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Category: Europe

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: General Assembly Endorses Nice Ocean Conference Declaration, Adopts $5.38 Billion Peacekeeping Budget

    Source: United Nations 4

    The General Assembly today endorsed the political declaration of the United Nations Ocean Conference, which establishes multilateral ocean governance.  It also adopted the $5.38 billion peacekeeping budget for the year starting 1 July. 

    Titled “Our Ocean, Our Future:  United for Urgent Action” (A/79/L.97), the declaration was adopted by acclamation at the close of the Conference held earlier this month in Nice, France.  However, today’s formal endorsement by the 193-member Assembly required a recorded vote, with 162 in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions.  

    Several delegations objected to the vote, with the representative of France, co-host of the Conference along with Costa Rica, highlighting its strong political declaration and robust initiatives for the future as “a victory for the ocean”.  “The ocean doesn’t know borders” and neither should “our efforts to protect it”, said Costa Rica’s delegate, noting his country’s “steadfast” commitment to protecting the oceans.  He welcomed the momentum generated at the Conference for an early entry into force of the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement).  He also hailed promises to accede to the World Trade Organization (WTO) agreement to end subsidies for overfishing and decisive support for a plastic pollution convention as soon as possible.

    Brazil’s representative noted that the seas are “the planet’s main climate regulator” but “are running a fever”, while Australia’s delegate saw the adoption of this text as a testament to a collective commitment to address the urgency of climate change, biodiversity loss, and ocean pollution.  The United States’ delegate said the focus on implementing Sustainable Development Goal 14 is inconsistent with its position on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    Iraq’s delegate, speaking for the Group of 77 and China, noted that implementing Goal 14 requires more ambitious financial action, fulfillment of commitments made through intergovernmental agreements, and increased resources for small island developing States (SIDS) and least developed countries. 

    For her part, Venezuela’s delegate noted she had joined the consensus, while reiterating that it was not a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which is “not the only single legal and regulatory framework for oceans and seas” — a position echoed by representatives of Iran, Türkiye, and El Salvador.

    Meanwhile, Argentina’s representative disassociated his delegation from all paragraphs referring to the 2030 Agenda and the Pact for the Future, as well as all paragraphs contradicting the guiding principles of the protection of life, liberty, and private property. 

    The Russian Federation’s delegate disassociated from the consensus on paragraph 26 of the declaration, which emphasizes the importance of the early entry into force of the BBNJ Agreement.  The instrument would undermine the provisions of the Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks, with its norms allowing for impingement on the mandates and competencies of fisheries organizations.

    Japan’s representative hailed the adoption as “not the end but just the beginning of our renewed commitment to achieving SDG 14”, while Singapore’s delegate stated that the Convention on the Law of the Sea remains the “constitution for the oceans”, calling on Member States to fully respect it. 

    $5.38 Billion Budget for Peacekeeping Operations

    Acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), the Assembly also allocated a budget of $5.38 billion to 11 UN peacekeeping operations, the support account for these operations, the Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, and the Logistics Base in Brindisi.  These resolutions were adopted without a vote, with the exception of the resolution on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) (A/C.5/79/L.36/Rev.1), which was adopted by 147 votes in favour to 3 against (Argentina, Israel, United States), with 1 abstention (Paraguay), after an oral amendment proposed by Israel was rejected by 5 votes in favour (Argentina, Canada, Israel, Paraguay, United States) to 83 against, with 57 abstentions. 

    The Assembly further adopted a draft resolution on the “Comprehensive review of the whole question of peacekeeping operations in all their aspects” (A/79/424/Add.1), which was approved and forwarded by its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization).

    Tackling Illicit Trafficking in Wildlife

    The Assembly then adopted, by 157 votes in favour to 1 against (United States), with no abstentions, a draft resolution (A/79/L.96) submitted by the representative of Germany, by which the Assembly urges Member States to reinforce their efforts and adopt effective measures, as necessary, including by using special investigative techniques, consistent with article 20 of the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime, to prevent, investigate, prosecute and punish crimes that affect the environment, such as illicit trafficking in wildlife and wildlife products, which encompasses poaching and illegal harvesting of timber, including fauna and flora as protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

    Speaking in explanation of position, the United States delegate noted that the text contained matters that “should be discussed in Vienna-based anti-crime fora rather than in the General Assembly”. Further, he opposed the use of the term “gender mainstreaming,” insisting on the “biological reality of sex”. For his part, Argentina’s representative dissociated his delegation from all paragraphs concerning the 2030 Agenda and those that go against the protection of life and private property, including preambular paragraphs 1, 2, 18, 34 and operative paragraph 27.

    Promoting Interreligious, Intercultural Dialogue, Tolerance in Countering Hate Speech

    The Assembly also adopted a draft resolution (A/79/L.98) on combating hate speech, introduced by Morocco, by a recorded vote of 111 in favour to 1 against (United States), with 44 abstentions.  By the text, the Assembly called upon Member States to increase understanding about the spread and impact of hate speech, while continuing to adhere to relevant international human rights law obligations, as well as relevant United Nations instruments, in particular the Rabat Plan of Action.  Further, the Assembly called upon digital technology companies and developers to continue to develop solutions and publicly communicate actions to counter potential harms, including hate speech, bias and discrimination, from artificial intelligence-enabled content, including such measures as ensuring data integrity, incorporation of safeguards into artificial intelligence model training processes, identification of artificial-intelligence-generated material, authenticity certification for content and origins, labelling, watermarking and other techniques.

    Poland’s delegate, speaking for the European Union, whose members abstained from voting, emphasized that freedom of belief and religion applies to individuals, not objects or symbols, expressing reservations about preambular paragraph 14.

    The wording of that paragraph presents “serious concerns” in terms of freedom of expression and religious pluralism, noted the representative of Costa Rica, which further emphasized that combating hate speech cannot be achieved at the expense of freedom of expression.

    Hungary’s delegate indicated she could not support operative paragraph 23, which highlights one specific group, migrants, while the representative of the United Kingdom, who also abstained, refused to consider a text criticizing religion as incitement to hatred.

    Any restriction on freedom of expression must be circumscribed by law, necessary, and proportionate, argued Switzerland’s delegate, emphasizing that human rights protect individual beings, not religions or objects.  Furthermore, defamation of religions or religious defamation are not legal concepts recognized under international law.  For all these reasons, she voiced regret over the wording of preambular paragraph 14.

    For his part, Brazil’s delegate dissociated itself from paragraphs 11, 12, and 13, given that there is no agreed definition of hate speech and that this concept could be politicized.  Canada’s representative remained committed to the principle that everyone can exercise their freedom of belief and religion without fear of violence, also welcoming the attention paid to new technologies, while voicing concern over the wording of preambular paragraph 14 on acts directed against religious symbols and holy books.

    The Wiphala for Living Well in Harmony, Balance, Complementarity with Mother Earth

    The Assembly further adopted, by a recorded vote of 139 votes in favour to 2 against (United States, Israel), with 5 abstentions (Canada, Georgia, Paraguay, Peru, Türkiye), a draft resolution (A/79/L.95) introduced by Bolivia, who noted the Wiphala is “an age-old symbol born out of the deepest roots of Indigenous Peoples,” an expression of “the seven colors of the rainbow” and living in harmony with Mother Earth.  By the text, the Assembly called upon the international community to advance in the understanding, tolerance and solidarity among all peoples and cultures, and to strengthen efforts to eradicate manifestations of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, including against Indigenous Peoples, and promote respect for the diversity of their cultural manifestations, traditions, practices and knowledge systems.

    The United States representative, speaking before the vote, noted his delegation opposed the resolution’s focus on a single Indigenous community, further stating that the symbol remains controversial.  

    Mexico’s representative voiced regret that the Wiphala is limited to Bolivia and nearby regions, while Peru’s delegate pointed out that the text does not sufficiently detail the exact cultural origin of the symbol, and that the concept does not have a defined definition in a UN context. 

    While recognizing the cultural importance of the Wiphala for certain peoples of the Andean region, Canada’s delegate considered it inappropriate for the Assembly to designate a symbol specific to a geographical area as representing all Indigenous Peoples internationally.  This choice must be made by the Indigenous Peoples themselves, not by the UN, he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s Remarks at the Joint SDG Fund FfD4 Side session “Catalyzing Change: Unlocking Impactful Financing at Scale through the United Nations Joint SDG Fund” [as prepared for delivery]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Mr. Sergio Colina, Director General for Development Policies, Spain;
    H.E. Ms. Rania Al-Mashat, Minister of Planning, Economic Development and International Cooperation of Egypt;
    H.E. Mr. Mthuli Ncube, Minister of Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion of Zimbabwe;
    Dear friends,
    I am delighted to join you today to showcase how the UN Joint SDG Fund is turning the FfD4 vision into a reality on the ground.
    Ten years into the implementation of the 2030 Agenda, we face a stark reality: while progress on the SDGs has delivered for millions, it has not kept pace with the scale of global challenges. The financing gap for the SDGs now exceeds $4 trillion annually, while multiple crises and shifting priorities threaten our collective ambition.
    Delivering on the vision of the 2030 Agenda requires finding and scaling-up innovative solutions.
    This is the purpose of the Joint SDG Fund. The Fund is an innovative and powerful instrument to drive change, break siloed approaches, and unlock financing at scale.
    Since its inception, the Fund has committed over US$380 million, enabling a whole-of-UN-system response to pressing challenges. This commitment has leveraged a further US$6.6 billion in contributions from the wider ecosystem of development partners at country level.
    This is a clear demonstration of how finite resources, applied strategically, can crowd-in far greater volumes of capital, and result in far greater impact, for the SDGs.
    The secret to the Fund’s success is its innovative approach to financing. Through blended and innovative finance mechanisms — from SDG bonds to energy financing facilities to credit enhancement guarantees — the Fund demonstrates how strategic risk-sharing can attract private capital for sustainable development, while bringing partners together to deliver solutions.
    Consider the following 5 examples:
    In Indonesia, the Joint SDG Fund supported green and social investments, mobilizing US$4.6 billion through specialized bonds that benefited over 7.5 million students and restored 50,000 hectares of mangrove forests.
    In Uruguay, the Renewable Energy Innovation Fund achieved a 1:6 leverage ratio by partnering with seven banks that together account for 80 percent of the country’s financial sector.
    Kenya’s innovative health financing reached over 1.5 million young people through results-based payment mechanisms working with impact investors.
    North Macedonia’s Green Finance Facility channels resources through six local banks, directing US$46.5 million toward environmental projects while supporting women-headed households, Roma communities, and persons with disabilities. This was achieved in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and others.
    And Zimbabwe’s Renewable Energy Fund showcases how partnerships with private equity funds, such as Old Mutual, can mobilize capital for women and youth-led enterprises in challenging markets.
    These are just a few powerful examples.
    The Fund’s success also stems from its unique positioning within the UN development system, leveraging UN Resident Coordinators’ convening role and UN Country Teams’ technical expertise.
    Fundamentally, the Fund represents multilateralism at its most effective – creating a collaborative platform extending beyond the UN system to enable and grow partnerships across the development and finance community.
    But delivering on the Fund’s full potential requires expanded partnership.
    I call on all Member States, development finance institutions, and private sector partners to deepen engagement with the Fund – not only through financial commitments but through strategic partnerships to keep pushing the boundaries of what is possible.
    Today, we will hear about success stories from Zimbabwe to North Macedonia, from Cabo Verde to Suriname. These prove that, with the right instruments and partnerships, we can turn global commitments into tangible local transformation.
    The FFD4 outcome document, the “Sevilla Commitment,” calls for a global SDG investment push.
    This is possible by elevating the role of governments in guiding strategic investments;
    By all development partners, including development banks, working as a system;
    By removing barriers to private capital;
    And by ensuring that investments from all partners are designed to deliver the greatest possible impact.
    The Fund stands ready to support and enable this important vision.
    With innovation, partnerships, and the catalytic financing that the Joint SDG Fund provides, sustainable development for all remains within our reach.
    Let’s get there together.
    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Rays of Hope Forum: Bringing Hope in Africa and Beyond

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

    The IAEA’s Rays of Hope Forum returned to Ethiopia, where the cancer care initiative was launched in 2022.

    Cancer patients around the world are being given better access to life-saving care thanks to support from the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, participants at a Rays of Hope Forum heard.

    Rays of Hope aims to widen access to life-saving cancer care where there is the most need; by helping low- and middle-income countries establish or expand medical imaging, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine services. Since its launch in Ethiopia three years ago, more than 90 countries have requested support under the initiative.

    “Cancer is a top cause of death in Africa, taking 2000 lives a day,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaking at the Forum opening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday. “Three years ago, here at the African Union Headquarters, we launched Rays of Hope. Today, we are bringing cancer care to countries that had none.”

    Temesgen Tiruneh, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, said: “Let this Forum be a call to collective action. Let it inspire deeper cooperation, bolder investments, and unwavering solidarity — so that no child dies from a treatable cancer, no mother waits endlessly for a diagnosis, and no nation is left behind simply because of geography or GDP.”

    The Minister of Health of Ethiopia, Mekdes Daba Feyssa and the Chief of Staff of the African Union Mohamed Al- Amine Souef also gave opening remarks at the Rays of Hope Forum.

    During the morning sessions, representatives from countries that have received support under the Rays of Hope initiative shared their experiences.

    These included Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health in Benin, Gilbert Kabanda Kurhenga, Minister of Scientific Research and Technology in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mekdes Daba Feyssa, Minister of Public Health in Ethiopia, Selibe Mochoboroane, the Minister of Health in Lesotho, lbrahima Sy, Minister of Health and Social Action in Senegal, Lawrence Ookeditse, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health in Botswana and Fredrick Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health in Kenya.

    Countries which have donated to the Rays of Hope also spoke of the importance of the initiative. Speakers included Jens Hanefeld, Ambassador of Germany to Ethiopia and Permanent Observer to the African Union in Ethiopia, Maurizio Busanelli, Permanent Representative of Italy to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, Tsutomu Nakagawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the African Union and Julien Voituriez, First Counsellor, Embassy of France to Ethiopia and to the African Union.

    Watch the live stream here.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: In Dialogue with North Macedonia, Experts of the Human Rights Committee Commend Anti-Discrimination Measures, Raise Concerns about Reports of Excessive Use of Force by Border Officials and Attacks on Journalists

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Human Rights Committee today concluded its consideration of the fourth periodic report of North Macedonia on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, with Committee Experts commending the State’s efforts to address discrimination, and raising issues concerning reports of border officials’ excessive use of force against asylum seekers and attacks on journalists.

    A Committee Expert acknowledged the positive efforts made by the State towards strengthening the rule of law and addressing discrimination, pursued in the context of North Macedonia’s candidacy for membership of the European Union.

    One Committee Expert cited reports of excessive use of force carried out by border officials against asylum seekers.  How did the State party ensure that such reports were investigated in a timely and effective manner?

    Another Committee Expert said there had been an increase in attacks on journalists in recent years; how was the State working to prevent such attacks?  What training was provided to public officials on the right to freedom of expression?

    Nikola Prokopenko, State Counsellor for Criminal Legislation at the Ministry of Justice of North Macedonia and head of the delegation, said North Macedonia had been committed to implementing the Committee’s recommendations, which had been integral to strategic priorities in reforming the legal system, strengthening the rule of law, and advancing democracy in alignment with European standards.

    On measures to prevent discrimination, the delegation said the State was harmonising the law on the prevention of discrimination with relevant European Union directives.  The national commission monitoring discrimination had been strengthened; it had helped to develop national policies on preventing discrimination and to raise civil servants’ awareness of the issue.

    There were internal mechanisms within the police service that investigated complaints of excessive use of force and torture by police officers, the delegation said.  When evidence was found, criminal proceedings were instituted against the accused officer, who was also sanctioned.  There had been no reports of excessive use of force against migrants and asylum seekers between 2022 and 2024.

    The delegation also said recent amendments to the Criminal Code allowed for the ex-officio prosecution of attacks on journalists.  The State had worked to raise the visibility of crimes against journalists and increase punishments for such crimes.  There were four crimes committed against journalists in 2024; all these cases had been prosecuted.

    In concluding remarks, Mr. Prokopenko expressed appreciation for the constructive dialogue, saying that the Committee’s recommendations would serve as valuable guidance for strengthening laws and policies. The State would leave the dialogue motivated to build a more just and equitable human rights-based society.

    Changrok Soh, Committee Chairperson, in concluding remarks, commended North Macedonia on its ratification of international treaties, legal norms on gender-based violence, and policies on gender equality.  However, he said concerns remained related to issues such as hate speech, prison conditions, and the limited protection framework for asylum seekers.  Mr. Soh closed by expressing sincere gratitude to all those who had contributed to the dialogue.

    The delegation of North Macedonia was made up of representatives of the Ministry for Inter-Community Relations; the Agency for Audiovisual Media Services; the Ministry of Social Policy, Demography and Youth; the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Health; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Foreign Trade; the Ministry of Interior; the Ministry of Education and Science; and the Permanent Mission of North Macedonia to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Human Rights Committee’s one hundred and forty-fourth session is being held from 23 June to 17 July 2025.  All the documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 3 p.m., Tuesday 1 July to begin its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Latvia (CCPR/C/LVA/4).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the fourth periodic report of North Macedonia (CCPR/C/MKD/4).

    Presentation of the Report

    NIKOLA PROKOPENKO, State Counsellor for Criminal Legislation at the Ministry of Justice of North Macedonia and head of the delegation, said North Macedonia had been committed to implementing the Committee’s recommendations over the reporting period.  These recommendations had been integral to strategic priorities in reforming the legal system, strengthening the rule of law, and advancing democracy in alignment with European standards.

    In 2022, the State signed the Second Additional Protocol to the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime; in 2023, it ratified the European Convention on Human Rights; in November 2024, it ratified the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents; in December 2024, it ratified the Protocol to Eliminate Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products; and the ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure was in its final parliamentary reading.  In October 2024, North Macedonia was elected a member of the Human Rights Council for the 2025-2027 term.

    During the reporting period, North Macedonia completed implementation of the justice sector reform strategy 2017–2022, which laid the foundation for a more transparent, efficient, and accountable justice system; and adopted a development strategy for the justice sector 2024–2028, aimed at further advancing the rule of law and access to justice.

    According to the strategy for Roma inclusion 2022–2030, dedicated funds had been allocated from the national budget to support the implementation of targeted projects in areas of employment, housing, social inclusion, healthcare, and persons lacking personal documentation.  In parallel, the implementation of the strategy for combatting human trafficking and illegal migration (2021–2025) was in the evaluation process.  The State was developing the national action plan for the rights of the child (2025–2029), and the strategy and national action plan for the implementation of the Council of Europe Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence (2026–2033).

    Over the past period, notable progress had been made in the legislative sphere, including through the harmonisation of the Criminal Code with the provisions of the Istanbul Convention; and the adoption of the law on audio and audiovisual media services, the new law on the media, and the law on the execution of sanctions, aimed at enhancing legal clarity and institutional effectiveness.  The State was also actively engaged in drafting amendments to the law on the Judicial Council, the law on the courts, the law on the Public Prosecutor’s Office, and the law on the Council of Public Prosecutors.  These reforms were an integral part of the development sectoral strategy for the judiciary, aiming to further strengthen judicial independence, transparency, and accountability.

    The Government had partnered with the United Nations Children’s Fund to identify the most vulnerable groups of children and conduct a comprehensive assessment of existing services and programmes aimed at addressing child poverty and social exclusion.  It had enacted the law on justice for children and adopted a declaration on the prevention of and fight against violent extremism, which was jointly signed by religious communities and civil society organizations in the country.

    The consistent and effective implementation of reforms in the field of education remained a national priority.  Several reform-oriented laws on education had been adopted, aimed at enhancing accessibility, inclusiveness, and quality of education across all levels.

    The State party was actively implementing the second national action plan to support the women, peace and security agenda.  It had also focused efforts on strengthening institutional capacities for support to and protection of victims of gender-based violence, while intensifying activities aimed at the prevention of discrimination and violence against women and domestic violence.

    North Macedonia remained fully committed to the execution of judgments of the European Court of Human Rights.  In December 2024, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted a final resolution confirming the closure of two cases against the country, thus acknowledging its efforts in implementing the Court’s decisions.

    The fight against corruption and organised crime remained a high national priority.  The State was steadfastly implementing the national strategy for the prevention of corruption and conflict of interests, which set a comprehensive framework for transparency, accountability, and institutional integrity.  The Interdepartmental Body for Coordination of Anti-Corruption Activities played a vital role in fostering inter-institutional cooperation and ensuring the effective implementation of anti-corruption measures across all sectors. 

    The State party was currently drafting a new law on internal affairs, which introduced mandatory professional integrity checks for all personnel at the Ministry of the Interior.  In addition, it had adopted the plan for the prevention of corruption in the penitentiary system (2022–2026), as well as a sector-specific integrity policy.

    Towards the continuous development of staff in the penitentiary sector, the State had established a functional training and education centre, currently staffed with 31 certified trainers, which played a pivotal role in building institutional capacity, improving service delivery, and aligning penitentiary practices with European and international standards.

    In support of freedom of expression, the State had taken concrete steps to strengthen criminal law protection for journalists, thereby reinforcing a safe and enabling environment for independent journalism.

    The State party was prioritising both the enhancement of the legal framework and the strengthening of institutional capacities to prevent and protect against acts of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.  It had established the Commission for Monetary Compensation to Victims of Violent Crime, in accordance with the law on payment of monetary compensation to victims of violent crimes, which was adopted in 2022.  This mechanism envisaged a crucial form of redress and recognised the State’s responsibility to support victims on their path to recovery.

    In the period ahead, North Macedonia would intensify reform efforts and take more decisive, accelerated steps to ensure timely and effective implementation of the planned reform agenda.  Fully-fledged membership of the European Union would serve as a powerful catalyst for the effective realisation, advancement, and sustained protection of human rights in the country.  The State’s reform agenda for 2024 to 2027 promoted reforms that were integral to completing the European Union integration journey.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said the dialogue was taking place in the context of North Macedonia’s candidacy for membership of the European Union and membership of the Human Rights Council.  The Committee acknowledged the positive efforts made by the State towards strengthening the rule of law and addressing discrimination.

    North Macedonia had not provided information on the application of the Covenant in its report.  Was the Covenant used by national courts?  How did the State party ensure dissemination of the Committee’s general comments?  During the COVID-19 pandemic, the State party had adopted measures that derogated from the Covenant without reporting them.  Why was this?  The Committee had registered less than five individual communications from North Macedonia. What was being done to ensure that individuals were aware of the Committee’s communications procedure?

    The national human rights institution had “B” status under the Paris Principles and lacked resources.  The role of the national human rights institution as the national preventive mechanism had not been formalised.  Would the State party adopt a law to ensure that the Ombudsperson had sufficient resources and independence, and that its reports were followed up on by the authorities?

    The reform of the Criminal Code in 2023 reportedly made it more difficult to prosecute cases of corruption.  What results had been obtained in prosecuting cases of corruption and money laundering?  Had proceedings involving the former Prime Minister concluded? What was the mandate of the State’s Anti-corruption Commission and how was it funded?

    Another Committee Expert said North Macedonia had made many attempts to address discrimination, including the 2020 law on the prevention of discrimination and the establishment of the Commission on the Prevention of Discrimination.  However, this Commission reportedly operated with only a fifth of the resources it needed.  What challenges did the State party face in ensuring the effective implementation of the legal framework on discrimination?  How effective were remedies available to victims of discrimination?  How was the State party addressing barriers that prevented the reporting of discrimination?

    The national action plan on the Roma for 2014 to 2022 reportedly had achieved limited progress, indicating structural issues. What measures were in place to combat de facto segregation of the Roma in housing and education?  How was the State party empowering Roma women?  What steps had been taken to facilitate access to birth registration for all Roma persons?

    One Committee Expert asked about the results of the strategy for equality and non-discrimination for 2022 to 2026.  The State party needed to recognise discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity as grounds for hate speech and hate crimes within the Criminal Code.  Would this be done?  Some 32 cases of hate crimes against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex peoples had been brought to courts, but only two had reached convictions.  Was the State party considering measures to increase the conviction rate?

    Why did the State party impose long pre-trial detention periods of up to 180 days?  Would it revise its practices and ensure that pre-trial detention was used only as a last resort?  Could judicial sentences imposing pre-trial detention be appealed?  Did detained persons have access to a lawyer from the moment of their arrest, and did the State party implement alternatives to pre-trial detention?

    A Committee Expert said North Macedonia adopted a national gender equality strategy in 2017, but no progress had been made on the draft law on gender equality.  Why was this?  It was welcome that the State party had appointed its first woman President in 2024. North Macedonia had a comparatively high percentage of women members of parliament for the region, but had a low representation of ethnic minority women.  How was the State party addressing this?  Only three out of 18 ministers were women; only two out of 82 mayors were women; and women represented 36 per cent of managerial positions in the public sector.  What were the obstacles to improving women’s representation in decision-making?

    New gender-based violence and domestic violence legislation was commendable, but it did not recognise psychological violence and cyber violence.  Would the State party amend the Criminal Code to address these forms of violence? Violence against female journalists and human rights defenders had increased recently.  What measures had the State party taken to implement existing laws and protect these women from violence?  Women involved in court procedures related to gender-based violence were often unaware of their right to free legal aid.  Underaged mothers who were victims of violence were unable to access support shelters.  Cases of gender-based violence had increased in recent years, but there was a low number of criminal convictions of perpetrators.  How was the State party addressing these issues?  Had sufficient funds been allocated to implementing the national action plan on preventing gender-based violence, including to collect data on the issue?

    During the reporting period, North Macedonia had adopted a law permitting abortion from 12 to 17 weeks of pregnancy and regulations on abortion procedures.  However, abortion medications had not been registered and procedures were not available in rural areas.  Would the State party address these issues?

    A Committee Expert noted the establishment of accountability measures within the Ombudsperson’s Office to investigate complaints against police officers on acts of torture and ill-treatment.  Most investigations of complaints had not led to prosecutions; however, there were continued reports of police using violence to obtain forced confessions, and of excessive use of force carried out by border officials against asylum seekers.  How did the State party ensure that complaints of excessive use of force by the police were investigated in a timely and effective manner? 

    The Roma community reportedly continued to face violence and threats from police officers, and not enough was being done to investigate such cases in an impartial manner.  How would the State party ensure the effective investigation of such cases and the punishment of perpetrators?  How would the State party promote the effectiveness of investigative mechanisms, including the national preventive mechanism?

    There were reports of a lack of implementation of prison reform.  The prison system was reportedly severely overcrowded and understaffed.  Some prisons struggled to provide sufficient access to clean water and food, including for juvenile detainees.  What measures would the State party take to address prison overcrowding, provide adequate health and sanitation services in all prisons, and ensure that prison staff were trained on international standards on the treatment of prisoners?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said that according to the Constitution of North Macedonia, ratified international treaties were part of the domestic legal order.  The State party had undertaken activities to raise awareness of the Committee’s individual communications procedure, and would work to raise the awareness of members of the judiciary about the Committee’s jurisprudence.

    In 2016, the State party adopted legislative amendments to strengthen the Ombudsperson, and a committee was now developing further measures to expand its mandate to monitor the rights of persons with disabilities and trafficking in persons.  National authorities had implemented 74 per cent of the Ombudsperson’s recommendations.  The State was considering measures to strengthen the degree of implementation of the recommendations.

    The State had increased the budget of the National Commission against Corruption by 47 per cent in recent years, and had developed an electronic platform for reporting cases of money laundering and organised crime, which included indicators for monitoring the anti-corruption policy.  It was also drafting amendments to the law on the prevention of corruption and conflicts of interest, which would make sanctions for misdemeanours stricter.  A law on the protection of whistleblowers was adopted in 2022, which had led to three related cases being brought to the courts.  The National Commission against Corruption produced annual reports, proposing initiatives for holding officials responsible and for institutions to respond to cases of corruption.  In 2025, 65 corruption cases were opened, most relating to violations of the Electoral Code involving non-reporting of conflicts of interest by political candidates.

    The State party had incriminated psychological violence in article 144 of the Criminal Code, recognising such violence as an aggravating circumstance.

    The civil oversight mechanism for torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment granted individuals the right to protection against ill-treatment.  Twenty-five complaints of ill-treatment by police were filed in 2024. There had been three complaints related to torture over the reporting period.  The Ombudsperson had established that there were no violations of rights in most of the cases.  Eight cases related to excessive use of force by the police were still under examination.

    Legal remedies were available to victims of discrimination, including civil lawsuits.  The State party sought to build the capacities of relevant entities within the judiciary to respond to cases of discrimination.  Discrimination was a subject in curricula at the judicial academy.

    North Macedonia had undertaken many activities to fight corruption within the prison system as part of the plan for the fight against corruption 2022-2025.  Amendments to the law on the execution of sanctions had been drafted, under which all prison staff would be obliged to make asset declarations.  In the second half of 2024, the State party increased the number of prison inspections.  Around 100 disciplinary actions had been imposed against prison staff in 2024, and proceedings had been initiated against two former prison wardens who were accused of abusing their authority.

    The State party had advanced the legislative framework to address prison overcrowding, while also developing prison infrastructure.  New laws concerning the Probation Service were being developed, which would increase the Service’s staff.  There had been more than 700 probation cases in 2024 and thus far had been more than 500 in 2025.  The State was promoting the use of probation instruments by the courts and had procured electronic bracelets for house arrests.  There were plans to increase funding for the reconstruction of the prison system.

    The Ombudsperson registered complaints of torture and violence in prisons, and there were plans to establish a registry of injuries among inmates.  The State party had increased the number of disciplinary proceedings against prison staff and had organised visits to prisons by non-governmental organizations. 

    In 2022, the State drafted the second cycle of the strategy for the Roma.  A coordinating unit for the strategy had been set up, and the budget for its implementation had been increased.  The strategy’s main focuses were healthcare, education, housing, employment and civil registration.  Most projects adopted under the former strategy had been completed.  The number of Roma who applied for social housing had increased, as had the number of Roma employees in the public administration. All Roma children born in the State had the right to birth registration, including children born to undocumented parents.

    The State party had developed measures to implement the decisions of the European Court of Human Rights, including measures to prevent the segregation of Roma students in primary schools.  The State party had increased the number of Roma education mediators, who were working on keeping Roma individuals in the education system and preventing discrimination.  Some 97 per cent of Roma students now progressed from primary to secondary school.

    North Macedonia had appointed gynaecologists in the municipality with the largest number of Roma.  There were health care mediators who supported Roma persons’ access to health care procedures.  Ante- and neo-natal screenings for the Roma were funded by the State.  Door-to-door vaccination campaigns were conducted in Roma settlements.

    The State party had adopted clinical guidelines for medically induced abortions and procured medications for abortions, but these had yet to be approved for use.  The State had, in collaboration with a non-governmental organization, trained doctors in one hospital to perform the procedure.

    Analysis was being conducted on the level of harmonisation of the law on the prevention of discrimination with relevant European Union directives, with a view to revising this law. The national commission monitoring discrimination had been strengthened; it had helped to develop national policies on preventing discrimination and to raise civil servants’ awareness of the issue. A research centre for the design of gender responsive budgets and policies was being set up and a report on the implementation of the national strategy for gender equality was being prepared.  Shelters for victims of gender-based violence and domestic violence had been set up across the country.

    There were internal mechanisms within the police service that investigated complaints of excessive use of force and torture and ill-treatment by police officers.  When evidence was found, criminal proceedings were instituted against the accused officer, who was also sanctioned.  A specialised department of the Public Prosecutor was mandated to prosecute police officers who had used excessive force.  There had been no reports of excessive use of force against migrants and asylum seekers between 2022 and 2024.

    The Criminal Code included provisions on cyber bullying, stalking, abuse of personal data, and sexual harassment. The State party had adopted amendments to the Criminal Code that included journalists within the group of professions performing in the public interest and increased penalties for crimes against journalists.  Defamation was decriminalised in 2017 and changed to an administrative offence.

    Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

    Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on the strategy to bring the Ombudsperson to “A” status under the Paris Principles; progress in investigations into corruption cases involving high-ranking officials; the results of measures implemented by the commission to combat corruption and the national strategy to combat corruption; whether the national strategy against gender-based violence included measures for the collection of data on domestic violence; measures to address the anti-gender movement in the State; the share of the Roma in the national population and in public bodies; and investigations into cases of ill-treatment against the Roma community.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the State party was planning measures to strengthen the implementation of the Ombudsperson’s recommendations, including a deadline for reporting on implementation.  It would take into consideration the Ombudsperson’s financial independence and the status of its employees in upcoming legal reforms.

    From 2017 to 2024, 412 cases of corruption were opened, including 62 cases involving high-profile officials, including the former Prime Minister, and former mayors and prosecutors.  Some 110 indictments had been instituted related to abuse of official power, bribery and corruption.  Offenders had been sentenced to up to 15-year prison sentences, and assets had been confiscated, including more than 800,000 euros in one case.

    The State party had achieved great progress in prosecuting hate crimes.  The Criminal Code had been amended to expand the types of hate crimes and grounds for discrimination addressed, including discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.  Training had been provided for the judiciary on the amended legislation.

    Hate speech was currently defined in eight different criminal laws.  The State party was preparing a revision to its Criminal Code that would establish a stand-alone offence of hate speech.

    In 2025, one case of an attack against a woman human rights defender had been brought before the courts.  There were a few cases of such attacks brought before the courts each year in the past three years.

    Pre-trial detention could be renewed for longer periods depending on the severity of the crime.  For most crimes, it could be renewed up to 90 days, but it could be renewed for up to two years for crimes punishable with life imprisonment.

    The State party was working to harmonise all national laws with the law on the prevention of discrimination and to raise public awareness of discrimination.  The Commission for the Protection of Discrimination lacked human resources, but had achieved great results, organising public awareness campaigns on international instruments related to discrimination.  Many citizens filed complaints with the Commission.  The draft law on gender equality was being analysed in cooperation with non-governmental organizations.

    The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy collected data from social work centres on domestic violence.  There had been 319 newly registered victims of domestic violence in the first quarter of 2025.  In 2024, there was a 14 per cent increase in reported cases of domestic violence. Awareness raising campaigns on the prevention of domestic violence had been carried out, which included information on the mechanism for reporting such violence.

    Gender-based attacks against women were widespread. Policies in North Macedonia were implemented with an obligatory gender analysis.  The State party was championing institutional support for women and their promotion to management positions.  Anti-gender equality movements had appeared in North Macedonia in 2023.  The State party had raised public awareness about gender equality in response.  Some 39 per cent of members of Parliament were women.  Under the new strategy for the prevention of gender-based violence and domestic violence, there were provisions on countering digital violence.

    The police did not keep data on the ethnic affiliations of persons filing reports on excessive use of force by law enforcement. Laws were equally applied when processing all reports.

    Refugees and asylum seekers were housed in open accommodation centres, but were free to leave those centres.  Refugees often transited through the country.  No asylum seekers’ applications had been rejected without reasonable grounds.  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees controlled the process of assessing asylum applications.  Asylum seekers who wished to report excessive use of force by the police or challenge decisions on asylum could lodge complaints with the appeals court or the European Court of Human Rights.

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, presidential decrees were issued to enforce a state of emergency.  These decrees did not suspend constitutional rights, beyond enforcing a strict regime regarding movement.  A Constitutional Court ruling that invoked the Covenant had reversed a decision, which had banned certain persons’ from exiting the country.

    Alternative measures to detention, such as house arrest and bail, were applied by the State, and judges were provided with training on these measures.  Remand imprisonment was often stopped on appeal; in 2023, 3.6 per cent of cases were ceased after a court appeal.

    The State party was working to improve legal provisions governing excessive use of force, torture and abuse of office.  New amendments removed the statute of limitations on cases of torture and excessive use of force by the police.  The public prosecutor’s office had investigated 424 cases of excessive use of force by law enforcement officers.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said North Macedonia had made huge efforts in combatting trafficking in persons, with a national action plan for 2021 to 2025 and a specific plan addressing child trafficking. Severe penalties had been introduced for the exploitation of children, and measures ensuring the non-punishment of victims and the provision of compensation and shelter had been introduced. There was a rise in the number of victims of trafficking identified in 2021 and reports of ongoing complicity by the police regarding trafficking.  How was this complicity being addressed?  How did the State party ensure victims had access to support and compensation in line with international standards?  How was it addressing the root causes of trafficking, including poverty, lack of education and social marginalisation?  How would the State party enhance identification of adult victims of trafficking?

    The legal framework on political representation had been updated, which had led to increased representation of minority groups in Parliament.  However, there were no representatives of the Roma community.  The Ombudsperson had also reported an increased representation of minorities in the public sector from 2007 to 2020.  There was a lack of funds and staff for the agencies working for the rights of minorities.  How would this be addressed?  How was the State party collecting data on the needs of minorities, and promoting their cultural identities and participation in cultural life?  What measures were in place to promote the Macedonian cultural identity?

    One Committee Expert welcomed that the Constitutional Court passed a decision in 2012 repealing articles of the law on travel documents, granting every citizen the right to freedom of movement. However, several complaints had been filed at the European Court of Human Rights regarding legal limitations on the rights of freedom of movement of the Roma.  In 2023, the Court found that Romani citizens’ freedom of movement had been violated, ordering the State to provide remedies.  What measures were in place to ensure that the right of freedom of movement of the Roma was protected, and that all persons who restricted that right in border areas were held to account?  How had the decision of the European Court of Human Rights been implemented?

    Asylum seekers faced prolonged waits for biometric identification, which restricted their access to basic services.  Reports of detention of asylum seekers were also concerning.  Two temporary transit centres in North Macedonia reportedly operated without State regulation.  How would the State party expedite the issuance of biometric identification to asylum seekers and refugees to facilitate their freedom of movement and access to services?  How would it ensure that detention of asylum seekers was implemented only as a last resort and prevent the detention of women and children asylum seekers?  There were reports of pushbacks of asylum seekers, in violation of the principle of non-refoulement.  Had these incidents been investigated?

    The Committee welcomed several positive measures by the State party to address statelessness, including ratification of the 1963 Statelessness Convention and efforts to provide stateless persons with documentation.  However, there was no official statelessness determination procedure, and some regions had insufficient birth registration systems.  How would the State party strengthen measures to register undocumented persons and ensure that all Roma persons were registered?  Would it establish an effective and fair statelessness determination procedure?

    One Committee Expert asked about the status of the bill amending witness protection measures.  There were significant delays in court cases on corruption and allegations of a lack of transparency in the appointment of judges on the Judicial Council. Could the delegation comment on these issues?  Had implementation of the strategy to strengthen the justice system improved access to justice for marginalised persons?  There was a significant backlog of administrative dispute cases; how was this being addressed?

    A bill on religious groups had been developed which sought to harmonise religious laws with provisions of the Criminal Code and punish antisemitism and the glorification of fascism.  What was the status of this bill?  Had measures been adopted to identify cases of hate speech against religious groups online and punish perpetrators?

    How many journalists had been punished under the law on slander?  There had been an increase in attacks on journalists in recent years; how was the State working to prevent such attacks?  What training was provided to public officials on the right to freedom of expression?  What activities were undertaken by the prosecutor’s office to monitor threats against journalists?

    A Committee Expert asked about legal guarantees offered to persons who were subject to illegal surveillance.  How did judges intervene in such cases?  Was there an exclusion regime in courts for evidence which had been obtained illegally?  What progress had been made in reforming police guidelines related to the collection and treatment of detainees’ data?  What measures were implemented through the State’s digital transformation strategy?

    Another Committee Expert said that in 2024, North Macedonia adopted a law on justice for children that incorporated the best interests of the child.  This was a positive step.  However, only 22 per cent of families with children in North Macedonia were receiving family cash benefits, and more than 7,000 children with disabilities did not receive disability benefits.  What plans were in place to improve social support for children with disabilities and their families?

    What measures were in place to abolish child and forced marriages?  Violence against children remained a problem in the State.  Almost three-quarters of all children were exposed to violent discipline at home, with higher rates for children with disabilities.  Roma children made up 75 per cent of children in correctional facilities, where they were subjected to solitary confinement. What could be done to protect all children in the country?

    It was welcome that measures were taken to improve the accessibility of the voting process for persons with disabilities. How did the State party support the candidacy of persons with disabilities in elections?  What had been done to support undocumented persons and detained persons to exercise their voting rights?  The Constitutional Court had struck down amendments to the electoral code in 2025.  How would the State party ensure that future legal amendments to electoral laws did not infringe on voting rights?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the national action plan on trafficking in persons included measures to increase the police’s capacity to address trafficking cases.  The State party applied the principle of non-refoulement for victims of trafficking; it did not forcibly return them to their places of origin.  It was setting up a working group to develop the next iteration of the national action plan on trafficking for 2026 to 2030.  A law on compensation for victims of trafficking was adopted in 2022.  North Macedonia was part of a working group on combatting trafficking in the Western Balkans.  The State conducted awareness raising campaigns on identifying trafficking victims. A roadmap for treating victims of trafficking had also been developed, as had guidelines for their legal representation and reintegration.

    The national strategy on cohesion and multiculturalism included policies promoting culture, education and media representation.  The Ministry for Inter-Community Relations had allocated funds for marking national days for different communities’ celebrations.  The State provided funds to 33 non-governmental organizations to implement activities promoting multiculturalism, ethnic coexistence and minority languages.

    Instruction in primary schools was provided in Macedonian and communities’ local languages, including Albanian, Bosnian and Serbian.  Some 64,000 pupils received instruction in their mother tongues.  All students could learn the minority language of their community, which was taught as an optional subject.  Teaching programmes for Macedonian as a second language had been implemented. The State provided grants to primary and secondary schools to facilitate programmes promoting ethnic harmony. Criteria for developing textbooks written in minority languages had been lowered to facilitate their development.

    Amendments had been made to the Criminal Code to prevent impunity for trafficking crimes.  The criminal procedural law included provisions on the protection of witnesses, which applied to all vulnerable witnesses.  The State party was working to amend this law in line with relevant European Union directives.  The law on witness protection, which was adopted in 2005, was in line with international standards.

    The State party had implemented reforms to the law on surveillance of communications and had established the operative technical agency. These efforts aimed to ensure that regulation of surveillance was in line with international standards.  In 2023, five officers were charged for the destruction of surveillance equipment and were issued prison sentences.

    Amendments to the Criminal Code in 2022 had resulted in the statute of limitations expiring for certain cases related to organised crime and corruption, leading to reduced sentences.  The State party was working to address this shortcoming in its ongoing revision of the Criminal Code.  The average time for the conclusion of administrative cases was 188 days.

    North Macedonia had developed a law prohibiting antisemitism and the glorification of genocide and fascist crimes.  It had also amended the law on the Judicial Council that required the Council to provide explanations for the election of all judges; it would be adopted soon.  The law envisaged the inclusion of non-governmental organizations in the process of electing judges.

    As part of judicial reform efforts, the State had taken steps to address shortcomings in the judiciary that led to cases being passed back and forth between courts, and had set up an electronic case register.  It was also reforming its legal aid system and had provided increased training to legal aid practitioners.

    Recent amendments to the Criminal Code allowed for the ex-officio prosecution of attacks on journalists.  The State had worked to raise the visibility of crimes against journalists and increase punishments for such crimes.  There were four crimes committed against journalists in 2024; all these cases had been prosecuted.  In 2024, there were 15 lawsuits filed against journalists for defamation.  Measures had been implemented to reduce the amount of compensation ordered in these cases, and alternatives to compensation, such as public apologies, were promoted.

    The Ministry of Labour and Social Policy would soon adopt a national action plan on children’s rights, which would address issues such as child poverty and protection from violence.  There was also a strategy for deinstitutionalisation which ensured that no children were placed in institutions; more than 600 children had been placed in foster families.  The State sought to increase healthcare coverage for preschool children.  To combat poverty, the State provided guaranteed minimal child benefits and benefits for children with disabilities and the families that cared for such children.  Measures were in place to support access to the labour market for disadvantaged persons.  Inspections were carried out to identify cases of child abuse and neglect. Amendments to the law on the family were planned to prohibit child marriage.

    The State party was implementing measures to support the participation of persons with disabilities in elections.  North Macedonia had adopted a national strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities and a related action plan. Some 75 experts had been trained to recognise difficulties in child development.  The State party was expanding the network of social protection services for persons with disabilities, including family-based care services.

    In 2018, the State incriminated violence against children, including cyberviolence, which was punished with up to three years imprisonment.  Trafficking of children was considered an aggravating circumstance.  The State party would work to raise public awareness to prevent child marriages.

    Under the national strategy on the Roma, data was collected on areas such as housing and employment.  Around 1.9 per cent of the Roma community was part of the public administration.  All births could be registered, regardless of whether the parents were documented or not. North Macedonia sought to eradicate statelessness.  There were 100 unresolved cases of unregistered persons, but their cases would be resolved through the law on foreigners.  Asylum seekers waited only 15 days to receive identification documents; there were no cases of forced expulsion.  Amended regulations prescribed time limits for keeping biometric materials.

    Follow-Up Questions by Committee Experts

    Committee Experts asked follow-up questions on how biometric data was stored by the police; measures to prevent non-refoulement and to investigate alleged cases of pushbacks, including those involving Greece; efforts to legally recognise religious groups that were not recognised in the Constitution; efforts to implement European Court of Human Rights decisions related to the freedom of movement of Roma individuals; statistics on compensation paid to victims of abuse by law enforcement officials; quotas for representation of women and minority ethnic groups in elections in North Macedonia in 2025 and 2026; the voter turnout rate for the most recent election and mechanisms promoting voter participation; whether the State party had any pending ratifications of international human rights treaties; and whether it investigated reports by non-governmental organizations of pushbacks at the border.

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said there were no recent reports of pushbacks of asylum seekers at the border.  Greek authorities reacted to problems at the border with Greece.  A period had been set for the storage of biometric materials and guidelines had been developed on storage methods.

    The law on witness protection established a witness protection unit within the Ministry of Interior and the Council for Witness Protection.  Witness protection measures included identity changes, which were implemented in cooperation with other countries.

    The judgement of the European Court of Human Rights related to the freedom of movement of Roma persons had been executed. No legislative amendments had been adopted, as legislation allowed for freedom of movement of the Roma.  A law on prevention from discrimination had been adopted, which placed the burden of proof on the alleged perpetrator.  Around 113 civil lawsuits had been filed against the Ministry of Interior related to the freedom of movement; assessment of those cases had been completed.

    The State party had not registered cases of discrimination of the Roma at border crossings.  Persons with expired or damaged travel documents were not allowed to exit the country; this measure applied to all citizens.  Parents were not allowed to take children out of the country if they did not have the permission of the other parent.  Police officers who violated the rights of citizens were prosecuted.  The State party investigated every report of pushbacks that it received, including reports from non-governmental organizations.

    Asylum reception centres accommodated asylum seekers whose applications were being considered and unaccompanied minors, who were provided with special care and immediately appointed social workers as ex-officio guardians.  The State worked to shorten the period of accommodation in such centres.  Asylum seekers’ rights were ensured by the State. They were provided with food, healthcare, sanitation facilities, interpretation services, and free legal aid.

    State law guaranteed religious freedom for all religious groups.  The law envisaged civil oversight of the registration of religious groups. Reasons for not granting registration needed to be provided.  The State party had mechanisms for processing hate speech against religious communities.

    The State party was in the process of ratifying the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance and the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a communications procedure.  It had harmonised legislation with international standards in 2019 to prohibit solitary confinement of children.

    There had been no explicit application of the Covenant or the Committee’s jurisprudence over the reporting period. The State party would work to strengthen the capacity of the judiciary in this regard.  The Constitutional Court regularly applied the European Convention on Human Rights.

    Closing Statements

    NIKOLA PROKOPENKO, State Counsellor for Criminal Legislation at the Ministry of Justice and head of the delegation, expressed appreciation for the constructive dialogue.  The State party valued the Committee’s efforts in reviewing the application of the Covenant in North Macedonia.  The State faced challenges related to corruption, independence of the judiciary and the protection of marginalised groups.  These challenges tested the State party’s resolve to uphold the human rights of all.  The Committee’s recommendations would be given due consideration and would serve as valuable guidance for strengthening laws and policies.  The review was a step in the State’s ongoing journey toward strengthening human rights protections.  North Macedonia was dedicated to cooperating with the human rights treaty bodies and to promoting justice and rights globally.  The State would leave the dialogue motivated and encouraged to build a more just and equitable human rights-based society.

    CHANGROK SOH, Committee Chairperson, thanked the delegation for its thoughtful and thorough responses to the Committee’s questions.  The dialogue addressed key aspects of implementation of the Covenant. The Committee commended the State’s ratification of international treaties, legal norms on gender-based violence, and policies on gender equality, among other measures.  However, concerns remained related to issues such as hate speech, prison conditions, implementation gaps in protective legislation, and the limited protection framework for asylum seekers.  Mr. Soh closed by expressing sincere gratitude to all those who had contributed to the dialogue.

    __________

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

    __________

     

    CCPR25.012E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Assigns Astronaut Anil Menon to First Space Station Mission

    Source: NASA

    NASA astronaut Anil Menon will embark on his first mission to the International Space Station, serving as a flight engineer and Expedition 75 crew member.
    Menon will launch aboard the Roscosmos Soyuz MS-29 spacecraft in June 2026, accompanied by Roscosmos cosmonauts Pyotr Dubrov and Anna Kikina. After launching from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, the trio will spend approximately eight months aboard the orbiting laboratory.
    During his expedition, Menon will conduct scientific investigations and technology demonstrations to help prepare humans for future space missions and benefit humanity.
    Selected as a NASA astronaut in 2021, Menon graduated with the 23rd astronaut class in 2024. After completing initial astronaut candidate training, he began preparing for his first space station flight assignment.
    Menon was born and raised in Minneapolis and is an emergency medicine physician, mechanical engineer, and colonel in the United States Space Force. He holds a bachelor’s degree in neurobiology from Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and a medical degree from Stanford University in California. Menon completed his emergency medicine and aerospace medicine residency at Stanford and the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston.
    In his spare time, he still practices emergency medicine at Memorial Hermann’s Texas Medical Center and teaches residents at the University of Texas’ residency program. Menon served as SpaceX’s first flight surgeon, helping to launch the first crewed Dragon spacecraft on NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission and building SpaceX’s medical organization to support humans on future missions. He served as a crew flight surgeon for both SpaceX flights and NASA expeditions aboard the space station.
    For nearly 25 years, people have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, advancing scientific knowledge and conducting critical research for the benefit of humanity and our home planet. Space station research supports the future of human spaceflight as NASA looks toward deep space missions to the Moon under the Artemis campaign and in preparation for future human missions to Mars, as well as expanding commercial opportunities in low Earth orbit and beyond. 
    Learn more about International Space Station at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/station
    -end-
    Joshua Finch / Jimi RussellHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
    Shaneequa VereenJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111shaneequa.y.vereen@nasa.gov   

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Addressing menstrual poverty and introducing an EU menstrual health strategy – E-002340/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002340/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Maria Walsh (PPE), Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová (Renew), Elżbieta Katarzyna Łukacijewska (PPE), Nina Carberry (PPE), Ana Miranda Paz (Verts/ALE), Liesbet Sommen (PPE), Matjaž Nemec (S&D), Martin Hojsík (Renew), Kathleen Funchion (The Left), Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (S&D), Catarina Martins (The Left), Markéta Gregorová (Verts/ALE), Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus (S&D), Filip Turek (PfE), Irena Joveva (Renew), Merja Kyllönen (The Left), Evelyn Regner (S&D), Marco Tarquinio (S&D), Michalis Hadjipantela (PPE), Jagna Marczułajtis-Walczak (PPE), Marit Maij (S&D), Romana Jerković (S&D), Lucia Yar (Renew), Michal Wiezik (Renew), Aurore Lalucq (S&D), Marc Angel (S&D), Regina Doherty (PPE), Thomas Waitz (Verts/ALE), Tilly Metz (Verts/ALE), Danuše Nerudová (PPE), Barry Andrews (Renew)

    Menstrual poverty is defined as insufficient access to menstrual products and facilities. It affects an estimated 10 % of the menstruating population in the EU, and approximately half of the total EU population menstruates at some point in their lives.

    The lack of a standardised EU-wide dataset on the prevalence of menstrual poverty is a significant problem. The absence of standardised data collection at EU level negatively affects effective policy responses.

    Furthermore, despite the 2022 revision of the EU VAT Directive, which allowed Member States to reduce or eliminate VAT on menstrual products, disparities persist across the Member States. The lack of a harmonised EU approach exacerbates menstrual poverty.

    Given these challenges:

    • 1.How does the Commission intend to address menstrual poverty across the EU during its new term of office?
    • 2.Does the Commission intend to present an EU menstrual health strategy to support Member States in tackling menstrual poverty?

    Menstrual poverty has been overlooked for too long and is often treated as a marginal concern. With strong political commitment and coordinated action, menstrual poverty can be eradicated. This is not just a matter of public health, but also of gender equality and fundamental human rights.

    Submitted: 11.6.2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Aliexpress, Temu, Shein in the Spotlight – Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

    Source: European Parliament

    ecommerce © Image used under license from Adobe Stock

    On 25 June 2025, IMCO held an exchange of views with representatives from the European Commission on the ongoing investigations regarding the compliance of e-commerce platforms with EU consumer and digital laws. The Commission updated Members about the state of play regarding the ongoing enforcement actions against Aliexpress, Temu and Shein designated as a Very Large Online Platforms (VLOPs) under the Digital Services Act (DSA).

    The Commission accepted and made binding a series of commitments offered by AliExpress to settle a number of concerns, such as the platform’s transparency on advertising and recommender systems. The Commission also preliminarily found AliExpress in breach of its obligation to assess and mitigate risks related to the dissemination of illegal products. The Commission opened formal proceedings against Temu with respect to the sale of illegal products, addictive design and the systems used to recommend purchases to users, as well as data access for researchers. When it comes to Shein, the Commission has sent two requests for information regarding the design of the interface, protection of minors, transparency of recommending systems, traceability of traders, compliance by design, presence of illegal content and goods on its marketplace and access to data. The Commission is investigating but has not opened formal proceedings.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – North Western Waters Advisory Council’s advice concerning the negative impact of offshore wind farms – E-002568/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002568/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    France Jamet (PfE), Virginie Joron (PfE), Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), Gilles Pennelle (PfE), Pierre Pimpie (PfE), Pascale Piera (PfE), Séverine Werbrouck (PfE), Aleksandar Nikolic (PfE), Mélanie Disdier (PfE), Anne-Sophie Frigout (PfE)

    In its Advice of 3 June 2025, the North Western Waters Advisory Council highlights the negative impact of offshore wind farms on our marine areas.

    It underlines the strategic inconsistencies across the Commission’s various guidelines and notes that wind farm projects could undermine the EU’s objectives.

    The advice also refers to the report by the European Court of Auditors, which raises concerns about the social, economic and environmental challenges for fisheries, caused in particular by fishers’ reduced access to fishing areas.

    Among its recommendations, the advice advocates greater involvement of fishers in decision-making processes and management bodies.

    • 1.Does the Commission intend to take specific measures to ensure that fishers are no longer systematically penalised as a result of usage conflicts linked to uncontrolled development of offshore wind farms?
    • 2.Will it take account of the advice of the North Western Waters Advisory Council and the report by the European Court of Auditors, which cast doubt on its energy strategy?
    • 3.Will it give proper consideration to consultations of local stakeholders who are overwhelmingly opposed to offshore wind farms?

    Submitted: 25.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Progress towards the objectives of the 8th EAP – E-002567/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002567/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Sara Matthieu (Verts/ALE)

    According to the European Environment Agency’s most recent report on the 8th Environment Action Programme (EAP), the EU is not on track to reach the objective of significantly reducing its consumption footprint, which is instead projected to increase further. This goes against the objectives of the 8th EAP and that of the circular economy action plan to keep resource consumption within planetary boundaries and to reduce the EU’s consumption footprint.

    In its own initiative report on the circular economy in 2021, Parliament called on the Commission to propose binding EU targets for 2030 to significantly reduce the EU’s material and consumption footprints and bring them within planetary boundaries by 2050, using indicators to be adopted by end of 2021 as part of the updated monitoring framework. In June 2024, the Council invited the Commission to assess how a governance framework to support sustainable resource management would work, and to assess the establishment of an EU long-term objective for sustainable resource use.

    • 1.What has the Commission done to reduce the consumption footprint under the 8th EAP and what are the main reasons for not achieving the objective?
    • 2.What action has the Commission taken to establish a governance framework to support sustainable resource management, and will this be incorporated in the future circular economy act or elsewhere?

    Submitted: 25.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Prevention of power outages – E-002483/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002483/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Michał Wawrykiewicz (PPE)

    In reaction to the power outages in Spain and Portugal on 28 April 2025 it is clear that the EU needs to strengthen the security of its critical infrastructure. The blackout lasted for 36 hours and its impact on the Spanish economy alone is estimated to be EUR 1.6 billion. The outage had a knock-on effect on the mobile network. Around 150 flights were cancelled in both countries due to the outage. In Spain, download speeds in some areas fell by as much as 85 %, while in Portugal, speeds in regions such as Porto and Vila Real dropped by 90 %. Unfortunately eight people have died as a result of the outages.

    • 1.What mechanisms will the Commission employ to protect critical infrastructure at the EU level?
    • 2.Does the Commission plan to review and update the Directive on the Resilience of Critical Entities (2022/2557) or any other relevant provisions of EU law concerning the security of critical infrastructure?
    • 3.What measures are being considered by the Commission to enhance the EU’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to cyberattacks and acts of sabotage targeting critical infrastructure, particularly in the energy, transport and telecommunications sector?

    Submitted: 20.6.2025

    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Future common agricultural policy and bullfighting – E-002610/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002610/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Niels Fuglsang (S&D)

    • 1.Does the Commission agree that for both food safety and animal welfare reasons, it is undesirable to process meat for human consumption from bulls killed in bullfights, and can it indicate whether it is possible that such meat is circulating on the EU market without a label informing consumers of its source?
    • 2.Can the Commission confirm that around EUR 200 million is allocated each year, through the common agricultural policy (CAP), to the breeders of bulls intended for bullfighting, indicate whether it is willing to change this in the future CAP, and state whether it is willing to open a dialogue and/or make a proposal regarding the welfare of animals used for culture and tradition?
    • 3.Can the Commission give its opinion on bullfighting in relation to animal welfare, explain its interpretation of Article 13 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which relates to animal welfare measures, in the context of culture and tradition, and indicate whether it agrees that animal welfare should be safeguarded in this context, as was decided recently in Mexico City[1]?

    Submitted: 27.6.2025

    • [1] https://www.animanaturalis.org/n/46833/bull-death-prohibited-in-mexico-city-first-step-toward-ending-bullfighting.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU support for Spanish regions overwhelmed by high migratory pressure – E-001238/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is aware of the migratory challenges faced by Spain and follows the situation closely.

    The European Border and Coast Guard Agency and the EU Agency for Asylum adopted operational plans to support Spain in migration management.

    Spain benefits from various EU funds for asylum and migration and border management, including the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF)[1], the Border Management and Visa Fund (BMVI)[2] and the Next Generation EU funds.

    In recent years, the Commission allocated to Spain funding under the AMIF and BMVI as emergency assistance specifically to address the situation of the Canary Islands (EUR 52.3 million for the financial programming period 2021-2027).

    In addition, the Commission allocated[3] to the Member States additional resources to implement the Pact on Migration and Asylum[4]. Also, these resources can be used by regional authorities in accordance with the rules set at national level.

    Furthermore, both national and regional authorities can allocate resources from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Regional Development Fund for migrant integration.

    ESF+ will invest over EUR 142 million in Spain from 2021 to 2027 to support the socioeconomic integration of migrants, including EUR 2.4 million in the Balearic Islands, EUR 5 million for family-based care of unaccompanied minors and EUR 15 million to improve employment opportunities for vulnerable groups in the Canary Islands.

    The Interreg Madeira-Azores-Canary Islands Cooperation Programme 2021-2027[5] supports cross-border cooperation to tackle migration challenges.

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2021/1147 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
    • [2] Regulation (EU) 2021/1148 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2021 establishing as part of the Integrated Border Management Fund the instrument for financial support of the Border Management and Visa Policy.
    • [3] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/european-commission-provides-additional-eur-3-billion-support-migration-and-asylum-management-2025-05-12_en.
    • [4] https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/policies/migration-and-asylum/pact-migration-and-asylum_en.
    • [5] The cooperation area is comprised of three outermost regions — the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands and seven third countries — Cape Verde, Ivory Coast, Gambia, Ghana, Mauritania, Senegal and São Tomé and Príncipe.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Threats at the external borders – the role of FRONTEX – E-001723/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The core mandate of the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) is to support Member States in external border management and returns.

    The support of Frontex is invaluable to Member States’ ability to manage the EU’s external borders safely and effectively. Furthermore, the Commission continues to attach great importance to ensuring that the Agency has sufficient human and financial resources for the fulfilment of its tasks.

    Frontex has a broad mandate to comprehensively support the Member States in managing migration at their sections of EU external borders. Nonetheless, the Commission will assess this issue in detail in the process of preparing the review of Regulation (EU) 2019/1896[1].

    As question three falls under the responsibility of Frontex, the Commission has asked the Agency to provide an answer to the question raised by the Honourable Member. The Agency’s reply will be sent to the Honourable Member by the Commission as soon as possible.

    • [1] Regulation (EU) 2019/1896 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 November 2019 on the European Border and Coast Guard and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1052/2013 and (EU) 2016/1624, OJ L 295, 14.11.2019, p. 1-131.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Urgent inquiry regarding the continued detention and deportation risk of Abdulrahman al-Khalidi – E-001410/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Directive 2008 /115/EC[1] sets common standards and procedures to return illegally staying third-country nationals. The rules on the assessment of applications for international protection are laid down in Directive 2011/95/EU[2].

    When applying these directives, Member States have to respect the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights[3], including the principle of non-refoulement and the right to an effective legal remedy.

    The Commission has no responsibility to take decisions relating to assessment of applications for international protection and on the return of illegally staying third-country nationals.

    This responsibility lies entirely in the Member States competences and the Commission cannot intervene in the assessment of the merits of individual cases.

    The Commission may only decide to follow up on an individual case if the latter reveals a general practice of incorrect application of EU law in the Member State concerned or if it relates to a problem of compliance of national legislation with EU law.

    The Commission closely monitors Bulgaria’s implementation of the asylum and return rules, including the respect of fundamental rights. Compliance with the return acquis is also assessed in the context of the regular Schengen evaluation mechanism.

    • [1] Directive 2008/115/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 December 2008 on common standards and procedures in Member States for returning illegally staying third-country nationals, OJ L 348, 24.12.2008, p. 98-107.
    • [2] Directive 2011/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on standards for the qualification of third-country nationals or stateless persons as beneficiaries of international protection, for a uniform status for refugees or for persons eligible for subsidiary protection, and for the content of the protection granted (recast), OJ L 337, 20.12.2011, p. 9-26.
    • [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:12012P/TXT.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Financial losses for the EU following the bankruptcy of Northvolt – E-001074/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    As the Honourable Members correctly point out, in line with the applicable legal framework approved by the co-legislators, budgetary guarantees such as those underpinning the European Fund for Strategic Investments[1] and the InvestEU Fund[2] are granted for investments based on their alignment with EU policy priorities and their additionality.

    Where such guarantees are implemented in indirect management, implementing partners are fully responsible to enforce contract terms, in accordance with their own rules and procedures, including during legal insolvency proceedings. This includes measures to minimise losses for the relevant partner and the EU guarantee.

    The Commission provides annual reports on guarantee calls in the aggregate at the end of each financial year in accordance with Articles 250 and 217 of the Financial Regulation[3], and any loss from the relevant guarantees will be reported in that context, with due account to the necessary protection of commercially sensitive information.

    The Commission carries out annual evaluations of the adequacy of the provisioning for budgetary guarantees given expected losses.

    If the Commission has evidence that such provisioning is inadequate, it is prepared to take remedial action in line with Article 217 of the Financial Regulation.

    However, over the last decade no remedial action has been necessary and, looking ahead, no such action appears likely since losses experienced remain in line with expectations.

    In general, the Commission gives top priority to a viable battery ecosystem in the EU. The recently announced ‘Battery Booster’ will support that ecosystem notably through dedicated financing and demand-side measures, favouring EU production and diversification of supplies.

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:32015R1017.
    • [2] https://investeu.europa.eu/investeu-programme/investeu-fund_en.
    • [3] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:L_202402509.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Highlights – Safety of eCommerce products – Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection

    Source: European Parliament

    online shopping.PNG © stock adobe

    On 26 June 2025, IMCO approved an own initiative report on product safety and regulatory compliance in e-commerce and non-EU imports. This report includes the digitalisation of market surveillance and customs processes through technologies such as AI and block chain. It also delves into improved consumer transparency on product safety and sustainability.

    Rapporteur Salvatore De Meo (EPP) reaffirmed the importance of simplifying the regulatory framework, clarifying platform liability and the role of the ‘responsible person’ for non-EU imports and delineating non-fiscal duties under the deemed importer Union Custom Code framework. Additional elements comprise a reference to working conditions in large “warehouses”, a mention of exploring reduced VAT for second-hand goods, the need for adequately covering fast fashion, and a reference to the impact of e-commerce logistics on urban environments and city centres. On the handling fee, the report simply acknowledges the Commission’s proposal at this stage, pending further assessment.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – PFAS rules and public health – E-001467/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    As set out in the mission letters from the Commission President, the Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy and the Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy were given the task to work on the Chemicals Industry Package and to provide clarity on per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

    For this, the Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, Entrepreneurship and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (DG GROW) and the Directorate-General for Environment (DG ENV) work closely together the Directorate-General for Health and Food Safety (DG SANTE) and other Commission services.

    For example, DG SANTE is following the discussions related to possible measures on PFAS in food contact materials and in medical devices in the context of Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006[1] and in food packaging in the context of Regulation (EU) 2025/40[2].

    With respect to actions taken by the Commission to reduce the impact of PFAS on public health, including those under the remit of DG SANTE such as presence of PFAS as contaminants in food and their use as active substances in plant protection products, the Commission refers the Honourable Member to replies E-001626/2025[3], E-000268/2024[4], E-003754/2023[5], E-002285/2023[6] and E-000375/2023[7].

    The Commission is addressing PFAS contamination through different environmental and health legislation. Those pieces of legislation ensure that soil, (drinking) water and food comply with EU safety standards. Maximum levels for PFAS are set in drinking water and various foods.

    • [1] Regulation (EC) No 1907/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 December 2006 concerning the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH). ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2006/1907/oj.
    • [2] Regulation (EU) 2025/40 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 December 2024 on packaging and packaging waste. ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/40/oj.
    • [3] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-10-2025-001626-ASW_EN.html.
    • [4] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2024-000268-ASW_EN.html.
    • [5] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2023-003754-ASW_EN.html.
    • [6] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2023-002285-ASW_EN.html.
    • [7] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/E-9-2023-000375-ASW_EN.html.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Towards a comprehensive European policy on food donations to reduce food waste and support vulnerable communities – E-001747/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    On 18 February 2025, the European Parliament and the Council reached a provisional agreement[1] on the Commission’s legislative proposal for a targeted revision of the Waste Framework Directive[2] in order to set legally binding food waste reduction targets to be achieved by Member States by 2030.

    In that agreement, the co-legislators introduced a strengthened approach on food donation. Upon formal adoption of the amended Directive, which is expected by the end of 2025, Member States will be required to take measures ensuring that economic operators with a significant role in the prevention and generation of food waste (as identified by each Member State) facilitate the donation of unsold food that is safe for human consumption in the context of donation agreements.

    Furthermore, in order to facilitate the recovery and redistribution of safe, edible food to those in need, a Commission Notice setting out EU guidelines on food donation[3] supports compliance of providers and recipients of surplus food with relevant requirements laid down in the EU regulatory framework (e.g. food safety, food hygiene, traceability, liability, Value-Added Tax, etc.) and promotes common interpretation by regulatory authorities in the Member States of EU rules applying to the redistribution of surplus food.

    Finally, the Food donation sub-group of the EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste[4] is currently identifying and assessing barriers to food donation and opportunities to facilitate this practice across the EU, as well as developing recommendations for actions at EU and national level.

    • [1] https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety-news-0/provisional-agreement-reached-eu-food-waste-reduction-targets-2025-02-20_en.
    • [2] Directive 2008/98/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008 on waste and repealing certain Directives, OJ L 312, 22.11.2008, p. 3-30, as amended by Directive (EU) 2018/851 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May, OJ L 150, 14.6.2018, p. 109-140.
    • [3] Commission Notice — EU guidelines on food donation (2017/C 361/01).
    • [4] EU Platform on Food Losses and Food Waste: https://food.ec.europa.eu/food-safety/food-waste/eu-actions-against-food-waste/eu-platform-food-losses-and-food-waste_en.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Infringement of Directive 1999/70/EC on insecure employment in schools – E-001987/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Regarding the first question, the Commission recalls that directive 1999/70[1] requires Member States to adopt effective measures to prevent abuse of successive fixed-term employment contracts but leaves Member States a certain margin of discretion as to how they achieve this objective.

    The Treaties do not confer to the EU competence to adopt binding guidelines on how to prevent abuse of such contracts in the Italian school system .

    Concerning Decree-Law 131/2024, the Commission notes that the provisions on compensation were amended to address the lack of effective measures to penalise abusive use of successive fixed-term contracts.

    As explained in the Commission’s reply to petition 1264/2024, whether national legislation contains sufficient safeguards to prevent such misuse warrants further assessment[2].

    The Commission is notably monitoring, in the context of infringement procedure INFR(2014)4231, the practical effects of recent legislative amendments and recruitment measures aiming to comply with the relevant reforms and targets set out in the National Resilience and Recovery Programme.[3]

    Regarding the third question, the Commission refers to its explanations in reply to petition 1264/2024, noting that EU law does not regulate the recruitment systems that Member States may choose to apply to permanent or support positions.

    The system of teachers’ recruitment remains a responsibility of the Member State in line with the subsidiarity principle.

    • [1] Council Directive 1999/70/EC of 28 June 1999 concerning the framework agreement on fixed-term work concluded by ETUC (European Trade Union Confederation), UNICE (Union of Industrial and Employers’ Confederations of Europe) and CEEP (European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation) (OJ L 175, 10.7.1999, p. 43) — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/1999/70/oj/eng.
    • [2] This assessment refers, in particular, to the criteria set out in the Mascolo judgment referenced by the honourable member ( Judgment of 26 November 2014 in joined cases C-22/13, C-61/13 to C-63/13 and C-418/13, Mascolo and Others, ECLI:EU:C:2014:2401).
    • [3] Reform of the system for recruiting teachers (M4C1R.21) and target M4C114 to recruit 70 000 teachers by 2026.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: The power of connections in developing countries

    Source: European Investment Bank

    PasarPolis’ chief executive officer, Cleosent Randing, says artificial intelligence has helped build efficient claims systems. LeapFrog

    LeapFrog has also invested in companies like PasarPolis and Goodlife Pharmacy to improve access to insurance and healthcare.

    Nur Fajar earns an income as a rideshare driver on his motorbike in Jakarta, just like his father did. He was introduced to PasarPolis through a friend and bought life insurance for himself and his father.

    When his father fell ill and passed away a few months later, Fajar was relieved to learn that he qualified for an insurance payment. Now, Fajar earns additional income as an insurance sales agent, encouraging others in his community to take out the simple policies.

    PasarPolis is the first company in Indonesia to offer a range of insurance products – vehicle, home and travel – through agreements with mobile apps. By working closely with companies such as Gojek, the e-commerce company Tokopedia and the technology firm Xiaomi, PasarPolis offers insurance products that cover a range of needs.

    Gojek is a ride-hailing app that operates across Southeast Asia, with over 2 million drivers in Indonesia alone, including Fajar. PasarPolis provides insurance to people who offer and take rides through Gojek.

    PasarPolis grew fast and now serves more than 80 million people, issuing over a billion policies. Its chief executive officer, Cleosent Randing, credits part of this success to artificial intelligence, which has helped build efficient claims systems.

    “Technology is the biggest enabler for us to really make insurance available for all, in terms of removing the friction,” Randing says, “in terms of creating products that are innovative or really making claims seamless.”

    In East Africa, Goodlife Pharmacy is making healthcare easier and more reliable for around two million people each year. With 145 stores across Kenya and Uganda, the company runs East Africa’s largest chain of pharmacies. These stores offer pharmaceuticals, diagnostics services and doctor consultations. “What makes us stand out is our customer service,” says Amaan Khalfan, Goodlife’s chief executive officer. “I think that’s the critical driver.”

    Lilian Kelly, a pharmacy technician at Goodlife, says that many people don’t understand their medication or how important it is to use it correctly. She ensures that people know how to take their medicine when they get home from a hospital or doctor’s visit.

    Kelly gives support in person and online. She fields questions and follows up with clients through WhatsApp, Facebook and Instagram. “It’s actually exciting,” she says, “being able to change someone’s life in that way.”

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Strategic dependence: Brussels losing its soul in American clouds (cloud services of Microsoft, AWS/Amazon, Google) – E-001866/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission’s digital transformation is guided by its cloud strategy[1], prioritising a secure hybrid multi-cloud approach. The hybrid aspect is delivered through private cloud infrastructure under full Commission control, as the key part of its digital autonomy.

    The multi-cloud dimension ensures resilience and mitigates vendor lock-in, with operators awarded via procurement procedures compliant with EU laws, data protection and cybersecurity legislation and international agreements.

    Contracts have been awarded to a variety of providers, all of which are EU-based entities. The Commission has included European providers without corporate ties to the United States and makes extensive use of open-source software.

    Currently, in line with the objective to avoid dependency, 85% of workloads run in the Commission’s private cloud. The remaining 15%, managing non-confidential data, are equally distributed among Amazon Web Services EMEA SARL (AWS) and Microsoft Ireland Operations Limited, and — to a lesser extent — OVHcloud. Contracts concluded with AWS and Microsoft are valid until 2030 and 2031 respectively, with no volume commitment in usage.

    Since 2014, successive cloud and software framework contracts[2] have incorporated award criteria reflecting European digital sovereignty initiatives such as references to SecNumCloud that resulted in a contract awarded to OVHcloud.

    Looking ahead, the Commission remains committed to leveraging forthcoming legislative and procurement instruments to strengthen EU digital sovereignty and foster innovative EU services.

    The upcoming Cloud and Artificial Intelligence Development Act[3] will ensure secure EU-based capacity for critical needs, backed by a single EU-wide cloud policy for the public sector.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/european-commission-cloud-strategy_en.
    • [2] For example, Cloud III or SIDE III.
    • [3] https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/better-regulation/have-your-say/initiatives/14628-AI-Continent-new-cloud-and-AI-development-act_en.

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova – E-000186/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Moldova was granted EU candidate status in June 2022 and accession negotiations opened in June 2024. However, the current rate of economic growth and convergence with the EU risks holding the country back from progressing rapidly on its EU track[1].

    The Commission proposal for a regulation establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for Moldova aims to address the underlying structural deficiencies holding back Moldova’s growth potential, accelerate alignment with EU laws and standards and facilitate the progressive integration of Moldova in the EU single market.

    The Commission defines disinformation as ‘false or misleading content that is spread with an intention to deceive or secure economic or political gain and which may cause public harm’[2].

    Moldova has a very active and vibrant civil society, and their organisations are operating in a broadly enabling environment, as the Commission assessed in its Enlargement report of October 2024[3]. EU financing of civil society organisations is regulated by the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the EU[4].

    • [1] Communication on the Moldova Growth Plan, eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52024DC0470.
    • [2]  COM/2020/790 final: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=celex:52020DC0790.
    • [3] https://enlargement.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-adopts-2024-enlargement-package-2024-10-30_en.
    • [4] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/eu-financial-regulation_en.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Impact of the revised EU Emissions Trading System on household costs – E-001665/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission is aware of this study[1], which shows that in the absence of complementary measures, the annual increase in heating costs for households in the lowest six deciles in Belgium could range from EUR 154 to EUR 261 or 0.8% to 0.6% of total expenditure, and from EUR 53 to EUR 158 or 0.6% to 0.5% for transport costs. These estimations are coherent with the Commission’s impact assessment[2] for the review of the Emissions Trading System (ETS) Directive[3].

    Europe’s reliance on imported fossil fuels causes energy price volatility and higher supply costs. The Commission and Member States are working towards the timely implementation of the new Emission Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2) in combination with complementary measures to decouple people’s energy bills from fossil fuel cost volatility.

    The Social Climate Fund (SCF)[4] is designed to address the impact of ETS2 on vulnerable households. For those not eligible under the SCF, Member States also must target the national ETS2 revenues[5] at measures to anticipate and address its effects.

    The Affordable Energy Action Plan[6] aims at lowering energy costs by improving energy efficiency and energy savings and by addressing other aspects of the energy market that influence energy prices.

    The upcoming Citizens Energy Package[7] will focus on activating citizens to produce, sell and use their own energy and on tackling energy poverty.

    As part of the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive[8], Member States are also developing targets, policies and measures and related financing for building renovations that reduce exposure to fossil fuels and alleviate energy poverty. A range of policies are also available for Member States to incentivise electrification and clean technologies.

    • [1] https://energyville.be/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/ETS2-paper_final-15042025.pdf.
    • [2] SWD(2021) 601 final.
    • [3] Directive 2003/87/EC.
    • [4] The SCF amounts to EUR 86.7 billion for the period 2026-2032.
    • [5] National ETS2 revenues are estimated to amount to EUR 270 billion for the period 2027-2030.
    • [6]  COM/2025/79.
    • [7] https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/citizens-energy-package-commission-starts-consultation-process-2025-06-19_en.
    • [8] Directive (EU) 2024/1275.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Different interpretations of state support rules impact 500 jobs – E-001676/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. In general, State aid should not encourage or facilitate the relocation of services or production from one Member State to another. EU State aid rules contain safeguards in this sense. The Hungarian aid to Apollo Tyres was granted in the context of state aid schemes approved by Commission decisions in cases SA.56926 and SA.57375[1]. The schemes were adopted to remedy a serious disturbance in the economy caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and to partially compensate companies for losses suffered because of the lockdown measures introduced by the Hungarian Government, in line with the state aid rules applicable to this type of situations.

    2. Regarding the alleged closure and relocation of the Enschede factory, the Commission cannot interfere in specific company decisions regarding restructuring plans.

    3. The Commission decisions in cases SA.56926 and SA.57375 do not depart from the standard interpretation of the applicable state aid rules. Furthermore, the Commission does not have any indication that the Hungarian schemes at issue were not implemented in line with those decisions.

    • [1] Commission decision of 8 April 2020 in case SA.56926 (2020/N) — Hungary COVID-19: Aid measures for increasing competitiveness of undertakings in relation with the COVID-19 outbreak, OJ C 144 of 30.4.2020; Commission decision of 23 June 2020 in case SA.57375 (2020/N) — Hungary COVID-19: Compensation scheme related to the recovery of the Hungarian economy, OJ C 302 of 11.9.2020.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Withdrawal of the ‘standard essential patents’ proposal – E-001708/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Commission has reviewed all pending proposals with the European Parliament and the Council, particularly those that have been blocked for a long time or that lack realistic prospects for progress and where an agreement is unlikely.

    Based on this review, it has identified 37 proposals that it intends to withdraw — including the proposal for a regulation on standard-essential patents[1].

    In line with the interinstitutional agreement on better law making, the Commission will take due account of the positions of the Parliament and the Council before deciding on the withdrawal of the proposal.

    The Commission and its services took good note of discussions at the Competitiveness Council on 22 May 2025 in which the Czech, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Latvian, Romanian, Slovak and Spanish delegations communicated that they do not agree with the proposed withdrawal of the ‘standard essential patents’ file. The Commission looks forward to receiving the formal position of the Council in due course.

    The Commission remains open to exploring, together with the co-legislators and stakeholders, the most suitable way to ensure that Europe stays at the forefront of technological innovation and industrial competitiveness.

    • [1] See Annex IV to the Commission work programme 2025 — https://commission.europa.eu/document/download/7617998c-86e6-4a74-b33c-249e8a7938cd_en?filename=COM_2025_45_1_annexes_EN.pdf.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Rays of Hope Forum: Bringing Hope in Africa and Beyond

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) –

    The IAEA’s Rays of Hope Forum returned to Ethiopia, where the cancer care initiative was launched in 2022.

    Cancer patients around the world are being given better access to life-saving care thanks to support from the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, participants at a Rays of Hope Forum heard.

    Rays of Hope aims to widen access to life-saving cancer care where there is the most need; by helping low- and middle-income countries establish or expand medical imaging, radiotherapy and nuclear medicine services. Since its launch in Ethiopia three years ago, more than 90 countries have requested support under the initiative.

    “Cancer is a top cause of death in Africa, taking 2000 lives a day,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, speaking at the Forum opening in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on Monday. “Three years ago, here at the African Union Headquarters, we launched Rays of Hope. Today, we are bringing cancer care to countries that had none.”

    Temesgen Tiruneh, Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia, said: “Let this Forum be a call to collective action. Let it inspire deeper cooperation, bolder investments, and unwavering solidarity — so that no child dies from a treatable cancer, no mother waits endlessly for a diagnosis, and no nation is left behind simply because of geography or GDP.”

    The Minister of Health of Ethiopia, Mekdes Daba Feyssa and the Chief of Staff of the African Union Mohamed Al- Amine Souef also gave opening remarks at the Rays of Hope Forum.

    During the morning sessions, representatives from countries that have received support under the Rays of Hope initiative shared their experiences.

    These included Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health in Benin, Gilbert Kabanda Kurhenga, Minister of Scientific Research and Technology in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Mekdes Daba Feyssa, Minister of Public Health in Ethiopia, Selibe Mochoboroane, the Minister of Health in Lesotho, lbrahima Sy, Minister of Health and Social Action in Senegal, Lawrence Ookeditse, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Health in Botswana and Fredrick Ouma Oluga, Principal Secretary of the Ministry of Health in Kenya.

    Countries which have donated to the Rays of Hope also spoke of the importance of the initiative. Speakers included Jens Hanefeld, Ambassador of Germany to Ethiopia and Permanent Observer to the African Union in Ethiopia, Maurizio Busanelli, Permanent Representative of Italy to the African Union and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa in Ethiopia, Tsutomu Nakagawa, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the African Union and Julien Voituriez, First Counsellor, Embassy of France to Ethiopia and to the African Union.

    Watch the live stream here.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: GAZA: Starvation or Gunfire – This is Not a Humanitarian Response

    Source: Amnesty International –

    NGOs call for immediate action to end the deadly Israeli distribution scheme (including the so-called Gaza Humanitarian Foundation) in Gaza, revert to the existing UN-led coordination mechanisms, and lift the Israeli government’s blockade on aid and commercial supplies. The 400 aid distribution points operating during the temporary ceasefire across Gaza have now been replaced by just four military-controlled distribution sites, forcing two million people into overcrowded, militarized zones where they face daily gunfire and mass casualties while trying to access food and are denied other life-saving supplies.

    Today, Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families. The weeks following the launch of the Israeli distribution scheme have been some of the deadliest and most violent since October 2023. 

    In less than four weeks, more than 500 Palestinians have been killed and almost 4,000 injured just trying to access or distribute food. Israeli forces and armed groups – some reportedly operating with backing from Israeli authorities – now routinely open fire on desperate civilians risking everything just to survive.

    The humanitarian system is being deliberately and systematically dismantled by the Government of Israel’s blockade and restrictions, a blockade now being used to justify shutting down nearly all other aid operations in favour of a deadly, military-controlled alternative that neither protects civilians nor meets basic needs. These measures are designed to sustain a cycle of desperation, danger, and death. Experienced humanitarian actors remain ready to deliver life-saving assistance at scale. Yet more than 100 days since Israeli authorities reimposed a near-total blockade on aid and commercial goods, Gaza’s humanitarian conditions are collapsing faster than at any point in the past 20 months.

    Under the Israeli government’s new scheme, starved and weakened civilians are being forced to trek for hours through dangerous terrain and active conflict zones, only to face a violent, chaotic race to reach fenced, militarized distribution sites with a single entry point. There, thousands are released into chaotic enclosures to fight for limited food supplies. These areas have become sites of repeated massacres in blatant disregard for international humanitarian law. Orphaned children and caregivers are among the dead, with children harmed in over half of the attacks on civilians at these sites. With Gaza’s healthcare system in ruins, many of those shot are left to bleed out alone, beyond the reach of ambulances and denied lifesaving medical care. 

    Amidst severe hunger and famine-like conditions, many families tell us they are now too weak to compete for food rations. Those who do manage to obtain food often return with only a few basic items – nearly impossible to prepare without clean water or fuel to cook with. Fuel is nearly depleted, bringing critical lifesaving services – including bakeries, water systems, ambulances, and hospitals – to a standstill. Families are sheltering under plastic sheets, operating makeshift kitchens amid the rubble, without fuel, clean water, sanitation, or electricity. 

    This is not a humanitarian response.

    Concentrating more than two million people into further confined areas for a chance to feed their families is not a plan to save lives. For 20 months, more than two million people have been subjected to relentless bombardment, the weaponization of food, water and other aid, repeated forced displacement, and systematic dehumanization – all under the watch of the international community. The Sphere Association, which sets minimum standards for quality humanitarian aid, has warned that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation’s approach does not adhere to core humanitarian standards and principles.
    This normalization of suffering must not be allowed to stand. States must reject the false choice between deadly, military-controlled food distributions and total denial of aid. States must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law, including prohibitions on forced displacement, indiscriminate attacks, and obstruction of humanitarian aid. States must ensure accountability for grave violations of international law. 

    We, the undersigned organizations, once again call on all third states to:

    • Take concrete measures to end the suffocating siege and uphold the right of civilians in Gaza to safely access aid and receive protection. 
    • Urge donors not to fund militarized aid schemes that violate international law, do not adhere to humanitarian principles, deepen harm, and risk complicity in atrocities. 
    • Support the restoration of a unified, UN-led coordination mechanism—grounded in international humanitarian law and inclusive of UNRWA, Palestinian civil society, and the wider humanitarian community—to meet people’s needs.

    We reiterate our urgent calls for an immediate and sustained ceasefire, the release of all hostages and arbitrarily detained prisoners, full humanitarian access at scale, and an end to the pervasive impunity that enables these atrocities and denies Palestinians their basic dignity. 

    Editor’s Note
    • On 15 June, the Red Cross field hospital in Al Mawasi received at least 170 patients injured while trying to reach a food distribution site. The following day, 16 June, more than 200 patients arrived at the same facility – the highest number recorded in a single mass casualty incident in Gaza. Of that number, 28 Palestinians were declared dead. A WHO official underscored the deadly pattern: “The recent food distribution initiatives by non-UN actors every time result in mass casualty incidents.”
    • These deaths add to the broader toll: since October 2023, over 56,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza, including at least 17,000 children.

    List of signatory organizations:

    ABCD Bethlehem, ACT Alliance, Act Church of Sweden, Action Against Hunger (ACF), Action Corps, ActionAid, Age International, Agricultural Development Association – PARC, Al Ard for Agricultural Development, Al-Najd Developmental Forum, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International, Amos Trust, Anera, Anti-Slavery International, Arab Educational Institute – Pax Christi Bethlehem, Asamblea de Cooperación por la Paz, Asociación de Solidaridad Internacional UNADIKUM, Association for Civil Rights Israel (ACRI), Association Switzerland Palestine, B’Tselem – The Israeli Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, BADIL Resource Center for Palestinian Residency and Refugee Rights, Beesan Charitable Association, Bimkom – Planning and Human Rights, Bisan Center for Research and Development, Botswana Watch Organisation, Breaking the Silence, Broederlijk Delen, CADUS e.V., Caritas Germany, Caritas International Belgium, Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Jerusalem, Caritas Middle East and North Africa, Center of Jewish Nonviolence, CESIDA – Spanish Coordinator of HIV and AIDS., Children Not Numbers, Choose Love, Christian Aid, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), CIDSE – International Family of Catholic Social Justice Organisations, CNCD-11.11.11, codepink, Combatants for Peace, Comité de Solidaridad con la Causa Árabe, Congregations of St Joseph, COOPERATIVE AGRICULUTAL ASSOCIATION, Cordaid, Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu), Coventry Friends of Palestine, Cultures of Resistance, DanChurchAid, Danish Refugee Council, DAWN, Diakonia, Ekō, Embrace the Middle East, Emmaüs International, Entraide et Fraternité, Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Justice Network, EuroMed Rights, FÓRUM DE POLÍTICA FEMINISTA, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), Fund for Global Human Rights, Fundación Mundubat, Gaza Culture and Development Group (GCDG), Gaza Society for Sustainable Agriculture and Friendly Environment (SAFE), German Platform of Development and Humanitarian Aid NGOs (VENRO), Gisha – Legal Center for Freedom of Movement, Glia, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect (GCR2P), Greenpeace, HaMoked: Center for the Defence of the Individual, Hands for Charity, HEKS/EPER(Swiss Church Aid), HelpAge International, Human Security Collective, Humanité Solidarité Médecine (HuSoMe ONG), Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International, Humanity Above All, INARA, Independent Catholic News, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), INTERSOS, Islamic Relief Worldwide, Jewish Network for Palestine, Jüdische Stimme für Demokratie und Gerechtigkeit in Israel/Palästina, JVJP, Just Foreign Policy, Just Treatment, Kairos Ireland, Kenya Human Rights Commission, Kvinna till Kvinna Foundation, Martin Etxea Elkartea, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Médecins du Monde International Network, Médecins Sans Frontières, MedGlobal, Medical Aid for Palestinians, Medico International, medico international schweiz, Medicos sin fronteras (MSF – Spain), Mennonite Central Committee, Middle East Children’s Alliance, Mothers Manifesto, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Aid, Mwatana for Human Rights, Nonviolent Peaceforce, Norwegian Church Aid, Norwegian People’s Aid, Norwegian Refugee Council, Oxfam International, Palestine Children’s Relief Fund (PCRF), Palestine Justice Network of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Palestinian American Medical Association (PAMA), Parents Against Child Detentions, Partners for Palestine, Partners for Progressive Israel, PAX, Pax Christi Australia, Pax Christi England and Wales, Pax Christi International, Pax Christi Italy, pax christi Munich, Pax Christi Scotland, Pax Christi USA, Peace Direct, Peace Watch Switzerland, Penny Appeal Canada, Physicians for Human Rights Israel, Plan International, Plataforma de Solidaridad con Palestina de Sevilla, Plateforme des ONG françaises pour la Palestine, Polish-Palestinian Justice Initiative KAKTUS, Première Urgence Internationale, Presbyterian Church (USA), Quixote Center, Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary – NGO, ReThinking Foreign Policy, Right to Movement, Rumbo a Gaza-Freedom Flotilla, Saferworld, Saskatoon Chapter of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, Save the Children, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team, Solsoc, Stichting Heimat International Foundation, STOPAIDS, Støtteforeningen Det Danske Hus i Palæstina, Terre des Hommes International Federation, Terre des hommes Lausanne, Terres des Hommes Italia, The Eastern Mediterranean Public Health Network (EMPHNET), The Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD UK), The Palestine Justice Network of the Presbyterian Church USA Bay Area, The Rights Forum, Union of Agricultural Work Committees-UAWC, United Against Inhumanity (UAI), Universities Allied for Essential Medicines UK, US-Lutheran Palestine Israel Justice Network, Vento di Terra, War Child Alliance, War on Want, Welthungerhilfe, and Yesh Din.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Relief Still Available to North Carolina Small Businesses and Private Nonprofits Affected by Hurricane Helene

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    ATLANTA – The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) is reminding small businesses and private nonprofit (PNP) organizations in North Carolina of the July 21 deadline to apply for low interest federal disaster loans to offset economic losses caused by Hurricane Helene occurring  Sept. 27-Oct. 1, 2024.

    The disaster declaration covers the North Carolina counties of Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Cherokee, Clay, Cleveland, Gaston, Graham, Haywood, Henderson, Iredell, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Madison, McDowell, Mecklenburg, Mitchell, Polk, Rutherford, Surry, Swain, Transylvania, Watauga, Wilkes, Yadkin and Yancey; the Georgia County of Rabun; the South Carolina counties of Cherokee, Greenville, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg, and York and the Tennessee counties of Blount, Carter, Cocke, Greene, Johnson, Sevier and Unicoi as well as the Virginia County of Grayson.

    Under this declaration SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program is available to small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, nurseries and PNPs with financial losses directly related to the disaster. The SBA is unable to provide disaster loans to agricultural producers, farmers, or ranchers, except for small aquaculture enterprises.

    EIDLs are available for working capital needs caused by the disaster and are available even if the small business or PNP did not suffer any physical damage. The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills not paid due to the disaster.

    “Through a declaration by the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, SBA provides critical financial assistance to help communities recover,” said Chris Stallings, associate administrator of the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the SBA. “We’re pleased to offer loans to small businesses and private nonprofits impacted by these disasters.”  

    The loan amount can be up to $2 million with interest rates as low as 4% for small businesses and 3.25% for PNPs with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not accrue, and payments are not due until 12 months from the date of the first loan disbursement. The SBA sets loan amounts and terms based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    To apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or email disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 21, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration

    The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of business ownership. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Concerns over the way in which the Green Deal is being implemented – P-002242/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. The Commission is not aware of any report entitled ‘CO2 emissions reduction report’. Most recently, on 28 May 2025, the Commission published an EU-wide assessment[1] of the final updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) accompanied by a Staff Working Document[2] with the individual assessment of 23 final updated NECPs submitted and evaluated to that date. Member States were due to submit these final updated NECPs by 30 June 2024, taking into account the Commission’s recommendations on the draft updated NECPs. The Governance Regulation (EU) 2018/1999[3] does not set a deadline for this assessment, therefore the Commission published it once most Member States submitted their final updated NECPs. To date, three Member States including Poland[4] have not submitted their final updated NECPs. For this reason the Commission launched infringement procedures by sending to each of the concerned Member States a letter of formal notice on 14 November 2024, and subsequently a reasoned opinion on 12 March 2025. These procedures remain open.

    2. The Commission applies uniform standards and criteria towards all Member States’ representatives.

    3. In line with the response to question 2, the Commission applies uniform standards and criteria towards all Member States and their representatives. The Commission’s actions or failures to act are subject to control by the EU institutions, in particular the Court of Justice and the European Court of Auditors, in accordance with the Treaties.

    • [1] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/communication-delivering-unions-2030-energy-and-climate-objectives_en.
    • [2] https://commission.europa.eu/publications/commission-staff-working-document-delivering-unions-2030-energy-and-climate-objectives_en.
    • [3] Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2018 on the Governance of the Energy Union and Climate Action, amending Regulations (EC) No 663/2009 and (EC) No 715/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 94/22/EC, 98/70/EC, 2009/31/EC, 2009/73/EC, 2010/31/EU, 2012/27/EU and 2013/30/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, Council Directives 2009/119/EC and (EU) 2015/652 and repealing Regulation (EU) No 525/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 328, 21.12.2018, p. 1).
    • [4] The case against Poland ref. INFR(2024)2260 and other pending infringement cases can be found in the following database:
      https://ec.europa.eu/implementing-eu-law/search-infringement-decisions/?lang_code=en&langCode=EN&version=v1&typeOfSearch=byDecision&activeCase=true&legalBasis=32018R1999&page=1&size=10&order=desc&sortColumns=decisionDate&refId=INFR(2024)2260.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Effective monitoring of RRF disbursements – E-002544/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002544/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Michalis Hadjipantela (PPE)

    There are growing concerns about the effectiveness of fraud prevention and detection in the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF). The Commission relies primarily on national control systems, despite significant differences in Member States’ experience with EU funding and administrative capacity. Disbursements occur following the Commission’s assessment that milestones and targets have been met, without verifying the actual costs incurred by beneficiaries.

    European Court of Auditors Special Reports 13/2025[1] and 11/2023[2] identify cases where estimated costs were higher than actual expenditures, yet Member States received full funding for their estimated costs.

    The ability of the EU Anti-Fraud Office to intervene is limited by restricted access to national databases. Moreover, Member States are not legally obliged to report irregularities via the Irregularity Management System or use ARACHNE.

    Given the scale of RRF funding and the variation in administrative capacities, clearer safeguards are needed to ensure value for money and avoid unintended financial gains at the expense of the EU budget.

    Considering the above:

    • 1.To what extent does the Commission monitor RRF disbursements that exceed actual project costs to safeguard the EU budget?
    • 2.What measures are being considered to enhance transparency around actual RRF spending and prevent the misuse of unspent funds, given the lack of cost verification at the final recipient level?

    Submitted: 25.6.2025

    • [1] https://www.eca.europa.eu/ECAPublications/SR-2025-13/SR-2025-13_EN.pdf, paragraph 47.
    • [2] https://www.eca.europa.eu/en/publications/SR-2023-11, paragraph 55.
    Last updated: 1 July 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –