NewzIntel.com

Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign Minister Lin meets with SPD delegation from German Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    Foreign Minister Lin meets with SPD delegation from German Bundestag Foreign Affairs Committee

    • Date：2024-09-17
    • Data Source：Department of European Affairs

    September 17, 2024  

    No. 307  

    Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung met with a Social Democratic Party (SPD) delegation from the German Bundestag Committee on Foreign Affairs on September 16. The delegation included Mr. Michael Müller and Mr. Andreas Larem. The two sides exchanged views on joint efforts by democratic partners to counter authoritarian expansion, Germany’s China and Indo-Pacific strategies, the recent transit of German naval vessels through the Taiwan Strait, the European Union’s de-risking policy, and other issues. 

     

    Minister Lin stated that with China and other authoritarian countries persistently challenging the rules-based international order, democratic partners should work in solidarity to enhance economic and social resilience. He reiterated Taiwan’s willingness to share with European partners its experience in countering China’s hybrid warfare, information warfare, and economic coercion. Minister Lin also affirmed the recent transit of German vessels through the Taiwan Strait so as to safeguard freedom of navigation, adding that he was pleased that Germany and the EU were implementing de-risking policies. Noting that an investment project in Dresden by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company had set a new milestone in bilateral cooperation, Minister Lin expressed the hope that Taiwan and Germany would steadily bolster economic and trade cooperation and jointly strengthen economic resilience.

     

    Mr. Müller and Mr. Larem strongly concurred on the importance of democratic partners standing in unity against authoritarian expansion. Calling for enhanced cooperation among democracies in such domains as the economy, technology, and culture, they said they looked forward to deeper substantive collaboration between Taiwan and Germany.

     

    Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs François Chihchung Wu also hosted a luncheon for the delegation on the same day. During the luncheon, Deputy Minister Wu pointed out that China’s authoritarian expansionist ambitions were not purely a cross-strait issue but rather represented a grave challenge to the international order. He said that Taiwan sincerely hoped to work with like-minded European partners to contribute to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.

     

    This was the first visit to Taiwan by all delegation members. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs looks forward to Taiwan and Germany building on their strong existing foundations to further deepen bilateral ties and jointly advance global peace, stability, and prosperity. (E)

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    Source: Republic of Taiwan – Ministry of Foreign Affairs

    MOFA response to public comments by US Deputy Secretary of State Campbell on UNGA Resolution 2758 and cross-strait peace and stability

    • Date：2024-09-20
    • Data Source：Department of North American Affairs

    September 20, 2024 

    The US House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing on “Great Power Competition in the Indo-Pacific” on September 18. In response to a question concerning the fact that Taiwan’s status was not mentioned in United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758, US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell agreed, pointing out that China was using the resolution as a diplomatic tool to falsely portray Taiwan’s status as illegitimate and that China was conflating its interpretation with its “one China principle” in order to suppress Taiwan. Deputy Secretary Campbell reaffirmed the unwavering US commitment to Taiwan and the long-standing US efforts to preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, emphasizing that this was a bipartisan consensus. 

     

    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) welcomes and appreciates that yet another high-level US diplomat has publicly pointed out China’s misrepresentation of UNGA Resolution 2758 and reiterated bipartisan US support for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The comments follow remarks made earlier by US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Mark Lambert and Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Daniel Kritenbrink. 

     

    MOFA is pleased that in addition to the United States, like-minded nations including Australia and the Netherlands have adopted friendly resolutions or motions stating that UNGA Resolution 2758 made no reference to Taiwan. MOFA calls on the international community to jointly take concrete actions to refute China’s misrepresentation of the resolution and oppose its spurious claims of there being an international consensus on its “one China principle.” Taiwan will continue to cooperate with the United States and other like-minded countries and together preserve peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI—Hagerty Joins America’s Newsroom on Fox News to Discuss Biden UNGA Speech, Kamala Harris’s Debate Lie on U.S. Troops in Combat Zones, Iran Funding Terror in Middle East

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Tennessee Bill Hagerty
    WASHINGTON – United States Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN), a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and former U.S. Ambassador to Japan, today joined America’s Newsroom on Fox News to discuss President Joe Biden’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the U.S. sending more troops to the Middle East despite Kamala Harris’s false, unchecked claim at the presidential debate, and Iran’s continual funding and support of terrorist organizations throughout the Middle East.

    *Click the photo above or here to watch*
    Partial Transcript
    Hagerty on President Biden’s United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) speech: “The Biden-Harris Administration has been a complete disaster from a national security standpoint, and there is no part of the world that is safer than when Joe Biden and Kamala Harris came into office. President Trump delivered relative peace around the world. What happens? This Administration comes in and creates an enormous national security disaster at our southern border. Now, 10 million people – we have no idea who they are – more than 10 million have come into our country. If you think about what happened in the Middle East, the immediate appeasement approach that they took to Iran, they basically stopped enforcing all of the sanctions that President Trump had imposed with the ‘Maximum [Pressure] Campaign.’ Iran was immediately enriched, and we saw by May of 2021, after Biden and Harris had come into office, the 11-day war from Gaza into Israel. There’s been nothing but unrest from the Middle East. If you think about what happened with Ukraine and Russia, that would’ve only been precipitated after the massive failure of Joe Biden handing over Afghanistan to the Taliban, causing 13 American service members to lose their lives, leaving thousands of Americans behind, leaving billions of dollars of equipment behind to arm the Taliban and whomever else. The Far East: Everything has become far less safe. If you think about the incursions of the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] in the Taiwan Strait, [and] North Korea back at it again. The entire world is on fire, and you can thank the man that’s going to be speaking at the U.N. General Assembly today for that.” 
    Hagerty on Kamala Harris’s ‘no U.S. troops in combat’ lie at the presidential debate: “It’s not true. It wasn’t true then, it’s certainly not true now. That debate was a complete disgrace – three on one – and something that they [should] just step back and say the very basic question: …Is the United States better off today than it was when President Trump was in office? The answer both from a world stage perspective as well as here in the United States is no. President Trump had us in a far better place both globally and certainly here in the United States of America.”
    Hagerty on Iran’s funding of terror despite the Iranian President’s comments on ‘wanting peace’: “It’s the two-faced approach of Iran, and the Biden-Harris Administration is either too naive or they just bought into this situation. Iran is the greatest state sponsor of terror. President Trump had brought Iran to its knees. Iran was broke under the Trump Administration. I worked hard myself when I served in the Trump Administration to impose sanctions on Iran, [and] to get our partners and allies to stop buying Iranian crude [oil]. We brought them to their knees financially. They were unable to fund Hamas, Hezbollah, [and] the Houthis. If you think about what we’re able to achieve: We were able to move our embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. We were able to acknowledge Israel’s sovereignty over the Golan Heights. People said that could never be done without war. We took out [Qassem] Soleimani and [Abu Bakr] al-Baghdadi. We even entered the Abraham Accords. All of this was possible because President Trump had the wisdom and the foresight to impose maximum pressure on the Iranian regime that clearly is seeking to obtain a nuclear weapon, that clearly funds all of this terror. And the Biden Administration, the Harris Administration, steps right back in immediately and starts to fund them. Now they’ve got well over a hundred billion dollars of funds thanks to what this Administration has allowed them to do, and they’re using those funds to instill terror throughout the Middle East and perhaps around the world.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New measures set out to reduce net migration

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    The government’s plan to reduce net migration has been bolstered by new measures announced today.

    New measures to cut historically high levels of net migration have been announced today, bolstering the Home Secretary’s approach to tackle the root causes behind the UK’s long-term reliance on international recruitment.

    Sectors most reliant on overseas workers will be targeted to ensure they are addressing their failure to invest in skills here in the UK.

    The government will task the Migration Advisory Committee (MAC) with monitoring and proactively highlighting key sectors where skills shortages have led to surges in overseas recruitment and provide a yearly assessment to ministers to inform policy decision making.

    Rules around visa sponsorship of migrant workers will also be strengthened so that strong action can be taken against employers who flout employment laws, restricting their ability to hire workers from abroad. This is in addition to work already underway to clamp down on existing sponsor licence holders and to stop visa abuse, such as the ramping up of investigation visits by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI), and suspending and revoking licenses where employers abuse the immigration system and exploit migrant workers.

    This follows plans already set out by the Home Secretary to link migration policy with skills and wider labour market policy, so that international recruitment is no longer the default choice for employers filling skills shortages, as well as the government’s confirmation that changes made by the previous administration to the immigration system will remain in place.

    The new joined-up approach across government, set out by the Home Secretary in July, establishes a framework in which the newly formed Skills England, the Industrial Strategy Council, together with input from the Department for Work and Pensions, will work closely with the MAC so that migration is not used as an alternative to tackling training or skills shortages in the UK.

    The MAC’s annual assessment will help industries respond swiftly to skills gaps and take necessary steps to reduce their dependency on migrant workers and invest in training, workforce plans, and higher quality jobs for workers here at home.

    The expanded role for the MAC will be bolstered by additional capacity and includes work to assess the root causes of why certain sectors are so reliant on overseas workers. It has already been commissioned by the Home Secretary to look at IT and engineering – key sectors which have consistently relied on the international workforce, rather than sourcing the workers and skills they need here in the UK.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK Armed Forces Veterans given social housing exemption

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    UK Armed Forces Veterans to be given better access to social housing.

    • Further support to house UK Armed Forces Veterans in housing need.
    • Domestic abuse victims and care leavers under 25 to be exempt from any ‘local connection’ requirements.
    • Government has pledged the biggest boost to affordable and social housing in a generation.

    All UK Armed Forces Veterans will be exempt from rules which require a connection to a local area before accessing social housing. This is in line with the manifesto commitment to strengthen support for our Armed Forces communities and to ensure veterans have access to the housing support they need.

    Whilst not mandatory, the vast majority of councils (89%) have a local connection or residency test in place to determine who can qualify for social housing. These changes will mean that where such requirements are in place, veterans are not unfairly penalised.

    Other groups who can have difficulty demonstrating a local connection – care leavers and domestic abuse victims – will also be exempt from the rule. This delivers on the commitment in the response to the consultation on social housing allocations, published earlier this month, to support the most vulnerable to access social housing.

    The government is writing today to councils to remind them they should prioritise veterans, care leavers and domestic abuse survivors for social housing. Regulations will be brought forward in due course, with Ministers hosting roundtables with the sector to explore the detail of these changes.

    Already the government has given councils more flexibility to use their Right to Buy receipts to build and buy more social homes and allocated an additional £450 million for councils to secure homes for families at risk of homelessness.  

    Further plans will be set out at the next fiscal event to give councils and housing associations the rent stability they need to be able to borrow and invest in both new and existing homes.

    Updates to this page

    Published 24 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Helping More Women Get Screened for Breast Cancer

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    September 24, 2024

    Manitoba Government Helping More Women Get Screened for Breast Cancer

    The Manitoba government is helping more people get screened for breast cancer with a plan to progressively lower the age for self-referrals to 40 from 50, beginning with a commitment to get to age 45 by the end of next year, Health, Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today.

    “Breast cancer has touched the lives of so many people in this province,” said Asagwara. “As we lower the screening age in Manitoba, it’s critical that the system has what it needs to meet a higher demand. This will ensure that vulnerable people – especially marginalized and low-income women – are able to access the care they need. The previous government’s disregard for women’s health and cuts to health care caused limited capacity for breast cancer screening. As we rebuild this capacity, we’re taking a comprehensive and thoughtful approach so both patients and health-care staff are supported.”

    CancerCare Manitoba has been working with health system partners to hire more mammography technologists and increase screening appointments for individuals aged 50 to 74. Additional breast screening clinics will be added as targets and staffing requirements are met, noted the minister. When fully expanded, the breast screening program will nearly double its capacity to over 80,000 screening mammograms per year.

    “With this change, CancerCare Manitoba’s breast screening program will be providing more mammograms closer to home and with care to providing culturally sensitive and appropriate services,” said Sri Navaratnam, president and CEO, CancerCare Manitoba. “Our priority will be increasing access for people who are typically underserved by the health-care system and we are grateful for the province’s support and commitment to equitable care for Manitobans.”

    “Screening for breast cancer is an important service that can be crucial to ensuring timely diagnosis and treatment for patients,” said Dr. Duncan Inglis, surgeon and medical director, Breast Health Centre. “Expanding breast screening to more Manitobans will save lives and we look forward to working with our partners at CancerCare Manitoba to deliver this service to the people who need them in a timely manner.”

    “I am glad to see that increasing access to breast cancer screening is a focus,” said Mayor Frances McIvor, Wabowden, a member of Peguis First Nation. “As a breast cancer survivor I feel it is important to be able to provide increased access to mammograms to people in their communities and I am looking forward to encouraging many of the women I know to attend.”

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Trahan Slams Extreme Project 2025 Proposals During Speech on House Floor

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Lori Trahan (D-MA-03)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Democratic Policy and Communications Committee Co-Chair Lori Trahan (MA-03) spoke on the House floor ripping the dangerous proposals laid out in Project 2025, the blueprint for the next Republican president to eliminate presidential checks and balances, roll back women’s reproductive freedoms, and gut the middle class. 

    “Project 2025 will take us backwards to a time where life was great if you were wealthy or well-connected. But that same time was hard – it was hard for workers and parents like mine who wanted nothing more than to give their kids a better life than they had,” said Congresswoman Trahan. “That’s why I’m here to tell you that we can’t and we won’t go back. House Democrats will move our country forward with a vision where people are proud to be an American again.”

    Footage of Trahan’s remarks on the House floor can be accessed HERE or by clicking the image below. A transcript of her remarks as delivered is embedded.

    ——————————————

    Congresswoman Lori Trahan

    Remarks as Delivered

    Floor Speech on Project 2025

    September 24, 2024

    Mr. Speaker, I rise today to sound the alarm about the dangerous and extreme policies put forward in Project 2025, the self-described blueprint for the Republican president to take over total control of the federal government and our lives. Spanning more than 900 pages, Project 2025 lays out not a concept of a plan, but a plan, for Donald Trump or another GOP president to ignore the Constitution and unilaterally turn back the clock on working families, on women, and on our children.

    For families, Project 2025 calls to eliminate overtime pay and kick people with pre-existing conditions off their health care insurance. For women and girls, Project 2025 calls for taking the Republican abortion bans that are devastating women in Georgia and Texas and jeopardizing IVF in Alabama – and doing the same nationally. And for our children, Project 2025 calls for eliminating the Department of Education and defunding our public schools.

    Each and every one of these proposals would have been devastating for millions of Americans. I know that, Mr. Speaker, because every one of them would have ruined my life.

    My dad was a union ironworker. He picked up overtime whenever possible so that he could keep a roof over our heads and put food on the table. Like so many families, Project 2025 taking away the chance to work overtime could have meant us losing our home or going to bed hungry.

    And when my dad was diagnosed with MS at just 48 years old, he needed his health insurance to visit the doctor and afford his medications. Project 2025 allowing an insurance corporation to kick him off his health care coverage just because he was sick would have been a death sentence, just as it could be for millions of Americans with pre-existing conditions.

    When my husband and I decided to start our family but struggled to get pregnant, we were forced to turn to IVF, and we were so fortunate to have our two beautiful daughters. But as we saw in Alabama, Project 2025’s proposals that endanger IVF fertility treatments can be physically and mentally debilitating for couples turning to fertility treatment as their last hope.

    Finally, I am the proud product of Lowell Public Schools from elementary to high school. Like any public school student, I can tell you so many stories of teachers who made the most of the little resources they had to give us every opportunity to succeed. Ripping that lifeline away from working families, as Project 2025 proposes, is a horrible idea plain and simple.

    Project 2025 will take us backwards to a time where life was great if you were wealthy or well-connected. But that same time was hard – it was hard for workers and parents like mine who wanted nothing more than to give their kids a better life than they had. That’s why I’m here to tell you that we can’t and we won’t go back.

    House Democrats will move our country forward with a vision where people are proud to be an American again – proud because working families aren’t just getting by or making ends meet, but getting ahead. Because women have the freedom to make their own health care decisions without the fear of politicians getting in the way. And because our children can go to class and thrive while us moms and dads don’t have to worry about their school being defunded or worse, the next target of a deranged mass shooter.

    That should be something all of us can get behind. And it’s why I urge my Republican colleagues: Reject Project 2025, and work with us to build a future where people have every chance to get ahead.

    Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I yield back.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/SOMALIA – Tensions over recent supplies of arms to Somalia and Puntland

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 24 September 2024 weapons  

    Mogadishu (Agenzia Fides) – There is an intense verbal exchange between Somalia, Somaliland and Ethiopia in the Horn of Africa over the recent arms shipments to the region.On September 20, the government in Mogadishu condemned “illegal arms shipments” by the government in Addis Ababa to Puntland, an autonomous Somali region that has its own institutions but, unlike Somaliland, a region in the north that declared its independence from Mogadishu in 1991, has so far not expressed any intention of separating from the rest of Somalia.On January 1, 2024, Somaliland signed a naval agreement with Ethiopia (see Fides, 3/1/2024), which has been heavily criticized by Mogadishu because it recognizes Somaliland as an independent state in exchange for the transfer of a naval base and control of a stretch of Ethiopian coast. The government in Addis Ababa thus becomes the great protector of Somaliland, including militarily, which increases Mogadishu’s fears about Somalia’s territorial integrity.These fears are now being exacerbated by Ethiopia’s arms shipments to Puntland. The authorities of the autonomous region, while recognizing the authorities in Mogadishu, are at odds with them because they claim that they have not received the necessary help from Mogadishu to fight the jihadists in their territory, groups linked to Al-Shabaab and the Islamic State. The Ethiopian government now seems to be interfering in the tensions between Puntland and Somalia in order to increase its room for maneuver in the region.Just a few days after the government in Mogadishu adopted this stance, protests broke out in Addis Ababa over the arrival of Egyptian military supplies in Somalia intended for the local armed forces. This is the second shipment of weapons from Cairo as part of the military agreement signed in August between Egypt and Somalia (see Fides, 30/8/2024).According to the Ethiopian Foreign Minister, the supply of weapons by “external forces” risks “exacerbating the fragile security situation”. There is also a risk that these weapons “fall into the hands of terrorists in Somalia”. “The uncontrolled proliferation of weapons in an already fragile environment increases the risk of an arms race, in which different groups will likely seek to increase their stockpiles to protect their own interests,” says Somaliland.Tensions between Egypt and Ethiopia regarding the management of Nile waters are now escalating in Somalia, with the Somali government, backed by Cairo (but Mogadishu also has important military agreements with Turkey which is currently trying to mediate, see Fides 2/7/2024)) trying to fuel internal tensions in the neighbor (see Fides, 17/9/2024). (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2024)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/INDONESIA – Father Alfonsus Widhiwiryawan appointed National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 24 September 2024

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – On 5 September 2024, Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), appointed Father Alfonsus Widhiwiryawan (SX) National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Indonesia for a five-year term.The new National Director was born in 1979 and completed his novitiate and first religious vows at the Society of Saint Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions (Xaverians) in Jakarta. Ordained a priest in 2009, he studied philosophy and theology, obtaining a bachelor’s degree in theology and a canonical license in spirituality. He studied Italian language and culture in Parma, Spanish in Madrid and English in Glasgow.He was Vice Rector of the Pre-Novitiate of the Xaverians in Jakarta (2011-2023), Vice Assistant Priest in the Parish of St. Matius Penginjil in Bintaro (Jakarta), where he also worked as a teacher of religion at a state institute (2013-2015); Lecturer of Theology at STF Driyarkara in Jakarta and member of the Training Commission of the Xaverians of Indonesia (2012-2016). He was Lecturer of Biblical Institutions in Indonesia and Vice Rector of Philosophy Studies at the Xaverians in Jakarta (2015-2016), and he was Director of Animation and Missionary Vocation at the Society of St. Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions in Yogyakarta (2016-2021). In 2021 he was Rector of the Domus St. Francis Xavier in Padang (Central Sumatra). From 2022 to 2024 he headed the Youth Commission of the Diocese of Padang and was Diocesan Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies of the diocese; he was also assistant parish priest of the parish of St. Francis of Assisi in Padangbaru (Central Sumatra) and formator at the “Maria Nirmala” Minor Seminary in Padang. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2024)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/SOUTH KOREA – World Youth Day 2027 in Seoul: young people from all over the world to become “courageous missionaries”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Tuesday, 24 September 2024

    Arcidiocesi Seoul

    Rome (Agenzia Fides) – From a country where faith was transmitted “without the help of missionaries”, young people are to become “courageous missionaries” able to bear witness to the joy of the Gospel. This is the wish of the organizers of the next World Youth Day, to be held in Seoul in 2027, whose logo and theme have already been decided.“Take courage: I have conquered the world” (Jn 16:33) is the theme chosen by the Pope, while the logo depicts a red and blue cross. These colors symbolize Christ’s victory over the world. The overall design is inspired by traditional Korean art, using the brushstroke techniques of Korean painting and including the Hangul characters that represent Seoul. In addition, the red on one side of the cross symbolizes the blood of the martyrs and harmonizes with the theme of “courage”. Blue represents the vitality of youth and symbolizes the call of God. Together, these colors recall the Taegeuk motif of the Korean flag. The yellow that shines behind the cross represents Christ, the “light of the world,” who shines on the Church like the sun that rises in the east and leads the Church to unity.The theme and logo were unveiled this morning during a press conference at the Vatican attended by Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, which organizes World Youth Day, Peter Soon-Taick Chung, Archbishop of Seoul and President of the Local Organizing Committee for WYD Seoul 2027, and Paul Kyung Sang Lee, Auxiliary Bishop of Seoul and General Coordinator of WYD Seoul 2027.“The pilgrimage to WYD Seoul 2027 will be more than just a gathering,” said the Archbishop of Seoul, pointing out that, along with the beginning of the Holy Year, “it will be a meaningful journey where young people, united with Jesus Christ, will reflect and discuss the modern challenges and injustices they face. It will be a great celebration where everyone can experience the vibrant and energetic culture of young Koreans. It will also be an opportunity to immerse oneself in and share the dynamic and passionate culture that young Koreans have created. In addition, this celebration will provide young Koreans with a valuable opportunity to engage with and share the concerns and passions of their peers.”Korea, Bishop Paul Kyung Sang Lee continued, “is in a unique context, different from that of previous World Youth Days, characterized by the harmonious coexistence of different religious traditions. In this context, the Korean Catholic Church has always embodied the Christian virtues of ‘forgiveness’ and ‘sharing’, promoting these values in society while living peacefully with other religions. In the reality of living in a ‘divided nation’, the Church has worked tirelessly over the past seven decades to resolve the conflicts inherent in this division and has striven for peace and unity for the Korean people. The emergence of K-Catholic and K-Faith among our youth is a testimony to these efforts. Our youth and young believers remain open to interreligious dialogue and strive for harmonious and peaceful coexistence.”The road to Seoul, however, will first pass through Rome. As is customary after every international WYD, the young people of Lisbon will hand over the symbols of WYD to the young Koreans, namely the Youth Cross and the Marian icon of the “Salus populi romani” on November 24, the Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe, during the Holy Mass that the Pope will preside over in St. Peter’s Basilica.”We hope that many young people, even those who have never participated in a WYD, will take a journey over the next three years, especially an interior journey, to finally meet the Successor of Peter in Asia and give a courageous witness to Christ together,” concluded Cardinal Farrel. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 24/9/2024)

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  • MIL-OSI Canada: Investing in rural health facilities across Alberta

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Alberta’s government is committed to providing the highest quality of health care services for all Albertans, no matter where they live in the province.

    To ensure Albertans can get the care they need close to home, the government is investing almost $15.5 million to improve access to health care services in rural and remote communities. This investment will support the construction of a new dialysis unit in Lloydminster, the construction of the Brian Rosche Ambulance Station in Slake Lake, and will enhance kidney care services for residents of Grande Prairie and its surrounding area.

    “We are committed to supporting capital projects in every corner of the province. Rural Albertans deserve access to high-quality health care services, and this program has been designed to ensure facilities can service the needs of their communities.”

    Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

    The projects in Slave Lake and Lloydminster are funded through the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program, which funds strategic capital projects at rural health facilities to help ensure Albertans can access the health care services they need as close to home as possible.

    The program is supporting 44 projects in 39 communities, including construction of the new dialysis unit in Lloydminster. Alberta’s government is investing $6.2 million in the project, which is expected to be complete in late fall 2025. The new location will operate six stations initially, with the ability to add more as the demand increases. The unit will operate Monday through Saturday to accommodate the needs of hemodialysis patients, who typically receive three four-hour treatments each week.

    “Our investment in rural health facilities demonstrates our strong commitment to delivering equitable health care for all Albertans. This funding will strengthen local communities by improving access to essential services, bringing quality care closer to home.”

    Martin Long, parliamentary secretary for rural health

    Alberta’s government has also provided $6.8 million through the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program for the recently completed Brian Rosche Ambulance Station in Slake Lake – a 990-square-metre facility designed to better accommodate local staff and ambulances. The facility, named in honour of the late Brian Rosche, a dedicated community leader and former Municipal District of Lesser Slave River No. 124 councillor, includes accommodation for nine crew members, a training and multi-purpose room, kitchen, living spaces, and space for nine ambulances in the garage. These enhancements will help ensure staff are supported to deliver prompt, effective and high-quality emergency medical care.

    “Mr. Rosche’s unwavering commitment to advancing health care in the region, including his advocacy for a new EMS facility, has been deeply valued by the community. We are grateful for his legacy and excited for the positive impact this facility will have on our community.”

    Francesca Ward, mayor, Town of Slave Lake

    “This facility is a crucial addition to our health care infrastructure and will enhance our ability to respond to emergencies in the Slave Lake area. It’s also a fitting tribute to Brian Rosche’s dedication to advancing health care in our region.”

    Rob Barone, associate executive director, EMS, North Zone

    Enhancing kidney care services in Grande Prairie

    In addition to the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program, Alberta’s government is investing in major capital projects to meet the health care needs of Albertans living in rural communities.

    Alberta’s government is providing $2.42 million to enhance and consolidate kidney care services for Grande Prairie and area residents. The funding will help the Queen Elizabeth II Ambulatory Care Centre expand its hemodialysis unit to provide care for up to 24 patients a day in the future.

    The Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation is providing $1.5 million to support the project. The space will be named the Sargent Family Kidney Care Centre, honouring the Sargent family’s significant donation to the foundation for this project.

    “Improving access to kidney care services will significantly impact our community in a positive way. We are proud to support this initiative and grateful to the Sargent Family Foundation for their dedication to extended kidney care in Grande Prairie and the Peace Region.”

    Keith Curtis, executive director, Grande Prairie Regional Hospital Foundation

    Quick facts

    • Budget 2024 includes $65 million over two years for the Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program.
    • The Rural Health Facilities Revitalization Program is intended to support the renovation of rural health facilities and to help purchase and install new equipment.
      • Since its inception in 2021, the program has invested $115 million across the province.

    Related information

    • Capital Plan
    • Alberta Health Services Capital Projects

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: HP Workforce Solutions Advances Strategy to Deliver Exceptional Employee Experiences

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    News Highlights

    • Supercharges HP Workforce Experience Platform with expanded access and capabilities
    • Introduces managed services that reduce downtime and keep employees productive
    • Announces the industry’s most advanced remote remediation technology
    • Launches HOPE Recycling Futures to give PCs a second life while accelerating digital equity

    PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today at HP Imagine, HP Inc.’s (NYSE: HPQ) Workforce Solutions division (HPWS) today announced a series of significant advancements designed to enable companies to achieve growth by delivering more personalized, fulfilling experiences.

    As part of this, HP is expanding access to HP Workforce Experience Platform, giving CIOs access to enhanced tools, data and insights to ensure their employees are connected and productive. For customers wanting HP to manage their IT environment, HP is announcing advanced monitoring solutions and global availability of HP Managed Collaboration Services that proactively remediate incidents before employees are impacted. And when technology does fail, HP is launching a new service that helps get employees back up and running quickly. HP is also introducing a new service to help companies harness the power of AI to drive further productivity in the workforce and expanded refurbishment programs to drive a more circular economy.

    “We are at the intersection of two major trends – AI and Flexible Work – and both are having a profound impact on our lives,” said Dave Shull, President of HP Workforce Solutions. “At the same time, employees want greater fulfillment and companies want improved productivity. Our Future-Ready portfolio of software and solutions helps guide companies through this shift.”

    Keeping Employees Engaged and Productive

    HP Workforce Experience Platform Expands Beta Access and Introduces New Features
    HP Workforce Experience Platform – a platform that intelligently anticipates and resolves digital friction across every employee endpoint from a single dashboard – has been in private beta for three months with more than 270K devices enrolled.[1]

    HP is now expanding access by making the Workforce Experience Platform Beta available to new or renewing HP Proactive Insights customers in the United States at no extra cost.

    As part of the new release, HP is rolling out new features that enable customers to monitor, secure, and manage printer performance at scale, in addition to PCs. New capabilities in AI-powered fleet management and employee sentiment analysis will help reduce IT support tickets and employee downtime through proactive anomaly detection and smart recommendations.

    Additionally, HP Workforce Experience Platform supports integrations with Microsoft Power BI, Power Automate and Tableau (available now) and plans to support Microsoft Intune and ServiceNow in a future release, enabling IT to leverage Workforce Experience Platform data easily and securely within their existing workflows. This means IT has a more holistic view of their device fleet, better data accuracy, and more tailored IT operations that help drive down expenses and improve return on investment.[2]

    New Global Command Centers for Advanced Monitoring Capabilities
    As companies look to shift their IT support from a reactive to a proactive approach, HP is announcing advanced Monitoring and Management capabilities – enabled by new global command centers – to help customers monitor and manage both HP and non-HP devices across the world, including detecting and remediating incidents.

    Leveraging telemetry,[3] HP monitors thousands of data points in conference room equipment, printers, and PCs. This enables HP Service Experts to detect and identify issues and take remote actions to proactively remediate incidents before employees are impacted. These HP Managed Services are available globally for HP’s managed solutions customers and sold through direct channels.

    Industry’s First Out-of-band Diagnostics and Remediation Capability
    Data shows that 90% of employees prefer flexible or hybrid work.[4] Employees have also come to expect the same level of support remotely that they would receive in an office. But existing remote support tools can’t always address the problem, like when a PC crashes and won’t reboot.

    To help reduce the time and frustration involved in restoring productivity for both hybrid employees and IT, HP is introducing a new HP out-of-band remediation service,[5] the industry’s most advanced remote remediation technology,[6] that enables more PC issues to be fixed remotely than ever before – even if the PC won’t boot. HP is the first PC manufacturer to use out-of-band technology to securely connect to remote PCs below the OS, using an encrypted cloud connection. This allows HP support agents full keyboard, video and mouse (KVM) control to diagnose and fix more complex issues like boot failures, imaging and BIOS issues — with virtually no assistance from the end user.

    This industry-first remediation service is expected to be available later this year in North America and the EU as an add-on to an HP Essential, Premium or Premium+ Support package with the purchase of any new Intel vPro enabled PC direct from HP or an authorized reseller. HP plans to expand the service feature availability across other commercial PCs in the coming months.

    New AI Advisory Services Help Customers Tap into the Potential of Microsoft Copilot
    HP is also announcing a new AI advisory service to help customers tap into the full potential of Microsoft 365 Copilot. This new AI advisory service will evaluate a company’s current setup and readiness for AI, conduct interactive workshops to help companies maximize the benefits of AI, and help companies plan for rolling out new AI tools. This new AI Advisory Service is expected to be available in November 2024 in the US, UK, France, Spain, Ireland, and Germany.

    Creating Collaborative Team Experiences

    Managed Collaboration Services Now Available to Customers Worldwide
    In today’s flexible working world, video collaboration connects more employees than ever before. To help customers modernize and maintain their conference rooms, HP is announcing the global availability of HP Managed Collaboration Services. HP Managed Collaboration Services uses Poly and HP gear to deliver exceptional meeting experiences with flexible, reliable, managed room solutions that ensure every space is video-enabled, and ready to be used. Learn more here.

    Driving Societal Impact

    HP is committed to accelerating equitable access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunity for those who are systemically excluded so they can participate and thrive in a digital economy. HP’s new services and programs help give technology a second life while delivering hope around the world.

    Expanded Portfolio of HP Certified Refurbished Hardware
    With growing customer demand for high-quality, reliable second-life devices, HP is announcing expansion of its HP Certified Refurbished hardware portfolio to now include LaserJet Multi-Function Printers, available for Managed Print Solutions customers in the United States.

    Each HP Certified Refurbished device undergoes rigorous refurbishment and inspection processes, utilizes approved HP parts, and comes backed by HP Support for added peace of mind. The LaserJet offerings are the latest addition to the HP Certified Refurbished hardware portfolio, which also includes availability of HP EliteBook 800 G6 and G7 series notebooks in the United States and France.

    Delivering HOPE Around the World
    HP is expanding HOPE Recycling Futures – HP’s signature program that helps companies connect and uplift children. HOPE Recycling Futures receives devices from organizations who would otherwise dispose of them, works with its partners to erase existing data and refurbish the devices. HP then coordinates with vetted non-governmental organizations to deliver the devices to schools serving vulnerable and marginalized youth — all at no cost to the company or receiving organization.

    HOPE Recycling Futures is already partnering with companies across the EU, UK, Switzerland, India, Singapore, and Brazil, and will now extend this partnership to include Mexico. More than 16,000 children in 22 countries have benefited from the program through 72 donation projects to date.

    By giving their PCs a second life for kids in need through HOPE Recycling Futures, businesses can play a crucial role in reducing e-waste and empowering the next generation with the tools they need to thrive in a digital world.

    For more information on today’s news at HP Imagine, visit https://www.hp.com/us-en/newsroom/press-kits/2024/hp-imagine.html.

    About HP Workforce Solutions
    Workforce Solutions is a global business unit of HP Inc. Given HP’s innovative and comprehensive portfolio of PCs, printers, and collaboration gear, HP Workforce Solutions (HPWS) is used by millions worldwide to solve customer problems, often proactively, through AI-enabled software and services. HP can help partners and customers from start to finish of their technology journey.

    About HP
    HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit: http://www.hp.com. 

    [1] The Workforce Experience platform is for commercial customers and requires registration. At launch, some features will require a subscription. To register for access, visit https://admin.hp.com/. Some features and capabilities may require additional purchase of HP services and/or commercial hardware capable of supporting the HP Insights agent for Windows, Mac, & Android. Activation and restrictions may apply.
    Select HP Workforce Solutions require an HP Insights agent for Windows, Mac, & Android, available for download at https://admin.hp.com/software. For full system requirements and services that require the agent, please visit https://admin.hp.com/requirements. The agent collects telemetry and analytics around devices and applications that integrate into the Workforce Experience platform and is not sold as a standalone service. Internet access with connection to the Workforce Experience platform is required. HP follows stringent GDPR privacy regulations, and the platform is ISO27001, ISO27701, ISO27017 and SOC2 Type2 certified for Information Security.
    [2] Third party licenses required.
    [3] HP Services Scan is preinstalled and/or provided thru Windows Update and checks for service entitlement on each hardware device and downloads the applicable software agent automatically. To disable this feature, please follow the instructions at http://www.hpdaas.com/requirements. The HP Insights agent is a telemetry and analytics platform that provides critical data around devices and applications and is not sold as a standalone service. HP follows stringent GDPR privacy regulations and is ISO27001, ISO27701, ISO27017 and SOC2 Type2 certified for Information Security. Internet access with connection to the HP Insights agent is required. For full system requirements, please visit http://www.hpdaas.com/requirements. Not available in China.
    [4]Remote Work Statistics & Trends In (2024) – Forbes Advisor, Pew Research
    [5] Out-of-band diagnostics and remediation is available in North America (which includes the US and Canada), and the EU as an HP Care Pack for select HP commercial platforms that are Intel® vPro® and Intel® AMT enabled and are entitled to HP Premium Support or HP Premium+ Support. Service levels and response times for HP Care Packs may vary depending on your geographic location. Service starts on date of hardware purchase. Restrictions and limitations apply. For details, visit www.hp.com/go/cpc. HP Services are governed by the applicable HP terms and conditions of service provided or indicated to Customer at the time of purchase. Customer may have additional statutory rights according to applicable local laws, and such rights are not in any way affected by the HP terms and conditions of service or the HP Limited Warranty provided with your HP Product. Check with your HP authorized sales rep for availability.
    [6] Based on HP’s internal analysis of PC manufacturers with power cycle control, non-OS control, BIOS control and reimaging control as of 9/24/2024.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Introducing HP Print AI, Industry’s First Intelligent Print Experiences for Home, Office, and Large Format Printing

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    News Highlights

    • Unveils HP Print AI, including intelligent features to simplify and enhance printing from setup to support
    • Launches Perfect Output feature for consistent and accurate prints every time
    • Expands availability of HP Scan AI Enhanced to digitize workflows and help people work smarter
    • Debuts HP Build Workspace, new AI-enabled print collaboration ecosystem for design and construction

    PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today at HP Imagine, HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) unveiled HP Print AI, the industry’s first intelligent print experiences1 designed to change how the world prints. HP Print AI’s features make printing frictionless by eliminating common challenges from printer setup to support. The first feature – Perfect Output – ensures prints look perfect every time and is available today via an exclusive beta program. HP Print AI features also enhance the printing experience at home and at work by unlocking new possibilities for creativity, productivity, and collaboration.

    “We are transforming the printing experience with HP Print AI, making it easier and more intuitive,” said Tuan Tran, HP President of Imaging, Printing, and Solutions. “Introducing AI solutions across our portfolio will simplify printing, ignite creativity, and accelerate collaboration – all while ensuring customer data is protected and kept private. This is our first step in setting a new standard for printing.”

    Delivering Perfect Output
    More than half of print jobs come from web browsers2, including online articles, travel documents, recipes, and how-to guides. However, printing from the web has traditionally yielded unnecessary white space, issues with image size, and inclusion of unwanted web ads. Consumers printing from web browsers have understandably felt frustrated, rating the experience with “strong dissatisfaction” 3.

    Perfect Output bridges the gaps between what people see on the screen and what they intend to print, reformatting and reorganizing content to fit perfectly on the page the first time. Perfect Output can detect unwanted content like ads and web text, printing only the desired text and images, saving time, paper, and ink.

    Messy web browser print layout before using HP Print AI

    Clean, reformatted print options after using HP Print AI

    Spreadsheets are another common print job, and more than half of spreadsheet users report experiencing challenges to make documents print out correctly 4. Perfect Output proactively creates a printable spreadsheet without splitting tables and charts across pages.

    Excel spreadsheet cuts across multiple pages without HP Print AI

    Spreadsheet and graph cleanly reformatted with HP Print AI

    Customizing Support
    HP Print AI will also simplify and tailor support for individual customers. From the moment a customer turns their printer on, intelligent technology anticipates their needs – walking through each step of setup. HP Print AI leverages natural language and contextual awareness, remembering users’ preferences and past questions, so customers receive immediate and customized support whenever they need it.

    Personalizing Experiences
    With HP Print AI, customers can easily transform photos into creative projects. Using simple conversational prompts, HP Print AI can seamlessly integrate unique layouts, custom styles, and fonts to personalize greeting cards for every occasion. HP Print AI also corrects common print errors by automatically upscaling images and removing unwanted objects.

    Once the design is ready, customers can choose to print or explore a curated list of partners that offer unique photo printing capabilities, gift certificates to be printed on the card, and so much more.

    Collaborating Seamlessly
    For the commercial market, HP announced the expanded availability of HP Scan AI Enhanced. This cloud-based, AI-driven solution automatically recognizes the type of documents being scanned and extracts key information based on the customer’s specific business needs. By reducing manual steps and data entry, this solution saves time and money for SMB and enterprise customers. For instance, a major retail group with 300 locations in Italy saw an 80% reduction in labor costs after implementing HP Scan AI Enhanced in its delivery and inventory workflow 5.

    HP is also extending AI capabilities to vertical industries, starting with design and construction, an industry lagging behind in using technology to deliver productivity improvements 6. HP’s new Build Workspace enables design and construction professionals to easily create and organize site observations, facilitate collaboration, and automate tasks such as field reports. By automating time-consuming tasks, HP Build Workspace drives efficiency and collaboration among professionals in the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) field. Key features such as site capture, AI vectorization, and continuous feedback empower AEC professionals to streamline their workflows and optimize designs. The collaboration hub, HP Build Workspace, allows AEC professionals to access projects on desktop or mobile devices.

    Availability

    • HP Print AI is available today, starting with an exclusive beta delivering the Perfect Output feature to select print customers. HP intends to continue launching HP Print AI capabilities throughout 2025.
    • HP Build Workspace is available today, with HP Print AI capabilities also in beta in the US and Europe, scaling to the UK and Ireland soon, with expected worldwide rollout starting Spring 2025.
    • HP Scan AI Enhanced is a software service available today in North America, most of Europe and Latin America, and in parts of Asia.

    More information on today’s news at HP Imagine can be found here.

    ABOUT HP
    HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ) is a global technology leader and creator of solutions that enable people to bring their ideas to life and connect to the things that matter most. Operating in more than 170 countries, HP delivers a wide range of innovative and sustainable devices, services and subscriptions for personal computing, printing, 3D printing, hybrid work, gaming, and more. For more information, please visit: http://www.hp.com.

    1. Based on HP’s internal analysis of intelligent solutions meeting the criteria of artificial intelligence, having a print platform, and covering scope of home, office and large format printing, as of September 2024
    2. Print Telemetry Data from Microsoft
    3. –62 Net Promoter Score (NPS) for strong dissatisfaction
    4. HP Research: Excel AI Print Add-In, July 2024
    5. Based on HP client use case, June 2023
    6. McKinsey Report: Delivering on construction productivity is no longer optional, August 2024

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9cedbace-5799-4efb-a2da-526a418476cd
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/fafd7c20-abaf-413f-b0b8-9b7863aa3490
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/decb99ba-962e-4180-bab3-85fe1621e576
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/92e3b40b-c748-4dae-a41d-42e41d153e92

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Belt-Road tax forum held

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The three-day 5th Belt & Road Initiative Tax Administration Cooperation Forum (BRITACOF) opened today at the AsiaWorld-Expo, marking the first time for Hong Kong to host the forum.

    Themed “Deepening Tax Administration Cooperation for High-Quality Belt & Road Development”, the forum gathered more than 400 tax officials, tax experts, as well as representatives from international organisations, academic institutions and enterprises from different countries and regions to discuss emerging tax issues and exchange tax administration experiences.

    In his welcome address, Chief Executive John Lee said tax administration plays a crucial role in ensuring sustainable development. Efficient tax systems provide the essential resources for the delivery of public services and infrastructure.

    Mr Lee noted that Hong Kong believes transparent and fair tax policies could foster trust among investors, governments and taxpayers.

    As a champion of free and multilateral trade, Hong Kong supports the co-ordinated efforts of the international tax community, actively engaging in initiatives designed to bring economies together, he added.

    On the margins of the forum, Mr Lee met Commissioner of the State Taxation Administration Hu Jinglin and witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on tax co-operation within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) among the finance and taxation departments of Guangdong Province, Shenzhen, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and the Macao SAR.

    The MOU will promote the co-ordination of tax administration and services in the GBA. The deepened tax co-operation in the GBA can enhance Hong Kong’s tax competitiveness and create a more favourable business environment.

    Speaking at the welcome dinner, Secretary for Financial Services & the Treasury Christopher Hui said that BRITACOF is a crucial and exemplary international platform designed to enhance co-operation among tax administrations along the Belt & Road.

    Mr Hui added that Hong Kong is also fully supportive of the international standard of tax information exchange to avoid tax evasion. By endorsing and implementing these standards, Hong Kong ensures that Belt & Road projects involving Hong Kong companies adhere to the highest international benchmarks in terms of tax governance and transparency.

    In addition, during BRITACOF, Mr Hui held bilateral meetings separately with representatives from Kazakhstan, Maldives, Tajikistan and Türkiye to discuss deepening tax co-operation at the international and Belt & Road levels.

    This year’s forum gathered more than 400 tax officials, tax experts, as well as representatives from international organisations, academic institutions and enterprises from different countries and regions to discuss emerging tax issues and exchange tax administration experiences.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can cryptocurrencies ever be green?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jean Bessala, Lecturer in Finance, Salford Business School, University of Salford

    Mabeline72/Shutterstock

    Cryptocurrencies have been condemned over their environmental record at a time when
    traditional investments have been rapidly moving towards greener environmental, social and governance (ESG) values. So how long will it be until crypto earns its green credentials?

    Green investments are assets like bonds that pay for projects with positive environmental and social outcomes. Green bonds for example, contribute to cuts in greenhouse gas emissions, an increase of renewable energy capacity and uptake in clean transport infrastructures.

    Crypto investments on the other hand are widely seen as environmentally unfriendly, mainly because of crypto mining and the huge energy it demands. Mining in the context of crypto refers to a mechanism called “proof of work” (POW) where crypto “miners” use specialised computers to solve complex mathematical equations to secure transactions and create new coins. This is where the energy use comes in.

    Agencies and organisations like the International Energy Agency and the United Nations have raised concerns about the effects of crypto mining – particularly Bitcoin, the best-known crypto asset.

    The environmental footprint of crypto

    The United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health estimated that in 2020-2021, Bitcoin networks had significant carbon, water and land footprints. Bitcoin’s carbon footprint was equivalent to burning 38 billion tonnes of coal, while its water footprint (mainly used for cooling systems) would have met the domestic water needs of more than 300 million people in sub-Saharan Africa.

    The Cambridge Blockchain Network Sustainability Index puts the electricity consumption of Bitcoin networks above those of several developed countries, including Norway and Sweden. For investors who are serious about achieving ESG goals, this aspect of crypto would likely be a deal-breaker.

    It is also made difficult by the lack of regulations around crypto activities. After years of being on the fringes of financial markets and being considered a “get-rich-quick” venture, crypto investments are becoming mainstream. But there is still little regulation to protect investors and ensure participants adopt practices that are in line with ESG values.

    Sceptics point out the major issues plaguing these markets including the use of cryptocurrencies and platforms for money-laundering, scamming, and price manipulation.

    So it is certainly hard to make a green case for crypto. But at the same time, it would be misleading to look only at one side of the coin. The fact is that crypto has a challenging but reachable path towards being widely accepted as green.

    Decarbonising the crypto industry

    First and foremost, the industry itself has recognised the need to change practices and processes to become more sustainable. In 2021, a significant number of players in the crypto industry signed the crypto climate accord (CCA) with the long-term target of decarbonising the global crypto industry by 2040.

    The CCA set two interim objectives. The first was the development of standards and technologies to have 100% renewably powered blockchains as soon as 2025. The second aim states that signatories should achieve net-zero emissions from electricity consumption by 2030.

    Recent developments in technology suggest the industry has started putting plans into action, with the appearance of sustainable tools and infrastructures.

    Several companies such as Mara and Argo are working on technologies like energy-efficient immersion cooling systems that significantly reduce the energy consumption required for mining.

    When cryptocurrency Ethereum changed its processes, it cut its energy use by close to 100%.
    rafapress/Shutterstock

    These companies are also developing systems that can recycle heat produced by digital assets and from data centres, and redirect it to provide energy to communities. The implementation of these technologies is facilitated by the relative mobility of crypto miners and the opportunities that some governments and regions offer to them.

    In addition, the crypto industry has seen the emergence of self-proclaimed environmentally friendly cryptocurrencies, such as Cardano public blockchain and Powerledger. These currencies use a less energy-intensive mechanism called “proof-of-stake” (POS) rather than POW.

    Unlike POW, POS miners must stake their holdings (the amount of cryptocurrency) when validating and verifying transactions and records. So if a miner tries to falsify records, they could potentially lose their stake. The process removes the need for the complex computer calculations and so cuts the energy use dramatically. In fact, in 2022, the cryptocurrency Ethereum transitioned from POW to POS, reducing its energy consumption by nearly 100%.

    The path towards green crypto is being eased by institutions like the Financial Stability Board, which is taking steps to provide frameworks for understanding, compliance and achievements of ESG goals and values.

    Together, these elements could open the door to a future where conscious investors can take a chance on cryptocurrencies.

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

    – ref. Can cryptocurrencies ever be green? – https://theconversation.com/can-cryptocurrencies-ever-be-green-238359

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Russians at War’ documentary: From the Crimean to the Iraq War, soldier images pose questions about propaganda

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Martin Danahay, Professor, English Language and Literature, Brock University

    A British publisher commissioned photographs of the army in the Crimean War to be used as the basis for oil paintings. Cornet Wilkin, 11th Hussars, by Roger Fenton. (Roger Fenton/Library of Congress)

    Questions surrounding the film Russians at War linger following controversy surrounding it at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF).

    TIFF faced protesters at a Sept. 17 screening of the “first person” documentary by Russian Canadian filmmaker Anastasia Trofimova. The festival had “paused” public screenings following an earlier media and industry screening, as festival staff reported receiving “significant threats” to festival operations and safety. Protesters said the film was pro-Russian propaganda.

    Trofimova told CBC her film was an attempt to humanize Russian soldiers as a way to combat further anger and violence.

    I have not seen the film, but as a researcher who has long examined the ambiguous meanings of soldier images, I’m not surprised the film has been criticized as propaganda. In my book War without Bodies: Framing Death from the Crimean to the Iraq War, I examined how images that omit their political context can be viewed as implicitly supporting the war effort.

    First photographs: Crimean War

    This ambiguity can be found in the first photographs of the British army at war. These were taken by photographer Roger Fenton during the 1853-56 Crimean War, in which British, French and Ottoman military attacked Russia and besieged Russian forces on the Crimean Peninsula.

    Fenton was commissioned by a Manchester, U.K. publisher, Thomas Agnew and Sons, to photograph the British army in Crimea, focusing on officers and any other participants he found interesting.

    His photographs were to be used as the basis for oil paintings by the artist Thomas Barker. The publisher didn’t reproduce photographs, but made them into woodcuts or as source material for paintings.

    Fenton also photographed the landscape and foreign fighters like French Zouaves — French military units originally formed from the Zouaoua Berber tribe from the coastal mountain Djurdjura region of North Africa after the French invaded and conquered Algeria — but the majority of his subjects were British officers.

    Shared social class

    Fenton wasn’t commissioned by the government, but he had a letter of introduction from Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria. He was of the same social class as the officers he photographed, and dined with high-ranking officers such as Lord Raglan.

    Fenton’s photographs gave the appearance of a competent and functioning military led by skilled officers. Photographs such as one taken of Cornet Wilkin looking smart and capable on his horse suggest the traditional posed style of military portraiture seen in commissioned tribute paintings.

    The photograph His Days’ Work Over: Lieut.-Colonel Hallewell and Servant shows a reclining officer being waited on by his manservant. The image indicates the class status of the officer and depicts leisure rather than war.

    ‘His Days’ Work Over: Lieut.-Colonel Hallewell and Servant,’ photograph by Roger Fenton.
    (Library of Congress)

    The Cookhouse of the 8th Hussars similarly shows a group of cavalry with one reclining and others grouped around a man serving food.

    ‘The Cookhouse of the 8th Hussars,’ photograph by Roger Fenton.
    (Library of Congress)

    The photograph omits any visual evidence that would acknowledge that these are the survivors of an infamous British military blunder, the Charge of the Light Brigade, where cavalry were mistakenly ordered to charge directly at Russian artillery and suffered disastrous casualties.

    Long exposure, composed photographs

    Fenton could not photograph combat given the amount of time needed to capture an image using the wet collodion process, which required a long exposure.

    He could, however, have documented other aspects of the situation in Crimea which were covered by reporter William Howard Russell, who Fenton also photographed in 1855.

    Russell’s dispatches on the terrible conditions suffered by British troops and the ravages diseases like cholera combined with letters published by the soldiers caused a scandal in Britain. These reports led to the downfall of a government and to Florence Nightingale organizing a cohort of nurses to tend to the sick and wounded.

    Russell’s reporting revealed what was omitted from Fenton’s photographs of the war. The photographs served as the first demonstration of how such images could present positive images of war that belied the reality of death and suffering.

    Fenton’s photographs indirectly supported the war effort by showing only positive images of individual soldiers.

    Vietnam, Iraq War

    Media coverage of the American war in Vietnam, often referred to as the “first television war,” is often credited with turning public opinion against the conflict.

    Images of dead soldiers and civilians were transmitted to the viewing public. The “Saigon execution” photograph of a man being shot in the head was particularly shocking.

    To avoid mages such as this, according to Jessica M. Fishman, a behavioural scientist who has examined how media censors and displays the dead, major networks like CNN, Fox News and NBC largely followed an informal agreement to avoid showing graphic images of dead American soldiers during the Iraq War. In addition, reporters were embedded in military units and formed close relationships with the troops who were the subject of their reports.



    Read more:
    Three images that show wartime photographs can have greater impact than the written word

    The result was sanitized coverage of the war which, at least initially, helped maintain public support for the conflict. Images of drone strikes in particular suggested that the military was using precision weapons and “surgical” strikes that did not include civilian casualties.

    Just as reporting by Russell contradicted Fenton’s images of a competent military, photographs of the torture of prisoners in Abu Ghraib prison by American solders in 2004 helped change public perception of it as a “just war.”

    Trust with soldiers, personal ties

    Trofimova, in an interview with CBC, said she does not support the war and wanted to break stereotypes of Russian soldiers as motivated by hate.

    She pointed out that Russia has conscription and that many soldiers may have been drafted and are not supportive of the war. She also stated that she had no support from the Russian government and gained access to soldiers because she built up trust with them.

    The parallels with Fenton are instructive because he did not have support from the British government, and relied on personal connections to obtain his portraits.

    Excluding crucial information

    As with Fenton, the image of the Russian army conveyed by the interviews with soldiers may be as significant for what it leaves out about the war as much as what it tells us about them as individuals.

    When the CBC interviewer asked Trofimova about a statement made by a Russian soldier that they were incapable of committing war crimes, which Tromifova did not correct,
    she replied that “once you start trying to make this an analytical documentary that is going to provide you with stories that you have not documented yourself, then this becomes something else.” In March 2024, the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine announced it had new evidence Russian authorities have committed violations of international human rights and international humanitarian law, and corresponding war crimes.



    Read more:
    Putin’s war on history is another form of domestic repression

    Both Fenton’s photographs and a documentary that focuses on Russian soldiers’ perspectives exclude crucial information that would help lead the viewer to question the conduct of the war or how it is being justified.

    Martin Danahay receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council

    – ref. ‘Russians at War’ documentary: From the Crimean to the Iraq War, soldier images pose questions about propaganda – https://theconversation.com/russians-at-war-documentary-from-the-crimean-to-the-iraq-war-soldier-images-pose-questions-about-propaganda-239340

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse calls for urgent action on countering gendered disinformation

    Source: Government of Iceland

    The undersigned country members of the Global Partnership for Action on Gender-Based Online Harassment and Abuse (Global Partnership) call attention to the urgent need to counter the spread of gendered disinformation and address all forms of technology-facilitated gender-based violence (TFGBV) against women in political and public life.  

    Gendered disinformation is a threat to societies defending peaceful, democratic values. False or misleading gender and sex-based narratives are being used in campaigns by malign actors to deter and discredit the participation of women, girls and LGBTQI+ persons in political and public life. This not only causes deep harm to the individuals targeted, but also threatens electoral integrity, access to information and the exercise of freedom of expression. At the same time, new and emerging technologies are being used to enable harmful, violent rhetoric and attacks against women, girls and LGBTQI+ public figures across borders at a scale and speed previously unseen.

    In our 2023 Road Map, the Global Partnership committed to promoting the meaningful participation in public life for women and girls, in all their diversity, by countering TFGBV and gendered disinformation.  

    We welcome the work being done to shine a light on how and why gendered disinformation is conceived, who it targets and how it is spread. Last year, in a groundbreaking study, Canada, the European External Action Service, Germany, Slovakia, the United Kingdom, and the United States jointly assessed the tactics used by foreign state and non-state actors to sow gendered and other identity-based disinformation across the world. 

    In March 2024 the Global Partnership and members of its Advisory Group co-hosted a multi-stakeholder conference convened by the National Democratic Institute on possible responses to countering the spread of gendered disinformation in the context of electoral processes. Stakeholders affirmed the need for a comprehensive response to disrupt the spread of gendered disinformation and to support victims and survivors. 

    The world is at a critical moment for upholding democracy. More than 100 countries have held, or are soon to be holding elections, many of them taking place under democratically challenging circumstances. The active participation of all people, including women, girls and LGBTQI+ persons, is essential for secure, healthy and prosperous democracies.    

    We call upon states to join us in recognising and taking action to counter the threat of gendered disinformation to democracies globally. We urge technology and other private companies to take appropriate action to respond to this threat, including a commitment to a Safety-by-Design approach to the development and deployment of platforms and technologies. We ask states and all stakeholders to defend and protect the ability of women, girls and LGBTQI+ persons to participate in public life freely, safely and without fear.

     

    The governments of Australia, Chile, Denmark, France, Iceland, the Republic of Korea, Spain, Sweden, New Zealand, the UK and the USA gave this joint statement.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman David Scott Calls on GaDOE to Strengthen Standards and Expand Access of African American Studies Courses

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

    WASHINGTON- Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13), Ranking Member of the House Agriculture Committee, alongside Georgia’s congressional Democrats, Reps.  Hank Johnson (GA-04), Nikema Williams (GA-05), Sanford Bishop (GA-02), and Lucy McBath (GA-07), sent a letter to State Superintendent Richard Woods urging him to expand and strengthen instruction of African American Studies courses.

    “Home to the cradle of the Civil Rights Movement, Georgia’s connection to Black history and culture cannot be understated,” said Congressman David Scott. “While GaDOE should be commended for its recent adoption of social studies diversity course offerings, the lack of standards and materials associated with teaching the Introduction to African American/Black Studies course is deeply concerning. Disparate training levels across dozens of school districts have resulted in of some educators lacking any training or qualification altogether. Superintendent Woods must work with educators, experts, and other important stakeholders to develop stronger standards and expand the number of school districts that offer the course.”

    Since 2020, Georgia’s Introduction to African American/Black Studies course has been included in the catalogue of state-funded courses. However, the lack of any standards associated with the course requires school districts to develop their own curriculum and materials, including textbooks, leading to wide discrepancies in rigor and content between school districts. The lack of standards and uniform curriculum, along with a lack of supplemental training for educators, presents a barrier to some districts that lack the resources to develop new curriculum, materials, and supplemental training. Developing standards for the course will lift the burden from school districts to expand and improve instruction of African American Studies courses in Georgia.

    Further, in July, Superintendent Woods declined to recommend the Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course for approval for the 2024-2025 academic year. Instead, he recommended that school districts use an existing course code associated with an existing Introduction to African American/Black Studies class, suggesting that teachers and schools develop their own curriculum for the course. Even though Superintendent Woods ultimately reversed his decision by allowing state funding for the AP African American Studies course, his decision came too late, as some school districts already began instruction for the year. Others were forced to reduce the number of AP African American studies courses they could offer. Superintendent Woods must be fully committed to helping school districts increase the number of AP African American Studies classes offered.

    The text of the letter can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Front Street improvement works to get underway next month

    Source: City of York

    Published Tuesday, 24 September 2024

    Work to improve Front Street will start next month after designs shaped by the community were approved at a decision session earlier today (24 September).

    A drop-in session is being held on Thursday 26 September at the Gateway Centre from 3pm to 6pm with residents and businesses invited to meet the team and find out about what’s happening and when.

    Councillor Pete Kilbane, Deputy Leader of City of York Council and Executive Member for Culture and Economy said:

    This is a significant step forward and I want to thank everyone in the community, and the Council teams, who have helped us to get this far.

    “We need to move at pace as the UK Shared Prosperity Funding stipulates that the cash must be spent by the end of March 2025. This is funding awarded specifically for the regeneration of our local high streets and we are not allowed to spend it on anything else, such as fixing potholes. So, it’s a case of use it on this scheme, or lose it.

    “I encourage everyone who is interested in the project to pop into the session at the Gateway Centre on Thursday 26 September any time between 3pm to 6pm. As we have already demonstrated, we will continue to work with the community. With construction starting next month we’ll work with local businesses and residents to support them while we make the changes to the area.

    “Of course, Front Street remains open for trade while the improvements take place, and I would urge everyone to support the fantastic businesses located there and keep on using Acomb and Westfield’s main shopping street throughout the works.

    “We thank everyone for their patience while we carry out these important improvements. I can’t wait to see the difference these changes will make to an area that is already on the up.”

    In October 2023, the council’s Executive approved £570,000 of UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) money for phase 2 improvements to Front Street in Acomb. Earlier this year, residents, visitors, businesses and other stakeholders were invited to share their priorities and provide feedback on ideas for phase 2. This process received 900 individual responses and over 5,000 comments.

    The work will bring about significant changes to the area following feedback from the local community with:

    • An increased ability to hold events and community activities, including with new electrical point being installed. Carriageway resurfacing and the ability to close the road will also help create a more friendly space.
    • Wider and more accessible pedestrian crossings, including creating a new central space in the main shopping area and a new pedestrian crossing near Morrisons.
    • Around two thirds of the bollards being removed. Any bollards that are removed will be saved and used on other projects as needed.
    • Clearly marked, accessible Blue Badge car parking in four locations, supported by enforcement to prevent the misuse of these spaces.
    • More seating, bins, a community notice board and planting in the main shopping area and welcoming entrance points.
    • On top of the construction works taking place in the coming months feasibility study will be carried out to look at pedestrianising the area in the future and the council is working to commission a community mural from a professional artist.

    Businesses will be open as usual and the council is working to support them with deliveries.

    • Cross Street will be closed from 4-15 November between 7.30am and 4pm to allow for the Blue Badge spaces to be created there.
    • 19 and 20 November Cross Street will be closed all day for resurfacing work.
    • Front Street will be closed to vehicles from 7 October for up to four weeks while work to install the wider crossings takes place.
    • 19 and 22 November Front St will close again to vehicles for resurfacing works.

    ENDS

    Details of the upcoming road closures

    Road Closure

    Hours of closure

    Dates

    Work

    Front Street

    24hrs

    7 October – 1 November

    7.00am and 10.30 am on weekdays only traffic ambassador on site to support delivery vehicles to turn

    Construction of new wide crossing points

    Front Street

    24hrs

    19 Nov – 22 Nov

    Carriageway resurfacing

    Cross Street

    7.30am -4.00pm

    4 Nov- 15 Nov

    York Road layby works, new BB parking Spaces (civils)

    Cross Street

    24hrs

    19-20 Nov

    Carriageway resurfacing

    Public toilets closed no access.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Government must use powers to full extent

    Source: Scottish Greens

    24 Sep 2024 Finance

    The Scottish Government has the responsibility to use the powers it has to the maximum, and it’s not yet doing so

    More in Finance

    The Scottish Government must use the powers of devolution to the full extent to build a fairer, greener Scotland and offset some of the damage being done from Westminster, says Scottish Green co-leader, Patrick Harvie MSP.
     
    In a debate today on The UK Budget – Scotland’s Priorities, the Scottish Greens called for the new Labour government to reject the broken economic policies of the Tories and for the SNP to go further in its use of existing powers now and as part of the upcoming Scottish budget.
     
    Speaking in the chamber today, Mr Harvie called for the Scottish Government to prioritise projects that will cut climate emissions.
     
    Mr Harvie said: “This government and this parliament still have the responsibility to use the powers we have to the maximum, and we’re not yet doing so.
     
    “The Scottish Greens have made the case for policies like the Scottish Child Payment and others. We’ve also successfully brought to the chamber the solutions that show how we can pay for them.
     
    “It’s because of the work of the Scottish Greens that we have progressive taxation in this country and an extra £1.5 billion in the Scottish budget every year. It’s because of the work of the Scottish Greens that we have already made progress on more local powers, whether that’s powers to double council tax on second and empty homes, the introduction of the Transient Visitor Levy or the workplace parking levy as options for councils. There is more to come with the carbon land tax and others.
     
    “We need to go further on this and, finally, we need to cut unsustainable investment in those high cost, high carbon pieces of infrastructure and invest instead in what will cut costs and cut emissions, like energy efficient homes and buildings that use renewables and not fossil fuels.
     
    “The Scottish Government will have to go further with the powers it does have.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Aptean Empowers Snack Connection B.V. With Cloud-Based ERP Solution Set

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ALPHARETTA, Ga., Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Aptean, a global provider of mission-critical enterprise software solutions, announced its recent collaboration with Snack Connection B.V., a prominent private label manufacturer of nut blends, seeds and sweet fruits in the Netherlands. The deal marks a significant step forward for the Dutch company as it embarks on a journey towards modernizing its business operations.

    Snack Connection, founded in 2010, has quickly established itself as a successful player in the European market, delivering high-quality products to various European retailers. The business differentiates itself by a wide variety of products, innovative packaging and an individual customer approach that ensures quick action and response. With a client-centric mindset and commitment to innovation and efficiency, the company sought a robust software solution to replace its current ERP system and drive operational excellence across two production sites in Giessen and Bergschenhoek, Netherlands.

    Recognizing the need for a transformative solution, Snack Connection selected the cloud-based Aptean Food & Beverage ERP, alongside Aptean Patch OEE and Aptean Business Intelligence, to streamline processes and enhance decision-making capabilities. The comprehensive suite of software solutions offered by Aptean aligns seamlessly with Snack Connection’s vision for a data-driven, paperless organization. Renowned for its maturity and comprehensive support, the software provides the company with essential features such as multiple location management, traceability functionalities and allergen registration, along with the ability to optimize production efficiency and gain valuable insights for informed decision-making.

    “Aptean’s solution suite is an all-in-one package with all the food-specific functionality we need. We believe we can benefit from this by standardizing our processes, based on the best practices on which the software is built,” said Martijn van Gink, ICT Manager at Snack Connection. “The decision to partner with Aptean was driven by our desire to modernize our operations and achieve greater efficiency. Aptean’s proven track record in the food and beverage industry, coupled with their commitment to understanding our unique needs and local business culture, made them the clear choice for us.”

    By standardizing processes and embracing cloud technology, Snack Connection anticipates shorter training periods for new hires and enhanced cybersecurity practices. Aptean’s local leadership and dedication to understanding Snack Connection’s business culture have further solidified the partnership, ensuring a smooth transition to the new software environment.

    “At Aptean, we believe that success is built on strong partnerships and a deep understanding of our customers’ businesses. We look forward to supporting Snack Connection as they leverage our industry-leading ERP solution to streamline operations, drive growth and maintain a competitive edge in today’s dynamic Food & Beverage market,” said Duane George, President EMEA and APAC at Aptean.

    About Snack Connection
    Snack Connection is a relatively young (established 2010) Dutch company specialized in purchasing, processing, mixing and packing nuts, kernels, seeds, subtropical fruits and related products. By means of two modern production facilities, located in Giessen and Bergschenhoek (Netherlands) and more than 150 dedicated and professional employees, Snack Connection has proven to be a reliable and flexible partner for several European retailers, B2B and Out of Home clients. Discover more about our passion for snacking excellence at www.snackconnection.nl.

    About Aptean 
    Aptean is a global provider of industry-specific software that helps manufacturers and distributors effectively run and grow their businesses. With rapid deployment, Aptean’s solutions and services help businesses of all sizes to be Ready for What’s Next, Now®. Aptean is headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia and has offices in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific. To learn more about Aptean and the markets we serve, visit www.aptean.com. 

    Aptean and Ready for What’s Next, Now are Registered Trademarks of Aptean, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. 

    For Media Inquiries Please Contact
    MediaRelations@Aptean.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UK oil and gas workers risk becoming the ‘coal miners of our generation’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Freddie Daley, Research Associate, Centre for Global Political Economy, University of Sussex

    Grangemouth oil refinery is set to close in 2025 with the loss of 400 jobs. orxy / shutterstock

    At the end of September, the UK’s last remaining coal power plant, Ratcliffe-on-Soar in Nottinghamshire, will be retired. The closure of the plant should – and will – be celebrated by environmentalists, as the move away from coal has made Britain’s electricity much cleaner over the past decade. It is on this basis that the UK claims climate leadership.

    In the 1950s, coal provided the overwhelming majority of British energy, and as recently as 2012 it still generated 40%. By 2022, it was less than 2%. In a month’s time, it will be zero.

    Phasing out coal was a brutal and profound process. Organised labour was decimated, entire regions were forced into decline, and communities were left with sustained economic, social and health problems. The towering ghosts of power stations like Ratcliffe-on-Soar will haunt Britain’s ongoing effort to phase out North Sea oil and gas and replace it with clean energy.

    Towering ghosts: Ratcliffe-on-Soar power station.
    The Exposure / shutterstock

    And we are witnessing this haunting in real-time. After the Labour government announced its plans to end new licenses for oil and gas in British waters – necessary to meet the Paris Agreement – workers and trade unions feared history would repeat itself in terms of job losses and blighted communities.

    The general secretary of Unite, Sharon Graham, noted that without a more thorough plan, the policy risked creating “the coal miners of our generation”. A recent motion at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) gathering in Brighton called for no ban on oil and gas licensing before a fully funded jobs guarantee is agreed. The motion narrowly passed.

    Workers and unions are demanding a “just transition” from polluting industries into the clean industries of the future. But to achieve this, the UK government must learn from what happened with coal.

    Many places still rely on oil and gas jobs

    Although oil and gas are not as embedded throughout British life as coal once was, there are many settlements and larger areas still dependent on energy jobs. Grangemouth in central Scotland is a good example. In November 2023, the owner, Petroineos, announced plans to close the town’s oil refinery in 2025, bringing a century of production to an end at the cost of 400 jobs.

    Even if the UK government did issue new oil and gas licences, the North Sea faces structural decline. Production peaked around the turn of the century. Since 2014, as many as 200,000 jobs have been lost either offshore or along the supply chain onshore.

    From gas to wind?

    Planning for the end of fossil fuels is therefore an urgent endeavour. The dominant strategy for protecting skilled jobs is to transition workers into the industries set to replace North Sea production: wind energy and other low-carbon technologies.

    However, though Britain has developed a large wind power sector, it remains a major importer of turbines. Domestic manufacturing makes only a small contribution, and developers are not required to use British-made turbines or other parts, despite the jobs this would create.

    This has left Grangemouth workers discontented. When one of us (Ewan Gibbs) and Riyoko Shibe interviewed young refinery workers at Grangemouth earlier this year, many commented that there were relatively few jobs in renewables. When jobs were visible on LinkedIn and comparable job sites, one told us that “you’ll see there’s a big difference in terms and conditions”.

    Wind farms are relatively easy to run once installed, so most jobs are in building them.
    Kevin Shipp / shutterstock

    In its current form, the UK wind industry will find it hard to provide the types of secure ongoing employment that oil and gas historically has. Most jobs are in the construction and maintenance of wind farms, with the latter threatened by automation. Without public investment and a targeted industrial policy, Britain will remain a net importer of wind technology, and the phasing out of North Sea oil and gas will prove costly in job terms.



    Read more:
    Grangemouth job losses are a stark reminder of the cost of a greener industrial future

    More investment needed

    Britain’s lack of state intervention is not the norm. After all, more than half of British wind farms are state-owned, though less than 1% are owned by the UK government. Swedish, Norwegian, French, Irish and German state-owned entities are major players, but the biggest is Denmark’s Ørsted, a former oil company turned renewables giant which is mostly state-owned. In the UK’s most recent offshore wind auction, 70% of the projects were awarded to Ørsted.

    The newly launched Great British Energy could give the state a foothold in the North Sea once more. This publicly owned company plans to focus on domestic manufacturing and will invest in ports and other infrastructures to “unlock strategic bottlenecks”.

    But if such projects are to be meaningfully incorporated into a just transition, they will need to offer continuity and security to oil and gas workers. As one Grangemouth worker put it, referring to his colleagues facing the choice of either remaining unemployed locally or relocating to use their skills:

    They’re moving to the Middle East, they’re moving to the north-east of Scotland. They’re moving offshore, they’re moving to the Shetlands, and therefore it’s not a just transition, in my view, if we’re moving to these jobs.

    Another worker highlighted the risks that Grangemouth could join the coalfields in becoming “stranded” communities:

    We’ve got a community that’s been built round the site, we’ve got skills and we’ve got people that work there, we’ve got the infrastructure there – why should we not have these jobs when the time comes to move to these industries? Why can we not have it at Grangemouth?

    Britain’s push to phase out oil and gas is urgent and necessary, but it cannot follow the same trajectory as Britain’s exit from coal – lessons must be learned. The opportunities presented by the transition away from fossil fuels will only be fully realised if workers are at its centre.

    Freddie Daley receives funding from UKRI for the SUS-POL project at the University of Sussex, which explores fossil fuel phase-outs around the world. Freddie also campaigns on demand reduction with Badvertising.

    Ewan Gibbs received funding from a British Academy Wolfson Fellowship that supported this research (grant number: WF21210099).

    – ref. UK oil and gas workers risk becoming the ‘coal miners of our generation’ – https://theconversation.com/uk-oil-and-gas-workers-risk-becoming-the-coal-miners-of-our-generation-239262

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: UNGA: President Meloni meets with President Erdoğan of Türkiye

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    The President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met today with the President of Türkiye, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, in the margins of the high-level week of the 79th United Nations General Assembly.

    In addition to the increasingly difficult situation in the Middle East, the meeting also focused on the common commitment to support Ukraine’s territorial integrity and pursue a just and lasting peace.

    With regard to the debate on Security Council reform, the two leaders reiterated their shared commitment in the context of the ‘United for Consensus’ group, supporting a solution inspired by the principles of equality, democracy and representativeness which therefore excludes the creation of new permanent seats.

    On a bilateral level, President Meloni and President Erdoğan reaffirmed the shared desire to hold a summit between their two governments and a business forum as soon as possible in order to further strengthen the bilateral relationship.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: UNGA, President Meloni meets with Turkish President Erdoğan

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: Government of Italy

    The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, met, on the sidelines of the high-level week of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, the President of Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

    At the heart of the meeting, in addition to the increasingly difficult situation in the Middle East, was the shared commitment to supporting the territorial integrity of Ukraine and to seeking a just and lasting peace.

    Regarding the debate on the reform of the Security Council, the two Leaders reaffirmed their common commitment within the context of the “United for Consensus” group to support a solution inspired by the principles of equality, democracy and representativeness which therefore excludes the creation of new permanent seats.

    On the bilateral front, the common will to convene a Summit between the two Governments and a “Business Forum” as soon as possible was reaffirmed in order to further strengthen the bilateral relationship.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Translation: UNGA, President Meloni meets with the Head of the Provisional Government of Bangladesh

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: Government of Italy

    September 24, 2024

    On the sidelines of the high-level week of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, the Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, met with the Head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

    During the meeting, President Meloni expressed Italy’s support for the reform process in Bangladesh and the primary objective of improving the socio-economic conditions of the population.

    The meeting also provided an opportunity to address the issue of immigration and to affirm the desire to strengthen collaboration on the matter, relaunching in particular the negotiation for the conclusion of a bilateral agreement that contrasts irregular migratory flows, establishes closer collaboration on repatriations and, at the same time, favors legal pathways.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Europe: UNGA: President Meloni meets with Head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    24 Settembre 2024

    In the margins of the high-level week of the 79th United Nations General Assembly, the President of the Council of Ministers, Giorgia Meloni, met today with the Head of the Interim Government of Bangladesh, Prof. Muhammad Yunus.

    During the meeting, President Meloni expressed Italy’s support for the reform process in Bangladesh and the main goal of improving the population’s social and economic conditions.

    The meeting also provided an opportunity to discuss migration, with the intention being stated to strengthen cooperation on this issue, in particular by relaunching negotiations to complete a bilateral agreement to combat irregular migration flows, establish closer cooperation on returns and, at the same time, support legal paths.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: UNGA, President Meloni meets with the Prime Minister of Iraq

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Italy –

    Source: Government of Italy

    September 24, 2024

    The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, met the Prime Minister of Iraq, Mohammed Al Sudani, in New York.

    The leaders discussed bilateral relations, reaffirming their common will to establish a strategic partnership between the two nations in all sectors, from political to economic cooperation, from security to cultural cooperation.

    The meeting also provided an opportunity to reaffirm Italy’s commitment to international support for Iraq’s security through the training of security forces and the fight against terrorism.

    President Meloni and Prime Minister Al Sudani also discussed the situation in the Middle East, agreeing on the need to continue working towards regional de-escalation.

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bamboo Eagle: ‘Upping our game’ for Great Power Competition

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nevada  –  

    Exercise Bamboo Eagle 24-3 integrated U.S. Airmen, Guardians, Sailors, Marines, and allies from Australia and the United Kingdom into a combined force to train for a possible conflict in the era of Great Power Competition. Last month, the exercise conducted live-fly operations in the eastern Pacific and a simultaneous 24-hour live, virtual, and constructive, or LVC, rolling scenario, tackling issues involving distributed command and control, communications degradation, logistics and sustainment challenges, and fighting through the tyranny of distance.

    Bamboo Eagle 24-3 provided advanced expeditionary airbase training in a combat-representative environment utilizing distributed locations, or spokes, along the western United States. Red Flag and Agile Flag units were dispersed from hubs into spokes while maintaining sortie generation utilizing a centralized C2 force element, or C2FE. Agile combat employment, or ACE, concepts were incorporated into the exercise to provide full spectrum movement and maneuver and multi-hub operations under a singular operational C2 structure.

    “The Bamboo Eagle exercise series is so much more than Red Flag over water,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Michael Power, 505th Combat Training Squadron commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida. “The combination of an LVC environment spanning more than 850,000 square miles in a synthetic battlespace delivers the scope and scale necessary to prepare both tactical-level and operational-level warfighters for competition with the pacing challenge.”

    During Bamboo Eagle 24-1, the U.S. Air Force Warfare Center-led exercise focused on tactical operations while operational-level of war elements such as the air operations center, or AOC, Air Force forces staff and the Commander, AFFOR and Combined/Joint Forces Air Component Commander, were replicated by 505th CTS from Hurlburt Field. In a first for the Bamboo Eagle exercise series, the USAFWC called for the deployment of a fully resourced combat representative AOC and AFFOR to exercise and support multi-domain operations in a disaggregated high-end conflict during Bamboo Eagle 24-3.

    “Bamboo Eagle 24-3 built upon 24-1 in the operational C2 structure that assured the C2FEs had the operational echelon above them to provide critical guidance, support, and sustainment as the ACE scheme of maneuver was executed,” said U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Jesse Friedel, USAFWC deputy commander and Bamboo Eagle COMAFFOR and C/JFACC, Nellis AFB, Nevada. “The large-scale combat-representative exercise was successful at executing the C2 structure for Great Power Competition, focusing on mission command where there was centralized command and key distributed control, along with critical decentralized execution to assure we were synchronizing efforts to improve interoperability with our Nation’s joint force.”

    Another first for the Bamboo Eagle exercise series in 24-3 was incorporating operational-level planning and execution by subject matter experts from the entire wing and wing staff, including the 505th Training Squadron and 705th Training Squadron. Instructors from both training squadrons supported the AOC, AFFOR, air expeditionary wings, and COMAFFOR and C/JFACC.

    U.S., Australian, and U.K., tactical and operational C2 experts integrated to provide national expertise, independent/contingency communications, and to further development of tactics, techniques and procedures within Bamboo Eagle’s AOC.

    Air Operations Center

    “Generally, as an Air Force, we focus on the tactical aspect of war; exercises like Red Flag focus on tactics, but the level above that is the operational level of war, which we don’t practice very well,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Ryan Hayde, 505th Command and Control Wing commander and Bamboo Eagle AOC director. “Standing up a fully manned AOC allowed us the ability to synchronize efforts over time and space and to focus on the scale and scope in an Indo-Pacific large-scale conflict, which only the operational level of war is going to be able to solve, which is critical to winning the logistics fight, C2 fight, and long-range kill chain fight against a peer-to-peer adversary.”

    Exercise Bamboo Eagle saw momentous progress towards coalition integration within operational C2 since its first iteration in January 2024.

    “The significance of our coalition partners’ involvement during Bamboo Eagle cannot be overstated,” remarked Hayde. “Due to some breakthroughs in access, our partners were able to fight on our systems and lead AOC shifts, filling the top three AOC leadership roles.”

    During the exercise, simulated combat scenarios and live joint training operations provided a unique opportunity for military personnel from the U.S., Australia, and the U.K., to work closely together and enhance their collective capabilities.

    “U.K. and Royal Australian Air Force participants benefitted from unprecedented access to U.S. systems. This demonstrated the strength and effectiveness of multinational cooperation in achieving shared military objectives,” said Royal Air Force Wing Commander Richard Kinniburgh, U.K. exchange officer to the 505th CCW and Bamboo Eagle U.K. Detachment commander. “I, alongside my Australian counterpart, will endeavor to build upon these successes into exercise BE 25-1 and support the U.S. Air Force in sharing the access processes as best practice to enhance FVEY [Five Eyes] integration as widely as possible.”

    RAAF Squadron Leader Sean Bedford, Bamboo Eagle RAAF detachment commander, said, “The access to U.S. systems was beneficial. Individual (AOC) divisions seemed to appreciate the fact that we were there and actively working to integrate with our U.S. and U.K. counterparts. The opportunity to network and be inside the 613th AOC was a high point. Learning about and actively experiencing working within a U.S. AOC was an important aspect of the exercise. The good relationships between the three nations present were evident. U.S. members were happy to listen and consider what we had to say”.

    “Bamboo Eagle 24-3 has set a new standard for coalition integration for exercises and methodology that will be shared across the U.S. Air Force as best practice,” said Hayde.

    Air Force forces staff, also known as the AFFOR battle staff

    To provide a more robust combat-representative training environment for the AEWs, an AFFOR staff supported the dual-hatted COMAFFOR and C/JFACC’s operational and administrative control over Bamboo Eagle’s forces from the Shadow Operations Center-Nellis’ operations floor.

    “While the AOC and live-fly garner a lot of attention in these exercises, our ability to successfully operate ACE in the Indo-Pacific is critically reliant on the ability of the AFFOR. No longer is the AFFOR staff able to just focus on ‘deploy, sustain, and redeploy’…they are now more than ever critical to the employment of airpower!” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Benjamin Lee, 705th TRS commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida

    “During a high-end conflict, communication between the deployed combat wings, the AOC and AFFOR battle staff is going to be critical to synchronize operations and maintain initiative,” said U.S. Air Force Col. Jason Wild, 99th Air Base Wing deputy commander, and Bamboo Eagle AFFOR battle staff director, Nellis AFB, Nevada. “Bamboo Eagle provided the perfect training ground to get much-needed repetition in executing operational C2.”

    Scope and Scale

    While Bamboo Eagle’s live environment introduced mission generation FEs, or MGFEs, to the challenges of ACE and synchronization of multi-domain effects, the virtual and constructive environments stressed the challenges of logistics and resource management for both the air component and subordinate wings and associated C2FEs.

    “If the all-domain combat power pulses answer the ‘so what?’ of generating combat air power, the operational environment at the scope and scale of the Indo-Pacific AOR [area of responsibility] of the synthetic battlespace begs the question ‘so how?’” said Power.

    Power continued, “…the complex live environment of Bamboo Eagle presented wing commanders with significant MG and combat application challenges. Yet, sortie generation and mission planning alone do not provide the combat-representative environment our warfighters need in preparation for Great Power Competition. Pairing live training audiences with a broad constructive and virtual wrap-around replicates the look and feel of major combat operations.”

    Live, Virtual, and Constructive

    The 705th Combat Training Squadron, also known as the Distributed Mission Operations Center, at Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, synchronized LVC environments and delivered robust training. The DMOC provided reps and sets for the entire C2 battle management enterprise, including aircrew flying strike aircraft and C2 platforms within a realistic combined scenario at a scope and scale not possible in the live-fly alone.

    This exercise included the first-ever lead wing participants at the DMOC, connected through a simultaneous LVC environment. During the exercise, the training audience addressed the challenges of tyranny of distance, time, and logistical strains of an Indo-Pacific Command fight within the constructive and virtual components, which were spread out over prolonged vulnerability periods or pulses.

    The 1st Fighter Wing participated as an expeditionary Lead Wing, engaging with live participants through a virtual environment representing realistic USINDOPACOM basing at the DMOC. The 1st FW managed dispersed operations while maintaining C2 and sortie generation through a centralized C2FE. ACE concepts were incorporated into the exercise to provide maneuver and multi-hub operations under a singular operational C2 structure.

    “In this iteration of Bamboo Eagle, we were able to provide a unique and challenging venue to train a lead wing C2FE, I think this is definitely a growth area for the DMOC that will meet an unfilled training need for wings as they prepare to for high-end conflict,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. David Jones, 705th CTS/DMOC commander, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico.

    Network Architecture

    The 805th Combat Training Squadron’s, also known as the ShOC-N, ability to manage the network architecture in real time ensures that the LVC blends seamlessly into a single common operational picture. This ability took constructive data from the 505th CTS and virtual data from the 705th CTS and combines that with live instrumented range data from across multiple live-fly operating areas.

    “Exercise participants, regardless of echelon, are participating in a training construct that mimics adversary orders of battle, blue dispositions, and the tyranny of distance like no other exercise has to date,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Shawn Finney, 805th CTS/ShOC-N commander, Nellis AFB, Nevada. “The result is a combat-representative depiction of the scope and scale of peer conflict.”

    Importance of Communications

    Bamboo Eagle 24-3 marked the first utilization of the 613th AOC C2 Training Suite with strong support and collective ownership provided by the 56th Air and Space Communications Squadron and 505th Communications Squadron teams. The effective coordination and collaboration between these units played a crucial role in two main aspects. Firstly, it facilitated the development of Mission Ready Airmen, through scale and speed, with training focused on command, control, communications, computers, and intelligence, or C4I, skillsets needed for critical wartime operations. Secondly, it accelerated the development, integration, and testing of the communications and intelligence capabilities by utilizing models and simulations overlays into a comprehensive battlespace picture, becoming more combat representative by displaying unfolding events.

    “Meeting operational demands in an era of Great Power Competition by ensuring that the C2 architecture (systems, networks, satellite communications, and warfighting applications) captures evolving air, sea, space, and cyberspace challenges is my team’s goal,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Crystal Lusardi, 505th CS commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida.

    Mission Under Test

    A key part of the 605th Test and Evaluation Squadron effort involved developing and executing the squadron’s first-ever mission-under-test observation and tactics investigation plan. This plan provided an end-to-end look at the complex process of planning and executing long-range kill-chains across 11 different lines of effort.

    “Executing our first-ever Mission Under Test observation and tactics investigation plan during Bamboo Eagle was a significant step forward for the 605th TES. This comprehensive approach allowed us to gain an unprecedented understanding of the complexities involved in planning and executing long-range kill chains, ultimately enabling us to identify vulnerabilities and improve coordination across the entire battlespace,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Brad Short, 605th TES commander, Hurlburt Field, Florida. “Our team’s efforts in evaluating non-traditional C2 and ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] tactics demonstrated the incredible adaptability and ingenuity of our Airmen. We witnessed firsthand how these innovations can dramatically improve targeting and execution speeds on the battlefield.”

    Future of Bamboo Eagle

    “As the Air Force is reoptimizing for Great Power Competition, with a focus on realistic scenarios and large-scale exercises to identify gaps and weaknesses, the 505th Command and Control Wing must adopt an all-in mindset to address operational C2 potential peer-to-peer threats,” said Hayde. “As we prepare for REFORPAC [exercise Return of Forces Pacific], we will continue to robust our AFFOR and AOC contribution to further integrate operational-level C2 into future iterations of Bamboo Eagle to ensure that we practice how we’re going to fight.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Moment Event [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Excellencies, dear friends,  

    The Sustainable Development Goals represent a bold vision: a commitment to a better, healthier, safer and more prosperous and sustainable future.   

    But the Goals are facing massive headwinds.

    More than 4 out of 5 SDG targets are off track.

    On top of the impacts from a global pandemic, many countries are being crushed by massive debt burdens, limited liquidity and sky-high borrowing costs.

    Conflicts, hunger, inequalities and the climate crisis are all intensifying.

    And the global financial architecture is not providing developing countries with sufficient financing and liquidity or to act as an effective safety net for all.

    The world has the wealth, the technology, and the know-how to achieve the SDGs.

    Last September’s SDG Summit included consensus around an SDG Stimulus of at least $500 billion per year in financing for developing countries — and the need for global financial architecture reform.

    It highlighted key transitions to generate maximum progress — ending hunger, expanding renewable energy, digitalization, education, social protection and decent work, and ending the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

    It also underscored the vital importance of ensuring that women, girls and young people are at the decision-making table.   

    Today, you will hear from leaders about their countries’ progress across all these areas — leaders determined to make changes, even in the face of great odds.

    And we will celebrate some milestones at the global level.

    From reducing child mortality rates…to preventing new HIV infections…to increasing access to renewable energy and broadband …to greater gender parity across education systems.

    As we reflect on next steps, I urge focus on the three development drivers that can accelerate progress.

    The first is finance. 

    Crushing debt and inefficient tax systems are starving investments in health, education and food in many developing countries.

    The Pact for the Future includes support for the SDG Stimulus and global financial architecture reform to help ease the debt crisis of so many developing countries.

    This includes multiplying the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks to provide more resources for climate action and sustainable development, and changing their business model to leverage massive amounts of private finance.  

    As we look towards next year’s Summits on Social Development and Financing, I urge all countries to double down on these reform efforts.

    The second development driver is climate action.

    I urge countries to put forward ambitious national climate action plans that align with the 1.5 degree limit, and cover the whole economy and all sectors.

    This requires aligning national energy strategies with a 1.5-degree world, ending fossil fuel subsidies and putting a price on carbon.

    It is time for a rapid and just phase-out of fossil fuels, and a rapid and smart scale-up of renewables to drive sustainable development, energy security and economic prosperity.

    We must fairly and sustainably meet the global demand for critical minerals that can power the renewables revolution. And the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals has provided recommendations to do this.

    Protecting development gains from climate upheaval is also critical.

    We need new and generous contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund.

    We need developed countries honouring their commitment to double adaptation funding by 2025.

    And we need governments to agree on a significant new climate finance goal at COP29, including new and innovative sources of finance.

    Le troisième facteur de développement, c’est la paix.

    Tous nos plans de développement sont rapidement anéantis par des conflits sans fin causant la mort, la destruction, la faim, les déplacements de populations et les violences basées sur le genre.

    Et les ressources dont nous avons tant besoin pour nourrir et éduquer nos enfants et construire une planète durable pour notre jeunesse sont gaspillées en dépenses militaires.

    Nous avons besoin de paix – à Gaza, en Ukraine, au Soudan, et partout ailleurs.

    J’appelle les dirigeants du monde entier à surmonter les divisions, à mettre fin aux conflits, et à investir dans l’avenir de leurs populations et dans la paix.

    Chers amis,

    Dans un monde de richesses exceptionnelles, de connaissances et de technologies sans précédent, nous n’avons aucune excuse.

    Il est temps de tenir les promesses du Programme 2030 – de mettre fin à la pauvreté, de protéger la planète, et de ne laisser personne de côté.  

    Gardons les Objectifs de développement durable en vie.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
    [all-English]

    Excellencies, dear friends,

    The Sustainable Development Goals represent a bold vision: a commitment to a better, healthier, safer and more prosperous and sustainable future.   

    But the Goals are facing massive headwinds.

    More than 4 out of 5 SDG targets are off track.

    On top of the impacts from a global pandemic, many countries are being crushed by massive debt burdens, limited liquidity and sky-high borrowing costs.

    Conflicts, hunger, inequalities and the climate crisis are all intensifying.

    And the global financial architecture is not providing developing countries with sufficient financing and liquidity or to act as an effective safety net for all.

    The world has the wealth, the technology, and the know-how to achieve the SDGs.

    Last September’s SDG Summit included consensus around an SDG Stimulus of at least $500 billion per year in financing for developing countries — and the need for global financial architecture reform.

    It highlighted key transitions to generate maximum progress — ending hunger, expanding renewable energy, digitalization, education, social protection and decent work, and ending the triple planetary crisis of climate change, pollution and biodiversity loss.

    It also underscored the vital importance of ensuring that women, girls and young people are at the decision-making table.   

    Today, you will hear from leaders about their countries’ progress across all these areas — leaders determined to make changes, even in the face of great odds.

    And we will celebrate some milestones at the global level.

    From reducing child mortality rates…to preventing new HIV infections…to increasing access to renewable energy and broadband …to greater gender parity across education systems.

    As we reflect on next steps, I urge focus on the three development drivers that can accelerate progress.

    The first is finance. 

    Crushing debt and inefficient tax systems are starving investments in health, education and food in many developing countries.
       
    The Pact for the Future includes support for the SDG Stimulus and global financial architecture reform to help ease the debt crisis of so many developing countries.

    This includes multiplying the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks to provide more resources for climate action and sustainable development, and changing their business model to leverage massive amounts of private finance.  

    As we look towards next year’s Summits on Social Development and Financing, I urge all countries to double down on these reform efforts.

    The second development driver is climate action.

    I urge countries to put forward ambitious national climate action plans that align with the 1.5 degree limit, and cover the whole economy and all sectors.

    This requires aligning national energy strategies with a 1.5-degree world, ending fossil fuel subsidies and putting a price on carbon.

    It is time for a rapid and just phase-out of fossil fuels, and a rapid and smart scale-up of renewables to drive sustainable development, energy security and economic prosperity.

    We must fairly and sustainably meet the global demand for critical minerals that can power the renewables revolution. And the Panel on Critical Energy Transition Minerals has provided recommendations to do this.

    Protecting development gains from climate upheaval is also critical.

    We need new and generous contributions to the Loss and Damage Fund.

    We need developed countries honouring their commitment to double adaptation funding by 2025.

    And we need governments to agree on a significant new climate finance goal at COP29, including new and innovative sources of finance.

    And the third development driver is peace.

    All our development plans are quickly erased by relentless conflicts that cause death, destruction, hunger, displacement and gender-based violence.

    And the resources we desperately need to feed and educate our children and build a sustainable planet for our young people are wasted on military expenditures.

    We need peace — from Gaza to Ukraine to Sudan and beyond.

    I call on global leaders to heal divisions, end conflicts, and invest in people and peace.

    Dear friends,

    In our world of unprecedented wealth, knowledge and technologies, there is no excuse.

    It’s time to keep the promises of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development to end poverty, protect the planet, and leave no one behind.  

    Let’s keep the SDG commitment alive.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences, Chers amis,

    Les objectifs de développement durable incarnent une vision audacieuse. Ils constituent un engagement en faveur d’un avenir meilleur, plus sain, plus sûr, plus prospère et plus durable.

    Mais les vents contraires sont nombreux.

    Nous sommes mal partis pour atteindre plus de quatre sur cinq de toutes les cibles associées aux objectifs de développement durable.

    Outre les conséquences d’une pandémie mondiale auxquelles ils doivent faire face, de nombreux pays sont écrasés par un endettement massif, des liquidités limitées et des coûts d’emprunt très élevés.

    Les conflits, la faim, les inégalités et la crise climatique s’intensifient.

    En outre, l’architecture financière mondiale ne permet pas aux pays en développement de pouvoir compter sur suffisamment de financements et de liquidités et ne leur offre pas un filet de sécurité efficace pour tous.

    Le monde a pourtant les richesses, les technologies et le savoir-faire qu’il faut pour atteindre les objectifs de développement durable.

    Au mois de septembre dernier, le Sommet sur les objectifs de développement durable a permis de dégager un consensus autour d’un plan de relance des objectifs de développement durable, prévoyant des financements d’au moins 500 milliards de dollars par an pour les pays en développement – et de s’accorder sur le fait qu’il est nécessaire de réformer l’architecture financière mondiale.

    L’accent a été mis sur les transitions clés qui permettront d’accomplir un maximum de progrès dans toute une série de domaines : élimination de la faim, développement des énergies renouvelables, numérisation, éducation, protection sociale et travail décent, ainsi que de mettre fin à la triple crise planétaire, à savoir les changements climatiques, la pollution et l’appauvrissement de la biodiversité.

    Il a également été souligné qu’il était crucial de veiller à ce que les femmes, les filles et les jeunes aient leur place à la table des décisions.

    Aujourd’hui, vous entendrez des dirigeants et dirigeantes parler des progrès réalisés par leur pays dans tous ces domaines. Ils sont déterminés à faire bouger les lignes, en dépit des difficultés énormes auxquelles ils heurtent.

    Et nous célébrerons des réussites phares à l’échelle planétaire : depuis la réduction des taux de mortalité infantile jusqu’à l’amélioration de la prévention des nouvelles infections par le VIH, en passant par l’élargissement de l’accès aux énergies renouvelables et de l’accès au haut débit et par l’amélioration de la parité entre les femmes et les hommes dans les systèmes éducatifs.

    Alors que nous réfléchissons aux prochaines étapes, je vous invite à vous concentrer sur les trois moteurs du développement qui pourraient permettre d’accélérer le rythme des progrès.

    Tout d’abord, les financements.

    Dans de nombreux pays en développement, les investissements dans les domaines de la santé, de l’éducation et de l’alimentation sont exsangues à cause du niveau écrasant de la dette et de l’inefficacité des systèmes fiscaux.

    Dans le Pacte pour l’avenir, il est prévu d’appuyer le plan de relance des objectifs de développement durable et la réforme de l’architecture financière mondiale afin d’atténuer la crise de la dette que traversent de trop nombreux pays en développement.

    Il s’agit notamment de multiplier la capacité de prêt des banques multilatérales de développement afin de dégager davantage de ressources pour l’action climatique et le développement durable, et de modifier leur modèle de fonctionnement afin de mobiliser en masse des financements privés.

    Les Sommets sur le développement social et le financement auront lieu l’an prochain, et j’invite tous les pays à redoubler d’efforts pour faire avancer la réforme dans cette perspective.

    Le deuxième moteur du développement, c’est l’action climatique.

    J’invite les pays à adopter des plans d’action nationaux pour le climat qui soient ambitieux, en ne dépassant pas la limite des 1,5 degré, et en couvrant l’ensemble de l’économie et tous les secteurs.

    Il faudra pour cela aligner les stratégies énergétiques nationales sur l’objectif d’une élévation de la température mondiale ne dépassant pas les 1,5 degré, mettre fin aux subventions aux combustibles fossiles et fixer un prix pour le carbone.

    L’heure est venue d’éliminer progressivement mais rapidement les combustibles fossiles, au terme d’une transition équitable, et d’augmenter rapidement, avec discernement, les énergies renouvelables pour favoriser le développement durable, la sécurité énergétique et la prospérité économique.

    Nous devons répondre d’une manière juste et durable à la demande mondiale en minéraux essentiels, qui ont le potentiel de porter la révolution des énergies renouvelables. Et le Groupe chargé de la question des minéraux essentiels à la transition énergétique a formulé des recommandations à cette fin.

    Il est également essentiel de protéger les acquis du développement face aux bouleversements climatiques.

    Il faut par ailleurs que de nouvelles et généreuses contributions soient versées au Fonds pour les pertes et les préjudices.

    Les pays développés doivent honorer l’engagement qu’ils ont pris de doubler le financement de l’adaptation d’ici à 2025.

    Et il faut que les gouvernements se mettent d’accord sur un nouvel objectif ambitieux en ce qui concerne le financement de l’action climatique lors de la vingt-neuvième session de la Conférence des Parties à la Convention-cadre des Nations Unies sur les changements climatiques, y compris au sujet des sources de financement nouvelles ou novatrices.

    Le troisième facteur de développement, c’est la paix.

    Tous nos plans de développement sont rapidement anéantis par des conflits sans fin causant la mort, la destruction, la faim, les déplacements de populations et les violences basées sur le genre.

    Et les ressources dont nous avons tant besoin pour nourrir et éduquer nos enfants et construire une planète durable pour notre jeunesse sont gaspillées en dépenses militaires.

    Nous avons besoin de paix – à Gaza, en Ukraine, au Soudan, et partout ailleurs.

    J’appelle les dirigeants du monde entier à surmonter les divisions, à mettre fin aux conflits, et à investir dans l’avenir de leurs populations et dans la paix.

    Chers amis,

    Dans un monde de richesses exceptionnelles, de connaissances et de technologies sans précédent, nous n’avons aucune excuse.

    Il est temps de tenir les promesses du Programme 2030 – de mettre fin à la pauvreté, de protéger la planète, et de ne laisser personne de côté.

    Gardons les objectifs de développement durable en vie.

    Je vous remercie.
    ***

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Keynote speech by SJ at networking dinner of forum titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Vietnamese Businesses to China and Beyond in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (English only) (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is the keynote speech by the Secretary for Justice, Mr Paul Lam, SC, at the networking dinner of the forum titled Hong Kong: The Common Law Gateway for Vietnamese Businesses to China and Beyond in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, on September 24:
     
    Ladies and gentlemen,
     
         Good evening, xin chào buổi tối. Frankly speaking, I do not think I can do a better job than all the eminent speakers who have spoken before me. So I am not going to say something new. Instead, I wish to do a very quick recap to sum up the key and essential points made by various speakers so that you can have a few takeaways after today’s event.

         I prefer to do it by once again referring to the theme of our forum, “The Common Law Gateway for Vietnamese Businesses to China and Beyond”, but I wish to focus on a few key phrases and do it in the reverse order. So I would like to focus on China and beyond first.

         We are lawyers coming from Hong Kong. As I said in my opening remarks, obviously there have been very close relationships between Hong Kong and Vietnam. But the reason why we are here is not simply because of Hong Kong, it is about something much bigger than Hong Kong. That is our country, China, and beyond.

         A number of speakers have referred to a very important concept known as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. And I wish to emphasise again the importance of the Greater Bay Area. You have been told that the Greater Bay Area consists of the Guangdong Province, in particular the nine cities in Guangdong Province, plus Hong Kong and Macao. To give you some ideas, the size of Greater Bay Area is almost like Croatia, a mid-size European country, with population around 86 million, similar to the population of Germany. If you look at what cities are situated within the Greater Bay Area, we have three very important cities: Guangzhou, of course, which is the capital of the province of Guangdong, a very important city in the southern part of China. And then you have Shenzhen, I think some of our speakers have mentioned Shenzhen, which is the innovation and high-tech hub, where you have the headquarters of Tencent, the factories of BYD and Huawei. All the advanced technology or high-tech innovative things are happening in Shenzhen, which is just across the border. And then of course you have Hong Kong, which is the international financial and trade centre.

         Although there are different bay areas in the world, we have the Tokyo Bay area, the San Francisco Bay Area, but I venture to say that they cannot be compared to Hong Kong because in the Greater Bay Area, you have one country but three different jurisdictions, including Mainland China, Hong Kong, and also Macao which used to be ruled by the Portuguese. So it is a very special place with huge potential. Hong Kong may well be your final destination for your business and business venture. But it also may not be your final destination. Maybe you will find much more opportunities in the Greater Bay Area in China. And then in China, very often there would be investments and other business ventures with other countries. So it is really “China and beyond”.

         Now moving to “Gateway”. I just mentioned that perhaps you will be more interested not just about opportunities for business investment in Hong Kong, but also those offered in Mainland China. And of course you would agree with me that legal service would be important. But you may wonder, if I wish to invest in Mainland China or co-operate with a Mainland partner, why shouldn’t I simply instruct a Mainland lawyer? Why shouldn’t I simply engage the legal service offered by Mainland China? And why should I do it via Hong Kong, which seems to be a little bit indirect or a bit convoluted. And of course, all the speakers who have spoken this afternoon have provided some very good answers. One of the key characteristics of this particular gateway, or using Hong Kong as a gateway, is our common law character, our common law tradition. But again, as pointed out by one of the participants who raised a question at the end of the first session, Hong Kong is definitely not the only common law jurisdiction in this world which can play the role as a gateway for the provision of legal service. I think my friend mentioned Singapore. Why not Singapore? Singapore is definitely a common law jurisdiction. Even in ASEAN, within the Southeast Asia, we have Malaysia which is also a common law jurisdiction. So it is our duty to explain to you a little further.

         What is so special about Hong Kong? I hate to compare Hong Kong with Singapore, but because this question has been raised, I think I have to answer that question as if I were being asked to answer that question by a judge in the court. So I have to give a direct answer. But as a government official, I have to be as diplomatic as possible. The way I put it is that we can and we will offer something that only Hong Kong can offer. We can offer something that Singapore will not be able to do. It is because of six factors, as the sum total of these six factors that make Hong Kong truly unique and peculiar, unparalleled. So what are these six factors? Now, here comes my summary of what you have heard this afternoon.

         First, Hong Kong provides a very stable legal environment. Stable in the sense that Hong Kong is the only common law jurisdiction within China. It is the only common law jurisdiction in China, and it will remain to be the only common law jurisdiction within China. The reason is that the common law system practiced in Hong Kong has been guaranteed by a constitutional document, which is our Basic Law. You can describe it as a mini-constitution. Now, there have been some queries in the past on certain wordings in our constitutional document. Some people questioned whether the principle of “one country, two systems” or the common law system practiced in Hong Kong will continue after 2047, which is the 50th anniversary of the resumption of sovereignty by China of Hong Kong. But that uncertainty has been removed very clearly by the leaders of China, in particular President Xi Jinping. Back in 2022, on July 1 when he came to Hong Kong, he made a very important speech, a very short speech. What is most telling is that in his very short speech, he mentioned the common law system in Hong Kong twice. He said that the common law system is a core element of the “one country, two systems” principle, which is a very good policy that is going to last basically forever. So there should be no doubt whatsoever that not only the principle of “one country, two systems”, but also our common law system will continue. So the first point “stability” – it is very stable.

         The second point is that our system is also very reliable. Now, that goes to the question of the existence of a very reputable and respected judiciary. When it comes to a judicial or legal system, two factors will be of crucial importance. First, quality, quality of justice, whether judges are smart enough to deliver true justice. Second, integrity, whether judges are seen to be able to discharge their duty fairly and impartially. Now, I think the Judiciary in Hong Kong fulfills these two very important essential criteria.

         In terms of quality, as my friends said this afternoon, all the judges, they enjoy very high standing in the world. Our Court of Final Appeal, I should mention that the judgments delivered by the judges of the Court of Final Appeal, they were cited in other common jurisdictions from time to time. And we have foreign judges sitting as part-time judges in Hong Kong. I also remember that one of the speakers mentioned the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index, Hong Kong ranked the 23rd out of 142 jurisdictions in the world. And I think we ranked the sixth in East Asia and the Pacific region. Ahead of the United States, and if I recall correctly, Spain, another major economy in the world.

         When it comes to integrity, once again my friends have informed you that how judges in Hong Kong are appointed. They are appointed completely independently by an independent statutory body. It is not possible for the executive to interfere with the performance of the judges. It is not possible for the executive to fire or sack any judges. And in fact, I have to tell you a very embarrassing piece of information which nobody dares mention, that is the Government lost cases before the court quite often. So I think that is a very good indication that judges in Hong Kong do exercise the judicial function very impartially.

         But for your interest, I am sure you would be concerned whether Mainland parties, in particular state-owned enterprises, or very important, powerful business entities in Mainland China, would they enjoy any undue advantage when they engage in litigation against foreign parties in Hong Kong? Once again I am very sure that if you look at records, if you look at judgments, we have open judgments, you will see many cases which are decided entirely on merits. Sometimes state-owned enterprises or Mainland parties win, sometimes they lose. But there is not a single piece of evidence suggesting that in deciding these cases, the court in Hong Kong has taken into account any consideration other than the law and the evidence. And the best evidence is contained in our judgments, which you can inspect and you can read for yourself. So this is the second factor: very reliable.

         Third factor: very business friendly. You have to remember that we have a bilingual legal system. So both English and Chinese are official languages. It is not just a working language, it is the official language by which we write our statute. We also use English in court proceedings, and very often in arbitration proceedings. This is an international language that is familiar to people outside Hong Kong, just like I am using English to communicate with you, hoping that you would be able to understand what I am trying to say.

         The second point as to why business friendly is about the content of the law, the content of our substantive law, in particular when it comes to international commercial law, investment law. They are all very international in the sense that its content is substantially similar to the law that you find in other developed countries, for example, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. So the principles of substantive law would be very familiar to the international business community, so it is business friendly.

         The third point is that the Hong Kong Government has been very proactive to make Hong Kong a more attractive place for investment and doing business. I can give you some examples. For example, we are very active in promoting the establishment of family office in Hong Kong to encourage people to invest money to set up family office, in particular, for very resourceful families. In order to make this initiative attractive, we have amended our revenue law, our tax law, to lower our tax rate if you wish to set up family offices in Hong Kong. Another example is that our listing rules, IPO initial public offerings, if you wish to raise finance by getting your company publicly listed, the Hong Kong Stock Exchange has introduced a new scheme, it’s called SPAC (Special Purpose Acquisition Companies). The idea is very simple. It enables a company without any track record but so long as it fulfills some sorts of requirement to ensure that the investors’ interest will be protected, it will get the chance to be listed in Hong Kong. So I mean we are very proactive in making it more convenient. One of the speakers have mentioned about the difficulty of entering into Hong Kong because of the visa requirement. But as I said in my welcoming remarks, we are relaxing the restrictions or the requirement gradually. So starting from October last year, for the talents, they will be able to come to Hong Kong very easily. And for business travellers and for tourists, you will be able to obtain multiple visas very conveniently. And lastly, when it comes to arbitration, we have actually introduced a pilot scheme. At the moment, the arrangement is that if you are engaged and involved in the arbitration, no matter in what capacity, say, as arbitrator, as counsel, appearing for either party as a witness or even a party, you will be exempted from the need to obtain any visa if you come to Hong Kong for such purposes. So I would say that the difficulty is more apparent than real. So that is the third factor, business friendly.

         The fourth factor: it is very safe and secure to use Hong Kong as a platform for doing business and investment. You must be concerned whether your money, your property can go into Hong Kong and leave Hong Kong easily and freely, and what happens when your property and money is in Hong Kong. Under our constitutional document Basic Law, we guarantee freedom of movement of funds, money and goods. So you can come anytime and your money can leave anytime. There is no exchange control, there is no improper expropriation, and when your money and your property is in Hong Kong, it is completely safeguarded by a stringent set of regulations, not just by statutes, but by other important statutory bodies like the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Securities and Futures Commission. There are very strict regulations to ensure that your investment and your property will be protected. And of course, the quality and integrity of the law enforcement agencies will be important. One strength of Hong Kong is that there is no question, no issue or any concern about corruption at all. Hong Kong is the cleanest place, one of the cleanest places in the world that you can find. If you look at the figures, I think Hong Kong ranks among the top five when it comes to the absence of corruption.

         I wish to share a piece of information just to substantiate my confidence in the integrity of the financial market. A piece of latest news is that a British think tank just announced the Global Financial Centres Index. And Hong Kong had climbed back to the third place after New York and London. And this time we are ahead of Singapore. In 2022 up to last year, Hong Kong ranked the fourth for different reasons, but this year we managed to overtake Singapore to reclaim the third place, which I think is a very pertinent place. It served as a very good evidence of the competence of the people in Hong Kong’s financial market. So this is the fourth factor.

         The fifth factor is that Hong Kong provides dual connectivity. It allows you to connect to the world on the one hand, and also connect to the Mainland at the same time. My friend already said that Hong Kong has important legal connections with the rest of the world, for example, arbitral awards can be enforced and recognised because of the New York Convention. We have entered into a lot of arrangements with other international organisations. Important legal bodies would have their headquarters and offices in Hong Kong. Now this is where Singapore cannot be compared to Hong Kong – we have very special mutual legal assistance arrangements with Mainland China, which is made possible purely because Hong Kong is a part of China, though we practice different legal systems.

         I simply wish to refresh your memory by highlighting one example, which is the arrangement concerning the possibility of granting interim injunction in arbitral proceedings. As business people, it is no use at all to you to spend a lot of money on arbitration if at the end of the day, what you get is a piece of paper. What is the most important is that you will be able to enjoy the fruit in case you succeed in arbitration. That means pending the conclusion of the arbitration proceedings, you need to have sufficient safeguard to ensure that the asset at stake will be protected. In addition, sometimes it would require the preservation of evidence to ensure that the merit of case can be fully reflected in the course of the proceedings. The special arrangement is that if you start arbitral proceedings in Hong Kong by using one of the designated arbitration institutions, then the Mainland court will be very willing to provide you with the assistance by giving you the interim injunction, which is very useful. I don’t remember the figure, but the success rate is over 90 per cent. So this is the connectivity factor.

         The last factor which is most important, and is evident by the quality of the speakers who have spoken before me, that is Hong Kong has an abundant supply of truly international legal talent. If you are using our legal service, if you instruct a Hong Kong lawyer, you are not simply enjoying Hong Kong legal service. You are engaging a global counsel. You are engaging and instructing a truly international lawyer. And again, I wish to repeat or perhaps add some figures to substantiate my point. You were told that we have a divided legal profession consisting of barristers and solicitors. I give you the numbers again. I would stand to be corrected. At the moment, I think there are around 1 600 barristers in Hong Kong, and among them 108 are Senior Counsel. We have three Senior Counsel here with us today. So in a small group of 15 persons, we already have three Senior Counsel – Queenie Lau, SC, Derek Chan, SC, and myself. And when it comes to solicitors, the figures are even more impressive. I think we have more than 13 000 solicitors in Hong Kong. And the important thing is that, look at the number of law firms, we have more than 920 law firms. Among these 900 law firms, around 351 have foreign offices. So they are not local law firms, they have presence in other jurisdictions. And I think 80 something have offices in Mainland China. And when we come to registered foreign law firms, there are 77. As for registered foreign lawyers who specialised or qualified in different jurisdictions, I think the number exceeds 1 400. You can tell from the composition, not just the quantity or the number, but the composition, a lot of them are associated one way or the other with law firms in other jurisdictions. Either they have their own presence in other jurisdictions, or they are closely related with some other very close law firms in other jurisdictions. So my point is, when you get the service of a Hong Kong lawyer, you are getting world service. You don’t need to go anywhere. So this is the last factor, which I believe is the most important factor.

         And the other thing is that, as mentioned by some of our friends, when it comes to legal service, it is not just the legal knowledge that matters. At the end of the day, legal service is about resolving people’s problem. You have to understand culture. You have to understand the people. When you are doing business involving a Mainland element, because one of the speakers asked what the criteria of picking arbitrator or mediator are if Mainland element is involved, I think the answer should go beyond the choice of arbitrator and mediator. It goes to the choice of lawyer in general. I think you need to find someone who is not simply good at law but understands human nature and business culture. A good lawyer is somebody who is able to communicate with you, who can explain very technical matters in a way that you can understand, who can understand the whole business environment, who can understand why in a different jurisdiction, why in a different culture, things are done in a certain way, documents are drafted in a particular manner, why certain words are used, what’s the magic, what’s the hidden message. It is important for lawyers to be able to decipher all these subtle points. In Hong Kong, most of us are not just bilingual because we are Chinese, we understand the Chinese culture, we understand how things are done and said, but at the same time, we are trained by the common law tradition. So we are going to be a perfect interpreter, helping you to understand each other, to ensure that nothing will be lost in translation. I think that is a very important point when it comes to the choice of legal service.

         So to sum up, six factors: it’s stable, it’s reliable, it’s business friendly, it’s secure, it provides dual connectivity, it provides abundant supply of truly international legal talent.

         Maybe Singapore enjoys one or two or even five of the factors before, but I’m quite sure that if you do a checklist, Singapore will not be able to have all the ticks in all the six boxes. So it is really the sum total of these six factors which makes Hong Kong so unique.

         The last thing that I would like to say is that I would like you to visualise, to have a sort of mental picture as to what I am saying. I would like to draw an analogy. The legal service of Hong Kong provides is just like a multi-storey building. In one single building, you have a food hall consisting different types of restaurants. We have Michelin three star restaurants, we have restaurants serving Vietnamese food, and we have restaurants serving Chinese food. The point is whatever you need, they will be available, in terms of price or whatever. And the food will be extremely hygienic and the quality will be very high. I think that’s the concept, that’s the main picture that I would like you to have after today’s event. Thank you.      

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