcing today that the U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard, plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025, to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety, and continuing with further missions in future years across the Indo-Pacific.  
    We also announce today the launch of a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, to pursue shared airlift capacity among our nations and leverage our collective logistics strengths, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region.
    Quality Infrastructure
    The Quad remains committed to improving the region’s connectivity through the development of quality, resilient infrastructure.
    We are pleased to announce the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, which will harness the Quad’s expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with regional partners. In 2025, we intend to hold a Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference, hosted by India in Mumbai. Through this new partnership, Quad partners intend to coordinate, exchange information, share best practices with partners in the region, and leverage resources to mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.
    We applaud the expansion of the Quad Infrastructure Fellowships to more than 2,200 experts, and note that Quad partners have already provided well over 1,300 fellowships since the initiative was announced at last year’s Summit. We also appreciate the workshop organized by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure in India, working to empower partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen power sector resilience.
    Through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, we continue to support and strengthen quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, the capacity, durability, and reliability of which are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of the region and the world. In support of these efforts, Australia launched the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre in July, which is delivering workshops and policy and regulatory assistance in response to requests from across the region. Japan will extend technical cooperation to improve public ICT infrastructure management capacity for an undersea cable in Nauru and Kiribati. The United States has conducted over 1,300 capacity building trainings for telecommunication officials and executives from 25 countries in the Indo-Pacific; today the U.S. announces its intent, working with Congress, to invest an additional $3.4 million to extend and expand this training program.
    Investments in cable projects by Quad partners will help support all Pacific island countries in achieving primary telecommunication cable connectivity by the end of 2025. Since the last Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad partners have committed over $140 million to undersea cable builds in the Pacific, alongside contributions from other likeminded partners. Complementing these investments in new undersea cables, India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine expansion of undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.
    We reaffirm our support for the Pacific Quality Infrastructure Principles, which are an expression of Pacific voices on infrastructure.
    We underscore our commitment to an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, reliable and secure digital future to advance our shared prosperity and sustainable development across the Indo-Pacific. In this context, we welcome the Quad Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure.
    Critical and Emerging Technologies
    Today, we are proud to announce an ambitious expansion of our partnership to deliver trusted technology solutions to the broader Indo-Pacific region.
    Last year, Quad partners launched a landmark initiative to deploy the first Open Radio Access Network (RAN) in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has pledged approximately $20 million to this effort.
    Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia. We plan to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial $8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year. The United States also plans to invest over $7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.
    Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.
    We remain committed to advancing our cooperation on semiconductors through better leveraging of our complementary strengths to realize a diversified and competitive market and enhance resilience of Quad’s semiconductor supply chains. We welcome a Memorandum of Cooperation between Quad countries for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network.
    Through the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative announced at last year’s Summit, our governments are deepening leading-edge collaborative research to harness artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing to transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers across the Indo-Pacific. We are pleased to announce an inaugural $7.5+ million in funding opportunities for joint research, and welcome the recent signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between our science agencies to connect our research communities and advance shared research principles.
    The United States, Australia, India, and Japan look forward to launching the Quad BioExplore Initiative—a funded mechanism that will support joint AI-driven exploration of diverse non-human biological data across all four countries.
    This project will also be underpinned by the forthcoming Quad Principles for Research and Development Collaborations in Critical and Emerging Technologies.
    Climate and Clean Energy
    As we underscore the severe economic, social, and environmental consequences posed by the climate crisis, we continue to work together with Indo-Pacific partners, including through Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP), to enhance climate and clean energy cooperation as well as promote adaptation and resilience. We emphasize the significant benefits of transitioning to a clean energy economy for our people, our planet, and our shared prosperity. Our countries intend to strengthen our cooperation to align policies, incentives, standards, and investments around creating high-quality, diversified clean energy supply chains that will enhance our collective energy security, create new economic opportunities across the region, and benefit local workers and communities around the world, particularly across the Indo-Pacific.
    We will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalize our commitment to catalyzing complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains. To this end, Australia will open applications for the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chains Diversification Program in November, providing AUD 50 million to support projects that develop and diversify solar panel, hydrogen electrolyzer and battery supply chains in the Indo-Pacific. India commits to invest $2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles. Japan has committed to $122 million grants and loans in renewable energy projects in Indo-Pacific countries. The United States, through DFC, will continue to seek opportunities to mobilize private capital to solar, as well as wind, cooling, batteries, and critical minerals to expand and diversify supply chains.
    We are pleased to announce a focused Quad effort to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of high-efficiency affordable, cooling systems to enable climate-vulnerable communities to adapt to rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing strain on the electricity grid.
    We jointly affirm our commitment to addressing the challenges posed by climate change and ensure the resilience and sustainability of port infrastructure. Quad partners will leverage our learning and expertise to forge a path towards sustainable and resilient port infrastructure, including through the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI).
    Cyber
    In the face of a deteriorating security environment in the cyber domain, Quad countries intend to enhance our cybersecurity partnership to address common threats posed by state-sponsored actors, cybercriminals, and other non-state malicious actors. Our countries commit to taking concrete steps to increase our collective network defense and advance technical capabilities through greater threat information sharing and capacity building. We plan to coordinate joint efforts to identify vulnerabilities, protect national security networks and critical infrastructure networks, and coordinate more closely including on policy responses to significant cybersecurity incidents affecting the Quad’s shared priorities.
    Quad countries are also partnering with software manufacturers, industry trade groups, and research centers to expand our commitmentto pursuing secure software development standards and certification, as endorsed in the Quad’s 2023 Secure Software Joint Principles. We will work to harmonize these standards to not only ensure that the development, procurement, and end-use of software for government networks is more secure, but that the cyber resilience of our supply chains, digital economies, and societies are collectively improved. Throughout this fall, Quad countries each plan to host campaigns to mark the annual Quad Cyber Challenge promoting responsible cyber ecosystems, public resources, and cybersecurity awareness. We are constructively engaging on the Quad Action Plan to Protect Commercial Undersea Telecommunications Cables, developed by the Quad Senior Cyber Group, as a complementary effort to the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. Our coordinated actions to protect global telecommunications infrastructure as guided by the Action Plan will advance our shared vision for future digital connectivity, global commerce, and prosperity. 
    Space
    We recognize the essential contribution of space-related applications and technologies in the Indo-Pacific. Our four countries intend to continue delivering Earth Observation data and other space-related applications to assist nations across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen climate early warning systems and better manage the impacts of extreme weather events. In this context, we welcome India’s establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius, to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.
    Quad Investors Network (QUIN)
    We welcome private sector initiatives—including the Quad Investors Network (QUIN), which facilitates investments in strategic technologies, including clean energy, semiconductors, critical minerals, and quantum. The QUIN is mobilizing a number of investments to promote supply chain resilience, advance joint research and development, commercialize new technologies, and invest in our future workforce.
    People-to-People Initiatives
    The Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, and among our partners. Through the Quad Fellowship, we are building a network of the next generation of science, technology, and policy leaders. Together with the Institute of International Education, which leads implementation of the Quad Fellowship, Quad governments welcome the second cohort of Quad Fellows and the expansion of the program to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital.
    India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.
    Working Together to Address Regional and Global Issues
    Today we reaffirm our consistent and unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity. We continue to support implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and are committed to ensuring the Quad’s work is aligned with ASEAN’s principles and priorities.
    We underscore ASEAN’s regional leadership role, including in the East Asia Summit, the region’s premier leader-led forum for strategic dialogue, and the ASEAN Regional Forum. As comprehensive strategic partners of ASEAN, our four countries intend to continue to strengthen our respective relationships with ASEAN and seek opportunities for greater Quad collaboration in support of the AOIP.
    We recommit to working in partnership with Pacific island countries to achieve shared aspirations and address shared challenges. We reaffirm our support for Pacific regional institutions that have served the region well over many years, with the PIF as the region’s premier political and economic policy organization, and warmly welcome Tonga’s leadership as the current PIF Chair in 2024-2025. We continue to support the objectives of the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent. We and our governments will continue to listen to and be guided at every step by Pacific priorities, including climate action, ocean health, resilient infrastructure, maritime security and financial integrity. In particular, we acknowledge climate change remains the single greatest threat to the livelihoods, security and wellbeing of the peoples of the Pacific and applaud Pacific island countries’ global leadership on climate action.
    We remain committed to strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. We strongly support IORA as the Indian Ocean region’s premier forum for addressing the region’s challenges. We recognize India’s leadership in finalizing the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (IOIP) and express our support for its implementation. We thank Sri Lanka for its continued leadership as IORA Chair through this year and look forward to India’s assuming the IORA Chair in 2025.  
    As Leaders, we are steadfast in our conviction that international law, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the maintenance of peace, safety, security and stability in the maritime domain, underpin the sustainable development, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. We emphasize the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including with respect to maritime claims. We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea. We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including increasing use of dangerous maneuvers. We also oppose efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS. We re-emphasize the importance of maintaining and upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law. We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of UNCLOS and reaffirm that UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and the seas must be carried out. We underscore that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.
    Together, with our global and regional partners, we continue to support international institutions and initiatives that underpin global peace, prosperity and sustainable development. We reiterate our unwavering support for the UN Charter and the three pillars of the UN system. In consultation with our partners, we will work collectively to address attempts to unilaterally undermine the integrity of the UN, its Charter, and its agencies. We will reform the UN Security Council, recognizing the urgent need to make it more representative, inclusive, transparent, efficient, effective, democratic and accountable through expansion in permanent and non-permanent categories of membership of the UN Security Council. This expansion of permanent seats should include representation for Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean in a reformed Security Council.
    We stand for adherence to international law and respect for principles of the UN Charter, including territorial integrity, sovereignty of all states, and peaceful resolution of disputes. We express our deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine including the terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. Each of us has visited Ukraine since the war began, and seen this first-hand; we reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. We also note the negative impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security, especially for developing and least developed countries. In the context of this war, we share the view that the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. We underscore the importance of upholding international law, and in line with the UN Charter, reiterate that all states must refrain from the threat of or use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any state.
    We condemn North Korea’s destabilizing ballistic missile launches and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs). These launches pose a grave threat to international peace and stability. We urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the UNSCRs, refrain from further provocations and engage in substantive dialogue. We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula consistent with relevant UNSCRs and call on all countries to fully implement these UNSCRs. We stress the need to prevent any proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond. We express our grave concern over North Korea’s use of proliferation networks, malicious cyber activity and workers abroad to fund its unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. In that context, we urge all UN Member States to abide by the relevant UNSCRs including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel. We express deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea, which directly undermines the global nonproliferation regime. As the mandate of the UN Panel of Experts tasked with monitoring violations of North Korea-related UNSCR sanctions was not renewed, we reiterate our commitment to continued implementation of the relevant UNSCRs which remain in full force. We reconfirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
    We remain deeply concerned by the worsening political, security and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, including in Rakhine State, and again call for an immediate cessation of violence, the release of all those unjustly and arbitrarily detained, safe and unhindered humanitarian access, resolution of the crisis through constructive and inclusive dialogue among all stakeholders, and a return to the path of inclusive democracy. We reaffirm our strong support for ASEAN-led efforts, including the work of the ASEAN Chair and the Special Envoy of the ASEAN Chair on Myanmar. We call for full implementation of all commitments under the ASEAN Five-Point Consensus. The ongoing conflict and instability have serious implications for the region, including increases in transnational crime such as cybercrime, the illegal drug trade, and human trafficking. We restate our appeal to all States to prevent the flow of arms and dual-use material, including jet fuel. We remain resolute in our support for the people of Myanmar and commit to continuing to work with all stakeholders in a pragmatic and constructive way, to find a sustainable solution to the crisis in a process which is led by the people of Myanmar and returns Myanmar to the path of democracy.
    We call upon all States to contribute to the safe, peaceful, responsible, and sustainable use of outer space. We remain committed to fostering international cooperation and transparency, as well as confidence-building measures with the goal of improving the security of outer space for all States. We reaffirm the importance of upholding the existing international legal framework for outer space activities, including the Outer Space Treaty, and the obligation of all States Parties to the Treaty not to place in orbit around the Earth any objects carrying nuclear weapons or any other kinds of weapons of mass destruction, install such weapons on celestial bodies, or station such weapons in outer space in any other manner.
    The Quad reaffirms its commitment to fostering a resilient information environment including through its Countering Disinformation Working Group by supporting media freedom and addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community. We recognize these tactics are intended to interfere with domestic and international interests, and we are committed, together with our regional partners, to leverage our collective expertise and capacity to respond. We reaffirm our commitment to respect international human rights law, strengthen civil society, support media freedom, address online harassment and abuse, including technology-facilitated gender-based violence, and counter unethical practices.
    We unequivocally condemn terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. We are committed to international cooperation and will work with our regional partners in a comprehensive and sustained manner to strengthen their capability to prevent, detect and respond to threats posed by terrorism and violent extremism, including threats posed by the use of new and emerging technologies for terrorist purposes, consistent with international law. We are committed to working together to promote accountability for the perpetrators of such terrorist attacks. We reiterate our condemnation of terrorist attacks including the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and in Pathankot, and our commitment to pursuing designations, as appropriate, by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee.  We welcome the constructive discussions held at the first Quad Working Group on Counter-Terrorism and the fourth tabletop exercise in Honolulu last year, and look forward to Japan hosting the next meeting and tabletop exercise in November 2024.
    We share great interest in achieving peace and stability in the Middle East. We unequivocally condemn the terror attacks on October 7, 2023. The large-scale loss of civilian lives and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unacceptable. We affirm the imperative of securing the release of all hostages held by Hamas, and emphasize that the deal to release hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza. We underscore the urgent need to significantly increase deliveries of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza as well as the crucial need to prevent regional escalation. We urge all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, as applicable. We welcome UNSCR S/RES/2735 (2024), and strongly urge all parties concerned to work immediately and steadily toward the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire. We call on all parties to take every feasible step to protect the lives of civilians including aid workers, and facilitate the rapid, safe and unimpeded humanitarian relief to civilians. We also encourage other countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific, to increase their support in order to address the dire humanitarian need on the ground. We underscore that the future recovery and reconstruction of Gaza should be supported by the international community. We remain committed to a sovereign, viable and independent Palestinian state taking into account Israel’s legitimate security concerns as part of a two-state solution that enables both Israelis and Palestinians to live in a just, lasting, and secure peace. Any unilateral actions that undermine the prospect of a two-state solution, including Israeli expansion of settlements and violent extremism on all sides, must end. We underscore the need to prevent the conflict from escalating and spilling over in the region.
    We condemn the ongoing attacks perpetrated by the Houthis and their supporters against international and commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which are destabilizing the region and impeding navigational rights and freedoms and trade flows, and jeopardize the safety of vessels and people on board including sailors.
    We reaffirm our commitment to the implementation of the 2030 Agenda and the achievement of its Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). We underscore the importance of achieving the SDGs in a comprehensive manner without selectively prioritizing a narrow set of such goals, and reaffirm that the UN has a central role in supporting countries in their implementation. With six years left, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and accelerating progress toward all the SDGs in a comprehensive manner that is balanced across three dimensions – economic, social and environmental. From global health to sustainable development and climate change, the global community benefits when all stakeholders have the opportunity to contribute to addressing these challenges. We affirm our commitment to contributing to and implementing the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) Agenda and to achieving gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls. We underscore our commitment to strongly engaging constructively in the discussion on advancing sustainable development, including at the Summit of the Future. The Quad continues to realize a safe and secure world where human rights and human dignity are protected, based on the central premise of the SDGs: “Leave no one behind.”
    We, the Quad Leaders, remain dedicated to working in partnership with Indo-Pacific countries in deciding our future and shaping the region we all want to live in.
    Enduring Partners for the Indo-Pacific
    Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met together six times, including twice virtually, and Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times in the last five years. Quad country representatives meet together on a regular basis, at all levels, including among ambassadors across the four countries’ extensive diplomatic networks, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver benefits with and for partners across the Indo-Pacific region. We welcome our Commerce and Industry ministers preparing to meet for the first time in the coming months. We also welcome the leaders of our Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific. Altogether, our four countries are cooperating at an unprecedented pace and scale.
    Each of our governments has committed to working through our respective budgetary processes to secure robust funding for Quad priorities in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure an enduring impact. We intend to work with our legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts.
    We look forward to the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting hosted by the United States in 2025, and the next Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India in 2025. The Quad is here to stay.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s accessible high-level manufacturing a new magnet for global investors

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

    HEFEI, Sept. 21 — Eyeing opportunities emerging from the opening-up and upgrading of China’s manufacturing sector, multinational companies gathered at a conference on Friday that was held as part of the ongoing 2024 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, the capital of east China’s Anhui Province.

    Their discussions focused on how the country’s advancements in manufacturing are opening doors for enhanced global cooperation and investment, signaling the industry’s growing appeal to international investors.

    The conference was a key event at the convention, attracting 178 political and business leaders from 19 countries and regions, including representatives of 92 Fortune 500 and multinational companies.

    “The coordinated digital and green transformation of traditional manufacturing is an inherent requirement for the development of new quality productive forces, and it has created new advantages for China’s high-quality economic growth. This new model aligns closely with Honeywell’s strategic objectives,” William Yu, president of Honeywell China, said at the conference.

    With over 50 years of expertise in industrial automation, the U.S. multinational has steadily increased its investment in China in recent years. Its focus spans key sectors such as automation, energy transformation and aviation.

    In July, Honeywell China signed a strategic cooperation agreement with BBCA Group to develop sustainable aviation fuel and other initiatives in the city of Bengbu in Anhui, aiming to support green and low-carbon development.

    Honeywell is among a growing number of foreign companies expanding their investment in the world’s second-largest economy, driven by rising optimism about China’s economic outlook and recognition of the high-level opening-up of its manufacturing sector.

    According to China’s Ministry of Commerce, a total of 36,968 new foreign-invested firms were established across China in the first eight months of 2024 — an increase of 11.5 percent year on year.

    During the period, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, totaled 580.2 billion yuan (about 82.1 billion U.S. dollars). The high-tech manufacturing sector attracted 12.4 percent, or 72.1 billion yuan, of the total FDI inflow, which was up 1.9 percentage points from the same period last year.

    Additionally, China’s top economic planner announced earlier this month that restrictions on foreign investment in the manufacturing sector would be lifted.

    “This policy not only demonstrates China’s positive willingness to expand international cooperation but also boosts the confidence of foreign-funded enterprises in continuously deepening their presence in the Chinese market,” said Tamai Takeshi, deputy general manager of Mitsubishi Electric (China) Co., Ltd.

    As China accelerates its development of new quality productive forces and sustainable manufacturing, foreign enterprises are increasingly viewing these advancements as tangible opportunities. And integrating into China’s manufacturing upgrade has become a trend among international investors.

    “The Chinese market is developing at its own drumbeat. With a strong focus on the needs of the Chinese customers, Volkswagen is going for 100 percent ‘in China for China’ through a fully fledged local R&D center and strong local partnerships,” said Thomas Ulbrich, chief technology officer of Volkswagen Group China.

    By streamlining its R&D processes and granting more local decision-making authority, Volkswagen aims to reduce its time-to-market by 30 percent, Ulbrich said, speaking about the company’s development plans for the Chinese market over the next few years at the conference.

    According to the German Chamber’s Innovation Report 2024, which was released this month, German companies in China are doubling down on their localization of innovation to increase competitiveness and utilize China as an innovation hub for global markets to a greater extent.

    “German companies are investing in local innovation and strategic partnerships with customers and suppliers to stay competitive in an intense and dynamic market environment,” said Martin Klose, executive director and board member of the German Chamber of Commerce in South & Southwest China.

    “Foreign investment in China’s emerging industries will promote the cross-border flow of capital, talent and technology, as well as international exchange in science and technology. This will help foster deeper open and innovative ecosystems in China, unlocking the country’s economic development potential further,” said Liu Qiao, dean of the Guanghua School of Management at Peking University.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Silk Road int’l cultural expo participants call for cooperation, dialogue

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

    LANZHOU, Sept. 21 — More than 800 representatives from 50 countries, regions and international organizations have gathered at the 7th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which kicked off on Saturday in Dunhuang, a key hub on the ancient Silk Road in northwest China.

    The expo will run for two days, featuring varied activities such as forums, cultural exhibitions and artistic performances to showcase China’s culture and promote dialogue on global cultural cooperation.

    This is the third time that Shahbaz Khan, director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) regional office for East Asia, has represented his organization at the event. He noted that Dunhuang has become a major stage for cultural exchange to revitalize the Silk Road.

    Dialogue between civilizations has become increasingly important as the world faces diverse challenges to peace and sustainable development, he said.

    Participants said that exchange and mutual learning between civilizations help boost mutual trust and inclusiveness among people of all countries, and promote world peace and development.

    Fernando Lugris, Uruguayan ambassador to China, said that Uruguay was the first country in the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) to sign a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with China.

    All parties should adhere to multilateralism to safeguard global peace, development, prosperity and modernization, he said, calling for strengthened cooperation within the framework of the BRI.

    The expo was first held in 2016.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: 2024 Quad Leaders’  Summit

    Source: The White House

    On September 21, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. hosted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit.
     
    The Quad was established to be a global force for good. This year, the Quad is proudly executing tangible projects that benefit partner countries across the Indo-Pacific—including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region. The Quad is working together at unprecedented scope and scale to deliver on Indo-Pacific partners’ priorities. Together, the Quad is leading ambitious projects to help partners address pandemics and disease; respond to natural disasters; strengthen their maritime domain awareness and maritime security; mobilize and build high-standard physical and digital infrastructure; invest in and benefit from critical and emerging technologies; confront the threat of climate change; bolster cyber security; and cultivate the next generation of technology leaders.
     
    ENDURING PARTNERS FOR THE INDO-PACIFIC
     
    Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met six times, including twice virtually. Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times, most recently in Tokyo in July. Quad country representatives convene on a regular basis, at all levels, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver benefits for partners across the Indo-Pacific region. All Quad governments have institutionalized the Quad at all levels and across a diverse array of departments and agencies. Today, Quad Leaders announced new initiatives to solidify these habits of cooperation and to set up the Quad to endure for the long-term.
     

    • Each Quad government has committed to work through their respective budgetary processes to secure robust funding for Quad priorities in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure an enduring impact.
    • The Quad governments also intend to work with their respective legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts. Yesterday, Members of Congress announced the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Quad Caucus.
    • In the coming months, Quad Commerce and Industry ministers will meet for the first time.
    • Quad Leaders also welcome the leaders of the Quad Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific, including in health security, food security, clean energy, and quality infrastructure. This builds on a previous meeting in 2022 between the heads of the Export Finance Australia, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, India Export-Import Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
    • The United States will host the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, and India will host the 2025 Quad Leaders Summit.

    GLOBAL HEALTH & HEALTH SECURITY

    In 2023, the Quad announced the Quad Health Security Partnership to strengthen coordination and collaboration in support of health security in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad Health Security Partnership is delivering on its commitments to strengthen the Indo-Pacific’s ability to detect and respond to outbreaks of diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential, including through a set of new initiatives announced today.

    Quad Cancer Moonshot

    • The Quad is launching the historic Quad Cancer Moonshot, a collective effort to leverage public and private resources to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in the Indo-Pacific, with an initial focus on cervical cancer. Altogether, the Quad Cancer Moonshot announced today is projected to save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades. More information can be found here.

    Pandemic Preparedness

    • Quad countries are committed to supporting health security and resiliency efforts across the region, including continued support for the Pandemic Fund.
    • The Quad reaffirms commitment to bolstering health security across the Indo-Pacific region. In 2024, the Quad Health Security Partnership advanced regional resilience through the second pandemic preparedness table top exercise, building on the success of the Quad Vaccine Partnership to enhance prevention, early detection, and response to potential disease outbreaks, and is exploring developing Standard Operating Procedures for Pandemic Response. The Quad’s collaborative efforts included training health specialists from the Indo-Pacific to strengthen regional capabilities for health emergencies.
    • India will host a workshop on pandemic preparedness and release a white paper outlining emergency public health responses.
    • Australia is increasing the pool of public health specialists who are ready to deploy, in-country or in the region, in response to disease outbreaks, with the first training session to commence in Darwin, Australia, in the coming days.
    • In coordination with Quad partners, the United States is pledging over $84.5 million to partner with fourteen countries in the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.

    Mpox

    • In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, the Quad plans to coordinate our efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.

    HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER RELIEF (HADR)

    Twenty years ago, the Quad first came together to respond to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, surging humanitarian assistance to affected countries. In 2022, Quad Foreign Ministers signed the Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific. In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, Quad countries coordinated their response in accordance with these guidelines. The Quad collectively provided over $5 million in humanitarian assistance. Quad partners continue to support Papua New Guinea in its longer-term resiliency efforts. The Quad continues to deepen HADR coordination and support partners in the region in their longer-term resiliency efforts.

    • Quad governments are working to ensure readiness to rapidly respond, including through pre-positioning of essential relief supplies, in the event of a natural disaster; this effort extends from the Indian Ocean region, to Southeast Asia, to the Pacific.
    • In the coming months, Quad HADR experts will conduct a tabletop exercise to prepare for potential future disasters in the region.
    • Quad partners are working together to provide over $4 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Vietnam in light of the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi.

    MARITIME SECURITY

    Quad partners are working side-by-side with partners throughout the region to bolster maritime security, improve maritime domain awareness, and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness and Maritime Training

    • Quad Leaders launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) at the 2022 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo. This initiative provides partners with near-real-time, cost-effective, cutting-edge radio frequency data, enabling them to better monitor their waters; counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; respond to climate change and natural disasters; and enforce their laws within their waters.
    • Since the announcement, in consultation with partners, the Quad has successfully scaled the program across the Indo-Pacific region—through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, with partners in Southeast Asia, to the Information Fusion Center—Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram. In doing so, the Quad has helped well over two dozen countries access dark vessel maritime domain awareness data, so they can better monitor the activities in their exclusive economic zones—including unlawful activity.
    • In the next phase of implementation, announced today, the Quad intends to layer new technology and data into IPMDA over the coming year, to continue to deliver cutting edge capability and information to the region. The Quad intends to leverage electro-optical data and advanced analytic software to sharpen the maritime domain awareness picture for partners.
    • Today the Quad announced a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) to enable our partners in the region Indo-Pacific partners to maximize tools provided through IPMDA and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior. The Quad countries look forward to India hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025. 
    • Quad countries are coordinating comprehensive and complementary training across the full suite of legal, operational, and technical maritime security and law enforcement knowledge domains. Quad partners have pledged to expand engagement with regional maritime law enforcement fora, share best practices, and improve civil maritime cooperation.

    Indo-Pacific Logistics Network

    • The Quad launches today a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, to pursue shared airlift capacity among the four nations and leverage collective logistics strengths, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region. This effort will complement existing efforts with Indo-Pacific partners.

    Coast Guard Cooperation

    • The U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025 in the Indo-Pacific to improve interoperability. Through this effort, members of Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard will spend time on board a U.S. Coast Guard vessel operating in the Indo-Pacific.  The Quad intends to continue with further missions in the Indo-Pacific.

    QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE

    The Quad is delivering quality, resilient infrastructure to the region to increase connectivity, build regional capacity, and meet critical needs.

    • This year, the Quad countries’ export credit agencies (ECAs) signed and are implementing a Memorandum of Cooperation, which supports supply chain resilience, critical and emerging technologies, renewable energy, and other high-quality projects in the Indo-Pacific. Quad ECAs are strengthening communication on pipeline information and provision of relevant financing for projects in the Indo-Pacific region, and will pursue joint business promotion efforts that involve industry experts, project developers, and other major market players.
    • The Quad released joint Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure, underscoring the Quad’s commitment to an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, reliable, and secure digital future to advance shared prosperity and sustainable development.
    • The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure organized a workshop in India to empower partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen power sector resilience.

    Quad Ports of the Future Partnership

    • The Quad Ports of the Future Partnership will harness the Quad’s expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with regional partners.
    • In 2025, Quad partners intend to hold the inaugural Regional Ports and Transportation Conference, hosted by India in Mumbai.
    • Through this new partnership, Quad partners intend to coordinate, exchange information, share best practices with partners in the region, and leverage resources to mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.

    Quad Infrastructure Fellows

    • The Quad Infrastructure Fellowship was announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit to improve capacity and deepen professional networks across the region to design, manage, and attract investment in infrastructure projects. Over the past year, it has expanded to more than 2,200 experts, and Quad partners have already provided well over 1,300 fellowships.

    Undersea Cables and Digital Connectivity

    • Through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, Quad partners continue to support and strengthen quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, the capacity, durability, and reliability of which are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of the region and the world.
    • In support of these efforts, Australia launched the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre in July, which is delivering workshops and policy and regulatory assistance in response to requests from across the region.
    • Japan has conducted capacity building trainings to enhance connectivity and resilience in the Indo-Pacific through cooperation with specialized agencies and international organizations. Japan intends to further extend technical cooperation to improve public information and communication technology infrastructure management capacity for an undersea cable in Nauru and Kiribati.
    • The United States has conducted over 1,300 capacity building trainings for telecommunication officials and executives from 25 countries in the Indo-Pacific; today the U.S. announces its intent, working with Congress, to invest an additional $3.4 million to extend and expand this training program.
    • Investments in cable projects by Quad partners will help support all Pacific island countries in achieving primary telecommunication cable connectivity by the end of 2025. Since the last Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad partners have committed over $140 million to undersea cable builds in the Pacific, alongside contributions from other likeminded partners.
    • Complementing these investments in new undersea cables, India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine expansion of undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

    CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

    The Quad is working in lockstep to stay at the forefront of technology innovation, and remains committed to harnessing emerging technologies for the benefit of people across the Indo-Pacific, and deploying these technologies to facilitate economic prosperity, openness, and connectivity.

    Open Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G

    • In 2023, Quad partners announced the first-ever Open RAN deployment in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has committed approximately $20 million to this effort. Building on this initiative, the Quad announces an expansion of Open RAN collaboration to deliver trusted technology solutions.
    • The Quad plans to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial $8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year.
    • In addition, the United States plans to invest over $7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.
    • Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia.
    • Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    • Through the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad governments are deepening leading-edge collaborative research to harness artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing, to transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers across the Indo-Pacific. The Quad announces an inaugural $7.5+ million in funding opportunities for joint research, and highlights the recent signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation among the four countries’ science agencies to connect research communities and advance shared research principles.
    • The Quad recognizes the importance of advancing international efforts to achieve safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems, including through the outcomes of the Hiroshima AI Process, GPAI New Delhi Ministerial Declaration 2023, and UN General Assembly resolution 78/625 on “Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development.” The Quad seeks to further deepen international cooperation on artificial intelligence systems and interoperability among artificial intelligence governance frameworks.
    • Quad countries, through the Standards Sub-Group, launched two Track 1.5 dialogues on AI and Advanced Communications Technologies to promote international standardization cooperation, including frameworks for AI conformity assessment.

    Biotechnology

    • The Quad partners look forward to launching the BioExplore Initiative – a joint effort supported by an initial $2 million in funding to use AI technology to study and analyze biological ecosystems across all four countries. This initiative will help advance our ability to discover and use the diverse capabilities found in living organisms to yield new products and innovations with the potential to diagnose and treat disease, develop resilient crops, generate clean energy, and much more. The initiative will also aim to build technological capacity across the Quad nations. 
    • This project will also be underpinned by the forthcoming Quad Principles for Research and Development Collaborations in Critical and Emerging Technologies, which advances sustainable, responsible, safe and secure collaborations in biotechnologies and other critical technologies among the Quad and across the region.

    Semiconductors

    • Quad Leaders welcome the finalization of a Memorandum of Cooperation for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network to facilitate collaboration in addressing semiconductor supply chain risks.

    The Quad Investors Network

    The Quad Investors Network (QUIN) is a nonprofit initiative launched at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit. The QUIN aims to accelerate investments in critical and emerging technologies across the Indo-Pacific region, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, and public institutions from the Quad countries to support innovation that aligns with the Quad’s shared values and promotes economic growth, resilience, and regional stability. This year, the QUIN supported ten major strategic investments and partnerships across the Quad in the critical minerals, renewable energy, cybersecurity, and aerospace sectors.

    • The QUIN has advanced additional frameworks to foster the development of new technologies and facilitate investment partnerships for emerging startups, including through finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a startup campus in Tokyo, supported by the QUIN and the Chiba Institute of Technology’s Center for Radical Transformation.
    • The QUIN is also working to establish a new venture accelerator in Tokyo through a collaboration between the University of Tokyo, Northeastern University, and the QUIN.  These collaborations will not only fuel technological advancements but also strengthen the economic ties among the Quad nations, contributing to a more integrated and resilient Indo-Pacific region. 
    • Finally, the QUIN developed a Quantum Center of Excellence, which produced a report this year highlighting ways each Quad country’s Quantum ecosystems can work together to collectively leverage capital and expertise.

    CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY

    The Quad recognizes the existential threat climate change poses to the world, the Indo-Pacific, and in particular island nations in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean region, and is taking ambitious steps to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, promote clean energy innovation and adoption, and support sustainable development.

    Climate Adaptation

    • The Quad intends to expand its Early Warning Systems and the Climate Information Services Initiative (CIS), announced at the 2023 Leaders’ Summit. This will help improve Pacific Island countries’ access to high-quality climate data and services, and increase partners’ capacity to prepare for and respond to climate change and its impacts.
    • The United States plans to provide 3D-printed automatic weather stations to the Pacific in 2025 to support local weather and climate forecasts, and also train experts in Fiji with the goal of operating a regional center to develop and deploy this technology.
    • Australia is also strengthening Early Warning Systems through Weather Ready Pacific, a Pacific-led initiative supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2021 that drives and delivers on the EWS4ALL UN initiative in the Pacific.
    • Japan is also enhancing cooperation with Pacific Island countries under its “Pacific Climate Resilience Initiative”, inter alia, by strengthening disaster risk reduction and preparedness through satellite technology and by promoting clean energy through capacity building and installation of renewable energies.
    • The Quad also plans to train experts in Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu to better monitor and forecast flash floods, for timely and accurate warnings, reducing human and economic losses from flash floods.

    Clean Energy

    • Our countries intend to strengthen our cooperation to align policies, incentives, standards, and investments around creating high-quality, diversified clean energy supply chains that will enhance our collective energy security, create new economic opportunities across the region, and benefit local workers and communities around the world, particularly across the Indo-Pacific. We will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalize our commitment to catalyzing complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains. We note the uniquely complementary capabilities Quad partners share across the battery supply chain, and pledge to focus near-term efforts on strengthening mineral production, recycling, and battery manufacturing across our respective industries.
    • Quad Leaders announced a Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program last year, which aims to support the development of secure and diversified clean energy supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia will open applications for the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chains Diversification Program in November, providing AUD 50 million to support projects that develop and diversify solar panel, hydrogen electrolyzer and battery supply chains. Secure and diversified clean energy supply chains are an integral part of achieving the Indo-Pacific’s collective energy security, emissions reduction goals and transition to a net zero future.
    • India commits to invest $2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles.
    • Japan has committed to $122 million grants and loans, both public and private, in renewable energy projects in the Indo-Pacific.
    • The United States, through the DFC, has extended a $250 million loan to Tata Power Solar to construct a solar cell manufacturing facility and a $500 million loan to First Solar to construct and operate a solar module manufacturing facility in India, and continues to seek opportunities to mobilize private capital to solar, as well as wind, cooling, batteries, and critical minerals to expand capacity and diversify supply chains.
    • The Quad announces an initiative to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of affordable, high-efficiency, cooling systems, to enable climate-vulnerable communities to adapt to rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing strain on the electricity grid. The United States intends to invest an initial $1.25 million of technical assistance financing to this effort.

    CYBER SECURITY

    The Quad is working together to build a more resilient, secure, and complementary cyber security environment for Quad countries and partners.

    • The Quad has [developed/released] the Quad Action Plan to Protect Commercial Undersea Telecommunications Cables, to advance the Quad’s shared vision for future digital connectivity, global commerce, and prosperity.
    • Quad countries are also partnering with software manufacturers, industry trade groups, and research centers to expand the Quad’s commitment to pursuing secure software development standards and certification, as endorsed in the Quad’s 2023 Secure Software Joint Principles.
    • Quad partners will work to harmonize these standards to not only ensure that the development, procurement, and end-use of software for government networks is more secure, but that the cyber resilience of our supply chains, digital economies, and societies are collectively improved.
    • Throughout this fall, each Quad country plans to host events to mark the annual Quad Cyber Challenge promoting responsible cyber ecosystems, public resources, and cybersecurity awareness. This year’s Cyber Challenge campaigns will focus on establishing career pathway programs to increase the number and diversity of global cybersecurity professionals, including increased participation by women, in this rapidly growing field. Last year’s Quad Cyber Challenge included over 85,000 participants across the Indo-Pacific region.
    • Capacity building projects like the Quad Cyber Bootcamp and the international conference on cyber capacity building in the Philippines are important initiatives to enhance cybersecurity and workforce development in the Indo-Pacific region.
    • The Quad is undertaking joint efforts to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities to national security and protection of critical infrastructure networks, and coordinate more closely including on policy responses to sharing of cyber threat information on significant cybersecurity incidents affecting shared priorities.

    COUNTERING DISINFORMATION

    The Quad is working together to foster a resilient information environment, including through its Countering Disinformation Working Group, by supporting media freedom and addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community.

    PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES

    Quad countries are building enduring ties between their peoples. Stakeholders from Quad countries have participated in International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other exchanges, on topics related to cyber security, workforce development for critical and emerging technologies, women in STEM, government transparency and accountability, combating disinformation, and regional maritime governance.

    The Quad Fellowship

    • Together with the Institute of International Education, which leads implementation of the Quad Fellowship, Quad governments welcome the second cohort of Quad Fellows and the expansion of the program to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital.
    • The Quad looks forward to the Quad Fellowship Summit in Washington, DC, in October, organized by the Institute of International Education.

    Additional People-to-People Initiatives

    • India announces a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.

    SPACE

    The Quad recognizes the essential contribution of space-related applications and technologies in the Indo-Pacific. The four countries plan to continue delivering Earth Observation data and other space-related applications to assist nations across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen climate early warning systems and better manage the impacts of extreme weather events.

    • The Quad welcomes India’s establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.

    Space Situational Awareness Initiative

    • Quad partners intend to share expertise and experience in space situational awareness (SSA), contributing to long-term sustainability of the space environment. Cooperation is intended to leverage SSA and space traffic coordination capabilities in the civil domain, including to help avoid collisions in outer space and manage debris.

     
    COUNTERING TERRORISM
     
    The Quad hosted its first Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) in 2023 and will meet annually to discuss CT threats, Quad CT good practices, and ways the Quad can work together to mitigate acts of terrorism through information sharing, consequence management and strategic messaging.  The Quad CTWG currently focuses on countering the use of unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear devices (CBRN), and the internet for terrorist purposes. The Quad CTWG discusses new CT lines of effort on which to collaborate, hosts technical workshops for establishing CT good practices, and explores ways to engage non-Quad members with Quad-established CT expertise.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: Quad Countries Launch Cancer Moonshot Initiative to Reduce the Burden of Cancer in the  Indo-Pacific

    Source: The White House

    Today, the United States, Australia, India, and Japan are launching a groundbreaking effort to help end cancer as we know it in the Indo-Pacific, starting with cervical cancer, a largely preventable disease that continues to be a major health crisis in the region, and laying the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well. This initiative is part of a broader set of announcements made at the Quad Leaders Summit.

    The Quad Cancer Moonshot will serve to strengthen the overall cancer care ecosystem in the Indo-Pacific by improving health infrastructure, expanding research collaborations, building data systems, and providing greater support for cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and care.
     
    Cervical cancer, while preventable through vaccination and usually treatable if detected early, remains the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women in the Indo-Pacific region. Fewer than one in 10 women in the Indo-Pacific have completed their human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination series, and fewer than 10% have undergone recent screening. Many countries in the region face challenges related to healthcare access, limited resources, and disparities in vaccination rates. Through this initiative, Quad countries will work to address these gaps by promoting HPV vaccination, increasing access to screenings, and expanding treatment options and care in underserved areas.

    Altogether, our scientific experts assess that the Quad Cancer Moonshot will save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades.
     
    These steps build on the Biden-Harris Administration’s steadfast commitment to ending cancer as we know it. More than two years ago, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden reignited the Cancer Moonshot with the goals of reducing the cancer death rate in the United States by at least half—preventing more than 4 million cancer deaths—by 2047, and improving the experience of people who are touched by cancer.

    Cancer is a global challenge that requires collective action and cooperation beyond any single nation’s effort. By working together, the Quad aims to implement innovative strategies to prevent, detect, treat and alleviate the impact of cancer on patients and their families.  Quad partners also intend to work, within respective national contexts, to collaborate in advancing research and development in the area of cancer and to increase private sector and non-governmental sector activities in support of reducing the burden of cervical cancer in the region. Today Quad countries are pleased to announce the following ambitious commitments from our governments and non-government contributors:
     
     
    QUAD COUNTRIES

    • Quad countries intend to continue their strong commitments to Gavi including with HPV vaccines in the Indo-Pacific, with the United States making an early pledge of at least $1.58 billion over five years.
    • In addition, Quad countries will work together with United Nations agencies on bulk purchasing of HPV diagnostics to bring down the cost of cervical cancer screening, and work with the International Atomic Energy Agency to improve access to and quality of medical imaging and radiation therapy.

    United States

    • The Department of Defense, through the U.S. Navy, intends to support HPV vaccine expert exchanges with Indo-Pacific partners, starting in 2025. This partnership will enable healthcare professionals from partner nations to receive hands-on training, build capacity, and strengthen healthcare systems across the Indo-Pacific, focusing on preventive health services like HPV vaccination. The initiative aims to bolster regional cooperation on cancer and promote health security in the region.
    • The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Oncology Center of Excellence intends to arrange a technical visit to India within the next twelve months to set up collaborations with stakeholders under FDA’s ‘Project Asha’.  Working together with the FDA India Office, leading oncologists, patient advocacy groups, clinical trial sponsors, and government stakeholders, this new partnership will focus on capacity-building efforts, including education on the design, conduct, and management of clinical trials, promoting international standards, helping streamline approval processes, sharing regulatory expertise, and increasing cancer clinical trial access.
    • The U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) intends to expand its support as a leading funder of global cancer research and global cancer research training in the Indo-Pacific region. This portfolio currently includes nearly 400 active projects involving investigators and institutions in South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific, including major investments specifically focused on testing cervical cancer vaccination, screening, and treatment interventions and strategies that can meet the needs of women and girls worldwide. The NCI will also expand its support for global cancer control efforts more broadly through scientific support provided to countries via the International Cancer Control Partnership, International Agency for Research on Cancer, and World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center.
    • The NCI will expand ongoing collaborations with nations in the Indo-Pacific region to provide evidence-based cancer information for health professionals and people affected by cancer to this global audience.  NCI will aim to support the public education needs of the Quad Cancer Moonshot Initiative by providing its expert-curated, comprehensive, and authoritative cancer information to health professionals and patients in the Indo-Pacific. This will include a comprehensive collection of information on cancer topics such as adult and pediatric cancer treatment, screening, prevention, genetics, supportive and palliative care, and integrative, alternative, and complementary therapies, including extensive information related to the screening, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer. 
    • The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will support HPV vaccination programs, improve vaccine distribution and strengthen cancer surveillance and prevention systems in the Indo-Pacific region. This will include working with the Philippines Ministry of Health on an HPV vaccination program evaluation, focusing on behavioral and social drivers to inform future vaccine distribution. CDC will also contribute to broader cancer control efforts by supporting cancer control plan development to strengthen the overall cancer care ecosystem in the region.
    • CDC intends to provide technical assistance and disseminate best practices informed by pilot cervical cancer screening studies in the U.S. Pacific territories and freely associated states, as well as continuing to support CDC-funded national cancer control programs in U.S. Pacific Island Jurisdictions (PIJs). These efforts will involve sharing evidence-based strategies to improve early detection of cervical cancer. In addition, CDC intends to disseminate an implementation guide that can assist PIJ efforts to improve their screening capacity and encourage partnerships to promote cervical cancer screening, including guidance on how to build medical and laboratory capacity to conduct primary HPV testing and follow-up tests, and improve data systems to monitor screening to enhance cancer prevention and care infrastructure.
    • The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) will look to support eligible private sector-driven projects to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer, including cervical cancer. In particular, DFC will look to accelerate the deployment of innovative approaches and technologies to underserved communities.
    • The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) will look to provide critical financial and technical support to expand HPV vaccination access. The U.S. government, through USAID has made an unprecedented pledge of at least $1.58 billion to Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which will bolster global efforts to increase vaccine coverage, including HPV vaccines, in low- and middle-income countries, helping to protect millions of women and girls from cervical cancer across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
    • The State Department, through Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD)-President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), will share best practices on the rapid scale-up of cervical cancer screening and treatment efforts among people living with HIV, including commodity procurement and health system strengthening in low-and-middle-income countries. This collaboration will enhance the integration of cervical cancer screening into existing HIV treatment programs, increasing access to life-saving interventions. It will also focus on improving supply chains for essential medical supplies needed for screening and treatment.

    Australia

    • Through Australian Government and philanthropic contributions, total funding commitments to the Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer (EPICC) consortium will expand to AUD $29.6 million. EPICC is a new program that builds on decades of research and clinician leadership to advance the elimination of cervical cancer across the Indo-Pacific by improving HPV-related policies, planning and readiness in any country in the region. EPICC is piloting HPV programs for future scale-up in Timor-Leste and Solomon Islands, expanding sub-national vaccination programs to support country readiness in Malaysia, Fiji and Papua New Guinea, and supporting the establishment of national sustained HPV elimination programs in Tuvalu, Vanuatu and Nauru. EPICC works across six priority areas to eliminate cervical cancer, including strengthening primary prevention through HPV vaccination support, secondary prevention of cervical cancer through HPV screening and treatment for pre-cancer, laboratory strengthening for cervical cancer screening and diagnosis, digital health work to generate data for decision making and strengthened models of care, supporting cervical cancer management (across both treatment and palliative care), and policy and modelling support across all pillars of the cervical cancer elimination pathway.
    • With a total Australian Government commitment of AUD 16.5 million [$11 million], the expanded EPICC project will extend its reach to more women in the Indo-Pacific. It will also support partner organizations in the region working on cervical cancer elimination to participate in the next Global Forum on Cervical Cancer Elimination, which will have a strong Indo-Pacific focus.
    • Through their charity Minderoo Foundation, Dr. Andrew Forrest AO and Nicola Forrest AO are expanding a lifesaving contribution to EPICC with a further AUD13.1 million [$8.81 million]. This additional funding will see EPICC expanded to up to 11 countries in the region and brings Minderoo’s total commitment to AUD21.7 million. The expanded program will see 140,000 women in the Pacific region screened over the next 4 years, as well as the establishment of national elimination programs and the empowerment of governments to sustain the program for future generations of women and girls.

    India

    • India will share technical expertise in digital health through its National Non-Communicable Disease (NCD) portal. As part of its $10 million commitment to support the World Health Organization (WHO) led Global Initiative on Digital Health, India will provide technical assistance to the Indo-Pacific region. This includes offering technical support for the use of its National Non-Communicable Disease portal, which tracks long-term data on cancer screening and care.
    • India commits to providing HPV sampling kits, detection tools and cervical cancer vaccines worth $7.5 million to the Indo-Pacific region. This significant contribution aims to strengthen local efforts to prevent and detect cervical cancer and empower communities with affordable, accessible tools for early detection and prevention, while supporting vaccination programs to reduce the disease burden across the region.
    • India is scaling up population-based screening for oral, breast, and cervical cancers through its National Progamme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases. In particular, India uses the Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) method for cervical cancer screening, which is simple, cost effective and efficient and allows healthcare workers to detect early signs of cervical cancer without the need for advanced laboratory infrastructure, making it a model for other regions in the Indo-Pacific.
    • India is expanding access to specialized cancer treatment centers under its “Strengthening of Tertiary Care Cancer Centres” program. The Government of India is supporting both states and union territories to improve treatment capacity across the county, ensuring that people from all parts of the country, including underserved areas, can receive high-quality care.
    • India is committed to affordable cancer treatment through Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY). As part of its broader health coverage efforts, PMJAY, India is committed to providing affordable cancer treatments to its citizens, ensuring financial protection for those most in need.
    • India’s commitment to cervical cancer elimination is further supported by implementation research led by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). The research is focused on enhancing cervical cancer screening, early diagnosis and initiation of treatment. The results and findings will be shared with the Indo-Pacific countries in the coming years, to strengthen regional collaboration.

    Japan

    • Japan is providing medical equipment, including Computed Tomography (CT) and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners, and other assistance worth approximately $27 million, to countries in the Indo-Pacific region. These countries include Cambodia, Vietnam, and Timor-Leste, as well as contributing to international organizations.
    • Through the Japan International Cooperation Agency and other organizations, Japan has committed approximately $75 million from FY2019 to FY2023 in the Indo-Pacific to combatting cancer including cervical cancer. This includes providing relevant medical equipment and facilities, medical diagnosis, health system strengthening, and technical assistance.
    • Japan is committed to improving the access to vaccines and promoting the women’s health including the prevention and control of cervical cancer through Global Health Initiatives or International Organizations such as Gavi, UNFPA, IPPF. Japan intends to continue its commitment to support this initiative.
    • Toward the achievement of universal health coverage, Japan intends to strengthen capacity for addressing cancer including cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region by health system strengthening.  Japan will also continue to support combatting cancer including cervical cancer in the region through National Cancer Center Japan’s partnership with each Quad country’s cancer related institution.

    NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

    Collaboration with the private and non-profit sectors of all Quad countries is indispensable to the success of this initiative, as their collective innovation, resources, and commitment will be critical in advancing progress against cancer in the Indo-Pacific region. Quad countries are pleased to announce the following actions from non-government contributors:

    Improving Access to Cancer Screening and Prevention

    • The World Bank is significantly increasing its commitment to cervical cancer prevention and treatment in the Indo-Pacific region through a comprehensive health systems approach, including $400 million in HPV-related investments globally over the next three years. In line with its broader goal to provide quality, affordable health services to 1.5 billion people by 2030, the World Bank, along with the Global Financing Facility (GFF) for Women, Children, and cervical cancer. With projects in countries such as Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Indonesia, and the Philippines, the World Bank is supporting cervical cancer screening, HPV vaccination, and treatment by integrating these services into primary healthcare systems. This includes expanding access to screening for underserved populations, strengthening service delivery, and leveraging partnerships to improve diagnostics and treatment. In addition, the World Bank is working to address supply chain challenges and ensure the sustainable production and distribution of HPV vaccines, with a focus on increasing access across the region. Through this approach, the World Bank aims to create sustainable and equitable health systems that can address the growing burden of cervical cancer and support long-term health outcomes for women and girls across the Indo-Pacific.
    • Women investors and philanthropists of the Women Health and Economic Empowerment Network (WHEN) will deploy a joint investment of more than $100 million over the next three years, with funding targeted for cervical cancer in Southeast Asia. These funds will be working to fill essential gaps for improving the prevention, screening, diagnosis, and treatment of cervical cancer. WHEN’s women investors and philanthropists will deploy grant, concessional, and investment capital into HPV screening, medical imaging, pathology, radiotherapy, training for healthcare workers, and the solarization of health facilities.
    • The Serum Institute of India, in partnership with Gavi, will support the procurement of up to 40 million doses of the HPV vaccine for distribution across the Indo-Pacific region. This commitment can be expanded based on demand, ensuring a steady supply of vaccines to address the cervical cancer burden in underserved areas. By increasing access to lifesaving vaccines, this commitment will help prevent cervical cancer and promote equitable healthcare across the region.
    • The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, alongside other donors and countries earlier this year, committed to support cervical cancer elimination. The foundation announced it intends to commit up to US$180 million over four years to help accelerate the global uptake of HPV vaccines, develop new prophylactic HPV and therapeutic vaccines and diagnostic tools and fund clinical studies.
    • Sabin Vaccine Institute, through the Global HPV Consortium (GHC), will support a new country-based coalition to promote cervical cancer elimination. The Cervical Cancer Elimination Consortium-India (CCEC-I) will collaborate with the Government of India, wherever appropriate, to pilot “100 Cervical Cancer Mukt (Cancer Free) Districts” through their integrated SAVE Strategy: Screening, Access to Treatment, Vaccination, Education. This is in continuation of GHC’s commitment to the Indo-Pacific region, having previously collaborated with Indonesia’s Ministry of Health to support development of their National Cervical Cancer Elimination Plan.
    • Jhpiego, in partnership with the Philippines Department of Health and with support from Roche, is increasing awareness, demand and access for cervical cancer screening by educating women on the importance of HPV testing and the risk of cervical cancer. The Centralized Laboratory Model of Screening project is expanding coverage of cervical cancer screening with introduction of the  WHO elimination strategy-recommended high performance HPV testing, and thermal ablation treatment for precancers, in five highly urbanized Local Government Units of the Philippines – with strengthened referral pathways to ensure a pathway to treatment. 
    • Illumina is committed to supporting the development and adoption of genomic diagnostic tests to fulfill the promise of precision medicine in the Indo-Pacific Region. The objective of this initiative is to ensure that advanced-stage (>50%) and non-HPV driven (~5%) cervical cancer patients receive correct diagnoses and possible suitable therapies such as Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI). Similar initiatives are being explored with gynecological oncology organizations in Australia and Japan. 
    • Roche Diagnostics is expanding its cervical cancer screening and diagnosis initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region. Roche Diagnostics will expand efforts in the Indo-Pacific to increasing access to screening and raising awareness building on the experience gained in partnership with Japan including on  providing education to women, training healthcare workers, and developing digital solutions for efficient follow-up care; and in partnership with  Australia on promoting cervical cancer screening among under-screened and never-screened groups, including Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, and culturally diverse communities.
    • Becton Dickinson & Co. (BD) is making comprehensive investments in cervical cancer screening in the Indo-Pacific.  BD is working with Obstetric and Gynecological Societies to deliver education for clinicians on cervical cancer screening best practices, with an aim of reaching over 1,200 clinicians and support staff by early 2025. BD is also investing in pilots to inform the design of large-scale HPV screening rollout and programs to reach under-served communities. Through their longstanding partnership with Direct Relief, BD is working with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) to facilitate screening for over 20,000 women. Under the program, 400 screening camps will offer screening, diagnosis and mental health support.

    Improving Cancer Care Delivery

    • Project ECHO will accelerate cervical cancer elimination in the Indo-Pacific region through 10 new learning networks that facilitate effective and accessible prevention and care. More than 180 public health organizations in 33 countries leverage the ECHO Model, an evidence-based training and mentorship framework for community-based health care professionals, to improve cancer care delivery. By 2028, Project ECHO will launch at least 10 new communities of practice, with local partners and ministries of health in Indonesia, Vietnam, Malaysia, and other Indo-Pacific countries to accelerate cervical cancer elimination, including programs for HPV vaccine implementation, treatment of precancerous lesions, and use of essential curative therapies.
    • The American Cancer Society is committed to reduce the global burden of HPV-related cancers by increasing support of civil society organizations globally, including in the Indo-Pacific Region. Support for these organizations, initially focused on cancer civil society organizations and medical societies, includes catalytic grants and technical assistance for implementing evidence-based, low-cost behavioral interventions aimed at optimizing the demand and uptake of life-saving prevention services through widespread healthcare provider trainings. 
    • The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) will update its global guidelines on the Management and Care of Women with Invasive Cervical Cancer to incorporate new recommendation-changing scientific evidence on optimal approaches to the treatment of cervical cancer. Once completed, ASCO will work with its members, including their Asia Pacific Regional Council, and partner oncology societies in the Indo-Pacific to support the usage of these guidelines, along with companion guidelines on primary and secondary prevention of cervical cancer, by cancer clinicians for improved patient outcomes in the region.
    • The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is expanding its Rays of Hope initiative to strengthen radiotherapy and medical imaging capacities in the Indo-Pacific region. Through this initiative, 13 countries and territories have requested support, and efforts are already underway to raise awareness and increase cervical cancer screening rates. The IAEA has designated cancer institutes in Japan, and India as Rays of Hope Anchor Centres, serving as hubs for capacity building in education, training, research, innovation, and quality assurance.
    • The Union for International Cancer Control is committed to working with its 1150 members across 172 countries to address inequities and drive global action in cervical cancer elimination, including in the Indo-Pacific region over the next three years as part of the ‘Elimination Partnership in the Indo-Pacific for Cervical Cancer’. Leveraging flagship convening platforms, established learning opportunities, alongside its rich network and proven ability to collaborate across sectors, UICC will support national partners to improve access to care, sustain progress and ultimately, reduce the burden of cancer for populations around the world.

    Increasing Capacity for Cancer Research, Infrastructure, and Training

    • Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Australia’s Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney launch a $40 million public-private partnership that will advance international clinical trials of precision oncology and liquid biopsy technologies, including for the detection and elimination of cervical cancer. A generous donation of $20 million to each institution from Australian philanthropists Mr. Gregory John Poche and the late Mrs. Kay Van Norton Poche, will support this public-private partnership, accelerating the development of cutting-edge diagnostic and treatment tools for the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
    • Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) will support organizations in the Indo-Pacific region in their ability to prevent, detect, and treat cervical cancer, will provide cloud computing credits and enable access to AWS and datasets via the Registry of Open Data on AWS. Researchers are using AWS to identify patterns and variances from datasets secured from the Cancer Genome Atlas and others through AWS.
    • Pfizer will expand the INDovation initiative to build oncology capacity at the primary care level in the Indo-Pacific. INDovation was launched by Pfizer two years ago to support local startups. Under the program, Pfizer has awarded nearly $1 million in grants to startups, including those related to cervical cancer, and worked in partnership with the government and universities. Pfizer is now expanding the program to focus on oncology with the goal of strengthening primary care health centers. Under this phase, Pfizer will award grants to up to 10 startups that can deploy solutions to help enhance early diagnosis and patient services at the primary care setting with potential deployment across primary health centers in the region.
    • Elekta will expand radiotherapy capacity in the Indo-Pacific, closing an important treatment gap in the region to contribute to eliminating cervical cancer. Initiatives include establishing radiotherapy training centers in Southeast Asia, conducting treatment courses with regional medical centers and implementing cloud-based platforms to improve quality of care in radiotherapy through knowledge sharing, and peer review sessions among the member centers of the Asia-Pacific radiation oncology network.
    • MD Anderson commits to expanding their cervical cancer research, training and education programs to the Indo-Pacific region. MD Anderson currently collaborates with the Ministry of Health of Indonesia on the implementation and evaluation of cervical cancer screening, diagnosis and treatment programs and helps train medical providers in-country to perform colposcopy, ablation, loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), and surgery. MD Anderson commits to expanding these programs to ministries of health in the Indo-Pacific interested in partnerships to eliminate cervical cancer.

    Increasing Cancer Awareness and Education to Empower People

    • Hologic, a global leader in diagnostic and medical imaging solutions for cervical and breast cancer, is working with government agencies and health care providers in the Indo-Pacific region to educate and raise awareness on cervical cancer. Hologic is currently expanding access to innovative technologies such as artificial intelligence in cervical cancer screening to scale population-based programs to overcome provider shortages in the Indo-Pacific region. In addition, Hologic commits to the continued publication of the Global Women’s Health Index, a comprehensive global survey about women’s health, filling a critical gap in what the world knows about the health and well-being of the world’s women and girls.
    • The Global Initiative Against HPV and Cervical Cancer will promote HPV vaccination, cervical screening and early treatment projects with partners and collaborators in the Indo-Pacific Region. These efforts will include organizing the Asia-Pacific Workshop in Bangkok to share knowledge and best practices within the region and expanding awareness efforts to further enhance awareness initiatives throughout the Indo-Pacific.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Silk Road int’l cultural expo participants call for cooperation

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, Gansu Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    More than 800 representatives from 50 countries, regions and international organizations have gathered at the 7th Silk Road (Dunhuang) International Cultural Expo, which kicked off on Saturday in Dunhuang, a key hub on the ancient Silk Road in northwest China.

    The expo will run for two days, featuring varied activities such as forums, cultural exhibitions and artistic performances to showcase China’s culture and promote dialogue on global cultural cooperation.

    This is the third time that Shahbaz Khan, director of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) regional office for East Asia, has represented his organization at the event. He noted that Dunhuang has become a major stage for cultural exchange to revitalize the Silk Road.

    Dialogue between civilizations has become increasingly important as the world faces diverse challenges to peace and sustainable development, he said.

    Participants said that exchange and mutual learning between civilizations help boost mutual trust and inclusiveness among people of all countries, and promote world peace and development.

    Fernando Lugris, Uruguayan ambassador to China, said that Uruguay was the first country in the Southern Common Market (Mercosur) to sign a memorandum of understanding on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) with China.

    All parties should adhere to multilateralism to safeguard global peace, development, prosperity and modernization, he said, calling for strengthened cooperation within the framework of the BRI.

    The expo was first held in 2016.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stronger classifications to protect children from gambling content in video games

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    Video games containing simulated gambling and other gambling-like content are now subject to new mandatory minimum classifications, following changes introduced by the Albanese Government, with unanimous support from states and territories.

    Coming into effect today, updates to the Guidelines for the Classification of Computer Games 2023 mean that video games containing in-game purchases linked to elements of chance, such as paid loot boxes, will receive a minimum classification of M (Mature – not recommended for children under 15 years of age).

    Video games containing simulated gambling, such as social casino games, will be legally restricted to adults only with a minimum classification of R18+.

    These changes apply to video games played on all devices including phones, tablets, consoles and PCs.

    It comes in response to growing community concerns about the potential harms of children accessing gambling content in video games. Research commissioned by the Australian Government has found links between in-game purchases, loot boxes, simulated gambling and gambling harm. 

    Further recent research by the Australian Institute of Family Studies found that young people who played simulated gambling games were 40 per cent more likely to spend real money on gambling as young adults. 

    The introduction of mandatory minimum classifications for video games with gambling-like content is one of a series of reforms the Albanese Government has implemented to tackle problem gambling, including:

    • Launching the National Self-Exclusion Register (BetStop), of which more than 28,000 Australians have now registered, with 40 per cent of those opting for self-imposed lifetime bans.
    • Legislating a ban on the use of credit cards for online wagering – so Australians cannot gamble with money they don’t have.
    • Implementing monthly activity statements so Australians who gamble online can clearly see their wins and losses each month.
    • Mandating customer ID pre-verification for all new online wagering accounts to prevent children from gambling and strengthen protections for BetStop registrants.
    • Replacing the ineffective ‘Gamble Responsibly’ message on wagering advertising with new, evidence-based taglines with stronger messages about the risks and harms of online gambling.
    • Introducing nationally consistent staff training, and
    • Commencing a review into the regulation of online keno and foreign-matched lotteries. 

    The Government is closely considering all 31 recommendations from the Parliamentary Inquiry into Online Gambling and will release a comprehensive response in due course.

    The new guidelines were developed following a public consultation process alongside targeted discussions with key industry and community stakeholders, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), the Classification Board and states and territories.

    For more information about the National Classification Scheme and the changes visit: New classifications for gambling-like content in video games | Australian Classification

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Communications, the Hon Michelle Rowland MP:

    “Like so many other parents, I want to be sure that kids can enjoy playing a video game free from the worry that it might influence problem behaviours further down the track.

    “Gambling-like content can be insidious, but this change to the classification standards will ensure that parents and other consumers can make an informed choice about what content they are considering for themselves and their families.

    “Our Government is committed to reducing gambling harms and this is one of many measures we have implemented in the past two years to do just that.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Name release, Levin homicide; and further public appeal

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Dave Thompson:

    Police can now name the deceased man in the ongoing homicide investigation in Levin.

    Terrence Clough, aged 57, died at a Chester Street property on Thursday evening after being assaulted.

    A post-mortem has now been completed, and Terrence’s body was returned to his family last night.

    The 31-year-old male who appeared in Levin District Court on Friday charged with murder, was remanded in custody and is due to reappear in the High Court at Palmerston North on 11 October.

    The investigation is ongoing to establish the events that led to Terrence’s death, and as part of that Police are seeking information from the public.

    We are keen to speak with anyone that was in the area of Chester Street and Levin North School between 9:30pm and midnight on Thursday 19 September.

    We are particularly interested if you saw a male walking by himself in dark clothing – it is believed that he had no shoes on.

    If you have any information that could help enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

    Please use the reference number 240920/8756.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi stresses cultivating more high-caliber officials for Xinjiang

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

    BEIJING, Sept. 22 — On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of a training program for ethnic officials in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region under the Party School of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made an important instruction, pointing out that establishing the program was an important decision of the CPC Central Committee. Over the past 70 years, the program has been advancing in tandem with the cause of the Party and the country. It has gone through an extraordinary journey, cultivating outstanding officials who are loyal and honest to the Party, command profound theoretical knowledge, grasp policies accurately, and are dedicated to serving the people. The program has played a significant role in strengthening the ranks of officials, boosting economic and social development, and promoting social stability and long-term security in Xinjiang, Xi said.

    Noting that the 70th anniversary of the training program should be seen as a new starting point on the new journey, Xi emphasized the need to follow the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, thoroughly study and implement the guiding principles from the 20th CPC National Congress and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee, and fully implement the guiding principles from the second and third central symposiums on work related to Xinjiang. It is imperative to fully and faithfully implement the Party’s policy for the governance of Xinjiang, and adhere to Party schools’ original aspiration of cultivating talent for the Party and providing policy advice to the Party. Efforts should be made to improve regular training, especially the basic training mechanism, in line with Xinjiang officials’ characteristics and their practical needs in work. Persistent efforts should be made to use the Party’s new theories for the new era to help the officials maintain firm ideals and convictions and foster a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation throughout the process of running the training program. It is important to strengthen research on the basic theories and key issues of ethnic affairs and improve the quality and effectiveness of the training program, thereby cultivating more loyal, upright and responsible high-caliber officials for Xinjiang, Xi said.

    Xi stressed further improving the working mechanism in which relevant central departments offer guidance and coordination, Xinjiang provides support, and the Party School of the CPC Central Committee plays the leading role. Various policies should be implemented to create favorable conditions and provide a strong guarantee for the success of the training program, he said.

    A symposium marking the 70th anniversary of the training program was held on Saturday in Beijing. Chen Xi, president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance), read out Xi’s instruction and delivered a speech at the symposium. Chen underscored the need to thoroughly study and implement Xi’s important instruction and his discourses on the work of Party schools, map out a coordinated plan for the training program with a focus on fulfilling the Party’s central task in the new era, and ensure that the guiding principles from the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee are effectively implemented in Xinjiang. It is necessary to make education and training more systematic and targeted based on the characteristics of the officials in Xinjiang and their practical needs in work, carry out basic training effectively, arm the officials with the Party’s new theories, and enhance education on fostering a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation. It is necessary to advance reform and innovation and pool strength from various sides to nurture more loyal, upright and responsible high-caliber officials for Xinjiang, Chen said.

    Leading officials of the Organization Department of the CPC Central Committee, the Party School of the CPC Central Committee (National Academy of Governance) and the CPC Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Regional Committee, as well as representatives of the organizers and participants of the training program, made speeches at the symposium.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jordanna Matlon, Associate Professor of Sociology, School of International Service, American University

    Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer (and Nigeria is second only to Britain for the most consumers in one country). The Irish brand’s success on the continent is regarded as a trailblazing business model. And that has a lot to do with their advertising campaigns over the years.

    Award-winning sociologist Jordanna Matlon recently published a research paper that analyses three prominent Guinness Africa ad campaigns. She explores what market forces are behind them – and how they target male consumers and shape masculinity in a way that echoes colonial extraction. We asked her to explain.

    How did Guinness capture the African market – what’s the appeal?

    We can think about Guinness in Africa in two phases. The first was less marketing savvy than old-fashioned imperial domination, in which territories under British dominion were captive markets for British imports. Despite its proud Irish origins, Guinness has had solid connections to the UK since the 1800s. Following British imperial shipping routes, the brewery began exporting to Africa in 1827. In 1959 Guinness established an import/export arrangement with Britain’s United Africa Company.

    Read more: Coca-Cola in Africa: a long history full of unexpected twists and turns

    By the era of African independence from the mid-1950s to the 1970s – the second phase – Guinness was already a well-known brand. Its advertising strategies found a ready African audience. Like colonialism generally, Guinness linked the consumption of foreign goods to the “civilising mission”. To be a civilised, modern man, the argument went, was to drink what the colonisers drank. But this was part of a larger work-consume nexus in which modern men were salaried men who could afford such trappings. Women, I should add, were always excluded: colonial ideals expressed clear gender divisions, with men in the public sphere and women at home, cooking for their (supposed) husbands and raising their (supposed) children.

    Tailored to African consumers, mid-1900s Guinness ads featured sophisticated African men in suits and ties enjoying their beers – clearly after a long day at the office. But like so many foreign imports, part of the appeal involved adapting to local tastes. It played off ideas of African strength and especially virility as a masculinised strength.

    Could you talk us through your analysis of the Michael Power campaign?

    This follows directly from my last point. Guinness became well known as a drink that made you strong. From the 1960s on, among its African consumers the brewery made “Guinness gives you power” its rallying cry. This morphed into the fictional character of Michael Power who, at the turn of the century, appeared in film shorts and a feature-length award-winning film, Critical Assignment – all part of Guinness’s advertising campaign.

    Power, a globetrotting journalist, was handsome, fearless, impeccably dressed, and generically African. In Michael Power, Guinness was responding directly to the question of how Africa positions itself in a world still strongly shaped by colonial hierarchies. Here was a figure who had turned the page, embodying elegance, wit, cosmopolitanism – and, of course, power.

    And the other two campaigns – Guinness Greatness and Made of More?

    Despite Michael Power’s success in helping make Guinness Africa’s leading imported beer, the campaigns that followed pivoted sharply. Michael Power was a fictional character who reflected the aspirations more than the reality of most African men.

    To come of age in Africa in the 2000s was to have grown up reeling from the effects of structural adjustment. Jobs that offered the best prospects for a middle-class life had overwhelmingly been in the public sector. The conditions attached to debt relief scaled these jobs back significantly. Now the informal economy was on the rise. To increase its target market, Guinness needed to speak to the experiences of real consumers: men who had long abandoned the prospect of a job that would have required a tie and a briefcase.

    In the commercial I look at from the Greatness campaign, a football scout comes to Africa (it’s unclear where on the continent exactly) and discovers talent everywhere – even in his driver. Not coincidentally, this was aired around the time of the 2010 men’s football World Cup in South Africa when the dream of football stardom felt especially palpable.

    In a Made of More commercial, an actual collective of Congolese dandies known as sapeurs return home from thankless day labour and transform into new men with their stylish – we might say ostentatious! – clothing. The narrator says, “In life, you cannot always choose what you do. But you can choose who you are.” Though not salarymen, they prove their worth.

    These campaigns take a major turn from the colonial iteration of the ideal man. Rather, we find the improbable but spectacular success of the international athlete, or the shift away from work altogether and toward conspicuous consumption. Both reflect a new Africa – indeed, a new global order – that has abandoned salaried work for economies of entrepreneurs and consumers.

    What do you conclude (and what is ‘bottom billion masculinity’)?

    I borrow this idea of the “bottom billion” from the business world, where emerging markets are a final frontier for corporate profits. It is supposed to celebrate the wealth potential of the poorest people on Earth: as the argument goes, the minuscule “wealth” of a billion people is really a fortune.

    Of course if we pick this apart just a bit it is clear that the wealth belongs not to the poor but to the corporations that sell them things. There is no real “Africa Rising” in this vision, no plan for enlarging an African middle class. Reflecting a longer colonial legacy, wealth here is something to be extracted.

    Read more: The genius at Guinness and his statistical legacy

    Bottom billion masculinity genders this dynamic. It asks us to think about how conspicuous consumption becomes a way for men to showcase their worth, a substitute for the provider role that is out of reach for so many men working precariously in Africa’s informal economies.

    Guinness’s recent campaigns celebrate the African everyman, the men at the bottom billion. And in doing so, it sells them a beer. It is a powerful example of how men’s search for validation can actually enrich corporations.

    – Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men
    – https://theconversation.com/africa-is-the-worlds-largest-market-for-guinness-beer-how-its-ad-campaigns-exploit-men-239120

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hoolo ‘Nyane, Head of Department, Public and Environmental Law Department, University of Limpopo

    Lesotho, a small country landlocked by South Africa, has been struggling to make constitutional reforms since the advent of coalition politics in 2012. It needs the reforms to address political instability which has been a feature of the country for more than five decades.

    The judiciary, security agencies and civil service have been
    politicised, resulting in the institutions being abused for political ends, stoking recurrent instability.

    The reform project has encountered many headwinds. High government turnover amid unstable governing coalitions, the reform processes being declared invalid numerous times by the judiciary, and a sheer lack of political will are just a few.

    The current administration, in power since 2022, is taking a new stab at it. The national assembly is debating the bills intended to amend the constitution. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has hailed this as “a positive development”.

    But as a constitutional law researcher who has published widely on the constitutional developments in Lesotho, I argue that the current approach to constitutional amendment is only intended to ward off the current pressure to pass reforms. It may not cure the longstanding constitutional problems in the country.

    The approach has two features. Firstly, the reforms process is now almost exclusively led by the government. This will enable the government to have only its views, and those it agrees with, being enacted as national reforms.

    Secondly, it breaks the constitution into three separate amendments. This dismembers the constitution. The court of appeal has already warned against that, saying the sections of the constitution, regardless of how they are amendable, belong to a single basic structure.

    Fits and starts

    The reform attempts have been in fits and starts. The most decisive step was in 2022 when parliament, on the eve of its dissolution ahead of elections, passed a raft of reforms known as the omnibus bill. This resulted in the 10th amendment to the constitution.

    However, parliament didn’t follow the amendment procedures set by the constitution. The Court of Appeal in turn declared the reforms invalid. The process was restarted after the 2022 elections, overseen by the SADC Panel of Elders led by former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete.

    New attempt at reform

    With the support of the SADC, the current coalition government, led by Prime Minister Sam Matekane, has broken the constitutional reforms into three sets:

    • Changes requiring a simple majority in parliament to pass: These are amendments that either introduce new provisions to the constitution, or alter provisions of the constitution that are not entrenched. These include sections such as changing the number of official languages. Government can pass this set alone.

    • Changes requiring a two-thirds majority: Section 85 of the constitution protects certain provisions by requiring a minimum two-thirds majority of the two houses of parliament. These provisions include the structure and workings of parliament, among others. The present government lacks this majority. It needs opposition support to pass this set.

    • Changes requiring a referendum: These are provisions that require a vote of electors before enactment, such as changes to the monarch and the bill of rights. They can only be changed by consensus across all sectors of society, not just in parliament. There is no plan at present to move ahead with this set of amendments.

    The idea of the three-part approach is to speed up reforms amid immense international and local pressure as it circumvents the many procedural hurdles in amending entrenched provisions.

    But I see problems with it.

    Stakeholders left out

    The National Reforms Authority, established by an act of parliament in 2019, was disbanded in 2022 by the government of the former prime minister, Moeketsi Majoro.

    The reforms authority was not a perfect model. It was dominated by politicians and was criticised for not following proper constitution-making processes. But at least it gave the reform project some legitimacy because it represented a variety of stakeholders. It even relied on public consultations reports produced by its predecessor, the National Dialogue Planning Committee.

    In the new approach reforms are led by the government. Previous governments were warned against a government-led approach to reforms as it alienates other stakeholders.

    The ultimate purpose of these reforms is to change governance in Lesotho, which is characterised by unchecked exercise of executive power. It’s unlikely that a government will reform itself.

    There are political elites – in government and the opposition – who are against fundamental changes. They believe in continuing the current Westminster design with only minimal changes. The problem with the Westminster system in Lesotho (a constitutional monarchy) is that the monarch’s powers have drifted to the prime minister, who exercises them for political ends. This has been at the centre of political instability.

    Piecemeal approach

    The government has evidently rejected calls to totally overhaul the constitution and replace it with a new one. Instead, it has chosen piecemeal amendments.

    The government reckons it can easily pass the simple majority amendments and easily negotiate with the opposition to secure support for passing the two-thirds amendments. Then, perhaps in future, consider the amendments requiring a referendum.

    This is a flawed attempt to deal with criticism by both the high court and the court of appeal in 2022. The courts held that parliament had disregarded the rules about how to amend the constitution.

    Parliament is now heading for another pitfall: dismembering the constitution. Breaking it into compartments to make it easier to amend it will kill its basic structure.

    The courts have already warned the parliament against interfering with the basic structure of the constitution without the involvement of the people.

    What should be done

    The donor community and society in Lesotho have grown impatient with the delay in finalising the reforms. But pandering to pressures is not enough.

    The ideal approach would be for the country to make the new constitution through a proper process that will culminate with the people approving the outcome in a referendum. This approach has already worked in recent constitutional changes in Africa. The most recent examples are Kenya and Zimbabwe. This approach will enable the country to reflect holistically on its treacherous constitutional development and clothe the new changes with the garb of legitimacy.

    Hoolo ‘Nyane does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed – https://theconversation.com/lesotho-needs-constitutional-reforms-to-help-gain-political-stability-but-the-latest-attempt-is-flawed-237905

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hoolo ‘Nyane, Head of Department, Public and Environmental Law Department, University of Limpopo

    Lesotho, a small country landlocked by South Africa, has been struggling to make constitutional reforms since the advent of coalition politics in 2012. It needs the reforms to address political instability which has been a feature of the country for more than five decades.

    The judiciary, security agencies and civil service have been politicised, resulting in the institutions being abused for political ends, stoking recurrent instability.

    The reform project has encountered many headwinds. High government turnover amid unstable governing coalitions, the reform processes being declared invalid numerous times by the judiciary, and a sheer lack of political will are just a few.

    The current administration, in power since 2022, is taking a new stab at it. The national assembly is debating the bills intended to amend the constitution. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has hailed this as “a positive development”.

    But as a constitutional law researcher who has published widely on the constitutional developments in Lesotho, I argue that the current approach to constitutional amendment is only intended to ward off the current pressure to pass reforms. It may not cure the longstanding constitutional problems in the country.

    The approach has two features. Firstly, the reforms process is now almost exclusively led by the government. This will enable the government to have only its views, and those it agrees with, being enacted as national reforms.

    Secondly, it breaks the constitution into three separate amendments. This dismembers the constitution. The court of appeal has already warned against that, saying the sections of the constitution, regardless of how they are amendable, belong to a single basic structure.

    Fits and starts

    The reform attempts have been in fits and starts. The most decisive step was in 2022 when parliament, on the eve of its dissolution ahead of elections, passed a raft of reforms known as the omnibus bill. This resulted in the 10th amendment to the constitution.

    However, parliament didn’t follow the amendment procedures set by the constitution. The Court of Appeal in turn declared the reforms invalid. The process was restarted after the 2022 elections, overseen by the SADC Panel of Elders led by former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete.

    New attempt at reform

    With the support of the SADC, the current coalition government, led by Prime Minister Sam Matekane, has broken the constitutional reforms into three sets:

    • Changes requiring a simple majority in parliament to pass: These are amendments that either introduce new provisions to the constitution, or alter provisions of the constitution that are not entrenched. These include sections such as changing the number of official languages. Government can pass this set alone.

    • Changes requiring a two-thirds majority: Section 85 of the constitution protects certain provisions by requiring a minimum two-thirds majority of the two houses of parliament. These provisions include the structure and workings of parliament, among others. The present government lacks this majority. It needs opposition support to pass this set.

    • Changes requiring a referendum: These are provisions that require a vote of electors before enactment, such as changes to the monarch and the bill of rights. They can only be changed by consensus across all sectors of society, not just in parliament. There is no plan at present to move ahead with this set of amendments.

    The idea of the three-part approach is to speed up reforms amid immense international and local pressure as it circumvents the many procedural hurdles in amending entrenched provisions.

    But I see problems with it.

    Stakeholders left out

    The National Reforms Authority, established by an act of parliament in 2019, was disbanded in 2022 by the government of the former prime minister, Moeketsi Majoro.

    The reforms authority was not a perfect model. It was dominated by politicians and was criticised for not following proper constitution-making processes. But at least it gave the reform project some legitimacy because it represented a variety of stakeholders. It even relied on public consultations reports produced by its predecessor, the National Dialogue Planning Committee.

    In the new approach reforms are led by the government. Previous governments were warned against a government-led approach to reforms as it alienates other stakeholders.

    The ultimate purpose of these reforms is to change governance in Lesotho, which is characterised by unchecked exercise of executive power. It’s unlikely that a government will reform itself.

    There are political elites – in government and the opposition – who are against fundamental changes. They believe in continuing the current Westminster design with only minimal changes. The problem with the Westminster system in Lesotho (a constitutional monarchy) is that the monarch’s powers have drifted to the prime minister, who exercises them for political ends. This has been at the centre of political instability.

    Piecemeal approach

    The government has evidently rejected calls to totally overhaul the constitution and replace it with a new one. Instead, it has chosen piecemeal amendments.

    The government reckons it can easily pass the simple majority amendments and easily negotiate with the opposition to secure support for passing the two-thirds amendments. Then, perhaps in future, consider the amendments requiring a referendum.

    This is a flawed attempt to deal with criticism by both the high court and the court of appeal in 2022. The courts held that parliament had disregarded the rules about how to amend the constitution.

    Parliament is now heading for another pitfall: dismembering the constitution. Breaking it into compartments to make it easier to amend it will kill its basic structure.

    The courts have already warned the parliament against interfering with the basic structure of the constitution without the involvement of the people.

    What should be done

    The donor community and society in Lesotho have grown impatient with the delay in finalising the reforms. But pandering to pressures is not enough.

    The ideal approach would be for the country to make the new constitution through a proper process that will culminate with the people approving the outcome in a referendum. This approach has already worked in recent constitutional changes in Africa. The most recent examples are Kenya and Zimbabwe. This approach will enable the country to reflect holistically on its treacherous constitutional development and clothe the new changes with the garb of legitimacy.

    – Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed
    – https://theconversation.com/lesotho-needs-constitutional-reforms-to-help-gain-political-stability-but-the-latest-attempt-is-flawed-237905

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jordanna Matlon, Associate Professor of Sociology, School of International Service, American University

    Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer (and Nigeria is second only to Britain for the most consumers in one country). The Irish brand’s success on the continent is regarded as a trailblazing business model. And that has a lot to do with their advertising campaigns over the years.

    Award-winning sociologist Jordanna Matlon recently published a research paper that analyses three prominent Guinness Africa ad campaigns. She explores what market forces are behind them – and how they target male consumers and shape masculinity in a way that echoes colonial extraction. We asked her to explain.

    How did Guinness capture the African market – what’s the appeal?

    We can think about Guinness in Africa in two phases. The first was less marketing savvy than old-fashioned imperial domination, in which territories under British dominion were captive markets for British imports. Despite its proud Irish origins, Guinness has had solid connections to the UK since the 1800s. Following British imperial shipping routes, the brewery began exporting to Africa in 1827. In 1959 Guinness established an import/export arrangement with Britain’s United Africa Company.



    Read more:
    Coca-Cola in Africa: a long history full of unexpected twists and turns

    By the era of African independence from the mid-1950s to the 1970s – the second phase – Guinness was already a well-known brand. Its advertising strategies found a ready African audience. Like colonialism generally, Guinness linked the consumption of foreign goods to the “civilising mission”. To be a civilised, modern man, the argument went, was to drink what the colonisers drank. But this was part of a larger work-consume nexus in which modern men were salaried men who could afford such trappings. Women, I should add, were always excluded: colonial ideals expressed clear gender divisions, with men in the public sphere and women at home, cooking for their (supposed) husbands and raising their (supposed) children.

    Tailored to African consumers, mid-1900s Guinness ads featured sophisticated African men in suits and ties enjoying their beers – clearly after a long day at the office. But like so many foreign imports, part of the appeal involved adapting to local tastes. It played off ideas of African strength and especially virility as a masculinised strength.

    Could you talk us through your analysis of the Michael Power campaign?

    This follows directly from my last point. Guinness became well known as a drink that made you strong. From the 1960s on, among its African consumers the brewery made “Guinness gives you power” its rallying cry. This morphed into the fictional character of Michael Power who, at the turn of the century, appeared in film shorts and a feature-length award-winning film, Critical Assignment – all part of Guinness’s advertising campaign.

    Power, a globetrotting journalist, was handsome, fearless, impeccably dressed, and generically African. In Michael Power, Guinness was responding directly to the question of how Africa positions itself in a world still strongly shaped by colonial hierarchies. Here was a figure who had turned the page, embodying elegance, wit, cosmopolitanism – and, of course, power.

    And the other two campaigns – Guinness Greatness and Made of More?

    Despite Michael Power’s success in helping make Guinness Africa’s leading imported beer, the campaigns that followed pivoted sharply. Michael Power was a fictional character who reflected the aspirations more than the reality of most African men.

    To come of age in Africa in the 2000s was to have grown up reeling from the effects of structural adjustment. Jobs that offered the best prospects for a middle-class life had overwhelmingly been in the public sector. The conditions attached to debt relief scaled these jobs back significantly. Now the informal economy was on the rise. To increase its target market, Guinness needed to speak to the experiences of real consumers: men who had long abandoned the prospect of a job that would have required a tie and a briefcase.

    In the commercial I look at from the Greatness campaign, a football scout comes to Africa (it’s unclear where on the continent exactly) and discovers talent everywhere – even in his driver. Not coincidentally, this was aired around the time of the 2010 men’s football World Cup in South Africa when the dream of football stardom felt especially palpable.

    In a Made of More commercial, an actual collective of Congolese dandies known as sapeurs return home from thankless day labour and transform into new men with their stylish – we might say ostentatious! – clothing. The narrator says, “In life, you cannot always choose what you do. But you can choose who you are.” Though not salarymen, they prove their worth.

    These campaigns take a major turn from the colonial iteration of the ideal man. Rather, we find the improbable but spectacular success of the international athlete, or the shift away from work altogether and toward conspicuous consumption. Both reflect a new Africa – indeed, a new global order – that has abandoned salaried work for economies of entrepreneurs and consumers.

    What do you conclude (and what is ‘bottom billion masculinity’)?

    I borrow this idea of the “bottom billion” from the business world, where emerging markets are a final frontier for corporate profits. It is supposed to celebrate the wealth potential of the poorest people on Earth: as the argument goes, the minuscule “wealth” of a billion people is really a fortune.

    Of course if we pick this apart just a bit it is clear that the wealth belongs not to the poor but to the corporations that sell them things. There is no real “Africa Rising” in this vision, no plan for enlarging an African middle class. Reflecting a longer colonial legacy, wealth here is something to be extracted.



    Read more:
    The genius at Guinness and his statistical legacy

    Bottom billion masculinity genders this dynamic. It asks us to think about how conspicuous consumption becomes a way for men to showcase their worth, a substitute for the provider role that is out of reach for so many men working precariously in Africa’s informal economies.

    Guinness’s recent campaigns celebrate the African everyman, the men at the bottom billion. And in doing so, it sells them a beer. It is a powerful example of how men’s search for validation can actually enrich corporations.

    Jordanna Matlon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men – https://theconversation.com/africa-is-the-worlds-largest-market-for-guinness-beer-how-its-ad-campaigns-exploit-men-239120

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CSB Volunteer Team participates in social welfare activity

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    CSB Volunteer Team participates in social welfare activity
    CSB Volunteer Team participates in social welfare activity
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         The Civil Service Bureau’s (CSB) Volunteer Team today (September 22) helped the Hong Kong Society for the Deaf to organise “Hong Kong Sign Language Day 2024” games at a shopping mall in Tai Wai, where members of the public could learn sign language and play games to encourage them to communicate more with the hearing impaired.      Speaking at the opening ceremony, the Secretary for the Civil Service, Mrs Ingrid Yeung, said, “In less than 10 days, we will celebrate the National Day. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a joyous occasion that fills every Chinese with pride. To celebrate with the public, the CSB has actively co-ordinated the event of ‘Civil Service Volunteer Service in Celebration of the Founding of the PRC’. Seventy-five volunteer teams from government bureaux and departments will organise or participate in volunteer services with the theme of celebrating the 75th anniversary of the founding of the PRC. About 4,500 volunteers from the 75 teams will organise and participate in various activities from September to November to share the joy of the National Day with the public, foster a sense of patriotism in the community, and provide care for the needy.      “The volunteer teams will organise a wide variety of volunteer services. In addition to festive events, these activities will include visits and guided tours, care visits, interest classes, handicraft workshops and sports activities. Around 34,000 target participants will benefit from the activities, including the elderly, children and young people, grassroots families, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities.”      Today’s event featured display boards introducing sign language related to the country, with designs incorporating Chinese elements. Volunteers and sign-language teachers led the public in learning sign language for words related to National Day through simple games. Mrs Yeung also joined CSB volunteers in learning sign-language phrases like “75th anniversary”, “panda” and “Hong Kong, China” under the guidance of a sign-language teacher.      Civil servants’ participation in voluntary services not only demonstrates their care for those in need in the community, but also has a positive impact on strengthening team spirit and boosting staff morale in the civil service, as well as deepening civil servants’ understanding of the needs of the public from different angles, enabling them to provide public services in their respective posts in a more targeted manner and better meeting the needs of people. This year the CSB launched the Civil Service Volunteer Commendation Scheme to recognise civil service volunteer teams and individuals for their outstanding achievements and contributions in participating in and promoting volunteer services. This scheme includes awards for volunteer teams and individuals. A total of 14 teams and 337 individuals have been selected for awards in this inaugural scheme. An award presentation ceremony will be held at a later date.      The CSB encourages volunteer teams to strengthen collaboration with different sectors of the community to maximise the synergy in promoting volunteerism and using their spare time to help those in need. Today’s event was one such example.

     
    Ends/Sunday, September 22, 2024Issued at HKT 16:40

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar to showcase 84 booths at 21st China-ASEAN Expo

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Myanmar will showcase 84 booths at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 24 to 28, the state-run Myanmar Radio and Television reported on Sunday.

    The booths will display a variety of products, including rice, Arabica coffee, aquatic products, fruits, tea, spices, woodwork, handicrafts, and gems, the report said.

    The expo aims to strengthen friendships and trade benefits, promote the development of the version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and boost high-quality development of the China-ASEAN region, it added.

    More than 100 people, including businesspeople and officials from the National University of Culture and Arts in Yangon, will participate in the event, the report said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends barracks visit for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Guangzhou

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends barracks visit for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Guangzhou
    Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs attends barracks visit for Hong Kong and Macao youths in Guangzhou
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         The Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, arrived in Guangzhou this afternoon (September 22) to attend a barracks visit for youths from Hong Kong and Macao.     Organised by the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the People’s Government of Guangdong Province, Guangdong Provincial Corps of the Chinese people’s Armed Police Force, the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Government and the Education and Youth Development Bureau of the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, the event aims to promote national defence education among youths from Hong Kong and Macao, and enhance young people’s understanding of national defence and awareness of national security, thereby strengthening their affection for and sense of belonging to the country.     Speaking at the activity, Miss Mak said that national security is the foundation for prosperity and stability in society, as well as the well-being of the people. Today’s event provided a great opportunity for young people from Hong Kong and Macao to visit the barracks and gain an in-depth understanding of the importance of national defence education and national security.     Miss Mak said, “The HKSAR Government attaches great importance to encouraging Hong Kong youths to inherit and promote patriotism and national pride. The HKSAR Government aims to support young people in pursuing their dreams by taking advantage of the opportunities brought by the country’s key strategies, helping them better integrate into the overall development of the nation.” She encouraged youths from Hong Kong and Macao to equip themselves and contribute to the development of the country, Hong Kong and Macao.     About 500 youths from Hong Kong and Macao joined the event. They visited showcases of military equipment and barracks dormitories, gaining insights into the importance of national defence and national security.     Miss Mak finished the visit in the afternoon and returned to Hong Kong on the same day.

     
    Ends/Sunday, September 22, 2024Issued at HKT 17:17

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Issue Joint Advisory to States/UTs for Effective Implementation of Tobacco-Free Educational Institutions Guidelines and Manual

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 21 SEP 2024 5:28PM by PIB Delhi

    In a significant move to combat tobacco use among youth, the Secretaries of the Union Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have jointly issued an advisory to all States and Union Territories. The advisory, addressed to Chief Secretaries, calls for the rigorous implementation of the Tobacco-Free Educational Institution (ToFEI) manual, in line with the provisions of the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), 2003 in educational institutions.

    This joint advisory, signed by the Secretaries of the Department of School Education, the Department of Higher Education, and the Department of Health & Family Welfare, underscores the alarming effects of tobacco consumption, particularly on children and adolescents. It draws attention to the findings of the Global Youth Tobacco Survey (GYTS) 2019, which revealed that 8.5% of school students aged 13 to 15 in India consume tobacco in various forms. Of particular concern is the fact that over 5,500 children in India begin using tobacco every day. Moreover, 55% of lifelong tobacco users initiate the habit before the age of 20, with many adolescents turning to other addictive substances as a result.

    The advisory emphasizes the need for collaborative efforts of all the stakeholders to safeguard young people from the dangers of tobacco addiction. The goal is to protect future generations by raising awareness of the harmful effects of tobacco use and promoting tobacco control measures within educational institutions.

    As part of the National Tobacco Control Programme (NTCP), the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, released the Tobacco Free Educational Institutions (ToFEI) Guidelines for safeguarding minors and youth from tobacco and electronic cigarette use. Further, the Department of School Education and Literacy has developed and launched the ToFEI Implementation Manual on World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) in collaboration with Socio Economic and Educational Development Society (SEEDS). The Department issued the manual on 31st May 2024 to all States/UTs for compliance.

    The ToFEI manual serves as a key resource for educational institutions to implement these anti-tobacco measures effectively. The manual outlines the following objectives:

    i.    More awareness about the harmful effects and long-term health impact of tobacco use amongst the students, teachers, workers and officials in educational institutions;

    ii.   Awareness about various avenues available for tobacco cessation;

    iii.  A healthy and tobacco-free environment in educational institutions and all educational institutions becoming tobacco-free; and

    iv.  Better implementation of legal provisions regarding the sale and use of tobacco products, especially those related to educational institutions, public places, statutory warnings and minors.  

    The advisory encourages educational institutions including schools at all levels, colleges for higher or professional education and universities, both in the public and private sector to adopt the ToFEI manual and guidelines as a comprehensive guide to safeguard the health and well-being of students.

    Through collaborative efforts, the government aims to reduce tobacco use among children and prevent future generations from falling prey to addiction. The Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare will work closely with state and district-level officials to ensure these measures are effectively implemented in educational institutions.

    URL to access the Implementation Manual for ToFEI Manual: https://dsel.education.gov.in/sites/default/files/update/im_tofel.pdf

    URL to access the ToFEI Guidelines:

    https://ntcp.mohfw.gov.in/assets/document/TEFI-Guidelines.pdf

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    SS/AK

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  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar to showcase 84 booths at China-ASEAN Expo

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Myanmar will showcase 84 booths at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 24 to 28, the state-run Myanmar Radio and Television reported on Sunday.

    The booths will display a variety of products, including rice, Arabica coffee, aquatic products, fruits, tea, spices, woodwork, handicrafts, and gems, the report said.

    The expo aims to strengthen friendships and trade benefits, promote the development of the version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and boost high-quality development of the China-ASEAN region, it added.

    More than 100 people, including businesspeople and officials from the National University of Culture and Arts in Yangon, will participate in the event, the report said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Secretary for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change delivers opening remarks at Summit of the Future Side Event in the United Nations Headquarters

    Source: Government of India

    Union Secretary for Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change delivers opening remarks at Summit of the Future Side Event in the United Nations Headquarters

    Adopting LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment) globally will reduce Green Houses Gases Emissions by 2 billion Tonnes by 2030 as per IEA, says Union Secretary Ms. Leena Nandan

    Ms. Leena Nandan highlights Prime Minister’s ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ visionary initiative to Inspire Global citizens worldwide to plant Trees in the name of their own Mother and for Mother Earth

    750 million trees planted across India between 5th June and 17th September i.e. 7 million trees per day, says Ms. Nandan

    India’s New Education Policy and Skill Council for Green Jobs hold the key to skilling youth for green jobs in India, says Ms. Nandan

    Posted On: 21 SEP 2024 5:24PM by PIB Delhi

    Ms. Leena Nandan, Secretary of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, in her opening remarks, addressed the Summit of the Future Side Event at the United Nations Headquarters today, which focused on Empowering Youth for Sustainable Futures: Intergenerational Responsibility and Skills for a Just Transition.

    The two-minute video on LiFE i.e Lifestyle for Environment was screened in the opening remarks. The Union Secretary Ms. Leena Nandan said that two-minute video on life was an attempt to capture the philosophy and true spirit of India’s multidimensional approach to address the challenge of Climate Change.  She further added that LiFE i.e. Lifestyle for Environment is one of the key strategies enunciated by Prime Minister of India in COP-26.

    She highlighted that Mission LiFE was launched globally by the Prime Minister Sh. Narendra Modi in October, 2022, in the presence of the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. The Mission LiFE is being implemented across the country and the globe under the leadership of Shri Bhupender Yadav, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

    Speaking on the occasion, she stated that Mission LiFE promotes a shift in our daily behaviours towards environmentally friendly choices and the adoption of sustainable lifestyles. By integrating sustainable consumption practices, LiFE can drive significant progress on SDG12.

    She emphasized that the climate action resolution sponsored by India received support from Bolivia and Sri Lanka. Building on this momentum, she stated that the United Nations Environment Assembly adopted a resolution promoting sustainable lifestyles at its sixth session in Nairobi on March 1, 2024. She further said that the International Energy Agency estimates that implementing the actions promoted by Mission LiFE could reduce global GHG emissions by 2 billion tonnes annually by 2030.

    She highlighted that today’s children and youth are essential for ensuring intergenerational equity. This responsibility requires us to equip them with the skills and tools necessary for a just transition, she added. 

    She explained that our youth, who make up nearly 28% of the population, hold great potential for leading the transition to a green economy. As one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, we see this demographic dividend as essential for achieving sustainable and inclusive growth.

    Ms. Leena Nandan stated that the New Education Policy of India, along with the Green Skill Development Programme and the Skill Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ), offers a comprehensive solution to address the increasing demand for Green Jobs.

    She stated that the SCGJ’s vision for 2047 expects the clean energy transition to generate 30-35 million new jobs in India. Programs like the International Solar Alliance and the Global Biofuel Alliance aim to create green jobs globally by empowering youth and equipping them with skills. Recognising the contribution of India in promoting LiFE i.e Lifestyle for Environment for sustainable consumption and production, it has been nominated for a two-year seat on the board of 10-Year Framework of Programmes (10YFP) under UNEP.

    She quoted Prime Minister of India for special attention to Mission LiFE i.e Lifestyle for Environment “Too often, our discussion is reduced to an argument about emission cuts. But we are more likely to succeed if we offer affordable solutions, not simply impose decisions. And, it is for the same reason that I call for a change in lifestyle. Because, the emission reduction that we seek will be the natural outcome of how we live and work”.

    Union Secretary Ms. Leena Nandan highlighted the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in launching “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” or “Plant4Mother” aimed at involving the citizens of India and the world in planting trees as a mark of love and respect for one’s own Mother and Mother Earth. She announced that more than 750 million trees have been planted in India between June 5 and September 17 under the initiative, which amounts to about 7 million trees per day.

    She urged everyone to come together and move forward, recognizing that our choices today will not only benefit the planet but also shape the future for our children and youth.

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    NB/GS

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Staff join sign-language activities

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Civil Service Bureau’s volunteer team today assisted the Society for the Deaf in organising games for “Hong Kong Sign Language Day 2024” at a shopping mall in Tai Wai. Visitors were given the chance to learn sign language and play games aimed at helping them to communicate with the hearing-impaired.

     

    At an opening ceremony for the event, Secretary for the Civil Service Ingrid Yeung highlighted that this year is the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a joyous occasion for Chinese people, and that there are fewer than 10 days to go to until National Day.

     

    She said that the bureau had co-ordinated various initiatives for the Civil Service Volunteer Service to celebrate the anniversary, explaining that 75 volunteer teams from various bureaus and departments are staging volunteer activities to mark the occasion.

     

    “About 4,500 volunteers from the 75 teams will organise and participate in various activities from September to November to share the joy of the National Day with the public, foster a sense of patriotism in the community, and provide care for the needy,” she said.

     

    In addition to festive events, the activities will include visits and guided tours, care visits, classes, handicraft workshops and sports activities. Mrs Yeung said that around 34,000 people will be involved in the events, including seniors, children and youngsters, grassroots families, people with disabilities and ethnic minorities.

     

    Today’s event featured display boards introducing sign language related to China, with designs incorporating different Chinese elements.

     

    Volunteers and sign-language teachers gave sign-language lessons for visitors, introducing National Day-related words through simple games. The civil service chief joined bureau volunteers in learning sign-language phrases such as “75th anniversary”, “panda” and “Hong Kong, China”.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Raksha Rajya Mantri to Chair NCC Joint State Representatives and Additional/Deputy Directors General Conference

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 3:57PM by PIB Delhi

    Raksha Rajya Mantri Shri Sanjay Seth will chair the Joint State Representatives and Additional/Deputy Directors General (JS R&A/D) Conference of the National Cadet Corps (NCC) on September 23, 2024 in New Delhi. The biennial event will see the participation of Deputy CM and Minister of Higher Education from Rajsthan, Education Ministers from Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Kerala and Uttarakhand, Minister of Youth & Sports from Goa, Minister of Primary, Secondary and Adult Higher Education from Gujarat as well as representatives from all other States. Senior Officers from the Ministry of Defence, along with DGNCC, the NCC Heads from all States and Officers from HQ DGNCC, will also be in attendance.

    During the conference, delegates will engage in discussions to refine policies, address financial requirements and enhance coordination among stakeholders to establish new training and camping infrastructure. These are crucial issues for enhancing cadet motivation and ensuring the effective execution of training programs. A major focus of discussion will also be the implementation of the recently approved expansion plan which aims to increase NCC cadet strength by three lakhs, raising the total strength from 17 lakhs to 20 lakhs in the coming years.

    The conduct of NCC activities is a shared responsibility between the Central and State Governments with regard to policies, finances and administration. Accordingly, this conference serves as important platform for planning, implementing, and coordinating NCC activities nationwide. This conference aims to be a crucial step in enhancing collaboration between state and central governments, ensuring a bright future for cadets across the country.

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    VK/SR/MR/GC

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU and IOC RAS signed a cooperation agreement

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The State University of Management signed an agreement with the N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    The document was signed by the rector of the State University of Management, Doctor of Economics Vladimir Stroyev and the director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Chemical Sciences Alexander Terentyev.

    The University and the Institute will cooperate in the field of fundamental, exploratory and applied scientific research in the field of chemistry, as well as carry out activities related to innovative scientific research and technological developments. Joint participation in competitions and grants is also envisaged.

    “The signing of the agreement is a logical continuation of the course taken by our university to develop engineering competencies in future managers. We have already concluded cooperation agreements with Avtodor-Engineering, Transmashholding, Mercator Kaluga, and an inter-university student design bureau is operating,” said the rector of the State University of Management.

    After the signing ceremony, the delegation of the State University of Management was given a tour of the Institute. Vladimir Stroyev and Vice-Rector for Science Maria Karelina were shown the library of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which has a collection of scientific periodicals starting from the 19th century, a laboratory in which students from the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University and the Higher Chemical Complex of the Russian Academy of Sciences carry out laboratory work in organic chemistry. In the Center for Collective Use, the guests were introduced to unique expensive analytical instruments and installations for conducting interdisciplinary research, within the framework of projects of the Russian Science Foundation.

    The guests were told about the specifics of work in the field of solving specific applied problems of chemical technology at the Center for Advanced Catalytic Technologies of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, whose activities are aimed at the interaction of fundamental and applied science in the field of inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and catalysis. The delegation of the State University of Management also visited the Youth Laboratory of Synthetic Glycovaccines, where young researchers are engaged in obtaining diagnostic tests and 3rd generation carbohydrate vaccines for the detection and prevention of dangerous bacterial and fungal infections. A number of synthesized compounds are being studied as potential drugs for cardiology, oncology and hematology.

    In the near future, it is planned to develop and launch a joint network master’s program for TMH specialists, as well as interaction in the field of research and development in the field of agrobiotechnology and new preservation materials.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09.22.2024

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

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

    GUU and IOC RAS signed a cooperation agreement

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar preside over as Chief Guest during the Sign Language Day celebrations in New Delhi tomorrow

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar preside over as Chief Guest during the  Sign Language Day celebrations in New Delhi tomorrow

    Theme for the Sign Language Day-2024 is ‘Sign up for Sign Language Rights’

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 2:00PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment (SJE), Dr. Virendra Kumar will be the Chief Guest for the  Sign Language Day-2024 celebrations tomorrow, at Bhim Hall, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi. MoS (SJE), Shri B.L.Verma, will be the Guest of Honour on the occasion.

    The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi, under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) [DEPwD], Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, will be organising the event.

    The theme of this year Sign Language Day-2024 is ‘Sign up for Sign Language Rights’.  The world will once again highlight the unity generated by sign languages. World leaders and other government officials are invited to strive towards a better implementation of the Rights of Person with Disabilities at the national level through the linguistic human rights of deaf people; And, to Sign up for sign language rights by working with our local and national associations to announce the achievement of a concrete goal for deaf communities on Sign Language day.

    During the event, the following Indian Sign Language (ISL) terms and Videos will be launched:

    1. Launch of 2500 terms in Indian Sign Language: To expand the existing ISL dictionary, ISLRTC has collaborated with 4 organizations working in the field and jointly developed the 2500 terms in Indian Sign Language. The organizations are YUNIKEE, Hyderabad for 1000 terms, India Signing Hands, Mumbai for 500 terms, Bridge Connectivity Solutions, Delhi for 500 terms and Anuprayaas, Mohali for 500 terms. The 2500 terms covers the various school subjects such as mathematics, science, language, geography and higher education areas such as philosophy, linguistics, computer science, etc., and sports, infrastructure, accessibility, etc.
    2. Launch of 100 concept videos in ISL: ISLRTC in collaboration with YUNIKEE developed 100 concept videos in Indian Sign Language for Hearing Impaired children of class 6th, covering various school subjects such as mathematics, science, social science and language. The special features of concepts videos are detailed explanation in ISL to develop concept clarity, graphical images to promote learning, Audio and subtitles to promote inclusive learning and illustration and examples to improve learning outcomes and academic achievements.
    3. Launch of ISL dictionary in 10 languages: To promote accessibility, the ISL dictionary will be made available in 10 Regional Languages.
    4. Launch of Educational Animated Videos in ISL: To develop morals values and new learning experience among hearing impaired children and to promote inclusive learning environment.
    5. Launch of Deaf Role Model Videos in ISL: To create inspiration, motivation, sense of purpose, moral values and guidance among hearing impaired children.
    6. The Centre conducted 7th Indian Sign Language Competition, 2024 – a national-level competition held for students with hearing disabilities. The students have showcased their creativity and knowledge by participating in the competition. All the winners of the 7th ISL competition will be distributed trophy and certificate during the Sign Language Day 2024 programme.

    The ISLRTC celebrates the occasion every year ever since the United Nations declared 23rd September as the International Day of Sign Languages. DEPwD and ISLRTC are making all the possible efforts to bring more citizens, stakeholders, service-providing agencies, schools for deaf, NGOs, activists, deaf leaders, educators, researchers etc. together into the fold of Sign Language Day, in order to create positive awareness about ISL among all sections of our society.

    The Day also reminds us of the need and importance of preserving sign languages as a part of linguistic and cultural diversity. All the professionals, parents of deaf, deaf students and institutions working in the field of Indian Sign Language, deaf education and differently-abled people from all walks of life are important target groups to rope into the Sign Language Day celebration.

    Dignitaries gracing the occasion would include Shri Rajesh Aggrawal, Secretary, DEPwD; Dr. Sharanjeet Kaur, Chairperson, RCI; Shri Rajeev Sharma, Joint Secretary, DEPwD; and, Dr. Jitendra Sharma, Director, ISLRTC. Representatives from National Association of Deaf, All India Federation of Deaf Women and Indore Deaf Bilingual Academy and other representatives of the Deaf Community will also present on the occasion.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ‘Narendra’, has made everything possible, says VP reflecting on the national leadership

    Source: Government of India (2)

     ‘Narendra’, has made everything possible, says VP reflecting on the national leadership

    Whatever gets sanctioned becomes possible, stresses VP

    The country is moving towards Ram Rajya- VP

    Education is the centre of the biggest change

    India is the main center of the world, there is no other country like India- VP

    VP inaugurates the PMAY (Urban) Flats at Ghoghla in Daman & Diu

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 1:59PM by PIB Delhi

    The Vice-President, Shi JagdeepDhankhar today reflected on the profound influence of national leadership, stating “Although there is a lot in a name, the name ‘Nar’ plus ‘Indra’, ‘Narendra’, has made everything possible.”

    Commending the significant strides made in housing development, Shri Dhankhar stated that over 21,000 houses have been sanctioned and constructed in the region, under various government initiatives. He emphasized the remarkable transformation taking place in the country, attributing this progress to the leadership  “The specialty here is that whatever gets sanctioned becomes possible. Why is everything becoming possible in the country? It is because the person who is making it possible is leading the country,” he said.

    Acknowledging the profound changes witnessed in the last decade concerning the selection of recipients for some of the nation’s highest civilian honors, including the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, Padma Vibhushan, and Bharat Ratna awards, Shri Dhakhar remarked  “A big change has come in the last 10 years. Now, the recipients of these prestigious awards are those who are truly deserving. People across the country now say that the awards are being given to the right individuals”. He further noted that this progress symbolizes India’s journey towards “Ram Rajya”. “This reflects that the country is changing and moving towards Ram Rajya,” he said.

    Highlighting India’s emergence as the center of the biggest change of this century, Shri Dhankhar stated, “Those who think big have made India the main center of the world. There is no other country like India. I am not the one saying this—major global institutions are acknowledging this transformation. A massive change, one that was previously unimaginable, is unfolding.”

    Emphasizing the transformative governance, Shri Dhankhar pointed to the unprecedented developments in infrastructure and essential services across the country. “Did you ever imagine that, with the help of the government, such a powerful voice would rise, that every household would have access to electricity, gas connections, and toilets? And now, the Prime Minister has even initiated the solar energy system,”he said.

    Recognizing the Government’s commitment to transforming lives through economic empowerment, he stated, “I request Prafullaji to organize a small camp here for Mudra loans. Once informed, people will realize the Government of India has a policy to empower them economically, enabling not only self-employment but also providing jobs to others.”

    Underscoring that education is the centre of the biggest change today, Shri Dhankharurged everyone to prioritize their children’s education. “Education is the centre of the biggest change today. I request all of you to pay a lot of attention to the education of your children,” he said.

    Emphasizing the holistic progress of Bharat across water, land, sky, and space, Shri Dhankhar urged citizens to reflect continuously on their contributions to the nation’s advancement, stating, “We are moving towards Ramrajya, and each of us can play a significant role in this journey.”

    Shri Praful Patel, Hon’ble Administrator, UT of DNH&DD and Lakshadeep, …….. and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.

    Read full text here : https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2057518

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Food and Consumer Affairs Minister, Shri Pralhad Joshi inspects office of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution during ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ campaign

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 12:48PM by PIB Delhi

    The Union Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Pralhad Venkatesh Joshi along with Shri B.L Verma, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the team of senior officers of the Ministry of Food and Consumer Affairs, inspected the Canteen and various offices of the Department of Food and Public Distribution on 20.09.2024. During his inspection, the Union Minister emphasized the need for maintaining cleanliness of the rooms, canteen and the common areas of the office premise.

    Sh. Rajender Kumar, Joint Secretary held a meeting with the officers of DFPD and its PSUs/attached/ subordinate officers on the same day to discuss the preparation for Special Campaign 4.0 and review the progress made so far under SHS-2024. He told all concern to take the necessary action in the time bound manner and update the data on the SCDPM and SHS portal regularly.

    The officers and officials of the Department enthusiastically participated in a Walkathon and plogging from Krishi Bhawan to Jantar Manter on 20.09.2024. On their way to Jantar Mantar, they picked up the garbage lying on the roads and pavements and disposed it off in the blue and green dustbins.

     

    A cleanliness drive was carried out by the staff of Indian Grain Storage Management & Research Institute Hapur along the roadside of Meerut Road near the staff colony.

     Warehousing Development and Regulatory Authority (WDRA) distributed Sanitary Napkins at Rajkiya Pratibha Vikas Vidyalaya & G.G.S.S School and  also organized a Slogan Writing Competition.

    .

     

    Swachhata pledge was taken  at National Sugar Institute, Kanpur on 20.09.2024

     

     

    Central Warehousing Corporation (CWC) organized a drawing competition as part of mass awareness campaign under the initiative of Swachhata Hi Sewa-2024 on 20.09.2024. The competition aimed to engage participants, particularly children, in promoting the importance of cleanliness and hygiene, fostering awareness about maintaining a clean and healthy environment.

    Various activities like cleaning of road side of district park by its Regional Office Mumbai and railway track cleaning by Regional Office, Nasik were also undertaken.

     

     

     

     

     

    Senior Officers and few employees of Food Corporation of India Headquarters visited the Swachhata Lakshit Ekayi (Cleanliness Target Unit) Site at Sikandra Lane and did inspection work with the NDMC workers at the selected Blackspot.

     

     

    Employees of FCI Food Storage Depot under Assam Region, FCI Regional Office, Ranchi and FCI Zonal Office (East)  Kolkata alongwith Safai Mitras  participated in the removal of Black Spot Garbage. Employees of FCI Regional office ,Gujarat organized a cleanliness drive inside/outside their office. Employee of Karnataka Region took a Swacchata pledge.  A medical health camp for staff and Safai worker was also organized to make participants  more aware of the health issues along with Swacchata. The employees also participated in a walkathon organized under Swacchata Hi Seva Campaign 2024.

      Pictorial glimpses of various activities undertaken by various Regional Offices of Food Corporation of India.

     

     

     

         

     

    This Department alongwith its PSUs/ attached and subordinate offices is committed to ensure cleanliness, hygiene and environment sustainability through active participation of  its officers /officials.
       

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    AD/NS

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: United States of America returns 297 antiquities to India

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 9:04AM by PIB Delhi

    In keeping with close bilateral ties and to foster greater cultural understanding, the U.S. State Department’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, and the Archaeological Survey of India under Ministry of Culture, Government of India had signed a Cultural Property Agreement in July 2024 to fulfill the commitments made by President Biden and Prime Minister Modi to enhance cooperation to protect cultural heritage, as reflected in the Joint Statement issued after their meeting in June 2023.

    On the occasion of the visit of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to the United States, the US side facilitated the return of 297 antiquities that had been stolen or trafficked from India. These will shortly be repatriated to India. In a symbolic handing over, a select few pieces were showcased to Prime Minister and President Biden on the sidelines of their bilateral meeting in Wilmington, Delaware. Prime Minister thanked President Biden for his support in the return of these artefacts. He noted that these objects were not just part of India’s historical material culture, but formed the inner core of its civilization and consciousness.

    The antiquities belong to a time period spanning almost 4000 years, from 2000 BCE – 1900 CE and have origins in different parts of India. Majority of the antiquities are terracotta artefacts from Eastern India, while others are made in stone, metal, wood and ivory and belong to different parts of the country. Some of the notable antiquities handed over are:

    • Apsara in sandstone from Central India belonging to 10-11th century CE;
    • Jain Tirthankar in bronze from Central India belonging to 15-16th century CE;
    • Terracotta vase from Eastern India belonging to 3-4th century CE;
    • Stone Sculpture from South India belonging to 1st century BCE-1st century CE;
    • Lord Ganesh in Bronze from South India belonging to 17-18th century CE;
    • Standing Lord Buddha in sandstone from North India belonging 15-16th century CE;
    • Lord Vishnu in Bronze from Eastern India belonging to 17-18th century CE;
    • Anthropomorphic figure in copper from North India belonging to 2000-1800 BCE;
    • Lord Krishna in bronze from South India belonging to 17-18th century CE,
    • Lord Karthikeya in granite from South India belonging to 13-14th century CE.

    In recent times, restitution of cultural property has become an important aspect of India-US cultural understanding and exchange. Since 2016, the US Government has facilitated the return of a large number of trafficked or stolen antiquities. 10 antiquities were returned during PM’s visit to USA in June 2016; 157 antiquities during his visit in September 2021 and a further 105 antiquities during his visit in June last year. The total number of cultural artefacts returned from US to India since 2016 stands at 578. This is the maximum number of cultural artefacts returned by any country to India.

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    MJPS/ST/SKS

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –