Category: Education

MIL-OSI USA: NASA Data Supports Everglades Restoration

Source: NASA

This story is the second installment of a series on NASA’s mission to measure greenhouse gases in Florida’s mangrove ecosystem. Read the first part here.

Along the southernmost rim of the Florida Peninsula, the arching prop roots of red mangroves line the coast. Where they dip below the water’s surface, fish lay their eggs, using the protection from predators that the trees provide. Among their branches, wading birds like the great blue heron and the roseate spoonbill find rookeries to rear their young. The tangled matrix of roots collects organic matter and ocean-bound sediments, adding little by little to the coastline and shielding inland biology from the erosive force of the sea.
In these ways, mangroves are equal parts products and engineers of their environment. But their ecological value extends far beyond the coastline.
Tropical wetlands absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere with impressive efficiency. Current estimates suggest they sequester carbon dioxide 10 times faster and store up to five times more carbon than old-growth forests. But as part of the ever-changing line between land and sea, coastal wetlands are vulnerable to disturbances like sea level rise, hurricanes, and changes in ocean salinity. As these threats intensify, Florida’s wetlands — and their role as a critical sink for carbon dioxide — face an uncertain future.
A new data product developed by NASA-funded researchers will help monitor from space the changing relationship between coastal wetlands and atmospheric carbon. It will deliver daily measurements of gaseous flux — the rate at which gas is exchanged between the planet’s surface and atmosphere. The goal is to improve local and global estimates of carbon dioxide levels and help stakeholders evaluate wetland restoration efforts.

In the Everglades, flux measurements have historically relied on data from a handful of “flux towers.” The first of these towers was erected in June 2003, not far from the edge of Shark River at a research site known as SRS-6. A short walk from the riverbank, across a snaking path of rain-weathered, wooden planks, sits a small platform where the tower is anchored to the forest floor. Nearly 65 feet above the platform, a suite of instruments continuously measures wind velocity, temperature, humidity, and concentrations of atmospheric gases. These measurements are used to quantify the amount of carbon dioxide that wetland vegetation removes from the atmosphere — and the amount of methane released.
“Hundreds of research papers have come from this site,” said David Lagomasino, a professor of coastal ecology at East Carolina University. The abundance of research born from SRS-6 underscores its scientific value. But the BlueFlux campaign is committed to detailing flux across a much larger area — to fill in the gaps between the towers.

Part of NASA’s new greenhouse-gas product is a machine-learning model that estimates gaseous flux using observations made by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instruments on NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites. The MODIS instruments capture images and data of South Florida every one to two days, measuring the wavelength of sunlight reflected by the planet’s surface to produce a dataset called surface spectral reflectance.
Different surfaces — like water, vegetation, sand, or decaying organic matter — reflect different wavelengths of light. With the help of some advanced statistical algorithms, modelers can use these measurements to generate a grid of real-time flux data.
To help ensure the satellite-based model is making accurate predictions, researchers compare its outputs to measurements made on the ground. But with only a handful of flux towers in the region, ground-based flux data can be hard to come by.
To augment existing datasets, NASA researchers use a relatively new airborne technique for measuring flux. Since April 2022, NASA’s airborne science team has conducted 34 flights equipped with a payload known colloquially as “CARAFE,” short for the CARbon Airborne Flux Experiment. The CARAFE instrument measures concentrations of methane, carbon dioxide, and water vapor, generating readings that researchers combine with information about the plane’s speed and orientation to estimate rates of gaseous flux at fixed points along each flight’s path.
“This is one of the first times an instrument like this has flown over a mangrove forest anywhere in the world,” said Lola Fatoyinbo, a forest ecologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

Early findings from space-based flux data confirm that, in addition to acting as a sink of carbon dioxide, tropical wetlands are a significant source of methane — a greenhouse gas that traps heat roughly 80 times more efficiently than carbon dioxide. In fact, researchers estimate that Florida’s entire wetland expanse produces enough methane to offset the benefits of wetland carbon removal by about 5%.
“There are also significant differences in fluxes between healthy mangroves and degraded ones,” Fatoyinbo said. In areas where mangrove forests are suffering, say after a major hurricane, “you end up with more greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” As wetland ecology responds to intensifying natural and human pressures, the data product will help researchers precisely monitor the impact of ecological changes on global carbon dioxide and methane levels.

The Everglades today are roughly half their original size — primarily the result of a century’s worth of uninterrupted land development and wetland drainage projects. It’s difficult to quantify the impact of wetland losses at this scale. Florida’s tropical wetlands aren’t just an important reminder of the beauty and richness of the state’s natural history. They’re also a critical reservoir of atmospheric carbon and a source of drinking water for millions of South Florida residents.
“We know how valuable the wetlands are, but we need this reliable science to help translate their benefits into something that can reach people and policymakers,” said Steve Davis, chief science officer for the Everglades Foundation, a non-profit organization in Miami-Dade County that provides scientific research and advocacy in an effort to protect and restore the Everglades.
As new policies and infrastructure are designed to support Everglades restoration, researchers hope NASA’s daily flux product will help local officials evaluate their restoration efforts in real time — and adjust the course as needed.

The prototype of the product, called Daily Flux Predictions for South Florida, is slated for release this year and will be available through NASA’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC).

By Nathan Marder
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

MIL OSI USA News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom announces appointments 3.14.25

Source: US State of California 2

Mar 14, 2025

SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:

Janessa Goldbeck, of San Diego, has been appointed to the California Veterans Board. Goldbeck has been the Chief Executive Officer of Vet Voice Foundation since 2022 and the Principal of Sui Generis Strategies since 2017. She was a Captain in the United States Marine Corps from 2012 to 2019. Goldbeck was the National Field Director at Genocide Intervention Network from 2007 to 2011. She is a board member of the San Diego LGBT Community Center and Equality California. Goldbeck is a member of the San Diego Rotary Club 33 and the Truman National Security Project. She earned a Master of the Arts degree in Public Leadership from the University of San Francisco, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from Northwestern University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Goldbeck is a Democrat.

Courtney Welch, of Emeryville, has been appointed to the California Housing Partnership Corporation. Welch has been the Director of External Affairs of the California Housing Defense Fund since 2023 and a City Councilmember of the City of Emeryville since 2021. She held multiple roles at the City of Emeryville from 2022 to 2024, including Mayor and Vice-Mayor. She was the Director of Planning and Investigation at the California Housing Defense Fund from 2022 to 2023. She was the Director of Policy and Communications of the Bay Area Community Land Trust from 2021 to 2022. Welch was a Continuum of Care Specialist at EveryOne Home from 2020 to 2021. She was an Affordable Housing Program Coordinator at HomeownershipSF from 2018 to 2020. Welch is a member of the Alameda County Housing and Community Development Advisory Board, and the Children’s Hospital Consumer Advisory Board. She studied General Studies at Hampton University. This position requires Senate confirmation, and there is no compensation. Welch is a Democrat.

Indira Cameron-Banks, of Los Angeles, has been appointed to the Civil Rights Council. Cameron-Banks has been a Founding Partner of Cameron Banks Law, Cameron Jones LLP since 2021. She was Director at the Lawyers Preventing and Ending Homelessness Project, Inner City Law Center from 2020 to 2021. Cameron-Banks held multiple positions at the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Central District of California from 2007 to 2020, including Assistant United States Attorney, Special Counsel to the United States Attorney, and Chief of Financial Litigation Section. She is a member of the Social and Economic Policy Advisory Board for the RAND Corporation. Cameron-Banks earned her Juris Doctor degree from Boston University and her Bachelor of the Arts degree from the University of Chicago. This position requires Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Cameron-Banks is a Democrat.

Ricardo Sanchez, of Hollister, has been appointed to the California State Board of Pharmacy. Sanchez has been an Investigator at the California Department of Motor Vehicles since 1989. He is the Chief Financial Officer for the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and a Member of the San Benito Masonic Temple #211, Order of Eastern Star, Athena #46, California Mexican American Veteran Memorial Beautification and Enhancement Committee and El Solado Latino. Sanchez earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Union Institute and University. This position does not require Senate confirmation, and the compensation is $100 per diem. Sanchez is a Democrat.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 16, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT

Source: US State of Hawaii

HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT

Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

STATE OF HAWAIʻI

KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM

KA ʻOIHANA HOʻOMOHALA PĀʻOIHANA, ʻIMI WAIWAI A HOʻOMĀKAʻIKAʻI

RESEARCH AND ECONOMIC ANALYSIS DIVISION

JOSH GREEN, M.D.
GOVERNOR

KE KIAʻĀINA

JAMES KUNANE TOKIOKA

DIRECTOR

KA LUNA HOʻOKELE

EUGENE TIAN

CHIEF STATE ECONOMIST

HAWAI‘I JANUARY UNEMPLOYMENT RATE AT 3.0 PERCENT

Jobs Increased by 9,900 Year-Over-Year

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

March 14, 2025

HONOLULU — The Hawai‘i State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) today announced that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for January was 3.0 percent, the same as the previous six consecutive months after benchmark revision. In January, 662,850 persons were employed and 20,400 were unemployed, for a total seasonally adjusted labor force of 683,250 statewide. Nationally, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.0 percent in January, down from 4.1 percent in December.

The unemployment rate figures for the state of Hawai‘i and the U.S. in this release are seasonally adjusted in accordance with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) methodology. The not-seasonally adjusted rate for the state was 2.7 percent in January, compared to 2.8 percent in December.

Industry Payroll Employment (Establishment Survey)

In a separate measure of employment, total nonagricultural jobs decreased by 500 month-over-month, from December 2024 to January 2025. Job gains were experienced in Manufacturing (+100); Private Education & Health Services (+100); and Other Services (+100). Employment in Construction remained unchanged. Job losses occurred in Information (-100); Trade, Transportation & Utilities (-200); Financial Activities (-200); Professional & Business Services (-500); and Leisure & Hospitality (-1,100). Within Leisure & Hospitality, the bulk of the job contraction was in Food Services & Drinking Places. Government employment went up by 1,300 jobs, primarily due to a smaller-than-typical seasonal release of workers in both the Department of Education and the University of Hawai‘i system. Year-over-year, nonfarm jobs have gone up by 9,900, or 1.6 percent.

Technical Notes:

Labor Force Components

The concepts and definitions used by the Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS) program are the same as those used in the Current Population Survey for the national labor force data:

Civilian labor force. Included are all persons in the civilian noninstitutional population ages 16 and older classified as either employed or unemployed. (See the definitions below.)
Employed persons. These are all persons who, during the reference week (the week including the twelfth day of the month), (a) did any work as paid employees, worked in their own business or profession or on their own farm, or worked 15 hours or more as unpaid workers in an enterprise operated by a member of their family, or (b) were not working but who had jobs from which they were temporarily absent because of vacation, illness, bad weather, childcare problems, maternity or paternity leave, labor-management dispute, job training, or other family or personal reasons, whether or not they were paid for the time off or were seeking other jobs. Each employed person is counted only once, even if he or she holds more than one job.
Unemployed persons. Included are all persons who had no employment during the reference week, were available for work, except for temporary illness and had made specific efforts to find employment sometime during the four-week period ending with the reference week. Persons who were waiting to be recalled to a job from which they had been laid off need not have been looking for work to be classified as unemployed.
Unemployment rate. The unemployed percent of the civilian labor force [i.e., 100 times (unemployed/civilian labor force)].

Seasonal Adjustment

The seasonal fluctuations in the number of employed and unemployed persons reflect hiring and layoff patterns that accompany regular events such as the winter holiday season and the summer vacation season. These variations make it difficult to tell whether month-to-month changes in employment and unemployment are due to normal seasonal patterns or to changing economic conditions. Therefore, the BLS uses a statistical technique called seasonal adjustment to address these issues. This technique uses the history of the labor force data and the job count data to identify the seasonal movements and to calculate the size and direction of these movements. A seasonal adjustment factor is then developed and applied to the estimates to eliminate the effects of regular seasonal fluctuations on the data. Seasonally adjusted statistical series enable more meaningful data comparisons between months or with an annual average.

Current Population (Household) Survey (CPS)

A survey conducted for employment status in the week that includes the twelfth day of each month generates the unemployment rate statistics, which is a separate survey from the Establishment Survey that yields the industry job counts. The CPS survey contacts approximately 1,000 households in Hawai‘i to determine an individual’s current employment status. Employed persons consist of 1) all persons who did any work for pay or profit during the survey reference week, 2) all persons who did at least 15 hours of unpaid work in a family-owned enterprise operated by someone in their household and 3) all persons who were temporarily absent from their regular jobs, whether they were paid or not. Persons considered unemployed are those that do not have a job, have actively looked for work in the prior four weeks and are available for work. Temporarily laid-off workers are counted as unemployed, whether or not they have engaged in a specific job-seeking activity. Persons not in the labor force are those who are not classified as employed or unemployed during the survey reference week.

Benchmark Changes to Local Area Unemployment Statistics Data

Statewide and sub-state data for 2019 to 2024 have revised inputs and data for 1990 to 2024 have been re-estimated to reflect revised population controls and model re-estimation.

Change to Monthly Employment Estimates

This release incorporates revised job count figures for the seasonally adjusted series. The revised data reflects historical corrections applied to unadjusted super sector or sector-level series dating back from 2018 through 2024. For years, analysts with the state of Hawai‘i Department of Labor and Industrial Relations Research and Statistics Office have developed monthly employment estimates for Hawai‘i and its metropolitan areas. These estimates were based on a monthly survey of Hawai‘i businesses and analysts’ knowledge about our local economies. Beginning with the production of preliminary estimates for March 2011, responsibility for the production of state and metropolitan area (MSA) estimates were transitioned from individual state agencies to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

For Hawai‘i, this means the transition of statewide, Honolulu and Kahului-Wailuku MSA estimates for both the seasonally adjusted and not-seasonally adjusted areas are produced by BLS. State agencies will continue to provide the BLS with information on local events that may affect the estimates, such as strikes or large layoffs/hiring at businesses not covered by the survey and to disseminate and analyze the Current Employment Statistics (CES) estimates for local data users. BLS feels this change is designed to improve the cost efficiency of the CES program and to reduce the potential bias in state and area estimates. A portion of the cost savings generated by this change is slated to be directed toward raising survey response rates in future years, which will decrease the level of statistical error in the CES estimates. Until then, state analysts feel this change could result in increased month-to-month variability for the industry employment numbers, particularly for Hawai‘i’s counties and islands. BLS can be reached at 202-691-6555 for any questions about these estimates.

The not-seasonally adjusted job estimates for Hawai‘i County, Kaua‘i County, Maui, Moloka‘i and Lāna‘i are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Labor Force Estimates for Small Areas

Labor Force estimates for the islands within Maui County (Maui, Moloka‘i and Lānai) are produced by the state of Hawai‘i Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.

Seasonally Adjusted Labor Force and Unemployment Estimates for Honolulu and Maui County

BLS publishes smoothed seasonally adjusted civilian labor force and unemployment estimates for all metropolitan areas, which includes the City and County of Honolulu and Maui County.

BLS releases this data each month in the Metropolitan Area Employment and Unemployment news release. The schedule is available at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/metro.toc.htm.

Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization

Alternative Measures of Labor Underutilization for States, 2024 annual averages (percent)
Area	Measure
	Measure
	U-1	U-2	U-3	U-4	U-5	U-6

United States	1.5	1.9	4.0	4.3	4.9	7.5

Hawai‘i	0.8	1.1	3.1	3.2	4.0	6.4

The six alternative labor underutilization state measures based on the Current Population Survey (CPS) and compiled on a four-quarter moving-average basis defined as:

U-1, persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

U-2, job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force;

U-3, total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (this is the definition used for the official unemployment rate);

U-4, total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers;

U-5, total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers*, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers; and

U-6, total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part-time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers.

*Individuals who want and are available for work, and who have looked for a job sometime in the prior 12 months (or since the end of their last job if they had one within the past 12 months) but were not counted as unemployed because they had not searched for work in the four weeks preceding the survey, for such reasons as childcare or transportation problems, for example. Discouraged workers are a subset of the marginally attached.

Please note that the state unemployment rates (U-3) that are shown are derived directly from the CPS. As a result, these U-3 measures may differ from the official state unemployment rates for the latest four-quarter period. The latter are estimates developed from statistical models that incorporate CPS estimates, as well as input data from other sources, such as state unemployment claims data.

###

Media Contacts:

Dr. Eugene Tian

Chief State Economist

Research and Economic Analysis Division

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Phone: 808-586-2470

Email: [email protected]

Laci Goshi

Communications Officer

Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism

Cell: 808-518-5480

Email: [email protected]

MIL OSI USA News –

March 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Russia: The Moscow metro is also women’s work!

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Moscow Metro

Maxim Liksutov reported that over the past year the number of female train drivers in the Moscow Metro has increased by 30%.

Moscow Metro – women are train drivers too.

Moscow metro – women are also drivers.

Today they operate modern Moskva trains on two metro lines: lines 4 and 15.

Before becoming drivers, each of them completed training at the Corporate University of Moscow Transport.

Interesting fact: on Line 4, all train drivers – both men and women – work together with assistants. This is the only metro line that is not equipped with the ALS-ARS system (automatic locomotive signaling with automatic speed control), which requires two drivers to operate the train.

Women returned to the profession of Moscow Metro train drivers in January 2021, and their numbers continue to grow. Today, there are 120 female train drivers and their assistants. We create comfortable working conditions for all employees in accordance with the initiative of Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin, added Maxim Liksutov.

MIL OSI Russia News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Nominations for Padma Awards-2026 begins

Source: Government of India

Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 3:50PM by PIB Delhi

Nominations/recommendations for the Padma Awards-2026 to be announced on the occasion of Republic Day, 2026 have started on 15^th March, 2025. The last date for nominations for Padma Awards is 31^st July, 2025. The nominations/recommendations for Padma Awards will only be received online on the Rashtriya Puraskar Portal (https://awards.gov.in ).

The Padma Awards, namely, Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri, are amongst the highest civilian awards of the country. Instituted in 1954, these Awards are announced on the occasion of the Republic Day every year. The Award seeks to recognize ‘work of distinction’ and is given for distinguished and exceptional achievements/service in all fields/disciplines, such as Art, Literature and Education, Sports, Medicine, Social Work, Science and Engineering, Public Affairs, Civil Service, Trade and Industry etc. All persons without distinction of race, occupation, position or sex are eligible for these Awards. Government servants including those working with PSUs, except Doctors and Scientists, are not eligible for Padma Awards.

The Government is committed to transform Padma Awards into “People’s Padma”. All citizens are, therefore, requested to make nominations/recommendations, including self-nomination. Concerted efforts may be made to identify talented persons whose excellence and achievements really deserve to be recognized from amongst women, weaker sections of the society, SCs & STs, divyang persons and who are doing selfless service to the society.

The nominations/recommendations should contain all relevant details specified in the format available on the above said Portal, including a citation in narrative form (maximum 800 words), clearly bringing out the distinguished and exceptional achievements/service of the person recommended in her/his respective field/discipline.

Details in this regard are also available under the heading ‘Awards and Medals’ on the website of Ministry of Home Affairs (https://mha.gov.in) and on the Padma Awards Portal (https://padmaawards.gov.in). The statutes and rules relating to these awards are available on the website with the link https://padmaawards.gov.in/AboutAwards.aspx .

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March 16, 2025

MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Social and employment aspects of restructuring processes: the need to protect jobs and workers’ rights – P10_TA(2025)0039 – Thursday, 13 March 2025 – Strasbourg

Source: European Parliament

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, in particular Articles 151 and 153 thereof,

– having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights,

– having regard to its resolution of 5 October 2016 on the need for a European reindustrialisation policy in light of the recent Caterpillar and Alstom cases(1),

– having regard to its resolution of 15 January 2013 with recommendations to the Commission on information and consultation of workers, anticipation and management of restructuring(2),

– having regard to its resolution of 16 December 2021 on democracy at work: a European framework for employees’ participation rights and the revision of the European Works Council Directive(3),

– having regard to its resolution of 23 November 2023 on job creation – the just transition and impact investments(4),

– having regard to its resolution of 2 February 2023 with recommendations to the Commission on Revision of European Works Councils Directive(5),

– having regard to the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) 2015 guidelines for a just transition towards environmentally sustainable economies and societies for all,

– having regard to the La Hulpe Declaration on the future of the European Pillar of Social Rights of 16 April 2024,

– having regard to the Tripartite Declaration for a Thriving European Social Dialogue of January 2024(6),

– having regard to the Council Recommendation of 16 June 2022 on ensuring a fair transition towards climate neutrality(7),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 11 December 2019 entitled ‘The European Green Deal’ (COM(2019)0640),

– having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1056 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 establishing the Just Transition Fund(8),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 1 July 2020 entitled ‘European Skills Agenda for sustainable competitiveness, social fairness and resilience’ (COM(2020)0274),

– having regard to the opinion of the European Committee of the Regions of 25 May 2023 on zero long-term unemployment: the local and regional perspective(9),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 1 February 2023 entitled ‘A Green Deal Industrial Plan for the Net-Zero Age’ (COM(2023)0062),

– having regard to Rule 136(2) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs,

A. whereas the transition to a green, digital and competitive European economy is necessary to maintain the European social model, but can itself only be achieved if people are sufficiently protected from the potential adverse social consequences of major economic changes; whereas protecting the environment and climate is imperative for long-term prosperity and well-being;

B. whereas social dialogue, collective bargaining and strong trade union involvement are essential for ensuring workers’ information and consultation rights during restructuring processes; whereas workers’ involvement through information-sharing, consultation and participation in company decision-making processes is more important than ever to ensure a fair and just transition, competitiveness, and the economic growth of companies and to protect jobs and workers’ collective interests, such as decent working conditions, fair wages and equal treatment; whereas the just transition is about supporting social justice and upward social convergence and ensuring fair burden-sharing, while safeguarding a sustainable, resource-efficient and competitive economy, reaching climate neutrality and fighting climate change;

C. whereas restructuring processes can lead to both job losses and job gains and can include and take different forms, such as internal restructuring, business expansion, closure, bankruptcy, merger/acquisition, offshoring/delocalisation, outsourcing, relocation and reshoring; whereas Council Directives 98/59/EC(10), 2001/23/EC(11) and 2002/14/EC(12) lay down the information and consultation rights of workers in the event of the restructuring of enterprises;

D. whereas only 40 % of European trade unions report having sufficient resources to represent workers effectively during restructuring processes(13); whereas trade union representatives trained in restructuring negotiations are 50 % more effective in preserving jobs(14); whereas, according to Eurofound, a lack of resources and skills, as well as time, have been identified as a key obstacle for social partner engagement in shaping the just transition, particularly at the local and regional levels; whereas the capacity of European Works Councils to influence restructuring processes is found to be limited and needs to be further strengthened;

E. whereas it is essential to ensure job creation and decent working conditions, supporting the transition to a sustainable and profitable economy, long-term economic viability and environmental sustainability; whereas the transformation of our industrial base provides an opportunity to strengthen European autonomy, reverse deindustrialisation, create secure and stable jobs and help us meet climate and environmental targets, while protecting workers’ rights and people at the heart of a social Europe; whereas retraining funding for workers made redundant as a result of large-scale restructuring has been provided through the European Globalisation Adjustment Fund, benefitting thousands of European workers;

F. whereas companies that are restructuring should prioritise long-term objectives, such as economic sustainability and long-term employment stability, in combination with other objectives such as economic profits, while strengthening trade union involvement and corporate social responsibility in their restructuring plans; whereas small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular should be supported in this;

G. whereas shortages of skilled workers, including vocationally trained experts, in key sectors are a significant obstacle to the competitiveness of the EU economy and its ability to accomplish the green and digital transitions;

H. whereas the manufacturing industry, including the automotive, steel and microchips and semiconductors sectors, is one of the vital economic pillars in Europe; whereas these sectors provide millions of direct and indirect jobs;

I. whereas it is important to move towards the decarbonisation of road transport, which must be achieved in such a way as to limit job losses in the car industry, and to include all stakeholders and social partners in the transformation process; whereas affected workers should be supported by providing upskilling, reskilling and training opportunities and relevant safety nets in the event of temporary unemployment;

1. Underlines the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights and, in particular, principle 5 on secure and adaptable employment, including the right to fair and equal treatment regarding working conditions, principle 7 on information about employment conditions and protection in case of dismissals and principle 8 on social dialogue and involvement of workers; stresses the urgent need for an ambitious competitive European industrial policy with significant investment that will support the services of general interest(15) and innovation, while reducing the administrative burden in Member States, and deliver quality jobs in every region and sector, strengthen social progress and meet climate targets; underlines that this policy should be combined with resilient and strong national public services, such as access to social protection, decent and affordable housing, affordable, efficient and climate neutral transport, affordable and available childcare, elderly care, and support for people with disabilities;

2. Recognises that the EU needs to reform its economy in order to maintain its competitiveness and achieve the green and digital transitions, including through a European industrial policy; welcomes the establishment of a European Competitiveness Fund, as envisaged by the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen; reiterates its call for the economic governance framework to be strengthened by a common investment instrument(16) at EU level in order to achieve the EU’s current and future priorities, including the implementation of the European Pillar of Social Rights; believes that such an instrument should ensure that the necessary resources are available in all relevant sectors for developing an industrial policy and for policies that support the protection and creation of quality jobs and that contribute to upward social convergence; reiterates its previous call on the Commission and the Council to reinforce the European instrument for temporary support to mitigate unemployment risks in an emergency instrument (SURE) to support short-time work schemes, workers’ income and workers who would be temporarily laid off in the context of the green transition, while taking into account the outcome of the final evaluation report and considering that SURE saved 40 million jobs(17);

3. Highlights that the delivery of a European industrial policy for quality jobs requires the full involvement of social partners and needs to be implemented through social dialogue and collective bargaining; calls on the Commission to present an ambitious quality jobs roadmap and to implement the principles of the European Pillar of Social Rights; calls on the Commission to ensure the full involvement and consultation of social partners in the design and implementation of the upcoming European clean industrial deal and to include the overall objective of ensuring job quality and stability at EU level;

4. Calls for the EU to adopt trade policies that promote and protect quality jobs; stresses that future trade agreements must include labour clauses in line with ILO standards to ensure that global trade protects workers and SMEs;

5. Urges the Commission in the context of the forthcoming revision of the European Public Procurement Directive(18) to further promote collective bargaining and the use of the social clause, and preferential treatment for companies whose workers are covered by collective agreements; underlines that contracting authorities must exclude from public tenders economic operators that have engaged in criminal activities; maintains that public procurement should strategically strengthen corporate social responsibility; highlights the importance of ensuring that European and national funds are used to facilitate the transition to a climate-neutral economy, including by promoting social dialogue and collective bargaining; considers, furthermore, that no EU financial support should go to undertakings that do not comply with the applicable working and employment conditions and/or employer obligations resulting from EU or national labour law or the relevant collective agreements; believes that this support should also be used to promote European industrial competiveness and the creation of quality jobs in the EU and promote collective bargaining and compliance with EU and national labour rights and laws, including decent working conditions; calls for EU funding and State aid by Member States to be aligned with a European industrial policy, in order to offer high-quality jobs, promote collective bargaining, respect of EU labour rights and standards, improve the competitiveness of European businesses and ensure improved working conditions;

6. Calls for European investments in vital sectors and essential products to strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy, as well as the digital and green transitions, such as zero-emission transport, renewable energy, clean tech and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence; insists that these investments must fully respect existing legislation on workers’ rights and strengthen community development;

7. Invites the Commission to monitor the trends in restructuring and their impact on employment, using data from tools such as the European Restructuring Monitor and the EU Fair Transition Observatory, which should be launched in 2025, to track the number of jobs created or lost and the companies concerned;

8. Acknowledges that achieving digital and green objectives will create opportunities and might at the same time require transformations or restructuring processes in many sectors; stresses that social dialogue in the anticipation and management of these processes is essential to safeguard and create quality jobs and manage unavoidable job losses with enough support and can contribute to achieving a climate-neutral economy that sustains its social, economic and environmental standards; highlights that restructuring processes must respect fundamental workers’ rights, such as the right of information and consultation; calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action to reinforce and promote collective bargaining, in full respect of the autonomy of the social partners and of the right of collective bargaining; emphasises that workers should be beneficiaries of restructuring, including when they transfer to a new equivalent job within their current firm or sector, or as they reskill to transfer to a job in a future-proof sector, all while being adequately assisted and compensated;

9. Emphasises that developments leading to restructuring processes should be anticipated by management, and plans for changes should start as early as possible to prevent insolvency and job losses, while involving workers’ representatives and trade unions at an early stage to ensure meaningful social dialogue, including in the case of preventive restructuring frameworks as provided for in Directive (EU) 2019/1023(19); calls on the Commission and the Member States to work in close cooperation with social partners to identify risks early and develop comprehensive plans to address employment and economic stability needs; supports, in that regard, investment in the training and capacity building of trade unions and workers’ representatives engaged in restructuring processes;

10. Stresses that restructuring processes also have an impact on the supply chain and can pose a considerable risk to indirect employment across the EU; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support companies, including SMEs, undergoing restructuring processes in order to integrate into their plans the impacts on other European companies in their supply chain; further calls on the Commission and the Member States to support companies indirectly impacted by these restructuring processes to mitigate the consequences on employment;

11. Stresses that the EU must address shortages of skilled workers in strategic sectors in order to enhance its competitiveness; points out that addressing skills shortages and supporting workers who need to transition to a new job following a restructuring process are complementary objectives; emphasises the fact that sufficient access to reskilling and upskilling is a precondition for a successful transition to a new job in another sector; urges the Commission to take account of this in its proposals for a clean industrial deal and the Union of skills, including by expanding the role of Centres of Vocational Excellence; calls on the Commission to improve the recognition of skills across Member States and to ensure that its programmes better address the needs of vocationally trained experts;

12. Underlines that restructuring processes must not be used as a pretext to violate workers’ information and consultation rights, as well as the right of collective bargaining and trade union rights(20); deplores the violation of the fundamental rights of collective bargaining and of information and consultation before a decision is made; believes trade unions should be equipped with sufficient resources and capacity to assess a company’s decision to restructure and to engage the support of an independent expert; calls on the Commission, the Member States and the social partners to put in place further safeguards to ensure collective bargaining and to prevent the misuse of restructuring processes as a means to forego employers’ obligations; underlines that penalties should be imposed in instances of infringements and non-compliance;

13. Is alarmed that European company law provisions, as well as their interpretation in some legal cases, are creating loopholes and are enabling the circumvention of mandatory national board-level participation rules(21);

14. Emphasises that one of the most effective ways to prevent the need for restructuring is through the proactive anticipation and management of change through collective bargaining and information and consultation; urges the Member States to ensure quality upskilling or reskilling, life-long learning, employee training and career development support; points out that upskilling and reskilling should be prioritised as far as possible before job cuts are considered;

15. Underlines that gender equality should be an integral part of transition strategies and should be mainstreamed across related policy and legislative measures to strengthen the fairness of our societies; believes it is essential to ensure equal treatment and equal access to economic opportunities for women, paying attention to the most vulnerable, such as women with disabilities, single mothers, women belonging to minorities and migrant women;

16. Considers that an industrial plan agreed with the social partners is essential to promote the economic viability of European industrial companies and, in the worst case, prevent closures and forced redundancies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support companies, in particular SMEs, to prevent forced redundancies; calls on the Commission and the Member States to put in place mechanisms that help to avoid forced redundancies, such as temporary support programmes to protect employment during transitions, avoiding the loss of strategic industrial capacity and skilled workforces; calls on European enterprises and employers in the process of restructuring to devise and implement plans at an early stage in order to avoid job losses and maintain decent working conditions and high social standards, to the extent that this is possible; demands stronger protections against unfair dismissals and demands the necessary support for workers affected by restructuring to give them access to retraining opportunities and support, such as income support, including while searching for new employment; reaffirms that the dignity and rights of workers as well as the economic and financial sustainability of the company are important objectives to consider in the context of restructuring processes;

17. Welcomes the Commission’s announcement that it will propose a clean industrial deal that, in addition to speeding up decarbonisation, maintains and creates quality jobs in the green and digital sectors in the EU; emphasises that the clean industrial deal should focus on strategic industries, avoiding the delocalisation of production and loss of jobs, while strengthening the European social model and social justice;

18. Calls on the Commission, in close collaboration with the social partners, to consider the establishment of a framework directive to address the challenges and complexities associated with employers’ obligations in subcontracting chains and labour intermediaries in Europe to ensure decent working conditions and the respect of worker’s rights; calls for the framework directive to include measures regulating the role of labour intermediaries, other than temporary work agencies, and to introduce an EU general legal framework limiting subcontracting and ensuring joint and several liability through the subcontracting chain, in order to end abusive subcontracting and protect workers’ rights and their claims over issues such as wage arrears, the non-payment of social contributions, bankruptcy, disappearances and ‘letterbox subcontractors’ who do not pay as agreed; calls for this directive to include provisions ensuring the respect of information and consultation rights and the right to collective bargaining, including for subcontracted workers;

19. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the social partners in their efforts to include issues related to the green transition in collective bargaining at the appropriate levels; highlights that collective agreements can cover the impact of an undertaking’s activities on the environment, the protection of workers from the effects of climate change and the impact of the green transition on working conditions; calls on the EU and the Member States to further support actions and initiatives that will incentivise employers and workers to adapt to the green transition and to make collective bargaining a key tool for ensuring balanced production models that protect the environment and create quality jobs;

20. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission.

(1)	OJ C 215, 19.6.2018, p. 21.
(2)	OJ C 440, 30.12.2015, p. 23.
(3)	OJ C 251, 30.6.2022, p. 104.
(4)	OJ C, C/2024/4224, 24.7.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/4224/oj.
(5)	OJ C 267, 28.7.2023, p. 2.
(6)	European Commission, Val Duchesse Social Partner Summit, https://ec.europa.eu/social/main.jsp?catId=1632&langId=en.
(7)	OJ C 243, 27.6.2022, p. 35.
(8)	OJ L 231, 30.6.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1056/oj.
(9)	OJ C 257, 21.7.2023, p. 18.
(10)	Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to collective redundancies, OJ L 225, 12.8.1998, p. 16, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/1998/59/oj.
(11)	Council Directive 2001/23/EC of 12 March 2001 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to the safeguarding of employees’ rights in the event of transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of undertakings or businesses, OJ L 82, 22.3.2001, p. 16, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2001/23/oj.
(12)	Directive 2002/14/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 March 2002 establishing a general framework for informing and consulting employees in the European Community, OJ L 80, 23.3.2002, p. 29, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2002/14/oj.
(13)	European Trade Union Institute for Research, 2021.
(14)	International Labour Organization, 2022.
(15)	Services of general interest comprise three different categories: economic (basic services that are carried out in return for payment, such as postal services), non-economic (such as the police, justice systems and statutory social security schemes) and social (responding to the needs of vulnerable citizens, based on the principles of solidarity and equal access, such as social security schemes, education, healthcare, employment services and social housing. Commission communication of 20 December 2011 entitled ‘A Quality Framework for Services of General Interest in Europe’ (COM(2011)0900).
(16)	European Parliament position of 23 April 2024 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the effective coordination of economic policies and multilateral budgetary surveillance and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1466/97, (Texts adopted, P9_TA(2024)0311).
(17)	Commission report of 2 June 2023 on the European instrument for Temporary Support to mitigate Unemployment Risks in an Emergency (SURE) following the COVID-19 outbreak pursuant to Article 14 of Council Regulation (EU) 2020/672 – SURE after its sunset: final bi-annual report (COM(2023)0291).
(18)	Directive 2014/24/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26 February 2014 on public procurement and repealing Directive 2004/18/EC, OJ L 94, 28.3.2014, p. 65, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2014/24/oj.
(19)	Directive (EU) 2019/1023 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on preventive restructuring frameworks, on discharge of debt and disqualifications, and on measures to increase the efficiency of procedures concerning restructuring, insolvency and discharge of debt, and amending Directive (EU) 2017/1132, OJ L 172, 26.6.2019, p. 18, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2019/1023/oj.
(20)	Study – ‘Study on monitoring the application of the EU Quality Framework for anticipation of change and restructuring’, European Commission, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, Publications Office of the European Union, 2018, https://op.europa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/1c22896d-4e10-11ea-aece-01aa75ed71a1/language-en.
(21)	‘European Court of Justice jurisprudence on the transfer of de facto company head offices’, https://worker-participation.eu/european-court-justice-jurisprudence-transfer-de-facto-company-head-offices.

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 16, 2025

MIL-OSI United Nations: Acta Psychologica (Elsevier)

Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

Mission

Acta Psychologica is a peer-reviewed, open access journal that aims to publish articles relevant to all fields of psychology. Our papers serve as solid building blocks for a research field while still being accessible for readers outside this field.

The journal invites submissions from across all of Psychology. We have dedicated section editors from fields across psychology. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to Clinical and Health Psychology, Cognition, Individual Differences, Industrial and Organizational Psychology, Language Psychology, Lifespan Development, Psychology and Technology, Educational Psychology and Social Psychology. We aim to continuously add fields where the need arises. We welcome research & replication studies, review articles, meta-analyses, and registered reports.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Commend Palau on Project for Accessible Homes, Raise Questions on Accessible Public Transport and Persons with Disabilities in Emergency Situations

Source: United Nations – Geneva

The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its review of the initial report of Palau, with Committee Experts commending the State on a project focused on making homes for the elderly more accessible, while raising questions on the accessibility of public transport, and how persons with disabilities were included in the response to emergency situations.

A Committee Expert welcomed the financial measures and information provided on the project which aimed to make homes for the elderly accessible in Palau.

Another Committee Expert congratulated Palau for its commitment to the area of accessibility and desire to create a more inclusive society. However, concerns persisted, including the lack of accessible public transport. What measures had been taken to ensure free access to information for different types of disability? An Expert asked what steps were being taken to facilitate the transportation and movement of persons with disabilities? Another Expert asked if accessibility requirements were included throughout the purchase of public infrastructure?

Gerel Dondovdorj, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if the State party had reviewed national legislation related to the situation of risk and humanitarian emergency, including the national disaster risk framework, to include the safety and protection of persons with disabilities? Could information on mechanisms of early warning for persons with disabilities be provided? Did the State party have existing mechanisms to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in the planning, designing and implementation of activities relating to emergency situations?

The delegation said unfortunately, public transport in general was underdeveloped in Palau, and had only begun around two years ago, with a small number of buses with a limited route. Unfortunately, the buses being used were currently not accessible to persons with disabilities, and it was up to the families to take care of the transport of their family members and children with special needs. The State had purchased vehicles, including a van that was disability equipped, which currently was only available by request. The question was whether all public transport needed to be accessible, or due to numbers should it just be a specific programme with enough equipment catered to the needs of the population?

The delegation said at this time, the Government had not currently conducted a review of the national disaster risk framework legislation. However, there were regular reviews, post-disaster, to determine gaps in emergency preparedness and disaster reduction. Palau had the National Emergency Management Office, governed by the National Emergency Committee, comprised of all government agencies and civil society, including the Palau Red Cross. All emergency preparedness and disaster response were coordinated through the Committee.

Being a small community, Palau could identify people individually and had a database on people’s specific needs. This knowledge was incorporated into exercises and drills. Community health workers assisted during disasters to ensure everyone had equal access to shelters.

Introducing the report, Jeffrey Antol, Director, Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of State of Palau and head of the delegation, said while Palau faced unique challenges, from geographical and resource limitations to the increasing impact of climate change, these only reinforced the determination to advance the rights of persons with disabilities and build a more inclusive society. One of Palau’s most significant milestones was the enactment of RPPL 11-36 in September 2024, a landmark piece of legislation that established a Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities and an Office of Persons with Disabilities.

In closing remarks, Mr. Antol extended appreciation to the Committee and all those who had contributed to the dialogue. Palau firmly believed that inclusion was not merely a policy goal, but a fundamental human right. The enactment of the persons with disabilities act and the development of the national disability inclusive policy marked significant milestones in the journey towards full alignment with the Convention.

Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, thanked the members of the delegation of Palau for their presence and the open dialogue with the Committee. The State was commended for its commitment in working towards the implementation of the Convention. From the goodwill expressed by the delegation, it was expected that the State would proactively ensure the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations.

The delegation of Palau was comprised of representatives from the Ministry of State; the Ministry of Health and Human Services; the Office of the President; and the Permanent Mission of Palau to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s thirty-second session and other documents related to the session can be found here.

The Committee will next meet in public at 10. a.m. on Thursday, 20 March, to hold a day of general discussion on article 29 of the Convention on participation in political and public life.

Report

The Committee has before it the initial report of Palau (CRPD/C/PLW/1).

Presentation of Report

GAAFAR J. UHERBELAU, Special Advisor to the President of Palau, introduced the delegation of Palau.

JEFFREY ANTOL, Director, Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of State of Palau and head of the delegation, said while Palau faced unique challenges, from geographical and resource limitations to the increasing impact of climate change, these only reinforced the determination to advance the rights of persons with disabilities and build a more inclusive society.

One of Palau’s most significant milestones was the enactment of RPPL 11-36 in September 2024, a landmark piece of legislation that established a Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities and an Office of Persons with Disabilities. This legislation addressed critical gaps in disability governance, with key provisions that included the development of a new national policy on persons with disabilities; the establishment of sustainable funding mechanisms through the allocation of annual tax revenues from alcohol, cigarettes, and tobacco products to support disability programmes and services; and a multi-stakeholder governance structure, ensuring the active participation of government agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector, and persons with disabilities.

Palau had taken major steps towards accessibility in recent years, including conducting access audits for schools, public buildings, and parks, leading to infrastructure improvements, including accessible ramps and parking. The Ngermalk Accessibility Ramp and Airai Accessibility Ramp project set new standards for inclusive design, enabling inclusive access to the sea waters and leisure. RPPL No. 11-11, enacted in September 2021, established the Palau severely disabled assistance fund and child raising subsidy, now supporting 186 children and elderly persons with disabilities. The child raising subsidy provided financial assistance to parents and legal guardians for the costs of raising a Palauan citizen child under the age of 18 who resided full-time with the applicant in Palau. The meal programme provided nutritious meals to support Palauan citizens aged 55 and older, homebound individuals, and adults with special healthcare needs residing in Palau.

To enhance inclusive education, 22 teachers had been trained in assistive technologies to support students with disabilities. Access to individualised education programmes was expanded to provide tailored learning support.

However, the State needed to do more to bridge the gap in specialised learning resources, inclusive curricula, and teacher training. Palau’s workforce innovation and opportunity act trained persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities, and empowered them to access the job market. Entrepreneurship programmes were being expanded to provide persons with disabilities with opportunities to create and manage their businesses.

Women and girls with disabilities experienced two to three times the level of gender-based violence compared to those without disabilities. To address this, the revised national gender mainstreaming policy would integrate disability-specific protections, including targeted legal amendments, training law enforcement and service providers, and expanding access to shelters and psychosocial support services. Palau’s national gender mainstreaming policy was undergoing revision to fully integrate disability perspectives.

As a climate-vulnerable nation, Palau understood the critical importance of disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction. In September 2024, the guidelines on disability inclusive disaster risk reduction were launched, ensuring accessible emergency shelters with ramps, assistive devices, and trained staff; early warning systems adapted for persons with sensory disabilities; and community engagement programmes to ensure that persons with disabilities were active participants in disaster preparedness planning.

While Palau had made significant progress, challenges remained. Data collection efforts were being expanded to disaggregate statistics by gender and disability, ensuring targeted interventions that addressed the unique vulnerabilities of women, girls, and children with disabilities. Palau was also working towards accessible voting procedures, ensuring that persons with disabilities could exercise their right to vote independently. It was also promoting representation in Government advisory bodies. Mr. Antol reaffirmed Palau’s commitment to working closely with development partners, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector, and persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, to address these challenges head-on.

Questions by Committee Experts

GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, thanked the State party for the comprehensive initial report. Ms. Dondovdorj appreciated the quality of alternative reports of organizations of persons with disabilities provided to the Committee. Palau had made some progress in implementing the Convention, which would be addressed later in the dialogue. Although some legislative measures had been taken by the State party, some of these were not fully compliant with the Convention, including the disabled persons anti-discrimination act, which could not fully respond to the challenges faced by women with disabilities.

Concerns persisted about the lack of progress made to abolish the guardianship regime and implement the supported decision-making system in Palau. It was essential to ensure the meaningful participation of women with disabilities in decision-making. The Government of Palau was encouraged to pay attention to this issue.

GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, said the enactment of RPPL 11-36 outlined the State’s commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities. What steps were being taken for the State to appeal and amend legislation which was not in line with the Convention? What would be the process and timeline for harmonising definitions? What steps were in place to address the lack of timelines of the implementation of the decisions of the Coordinating Committee of the Office of Persons with Disabilities? How were organizations of persons with disabilities being involved in the formulation of programmes and policies?

Currently Palau did not have a law on reasonable accommodation. What specific steps were being taken to amend relevant legislation to include disability as a prohibited ground of discrimination? What were the timelines to ensure the disabled person anti-discrimination act encompassed all forms of disability-based discrimination, including the denial of reasonable accommodation? What mechanism would be put in place to track the progress of the anti-discrimination policies under discussion? How would it be ensured they were well implemented and monitored? What was in place to eliminate multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination?

How did Palau plan to strengthen gender mainstreaming to ensure women and girls with disabilities were included in all relevant policies and programmes? Did it include amending the family protection act? What steps were being taken to ensure the voices of women and girls with disabilities were heard? What steps were being taken to ensure their participation? How was the participation of children being monitored? What measures was the State taking to prevent negative stereotypes of persons with disabilities, particularly in rural communities? What plans were in place to ensure training and awareness raising about persons with disabilities at all levels?

What steps was the Government taking to identify existing barriers to accessibility in the public and private sector, and provide the necessary resources to remove these barriers? What measures would be taken to bridge the digital divide?

It was commendable that the Washington Group’s short questions on disability had been used and integrated into the census. What steps was the State adopting to promote inclusivity and improve disability data collection? What processes were in place to collect the issues around access to justice?

Could more information be provided about the newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities, including its members, mandate and budget? How were representatives of persons with disabilities represented on this Committee? What steps were taken to involve persons with disabilities into international cooperation?

There was no national human rights institution established in line with the Paris Principles in Palau. Had there been any progress on this? Was there a mechanism to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the Convention?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said harmonising legislation had been a challenge in Palau. Through the new legislative process, one of the first tasks would be to have a full assessment and legislative review of relevant laws which needed to be revised, to ensure no discrimination was implied by language used in legislation moving forward. It was expected that Palau could work with lawmakers and the National Congress to undertake a comprehensive legal review and carry out the changes. It was hoped this could be achieved within 12 to 24 months.

The Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities was working on a disability policy with representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities. There were practices at the national level to provide reasonable accommodation in employment, as well as access to voting. Palau understood there was a need to improve measures in this regard.

The State was excited about the new legislation, which would create a new body with the task to mainstream any data, enabling the State to look at specific needs. The Government would ensure the new body was sufficiently resourced to undertake its tasks. It would examine Convention articles and look at how Palau could do better in this regard.

There were currently gaps in the implementation of the family act, including a lack of training of law enforcement officials on the act itself. The State would examine the gaps in the next six to 12 months.

Palau had a gender office within the Ministry of State. Many programmes required the representation of women and the parents of children with disabilities. Aside from the Ministries and civil society organizations for women and children with disabilities, a lot of data was non-existent outside of those agencies. Palau had made efforts to reorganise ministries to ensure the family protection act was housed in the department of health and public services. Data collection methods and tools would be streamlined to ensure a more comprehensive data set, used to assist women and girls with disabilities.

There was currently no strategy for awareness raising. The State had an upcoming project which would train Government stakeholders on disabilities and persons with disabilities. There was a need for a legislative review in this regard.

Persons with disabilities in Palau accounted for between three to four per cent of the population, meaning it was easy for the general public to ignore, such as in the case of disability parking spots. The Government needed to change the culture and attitude, including towards the overall concept of disability. The newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities would ensure that every programme planned would welcome the input of women and children with disabilities.

There were many gaps in data collection in Palau with regards to persons with disabilities, and this varied between sectors. The State was in the process of consolidating data sets, streamlining collection and ensuring information was credible, relevant and secure for sharing. The work of the new established committee would supplement and enhance this work.

Regarding the newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities, the members included several Ministers, including the Minister of Justice, Finance and Health. There would also be representatives from an organization representing persons with disabilities, governors, and a religious and state-based organization. The Committee was the first time that Palau was forced by law to have representation. The work of the Committee would also reach policy makers directly, which often did not happen. It held the State accountable to ensure specific resources would be directly available to the Committee. Currently, only one organization of persons with disabilities was represented on the Committee, as well as a civil society organization. The Committee and the policy were under a strict timeline to be developed by the end of June.

Persons with disabilities had been represented in different committees, subcommittees and bodies. Palau worked collaboratively with the Government of Australia and representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities were consulted in the process across certain projects.

Funding constraints were the number one barrier to establishing a national human rights institution in Palau. The State understood the value and purpose, but funding was the constraining factor. Palau recognised the need for a robust data system, which could be used as a tool to guide policy development. Palau would rely on the newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities to monitor all aspects of the implementation of the Convention.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert congratulated Palau for its commitment to the area of accessibility and desire to create a more inclusive society. However, concerns persisted, including the lack of accessible public transport. What measures had been taken to ensure free access to information for different types of disability?

Another Expert asked how many girls and women with disabilities had been provided with training on small and medium sized enterprises. The Committee was delighted to hear that the State was analysing the many limitations faced by women with disabilities, particularly those facing violence. The Committee would like to ensure that the State was addressing the correct data in this regard.

An Expert asked what steps were being taken to facilitate the access of persons with disabilities to technologies? What steps were being taken to facilitate the transportation and movement of persons with disabilities? How could organizations representing children with disabilities be supported?

Another Committee Expert asked if accessibility requirements were included throughout the purchase of public infrastructure? It was very good that there was good access to the internet for persons with disabilities. Were accessibility standards being taken into account when web content was created?

An Expert asked about the political environment when discussing issues related to persons with disabilities? Was the Congress willing to make important changes in legislation and approve specific legislation to incorporate Convention principles? How could the international community support Palau to bring about these changes sooner rather than later?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said unfortunately, public transport in general was underdeveloped in Palau, and had only begun around two years ago, with a small number of buses with a limited route. Unfortunately, the buses being used were currently not accessible to persons with disabilities, and it was up to the families to take care of the transport of their family members and children with special needs. The State had purchased vehicles, including a van that was disability equipped, which currently was only available by request. Being an island, it was also important for the State to purchase boats which were disability accessible. Palau’s citizens had access to relatively cheap internet, but the issue was devices. The State had not taken further steps to identify specific technologies that persons with disabilities might need. Therefore, those with visual impairments would have to source their digital devices out of Palau. The State would look at the data and determine if this was something which required additional investment.

A majority of those who had received training were women, and some percentage would be women with disabilities. Data specific to violence against women and girls with disabilities needed to be disaggregated in the State’s data set.

The question was whether all public transport needed to be accessible, or due to numbers should it just be a specific programme with enough equipment catered to the needs of the population? There were one or two vans which could respond to requests currently. Would this be enough, or would there be a growing need for accessibility vehicles? Currently, more equipment was required. It would make sense that all equipment should be accessible, but that had more costs. The State was looking at this with a phased approach. For small countries like Palau, things were only addressed when there was a visible need, as opposed to putting in place standards to address things beforehand, and this applied to access to information. However, it did not take away from the need for the State to think holistically.

The political will to ratify the treaties was there, but there were challenges when it came to prioritising budget allocation. The onus was on the delegation to return to Palau and continue raising awareness.

Questions by Committee Experts

GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if the State party had reviewed national legislation related to the situation of risk and humanitarian emergency, including the national disaster risk framework, to include the safety and protection of persons with disabilities? If not, what were the plans to review and amend the legislation? Could information on mechanisms of early warning for persons with disabilities be provided? How accessible were these systems to persons with diverse disabilities, including those who were blind and deaf? Did the State party have existing mechanisms to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in the planning, designing and implementation of activities relating to emergency situations? What measures had the State party taken to ensure adequate budget allocation for this purpose?

Palau still promoted the guardianship regime, which meant a person’s legal capacity could be restricted, based on a court declaration. Were there specific plans to end the guardianship regime, and implement supported decision-making for persons with disabilities? Could data on the number of persons with disabilities under guardianship be provided? How many people had repealed these decisions?

GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, said information had been received about barriers in accessing justice for persons with disabilities, due to a lack of reasonable accommodation, particularly those with psychosocial disabilities. What measures would be taken to review all legislation, including criminal laws, to ensure compliance with the Convention? What measures were being taken to ensure age appropriate and gender sensitive accommodation in judicial and administrative proceedings for all persons with disabilities? Was information provided in an accessible format, and how was the accessibility of court buildings ensured? How was information communicated, for example through sign language?

Had regular monitoring been conducted to ensure persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities were not subjected to arbitrary or forced treatment, including confinement? What was the most recent monitoring result, and efforts taken to improve the situation? Was there disaggregated data on persons with disabilities deprived of their liberty in Palau?

GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked about services provided by the Victims of Crime Office, reopened in 2022, including access to shelters? Was sign-language interpretation provided and reasonable accommodation ensured? Was information about existing services disseminated to persons with disabilities through accessible formats? Did the State party have any targeted measures to ensure all persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities, were free from all types of violation and exploitation? Were there any specific targeted policies and strategies targeting women with disabilities?

Information had been received on the tragic case of a blind woman who was sterilised without consent, but with the consent of her family members. What legislation was in place to protect persons with disabilities from being subjected to treatment without their free and informed consent, including forced sterilisation and abortion? Did a monitoring mechanism exist in this regard?

How many persons with disabilities had been placed in institutions, including mental health hospitals? Were there any plans or strategies to promote the independence of persons with disabilities at the community level? What were the plans to implement the deinstitutionalisation plan, to ensure everyone was given the opportunity to live in the community?

What measures were in place to ensure that persons with disabilities in Palau could access high-quality and affordable assistive devices? Were these exempt from import taxes? What measures were being taken to eliminate physical restraints in all settings, including prisons and institutions? Did Palau have any plans to ratify the Convention against Torture? Had any monitoring of cases of torture being undertaken? Could information be provided about the State’s existing complaints mechanism?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said at this time, the Government had not currently conducted a review of the national disaster risk framework legislation. However, there were regular reviews, post-disaster, to determine gaps in emergency preparedness and disaster reduction. Based on existing legislation, there was no need to change too much. Palau had the National Emergency Management Office, governed by the National Emergency Committee, comprised of all government agencies and civil society, including the Palau Red Cross. All emergency preparedness and disaster response were coordinated through the Committee. Once the President declared a national emergency, this gave the Government access to all resources and the authority to commandeer accommodation such as shelters for the response. The Government would conduct a legislative review to see if there was anything missing in the law which should be amended in relation to persons with disabilities.

The State had working relationships with civil society, including the Red Cross, which was actively involved in drills and exercises in response to disasters. Being a small community, Palau could identify people individually and had a database on people’s specific needs. This knowledge was incorporated into exercises and drills. Community health workers assisted during disasters to ensure everyone had equal access to shelters.

A health care coalition, enacted through an executive order of the President, represented persons with disabilities and parents’ organizations, bringing them together to plan activities. A month was dedicated to preparedness awareness each year, during which simulation exercises were held, as they were last year. At this point, Palau did not see the need to have too many members, including from the Government, in the National Emergency Committee during an emergency. It was more important to capture feedback, participation and input from non-governmental organizations during the planning, training and exercises phases, to execute the best response. The delegation would investigate if there was a need to expand the Committee to include persons with disabilities. At this point, the State prioritised local revenue for the response; there were no external funding sources.

The State party understood the guardianship act was not in line with the Convention. However, efforts were being made to consult persons with disabilities before they were held in institutions. The various ministries coordinated together to ensure the Convention was not being violated. The guardianship act would be considered for the upcoming legislative review. The delegation would also debrief on this upon their return. At present, data on those under the guardianship law was not available. This was noted as a priority task and this data would be collected in the future.

The full and systematic review of legislation to ensure compliance with the Convention was long overdue. This would be conducted once the delegation returned to Palau. It was expected the review would take 12 to 24 months; draft amendments would then be proposed for enactment.

The family protection act was a landmark milestone for Palau, allowing for a more uniform and standardised procedure for all people who experienced gender-based or domestic violence, while also allowing the State to assess the gaps in the process. There were currently no courtrooms in Palau which were accessible. This needed to be changed immediately and would be enacted when the delegation returned to Palau. The recommendation would also focus on better equipping the courtrooms with audio visual aids.

In Palau, if persons with psychosocial conditions in prison were required to be confined, this would take place after an assessment with a psychiatrist, and they would be held outside of the general prison. This would also be reviewed to ensure the protocols were being adhered to. Every case received was monitored; however, monitoring ceased once the individual left the facility. This was something that should be tracked and that was something the State planned to accomplish.

Palau maintained a strong belief in cultural values, which was a source of solutions and issues. Often families were still expected to care for the elderly and family members with disabilities. The line was often blurred on where the Government should step in. A transition centre had been built for those who did not have accommodation to return to. It had taken years to build as many community members felt that under Palau culture, family members had the obligation to care for their family members.

The Victims of Crime Office provided services, including counselling and temporary housing for victims, in partnership with non-governmental organizations. The State aimed to introduce training programmes with neighbouring jurisdictions, but this was dependent on costs. In the few cases received where victims required sign-language communication, this had been done virtually with ad-hoc partners. But there was a need to formalise a mechanism for whenever that was needed.

A member of the delegation said she had been a victim of exploitation, and this had been a call for the ministries to come together and strengthen the family protection act, and to take account for specific provisions for protecting women and girls with disabilities. This act would also be reviewed during the legislative review.

The number of cases of forced sterilisation was extremely low, but these situations did happen. There was no legislation which specifically addressed this. The State was cautious to enact legislation which contradicted and caused tension between culture, and the more Western doctrine of rights and laws. Abortion was mostly illegal in Palau, unless the physician determined there was a threat to the life of the mother or the child. Forced treatment and sterilisation was something consulted with the patient, their family and the healthcare provider. It needed to be determined if legislation was really the avenue to address this, or if was more important to have more clarity on those blurred lines between cultural expectation and family consent and the healthcare needs of the patient. This would be added to the list for the legislative review.

A project had been launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess certain households for accessibility, to be redesigned for independent living. The findings of the project would be utilised this year to promote more independent living. There was only one mental health facility in Palau, and confinement was only for mental health issues. There had been no cases where persons with other types of disabilities had been confined or admitted without any mental health issues. The plan would be rolled out nationwide and expanded in the future to ensure persons with disabilities could independently live in their own homes, rather than be confined to an institution.

At present, due to cost, Palau dealt with needs for assistive technologies on a case-by-case basis. At present, there was no tax exemption for such equipment unless it was donated. Maintenance and a lack of parts were an ongoing issue. The newly created Office on Persons with Disabilities would undertake a review in this regard.

Palau did not have the need to develop specific measures for the protection of persons with disabilities from ill-treatment. Palau’s culture did not require laws in this regard. Tomorrow, the delegation of Palau would meet with relevant United Nations representatives to further discuss the process of the ratification of the Convention against Torture. There was no active monitoring of case reviews, but the State party undertook case reviews to determine if there were instances of torture. The State had a school health screening programme, where the provider looked for indications of ill-treatment, as well as the victims of crimes assistance programme. Part of the awareness strategy included promoting reporting within the community, which was currently a challenge.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked if there were any plans to strengthen the mechanisms and legal safeguards for persons with disabilities, including those with psychosocial disabilities and migrants with disabilities, to ensure they were provided with reasonable accommodation under the 72-hour detention act? What measures were taken to ensure stateless children, including those with disabilities, were granted citizenship? Was there a plan to amend legislation to allow stateless individuals, including those raised in Palau, to apply for citizenship?

Another Expert welcomed the financial measures and information provided on the project which aimed to make homes for the elderly accessible. What measures were being undertaken to improve the disability inclusiveness of mainstream services, such as retail, health, education and housing?

One Expert asked who had trained prison officers in appropriate care? What evaluation had there been for this training? Had the State party implemented the guidelines on deinstitutionalisation?

A Committee Expert asked if there was any follow-up strategy in relation to article 19, enabling persons with disabilities to manage themselves?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said the 72 hours was not always adhered to exactly, despite legislation, and was typically handled on a case-by-case basis. This would be included in the legislative review to see if this timeline was still applicable.

A bill had been introduced in the National Congress to examine the possibility of issuing stateless persons with a national identification. While this did not guarantee citizenship, it would enable them to have an identity and hopefully be expanded to include means to travel. Migrants were afforded access to public services like citizens; it was a matter of different costs. The population of Palau was 18,000, and therefore transport could be provided by the Government for those who requested it. This allowed persons with disabilities to access mainstream services. There were ongoing efforts to work with the national health insurance to see if beneficiary coverage could be expanded to include the cost of assistive technologies.

At present, there was no training for law enforcement in mental health first aid. The Government was working to ensure the relevant training was provided. Currently, the Government would call in specialised professionals, including psychiatrists, but it was important to train first responders as they were typically the first to arrive on the scene. Palau was so small they could assign a specific health care professional to assist persons with disabilities when they came in for medical services. The transition centre was intended only to be a temporary situation, while the State looked at longer term solutions for independent living.

Questions by Committee Experts

CHRISTOPHER NWANORO, Committee Vice-Chairperson and Taskforce Member for Palau, said persons with disabilities in Palau faced major barriers in accessing information. How was the Government ensuring that freedom of speech and access to information, including the mass media, was available to persons with disabilities in Palau? What efforts was the Government making to enable deaf persons to access information in the State party?

Persons with disabilities in Palau did not have equal access to education; what was the Government doing to provide an enabling environment for education for persons with disabilities, including for deaf and blind persons? The Government should provide an enabling environment for everyone to enjoy education equally.

How accessible was the medical environment for persons with disabilities? Could blind people communicate with medical staff via braille? How was it ensured that all persons with disabilities could enjoy medical facilities in the hospitals?

What efforts was the Government of Palau making to ensure equal opportunities were provided when it came to employment for persons with disabilities? For those working, what was being done to provide them with an enabling environment? Were ramps and elevators available to allow them to navigate their workplaces? What training was given to employers in this regard?

Palau’s law said persons with mental and intellectual disabilities were not allowed to participate in elections, including voting. Was there any percentage within the law mandating persons with disabilities to be elected to government positions? If persons with disabilities wanted to vote, how accessible was the environment? Were there ramps and sign language? What was the Government doing to ensure that persons with disabilities were given a fair chance to participate in politics?

What was Palau doing to ensure people with disabilities could access cultural life and leisure, including sports? Were people with disabilities in Palau participating in sports? What efforts was the Government making to encourage their participation?

GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, asked how information on medical records, such as from institutions and mental health systems, was protected? How would data protection for persons with disabilities be strengthened, particularly for those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities?

What specific initiatives were in place to strengthen awareness raising regarding persons with disabilities, particularly regarding the rights to family and parenthood? How would it be ensured that persons with disabilities could start their own families or adopt children if they chose?

GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if there were plans to undertake an analysis of rehabilitation services, and ensure they were in line with the Convention? Were there plans to develop a comprehensive strategy and policy around assistive devices and technologies?

GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, said the majority of social protection actions in Palau happened at home. What mechanisms were in place to support social protection and families and the disability-related expenses of individuals? How would the Government address the lower level of disability pensions? What was being done to raise the disability pension? Did persons with disabilities who worked in Palau still receive the disability allowance?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said sign language and audio-visual equipment in schools and classrooms were among the State’s weak points. Palau did provide equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to express themselves through the media, but the lack of sign language was an issue. Work was being done with the Ministry of Education to equip teachers and schools, and then this would be branched out to the media. There had been two cases in Palau where youth with disabilities had graduated from high school and college through vocational studies. Palau’s Ministry of Education received some funding from the United States Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which was a starting point to train teachers.

At present, Palau did not have training for doctors and teachers, but this was something the State was working on. Most clinics in the hospitals were designed to be accessible, but the main challenge was sign language. Women and children with disabilities had free access to information, and a healthcare provider was assigned to every person with disability who came in. The State recognised there was more to be done and was working to enhance this area.

Legislation obligated the Government to ensure persons with disabilities had ramps in the places where they were hired and working. This legislation just covered the public sector currently and was yet to cover the private sector, which was a shortfall. There were around 33 persons with disabilities working in Palau’s Government, which was an impressive number considering the country’s population. Due to cultural beliefs in Palau, families of persons with disabilities sometimes did not encourage them to work due to fear of stigma and bullying, which was a challenge.

Palau election personnel were not equipped to provide braille. Currently, if a person with a disability wished to vote, an election official had to vote for them which meant the voting was no longer private; the State was working to address this. Palau would work to change the law on voting for persons with intellectual disabilities, as this was an outdated law. Nothing barred persons with disabilities for running for public office. There were no quotas in place for persons with disabilities to run for office in Palau. There were no political parties in Palau, everyone ran individually. No one was barred from running for Government.

Discussions had been underway to join the Paralympics. Palau would be hosting Pacific mini games, and there would be considerations for persons with disabilities to join such events. Family members presented a challenge; they sometimes felt their family members with disabilities would be a source of shame to the family and prohibited them from participating publicly, particularly when it came to sports. The Government was working to help families feel confident in allowing their family members with disabilities to participate in the public view.

Patient records and confidential information was closely safeguarded in the Ministry of Health and in clinics. This applied to all patient records, including for persons with disabilities. It was expected the medical privacy act would be enacted in one to two years.

Palau had an inclusive culture; there were no cultural barriers preventing persons with disabilities from getting married or raising children. There were persons with disabilities in Palau who had birthed and raised children and enjoyed the fruits of a full family life, with community support.

There were efforts to create an appropriate list of assistive products from the World Health Organization list, to ensure they were appropriate for the Pacific region. Rehabilitation was still regarded as a medical or clinical service, which was a challenge. A rehabilitation department was now going out to the community to train caregivers and family members to assist those with specific needs.

Palau had the Severely Disabled Assistance Fund which had been increased in the past year, to ensure persons with disabilities could afford the cost of living. There was a newly established child raising subsidy, provided to all Palau children under the age of 18. The pension and social security amounts were always a hotly debated issue in Palau’s Congress. The State would continue to push for an increase in funds for beneficiaries. The Assistance Fund did not include deaf people, which was something which needed to be amended. Palau was looking to increase the minimum wage this year, which would benefit persons with disabilities who were employed.

Questions by Committee Experts

A Committee Expert asked how many persons with disabilities participated in tertiary education in Palau? What kind of reasonable accommodations were provided to these students? The Committee frowned upon the continued use of sheltered workshops to stimulate employment of persons with disabilities. What was the extent of sheltered workshops in Palau and what was being done to remove them from the labour market?

Another Expert asked about the Government actions to ensure access to education for persons with disabilities. How were these being implemented? Were there any incentives for persons with disabilities to run for public office? The Expert congratulated Palau’s involvement in the Paralympics. It was hoped this would be the first of many.

An Expert asked if persons with disabilities were given the same wages as the rest of the population?

One Committee Expert asked what Palau was doing to raise awareness in the population, so no one was left behind or neglected? What was being done to put an end to discrimination against persons with disabilities?

A Committee Expert asked if Palau had any experiences with accessible tourism, and if it was using this as a tool for economic growth? Had Palau requested technical cooperation to increase the flow of tourists with disabilities? Was Palau considering job creation and entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities? Had the State thought about establishing a national centre for arts and crafts which could showcase the products made by persons with disabilities?

GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, asked if people working in Palau still received the disability allowance?

GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if there were any plans to address policy areas regarding the right to vote for persons with intellectual disabilities?

Responses by the Delegation

The delegation said Palau only had one community college which provided a two-year associate degree. However, persons with disabilities did attend college, including one individual who graduated from a mechanics course. The college was not entirely equipped, but did make accommodation for the specific needs of students.

There were no agencies, companies or businesses which only employed persons with disabilities in Palau. Palau had a law which required all students to attend kindergarten to grade 12, including children with disabilities. Minimum wage laws in Palau applied to everyone, including persons with disabilities who received the same wage and tax refund benefits which applied to a certain band of salary earners. Overall, Palauan culture was very accepting. Non-governmental organizations in Palau helped the Government to raise awareness in the community, ensuring inclusiveness in all events and policies. There was no specific budget for sports activities for persons with disabilities, but this was something the Government would look into.

Palau was regarded as a good tourism destination. However, it was expensive to get there, and there were rarely tourists who were persons with disabilities. The Government aimed to ensure their own citizens with disabilities were taken care of before tourists. There were workshops with local crafts and a giftshop, where persons with disabilities could sell their artwork. There was also a national museum and it could be a good idea to hold a special exhibition there for persons with disabilities.

The Palau Severely Disabled Fund was for those who had no employment, and if they were gainfully employed, they lost this eligibility. There were only two main non-governmental organizations in Palau working to represent persons with disabilities, but the population was small. They were given the right to decide who they employed and who they allowed to represent them. The Government did not want to overstep and dictate in this regard.

Closing Remarks

JEFFREY ANTOL, Director, Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of State of Palau and head of the delegation, extended appreciation to the Committee and all those who had contributed to the dialogue. Palau firmly believed that inclusion was not merely a policy goal, but a fundamental human right. The enactment of the persons with disabilities act and the development of the national disability inclusive policy marked significant milestones in the journey towards full alignment with the Convention. Palau was more convinced than ever of the urgent need to undertake legislative review and the importance of data and reporting, and would take steps to facilitate these actions. The country remained steadfast in ensuring that no one was left behind.

GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, thanked the members of the delegation of Palau for their presence and the open dialogue with the Committee. The State was commended for its commitment in working towards the implementation of the Convention. The Committee acknowledged with interest the establishment of the Committee of Persons with Disabilities and looked forward to its action as planned. There was a need for the State to strengthen systems and ensure effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities. The absence of a national human rights institution was a concern; the Committee urged Palau to consider its establishment in line with the Paris Principles. From the goodwill expressed by the delegation, it was expected that the State would proactively ensure the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations.

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

CRPD25.007E

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Scanlon, Raskin, Jayapal Mobilize House Dems to Demand Answers in Trump Administration Attack on Free Speech

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, today joined Reps. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, in leading 103 Members of Congress in demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Department of State Secretary Marco Rubio regarding the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil and attempt to revoke his Green Card.

Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The administration does not allege that he has committed any crime nor that he has ever been charged with a crime. Instead, the administration has invoked an obscure clause in the Immigration and Nationality Act as justification for arresting and attempting to deport him.

“This maneuver evokes the Alien and Sedition Acts and McCarthyism. It is the playbook of authoritarians, not of elected officials in a democratic society who claim to be champions of free speech,” the members wrote.

The members continued, “The Constitution guarantees everyone in our country, including lawful permanent residents, the right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the government. (…) Weaponizing the immigration system to crush and chill protected free speech puts our nation on the side of authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.”

“While there may be disagreement with Mr. Khalil’s speech, it is his Constitutional right in our democracy to express his political views. That is why every American should be outraged by this brazen attempt to use the power of the United States government to silence and punish people who do not agree with the sitting President. President Trump has said Mr. Khalil’s arrest and attempted removal is the ‘first of many.’ Silencing dissent is the work of despots, not democracies,” the members concluded.

U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman issued an order temporarily preventing the government from removing Mr. Khalil while the court considers the legality of the arrest and detention.

The Members are requesting a response from Noem and Rubio by March 27th, 2025.

Find the full letter here.

Find the full list of the 103 Members of Congress who signed onto the letter here.

The letter was endorsed by 18 Million Rising; A New Policy; Action Corps; Adalah Justice Project; Alliance of Baptists; America’s Voice; American Civil Liberties Union; American Friends of Combatants for Peace; American Friends Service Committee; American Humanist Association; American Immigration Council; American Immigration Lawyers Association; American Muslims for Palestine (AMP); Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action); Amnesty International USA; Arab American Institute (AAI); Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote); Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; CASA; Center for Constitutional Rights; Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law; Center for Jewish Nonviolence; Center for Victims of Torture; Christians for a Free Palestine; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); CODEPINK; Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP); Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim; Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); DAWN; Defending Rights & Dissent; Detention Watch Network; Emgage Action; Franciscan Action Network ; Freedom Forward; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA); Hindus for Human Rights; Human Rights First; IfNotNow Movement; IMEU Policy Project; Immigrant Defense Project; Immigrant Justice Network ; Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC); Immigration Equality; Indivisible; International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN); International Refugee Assistance Project; J Street; Jewish Voice for Peace Action; Justice Democrats; MADRE; MoveOn; MPower Change Action Fund; Muslim Advocates; Muslim Legal Fund of America; Muslims for Just Futures; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; National Immigrant Justice Center; National Immigration Law Center; National Immigration Project; National Iranian American Council; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; New Israel Fund; New Jewish Narrative; Nonviolent Peaceforce; P Street; Partners for Progressive Israel; Pax Christi Young Adult Caucus; Peace Action; Prayers for Peace Alliance; Presente.org; Project South; Rabbis for Ceasefire; ReThinking Foreign Policy; Right to the City Alliance; Rising Majority; RootsAction.org; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Sunrise Movement; T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; The Nexus Project; The Southern Poverty Law Center; Unitarian Universalist Association; United Church of Christ; United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR); United We Dream Network; US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action; USAHello; Win Without War; Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation ; Arlington For Palestine; Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago; Borderlands for Equity; CAIR- Philadelphia; CAIR-WA; Dignidad/The Right to Immigration Institute; Elmahaba Center; Estrella del Paso; Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef); Jews For Racial & Economic Justice; Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Mennonite Action Philadelphia; Miami Valley Immigration Coalition; New York Immigration Coalition; North Carolina Muslim Bar Association; OneAmerica; Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans – PANA; Pax Christi New Jersey ; Peace Action Montgomery; Prayers for Peace Alliance; Saratoga Black Lives Matter; Showing Up For Racial Justice Bay Area; SURJ Northern Virginia; West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship; Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center; Woori Juntos.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: Press Release of the General Secretariat of the Synod and Letter on the Accompaniment Process of the Implementation Phase of the Synod

Source: The Holy See

Press Release of the General Secretariat of the Synod and Letter on the Accompaniment Process of the Implementation Phase of the Synod, 15.03.2025
Press Release from the General Secretariat of the Synod
(Saturday 15 March 2025)
The General Secretariat of the Synod has sent to all Bishops and Eparchs and, through them, to the entire “Holy People of God” entrusted to their care, a Letter on the accompaniment process of the implementation phase of the Synod «For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission».
This process of accompaniment and evaluation of the implementation phase, coordinated by the General Secretariat of the Synod, was approved by Pope Francis. The Holy Father requested its dissemination to the local Churches and groupings of Churches.
Several significant meetings for evaluating the progress made in the implementation phase will conclude in 2028 with an ecclesial Assembly in Rome.
***
Letter on the Accompaniment Process of the Implementation Phase of the Synod
(Vatican, 15 March 2025)
To the Patriarchs and Major Archbishops of the Eastern Catholic Churches
To all Bishops and Eparchs
To the Presidents of the Episcopal Conferences
To the Presidents of the International Meetings of Episcopal Conferences
Your Beatitude, Eminence, Excellency,
Dear Brother in Christ,
in a spirit of communion and co-responsibility, I write to you and to the holy People of God entrusted to your care regarding the implementation phase of the Synod «For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission». The Holy Father hopes that this phase, as outlined in the Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis Communio (n. 7, arts. 19-21), receives particular attention so that synodality is increasingly understood and lived as an essential dimension of the ordinary life of local Churches and the entire Church.
On 11 March, the Holy Father definitively approved the start of a process of accompaniment and evaluation of the implementation phase by the General Secretariat of the Synod. This process calls upon Dioceses and Eparchies, Episcopal Conferences, and the hierarchical structures of the Eastern Catholic Churches, as well as their continental groupings. They will be responsible for engaging institutes of consecrated life, societies of apostolic life, lay associations, ecclesial movements, and new communities present in their territories. It will ultimately culminate in the celebration of an ecclesial assembly in the Vatican in October 2028. For now, therefore, a new Synod will not be convened; instead, the focus will be on consolidating the path taken so far.
In the Accompanying Note to the Final Document of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Holy Father had already specified that it «is part of the ordinary magisterium of the Successor of Peter» and and, as such, must be received accordingly. He went on to explain that it is not strictly normative but nonetheless calls on the Churches to make consistent choices. In particular, «the local Churches and groupings of Churches are now called upon to implement, in their different contexts, the authoritative proposals contained in the Document through the processes of discernment and decision-making provided for by law and by the Document itself».
In light of these indications, therefore, the implementation phase of the Synod should be understood not as merely the “application” of directives from above, but rather as a process of “reception” of the orientations expressed in the Final Document, adapted appropriately to local cultures and the needs of communities. At the same time, it is essential to move forward together as the whole Church, harmonizing this reception across different ecclesial contexts. This is the reason for the process of accompaniment and evaluation, which in no way diminishes the responsibility of each Church.
In line with the indications of the Final Document, the aim is to concretely realize the perspective of the exchange of gifts between Churches and within the whole Church concrete (cf. nn. 120-121). Along the way, everyone will be able to benefit from the richness and creativity of the paths taken by local Churches, gathering the fruits in their territorial groupings (Provinces, Episcopal Conferences, International Meetings of Episcopal Conferences, etc.). The process will also be an opportunity to evaluate together the choices made at the local level and recognize the progress made in terms of synodality (cf. n. 9). Thanks to this process, the Holy Father will be able to listen to and confirm the orientations deemed valid for the whole Church (cf. nn. 12 and 131). Finally, this process provides the framework within which to place the many and diverse initiatives for implementing the orientations of the Synod, particularly the results of the work of the Study Groups and the contributions of the Canonical Commission.
It is of fundamental importance to ensure that the implementation phase serves as an opportunity to re-engage the people who have contributed and to present the fruits gathered from listening to all the Churches and the discernment of the Pastors in the Synodal Assembly: thus, the dialogue already initiated in the listening phase will continue. The process will rely on the work of synodal teams composed of priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, laymen and laywomen, accompanied by their bishop: these are fundamental tools for accompanying the ordinary synodal life of local Churches. For this reason, existing teams should be valued and possibly renewed, idle teams should be reactivated and appropriately integrated. This process will also offer Dioceses that have invested less in the synodal path an opportunity to recover the steps not yet taken and to form their own synodal teams. I invite you to communicate to the Secretariat of the Synod the composition and references of the synodal team of your Diocese or Eparchy, using the form available in the attachment.
In this context, the announcement of the Jubilee of synodal teams and participatory bodies to be held on 24-26 October 2025, takes on particular significance. thus placing the commitment to building a Church that is increasingly synodal within the horizon of the hope that does not disappoint, which we celebrate in the Jubilee.
The journey that will lead the whole Church to the celebration of the ecclesial assembly in October 2028 will be structured in such a way as to offer adequate and sustainable times for the implementation of the Synod’s indications, while also providing for some significant moments of evaluation:
· March 2025: announcement of the accompaniment and evaluation process;
· May 2025: publication of the Support Document for the implementation phase, with guidelines for its conduct;
· June 2025 – December 2026: implementation paths in local Churches and their groupings;
· 24-26 October 2025: Jubilee of synodal teams and participatory bodies;
· first half of 2027: evaluation Assemblies in Dioceses and Eparchies;
· second half of 2027: evaluation Assemblies in national and international Episcopal Conferences, Eastern hierarchical structures, and other groupings of Churches;
· first half of 2028: continental evaluation Assemblies;
· June 2028: publication of the Instrumentum laboris for the works of the ecclesial Assembly in October 2028;
· October 2028: celebration of the ecclesial Assembly in the Vatican.
As of now, the General Secretariat of the Synod is committed to accompanying and supporting the Churches on this journey.
Your Beatitude, Eminence, Excellency,
with this letter, I am informing you of the start of this journey before it is made public. Until then, the information contained in this letter should be considered confidential. By the end of May, we will send further communications to the Churches with more details regarding the methodology and operational procedures of the journey.
Without the impetus of diocesan and eparchial bishops, a process like the one outlined here would not even be imaginable. As of now, I would like to express my sincere thanks to you, your collaborators, and your synodal team for your commitment to advancing a journey that is particularly close to the Holy Father’s heart, for whose health we are all praying together in these weeks.
I greet you fraternally in the Lord, wishing you and the Church of which you are Pastor a fruitful journey toward the upcoming Easter.
Mario Card. Grech
Secretary General of the General Secretariat of the Synod

MIL OSI Europe News –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Let juries judge disruptive protesters like Just Stop Oil on their integrity – expert view

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Graeme Hayes, Reader in Political Sociology, Aston University

The UK Court of Appeal recently ruled on an appeal brought by 16 environmental activists serving prison sentences for planning or participating in a series of disruptive non-violent protests.

The cases include the five-year term being served by Roger Hallam, co-founder of Extinction Rebellion and Just Stop Oil, and the terms of two years and 20 months handed down to Phoebe Plummer and Anna Holland respectively, for throwing soup over Van Gogh’s Sunflowers while the painting was on display at the National Gallery in London.

Some news reports emphasised the reduction of sentences for some of the defendants (Hallam’s term was reduced to four years, for example), but the court’s decision upheld most of the sentences. There were only minor sentence reductions where the court found the initial sentences to be “manifestly excessive”, while the appeals of ten activists were dismissed outright.

In Holland and Plummer’s case, the court rejected original trial judge Christopher Hehir’s insistence that throwing soup over a painting was violent (equivalent to assaulting a person, Hehir had argued). Yet the court still upheld the lengthy prison sentences Hehir handed down, maintaining that the soup action was “disproportionate or extreme”.

The defendants’ motives for such disproportionate actions – to raise awareness about climate change and pressure the UK government to issue no new licences for the exploration and production of fossil fuels – were not considered relevant by either Hehir or the Court of Appeal.

Does this amount to a fair and appropriate hearing? In an article published in the Oxford Journal of Legal Studies, we suggest that the cases of non-violent disruptive protesters should be governed by what we call “the integrity principle”. This would spur a radical rethink of how the courts approach the trials of such protesters.

Integrity in protest trials

The trials of protesters are different from most criminal trials. Just as legal philosopher Anthony Duff once argued, we consider that the purpose of all criminal trials is to “call the defendant to account”. Duff tells us that we can be held responsible as citizens, to the community, for our moral wrongs. A criminal trial is not just about deciding “did they do it”, but also about communicating what, as a society, is considered right and wrong. For that to happen, a trial must engage defendants in a discussion as to why they did what they did.

It is here where the trials of non-violent protesters should be different from “ordinary” criminal trials. There are two reasons. First, unlike in most criminal trials, defendants prosecuted for staging disruptive protest rarely dispute the facts of what they did. Instead, they seek to explain why they did it.

Second, they do so because their action is not intended for personal gain, but to improve the life of the community. Political philosophy tends to maintain that disobedient and disruptive actions can be morally justified if they are motivated by an attempt to uphold the fundamental rights of, or avoid harms caused to, others, or highlight injustices and the failures of political processes.

In other words, these activists are seeking to act as citizens, and give a public account of their action as justified and proportionate. In Duff’s reasoning, this sort of accountability must be central to a criminal trial. But this depends on the defendants’ ability to explain their motives to a jury, in ways that are consistent with their beliefs and values. In short, the trial should allow defendants to demonstrate to the jury they had acted with integrity.

If the trial is a site of moral communication that engages the sense of right and wrong of the community – and, like Duff, we argue it should be – then protest defendants should be able to offer a legally relevant account of their actions, and the jury should be able to decide whether they accept this account.

Yet, as we have previously written, the law in England and Wales has been reframed over the past five years to reduce the defences that activists are able to rely upon. What protest defendants can say in court is inconsistently policed by judges. But in all cases, even where defendants can explain their motivations, they cannot now do so as part of a legal defence. Instead, they must rely on juries deciding (in rare cases) with their conscience rather than legal direction. This breaches the integrity principle, because juries are not able to decide, in law, whether they accept the account of action that might otherwise be put to them by the defence.

Read more:
Just Stop Oil’s harsh sentences are the logical outcome of Britain’s authoritarian turn against protest

If the jury does decide to convict, we argue that the integrity principle must also apply to sentencing. Where they are found guilty, it is illogical that activists should be expected to express remorse for their actions. This would be to disavow their motives, moral consistency and public accountability. Rather than remorse, their the integrity of their intentions and the honesty of their explanation of them should be regarded as a mitigating factor.

Integrity and democracy

Disruptive protest directs our attention to the failure of the democratic process to properly address pressing social problems. For the courts to punish those who attempt to highlight this failure only exacerbates it. Crucially, it denies both the moral purpose of criminal law and the social function of juries. Yet this is exactly what is happening right now in British courts.

We can see in the Court of Appeal’s judgment how the courts are failing to follow the integrity principle. Not only did the court sideline the motivations of the defendants, holding that the harm caused was too serious to take them into account, but it also acted to endorse more severe and deterrent sentences.

If we reorganise the trials of activists to place their integrity at the heart of the process, enabling them to give a legally meaningful account of their action, the law would finally recognise that disruptive protest is not an irritant outside of the democratic process, but is integral to it.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Graeme Hayes receives funding from the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust for the project ‘Justifying Protest in the Courts: Voice, Democracy, and the Law’

Steven Cammiss receives funding from the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust.

– ref. Let juries judge disruptive protesters like Just Stop Oil on their integrity – expert view – https://theconversation.com/let-juries-judge-disruptive-protesters-like-just-stop-oil-on-their-integrity-expert-view-251949

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

March 16, 2025
MIL-OSI: Skyward Specialty Welcomes Patricia Ryan as General Counsel

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, March 14, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Skyward Specialty Insurance Group, Inc.™ (Nasdaq: SKWD) (“Skyward Specialty” or “the Company”) a leader in the specialty property and casualty (P&C) market, has recruited Patricia Ryan as the Company’s new General Counsel effective Tuesday, April 1 following the upcoming retirement of Leslie Shaunty, Skyward Specialty’s long-time General Counsel, after nearly 12 years of dedicated service. Ms. Shaunty will continue through the end of 2025 in a support and transition capacity.

Ms. Ryan has extensive experience across a broad range of insurance legal competencies including compliance and regulatory matters, corporate governance and enterprise risk management, securities, products and contract law. With more than 20 years in the insurance industry, she has held Chief Legal Officer, General Counsel and other senior legal and human resources leadership positions at Trean Insurance Group, HDI Global, QBE North America, and Allianz/Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company. Additionally, Ms. Ryan spent more than a decade in private practice before joining the insurance sector.

Ms. Ryan holds a J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law and a bachelor’s degree in economics and history from the University of Illinois.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Patty to the Skyward Specialty team,” said Robinson. “Her deep legal expertise and proven leadership in the industry make her a welcome addition to our executive team. We look forward to her contributions as we continue to drive innovation and excellence in the industry.” said Andrew Robinson, Chairman and CEO of Skyward Specialty.

Robinson further commented, “Leslie has been a key member of our executive leadership team providing product development, legal, compliance and strategic leadership. Her expertise, drive and work rate were central to our highly successful IPO, each subsequent follow-on offering, and performance as a public company. We are incredibly grateful for her many contributions. On behalf of the entire executive leadership team, we thank Leslie for her lasting impact and wish her the very best in her retirement.”

About Skyward Specialty
Skyward Specialty is a rapidly growing and innovative specialty insurance company, delivering commercial property and casualty products and solutions on a non-admitted and admitted basis. The Company operates through eight underwriting divisions — Accident & Health, Captives, Global Property & Agriculture, Industry Solutions, Professional Lines, Programs, Surety and Transactional E&S.

Skyward Specialty’s subsidiary insurance companies consist of Houston Specialty Insurance Company, Imperium Insurance Company, Great Midwest Insurance Company, and Oklahoma Specialty Insurance Company. These insurance companies are rated A (Excellent) with a stable outlook by A.M. Best Company. For more information about Skyward Specialty, its people, and its products, please visit skywardinsurance.com.

Media Contact
Haley Doughty
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group
713-935-4944
hdoughty@skywardinsurance.com

Investor Contact
Natalie Schoolcraft
Skyward Specialty Insurance Group
614-494-4988
nschoolcraft@skywardinsurance.com

The MIL Network –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senate Overwhelmingly Passes Grassley-Led HALT Fentanyl Act to Permanently Schedule Fentanyl-Related Substances

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

Download video HERE

WASHINGTON – Today, the Senate overwhelmingly voted to pass the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act. The bipartisan legislation, led by Judiciary Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Chairman Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) and Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances before their temporary Schedule I status expires on March 31, 2025.

Last month, the HALT Fentanyl Act was passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee by a bipartisan vote of 16-5. Attorney General Pam Bondi has endorsed the legislation. President Trump’s Office of Management and Budget has confirmed that, if Congress passes the bill in its current form, the president will sign it. The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives.

“The HALT Fentanyl Act is a critical step towards ending the crisis that’s killing hundreds of thousands of precious American lives. I thank my Senate colleagues for passing this bill with broad, overwhelming support. I urge my House colleagues to swiftly pass the Senate version of this battle-tested, bipartisan bill to save lives, advance research and support our brave men and women in blue,” Grassley said.

Grassley, Cassidy, and Heinrich introduced the legislation in January, and Grassley has repeatedly spoken in favor of the legislation on the Senate floor and in the Judiciary Committee.

The HALT Fentanyl Act is supported by over 40 major advocacy groups, including a coalition of over 200 impacted family groups, and law enforcement organizations representing over a million officers. Learn more about the bill’s widespread support HERE.

Download bill text HERE and a fact sheet HERE.

-30-

MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Reverend Warnock Unveils Legislative Package to Address Housing Affordability and Availability Crisis

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock – Georgia

Senator Reverend Warnock Unveils Legislative Package to Address Housing Affordability and Availability Crisis

The transformative housing package addresses rising rental costs and downpayment fees, private equity’s domination of Atlanta’s housing market, and the overall lack of available housing units

This week, Senator Reverend Warnock introduced the Downpayment Toward Equity Act, the Rent Relief Act, and the Stop Predatory Investing Act

Senator Reverend Warnock also introduced the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, legislation that would build nearly three million new housing units

During a Wednesday Senate Banking Hearing, Senator Reverend Warnock highlighted his newly introduced housing legislation and how Georgians and Americans would benefit from the legislative package

Senator Reverend Warnock, a longtime advocate of affordable housing, has tirelessly fought to broaden the path to homeownership for hardworking Americans

Senator Reverend Warnock during the hearing: “These are important bills that address the affordability issue and the accessibility issue around housing”

Watch Senator Reverend Warnock at Wednesday’s Senate Banking Committee hearing HERE

Washington, D.C. – This week, U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) introduced a comprehensive legislative package of housing bills to address the ongoing housing affordability and availability crisis in the United States.

The Downpayment Toward Equity Act, the Rent Relief Act, the Stop Predatory Investing Act, and the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, which Senator Warnock co-led with Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), are a direct response to what Senator Warnock has heard from constituents about their inability to afford a home, and a solution to the housing crisis that millions more Americans are facing across the country.

“We have a housing affordability and availability crisis in this country and I’m especially concerned about young Americans and their ability to pay rent or buy their first home,” said Senator Reverend Warnock during a Senate Banking Committee hearing. “Last year, we actually saw the largest increase in rental costs in a decade, while the share of first-time homebuyers reached an all-time low. Tough pickings whether you’re a renter, or looking to buy. Georgia has the lowest homeownership rate in the entire Southeast.”

The bills introduced in the package address each of the largest hurdles for most young people trying to buy their first home.

The Rent Relief Act would provide much needed relief to low- and middle-class Americans by subsidizing a percentage of their rents that exceed cost burden thresholds (more than 30% of their income). It would address the rising rental costs seen around the country, allowing people to save more income that could be put toward realizing the dream of homeownership.

The Downpayment Toward Equity Act would provide funds toward downpayment and other financial assistance for first-generation homebuyers to purchase their first home, helping alleviate what is considered the chief obstacle for young people in trying to buy their first home.

“Ms. Willis, what are the consequences of high rental costs and lack of affordable housing on upward mobility on the broader economy?” Senator Warnock asked Renee M. Willis, who was an expert witness for Wednesday’s Banking Committee hearing.

“I think on an individual level when people with low incomes can’t afford housing, they’re forced to make impossible trade-offs. So, we’re talking about trade-offs between paying rent and buying groceries, or medications, or investing in their children’s education,” responded Renee M. Willis, Interim President & CEO of National Low Income Housing Coalition. “But more broadly, I’d say that researchers have found housing constraints have lowered GDP growth.”

“For first-time home buyers, what do they cite most often as the biggest barriers?” Senator Warnock asked.

“Two words. Downpayment costs,” responded Willis.

The Stop Predatory Investing Act, previously led by another champion of housing, Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH), would remove tax advantages enjoyed by private equity investors to disincentivize ownership of more than 50 single-family rental properties.

These bills together, coupled with Senators Warnock and Warren’s American Housing and Economic Mobility Act, which would invest in building nearly three million new housing units, would address some of the most longstanding issues in the American housing market today.

“These are important bills that address the affordability issue and the accessibility issue around housing,” said Senator Warnock at the hearing.

During the hearing, Senator Warnock also questioned Dr. Edward Glaeser, a Professor of Economics at Harvard University, about the impact of the housing crisis on the American GDP.

“Are you concerned about what you are seeing in the economic data about young Americans and homeownership?” Senator Warnock asked.

“Senator, I certainly am,” said Dr. Edward Glaeser. “[One of my concerns] is a transfer of housing wealth, from the young to the old.

“Massive transfers of wealth, and the inability to pass wealth from one generation to the next, it’s moving in the wrong direction, which has implications for all of us regardless of our generation,” continued Senator Warnock.

Since coming to the Senate, Senator Warnock has worked to increase affordable housing and illuminate a path to homeownership, a cornerstone of the American Dream. As one of twelve brothers and sisters growing up in public housing in Savannah, Senator Warnock deeply understands the importance of having a place to call home and homeownership. In the past few years, Senator Warnock voted for government funding legislation that increased America’s housing supply, strengthened housing affordability, and addressed the homelessness crisis, including by: increasing the supply of affordable housing nationwide with funding to build 10,000 new rental and homebuyer units; extending funding for the Yes In My Backyard (“YIMBY”) grant program to support efforts to increase our nation’s housing supply and lower housing costs through state and local zoning changes; and delivering $275 million in new funding for Homeless Assistance Grants to help address homelessness in communities across the country and providing new resources to better connect people experiencing homelessness with health care services. Senator Warnock has also secured nearly $80 million in housing investments to provide affordable housing options for Georgians at all income levels and repair hazardous housing conditions in low-income housing units.

“The predatory practices of institutional investors who buy out single-family homes is a rapidly developing issue in affordable housing policy, and one that must be addressed head-on to protect the rights of tenants and help preserve the nation’s supply of affordable housing,” said NLIHC Interim President and CEO Renee Willis. “I applaud Senator Warnock for his leadership in introducing the ‘Stop Predatory Investing Act’, which will help ensure investors do not buy up available properties only to raise rents and displace tenants.”

In addition to Senator Warnock, the Downpayment Toward Equity Act is cosponsored by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Cory Booker (D-NJ), the American Housing and Economic Mobility Act is cosponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Andy Kim (D-NJ), the Stop Predatory Investing Act is co-led by Senators Tina Smith (D-MN), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) and cosponsored by Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

Watch video of Senator Reverend Warnock’s questioning at Wednesday’s Senate Banking Committee hearing HERE.

Read the legislative package summary HERE.

Bill text for the Downpayment Toward Equity Act can be found HERE.

Bill text for the Stop Predatory Investing Act can be found HERE.

Bill text for the Rent Relief Act can be found HERE.

Bill text for the American Housing Economic Mobility Act can be found HERE.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: South Africa successfully hosts key G20 Working Groups and Task Force Meetings
Source: South Africa News Agency

As part of its G20 Presidency, South Africa has successfully hosted a series of high-level G20 working groups and task force meetings during this month, focusing on global challenges such as corruption, food security, disaster risk reduction, agriculture, and tourism.

The first Anti-Corruption Working Group Meeting, held in Cape Town from 3 to 5 March 2025, focused on mechanisms to enhance the implementation of legal instruments to fight corruption.

Cabinet said in a statement that this meeting was an opportunity for participants to establish the agenda and lay the groundwork for future discussions, encouraging dialogue and collaboration to strengthen anti-corruption strategies.

“During this meeting, participants discussed and agreed on these several key priorities which are strengthening Public Sector Integrity; Increasing Asset Recovery Efficiency; Inclusive Participation; and Whistle-Blower Protection,” Cabinet said.

Agriculture Working Group

The First Agriculture Working Group Meeting, held virtually on 3 and 4 March, discussed critical issues that affect agricultural stakeholders worldwide and agreed on priorities for the year ahead.

The group established four key priorities:
- Promoting inclusive market participation and food security;
- Empowering youth and women in agrifood systems;
- Fostering innovation and technology transfer and
- Building climate resilience for sustainable agriculture
Tourism Working Group

On 5 March, the First Tourism Working Group Meeting, also held virtually, deliberated on how tourism can be used to change people’s lives, communities and the world.

The group also identified four focus areas for the year ahead namely:
- Leveraging People-Centered Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Innovation to support travel and tourism start-ups and SMMEs,
- Enhancing tourism financing and investment to promote equality and sustainability,
- Improving air connectivity for seamless travel, and
- Boosting resilience for inclusive, sustainable tourism development.
Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group

First Disaster Risk Reduction Working Group Meeting also held virtually on 5 March, discussed the acceleration of early warnings for all initiatives which is a key global target set by the United Nations and reinforced the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030.

“South Africa sees this meeting as a key international forum to drive the agenda of a shared responsibility to build resilience, strengthen our cooperation, and drive meaningful action that is needed to prevent an escalation or exacerbation of risk,” Cabinet said.

Key priorities included:
- addressing Inequalities and Reducing Vulnerabilities
- Global Coverage of Early Warning Systems
- Disaster Resilient Infrastructure
- Financing for Disaster Risk Reduction
- Disaster Recovery, Rehabilitation and Reconstruction; and
- Ecosystems-Based Approaches for DRR/Nature-Based Solutions.
Food Security Task Force

The First Task Force Meeting on Food Security, held virtually on 5 March, discussed policies and programs to improve food security.

“Participants agreed to build a stronger, fairer, and more sustainable food system. They also committed to address key challenges like trade barriers, funding for food production, and the impact of climate change on food supply chains,” Cabinet said.

Some of the priorities outcomes discussed are the following:
- Stronger food security policies
- Stable food prices
- Clear regulations & standards
- G20 Action Plan for Food Security; and
- Ministerial approval & implementation
G20 Outreach Programme

On 7 March 2025, the G20 Outreach Programme was held at the University of Venda in Thohoyandou, to encourage public engagement in South Africa’s G20 presidency.

Citizens were urged to welcome international delegates, promote South Africa’s cultural heritage, and share positive narratives about the country.

“The gathering was used to encourage the people of this country to get involved in welcoming our guests to the country as we continue to host meetings in various parts of the country and to promote their culture and heritage. South Africans were also encouraged to tell a good story about their country,” Cabinet said.

The following G20 Working Groups and Task Forces meetings are scheduled to take place until the end of March 2025:
- First Task Force Meeting: Inclusive Economic Growth, Industrialisation, Employment, and Reduce Inequality: 17 March 2025 – virtual.
- First Trade and Investment Working Group Meeting: 18-20 March 2025 – virtual.
- Second Health Working Group: 26-28 March 2025 – Durban.
- First Climate and Environment Sustainability Working Group Meeting: 25-28 March 2025 – virtual.
For more information on these various G20 meetings and their outcomes can be accessed on www.g20.org OR www.g20.org.za– SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –
March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Reject bigotry and discrimination, UN chief says, urging everyone to combat Islamophobia

Source: United Nations 2

14 March 2025 Culture and Education

The UN Secretary-General has urged everyone to speak out against xenophobia and discrimination to combat a “disturbing rise” in anti-Muslim bigotry.

In a message marking Saturday’s International Day to Combat Islamophobia, Secretary-General António Guterres warned of racial profiling and discriminatory policies that violate human rights and dignity, to outright violence against individuals and places of worship.

“This is part of a wider scourge of intolerance, extremist ideologies, and attacks against religious groups and vulnerable populations,” he said, adding that when one group is attacked, “the rights and freedoms of all are at risk”.

He urged everyone around the world to reject and eradicate bigotry, and to speak out against xenophobia and discrimination. He also called on governments to foster social cohesion and protect religious freedom, and for online platforms to curb hate speech and harassment.

“On this International Day to Combat Islamophobia, let us work together to uphold equality, human rights and dignity, and build inclusive societies where everyone, regardless of their faith, can live in peace and harmony.”

General Assembly commemoration

Meanwhile on Friday, UN Member States gathered in the General Assembly to call attention to the worrying rise in anti-Muslim sentiment.

The world body established the International Day in 2022, unanimously adopting through a resolution in which it also called for strengthened international efforts to promote a culture of tolerance and peace at all levels, based on respect for human rights and for the diversity of religions and beliefs.

It also “strongly deplored” all acts of violence against persons on the basis of their religion or belief and attacks against places of worship.

A collective responsibility

Philémon Yang, President of the General Assembly, drew attention to the role of extremist ideologies in fuelling hatred.

“We cannot accept the misuse of Islam for malicious intentions,” Mr. Yang stated, condemning the narrative of violence associated with the religion.

“Islamophobia is not an isolated issue,” he continued. “Rather, it is connected to xenophobia, intolerance, racism, sexism and the rampant spread of hate speech.”

Stop unjust portrayal of women

He also emphasised that combatting Islamophobia required a broader commitment to tolerance, particularly regarding the portrayal of Muslim women.

“Muslim women, in particular, face added hostility, due to deeply unjust portrayals of them as oppressed by their religion,” he remarked.

He underscored the need for inclusive policies that celebrate diversity and ensure equal rights for all.

The path forward

As part of the broader call to combat Islamophobia, Miguel Ángel Moratinos, UN High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations, echoed the importance of unity and mutual understanding.

“We must all stand up against all forms of hatred and discrimination,” he said, stressing the need for governments to create environments that foster peaceful dialogue and respect among all religious and cultural communities.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: Youth Must Have Leadership Role in Dismantling Patriarchal Norms, Financing Gender Equality, Women’s Commission Hears as It Concludes First Week

Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

Gender Justice Cannot Be Achieved without Ending Discrimination against Indigenous Women, Girls, Those with Disabilities, Speakers Stress

The Commission on the Status of Women wrapped up its first week today, with a dialogue among youth representatives who stressed the need to include the next generation of leaders not only in conversations about women and girls’ empowerment but in leadership roles that fight for disability inclusion, finance gender equality, dismantle patriarchal norms and defend Indigenous voices.

The United Nations kicked off the sixty-ninth session of the Commission this week, focusing on accelerating the adoption of the Platform for Action adopted at the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women. Leaders gathered in Beijing 30 years ago to pledge to achieve gender equality and uphold women’s rights. Discussions this session also focused on contributing to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Kateryna Levchenko, Government Commissioner for Gender Equality Policy of Ukraine and Chair of the meeting, said that 30 years after its adoption, the Beijing Platform for Action still mobilizes Member States, the United Nations, feminist movements, civil society organizations, young people and other stakeholders. “It continues to be an unprecedented consensus on the actions needed to advance gender equality and women’s and girls’ human rights and their empowerment,” she said.

However, 30 years after the 1995 World Conference on Women, no country has fully achieved gender equality. That’s why Member States must recommit to its full implementation, she stressed, and identify synergies with other global commitments, working in partnership with civil society, young people, the UN and the private sector. With just five years until the 2030 target date for achieving the SDGs, the Platform holds the key to unblock bottlenecks and accelerate much needed progress.

Fenna Timsi, UN Youth Representative for Human Rights and Security of the Netherlands, said that today’s youth representatives represent large networks who have been on the frontlines of fighting for women and girls rights. “They will reflect on the progress made since the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and the Platform for Action, sharing insights, voicing challenges and proposing solutions to persistent issues such as gender-based violence, access to education and economic empowerment,” she noted. The 2024 review and appraisal of the Beijing process with more than 150 States reporting on their actions is a “a clear testament” to the pact’s continued relevance and power.

30 Years after Landmark Women’s Conference in Beijing, Gender Equality an Unfulfilled Promise

Sima Sami Bahous, Executive Director of the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN-Women), delivering opening remarks, commended the young representatives for their activism and “for your constant reminder to us all to do more, to do better, to be better”. Thirty years on, gender equality remains an unfulfilled promise. “But one thing is clear, you, young people, are not waiting,” she emphasized. “Each of your contributions has spoken to a truth that we cannot ignore,” she said, stressing: “Progress cannot be partial. Change must be transformative and inclusive.”

The Beijing Platform for Action remains the most powerful framework for gender equality, she went on. “Since its adoption, we have seen strides — more women in politics, stronger laws against gender-based violence, greater access to education,” she described. But progress has been too slow and too uneven. Women still hold only 27 per cent of parliamentary seats, which, while up from 11 per cent in 1995, is not enough. One in three women globally continues to face physical or sexual violence, “a crisis we cannot accept as inevitable”. In the face of climate crisis, economic inequalities and humanitarian disasters, it is young women and adolescent girls who bear the brunt, are displaced, denied education, and made more vulnerable to violence.

World Not Designed for Women with Disabilities to Thrive

Eva Chisom Chukwunelo, Amputee Peer Counselor at the Mobility Clinic Limited in Nigeria, said that all women, no matter where they come from, should have the right to education, healthcare and leadership. But as a young woman with a disability, she wondered, “did that promise include me?” At 17, she said she stood at the crossroads, between two versions of her life. “One moment, I was a teenage girl with dreams, and the next, I was a girl with a disability, unsure of what my future held,” she added. “That was when I realized the world is not designed for women with disabilities to thrive, and if we do not demand justice, it never will be,” she said. Gender justice is incomplete if it does not include women and girls with disabilities.

How many girls with disabilities are missing from classrooms, not because they lack intelligence, but because inclusion is seen as too expensive, she asked. How many women with disabilities are absent from decision-making spaces, not because they lack vision, but because the world refuses to see their potential, she also wondered. “If you are not counted, then you do not count,” she said, urging countries to disaggregate data by gender, disability and age. Governments must actively engage young women with disabilities in policy creation and leadership. Schools must be built for all learners, healthcare systems must train providers to respect and serve women with disabilities, and leadership spaces must be welcoming, “not just in words, but in action”.

Meaningful Youth Engagement Key to Shaping Policy

“Meaningful youth engagement in the Beijing processes is crucial to shape policies that address our concerns, reflect our aspirations and make us part of the leadership, rather than just part of the conversation,” said Ema Mecaj, member of the Beijing+30 Youth Steering Committee. Over the past few days, the voice of young people has been clear. “We should not take this progress for granted, but we need to speak up for the challenges and voice the untold stories of many women and girls who daily face the impacts of misogyny and gender stereotypes,” she said.

She noted that, according to the World Bank, 712 million people live in extreme poverty, with women and girls being disproportionately affected by the adverse impacts of the climate crisis and displacement. Globally in 2023, 51,000 women and girls were killed by their intimate partners or other family members. “These statistics are unacceptable and unfortunately reflect the broken reality,” she said. As a medical student, she said that prevention strategies are needed to eradicate poverty, especially the feminization of poverty, and respond to technology facilitated gender-based violence.

Role of Boys and Men in Tackling Patriarchal Masculinities

“We must stop placing the burden on women to endure and navigate the toxicity of patriarchal systems and instead confront patriarchal masculinities as the root cause of their oppression,” said Ahdithya Visweswaran, Governance Coordinator at Young Diplomats of Canada. It is essential to tackle the ideological roots of patriarchal norms that perpetuate inequality and violence. Young men and boys must see themselves not as inherent opponents, but as natural allies and co-beneficiaries of the gender equality agenda. “Men and boys must no longer be seen as peripheral participants, but as indispensable stakeholders in this broader struggle for justice and equality,” he said.

But transformation cannot be simply achieved through narratives, it requires institutionalization, and the active participation of families, schools, communities and Governments, he stressed. For far too long, efforts to engage men and boys have been limited to pilot programmes, often disconnected from the broader systems and the broader work that’s being done. The socialization of boys is one of the most powerful yet underutilized tools for advancing gender equality. “We’re shaped by the environments in which we are raised,” he said, adding that positive role models can cultivate a new generation of men who embrace equity, reject violence, and build healthier masculinities.

Systemic and Structural Discrimination against Indigenous Women

Laura Huertas, Founder of ANYAR (Indigenous youth organization), said that many of the Beijing commitments have still not been fulfilled, particularly in rural areas, Indigenous areas, and in other marginal sectors of Latin America and the Caribbean. There and in other regions of the Global South, socioeconomic and political inequalities persist, despite progress in terms of access to education, health, and political participation of women.

“Being an Indigenous woman in Latin America is not easy, because we face the forced displacement within our territories, systematic discrimination, and structural discrimination,” she said. “In my territory alone, 76.9 per cent of people live in multidimensional poverty, and more than 62 per cent have to live outside their ancestral lands,” she said. Beijing+30 is “a cry of resistance”, she said, adding that “we don’t want just hollow roundtables”.

Financial Freedom and Justice Key to Advance Women’s Agency

Sanjana Chhantyal, Manager at the Criterion Institute, said that financial system was not designed for women and undervalues women’s care work. “It decides what is valuable, and by extension, who is valuable,” she said. Systemic barriers have prevented women from building wealth and acquiring financial assets such as land and property; yet financial institutions traditionally look for the presence of financial assets or collateral to decide who gets access to finance.

“Let us call it what it is, a poverty trap,” she said. Gender equality cannot be achieved without financial freedom and financial justice for all women and girls. “Financial independence supports our agency and our ability to advocate for our rights, step away from abusive situations and make choices about our health, education and careers,” she said. Empowered women empower other women and their communities. “Justice is not only about the absence of barriers, but also presence of opportunities,” she stressed.

__________

* The 9^th & 10^th meetings were not covered.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: The Future of Family Planning Convening Keynote Address by UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem

Source: United Nations Population Fund

Excellencies,
Esteemed partners,
Dear friends,
Dear young people,

I greet you in Peace, the noble purpose of the United Nations and the fervent wish of the women and girls UNFPA serves in over 150 countries around the world.

Thank goodness for the forward-looking initiatives of the William H. Gates Sr. Institute for Population and Reproductive Health. Thanks to the cohosts for bringing us together, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and FP2030.

As you and I look to the future of family planning, we need a time frame. That outlook could span 10 years from now – which is basically tomorrow – or all the way to the end of the century.

For instance, I’m currently leading the Lancet Commission on 21st Century Threats to Global Health, established with co-chair Christopher Murray of IHME.

We need a longer-term perspective because the effects of threats like to health like pollution, climate change, antimicrobial resistance, or an inverted population pyramid will take decades to alter future trajectories.

Modeling at the future through the lens of our Lancet Commission, we’ve made bold to peek through the magnifying glass to discern what just might happen by the year 2100.

That’s why standing here with you, I have no qualms to make bold and posit what will be the features of family planning in an intermediate era, say maybe 20 to 30 years.

From the outset, the future of family planning is built upon the bedrock of human rights. That future we envision is one of equality for all.

The future of family planning will be characterized by self-agency, especially on the part of young people — who expect innovation and demand the modernization of our field. They’re impatient for safe, effective, convenient, reversible and affordable methods. On top of that, the contraceptive offerings should be products that are pleasurable, that incorporate fun.

Let’s pose a fundamental question. Will we continue the expectation that it’s the woman with the womb who should bear eternal responsibility for planning the shape and the contours of the family of the future?

Which leads to another question: When will men step up and take their responsibilities? When will men be availed of reliable, quality commodities that are emblematic of sharing the burden as well as the triumphs of good family planning?

Second, in the future the clamor is for ready access.

I hope that this comes with the understanding that the risk proposition of hormonal or barrier methods will become so improved, that access will be through self-care. Through autonomous decision-making by fully empowered users of contraception who need no arbiter. Who need no permission from the husband, the significant other, the mother-in-law, the father, or any authoritative figure nominated by patriarchy. No doctor. No nurse. No gatekeeper’s intervention.

And of course, the means and methods to monitor and course correct must be there, if and when side effects would appear. Bodily autonomy demands just that.

Mind you, right now, nearly half of women lack the power to make their own decisions about their sexual and reproductive health. This must change – and we can change it – if we stand strong and stand together in upholding, protecting and advancing this fundamental human right for everyone – no exceptions, no exclusions.

As we contemplate the future, let’s take a look at how far we’ve come: from Bucharest in 1974, to the all-important rights-based 1994 Cairo International Conference on Population and Development (the ICPD), which put women and girls squarely at the center of development.

Jump to the London Summit on Family Planning in 2012, after which our collaborative efforts yielded remarkable results:

92 million more women in low and middle-income countries using modern contraception.

Since 2000, adolescent birth rates declined; maternal mortality fell by more than one-third; and globally, deaths of children under-5, halved.

Mothers are safer, babies are healthier, more women and couples can decide freely whether or when to have children, and more girls can stay in school and out of marriage.

Unfortunately, recently such progress has stalled, and in some places is actually going backwards.

Therefore, another feature of the future of family planning is that it will support demographic resilience.

Voluntary, rights-based family planning is fundamental to building societies that can adapt to shifting population dynamics.

Did you know that two-thirds of people now live in countries where fertility rates are trending, at or below replacement level? And people are living longer, populations are aging and catering for that is of increasing concern.

In response, some governments are attempting to reverse universal access to contraception and instead, introducing pro-natalist incentives, telling women it’s their patriotic duty to bear more babies, even banning postpartum contraception in health facilities.

Such directives threaten women’s hard-won rights and choices. Furthermore, there is an abundance of evidence that shows that without child care and elder care and paid leave and social support, these types of pro-natalist monetary incentives just won’t work.

Women, in all their sexual diversities, have inherent rights. These aren’t contingent on the demographic context. The solutions lie in expanding human rights, not in their constraint.

Next, I will also note that the future of contraception will cater for women in the direst of humanitarian circumstances.

Record levels of displacement are driving hardship and humanitarian need, with conflicts and climate induced disasters escalating seemingly everywhere you turn.

Family planning programmes must be able to continue to function during humanitarian emergencies, allowing women to make safer choices during uncertain times.

Consider Cecília, a mother of two daughters who UNFPA assists in Mozambique. She faced impossible choices when a cyclone destroyed her rural home and cut off essential services. Unable to access to family planning, she’s unexpectedly pregnant again, jeopardizing her ability to rebuild and get back on her feet, and she’s worried about her girls’ future.

The impact of humanitarian crisis is not gender-neutral. As livelihoods collapse and stress escalates, gender based violence explodes and child marriages surge. Cecília said she dreads the nightfall, fearing for her girls’ safety in the darkness as they sleep on mats under a tree.

Climate change brings its own unique consequences to reproductive and maternal health. Extreme heat increases miscarriages and stillbirths, and food insecurity endangers maternal and newborn health outcomes.

Family planning considerations of the future should be part and parcel of humanitarian resilience and response efforts, right from the start of a crisis — and not an afterthought.

Dear colleagues, dear friends,

Ours is a time of unprecedented challenges and uncertainty. Should I repeat that?

Rampant opposition is undermining progress on gender equality and compromising the rights and choices of women and girls all around the globe.

Within the halls of the United Nations, longstanding agreed language on gender, diversity, and sexual and reproductive health and rights is increasingly coming under attack. The hostility is organized, very well funded, careless and relentless.

Uncertainties about donor investment – notably the recent abrupt terminations of funding for major global health and humanitarian work – pose a grave threat to the well-being of millions, particularly people marginalized and already furthest behind.

Despite it all, lastly, I’m happy to tell you my crystal ball reveals that the future of family planning is well-resourced.

Despite all the turmoil, we will remain focused, and united. The opposition may be rampaging, yet our commitment to upholding women’s rights is fiercer. Our understanding of community needs is deeper. Our intellectual heft is stronger. Our willingness to defend the rights and choices of people in all their sexual diversities is steadfast.

And our commitment to science, to data and evidence for good planning, means we’re unconquerable.

UNFPA and this community have weathered many a storm before, and we will not waver in standing with women and girls, with families and communities, and with all our partners in the SRHR sector.

The backsliding in global funding is not just about dollars and cents. It’s about a woman walking for hours to a rural clinic, and turned away because the shelves are bare. It’s about a desperate adolescent girl, coerced into early marriage because contraception was out of her reach. Long-term sustainable financing for family planning is crucial. It’s lifesaving.

The UNFPA Supplies Partnership has pioneered successful approaches through financing innovations — mechanisms like Country Compacts, Matching Funds, and Bridge Funds— with the important added benefit of accelerating country-led domestic financing.

I applaud the wisdom of low and middle-income countries’ unprecedented investments to safeguard their family planning supplies, and to strengthen the supply systems.

I urge you to work where you are and where you have influence — in academia, in government, civil society, foundations, financial and private sector institutions, religious and traditional communities. Work to close the financing gap, to end stigma and to turn our dream of well-resourced family planning into reality!

So then, 30 years after Cairo and Beijing and with scarcely five years to go until 2030:

What is the future of family planning?

We’ve made significant gains, yet formidable challenges threaten future progress—pandemics, climate change, conflict, declining donor investment, and then — the systematic attacks on women’s rights and bodily autonomy.

Our response must match the scale of these threats. This calls for intergenerational partnerships, that transcend geographic and sectoral boundaries and that leverage diverse expertise, resources and influence.

It will take an estimated $60 billion in new funding annually to end the unmet need for family planning in 120 priority countries by the year 2030. There ‘is’ no better return on investment—as much as $120 for every $1 spent, and countless lives are transformed for the better.

Let me assert that the future of family planning will be determined by the choices we make today – together, unapologetically, and with the fierce urgency that this moment demands.

Change starts with us and leads to a future where every woman and girl can exercise her reproductive rights and choices with dignity, security, and freedom.

Our UNFPA vision of the future?

Contraceptive technology and research will significantly advance, reaching the ideal of full effectiveness and free access without limitations or boundaries.

Countries of the global South will lead, streamlining access to contraceptive services and information, institutionalizing policies that integrate SRHR into essential healthcare. Finally, family planning becomes part of integrated women’s health services and education.

Every individual, every couple, regardless of location, socioeconomic status, or background, will know where to easily turn for a full range of high-quality, affordable contraceptive offerings seamlessly integrated into maternal health, HIV, and routine wellness care and checkups.

In the future, family planning is recognized and acknowledged as an accelerator of gender equality, family wealth building, and of real development for people in their own home villages and urban landscapes.

After centuries of all-too familiar barrier methods and over a hundred years of tried and true hormonal methods, the future cries out for innovation; let’s have much more research and development of solutions designed with women and with adolescents.

Now that’s a bright future. Now that’s a future we can all get behind.

Dear friends,

It is said that: It’s only in winter that we know which trees are evergreen.

Thank you for being an astute and evergreen friend to women, to adolescents and to families.

The threads that bind this community are strong. They are unbreakable. We’re in this for the long haul, together, and together we shall win.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s humanoid robot craze sparks surge in rentals

Source: China State Council Information Office

Two humanoid robots walk forward at the exhibition hall of Unitree Robotics in Hangzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, Feb. 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Zongzhi)

In a mesmerizing display at a recent show in Hangzhou, eastern China’s leading tech hub, a dozen humanoid robots twisted and twirled in perfect sync, their joints clattering to the rhythm of joyful music as they captivated the audience and drew waves of cheers.

The spectacle reflects a growing trend, with businesses and individuals increasingly renting humanoid robots for performances, exhibitions, and livestreams to grab public attention.

These robots shot to fame earlier this year when a fleet from Unitree, a Chinese robotics startup, mesmerized audiences with a synchronized dance in colorful jackets at the Spring Festival Gala, one of China’s most-watched broadcasts. The overwhelming public attention and ensuing robot craze have since turned them into a sought-after commodity in the rental market.

“Orders for Unitree’s G1 humanoid robot rentals have been surging since early February, with bookings already lined up through late March,” said Gao Lai, who has been engaged in the robot rental business for over a decade. His company provided the rented robots for the show in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province.

“The daily rental price for a humanoid robot ranges from 8,000 to 15,000 yuan (about 1,115 to 2,091 U.S. dollars). With the booming demand, we anticipate our earnings to rise by 80 percent this year,” Gao added.

In terms of presale, Unitree’s G1 model starts at 99,000 yuan, while the H1 model has a starting price of 650,000 yuan.

Industry insiders told Xinhua that the growing demand for robots in business events, exhibitions and shows is fueling the expansion of the robot rental market, which holds great potential.

On Xianyu, one of China’s largest second-hand goods trading platforms, renting a Unitree robot can cost thousands of yuan, often covering transportation, machine adjustments and on-site support.

In Hangzhou’s Yuhang District, where the recent show took place, local authorities plan to host more robot shows and tutorial sessions in rural areas by renting robots.

“Dancing with robots grabs attention, and we hope to partner with companies to introduce AI to rural communities,” said Zhang Jingcan, a district official.

“The concept of humanoid robots is nothing new. Since the first one was developed in Japan in the 1960s, they’ve been a focal point of global competition,” said Xiong Rong, a professor at Zhejiang University and head of Zhejiang Humanoid Robot Innovation Center.

“Powered by AI, our robots are making progress faster than I anticipated,” said Wang Xingxing, CEO of Unitree Robotics. “We’ve upgraded the software algorithms in our humanoid robots to make them more agile and improve their dancing skills.”

However, some uncertainties exist when applying humanoid robots in more complicated scenarios at home or in businesses that require more flexible and diverse human-robot interactions.

“Humanoid robots will reach new heights by the end of this year, and if all goes well, we could see them deployed in some service or industrial sectors next year or the year after,” said Wang. “However, home-use models might see slower adoption due to higher security requirement.”

Emphasizing the importance of security in robot applications, Xiong said: “Only by ensuring the safety of human-robot interactions, the robot itself, and the data can we achieve large-scale production.”

Many industry insiders agree that the ultimate goal for humanoid robots is to evolve into general-purpose robots capable of adapting to diverse environments and performing a wide range of tasks without relying on specific sites or tools. Achieving this goal will require advancements in AI, high-end manufacturing and new materials, driven by academia and industry collaboration.

With surging demand and continuous innovation, China’s humanoid robot market is forecast to see exponential growth in the following years, clinching a significant share of the global market.

According to a report on the humanoid robot industry released at the 2024 World AI Conference in Shanghai, China’s humanoid robot market was estimated at 2.76 billion yuan last year. By 2029, it is expected to reach 75 billion yuan, accounting for 32.7 percent of the global market.

MIL OSI China News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Italian film acclaimed in China for portrayal of women’s struggles

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

The acclaimed Italian film “There’s Still Tomorrow” premiered in China recently, with its creators attending screenings in Beijing and Shanghai.

A still from “There’s Still Tomorrow.” [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

The 2023 Italian period comedy-drama film, co-written and directed by Paola Cortellesi in her directorial debut, is set in post-war 1940s Rome. It follows Delia, a working-class wife and mother who challenges traditional family norms and aspires to a better future for herself and her daughter after receiving a mysterious letter.

Cortellesi, along with collaborating screenwriters Giulia Calenda and Furio Andreotti, attended the premiere and special screening events in Shanghai and Beijing from March 8-9, coinciding with International Women’s Day celebrations.

“Reflecting on the past is to look forward to the future,” Cortellesi said at the Beijing event. She revealed that she drew inspiration from her grandmother’s story and the lives of countless women from that era in Italy. The June 2, 1946 referendum also played a significant role, marking the first time Italian women voted on whether Italy should be a monarchy or a republic, and elected representatives to the Constituent Assembly, a body tasked with drafting Italy’s post-war constitution. “My grandmother lived in a time when women’s rights were far inferior to men’s,” she said. “Their stories, struggles and fights should be told.”

The director also dedicated the film to her daughter and daughters of her generation. “They should bear witness to the rights women hold today because they must understand that these rights did not naturally exist nor will they last forever,” she emphasized. “Without this awareness, they won’t be able to defend the rights they have now or fight for more in the future.”

Creators of “There’s Still Tomorrow” pose for a photo with the audience in Beijing, March 9, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Hero Films]

Calenda told China.org.cn that the film reflects the Italian tradition of finding humor in tragedy. “We believe that the heavier and more serious the theme, the more effectively it can be conveyed through comedy,” she said. “This film aims to give a voice to women who have never had one — women who have always worked, raised children, cared for the elderly, and managed households, yet received no recognition.”

“Previous great Italian directors, when depicting the most severe, tragic and ugly phenomena, always approached them with absurdity and satirical humor. The power that emerged from this was often unexpected. In our creative process, we consciously — or unconsciously — drew inspiration from the post-war neorealist style,” added Andreotti.

Shot in black-and-white, “There’s Still Tomorrow” pays homage to the neorealist style of the 1940s and 1950s. The creators chose this format to reflect the essence of the era. They conducted extensive research, hired a historian, studied films and documents, and even examined the dialect spoken in Rome during that era.

Director Cortellesi emphasized that the film’s ending goes beyond a love story, conveying a deeper message. “Compared with the protagonist being saved by a man, I would rather see her rebirth through self-awakening,” she said. “That’s more important than love.”

A poster for “There’s Still Tomorrow.” [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

“There’s Still Tomorrow” has earned over $50 million worldwide, becoming Italy’s most successful film of 2023 and the ninth highest-grossing film in Italian history. It won six David di Donatello Awards, Italy’s top film honors, in 2024, as well as other global accolades. These included the People’s Choice Award Gala-Best Film at China‘s Pingyao International Film Festival. On China’s major review site, Douban, the film holds a high score of 9.4/10 based on more than 170,000 user reviews.

At the Beijing premiere, Liang Hong, a scholar, writer and professor in the School of Liberal Arts at Renmin University of China, described the film as “a profoundly impactful women’s film with a touch of dark humor.” She noted: “It uses lightness to convey weight and laughter to express tears. The film’s powerful conclusion leaves a lasting impact as if the director is speaking directly to the audience, encouraging each of us to take action.”

MIL OSI China News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: We need a Democratic House to protect the American people

Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – March 12, 2025

LEESBURG, VA — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu opened the 2025 Issues Conference alongside Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Katherine Clark, Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chair Suzan DelBene and Assistant Leader Joe Neguse.

CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Welcome everyone. Pleasure to be joined by my colleagues and we’ll be joined by DCCC Chair Suzan DelBene here shortly. Just so thrilled to be here with Vice Chair Ted Lieu in putting this conference together. And of course, Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark and Assistant Leader Neguse. We could not do this without the support of the Democratic Leadership team, and we feel all that support throughout our time here.

In the first seven weeks of the Trump Administration, we have seen nothing but chaos, confusion and corruption coming out of the White House. House Republicans have either stayed silent as their constituents get hurt or are voting to rip away health care for millions of Americans to pay for tax giveaways for billionaires.

House Democrats have been united in standing up for Medicaid to keep health care more affordable. House Democrats have been united in honoring our veterans who have fallen victim to Elon Musk’s reckless cuts to the VA health care system. We’ve been united in protecting Social Security, even as the President of the United States used his joint address to lay out the groundwork for cutting these benefits—by lying to our country about the claims of 100-year-old beneficiaries. And all of us remain united in our overarching message to make Leader Jeffries, Speaker Jeffries, no later than next year.

We’re going to talk about all of this over the course of the next few days, and we’re going to put the needs of the American people front and center in everything that we do. The economy that House Democrats helped build is in a free fall. In 2026, we need a Democratic House to protect the American people from the costly missteps of the Trump Administration. With that, I’ll introduce Leader Jeffries.

LEADER JEFFRIES: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar and Vice Chair Lieu for your leadership, for convening House Democrats and for the manner in which you have presided over the House Democratic Caucus in such an effective way during these very challenging times.

Donald Trump and House Republicans are crashing the American economy in real time and leading us toward a possible recession. Donald Trump and House Republicans promised that they would lower the high cost of living on day one. Costs aren’t going down. They’re going up. Inflation is going up. The stock market is going down. Consumer confidence is going down. Consumer spending is going down. The retirement security of the American people is going down. And it’s all connected to the chaos, confusion and corruption of the Trump Administration and Extreme MAGA Republicans.

House Democrats remain united in the effort to protect Medicaid and the health care of the American people. We remain united as it relates to protecting Social Security and Medicare. House Democrats strongly oppose the reckless Republican spending bill that will hurt families, hurt seniors and hurt veterans. House Democrats remain committed to building an affordable economy and driving down the high cost of living for everyday Americans. And House Democrats are united in our understanding that we must take back the Majority next year with the fierce urgency of now.

One of the Members who has led us in such an extraordinary way, both as it relates to keeping Democrats together, as was the case yesterday, and of course, as it relates to the House Republican devastating budget resolution, is our dynamic Whip, the Honorable Katherine Clark.

WHIP CLARK: Thank you so much, Mr. Leader. And to Chairman Aguilar and Vice Chair Lieu, we are so grateful to you for, once again, organizing this opportunity to come together as Democrats.

This is always a powerful opportunity at Issues Conference, but this year, especially, we are really grateful because we have a lot to dig into. Especially, the last 24 hours have shown a stark illustration of what we’re fighting to stop: a Republican Party that promised to put more money in the pockets of working people. They turned around and stole their money— stole from their own constituents, from their schools, their health care, their retirement—all to cut billionaire taxes and funnel corrupt contracts to Elon Musk.

Just look at the split screen. People can’t afford their rent. They can’t afford eggs. And what is Trump doing? He is hawking luxury car brands of his biggest donor on the White House lawn. The same day, he is slashing the Department of Education in half, going after 180,000 teachers whose jobs depend on federal funding, 7.5 million special education teachers who get federal support and the 90% of kids in this country who attend our public schools, and that’s just the start.

Yesterday’s defunding bill is going to wreak havoc on working families, and once again, it’s women and girls who will pay the heaviest price. The domestic violence survivors; they’re voting to evict them. The overworked VA nurses; 84% of whom are women who are either fired or being forced to take on even heavier workloads. The patients watching Republicans defund Alzheimer’s disease, breast cancer and maternal mortality research. The moms who are searching for affordable child care. Whether it’s born out of cruelty, cowardice or corruption, or all three, the GOP is hell bent on making families at home unsafe.

So, we recognize these are brutal and scary times. But here’s our message to the American people: House Democrats stand with you. We are fighting alongside you. We are not going to let House Republicans get away with this crime spree. Every day, leaders from our Caucus are holding the line, and especially, a little preview, the extraordinary women who have joined our ranks this Caucus, that I hope you will come join me at 10:15 a.m. tomorrow to meet our freshman women. But in the meantime, I will turn it over to another remarkable leader, our field general and talented Chair of the DCCC, Suzan DelBene.

DCCC CHAIR DELBENE: Good afternoon, everyone. Just a little over two months into their trifecta, House Republicans are well on their way to breaking the economy. Consumer confidence is evaporating. A new CNN poll today shows the majority of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of the economy. A record high stock market has lost all its gains since January, and prices continue to rise at the grocery store, the gas pump and the pharmacy counter.

Affordability was the number one issue for voters last election, but House Republicans have done nothing to lower prices. Promises were made. Promises are broken. Their tariffs will raise prices and create massive uncertainty for businesses, small and large. A small business owner in my district recently told me he’s already losing business. He’s not sure if he can be competitive price-wise going forward. Just the uncertainty alone of whether tariffs will be there or not has caused him to lose business. And what’s more, the stop and start and chaotic nature of these tariffs continues to be extremely harmful. It’s easy to lose business. It’s hard to get it back. And House Republicans seem fine with this. They dismiss the damage they’re causing as a little disturbance. But when a farmer can’t buy the fertilizer they need during planting season right now, or export their crops, that’s not a little disturbance. It’s incredibly harmful to their business. And Republicans promise to support our businesses, our farmers and our workers, but with these tariffs, they’re doing exactly the opposite.

House Democrats and the American people are going to hold Republicans accountable for their broken promises, and we’re already seeing across the country people standing up and speaking out against their dangerous agenda. The public is opposed to their cuts to Medicaid. They’re opposed to the mass layoffs of firefighters, of inspectors in charge of combating bird flu, of veterans who are supporting veterans at the Veterans Administration. House Republicans know how unpopular their agenda is, which is why vulnerable House Republicans have stopped holding in person town halls. They can try to hide all they want, but they can’t hide from voters forever.

The frustration and anger we’re seeing across the country should send a loud message to House Republicans. People are ready for a change, and they’re ready to help House Democrats take back the gavels. So, now I want to turn it over to our incredible Vice Chair from the great state of California, Ted Lieu

VICE CHAIR LIEU: Good afternoon. Chairman Aguilar and I are excited about this year’s Issues Conference. And let me start by thanking Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Whip Clark and Chairman Aguilar for their strong leadership and unifying the Democratic Caucus against the Republican CR. That was a strong show of force yesterday by House Democrats.

Donald Trump, last week, came to Congress and he lied to the American people. He promised a Golden Age. Instead, we’re entering a Trump Slump. We see that prices have increased, especially egg prices. We see the stock market is down, approximately 2,500 points since Trump took office. And consumer sentiment is down, and this is because of his chaotic policies such as indiscriminate tariffs, and then his weakness and indecisiveness and flip-flopping on those tariffs that is causing a lot of chaos in the markets. He’s also doing harmful things like cutting scientists and inspectors who work on bird flu. He’s cutting funding for scientists who are working on diseases such as ALS, Alzheimer’s and cancer. And the American people are noticing.

In January, Democrats flipped a state Senate seat in Iowa that Trump had won by 21 points, and just this week, in another special election Iowa for a House Delegate seat, our candidate over performed by 24 points.

With our Field General Suzan DelBene, we’re going to flip the House next year, and I look forward to working with this entire Leadership team in doing so. It’s now my honor to introduce Joe Neguse who has done a fantastic job as Assistant Democratic Leader.

ASSISTANT LEADER NEGUSE: Good afternoon. I thank you all for being here. Thank you to Chair Aguilar, Vice Chair Lieu, for convening us for the important conversations that will ensue over the next two days, and of course to Leader Jeffries, Whip Clark and Chairwoman DelBene for their incredible leadership over the course of these last several years.

There’s a headline that I came across this morning that I think so well encapsulates the chaos and the dysfunction that we are living through in the precarious moment that we find ourselves in, from CBS News. The headline is this, “Lutnick says Trump’s policies are ‘worth it’, even if they lead to a recession.” The Lutnick, of course, that this article is referring to, is President Trump’s Commerce Secretary. Think about that for a second. That in his view, these reckless economic policies are worth it, even if they cause a recession. And it appears they will get their wish, as you heard Vice Chair Lieu, Chair Aguilar, Leader Jefferies, Whip Clark, Chairwoman DelBene describe the economic havoc that President Trump and his Administration have created over just the course of these last seven weeks. Stock market crashing. Job losses piling up. 401Ks vanishing. The prices for everyday goods going up across the board. Federal workers, folks at the Forest Service, wildland firefighters in my district back home in Colorado, purged from the federal government. Agencies being dismantled. All of this has real world consequences for the people that we are all so privileged to serve here in the United States Congress.

The time for the Trump Administration to abandon these reckless policies is now. They warrant a decisive, comprehensive response from House Democrats, which is precisely what we’ve done for the better part of the last seven weeks and we look forward to having more discussions on our response in the days ahead.

And with that, I’ll turn it back to Chairman Aguilar.

Video of the full press conference can be viewed here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: The American people are asking us to fight back

Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

March 14, 2025

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar joined Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries and Democratic Whip Katherine Clark for a press conference on the partisan Republican funding bill.

CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: I want to thank Whip Clark and Leader Jeffries for their continued leadership of House Democrats, who have been very clear what side we’re on.

Leader Jeffries has been consistent in saying we will always stand up for the American people. They are asking us to fight back against this slashing attempt to gut Medicaid, cut Social Security, eliminate the Department of Education, all so the billionaire class can pay less in taxes. This is a fight worth having today and tomorrow, and next week, and as long as we’re here in Congress. Our constituents are worried about how they’re going to pay the bills, how they’re going to buy a home, how they’re going to send their kids to college. They are seeing their prices go up, and these Republican policies tank the stock market. They’re not following the Beltway news of who’s up and who’s down, but they are very attuned to the Republican recession and that it could cost them their health care and their job, and they know when their elected officials are willing to fight for them. They know when someone is looking out for their own pocketbook or they’re looking out for their own self-interest.

That’s why House Democrats will continue this fight and to continue everything we have done to center this around the American people, and we’ll continue to do that under the leadership of Hakeem Jeffries.

Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: FDA Roundup: March 14, 2025

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

For Immediate Release:
March 14, 2025

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is providing an at-a-glance summary of news from around the agency:

On Thursday, the FDA posted information on the flu vaccine composition for the 2025-2026 U.S. flu season. The agency, in consultation with our federal partners, reviewed the available data and made its recommendations to manufacturers of the U.S.-licensed influenza vaccines for the production of updated vaccines for the 2025-2026 flu season. Based on this timing, the agency does not anticipate any impact on vaccine supply or timing of availability.
On Thursday, the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER) published two case studies and a case study user guide, developed as part of the Accelerating Rare disease Cures (ARC) Program’s Learning and Education to Advance and Empower Rare Disease Drug Developers (LEADER 3D) initiative. These case studies provide examples of approaches successfully used by sponsors when designing and conducting rare disease drug development programs. The ARC Program launched LEADER 3D to better understand and address the unique challenges in bringing rare disease products to market. As part of the initiative, CDER’s Rare Diseases Team worked with an independent contractor to conduct interviews with the rare disease drug development community and performed a review of public docket comments to identify educational opportunities across regulatory topics of interest in rare disease drug development. These case studies and the other materials on the LEADER 3D website are reflective of the needs and priorities heard from our valuable partners in the rare disease drug development community. Read the case studies at the LEADER 3D website.
On Wednesday, the FDA announced that the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has issued the final guideline, “The Joint Clinical Practice Guideline on Benzodiazepine Tapering: Considerations When Benzodiazepine Risks Outweigh Benefits”. This guideline focuses on evidence-informed and consensus-based strategies to help clinicians determine whether tapering benzodiazepine medications may be appropriate for a given patient, and if so, how to taper them. The FDA awarded a grant to ASAM in 2022 to develop this guideline, which will serve as a standard of care for safe tapering of benzodiazepines. The draft guideline issued in June 2024.
On Tuesday, the FDA issued a Safety Alert advising restaurants and retailers not to serve or sell and consumers not to eat certain frozen half-shell oysters from Republic of Korea designated area II, potentially contaminated with norovirus.

Related Information

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Boilerplate

The FDA, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, protects the public health by assuring the safety, effectiveness, and security of human and veterinary drugs, vaccines and other biological products for human use, and medical devices. The agency also is responsible for the safety and security of our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, dietary supplements, radiation-emitting electronic products, and for regulating tobacco products.

Inquiries

Consumer:
888-INFO-FDA

Content current as of:
03/14/2025

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Disruptions in Availability of Hemodialysis Bloodlines – Letter to Health Care Providers

Source: US Department of Health and Human Services – 3

March 14, 2025
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is aware that the U.S. is experiencing interruptions in the supply of hemodialysis bloodlines because of recent supplier issues. The disruption in supply of this device is expected to impact patient care and as such may require adjustments to the clinical management of patients receiving acute or chronic hemodialysis. The FDA expects the duration of this shortage to extend through early fall of 2025. The FDA recommends health care providers consider strategies to conserve the use of hemodialysis bloodlines when possible.
On January 8, 2025, B. Braun issued a customer letter detailing an interruption in the production and supply of certain hemodialysis bloodlines as well as available market alternatives for these products.
Recommendations
The FDA recommends health care providers experiencing interruptions or shortages in supply of hemodialysis bloodlines develop strategies to conserve their use. Providers should use their clinical judgment when developing and implementing conservation strategies.
In developing strategies to preserve the supply for patients at highest risk, please consider the following:

Continue to provide dialysis treatments to your patients.
Monitor current and future supplies of bloodlines.
Develop plans and implement strategies to conserve the supply of bloodlines and reduce the impact on patient care.
Be aware the FDA is working with manufacturers to understand the availability of devices and develop mitigation strategies, if needed.
Remain alert for further updates and recommendations from the FDA and applicable manufacturers.
Refer to the following guidelines for best practices for the care of patients receiving hemodialysis:

Voluntarily report any concerns with supply chain and/or shortages of hemodialysis bloodlines to the FDA at deviceshortages@fda.hhs.gov.
The FDA will keep health care providers and the public informed as new or additional information becomes available.
Background
The FDA is updating the Medical Device Shortages List to include hemodialysis bloodlines (product code FJK). Section 506J of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) requires the FDA to maintain a publicly available, up-to-date list of the devices the FDA has determined to be in shortage.
FDA Actions
The FDA is:

Working with manufacturers and dialysis providers to monitor the current situation in order to help ensure hemodialysis bloodlines remain available for patients when medically necessary.
Evaluating potential solutions for mitigating patient impact.
Informing the public as new information becomes available.

The FDA reviews each notification received under section 506J of the FD&C Act and uses this information, along with any additional details about the supply of and demand for a device, to determine whether the device is in shortage.
Reporting Problems to the FDA
The FDA encourages health care providers to report any supply chain challenges or suspected adverse events experienced with hemodialysis bloodlines.

By promptly reporting device availability issues and potential shortages, you can help the FDA understand the scope of the problem and when possible, mitigate the issue.
Contact Information
If you have questions about this letter, contact the Division of Industry and Consumer Education (DICE).

Content current as of:
03/14/2025

MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Low-level helicopter flights to image geology over Michigan and Wisconsin

Source: US Geological Survey

The Michigan and Wisconsin flights are part of a national effort to map critical mineral resources needed to drive the U.S. economy and national security, searching below ground and in tailings from old mines. As directed by the Energy Act of 2020, the U.S. Geological Survey has identified 50 critical minerals essential to the U.S. economy and national security, with a supply chain vulnerable to disruption. The USGS partners on this effort with the Michigan Geological Survey, the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, and many other state geological surveys.

Flights will cover areas within Alger, Baraga, Chippewa, Delta, Dickinson, Gogebic, Houghton, Iron, Keweenaw, Luce, Mackinac, Marquette, Menominee, Ontonagon, and Schoolcraft Counties in Michigan as well as Florence, Forest, Marinette, and Vilas County in Wisconsin.

The flights will be based out of various Michigan airports. Flights and landing areas could shift with little warning to other parts of the survey area as necessary to minimize ferrying distances and avoid adverse flying conditions.

The purpose of the airborne electromagnetic (AEM) survey is to provide images of subsurface electrical resistivity that expand the fundamental knowledge of geology underpinning an area covering parts of the Penokean orogen and the Midcontinent Rift System in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula into Wisconsin. These flights are a part of a two-year airborne data collection project, expected to finish in 2025. The survey is funded by the USGS Earth Mapping Resources Initiative and is designed to meet needs related to mineral resource assessments, regional geologic framework and mapping studies, as well as water resource investigations and surficial mapping studies. The AEM survey is focused on characterizing several major mineral systems, including critical minerals associated with mafic magmatic, volcanogenic seafloor, and porphyry systems.

The new geophysical data will be processed to develop high-resolution three-dimensional representations of near-surface geology from the surface to depths up to 1500 ft (roughly 500 meters) below the surface. The 3D models and maps derived from this project are important for improving our understanding of critical mineral resource potential, water resources, groundwater pathways near legacy mining areas, parameters for infrastructure and land use planning.

The helicopter will fly along pre-planned fight paths relatively low to the ground at about 100 – 200 feet (30-60 meters) above the land surface. The ground clearance will be increased as needed and will comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. Flight lines will be flown along lines of variable orientation and spacing with approximate typical spacings ranging from 5000 ft (1500 m) to 6.2 miles (10 km).

Figure 1: A low-flying helicopter towing a geophysical device collects scientific data on groundwater and geology. (Credit: SkyTEM Canada Inc.)

The USGS has contracted with NV5 and SkyTEM to collect data.

A sensor that resembles a large hula-hoop will be towed beneath the helicopter to measure small electromagnetic signals that can be used to map geologic features.

None of the instruments carried beneath or on the aircraft pose a health risk to people, animals, or plant life. No photography or video data will be collected. The data collected will be made freely available to the public on ScienceBase, typically within one year of flight completion. The aircraft will be flown by experienced pilots that are specially trained and approved for low-level flying. The survey company works with the FAA to ensure flights are safe and in accordance with U.S. law. The surveys will be conducted during daylight hours only. Surveys do not occur over densely populated areas and the helicopter will not directly overfly buildings at low altitude.

The survey fits into a broader effort by the USGS, the Michigan Geological Survey, the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, and other partners, including private companies, academics and state and federal agencies to modernize our understanding of the Nation’s fundamental geologic framework and knowledge of mineral resources. This effort is known as the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative, and it includes airborne geophysical surveys like this one, geochemical reconnaissance surveys, topographic mapping using LiDAR technology, hyperspectral surveys, and geologic mapping projects.

To read more about this project and others, visit our newsroom.

More information about the USGS Earth Mapping Resource Initiative (Earth MRI) can be found here. To learn more about how the USGS is investing the resources from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, visit our website. To learn more about USGS mineral-resource and commodity information, please visit our website.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis Appoints Garen D. Gervey to the Arapahoe County Court in the 18th Judicial District

Source: US State of Colorado

DENVER – Today, Governor Polis appointed Garen D. Gervey to the Arapahoe County Court in the 18th Judicial District. The appointment fills the vacancy occasioned by the appointment of the Honorable Joshua J. Williford to the 18th Judicial District Court. The appointment is effective immediately.

Mr. Gervey is a District Court Magistrate in the 18th Judicial District, a position he has held since 2024. His docket consists of domestic matters. Previously, he was a Lead Deputy Public Defender (2020-2024), Senior Deputy Public Defender (2016-2020), and Deputy Public Defender (2012-2016) in the State Public Defender’s Office in Golden; and Law Clerk for the Honorable R. Brooke Jackson of the United States District Court for the District of Colorado (2011-2012) and for the First Judicial District Court (2010-2011). Mr. Gervey earned his B.A. from the University of California San Diego in 2003 and his J.D. from the University of Colorado Law School in 2009.

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MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: As President Trump Dismantles the U.S. Department of Education, Governor Walz Outlines Impact on Minnesota Students and Families

Source: US State of Minnesota

Governor Tim Walz today visited an elementary school in Fridley to highlight the impact on Minnesota students and families as President Trump dismantles the U.S. Department of Education. Funding from the U.S. Department of Education provides critical resources to meet the needs of 2,500 schools and over 860,000 students in Minnesota.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul is a Guest on Telemundo 47

Source: US State of New York

arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on Telemundo 47 with Rosarina Bretón. The Governor spoke on Immigration and Customs Enforcement in New York, the Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget, putting money back in the pockets of New Yorkers and her proposal for distraction-free schools.

AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: So, let’s talk about business here in the great State of New York, and we understand all the immigration challenges that we have right now. You received a visit yesterday in Albany from Tom Homan, and he’s saying that he wants more ICE here in the city and the state. So, my question is, how are you going to protect the sanctuary city from ICE?

Governor Hochul: Well, he was very threatening when he arrived and what I want to remind everyone is that when it comes to someone who has committed a crime in their home country, committed a crime here or is on a terrorism watch list, we’ll help ICE remove individuals who could do harm to the residents, and the citizens, and the visitors and the undocumented who live here — I want to protect the entire community.

That’s my number one job is to protect people. So, we’ll provide assistance like we did under the Biden administration. I mean, this is not a new policy to assist ICE in those cases. But, I have been very clear: You will not come here and divide families, separate mothers from children — as we saw in the last Trump administration — to separate people who’ve done nothing wrong.

I mean, so many people came here, just like my immigrant grandparents — left great, great poverty. My grandfather left Ireland as a teenager; he became a migrant farm worker himself in South Dakota. It’s the only job he could find.

This is the immigrant story, and people came here fleeing either great poverty, or economic circumstances or even political persecution. They come here and we embrace them because we actually need them. Our economy thrives because of the people who come here willing to work hard and support themselves and their families, and that’s how we’ll be stronger as a state. So, we’ll help in one area, but in other areas, you know, we have said we will not, and that’s just our policy.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: So, good immigrants could be in peace?

Governor Hochul: I can’t stop them if they take a step beyond what we want them to do, but we will not cooperate with them. That is what sanctuary city means — that I will cooperate in certain circumstances. If you have a warrant for someone’s arrest, you know they’ve committed a crime, of course we’ll help you to protect our streets. But also, we’re not going to provide assistance in a situation where we just want to remove people because all they did was cross the border.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: Of course. And let’s talk about congestion pricing because a Siena Poll recently showed that a lot of New Yorkers are in favor. However, March 21 — the deadline that the Republican government gave — it’s approaching. Are you turning on or off the cameras?

Governor Hochul: We’re keeping the cameras on. I have said that. And when the Trump administration sent us a very threatening letter about this — and President Trump said, “I’m killing congestion pricing. Long live the King,” I reacted very negatively to that. I did a press conference in the subway and said, “We do not live under a king. We haven’t for 250 years in this country.” So, we stood up, said, “Our cameras are staying on,” and we’re going to do everything we can to fight this in the courts.

I believe we’ll be successful because it has had an incredible effect on people. Even those who opposed it first, those who are commuting into Manhattan, the Central Business District, are finding traffic is going faster. The businesses are seeing a lot more foot traffic, people stopping inside and more people are taking the subways. People are coming in from New Jersey, for example — they’re shaving off a lot of time in their morning commute. And the money will be used to build a Second Avenue Subway up in Harlem and help open up many more job opportunities for people to get to faster. And we’ll also connect infrastructure from Brooklyn to Queens through an expressway there as well — the Interborough Express, we call it.

So, we have a lot of great things. We’re going to keep investing in this. I know that so many people rely on this to get to their jobs, and their schools, and their doctor’s appointments and to see family. We can’t let anything happen to the subway system. It is our lifeline. But also, we have to have the money to support it as well.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: And I feel this is an adjustment and it’s going to take time, but we’ve seen the improvement and that’s very important.

Governor Hochul: Yes, we have.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: And Governor, let’s talk about money. Let’s talk about your Budget.

I know that you have a lot of good plans for our families, specifically hardworking families. And we know there’s a credit that being debated right now in the Legislature in Albany. What do you expect to happen with that important money that you want to give back to the people?

Governor Hochul: Here’s my issue: I’m very aware that New York families are struggling. I didn’t need an election to tell me that. I’ve known that for a long time. I’ve been fighting for affordability since I first became Governor three years ago. It is huge. People are paying for child care and utility bills and their rent, and just the cost of living is so high. Groceries cost so much. The cost of eggs keeps going up higher and higher — $11, $12 here in the City.

So, families are really hurting and what I wanted to do was find a way through my Budget — that I unveiled a couple months ago to put more money back into people’s pockets — because I said, “Your family is my fight. I will fight for them.” What are we looking to do? If you have children under the age of four — before I became Governor, there were no tax credits for the parents at all — you got zero. I put it to $330. I said, “Let’s triple it to $1,000.” If you have a child under the age of four, you’ll get a $1,000 check rebate or rebate on your taxes. If you have a school age child — $500. What about a tax cut? Middle class tax cut, the largest tax rate cut in 70 years — I proposed that as well.

Also, everybody knows inflation takes so much more money out of our pockets because everything costs more. So, I want to put it back in people’s pockets, right where it came from. We collected over $3 billion more in surplus sales tax revenue because the cost of everything was so much higher — little kids’ clothes and sneakers and backpacks. So, we’re going to give a rebate check for $500 to every single family.

When I walk around the bodegas, and I walk in the stores, people — when I tell them this — they are so excited. This could help with their utility bills and the grocery bills for if even for only a month. So, I want to do that. But also, making sure that across the state — the State will cover the cost of school breakfast and lunches, and that puts about $1,600 back in a parent’s pocket per child as well.

So, you add all this up — the inflation rebate, the tax cut, the savings from not having to cover the cost of lunches and everything else we’re doing — it adds up to about $5,000 back in the pockets of hardworking families with little kids. So, I want to get this done. The Legislature wants to do something else with the money for the inflation rebate — I disagree. I think we should do one shot this year and give it to everybody earning under $300,000. Let them know we’re paying attention, and I will fight for that. The Legislative process, the Budget process is just beginning and I know who I’m standing with — I’m standing with New York families.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: With your proposal for the free lunches, I posted a video on my social media — people were so happy about the idea. So, you can tell that it will be amazing for a lot of our families. Let’s talk about cellphones. A lot of legislatures — or some legislatures in Albany — they want to modify how you present the school ban cellphones in schools. What do you think about that?

Governor Hochul: I want to fight to accomplish the full bell-to-bell to ban distraction in schools, and to create a distraction-free environment. No smart phones, no ear buds, no cell phones, and here’s why: The mental health of our children, especially middle school and high school, is really declining — and a lot of it comes from what I heard from young women.

I’ve been in a roundtable in the Bronx with Latinas and girls asking, “What is going on in your lives?” And they said they’re under so much pressure; there’s bullying; they mock each other out and criticize their clothing and it makes them feel that they’re not invited to the parties where the cool kids are, and it’s taking them down to such a dark place. It’s really affecting their emotional wellbeing as well as their academic performance.

So, we need to get our kids back — let them have a childhood again. I mean, people my age and even my older children’s age, they didn’t have to deal with this distraction. Teachers cannot teach anymore. They’re competing with the cellphone. They just want to say, “Can I have that child all day long? And I’ll make them the best they can be.” And then after school, kids can do whatever they want.

But I will not water it down. I have to stand firm that we’re not going to just create this scenario where it’s in-and-out of the pockets all day long. It’s hard for the teachers. And I know a lot of parents stand with me on this. So, this is just one of the issues we have to take on in the legislature this year.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: And I’m so glad because we don’t want distractions. I’m a mom and I wish that my son would never see his cellphone on any school day. So, I’m very happy for that. We are going to talk about municipal politics because we know there’s a race coming up. There are 10 candidates and there’s a lot — you’ve been having a lot of pressure for Mayor Eric Adams to step down. You have the power to do so. I remember that you appointed — or a committee that would oversee him. What is Albany doing, because I know that you need an approval in order to have that all set.

Governor Hochul: That’s the Legislature. Here’s what happens: There are many, many people running for office. Historically, the governors and the mayors in this state, in this city, have been in conflict — a lot of fighting — and I’ve never thought that that was good for the residents of New York City. I also represent the 8.3 million residents of New York City. These are my constituents, I live here at least half of the week. I walk the streets. I go everywhere and I’m proud to do that. But I think that the Mayor and the Governor should be working together, hand-in-hand.

For example, when we talk about safety, I have done more than any Governor in the history of the state to help safety in the city. I’m, right now, using state dollars to pay for the overtime for the New York Police to be on our subways all night long — two police officers on every train. The subway crimes have gone down dramatically. The National Guard I put in the subways.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: Are you going to keep them?

Governor Hochul: I’m going to keep them, yes. I want people to feel the sense of security when they get on the subway system, and we’re making great progress. And helping get people’s mental health problems off the subways. The subways should not be a rolling homeless shelter either.

We have to focus on this. So, my point is, I want someone I can work with. Someone who will roll up their sleeves, understand my priorities are public safety, dealing with the mental health crisis, building more housing — that’s one of the reasons life is so expensive in the city because there’s not enough housing supply.

If we built more housing, more apartments, more affordable homes — people could afford to live here more easily. So, I’ve had to fight to get that done as well. I need a partner. So I know it’s complicated for everyone to look at all these choices, but I need someone who commits to working with me.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: What is your message to voters when we’re seeing so many candidates, like Mr. Cuomo?

Governor Hochul: Right, there’s many candidates to choose from. You know, certainly the incumbent Eric Adams is running for re-election. There’s a lot of candidates. We have a new entry, I know the Speaker just started. Speaker Adrienne Adams just joined the race. So, it’s a lot for people to process, but I think it’s a little bit early in the process. People still need to put out their agendas. See what they’re going to do for people, look through their past records, look at their life stories and it’s a lot to evaluate, but it’s really one of the most important decisions they’ll make this year.

And I will work with whomever the voters of this great city decide should be my partner, if they’re willing to do that. And so, it’ll be over in a few months, but there’s a lot more information to come out over the next few months between now and the end of June.

Rosarina Bretón, Telemundo 47: I appreciate so much that you took your time to sit down with the ethnic media today, and make your voice be heard with so many people that love you in our communities, and believe that you can protect them.

Governor Hochul: It’s a privilege to be with you, and this is something that’s important to me.

Ethnic media really is the voice of the community, so I pay close attention to the issues you raise, but also to have the opportunity to speak in my own voice to the community that I care so deeply about, that I really treasure, and I thank you. Muchas gracias.

MIL OSI USA News –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: VIDEO: Columbia University Student Whose Visa Was Revoked for Supporting Hamas and Terrorist Activities Used CBP Home App to Self-Deport

Source: US Department of Homeland Security

Another student who supported Hamas was arrested by ICE HSI for overstaying her student visa.

WASHINGTON – Today, Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced that one of the Columbia students who had her student visa revoked for advocating for violence and terrorism self-deported using the CBP Home App and ICE arrested a Palestinian student for overstaying her expired F-1 visa.

Ranjani Srinivasan, a citizen and national of India, entered the United States on a F-1 student visa as doctoral student in Urban Planning at Columbia University. Srinivasan was involved in activities supporting Hammas, a terrorist organization. On March 5, 2025, the Department of State revoked her visa. The Department of Homeland Security has obtained video footage of her using the CBP Home App to self-deport on March 11.

Another student Leqaa Kordia, a Palestinian from West Bank, was arrested by ICE HSI Newark officers for overstaying her expired F-1 student visa. Her visa terminated on January 26, 2022, for lack of attendance. Previously, in April 2024 Kordia was arrested for her involvement in pro-Hamas protests at Columbia University in New York City.

The below statement is attributable to Secretary Noem:

“It is a privilege to be granted a visa to live and study in the United States of America. When you advocate for violence and terrorism that privilege should be revoked, and you should not be in this country. I am glad to see one of the Columbia University terrorist sympathizers use the CBP Home app to self-deport.”

MIL Security OSI –

March 15, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: Pacific – Pacific island water security requires new approach – Flinders University

Source: Flinders University

Hydrology experts at Flinders University are calling for urgent investigations into the operation of bore-fields that access fresh groundwater on Pacific islands, including Kiribati, where rising sea levels are already putting local water supplies at risk.

“These atoll islands have the most threatened fresh groundwater on earth, and are relied upon by some of the most remote communities,” says Flinders University’s Professor Adrian Werner.

Modelling of a specialised form of fresh groundwater extraction, featuring horizontal wells, has the potential to reduce the risk of aquifer reserves being overused, and to provide drinking water of lower salinity.

Such wells, also known as infiltration galleries or skimming wells, play a crucial role in extracting fresh groundwater on atoll islands. They typically comprise horizontal or slightly inclined slotted pipes, surrounded by a gravel pack and connected to an extraction well or sump.

These infiltration galleries skim fresh groundwater from shallow depths while minimising the risk of saltwater intrusion beneath thin subterranean freshwater lenses, which typically range 3 to 21 metres in thickness. The design, construction and operation of these galleries need to be precise to avoid drawing seawater into the island’s water supply.

Such galleries are currently in operation across several atoll islands, and Flinders researchers have focused on nine small islands in the Pacific Ocean, including Kiritimati Atoll and Bonriki Island in Kiribati, Lifuka Island in Tonga, and the Cocos Islands.

While these systems provide crucial freshwater supplies, information is lacking about the optimal layout of infiltration galleries, pipe characteristics and pumping rates. There is also limited data on the performance of these galleries – specifically pumping rates and salinity levels – on small atoll islands.

A research team from the National Centre for Groundwater Research and Training (NCGRT) at Flinders University, led by Professor Werner and Dr Amir Jazayeri, was commissioned by the Pacific Community (SPC), under the management of Mr Peter Sinclair, to address these research gaps and evaluate the performance of infiltration galleries across Pacific islands.

They also performed modelling to assess how infiltration galleries on atolls will be affected by rising sea levels in the future.

This comprehensive study involved collecting extensive data on the hydraulic properties of atoll island aquifers and analysing the design of infiltration galleries across the region.

Valuable insights were gathered from infiltration gallery operators during Flinders University’s participation in the Pacific Groundwater Gallery Knowledge Exchange (PGGKE) workshop, held on Kiritimati Atoll (Kiribati) in November 2023.

The research also incorporated computer modelling simulations and physical laboratory experiments conducted at Flinders University’s Sand Tank Laboratory, to gain a deeper understanding of infiltration gallery performance.

The findings of this study have been published as a United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) scientific technical report, providing critical guidance for sustainable groundwater management in the Pacific.

“While many studies have examined horizontal wells in other contexts, the specific conditions of small islands, especially atolls, places unique demands on infiltration galleries,” says Professor Werner.

Dr Jazayeri says the research team continues to focus on solutions to protect freshwater resources and serve the demands of isolated communities across the Pacific, using a wide range of research techniques.

“We believe that expanding the use of infiltration gallery systems in other coastal aquifers can significantly contribute to managing crucial coastal freshwater resources, both in Australia and globally,” says Dr Jazayeri.

The review article – ‘Construction and performance of infiltration galleries (skimming wells): A review of applications to Pacific atoll islands’ (2025) by Amir Jazayeri and Adrian Werner – has been published in the Journal of Hydrology. DOI:10.1016/j.jhydrol.2024.132581

Professor Werner is confident the findings will have wider applications across many countries.

“The insights gained from applying infiltration galleries to Pacific atolls offers opportunities for more widespread applications within continental aquifers, especially to capture submarine fresh groundwater discharge that is otherwise lost through mixing with seawater and to mitigate seawater intrusion,” he says.

“This all contributes to global groundwater management strategies.”

Professor Werner says further research is now needed into optimal designs and wider application in continental aquifers.

• This study was funded by the Pacific Community (SPC) under the Managing Coastal Aquifers in Selected Pacific SIDS project (Contract No. 23–5419).

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

March 15, 2025

Category: Education

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Integrity and democracy

Senator Reverend Warnock Unveils Legislative Package to Address Housing Affordability and Availability Crisis

General Assembly commemoration

A collective responsibility

Stop unjust portrayal of women

The path forward

Gender Justice Cannot Be Achieved without Ending Discrimination against Indigenous Women, Girls, Those with Disabilities, Speakers Stress

30 Years after Landmark Women’s Conference in Beijing, Gender Equality an Unfulfilled Promise

World Not Designed for Women with Disabilities to Thrive

Meaningful Youth Engagement Key to Shaping Policy

Role of Boys and Men in Tackling Patriarchal Masculinities

Systemic and Structural Discrimination against Indigenous Women

Financial Freedom and Justice Key to Advance Women’s Agency