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Category: Fisheries

  • MIL-OSI Security: Update 300 – IAEA Director General Statement on Situation in Ukraine

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) lost all off-site power for several hours today, once again underlining the extremely fragile nuclear safety situation at the site, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said today.

    The plant’s connection to its last remaining 750 kilovolt (kV) power line was cut at 17:37 local time today and restored around 21:11, forcing it to rely on emergency diesel generators for more than three and a half hours. While the cause was not immediately known, it coincided with air raid alarms in the region, Director General Grossi said, citing information from the Ukrainian nuclear regulator.

    It was the ninth time the ZNPP suffered a complete loss of off-site power since the conflict began in February 2022, and the first since 2 December 2023.

    The IAEA team based at the site, Europe’s largest nuclear power plant (NPP), reported that 18 emergency diesel generators immediately started operating to generate the electricity the plant needs to be able to cool the reactors and the spent fuel pools. The plant has diesel fuel for at least 10 days on-site, and arrangements in place to secure further supplies. Once off-site power was restored, the diesel generators were switched off.

    “What was once virtually unimaginable – that a major nuclear power plant would repeatedly lose all of its external power connections – has unfortunately become a common occurrence at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant. Almost three and a half years into this devastating war, nuclear safety in Ukraine remains very much in danger,” Director General Grossi said.

    “Our team on the ground will continue to follow the situation very closely and report on further developments there,” he said.

    The ZNPP’s six reactors have been in cold shutdown since 2024 but still require cooling water for their reactor cores and spent fuel pools. The ZNPP lost the connection to its last remaining 330 kV back-up power line on 7 May, leaving the plant dependent on its sole 750 kV line. Before the conflict, it had ten off-site power lines available, highlighting the extent to which nuclear safety has deteriorated since February 2022.

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Queen Hatshepsut’s statues were destroyed in ancient Egypt – new study challenges the revenge theory

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jun Yi Wong, PhD Candidate in Egyptology, University of Toronto

    After the Egyptian pharaoh Hatshepsut died around 1458 BCE, many statues of her were destroyed. Archaeologists believed that they were targeted in an act of revenge by Thutmose III, her successor. Yet the condition of the statues recovered in the vicinity of her mortuary temple varies and many survive with their faces virtually intact.

    Now a new study by archaeologist Jun Yi Wong re-examines the original excavations and offers an alternative explanation. Much of the damage may in fact be from the “ritual deactivation” of the statues and their reuse as raw material. We asked him to explain.

    Who was Queen Hatshepsut and why was she important?

    Hatshepsut ruled as the pharaoh of Egypt around 3,500 years ago. Her reign was an exceptionally successful one – she was a prolific builder of monuments, and her reign saw great innovations in art and architecture. As a result, some regard her as one of the greatest rulers – male or female – in ancient Egypt. She has also been described as the “first great woman in history”.

    Hatshepsut was the wife and half sister of pharaoh Thutmose II. Following the premature death of her husband, she acted as regent for her stepson, the young Thutmose III. However, about seven years later, Hatshepsut ascended the throne and declared herself ruler of Egypt.

    Why was it believed her statues were destroyed in revenge?

    After her death, Hatshepsut’s names and representations such as statues were systematically erased from her monuments. This event, often called the “proscription” of Hatshepsut, is currently part of my wider research.

    There’s little doubt that this destruction began during the time of Thutmose III, since some of Hatshepsut’s erased representations were found concealed by his new constructions.

    The statues that formed the subject of my recently published study were discovered in the 1920s. By this time, Thutmose III’s proscription of Hatshepsut was already well known, so it was immediately (and rightly) assumed it was caused during his reign. Some of the broken statues were even found underneath a causeway built by Thutmose III, so there is little doubt that their destruction took place during his reign.

    Because the statues were found in fragments, early archaeologists assumed that they must have been broken up violently, perhaps due to Thutmose III’s animosity towards Hatshepsut. For instance, Herbert Winlock, the archaeologist who led the excavations of 1922 to 1928, remarked that Thutmose III must have “decreed the destruction of every portrait of (Hatshepsut) in existence” and that

    Every conceivable indignity had been heaped on the likeness of the fallen Queen.

    The problem with such an interpretation is that some of Hatshepsut’s statues have survived in relatively good condition, with their faces virtually intact. Why was there such a great variation in the treatment of the statues? That was essentially the main question of my research.

    How did you go about finding the answer?

    It was clear that the damage to Hatshepsut’s statues was not caused solely by Thutmose III. Many of them were left exposed and not buried, and many were reused as building material. Indeed, not far from where the statues were discovered, the archaeologists found a stone house that was partially built using fragments of her statues.

    Of course, the question is to what extent these reuse activities added to the damage of the statues. Fortunately, the archaeologists who excavated the statues left behind field notes that are quite detailed.

    Based on this archival material, it is possible to reconstruct the locations in which many of these statues were found.

    The results were quite intriguing: statues that are scattered over large areas, or have significant missing parts, tend to have sustained significant damage to their faces. In contrast, statues found in a relatively complete condition typically have their faces fully intact.

    In other words, statues that were subjected to heavy reuse activities are far more likely to have sustained facial damage.

    Therefore, it is likely that Thutmose III was not responsible for the facial damage sustained by the statues. Instead, the destruction that he was responsible for was far more specific, namely the breaking of these statues across their neck, waist and knees.

    This form of treatment is not unique to Hatshepsut’s statues.

    Fascinating. So what does this mean?

    The practice of breaking royal statues across their neck, waist and knees is common in ancient Egypt. It’s often referred to as the “deactivation” of statues.

    For the ancient Egyptians, statues were more than just images. For example, newly made statues underwent a rite known as the opening of the mouth, where they were ritually brought to life. Since statues were regarded as living and powerful objects, their inherent power had to be neutralised before they could be discarded.



    Read more:
    Cleopatra’s skin colour didn’t matter in ancient Egypt – her strategic role in world history did

    Indeed, one of the most extraordinary discoveries in Egyptian archaeology is the Karnak Cachette, where hundreds of royal statues were found buried in a single deposit. The vast majority of the statues have been “deactivated”, even though most of them depict pharaohs who were never subjected to any hostilities after their death.

    This suggests that the destruction of Hatshepsut’s statues was motivated mainly by ritualistic and pragmatic reasons, rather than revenge or animosity. This, of course, changes the way that her relationship with Thutmose III is understood.

    Jun Yi Wong receives funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

    – ref. Queen Hatshepsut’s statues were destroyed in ancient Egypt – new study challenges the revenge theory – https://theconversation.com/queen-hatshepsuts-statues-were-destroyed-in-ancient-egypt-new-study-challenges-the-revenge-theory-260326

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Fewer people doesn’t always mean better outcomes for nature – just look at Japan

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Peter Matanle, Senior Lecturer in Japanese Studies, University of Sheffield

    Satellite photo of rural Saga prefecture, Japan, showing farmland disuse, consolidation and intensification and urban development. Google Earth Pro, CC BY-NC-ND

    Since 1970, 73% of global wildlife has been lost, while the world’s population has doubled to 8 billion. Research shows this isn’t a coincidence but that population growth is causing a catastrophic decline in biodiversity.

    Yet a turning point in human history is underway. According to UN projections, the number of people in 85 countries will be shrinking by 2050, mostly in Europe and Asia. By 2100, the human population is on course for global decline. Some say this will be good for the environment.

    In 2010, Japan became the first Asian country to begin depopulating. South Korea, China and Taiwan are following close behind. In 2014, Italy was the first in southern Europe, followed by Spain, Portugal and others. We call Japan and Italy “depopulation vanguard countries” on account of their role as forerunners for understanding possible consequences in their regions.

    Given assumptions that depopulation could help deliver environmental restoration, we have been working with colleagues Yang Li and Taku Fujita to investigate whether Japan is experiencing what we have termed a biodiversity “depopulation dividend” or something else.

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    Since 2003, hundreds of citizen scientists have been collecting biodiversity data for the Japanese government’s Monitoring Sites 1,000 project. We used 1.5 million recorded species observations from 158 sites.

    These were in wooded, agricultural and peri-urban (transitional spaces on outskirts of cities) areas. We compared these observations against changes in local population, land use and surface temperature for periods of five to 20 years.

    Our study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, includes birds, butterflies, fireflies, frogs and 2,922 native and non-native plants. These landscapes have experienced the greatest depopulation since the 1990s.

    Due to the size of our database, choice of sites and the positioning of Japan as a depopulation vanguard for north-east Asia, this is one of the largest studies of its kind.

    Japan is not Chernobyl

    Biodiversity continued to decrease in most of the areas we studied, irrespective of population increase or decrease. Only where the population remains steady is biodiversity more stable. However, the population of these areas is ageing and will decline soon, bringing them in line with the areas already seeing biodiversity loss.

    Unlike in Chernobyl, where a sudden crisis caused an almost total evacuation which stimulated startling accounts of wildlife revival, Japan’s population loss has developed gradually. Here, a mosaic pattern of changing land use emerges amid still-functioning communities.

    While most farmland remains under cultivation, some falls into disuse or abandonment, some is sold for urban development or transformed into intensively farmed landscapes. This prevents widespread natural succession of plant growth or afforestation (planting of new trees) that would enrich biodiversity.

    In these areas, humans are agents of ecosystem sustainability. Traditional farming and seasonal livelihood practices, such as flooding, planting and harvesting of rice fields, orchard and coppice management, and property upkeep, are important for maintaining biodiversity. So depopulation can be destructive to nature. Some species thrive, but these are often non-native ones that present other challenges, such as the drying and choking of formerly wet rice paddy fields by invasive grasses.

    Vacant and derelict buildings, underused infrastructure and socio-legal issues (such as complicated inheritance laws and land taxes, lack of local authority administrative capacity, and high demolition and disposal costs) all compound the problem.

    An abandoned house, or akiya, in Niigata prefecture, Japan.
    Peter Matanle, CC BY-NC-ND

    Even as the number of akiya (empty, disused or abandoned houses) increases to nearly 15% of the nation’s housing stock, the construction of new dwellings continues remorselessly. In 2024, more than 790,000 were built, due partly to Japan’s changing population distribution and household composition. Alongside these come roads, shopping malls, sports facilities, car parks and Japan’s ubiquitous convenience stores. All in all, wildlife has less space and fewer niches to inhabit, despite there being fewer people.

    What can be done?

    Data shows deepening depopulation in Japan and north-east Asia. Fertility rates remain low in most developed countries. Immigration provides only a short-term softer landing, as countries currently supplying migrants, such as Vietnam, are also on course for depopulation.

    Our research demonstrates that biodiversity recovery needs to be actively managed, especially in depopulating areas. Despite this there are only a few rewilding projects in Japan. To help these develop, local authorities could be given powers to convert disused land into locally managed community conservancies.

    Nature depletion is a systemic risk to global economic stability. Ecological risks, such as fish stock declines or deforestation, need better accountability from governments and corporations. Rather than spend on more infrastructure for an ever-dwindling population, for example, Japanese companies could invest in growing local natural forests for carbon credits.

    Depopulation is emerging as a 21st-century global megatrend. Handled well, depopulation could help reduce the world’s most pressing environmental problems, including resource and energy use, emissions and waste, and nature conservation. But it needs to be actively managed for those opportunities to be realised.

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

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Nothing to disclose

    Kei Uchida received funding from JSPS Kakenhi 20K20002.

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

    – ref. Fewer people doesn’t always mean better outcomes for nature – just look at Japan – https://theconversation.com/fewer-people-doesnt-always-mean-better-outcomes-for-nature-just-look-at-japan-259414

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Somalia at 65: what’s needed to address its dismal social development indicators

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ali A. Abdi, Professor, University of British Columbia

    Somalia ranks among the lowest scoring countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. The index of 195 countries is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, years of schooling, and access to a decent standard of living. Ali A. Abdi, a scholar of social development education, examines Somalia’s failure to advance social development programmes.

    What is socio-economic development and how does Somalia stack up?

    Somalia is celebrating its 65th year of independence. This was marked officially on 1 July 2025.

    Despite the pomp and circumstance, though, the country’s social development indicators are dismal.

    Social development generally means visible improvements in the quality of life. People’s well-being is based on aspects of national progress like:

    • universally available good quality education and adequate healthcare

    • employment opportunities that generate liveable incomes and upward socioeconomic mobility

    • governance structures that protect people’s rights to security.

    Somalia has failed to meet these human development targets.

    Its low score in the UN index can be understood by looking at the statistics relating to education and health. In any society these act as foundational blocks for social development. But in Somalia:

    • children can expect to get an average of 1.72 years of education (the continental African average is 7.7 years)

    • there are 0.23 doctors per 10,000 people, and many doctors serve in fee-based private clinics which are out of reach for ordinary citizens in a country with US$600 GDP per capita income

    • the capital city, Mogadishu, with a population of 2.8 million, has only two fully public hospitals and they lack specialist services; patients who require specialist care must go to private hospitals

    • the youth unemployment rate is just below 70%.

    With these social development liabilities, it’s no wonder that the country is the biggest per capita producer of both global refugees and internally displaced persons.

    How did Somalia come to this?

    The Somali state collapsed as a cohesive national entity in 1991. The military government that had been in power since 1969 was overthrown by armed opposition forces. The country slowly fragmented into quasi-self-governing regions. Transitional national governments have come and gone.

    The current federal political structure came into being in August 2012. The Federal Republic of Somalia comprised five founding member states (there are now six).

    The depressed social development situation is not the only obstacle facing Somalia. Other complexities include:

    A governance system built on cronyism and political loyalty: Somalia’s national political leadership entrenched cronyism. In fairness, the same selectively applies to sub-national, federal member states leadership. This corrupt system has found traction in a country where professionals, young graduates and traditional leaders lack legitimate sources of income. This undermines good governance while creating discord within and among the federal government and federal member states.

    Discord at national level and between national and sub-national leaders: The most recent example of this revolves around the national leadership’s 2024 attempt to change the interim constitution. The unilaterally proposed one-person-one-vote proposal runs counter to the 2012 framework through which the current federal system was created. This has fuelled yet another national controversy with less than a year to the next presidential election.

    Externally constructed political and economic interventions: Somalia receives significant international aid to address political and developmental challenges. But the strings attached include the management of these funds by external entities. These donor priorities can be detached from immediate social development needs. And aid creates and sustains dependency and entrenches poverty.

    What should the government prioritise and why?

    The political class always says fighting terrorism is the top policy priority. This thinking, while viable for the current situation, ignores the potential to minimise terrorism by putting the basic needs of the public first, and especially the youth.

    Somali leaders are duty-bound to shift focus. A good place to start is the basis of social development: security, education and healthcare. It falls upon them to marshal the country’s resources and capacities to improve the well-being of its citizens.

    The national leadership also needs to restructure its relationship with federal member states. Distribution of development resources (including foreign aid) must be fair, not based on political alliances.

    Somalia also needs to reform the government’s policy on public appointments. People must get jobs based on their educational background, professional experience, incorruptible character and institutional accountability.

    The country has impressive natural resources. There’s huge untapped potential for fisheries and agriculture, which is the country’s economic backbone. The country also has untapped minerals and hydrocarbons wealth.

    The above observations are not to say that the federal government should lose sight of the fight against the terrorist organisations. But the welfare of people, including job creation for young people, must be equally prioritised. That will surely advance much needed social development while also reducing the appeal of terrorism among the youth.

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

    – ref. Somalia at 65: what’s needed to address its dismal social development indicators – https://theconversation.com/somalia-at-65-whats-needed-to-address-its-dismal-social-development-indicators-258307

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Salmonella cases are at ten-year high in England – here’s what you can do to keep yourself safe

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Rob Kingsley, Professor, Microbiology, Quadram Institute

    _Salmonella_ causes salmonellosis — an infection that typically results in vomiting and diarrhoea. Lightspring/ Shutterstock

    Salmonella cases in England are the highest they’ve been in a decade, according to recent UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) data. There was a 17% increase in cases observed from 2023 to 2024 – culminating in 10,388 detected infections last year. Children and older adults accounted for around a fifth of cases.

    Although the number of infections caused by foodborne diseases such as Salmonella had broadly decreased over the last 25 years, this recent spike suggests a broader issue is at play. A concurrent increase in Campylobacter cases points to a possible common cause that would affect risk of both foodborne pathogens – such as changes in consumer behaviour or food supply chains.

    While the UK maintains a high standard of food safety, any increase in the incidence of pathogens such as Salmonella warrants serious attention.

    Salmonella is a species of bacteria that is one of the most common causes of foodborne illnesses globally. The bacteria causes salmonellosis – an infection that typically causes vomiting and diarrhoea.

    Most cases of salmonellosis don’t require medical intervention. But approximately one in 50 cases results in more serious blood infections. Fortunately, fatalities from Salmonella infections in the UK are extremely rare – occurring in approximately 0.2% of all reported infections.

    Salmonella infections are typically contracted from contaminated foods. But a key challenge in controlling Salmonella in the food supply chain lies in the diverse range of foods it can contaminate.

    Salmonella is zoonotic, meaning it’s present in animals, including livestock. This allows it to enter the food chain and subsequently cause human disease. This occurs despite substantial efforts within the livestock industry to prevent it from happening – including through regular testing and high welfare practices.

    Salmonella can be present on many retail food products – including raw meat, eggs, unpasteurised milk, vegetables and dried foods (such as nuts and spices). When present, it’s typically at very low contamination levels. This means it doesn’t pose a threat to you if the product is stored and cooked properly.

    Vegetables and leafy greens can also become contaminated with Salmonella through cross-contamination, which may occur from contaminated irrigation water on farms, during processing or during storage at home. As vegetables are often consumed raw, preventing cross-contamination is particularly critical.

    Spike in cases

    It’s premature to draw definitive conclusions regarding the causes of this recent increase in Salmonella cases. But the recent UKHSA report suggests the increase is probably due to many factors.

    Never prepare raw meat next to vegetables you intend to eat without cooking, as cross-contamination can lead to Salmonella.
    kathrinerajalingam/ Shutterstock

    One contributing factor is that diagnostic testing has increased. This means we’re better at detecting cases. This can be viewed as a positive, as robust surveillance is integral to maintaining a safe food supply.

    The UKHSA also suggests that changes in the food supply chain and the way people are cooking and storing their food due to the cost of living crisis could also be influential factors.

    To better understand why Salmonella cases have spiked, it will be important for researchers to conduct more detailed examinations of the specific Salmonella strains responsible for the infections. While Salmonella is commonly perceived as a singular bacterial pathogen, there are actually numerous strains (serotypes).

    DNA sequencing can tell us which of the hundreds of Salmonella serotypes are responsible for human infections. Two serotypes, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium, account for most infections in England.

    Although the UKHSA reported an increase in both serotypes in 2024, the data suggests that Salmonella enteritidis has played a more significant role in the observed increase. This particular serotype is predominantly associated with egg contamination.

    Salmonella enteritidis is now relatively rare in UK poultry flocks thanks to vaccination and surveillance programmes that were introduced in the 1980s and 1990s. So the important question here is where these additional S enteritidis infections are originating.

    Although the numbers may seem alarming, what the UKHSA has reported is actually a relatively moderate increase in Salmonella cases. There’s no reason for UK consumers to be alarmed. Still, this data underscores the importance of thoroughly investigating the underlying causes to prevent this short-term increase from evolving into a longer-term trend.

    Staying safe

    The most effective way of lowering your risk of Salmonella involves adherence to the “4 Cs” of food hygiene:

    1. Cleaning

    Thoroughly wash hands before and after handling any foods – especially raw meat. It’s also essential to keep workspaces, knives and utensils clean before, during and after preparing your meal.

    2. Cooking

    The bacteria that causes Salmonella infections can be inactivated when cooked at the right temperature. In general, foods should be cooked to an internal temperature above 65°C – which should be maintained for at least ten minutes. When re-heating food, it should reach 70°C or above for two minutes to kill any bacteria that have grown since it was first cooked.

    3. Chilling

    Raw foods – especially meat and dairy – should always be stored below 5°C as this inhibits Salmonella growth. Leftovers should be cooled quickly and also stored at 5°C or lower.

    4. Cross-contamination

    To prevent Salmonella passing from raw foods to those that are already prepared or can be eaten raw (such as vegetables and fruit), it’s important to wash hands and clean surfaces after handling raw meat, and to use different chopping boards for ready-to-eat foods and raw meat.

    Most Salmonella infections are mild and will go away in a few days on their own. But taking the right steps when storing and preparing your meals can significantly lower your risk of contracting it.

    Rob Kingsley receives funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

    – ref. Salmonella cases are at ten-year high in England – here’s what you can do to keep yourself safe – https://theconversation.com/salmonella-cases-are-at-ten-year-high-in-england-heres-what-you-can-do-to-keep-yourself-safe-260032

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: The ‘Mind’ diet is good for cognitive health – here’s what foods you should put on your plate

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aisling Pigott, Lecturer, Dietetics, Cardiff Metropolitan University

    The ‘Mind’ diet is very similar to the Mediterranean diet, but emphasises consuming nutrients that benefit the brain. Svetlana Khutornaia/ Shutterstock

    There’s long been evidence that what we eat can affect our risk of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease and cognitive decline as we age. But can any one diet actually keep the brain strong and lower dementia risk? Evidence suggests the so-called “Mind diet” might.

    The Mind diet (which stands for the Mediterranean-Dash intervention for neurocognitive delay) combines the well-established Mediterranean diet with the “Dash” diet (dietary approaches to stop hypertension). However, it also includes some specific dietary modifications based on their benefits to cognitive health.

    Both the Mediterranean diet and Dash diet are based on traditional eating patterns from countries which border the Mediterranean sea.

    Both emphasise eating plenty of plant-based foods (such as fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds), low-fat dairy products (such as milk and yoghurts) and lean proteins including fish and chicken. Both diets include very little red and processed meats. The Dash diet, however, places greater emphasis on consuming low-sodium foods, less added sugar and fewer saturated and trans-fats to reduce blood pressure.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    Both diets are well-researched and shown to be effective in preventing lifestyle-related diseases – including cardiovascular disease and hypertension. They’re also shown to help protect the brain’s neurons from damage and benefit cognitive health.

    The Mind diet follows many of the core tenets of both diets but places greater emphasis on consuming more foods that contain nutrients which promote brain health and prevent cognitive decline, including:

    Numerous studies have been conducted on the Mind diet, and the evidence for this dietary approach’s brain health benefit is pretty convincing.

    For instance, one study asked 906 older adults about their usual diet — giving them a “Mind score” based on the number of foods and nutrients they regularly consumed that are linked with lower dementia risk. The researchers found a link between people who had a higher Mind diet score and slower cognitive decline when followed up almost five years later.

    Another study of 581 participants found that people who had closely followed either the Mind diet or the Mediterranean diet for at least a decade had fewer signs of amyloid plaques in their brain when examined post-mortem. Amyloid plaques are a key hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. Higher intake of leafy greens appeared to the most important dietary component.

    A systematic review of 13 studies on the Mind diet has also found a positive association between adherence to the Mind diet and cognitive performance and function in older people. One paper included in the review even demonstrated a 53% reduction in Alzheimer’s disease risk in those that adhered to the diet.

    The Mind diet encourages eating berries, which contain a plant compound thought to be beneficial for the brain.
    etorres/ Shutterstock

    It’s important to note that most of this research is based on observational studies and food frequency questionnaires, which have their limitations in research due to reliabiltiy and participant bias. Only one randomised control trial was included in the review. It found that women who were randomly assigned to follow the Mind diet over a control diet for a short period of time showed a slight improvement in memory and attention.

    Research in this field is ongoing, so hopefully we’ll soon have a better understanding of the diet’s benefits – and know exactly why it’s so beneficial.

    Mind your diet

    UK public health guidance recommends people follow a balanced diet to maintain good overall health. But the Mind diet offers a more targeted approach for those hoping to look after their cognitive health.

    While public health guidance encourages people to eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables daily, the Mind diet would recommend choosing leafy green vegetables (such as spinach and kale) and berries for their cognitive benefits.

    Similarly, while UK guidance says to choose unsaturated fats over saturated ones, the Mind diet explicitly recommends that these fats come from olive oil. This is due to the potential neuroprotective effects of the fats found in olive oil.

    If you want to protect your cognitive function as you age, here are some other small, simple swaps you can make each day to more closely follow the Mind diet:

    • upgrade your meals by sprinkling nuts and seeds on cereals, salads or yoghurts to increase fibre and healthy fats
    • eat the rainbow of fruit and vegetables, aiming to fill half your plate with these foods
    • canned and frozen foods are just as nutrient-rich as fresh fruits and vegetables
    • bake or airfry vegetables and meats instead of frying to reduce fat intake
    • opt for poly-unsaturated fats and oils in salads and dressings – such as olive oil
    • bulk out meat or meat alternatives with pulses, legumes chickpeas or beans. These can easily be added into dishes such as spaghetti bolognese, chilli, shepherd’s pie or curry
    • use tinned salmon, mackerel or sardines in salads or as protein sources for meal planning.

    These small changes can have a meaningful impact on your overall health – including your brain’s health. With growing evidence linking diet to cognitive function, even little changes to your eating habits may help protect your mind as you age.

    Aisling Pigott receives funding from Health and Care Research Wales

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

    – ref. The ‘Mind’ diet is good for cognitive health – here’s what foods you should put on your plate – https://theconversation.com/the-mind-diet-is-good-for-cognitive-health-heres-what-foods-you-should-put-on-your-plate-259106

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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How Donald Trump’s economic policies, including uncertainty around tariffs, are damaging the US economy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By John Whittaker, Senior Teaching Fellow in Economics, Lancaster University

    Donald Trump set a deadline of July 9 2025 for trade deals to be made before he hits some of the world’s biggest economies with his controversial tariffs. It’s impossible to predict what will happen on the day, but it is already clear that his economic policies are damaging American interests.

    Just look at the state of US government debt for example. Currently it stands at US$36 trillion (£26 trillion). And with total economic output (GDP) worth US$29 trillion per year, that debt is 123% of GDP, the highest it has been since 1946.

    Government debts are alarmingly high in other countries too (the UK’s is at 104% of GDP, with France at 116% and China at 113%), but the US is towards the top of the range.

    The recently passed budget reconciliation bill (what Trump calls the “big beautiful bill”) is projected to add US$3 trillion to that debt over the next decade. With these sorts of numbers, there is little prospect of putting US debt on a downward track.

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    In 2024, the US government had to borrow an additional US$1.8 trillion to cover spending not supported by tax revenue (the budget deficit). This is equivalent to 6.2% of GDP, a number that is officially predicted to rise to 7.3% during the next 30 years.

    The predictable consequence of this fiscal profligacy and the chaotic tariff programme is the high rates of interest that the US government is having to pay for its borrowing.

    For instance, the interest rate on ten-year US government debt (otherwise known as its yield) has risen from 0.5% in mid-2020 to 4.3% now. And as government debt yields rise, so do interest rates on mortgages and corporate borrowing.

    The power of the dollar

    For decades, the United States has enjoyed a high level of trust in the strength, openness and stability of its economy.

    As a result, US bonds or “treasuries”, the financial assets that the government sells to raise money for public spending, have long been considered safe investments by financial institutions around the world. And the US dollar has been the dominant currency for international payments and debts.

    Sometimes referred to as “exorbitant privilege”, this status of the US dollar as the world’s reserve currency brings big advantages. It benefits US consumers by making imported goods cheaper (albeit contributing to the trade deficits (when US imports to a country are worth more than its exports) which bother the president so much).

    It also means the US government can borrow a lot of money before doubts arise about its ability to repay. Investors will generally buy as many bonds as the US govt needs to issue to pay for its spending.

    The dominance of the dollar in international transactions also brings political power, such as the ability to exclude Russia from major global payment systems.

    But this privilege is being eroded by the US president’s tariff agenda. Economic motives aside, it is the way they are being applied – their size and the unpredictability – that is really sapping investor confidence.

    It’s costly to adjust trading patterns and supply chains in response to tariffs. So when the scope of future tariffs is unknown, the rational response is to stop investing while awaiting greater certainty.

    The dollar has lost 8% in value since the beginning of the year, reflecting investor doubts about the US economy, and making imports even more expensive.

    Financial markets are vulnerable

    But perhaps the biggest danger to US financial markets is a sudden rise in yields on government debt. No investor wants to be left holding a bond when its yield rises because – as with all fixed-interest debt – the rise in yield causes the bond’s market value to fall. This is because new bonds are issued with a higher yield, making existing bonds less attractive and less valuable.

    A bond holder expecting a rise in yield therefore has an incentive to sell it before the rise occurs. But the rise in yield can become self-reinforcing if the scramble to sell becomes a stampede.

    Indeed, there was a jump in US yields after the increases in trade tariffs announced on “liberation day” in early April, with the yield on ten-year treasuries rising by 0.5% in just four days.

    Damaged dollar?
    Dilok Klaisataporn/Shutterstock

    Fortunately, this rise was halted on April 10 when the tariffs were abruptly paused, allegedly in response to the fall in bond prices and an accompanying fall in share prices. The opinion of a senior central banker, that financial markets had been close to “meltdown”, was one of several such warnings.

    The dollar is unlikely to be quickly dislodged from its pedestal as the world’s reserve currency, as the alternatives are not attractive. The euro is not suitable because it is the currency of 20 EU countries, each with its own separate government debt. Nor is the Chinese yuan a likely contender, given the Chinese government involvement in managing the yuan exchange rate.

    But since March, foreign central banks have been selling off US treasuries, often choosing to hold gold instead.

    On Trump’s watch, the reputation of the US dollar as the ultimate safe asset has been tarnished, leaving the financial system more vulnerable – and borrowing more expensive.

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

    – ref. How Donald Trump’s economic policies, including uncertainty around tariffs, are damaging the US economy – https://theconversation.com/how-donald-trumps-economic-policies-including-uncertainty-around-tariffs-are-damaging-the-us-economy-259809

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Underwater lake heatwaves are on the rise, threatening aquatic life

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Iestyn Woolway, Reader and NERC Independent Research Fellow, Bangor University

    A view of Lake Superior, one of the Great Lakes. Travis J. Camp/Shutterstock

    Lakes are essential to ecosystems, providing freshwater, supporting biodiversity and offering crucial habitat for fish and other aquatic species.

    But a recent study by my colleagues and I shows that lakes around the world are warming, not just at the surface, but deep below as well. Subsurface heatwaves in lakes, defined as extreme periods of high water temperature below the surface, are increasing in frequency, duration and intensity.

    These hidden extremes could have serious consequences for lake ecosystems. Despite that, the issue remains largely unmonitored and poorly understood.

    Lake heatwaves are similar to those in the atmosphere or ocean. They are prolonged periods of excessive warmth. Most research to date has focused on surface temperatures, where climate change has already caused more frequent and intense heatwaves over recent decades.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    These surface events can disrupt the chemical and physical balance of lakes, damage food webs and, in some cases, cause mass fish die-offs.

    Aquatic species respond to surface heatwaves in different ways. Some benefit if the warming expands their preferred temperature range. But many others, particularly those already living near their thermal limits, face significant stress.

    In lakes that stratify during summer – where warm surface water sits above a cooler bottom layer – some species seek refuge from the heat by migrating to deeper water. But what happens when that deeper refuge is no longer cool?

    A closer look beneath the surface

    To investigate, we analysed temperature data from tens of thousands of lakes worldwide. These included one-dimensional lake models, high-resolution simulations for the Great Lakes of North America, and local models calibrated to specific lake conditions.

    By analysing how temperature varies with depth and time, we identified when and where subsurface waters crossed extreme heat thresholds.

    We defined subsurface heatwaves as periods when temperatures at particular depths exceeded their typical seasonal range. We also tracked how these events have changed since 1980, and how they might evolve under different emissions scenarios by the end of this century.

    Lake Huron, one of the Great Lakes.
    Craig Sterken/Shutterstock

    Subsurface heatwaves are already common and they’re becoming more so.

    Since 1980, bottom heatwaves (those occurring at the deepest parts of lakes) have increased by an average of more than seven days per decade in frequency, more than two days per decade in duration and they have risen by around 0.2C per decade.

    Although these deep-water events tend to be slightly less intense than surface ones, they often last longer.

    We also found a rise in “vertically compounding” heatwaves. This is when extreme temperatures happen simultaneously at the surface and bottom of a lake.

    These doubled-up events are now happening more than three days per decade more frequently. When they strike, aquatic species can be left with no place to escape the heat.

    Even more concerning, the deep-water refuges that once offered shelter during surface heatwaves are shrinking or disappearing altogether. In some lakes, the distance fish need to travel to find cooler water has increased by nearly a metre per decade.

    Our simulations suggest that these trends will intensify, especially under high-emission scenarios. By the end of this century, some bottom heatwaves could last for months, with temperature extremes not seen in the historical record.

    Why this matters

    Lake ecosystems rely on thermal structure. When extreme heat reaches deeper into the water column, it can trigger cascading ecological effects, from shifting fish habitats and altering species distribution, to increased nutrient cycling and algal blooms. It could even affect the release of greenhouse gases like methane from lake bed sediments.

    Subsurface heatwaves pose a particular risk to bottom-dwelling species, which may be less mobile or already adapted to cold, stable conditions. The loss of thermal refuges during surface heatwaves also jeopardises species that would otherwise escape to deeper waters.

    By ignoring what’s happening below the surface, we risk underestimating the true ecological effects of climate change on freshwater systems.

    Our study highlights the urgent need to expand lake monitoring efforts to include subsurface temperatures. While satellites have transformed our understanding of surface warming, they can’t capture what’s happening below.

    Future research should examine how different species respond to these deep-water and vertically compounding heatwaves. It should explore how changes in lake thermal structure affect different processes like nutrient cycling and methane production.

    For conservation planners, that means incorporating subsurface heatwaves into risk assessments and habitat models. For climate modellers, it means better representing vertical processes in lakes within global Earth system models.

    As lakes continue to warm, managing and understanding these hidden heat extremes will be critical to protecting biodiversity and the vital ecosystem services lakes provide.

    Iestyn Woolway receives funding from UKRI NERC.

    – ref. Underwater lake heatwaves are on the rise, threatening aquatic life – https://theconversation.com/underwater-lake-heatwaves-are-on-the-rise-threatening-aquatic-life-258885

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Elizabeth Carlen, Living Earth Collaborative Postdoctoral Fellow, Washington University in St. Louis

    A Buddhist monk in Hong Kong releases fish and chants prayers during a ceremony to free the spirits of tsunami victims. Samantha Sin/AFP via Getty Images

    People often consider evolution to be a process that occurs in nature in the background of human society. But evolution is not separate from human beings. In fact, human cultural practices can influence evolution in wildlife. This influence is highly pronounced in cities, where people drastically alter landscapes to meet their own needs.

    Human actions can affect wildlife evolution in a number of ways. If people fragment habitat, separated wildlife populations can evolve to be more and more different from each other. If people change certain local conditions, it can pressure organisms in new ways that mean different genes are favored by natural selection and passed on to offspring – another form of evolution that can be driven by what people do.

    In a recent review, evolutionary biologists Marta Szulkin, Colin Garroway and I, in collaboration with scientists spread across five continents, explored how cultural processes – including religion, politics and war – shape urban evolution. We reviewed dozens of empirical studies about urban wildlife around the globe. Our work highlights which human cultural practices have and continue to shape the evolutionary trajectory of wild animals and plants.

    Religious practices

    If you’ve traveled internationally, you may have noticed the menu at any one McDonald’s restaurant is shaped by the local culture of its location. In the United Arab Emirates, McDonald’s serves an entirely halal menu. Vegetarian items are common and no beef is served in Indian McDonald’s. And in the United States, McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish is especially popular during Lent when observant Catholics don’t consume meat on Fridays.

    Similarly, ecosystems of cities are shaped by local cultural practices. Because all wildlife are connected to the environment, cultural practices that alter the landscape shape the evolution of urban organisms.

    Populations of fire salamanders have different genes depending on which side of city walls in Oviedo, Spain, they live on.
    Patrice Skrzynski via Getty Images

    For example, in Oviedo, Spain, people constructed walls around religious buildings between the 12th and 16th centuries. This division of the city led to different populations of fire salamanders inside and outside the walls. Because salamanders can’t scale these walls, those on opposite sides became isolated from each other and unable to pass genes back and forth. In a process that scientists call genetic drift, over time salamanders on the two sides became genetically distinct − evidence of the two populations evolving independently.

    Imagine dumping out a handful of M&Ms. Just by chance, some colors might be overrepresented and others might be missing. In the same way, genes that are overrepresented on one side of the wall can be in low numbers or missing on the other side. That’s genetic drift.

    Introducing non-native wildlife is another way people can alter urban ecosystems and evolutionary processes. For example, prayer animal release is a practice that started in the fifth or sixth century in some sects of Buddhism. Practitioners who strive to cause no harm to any living creature release captive animals, which benefits the animal and is meant to improve the karma of the person who released it.

    However, these animals are often captured from the wild or come from the pet trade, thereby introducing non-native wildlife into the urban ecosystem. Non-natives may compete with local species and contribute to the local extinction of native wildlife. Capturing animals nearby has downsides, too. It can diminish local populations, since many die traveling to the release ceremony. The genetic diversity of these local populations in turn decreases, reducing the population’s ability to survive.

    More than a thousand sparrows killed by peasants in 1958 are displayed on a cart near Beijing, China.
    Sovphoto/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    Influence of politics

    Politically motivated campaigns have shaped wildlife in various ways.

    Starting in 1958, for instance, the Chinese Communist Party led a movement to eliminate four species that were considered pests: rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows. While the first three are commonly considered pests around the world, sparrows made the list because they were “public animals of capitalism” due to their fondness for grain. The extermination campaign ended up decimating the sparrow population and damaging the entire ecosystem. With sparrows no longer hunting and eating insects, crop pests such as locusts thrived, leading to crop destruction and famine.

    In the United States, racial politics may be shaping evolutionary processes in wildlife.
    For instance, American highways traverse cities according to political agendas and have often dismantled poor neighborhoods of color to make way for multilane thoroughfares. These highways can change how animals are able to disperse and commingle. For example, they prevent bobcats and coyotes from traveling throughout Los Angeles, leading to similar patterns of population differentiation as seen in fire salamanders in Spain.

    Wildlife during and after war

    Human religious and political agendas often lead to armed conflict. Wars are known to dramatically alter the environment, as seen in current conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine.

    The Russia-Ukraine war affected migration of greater spotted eagles.
    Nimit Virdi via Getty Images

    While documenting evolutionary changes to urban wildlife is secondary to keeping people safe during wartime, a handful of studies on wildlife have come out of active war zones. For example, the current Russia-Ukraine war affected the migration of greater spotted eagles. They made large diversions around the active war zone, arriving later than usual at their breeding grounds. The longer route increased the energy the eagles used during migration and likely influenced their fitness during breeding.

    Wars limit access to resources for people living in active war zones. The lack of energy to heat homes in Ukraine during the winter has led urban residents to harvest wood from nearby forests. This harvesting will have long-term consequences on forest dynamics, likely altering future evolutionary potential.

    A similar example is famine that occurred during the Democratic Republic of Congo’s civil wars (1996-1997, 1998-2003) and led to an increase in bushmeat consumption. This wildlife hunting is known to reduce primate population sizes, making them more susceptible to local extinction.

    Even after war, landscapes experience consequences.

    For example, the demilitarized zone between North Korea and South Korea is a 160-mile (250-kilometer) barrier, established in 1953, separating the two countries. Heavily fortified with razor wire and landmines, the demilitarized zone has become a de facto nature sanctuary supporting thousands of species, including dozens of endangered species.

    The collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War led to the establishment of the European Green Belt, which runs along the same path as the Iron Curtain. This protected ecological network is over 7,800 miles (12,500 kilometers) long, allowing wildlife to move freely across 24 countries in Europe. Like the Korean DMZ, the European Green Belt allows for wildlife to move, breed and exchange genes, despite political boundaries. Politics has removed human influence from these spaces, allowing them to be a safe haven for wildlife.

    While researchers have documented a number of examples of wildlife evolving in response to human history and cultural practices, there’s plenty more to uncover. Cultures differ around the world, meaning each city has its own set of variables that shape the evolutionary processes of wildlife. Understanding how these human cultural practices shape evolutionary patterns will allow people to better design cities that support both humans and the wildlife that call these places home.

    Ideas for this article were developed as part of a NSF funded Research Coordination Network (DEB 1840663). Elizabeth Carlen was funded by the Living Earth Collaborative.

    – ref. War, politics and religion shape wildlife evolution in cities – https://theconversation.com/war-politics-and-religion-shape-wildlife-evolution-in-cities-260184

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: In Dialogue with Haiti, Experts of the Human Rights Committee Welcome Efforts to Establish a New Constitution, Raise Questions on Measures to Combat Gang-Related Gender-Based Violence and Lynchings

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Human Rights Committee today concluded its consideration of the second periodic report of Haiti on how it implements the provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights . Committee Experts appreciated the referendum to establish a new national Constitution, while raising questions as to how the State was tackling the high level of violence against women and girls perpetuated by gang members and lynchings carried out by citizens, against a backdrop of distrust in the police.

    One Committee Expert said they saw the referendum to establish a new Constitution in a positive light, as an attempt to reestablish the institutionality of the country.

    Another Expert said that the scale of violence against women and girls was reportedly considerable, with sexual violence, including rape of children as young as five years old, gang rape, and forced prostitution, used as a weapon of control by gangs. According to reports, the judiciary were not sensitive to cases of gender-based violence and victims were hesitant to report cases. What measures were taken to encourage women to file complaints? Was there a fund to help survivors of violence? How were they supported by State services?

    Lynchings continued to be regular and numerous, another Expert said, citing reports of more than 500 cases in 2023. These were often the work of self-defence groups in or around Port-au-Prince, who did not trust the police, mainly due to corruption. Was this violence investigated, including when the police were accused of supporting or encouraging it? Had the perpetrators of lynchings, stonings and mutilations been prosecuted and punished proportionately? How could trust be restored between the police and the civilian population?

    Pedrica Saint Jean, Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights and head of the delegation, introducing the report, said from 2020 to 2025, Haiti was confronted with repeated political crises, marked by lockdown operations and successive protests. The COVID-19 pandemic, frequent floods and the earthquake of 14 August 2021, which devastated part of the Great South region, were additional challenges faced by the country. This complex situation was further aggravated by the assassination of the Haitian President on 6 July 2021.

    Ms. Saint Jean said an agreement for a peaceful transition was reached on 3 April 2024, establishing a transition period with a nine-member Transitional Presidential Council and a Prime Minister, with the aim of restoring security, continuing constitutional reform, and organising democratic elections.

    The delegation said several strategies had been undertaken to combat gender-based violence, including a national strategy that spanned from 2017 to 2024. An assessment of the strategy was almost completed. A gender-based violence cell had been established to train police officers to take the needs of female victims of violence into account. The Office to Combat Gender-Based Violence streamlined services for victims, enabling them to receive legal, psychosocial and medical assistance in one place. In areas with armed gangs, women were typically the primary victims. Violence was used as a weapon of repression.

    The delegation also said the Government had always condemned lynchings, which were not part of the country’s culture. Incidents needed to be reported at a police station so perpetrators could be incarcerated and tried for their crimes. The community police were carrying out an awareness raising campaign to progressively build trust with the general population. Training sessions were being organised for police officers, with a view to protecting the population. When complaints were made against the police force, the national inspector for the police carried out investigations and measures were taken as necessary.

    In concluding remarks, Ms. Saint Jean thanked the Committee for the kindness it had shown to the Haitian delegation, and the Experts for their insights. Haiti had taken due note of all recommendations and was determined to take further steps to develop effective, concrete responses to the Committee’s concerns relating to the implementation of the Covenant. Everybody was working to see the day when Haiti could leave the crisis behind.

    Changrok Soh, Committee Chairperson, in concluding remarks, said the Committee acknowledged the profound political, economic and humanitarian challenges facing Haiti, which had hampered efforts to protect human rights. Haiti was encouraged to take this opportunity to advance necessary reforms to ensure that the rights enshrined in the Covenant were fully recognised for all Haitians.

    The delegation of Haiti was made up of representatives of the Ministry for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights; the Ministry of Justice and Public Security; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; the Ministry of Social Affairs and Work; the Cabinet; the Government of Port-au-Prince; the Prime Minister’s Office; the Haitian National Police; the Anti-Violence Unit; and the Permanent Mission of Haiti to the United Nations Office at Geneva. Some members of the delegation were unable to attend the meeting in person due to travel restrictions.

    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., Monday 7 July to begin its consideration of the fourth periodic report of Viet Nam (CCPR/C/VNM/4). 

    Report

    The Committee has before it the second periodic report of Haiti (CCPR/C/HTI/2).

    Presentation of Report

    PEDRICA SAINT JEAN, Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights and head of the delegation , said between 2020 to 2025, Haiti had experienced both positive and negative developments. From a positive perspective, the Government had multiplied efforts in many areas to improve the rule of law and respect for human rights. However, the country had been plagued by unprecedent insecurity that required the intervention of a foreign force, through the deployment of the Multinational Security Support Mission on October 2, 2024. This force intervened in the context of an agreement signed between Haiti and Kenya on police and security cooperation in March 2024, following the adoption of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2699.

    From 2020 to 2025, Haiti was confronted with repeated political crises, marked by lockdown operations and successive protests which accompanied them. The COVID-19 pandemic, frequent floods and the earthquake of 14 August 2021, which devastated part of the Great South region, were additional challenges faced by the country. This complex situation was further aggravated by the assassination of the Haitian President on 6 July 2021.

    An agreement for a peaceful transition was reached on 3 April 2024, establishing a transition period with a nine-member Transitional Presidential Council and a Prime Minister, with the aim of restoring security, continuing constitutional reform, and organising democratic presidential elections. The Council was also tasked with economic and judicial reforms and combating corruption. The agreement provided for the establishment of three key bodies, including the Body for the Control of Government Action, in charge of controlling the acts of the Executive, since Parliament was currently non-existent; the National Security Council, to respond to the various aspects of the country’s security crisis; and the National Conference, accompanied by a steering committee. The Government had already established the National Security Council and the National Conference and its steering committee. The referendum decree, resulting from the work of the National Conference and the steering committee, would allow Haiti to have a new Constitution. Currently, efforts were underway to strengthen the capacities of the Haitian National Police and the Armed Forces of Haiti, which had a budget increase of 11 per cent in 2024-2025. An agreement was concluded with Colombia to monitor the Haitian coast, to curb the illicit trafficking of firearms.

    The Government had attached great importance to the judicial reform already initiated by its predecessors. Six new Courts of First Instance and the corresponding Public Prosecutor’s Offices were created between September 2024 and April 2025. The law of 10 September 2018 created the National Council for Legal Assistance and established legal aid offices in 18 jurisdictions in Haiti, aiming to provide free legal assistance to those who were financially struggling. The Penal Code and the Code of Criminal Procedure had previously been criticised by civil society in 2020. Following the revision of the two texts by a special commission, they were adopted on 24 June 2025. This marked an important step in the fight against insecurity, corruption and impunity.

    Two other important decrees had been adopted in the context of judicial reform. The first, adopted on 16 April 2025, which created two specialised judicial poles: one for the repression of complex financial crimes and offences and the other for the repression of mass crimes and sexual violence. The second decree of 4 May 2023 sanctioned money laundering, terrorist financing and the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction in Haiti.

    Despite Government efforts, due to the deteriorating security situation, the majority of prisons in Port-au-Prince had been vandalised, leading to the uncontrolled release of a number of detainees. The Government had been forced to relocate several jurisdictions to allow the resumption of judicial activities in minimum security conditions and the normal application of appropriate sentences and sanctions.

    The Haitian State aimed to follow up on complaints against police officers for excessive use of force, and it organised human rights training sessions for police personnel. However, it was regrettable that, despite the Government’s efforts, some citizens, driven by anger at the atrocities committed by criminal groups, resorted to extreme methods, including the lynching of captured gang members, instead of handing them over to the authorities. The Government recognised the severity of these acts and strongly condemned all forms of mob justice.

    The crisis in the country led to an increase in gender-based violence, particularly for displaced persons in camps. The Haitian State was working to protect and facilitate access to justice for survivors of violence, including through the creation of the Office for Combatting Gender-Based Violence as well as the organization of training adapted to the needs of survivors for police officers and judges. Medical, legal and psychosocial assistance were also offered to women and girls at internal displacement camps.

    Article 262 of the Penal Code, adopted by decree on 23 June 2025, punished the perpetrators of acts of torture and barbarism, with sentences ranging from 15 to 20 years in prison. Prison overcrowding remained a major problem, especially with the destruction of the main prisons in March 2024. Instructions had been issued to the Public Prosecutor’s Offices and Courts of First Instance to carry out regular criminal hearings, with the aim of relieving overcrowding in the prisons in provincial cities.

    The Transitional Presidential Council was making every effort to organise general elections in 2025 and to install a President elected on 7 February 2026. Despite its efforts, the Haitian State was aware that the implementation of the provisions of the Covenant had not yet reached a satisfactory level. However, Haiti pledged to do everything in its power to implement the provisions on the Covenant.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert acknowledged how difficult it was for the State party to participate in person in the dialogue and expressed gratitude to the delegation in Geneva. The Committee was aware of the grave humanitarian crisis suffered by Haiti for decades, compounded with the assassination of the President in 2021. In that context, the Committee noted an increase in widespread human rights violations and growing control of armed gangs in significant parts of Port-au-Prince, leaving the population more vulnerable to violence and human rights abuses, and leading to the displacement of more than one million people.

    Were courts in Haiti directly applying the Covenant? Could examples be provided? Were courses on international human rights law and the Covenant provided in training to judges? The Committee had been informed of situations where civil servants had opposed the execution of orders handed down by judges to free individuals. Could this be explained? What role did these civil servants play in the judicial system? Had steps been taken to ratify the Optional Protocol of the Covenant on individual communications? In May 2025, a bill of law was presented on the development of a new constitution, with a decree adopted to hold a referendum on the issue. Was this bill in line with the rights enshrined in the Covenant? Was it realistic to carry out a referendum in the context of violence? When was the state of emergency ordered? Was it still in force? Which articles of the Covenant were suspended?

    Did the current budget of the Office for Citizen Protection allow it to carry out its functions and extend its activities to the most remote parts of the country? Were there plans to expand the powers of the Office to allow it to consider human rights violations that had their origin in the acts of private entities?

    What steps had been taken to end discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons? Were there laws in place to punish acts of discrimination against these groups? Had the State taken actions been to allow these people to carry out public demonstrations and to protect them? Had it adopted measures to change discriminatory cultural attitudes in Haitian society, to end stigmatisation of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons? 

    Another Expert said despite the crisis in the country, Haiti remained bound by its international obligations. The dialogue would address problems such as insecurity, the deep humanitarian crisis that the population was experiencing, the endemic violence of gangs, the forced displacement of the population, the dysfunction of the justice system, chronic impunity and serious challenges to the rule of law. All these problems were linked to corruption. The report published in 2023 by the United Nations Expert on Human Rights in Haiti stated that corruption in Haiti was “public enemy number one” and found that more than 90 per cent of Haitian civil servants did not comply with the national anti-corruption law. The Anti-Corruption Unit and the Central Financial Intelligence Unit, which were suspected of lacking independence, had brought nearly 100 major cases of corruption to justice, but these had not led to any convictions.

    Did the State plan to set up a financial prosecutor’s office or judges specialised in the fight against corruption? Could more information be provided on the decree adopted on the creation of financial judicial units? What measures were being taken to support the work of the Anti-Corruption Unit and the Central Financial Intelligence Unit and to ensure that the cases referred were followed up independently?

    Haiti had expressed its commitment to ensuring accountability for the serious violations committed during Jean-Claude Duvalier’s presidency. However, a case assessing these violations had been in the courts of cassation since 2014, and there had not been any progress. What explained the delay? Could the delegation enlighten the Committee on the situation of Jean Gabriel Robert, who was convicted in absentia in the case of the “Raboteau massacre”?

    Information showed that the scale of violence against women and girls was considerable, with sexual violence, including rape, which was sometimes perpetrated against children as young as five years old; gang rape; and forced prostitution, used as a weapon of control by gangs. According to reports, the judiciary were not sensitive to cases of gender-based violence and victims were hesitant to report cases. What measures were taken to encourage women to file complaints? Was there a fund to help survivors of violence? How were they supported by State services?

    According to information received by the Committee, lynchings continued to be regular and numerous, with more than 500 in 2023. These were often the work of self-defence groups in or around Port-au-Prince, who did not trust the police, mainly due to corruption. In addition, the 2024 report of the United Nations Expert on Human Rights in Haiti noted that police were passive, and it appeared that some murders were encouraged, supported or facilitated by the police forces. Was this violence investigated, including when the police were accused of supporting or encouraging it? Had the perpetrators of lynchings, stonings and mutilations been prosecuted and punished proportionately? How could trust be restored between the police and the civilian population?

    Another Expert said specific steps had not been taken to combat impunity. What hope existed, looking forward to the immediate and long-term future, regarding a reversal of the situation? There were several cases in which there had been impunity for human rights violations. Attacks against the population in the La Saline suburb in 2018 had not been condemned by the Government and no steps had been taken to provide support to victims. What measures had been taken against the involvement of political agents in these cases? Why was the La Saline case withdrawn from the original judge?

    Data showed that 28 percent of civil servants in Haiti were women. In 2019 a strategy was presented to ensure equality for women by 2030. What progress had been made? How would the State party solve the problem of the low rate of political representation of women in Haiti?

    What actions were being taken to guaranteed women’s access to health care, in situations where criminal groups took control of health centres? How was access to medicines ensured?

    Another Expert asked what Haiti’s prospects were looking forward? What urgent measures were envisaged to protect women and girls in areas under gang control? What mechanisms had been established to guarantee security and safety for survivors of sexual violence, and to encourage the reporting of cases? Could Haiti provide updated information on the draft law preventing violence against women and girls? Was there a timeline for its adoption? What had been done to bolster the amount of medical, legal and psychosocial services for survivors, particularly in areas under gang control? What measures were envisaged to protect the right to life of those in extreme poverty? Was there an intersectional strategy to prevent avoidable deaths linked to poverty?

    What measures were taken to protect civilians living in areas under the control of armed gangs? What had been the result of the assistance from Kenya? Was it meeting the challenges? What guarantees existed when it came to the investigation of its own officers by the Haitian police? How was it ensured that the police did not carry out disproportionate use of force during protests? How was action being bolstered in areas under gang control?

    Was there a road map regarding ratification of the Covenant’s Second Optional Protocol concerning the death penalty? How did the State party intend to ensure that those who had served their sentence were properly released? Had the system for monitoring judicial cases been reactivated? What efforts were underway to improve detention conditions? Were construction projects for new prisons still planned? How many women had access to shelters in the last three years? What measures were envisaged to guarantee all police stations should have trained personnel, particularly in areas most affected by police insecurity?

    Responses by the Delegation

    PEDRICA SAINT JEAN, Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights and head of the delegation , said the Government had priorities outlined in the April 2024 agreement on the peaceful transition, including combatting insecurity, conducting the referendum and bringing the country to elections to appoint a robust Government. To combat insecurity, the budget allocated to the police and armed forces had been increased, allowing them to better contain the problems they were confronting. The police, the Haitian armed forces, and the security mission needed to work together to combat insecurity to allow for the milestone referendum to be held. Nine electoral commissioners were currently out in the field assessing the requirements. Haiti was not waiting for the security issues to subside before moving to the referendum.

    Haiti was doing its utmost to implement its commitments under the Covenant through a raft of measures. Six new courtrooms had been established in the country, allowing proximity between those needing to access the justice system and the infrastructure in place. Bureaus had been established to work on specific criminal areas, including mass crimes which had remained unpunished. For some time, courts had not been operational because they were in the hands of gangs. Two bureaus would be responsible for crimes of sexual violence, and another was responsible for financial crimes. Some 34 new judges and prosecutors had been appointed to support the justice system.

    The method of choosing judges for the Anti-Corruption Unit had not hindered its independence. Cases were currently going ahead at the Court of First Instance. Three prisons had been built to international standards, with one dedicated to female inmates. Institutional measures had been put in place to freeze the funds of certain agencies which were found to be corrupt but had impunity from the Anti-Corruption Unit, and those responsible were being brought before the court.

    The Government of Haiti had always condemned lynchings, which were not part of the country’s culture. Incidents needed to be reported at a police station so perpetrators could be incarcerated and tried for their crimes.

    The delegation said several assessment missions had been established to gain an understanding of the situation of detention centres and propose tangible solutions. One of the main challenges was the provision of food, due to lack of access to main roads. To address this situation, the Justice Ministry sought to ensure that providers of food should be placed directly in situ. In the last few months, prisons had greater autonomy and managed their needs themselves, providing a better and tailored approach to local realities.

    Haiti had done a lot to combat gender-based violence. This phenomenon was topical in Haiti, particularly when it came to displaced women. Several strategies had been undertaken to combat gender-based violence, including a national strategy that spanned from 2017 to 2024. An assessment of the strategy was almost completed. A gender-based violence cell had been established within the police, to train police officers to take the needs of female victims of violence into account. The Office to Combat Gender-Based Violence streamlined services for victims, enabling them to receive legal, psychosocial and medical assistance in one place. Psychosocial support services had been set up for women victims in internal displacement camps. Several initiatives had been adopted to bolster protections for minors, including host families and prevention and readaptation programmes for children recruited by armed games. Training and awareness raising sessions were organised for judges.

    In areas with armed gangs, women were typically the primary victims. The number of victims was increasing, particularly against younger women, but violence by armed gangs was also affecting children and the elderly. Violence was used as a weapon of repression. There were still people in Haiti who did not want to report. During times of political turbulence, the phenomenon of violence against women was heightened. There was a need for awareness raising to eradicate the phenomenon. Women should not be used as an instrument to place pressure on the Government.

    Incest had never been part of Haitian culture, but it did not mean this phenomenon did not exist. When incest occurred, people usually preferred to solve the issue in the family. Attention needed to be paid to the phenomenon of incest involving displaced people. The State sanctioned based on the relevant 2006 decree and used case law when dealing with these offences. It was important to continue legislating to bring tangible solutions to this phenomenon.

    For 15 years, judges had been receiving training on the Covenant from the Government and the Haitian police.

    Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons had been looked down on in Haiti; they were formerly not given the right to complain. While progress was not significant, these people were now considered to be fully fledged citizens who needed to be protected by the State and to enjoy their full human rights.

    Quotas had been implemented calling for at least 30 per cent of decision-making posts to be held by women. This issue had been poorly addressed. In the new Constitution, the State was advocating for parity. Until there was a critical mass of women in decision-making posts, the problems they faced would persist. A series of consultations had been launched with officials to create incentive measures to promote equality regarding candidate lists.

    The law on the organization of the Ministry on the Status of Women had not properly been reformed, which was why the Ministry had difficulties in playing its primary role. The Ministry submitted a law on its reorganization to ensure it could achieve its goals. By the start of next year, the State would launch its first national action plan covering the participation of women in restoring peace and security in Haiti. Work was being done with survivors in internal displacement camps to transform them into fully-fledged actors. Women, including young girls and survivors of violence in these camps, had been appointed as peace ambassadors, to sensitise the message of peace throughout Haiti.

    Haiti was relying on the work of the Multinational Security Support Mission and the international community to help the police and armed forces overcome the corruption and security issues in the country.

    Follow-up Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked follow-up questions, including on the functions to be undertaken by the bureaus on mass crimes, sexual crimes and financial crimes. This was a fantastic idea, but the bureaus needed to have the resources to operate properly. Other questions were asked on measures planned to restore the trust between the police and the justice system; lynchings committed by the police force; steps to tackle the circulation of weapons; and the mandate of the Office for Citizens’ Protection.

    An Expert said they saw the referendum to establish a new Constitution in a positive light, as an attempt to reestablish the institutionality of the country. Who drafted this bill? Did it go through various sectors, with participation from civil society? What did the “green and red zones” mean? Were green zones under Government control? Did red zones mean there was no State control? What happened if there was a referendum in the red zones?

    More questions were asked on how the long tradition of impunity could be alleviated; alternative measures to detention; detention beyond the lengths of sentences; efforts to prevent discrimination against women; and access to voluntary interruption of pregnancy. What was the Government’s perception of the processes involving the participation of the international community that aimed to improve the situation for the population of Haiti?

    According to information received by the Committee, around 40 per cent of births enjoyed the proper medical support. How did midwives treat risky pregnancies? Did the State intend to include the ratification of the Second Optional Protocol in the planned reform of the draft Constitution?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the death penalty was abolished in Haiti through a decree adopted in 1987.

    Regarding the red and green zones, there were currently zones under gang control, where the State was doing everything possible to convert them to green zones. Green zones were placed where the State could provide appropriate services to the population. The police were trying to gain access to the red zones to bring about peace and security. Progress had been made in penetrating many of the red zones; it was expected that there would be further progress in this area.

    The referendum was a compulsory, milestone measure to lay the groundwork for national elections and allow the population to get their new Constitution. All different sectors of society had been consulted in the drafting of the new Constitution.

    Haiti had implemented measures that aimed to provide a structure to prevent the free circulation of weapons, including weapons of mass destruction.

    The delegation said there was a legal bureau on mass crimes and sexual violence in Port-au-Prince and another on financial crimes. The bureaus were comprised of 10 judges who worked with the police and financial oversight and regulatory bodies. Their operations were ensured by donors from the international community and the State.

    The community police were carrying out an awareness raising campaign to progressively build trust with the general population. Training sessions were being organised for police officers, with a view to protecting the population. When complaints were made against the police force, the national inspector for the police carried out investigations and measures were taken as necessary.

    Haiti had a plan to set up scanners at customs to prevent the flow of illegal weapons into the country. Controls at the border with the Dominican Republic and checks of containers coming from the United Staes had been strengthened, and strict checks were being conducted on private vehicles, including motorbikes. Authorities had also suspended land imports from the Dominican Republic, ensuring seizures of illegal imports. Despite this, Haiti was facing increased criminal activity and corruption, with the need for increased international support to reduce the weapons flow into Haiti.

    Green zones were safe zones while red zones were ones where there was a heightened risk.

    A draft of the new Constitution had been shared across different sectors to receive their inputs, which had been sent to the Committee responsible for the drafting of the new Constitution.

    Haitian midwives played a key role in early detection of illnesses and in responding to complications during birth. They carried out post monitoring operatives in rural areas, while caesarean procedures were performed by obstetric doctors.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked if there were obstacles preventing Haiti from ratifying the Covenant’s Second Optional Protocol? Murderous attacks by gangs against ambulances had been reported, and health staff had fled the country. Did the Government have any plans to confront these problems? Haiti had an astonishing overcrowding rate in its prisons, at allegedly over 300 per cent. There was a lack of access to the appellate procedure for all inmates and for persons with disabilities. How did Haiti plan to resolve this problem?

    Another Expert appreciated Haiti’s delegation comprised of high-level women. It was reported that police agents or persons acting with their complicity tortured inmates on a daily basis in prisons and police custody facilities. Why had the perpetrators of cases of torture not been prosecuted and brought to justice? Had there been capacity building of law enforcement in the area of torture? Why had the State not ratified the Convention against Torture?

    Reports received by the Committee stated that forced evictions had become widespread since the earthquake in 2010, but this was denied by the State. It was alleged that these evictions affected a wide number of families and were not addressed by the State. What information was available about three resident families who had not taken up possession of reconstructed homes? Which Government civil servants were responsible for these families’ forced evictions? How had the Government taken steps to prosecute those involved?

    Hurricane Matthew had affected more than 2.6 million people, including 600,000 children; what measures had been taken to protect them? Could information be provided on the distribution of financial aid and the resources used to reconstruct infrastructure following this natural disaster? During the imposed state of emergency, was it only economic rights which were affected? What solutions were available for those still awaiting assistance from the damage 10 years ago? What resources had been allocated to address housing issues?

    A Committee Expert asked about the implementation of the National Plan to Combat Child Labour, adopted in 2019; what was the duration of the plan? Was it still in force or had a new plan been adopted? Could data on the number of children exploited and those in situations of begging be provided? What work had been done specifically on the exploitation of children by the Committee to Combat Human Trafficking?

    Various reports had documented violence against children, who were recruited and used by the gangs and injured or killed as a result. An even more severe impact was felt by children with disabilities. The Secretary-General’s report had outlined 383 grave violations against children in 2024. In December 2024, the gangs had committed a high number of abductions, including of 17 girls and 10 boys. What measures had been taken by the State to combat these grave violations? To help minors, child soldiers and victims of armed groups, a Commission had been created to support the creation of a national network of shelters and rehabilitation centres. How did the State ensure that the Commission had the human and financial resources necessary to support its functions? What did its work consist of? Was the National Committee for Combatting Human Trafficking able to carry out its functions? What measures had been adopted along the Dominican-Haitian border to prevent trafficking of children who were then sold in the Dominican Republic?

    It was understood that a commission to implement criminal reform was created in July 2024. What were the main reforms being carried out? What measures had been adopted to deal with the firebomb attacks on judges? How was the safety and security of judges being ensured? What was the current situation of the National Council for Legal Assistance? Regarding the appointment of judges in the Cassation Council, how was it ensured that the involvement of the Senate did not affect the Council’s independence? What role did the Council play in combatting corruption in the judicial sphere?

    Another Committee Expert said people who were displaced often lost their identification documents. What was the State party doing to resolve this issue? Two journalists reporting on insecurity in Haiti had been executed in 2022. The Committee had also received information that five journalists were murdered in 2024, with no investigations carried out. Gang violence had also led to the closure and restriction of media, including the suspension of popular programmes on suspicion of serving as platforms for gangs. Journalists had also been threatened by gangs. How could elections take place if the State could not facilitate the free circulation of ideas? How did Haiti intend to combat impunity surrounding executions or ill-treatment of journalists? What was done to protect human rights defenders? How was it ensured that social media platforms were regulated?

    In March 2025, anti-Government protests were held to decry the security context and inaction by the State. What measures had been taken to establish the responsibility of police directly involved in the use of force in suppressing peaceful demonstrations? What had been done to guarantee the work of non-governmental organizations in full security and free from harassment?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said overcrowding in prisons remained a major issue for the Government which it was working to address. Instructions had been issued to the prosecution offices and tribunals of the Courts of First Instance to encourage the holding of more criminal sessions, including sessions in which a jury was not present, with a view to relieving overcrowding in provincial prisons. In 2023 and2024, this occurred in 14 jurisdictions, leading to 159 convictions. In 2024, the total number of people detained in the country was around 12,000. The State had managed to capture around 12 prisoners who had escaped. The drop in the number of detainees in 2025 was explained primarily due to the escapes that followed the armed attacks carried out against certain penitentiary infrastructure. Courts had been actively engaged to implement non-custodial measures when appropriate, as a means of alleviating prison overcrowding. The Government recognised the need to prevent arbitrary arrests. Men, women and children were placed in different prisons. Despite the State’s efforts, there was only one police officer per every 14 detainees.

    The Government remained committed to improving prison conditions, despite security constraints. The mortality rate had dropped between 2024 and 2025 thanks to coordinated action to provide medical care and humanitarian aid. Healthcare services had been established in several penitentiaries. In 2017, a Presidential Commission was established to shed light on deaths in the Port-au-Prince prison. It highlighted aggravating factors including severe overcrowding, insufficient hygiene and a lack of medical support, among others. Measures were implemented to improve nutrition, detention conditions and investigate causes of deaths.

    The internal regulations of the penitentiary administration outlawed all forms of torture and inhumane treatment. Finances had been provided to the National Anti-Trafficking Committee to support the implementation of its national action plan. A protocol had been signed to guarantee legal aid to victims of trafficking. Some 100 students from the University of Haiti had received training on the issue of human trafficking. Several human traffickers had been prosecuted, however following the mass escapes in March 2024, a number of these traffickers were unfortunately able to escape.

    The Constitution guaranteed that judges could not be dismissed. In the judicial hierarchy in Haiti, the Constitution had the highest ranking, followed by international conventions. In Haiti, the Constitution outlawed the death penalty in all areas, meaning there was no need to fear its reinstation. The ratification of the Second Optional Protocol could be discussed when the legislature was functional.

    Families who were forcibly evicted due to the development of road infrastructure or for airport security purposes had a right to fixed compensation, as well as the right to appeal decisions blocking their access to redress.

    A State project had been launched to combat domestic labour by children, in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The project had been launched in 16 regions in the country and included a concrete list of jobs banned for children. Twenty-three surveys of young people had been conducted, allowing them to express themselves on themes including domestic labour, birth registration, violence against children, and education. A social protection project ensured monetary transfers for children under the age of five, pregnant women and persons with disabilities. The project was financed by the World Bank and allowed vulnerable families to provide care to their children. Around 25,000 homes received regular monetary transfers to the value of 40 United States dollars per month.

    A professional training programme had been launched in conjunction with the International Labour Organization, allowing for the training of more than 800 vulnerable teenagers in various technical and farming activities. Some 9,200 children had received support for school re-enrolment. Four thousand vulnerable homes at risk of family separation received monetary transfers to support income-generating activities, as well as financial education. A pilot programme had been launched in targeted communes with the United Nations Children’s Fund, which had developed a foster programme for children taken out of situations of domesticity to support their reintegration.

    Legal assistance officers had been established in 12 jurisdictions and the rollout was ongoing. A decision would be made on the draft Constitution based on a participatory process. A Commission had been established to follow up on gender-based violence cases in the country.

    Steps had been taken to prevent the phenomenon of forced evictions, but results were still limited. The Government had not been encouraging forced evictions and had taken new steps to support victims. Demolished homes had been rebuilt and several previous owners had already taken ownership of their new homes. Authorities ensured that no one living in camps or informal housing was evicted without a humane alternative provided.

    The Haitian State reiterated its commitment to freedom of the press and its respect for the work of human rights defenders. Efforts were made to ensure journalists could freely conduct their work, including by strengthening protection mechanisms. Haitian authorities reaffirmed their desire to shed light on the murders of several journalists, which were currently at being investigated by the Public Prosecutor.

    The courts did not all apply the Covenant in the same way, but it was often evoked in individual cases. Alternative measures to prison were allowed for in the new Criminal Code, which had been adopted in June 2025. Judges were equipped with armed vehicles and would have security details at their disposal for their personal safety. The police force was taking steps to bolster security in zones with a heightened level of insecurity and ensure that the referendum could take place. The Government was engaged in an intense campaign to fight the armed violence being perpetrated by gangs.

    Follow-up Questions by Committee Experts

    Committee Experts asked follow-up questions regarding identification papers, which more than 70 per cent of the population did not have, as well as the role of the Government Commissioners within the courts of justice.

    A Committee Expert expressed hope that the programme being laid out by the State for elections would bring about the enjoyment of rights by the population. It seemed impossible to bring this about given the current insecurity in Haiti. Was the State in a position to achieve peace given the current context? The context in Haiti required international, shared responsibility, with involvement from all States parties.

    Closing Statements

    PEDRICA SAINT JEAN, Minister for the Status of Women and Women’s Rights and head of the delegation , thanked the Committee for the kindness it had shown to the Haitian delegation, and the Experts for their insights. Haiti had taken due note of all recommendations and was determined to take further steps to develop effective, concrete responses to the Committee’s concerns relating to the implementation of the Covenant. One day, in the not-too-distant future, the country would exit the crisis. Everybody was working to see the day when Haiti could leave the crisis behind. Despite the efforts it had made, the Haitian State was aware that the implementation of the Covenant and progress in bolstering of the rule of law had not yet reached a satisfactory level. Haiti had a massive raft of problems to resolve, including travel restrictions, which had prevented some members of the delegation from traveling to Geneva. The State of Haiti was committed to doing its utmost to implement the provisions of the Covenant.

    CHANGROK SOH, Committee Chairperson, expressed sincere gratitude to all who had contributed to the dialogue. The Committee acknowledged the profound political, economic and humanitarian challenges facing Haiti, which had hampered efforts to protect human rights. The Committee underscored the importance of continued diligence and commitment to the rights enshrined in the Covenant, especially in times of crisis. During the dialogue, the Committee had raised serious issues regarding the right to life, gang violence, lynchings, protection of vulnerable populations, corruption, protection of journalists and the need to combat impunity, among other concerns. Despite these challenges, the Committee appreciated the State party’s willingness to engage in dialogue. Haiti was encouraged to take this opportunity to advance necessary reforms to ensure that the rights enshrined in the Covenant were fully recognised for all Haitians.

    ___________

    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. 

    CCPR25.015E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Detections of MSX and Dermo in oysters in Quebec

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the aquatic animal diseases multinucleate sphere unknown (MSX) and Dermo (also known as Perkinsosis) in oyster samples collected in Chaleur Bay, Québec.

    MSX and Dermo do not pose risks to human health or food safety, but they can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates. These are the first confirmed cases of MSX and Dermo in Quebec.

    To limit the spread of the diseases, the CFIA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the province of Quebec are working together with partners to monitor the situation and take necessary action. These actions are part of the Government of Canada’s One Health approach to prepare for, detect, and manage animal diseases.

    In addition to existing robust protective measures and increased animal surveillance, the CFIA, in collaboration with DFO and the province of Quebec, continues to conduct tracing activities and testing of oysters to gain insight into the presence of MSX and Dermo in the area.

    Response measures include:

    • applying movement controls to oysters,
    • further investigating the potential source of the detections,
    • engaging scientists, producers and harvesters to continue to monitor mollusc health, including notifying CFIA or the province of sick oysters or when decreased rates of growth or increased mortalities are observed, and
    • ensuring that information regarding detection and movement control information is available to producers.


    Quick Facts

    • MSX and Dermo pose no risk to human health and are not food safety concerns.
    • Haplosporidium nelsoni causes multinucleate sphere unknown (MSX) in cultured and wild American oysters (Crassostrea virginica).
    • Perkinsus marinus causes Perkinsosis (also known as Dermo) in cultured and wild American oysters (Crassostrea virginica).
    • These diseases do not affect other bivalves in this area, including mussels, scallops, or clams; however, they can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates.
    • With MSX, it is presumed there is an unknown intermediary host which makes it harder to determine how it is spread. Dermo can be transmitted from oyster to oyster, or from water contaminated with the parasite.
    • Canada’s National Aquatic Animal Health Program (NAAHP), co-delivered by the CFIA and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), is responsible for preventing the introduction and/or spread of significant aquatic animal diseases of finfish, molluscs and crustaceans.

    Related links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Detection of Dermo in oysters in Prince Edward Island

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has confirmed the presence of the aquatic animal disease Dermo (also known as Perkinsosis) in oyster samples collected in Egmont Bay, Prince Edward Island (PEI). Dermo does not pose a risk to human health or food safety, but it can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates. This is the first confirmed case of Dermo in PEI.

    To limit the spread of the disease, the CFIA, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and the Province of PEI are working together with partners to monitor the situation and take necessary action. These actions are part of the Government of Canada’s One Health approach to prepare for, detect, and manage animal diseases.

    In addition to existing robust protective measures and increased animal surveillance, the CFIA, DFO and the Province of PEI continue to conduct activities to gain insight into the presence of Dermo in the area. At this time, these response measures include:

    • applying movement controls to oysters in the area;
    • further investigating the potential source of the detection;
    • engaging scientists, producers and harvesters to continue to monitor mollusc health, including notifying CFIA or the Province of sick oysters or when decreased rates of growth or increased mortalities are observed; and
    • ensuring that information regarding detection and movement control information is available.

     

    Quick Facts

    • Perkinsus marinus causes Dermo in cultured and wild American oysters (Crassostrea virginica).
    • It does not affect other bivalves in this area, including mussels, scallops, or clams; however, it can cause increased oyster mortality and decreased growth rates.
    • Dermo can be transmitted from oyster to oyster, or from water contaminated with the parasite.
    • Dermo poses no risks to human health and is not a food safety concern.
    • Canada’s National Aquatic Animal Health Program (NAAHP), co-delivered by the CFIA and DFO, is responsible for preventing the introduction and/or spread of significant aquatic animal diseases of finfish, molluscs and crustaceans.

     

    Related links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Colorado Representatives Joe Neguse and Jeff Hurd Statement on Removal of Public Lands Sell Off from Budget Reconciliation Bill

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Joe Neguse (D-Co 2)

    “Decisions about Colorado’s treasured public lands should be made by the people who live here—not by mandates from Washington.”

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressmen Joe Neguse (CO-02) and Jeff Hurd (CO-03), who together represent Colorado’s Western Slope, issued the following statement after the Senate parliamentarian ruled Monday evening to remove provisions that sell off America’s public lands from the budget reconciliation bill currently making its way through the Congress. The lawmakers represent rural and mountain communities across the state and continue to urge that a proposal along these lines be excluded from the final text. Neguse and Hurd worked successfully to strip an amendment from the House-passed text that would have mandated the sale of hundreds of thousands of acres of public lands in Utah and Nevada. 

    “Colorado’s public lands belong to the people and are held in trust for future generations. They don’t belong to political appointees or outside interests. Neither of our districts asked for this land sale, and any efforts to sell off these shared spaces are deeply unpopular with the hunters, ranchers, fishermen, recreationists, conservationists, and outdoor enthusiasts we are proud to represent in Congress. Republican or Democrat—representing red, purple, or blue districts—one sentiment continues to ring true: public lands are not for sale.”

    “As consideration of the budget reconciliation bill continues, we must remain united in ensuring that its text excludes provisions that would permit the widespread sale or transfer of these treasured places. It’s time for folks on both sides of the aisle to come together for the common good and stand with us in our bipartisan effort to be good stewards of America’s prized public lands.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “A GUU diploma is your victory”: 1886 specialists are ready to work

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    On July 4, 2025, the State University of Management triumphantly held a graduation ceremony dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War.

    The negative weather forecast, fortunately, did not come true, and the clouds that flew in only made the day not too stuffy. Free water and drinks also contributed to the comfort of the graduates. It was not even necessary to stand on the square, this time there were many seats. The usual photo booths were working, as well as an innovation – 3D photos for the GUU graduates’ museum.

    At the special awards ceremony, the graduates were greeted by the rector of the State University of Management, Vladimir Stroyev.

    “Our dear students, their parents, friends, welcome to our not quite ordinary graduation, dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. Victories are not only the deeds of days gone by, but also your triumphant mood today. The student years you spent at GUU will be some of the best years of your life. Yes, the sessions were different, but I am sure that you will remember this time with pleasure. For better or for worse, but now you are not GUU students, but graduates. I am sure that we will be proud of you for many years to come,” the rector congratulated.

    Special awards were presented by outstanding graduates and honorary guests of the university.

    Senator of the Russian Federation from the Legislative Assembly of the Rostov Region Vasily Golubev recalled that he entered the Moscow Engineering and Economics Institute under the rector Olimpiada Kozlova and lived in a newly built dormitory, and recently organized a meeting of graduates at the State University of Management and felt like a student again. The senator also advised graduates to periodically return to the university to recharge with its energy. “Do not forget the rule of mountain climbers – they do not climb quickly, but confidently. It is you who will have to ensure that Russia achieves technological leadership in the world, it is you who will have to manage the authorities and the country as a whole. It is no coincidence that the main topic today is victory. We need it,” Vasily Golubev urged and presented awards for significant achievements for the benefit of the university Primus inter pares, of which this time there were not 7, according to the number of institutes, but 8, which corresponded to the 80th anniversary of the Victory.

    Awards were given to: Victoria Igorevna Kostikova – IEF; Yupatova Varvara Ilyinichna – ISUiP; Sereda Irina Leonidovna – IOM; Babich Alina Maksimovna – IUPSiBK; Olga Vadimovna Plesskaya – IIS; Kuimova Maria Leonidovna – IM; Shubina Sofya Kirillovna – Fine Arts;

    Primus inter pares “Infinity” – Burlakova Valeria – IM.

    State Duma Deputy Biysultan Khamzaev noted the beauty, brightness and intelligence of the graduates. “You have a powerful name for your university – the State University of Management. Find the character in yourself to be useful to your family and country. Return to your native university, help and support, this is the tradition of our education – the best education in the world,” said Biysultan Khamzaev and presented awards for academic success.

    Awards were given to: Langeman Irina Igorevna – IEF; Gubchak Milena Vladislavovna – ISUiP; Pavelev Ilya Dmitrievich – IOM; Minazhetdinova Dilyara Ilyasovna – IUPSiBK; Neretina Oksana Andreevna – IIS.

    Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science Svetlana Kochetova called the graduates colleagues and suggested that all those who lived in the dormitory will definitely not forget this fun time. The honorary guest separately wished health to the teachers and asked the graduates not to forget them. Svetlana Kochetova presented awards for achievements in career guidance.

    Awards were given to: Stefania Dmitrievna Dukhnovskaya – IEF; Kuzmina Ksenia Dmitrievna – ISUiP; Nikita Konstantinovich Rasskazov – IOM; IUPSiBK Morozova Sofya Aleksandrovna – IUPSiBK; Musina Alfiya Farkhitdinovna – IIS.

    Deputy Head of the Federal Service for Supervision in Education and Science Evgeny Semchenko congratulated the graduates of 1999 on one of the most important days of their lives. “At one time, living with my wife in the dormitory of the State University of Management, we often heard calls for freebies in the windows. Now I will tell you: after graduation, there will be no more freebies. I wish you to continue your education in a master’s degree, postgraduate study, get a second higher education in order to benefit the country,” Evgeny Semchenko addressed the graduates of 2025 and presented awards for scientific achievements.

    Awards were given to: Popova Yulia Alekseevna – IEF; Zhuk Alexandra Petrovna – ISUiP; Grishkina Anna Vyacheslavovna – IOM; Lanenkina Elizaveta Aleksandrovna – IUPSiBK; Potalainen Ilya Sergeevich – IIS; Petrova Anna Dmitrievna – IM.

    The Executive Secretary of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Collective Security Treaty Organization Sergey Pospelov reported that he graduated from the State University of Management 23 years ago, thanked the parents of the graduates for their patience and endurance, telling the heroes of the occasion that now it is their turn to help their parents. “The University is with you forever. And your merits will always be the merits of the University, so stay in touch with it.” Sergey Pospelov presented awards for sports achievements.

    Awards were given to: Vladimir Alekseevich Simonenko – IEF; Elizarov Artyom Denisovich – IGUiP; Novikov Makar Konstantinovich – IOM; Larin Andrey Evgenievich – IUPSiBK; Karpov Danila Sergeevich – IIS.

    Vice President of the Novard Group of Companies Sergey Sarkisov noted that on such a day, graduates are happy and a little sad at the same time. “No matter how life and career turn out, you must remember that your success in the future is a fusion of your experience and new knowledge. I wish you always to be accompanied by a desire for something new. Success to everyone!”, wished Sergey Sarkisov and presented awards for active social life.

    Awards were given to: Daria Aleksandrovna Kudryavtseva – IEF; Lavrova Ekaterina Igorevna – ISUiP; Arbuzova Polina Alekseevna – IOM; Blbulyan David Spartakovich – IUPSiBK; Kalugin Mikhail Dmitrievich – IIS; Sokolova Larisa Pavlovna – IM.

    Deputy Head of the Federal Treasury Department for Moscow Elena Egorushkova thanked GUU for the opportunity to congratulate the graduates, wished them all the best and emphasized that the most important things are yet to come. The honorary guest presented awards for achievements in cultural life.

    Awards were given to: Kristina Romanovna Danilenko – IEF; Naydenova Daria Aleksandrovna – ISUiP; Yavorskaya Polina Igorevna – IOM; Bchemyan Maria Karenovna – IUPSiBK; Volkova Alexandra Ilyinichna – IIS; Aklieva Natalya Sergeevna – IM.

    General Director of FKK GROUP LLC Vladislav Fadeev recalled that 23 years ago he stood in the same crowd of graduates and asked them not to forget the reckless student life. “Hold on to each other, don’t lose this thread. Year after year you will meet less and less often, families and concerns will appear, but try to do it anyway. Bon voyage!” Vladislav Fadeev said and presented awards for covering public life.

    Awards were given to: Ksenia Andreevna Pavlenko – IEF; Fedun Anastasia Stepanovna – IUPSiBK; Fomenko Victoria Sergeevna – IM; Bandorin Alexander Sergeevich – Fine Arts; Yakovlev Danila Sergeevich – IOM.

    It is interesting that Danila Yakovlev, as the winner of the All-Russian competition of final qualifying works in the format “Startup as a Diploma” with the project “Innovative Glass Pebbles”

    Later, 9 masters of State University of Management also received special awards: Ivan Alekseevich Ignatov – ISUiP; Levshov Ivan Vadimovich – IOM; Nikitina Anna Sergeevna – ISUiP; Rudskaya Irina Aleksandrovna – IIS; Ambaryan Lika Alikovna – IEF; Volkova Elizaveta Alekseevna – IUPSiBK; Kotenko Marina Igorevna – IOM; Yashkov Ivan Dmitrievich – IUPSiBK; Pridanov Egor Dmitrievich – IIS.

    In total, 1886 people graduated from the State University of Management in the completed academic year, 785 of whom graduated with honors! 1886 graduates. Symbolic, considering that this is the year of birth of Sergo Ordzhonikidze, whose name our university bore for many years.

    Congratulations to all graduates on this important life victory! Remember the inspiration you are feeling now, and remember today in moments of trial. You have already endured at least 4 years of exams, project work, lectures, lack of sleep – now you are capable of everything! And now just enjoy, be inspired by today’s victory. And as almost all the honored guests asked, do not forget your native university, now you are not students of GUU, from now on you are friends of GUU. Congratulations!

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – European Oceans Pact and the emissions trading system covering buildings, road transport and additional sectors (ETS2). – E-002014/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    All sectors, including waterborne activities, need to contribute to the EU climate neutrality goal by 2050.

    The Commission announced in the European Ocean Pact[1] that it will propose measures to decarbonise and modernise the fisheries fleet, supported by the Energy Transition Partnership for the fisheries and aquaculture sector.

    In addition, it recalled the importance of the recent extension of the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) to maritime and the implementation of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation[2] to accelerate the decarbonisation of the EU maritime transport sector.

    Furthermore, the Commission is launching a study on greenhouse gas emission reduction costs and pathways for EU fisheries to achieve net zero by 2050[3].

    The ETS2 — which will be fully operational from 2027 onwards — will cover and address the CO2 emissions from fuel combustion in buildings, road transport and industry not covered by the existing EU ETS.

    While emissions from waterborne activities are not included in its scope, Member States can decide, on a voluntary basis, to opt-in additional emissions. Some Member States, including Austria, Finland, the Netherlands and Sweden, have already decided to include, within the scope of ETS2, emissions from some smaller vessels, inland navigation and/or fishing.

    In addition, the Commission will examine, no later than end of 2026, the feasibility and economic, environmental and social impacts of including ships below 5 000 gross tonnage within the scope of the ETS Directive[4].

    The Commission will notably build its analysis on its recent report[5] looking at the potential inclusion of small ships, including fishing vessels, in the scope of the EU regulation for the Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of maritime emissions.

    • [1]  COM(2025) 281 final — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=comnat:COM_2025_0281_FIN.
    • [2] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/1805/oj/eng.
    • [3] The study is expected to be published by the end of 2025 and will explore complementary scenarios, including the introduction of fisheries into the MRV and ETS systems.
    • [4] Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (OJ L 275, 25.10.2003, p. 32).
    • [5]  COM(2025) 109 final — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A52025DC0109&qid=1749048682099.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mauritius: South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC) Member States strengthened regional cooperation for sustainable Tuna fisheries management

    Source: APO – Report:

    The Working Party on Collaboration and Cooperation in Tuna Fisheries (WPCCTF) from the South West Indian Ocean Fisheries Commission (SWIOFC), met in Mauritius to continue its work on strengthening regional cooperation for the effective management of tuna fisheries and other highly migratory fish in the region.

    The 13th Session of the WPCCTF brought together during two days (17-18 June 2025) 11 from the 12 SWIOFC countries – Comoros, France, Kenya, Madagascar, Maldives, Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles, Somalia, South Africa and Tanzania. Partner organizations, namely the World Bank, the Indian Ocean Commission (IOC), the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), the Nairobi Convention – UNEP, the Southern African Development Community (SADC), and the South West Indian Ocean Tuna Forum (SWIOTUNA) attended the meeting as SWIOFC Observers. Other Regional Fishery Bodies – the Southern Indian Ocean Fisheries Agreement (SIOFA) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC)- actively participated in the discussion with members, specifically regarding SWIOFC compliance and reporting requirements.

    Patrice Talla, FAO Subregional Coordinator for Southern Africa, welcomed the participants and emphasized the importance of the WPCCTF as a platform for dialogue and collective action, underscoring the need for coastal states to manage tuna stocks responsibly within their Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and to collaborate regionally to rebuild overexploited stocks, particularly yellowfin tuna. Talla stressed the importance of strengthening national capacities to comply with Conservation and Management Measures (CMMs) and to implement effective Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) systems.

    Mbuli Charles Boliko, FAO Representative in Madagascar, Comoros, Mauritius and Seychelles, highlighted the significance of the Indian Ocean as the second-largest tuna-producing region globally, playing a vital role in supporting national economies and livelihoods. Boliko stressed that challenges such as Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing, climate-induced migratory shifts, and external competition require a unified regional response grounded in science, cooperation, and shared commitment.

    The Working Party members acknowledged the progress made in the region, including the adoption and progressive implementation of the SWIOFC-led instrument, the MTC Guidelines, and the regional effort for jointly regulating and managing foreign fishing access for the best interest of the region. The MTC Guidelines (the Guidelines for Minimum Terms and Conditions for foreign fishing access) were officially adopted by all SWIOFC member countries in February 2019. WWF, a long-standing partner of the WPCCTF, presented recent work conducted on this subject, which was led by the Minimum Terms and Conditions Task Force (MTCTF) of the SWIOFC. This work received technical support from NFDS and focused on the joint and concerted actions required for the implementation of the priority provisions of the SWIOFC instrument, such as the provisions regulating licensing requirements, the use of Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS), transshipments and compensations and access fees.

    Other subject thoroughly discussed was the cooperation between SWIOFC, SADC and IOC on regional Monitoring, Control and Surveillance (MCS) initiatives. The new workplan for 2025–2026 was adopted, and the WP formulated joint recommendations for the upcoming plenary session of the SWIOFC, scheduled to take place in November 2025.

    The event was supported by the SWIOFish5 TRANSFORM project, funded by the World Bank and implemented by IOC with technical assistance from FAO. The project, ending in 2030, has the objective of strengthening regional, evidence-based fisheries management in the region.

    – on behalf of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO): Regional Office for Africa.

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: CFS continues to follow up on imported turkey bacon with possible contamination of Listeria monocytogene

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4

         The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department today (July 4) said that subsequent to yesterday’s announcement that kinds of prepackaged turkey bacon originated from the United States (US) might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, a follow-up investigation showed that an importer had imported one of the affected products. The CFS urged the public not to consume the product. The trade should stop using or selling the affected batch of the product immediately if they possess it.

    Product details are as follows:

    Product name: Oscar Mayer Turkey Bacon Original
    Place of origin: US
    Pack size (Universal Product Code/Lot number) and use-by dates: 
    (1) 12oz (071871548601/RS40), July 18 to August 2, 2025;
    (2) 36oz (071871548748/RS19, RS40 and RS42), July 23 to September 4, 2025; and
    (3) 48oz (071871548793/RS19, RS40 and RS42), July 18 to September 4, 2025

         “The CFS has been closely following up on the notice issued by United States Department of Agriculture indicating that the above-mentioned product might have been contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes and is being recalled. Upon learning of the incident, the CFS immediately followed up on the incident, and learnt during the follow-up investigation that an importer (Etak International Limited) had imported one of the concerned products (pack size: 12oz; use-by date: July 26, 2025).”

    The importer concerned has stopped sales and removed from shelves the affected product, and has initiated a recall according to the CFS’s instructions. Members of the public may call its hotline at 2526 2371 during office hours for enquiries about the recall of the product concerned.

         “Listeria monocytogenes can be easily destroyed by cooking but can survive and multiply at refrigerator temperature. Most healthy individuals do not develop symptoms or only have mild symptoms like fever, muscle pain, headache, nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea when infected. However, severe complications such as septicaemia, meningitis or even death may occur in newborns, the elderly and those with a weaker immune system. Although infected pregnant women may just experience mild symptoms generally, the infection of Listeria monocytogenes may cause miscarriage, infant death, preterm birth, or severe infection in newborns,” the spokesman said.

    “In order to reduce the risk of listeriosis, susceptible populations such as pregnant women should consume freshly prepared hot food where possible, reheat chilled food until it is hot all the way through, and avoid high-risk foods, including ready-to-eat food such as cold cuts, cold smoked seafood, soft cheeses, salads, etc, or cook them thoroughly before consumption, even if they are presented as part of a dish.”

         The CFS will alert the trade to the incident, and will continue to follow up and take appropriate action. The investigation is ongoing.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Young HSE scientist receives RAS gold medal

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    The Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS) has summed up the results of the annual competition for young scientists. Gold medals are awarded to research and inventions that are of great importance for the development of science. One of the winners of the award was Denis Bodrov, a postgraduate student at the International Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics and a research fellow International Laboratory of Elementary Particle Physics MIEM HSE University. Denis Bodrov told Vyshka.Glavnoe about his work, the competition, and his victory.

    About the project

    – Our work is devoted to the study of the properties of weak interaction, in particular, responsible for violation of symmetry, which was necessary for the appearance of an excess of matter, which allowed us to appear with you. The most thoroughly the structure of weak interaction has been studied in the decay of Muon. According to the existing generally accepted theory, the standard model (cm), this particle is identical to the electron, but it is harder and decays. Muon and Electron have an even heavier counterpart-Tau-Rlepton. In our work, we conduct a study of its collapse into Muon to obtain new information about the structure of weak interaction. In cm, this structure should be the same in the decays of Muon and Tau-Reton, and our task was to check if this was really so. To do this, we have developed a method that allows you to measure the polarization of the subsidiary of Muon. In specialized installations on the study of the decay of Muon, this was done before us, but the methods used there do not work in accelerating experiments on electron-poster colliders, where information about the polarization of Muon allows you to study other particles that decay on it, such as Tau-Rettleon. According to our estimates, in the already working experiment Belle II and in the experiments of the future it will be possible to achieve a high accuracy comparable to the work received in the work of studying the decay of Muon. In addition, we have applied the developed method for analyzing the data of the already completed Belle experiment and first measured one of the parameters of interest to us, albeit with the still insufficient accuracy, which is associated with the technical restrictions on the experiment of the past.

    The target audience of our work is primarily the scientific community, as is usually the case in studies of fundamental issues of the structure of the universe. The goal of all elementary particle physics in recent decades is to search for new physics (NP), which will be beyond the Standard Model. One can search for its obvious manifestation by detecting new particles, or one can accurately measure the parameters of the SM, where any deviation from the predicted values serves as an indication of NP. The second option is the general goal of our work.

    About the RAS competition and victory

    — A work or a series of works is nominated for participation in this competition; this can be done by members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, scientific organizations, councils, etc. In our case, the work was nominated by the National Research University Higher School of Economics. I believe that the merit of our victory is primarily due to my scientific supervisor Pavel Nikolaevich Pakhlov. I am generally lucky to work under his supervision. Participation in the competition was his initiative.

    We submitted a series of works to the competition that took more than five years to complete and included the development of a new method, an assessment of its sensitivity for several present and future experiments, and its implementation on already selected experimental data. This is a very large amount of work, and it was quite difficult to win.

    About HSE postgraduate studies

    — When I was still a master’s student at MIPT, our research team at HSE opened the International Laboratory of Elementary Particle Physics, so it was logical to go here for graduate school. Fortunately, before that, the Higher School of Economics had opened Faculty of Physics, many of whose teachers also lecture or lectured at the Phystech, so there were no questions about the quality of education. An additional motivation was the “Academic Postgraduate Studies” program. Unfortunately, at the time of my admission, our laboratory did not have its own postgraduate program, and the Physics Department did not have our direction, so I had to go to theoretical physics as the closest direction. Yes, I had to study subjects that were, to put it mildly, distant from the main topic of my research. Nevertheless, many of them turned out to be interesting and expanded my horizons in other areas of physics. In general, my studies in the HSE postgraduate program are going quite smoothly. Now our laboratory already has several HSE postgraduate students, and recently our own postgraduate program was opened, so in the future everything should get even better.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Pride of the University: The Polytechnic University awarded its best graduates

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    At the beginning of July, the atmosphere at the Polytechnic University is especially enthusiastic, happy and at the same time a little sad. Graduates walk around the campus in their robes, celebrate the end of exams and defenses, say goodbye to their beloved university and teachers, proudly receive their diplomas and prepare for a new wonderful life. One of the most solemn events in the series of graduation ceremonies is the honoring of gold medalists, those who have studied only excellently all these years and have distinguished themselves in scientific and social activities.

    This year, the award ceremony for the best graduates of the Master’s and Specialist’s programs of 2025 was held in the meeting room of the Academic Council. The medals “Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University” were presented to the students by the rector of SPbPU, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Andrey Rudskoy and the president and chairman of the board of directors of the RBI Group, a graduate of the Faculty of Economics in 1994, Honorary Professor of SPbPU Eduard Tiktinsky.

    Before the ceremony, Andrey Rudskoy thanked the directors of the institutes and the parents of the graduates and said a few parting words: Dear guys! I sincerely wish that you honorably bear the high title of the engineering special forces of our university. You cannot waste a second now, you need to continue to study, deepen your knowledge. This will be repaid a hundredfold later. I want all future great achievements to bear your names. Of course, you are entering graduate school without competition, this happens once in a lifetime, you cannot lose the pace of learning. It is very important for each of you to make the right settings in your head now. An internal trigger must be triggered – the desire to study and achieve something in this life. Stay with us, we will be happy to see you with your graduate student certificates. Honor, dignity, pride in the fact that you studied here, for the fact that you are members of the Polytechnic family, you must carry throughout your life and prove every day your right to be a member of this great family.

    Eduard Tiktinsky thanked for the honor of speaking at the award ceremony for the golden graduates and supported the words of the SPbPU rector in his parting words: The education that the Polytechnic University provides is not just knowledge of scientific principles, it is the development of the convolutions of the brain. The world is changing rapidly, and you will have to constantly learn. And the fact that you were able to pass the most difficult course of the Polytechnic University at the highest level gives you great opportunities. Communication, outlook, and various experiences that you received at the university will give you a lot in life. Follow your dream, you have talent and opportunities. Do not be afraid to try, the main thing is not to stand still. There is really a huge demand for you. The country needs technological startups, it needs innovative activity. You are engineers, on the one hand, and on the other hand, people with great potential and energy, capable of achieving results. I believe that you will remember this day for the rest of your life, and our wishes will become the foundation for the next breakthrough. I believe that each of you has the opportunity to succeed and I urge you not to miss your chance.

    And here is the culmination of the ceremony — the presentation of medals, commemorative plaques, gifts and flowers. Based on the results of successful defenses of final qualification works in June 2025, in accordance with the recommendations of the directorates of the institutes and based on the decision of the Academic Council of SPbPU, 23 graduates — straight A students are nominated for awards, including eight people from the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, four from the Institute of Power Engineering, three from the Civil Engineering Institute, two from the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology and the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications, one from the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport, the Humanitarian Institute, the Institute of Computer Science and Cybersecurity, the Physics and Mechanical Engineering Institute.

    Among the 23 best graduates of 2025, 20 people completed their master’s degree and three completed their specialist’s degree; three graduates entered the 1st year of the bachelor’s degree at SPbPU in 2019 after graduating from the Natural Science Lyceum of the Polytechnic University (Svyatoslav Drozdov, PhysMech, Andrey Klinovitsky, IMMiT and Kristina Rodionova, IBSiB); 16 people graduated from high school or gymnasium with a medal, receiving a certificate of secondary education “with honors”.

    The first award was presented to a graduate of the Institute of Energy Alexander Abubakirov, which represented Polytechnic on June 25 in the Peter and Paul Fortress at the XXIII ceremonial honoring the best graduates of St. Petersburg universities. It was Alexander who was given the honorary right to fire the midday shot from the cannon of the Naryshkin Bastion.

    Also at the Institute of Energy, Pavel Volkov was awarded gold medals, Mikhail Chuprynenko and Andrey Florinsky.

    The best graduate of IMMiT was Andrey Klinovitsky, who came to the Polytechnic in 2019 after successfully graduating from the Natural Sciences Lyceum. Andrey shared that he chose the Lyceum at the time because he considered it one of the strongest schools in St. Petersburg with in-depth training in technical disciplines, and also closely connected with the Polytechnic University, which helped him immerse himself in the university environment in advance.

    “After graduating from the Lyceum, choosing the Polytechnic was easy — I already knew what to prepare for at the university and saw further opportunities for development,” Andrey said. “At ENL, we had electives in engineering creativity, where we designed and assembled robots, so I enrolled in the Mechatronics and Robotics program. It was not easy to study excellently for all six years, but the main thing for this is discipline and meeting deadlines. It is important to distribute the workload and not put off tasks until the last minute. At the same time, I had time for student activities and hobbies. For example, my friends and I founded a student association in robotics, participated in and won more than ten all-Russian competitions and competitions in robotics.”

    Yes, Andrey is well known to our readerspublications about the activities of the student association he leads “PolyRoboTech” and about the successes of his team in competitions. In addition, in 2023, he, like Alexander Abubakirov, was gold medalist of the “I am a professional” Olympiad.

    The best graduate of IBSiB Kristina Rodionova also came to the Polytechnic after the Natural Science Lyceum. In 2019, she graduated with a gold medal and, having now received a gold medal from SPbPU, confirmed the high quality of training of ENL graduates.

    “Most of all, in the natural-scientific lyceum, I was attracted to the fact that the training format there is not at all school, but student: instead of lessons-couples, at the end of each semester, oral exams in physics and mathematics are passed, there is even a division into lecture and practical classes, just like at a university,” Christina shared her memories. – Many of my classmates after the end of the Lyceum went to Polytech. I entered the direction of “Biotechnical Systems and Technologies” by the Institute of Biomedical Systems and Biotechnology. And my expectations were justified: I was lucky to study in the direction that brings pleasure. Although studying was very hard, especially in the first semester: in addition to the basic physics, higher mathematics and chemistry for all students, we also had medical subjects – anatomy, physiology, and histology. All this was very difficult to combine. How many tears were spilled over a textbook on anatomy! But after the second year it became much easier. Then in summer practice I began research work in the scientific laboratory. From that moment I have been in love with science: for four years, students managed to work in three laboratories, take part in writing articles, in conferences, in grants. My involvement in scientific life, as well as the mentoring of colleagues, in many ways helped to easily master academic disciplines. I am still very grateful to my first scientific mentor Anton Sergeyevich Shabunin, also once a graduate of the Polytechnic, for help in taking the first steps in a scientific career and transferred invaluable experience. Now I work in my specialty simultaneously in two laboratories, since I have not yet decided what is more interesting to me: tissue engineering or virology and immunology. ”

    We have already talked about the second best graduate of IBSiB, Daria Melentyeva we talked about this in detail in our special project “Persona”By the way, it was Dasha who gave a speech and took the oath on behalf of all the first-year students six years ago. at the ceremonial assembly in honor of SPbPU Knowledge Day.

    The best graduate of the IKNK, Alexander Khrustalev, in 2019 was also one of those first-year students who scored the highest number of points for the entrance exams.

    “Then I was glad that I managed to enter the university, now I am glad that I managed to graduate,” Alexander shared. “The first years were difficult, then grades stopped worrying me so much, and studying in specialized subjects became much easier. The patience and professionalism of our teachers helped me in my studies. Fortunately, all our teachers taught their courses wonderfully, thank you very much to them.”

    PhysMech graduate Svyatoslav Drozdov successfully graduated from the Polytechnic University’s Natural Sciences Lyceum in 2019 and says that his studies at ENL left him with “exceptionally positive impressions.”

    “And since I had a very good opinion of the Lyceum, I chose the Polytechnic as an organization associated with it,” Svyatoslav explained the reason for entering SPbPU. When asked whether it was difficult to study for six years with excellent grades, he answered scientifically: “The main difficulty in studying for 5.0 is precisely that you need to pay attention to everything, maximizing the probability of a specific outcome of the session (all A’s). With the same expenditure of resources, it would be much easier to count on an average score of 4.9. Therefore, sometimes there was a feeling of playing roulette, when you understand that any exam and an unsuccessful question on it can ruin a series of previously received grades. In my studies, the desire to understand what I do not understand, interest and sports excitement helped – will I be able to pass everything with excellent marks?”

    The Civil Engineering Institute was represented at the award ceremony by Daria Denisenko, Yulia Matveeva and Lyudmila Morshchakova.

    IPMEiT has been producing the most gold medalists for several years now. In 2025, these are Eldar Asadullaev, Anastasia Maykova, Marina Malashenko, Vadim Savekin, Daniil Tyurin, Ekaterina Fedorakhina, Nikita Sharikov, Maria Odesskaya.

    Adelina Borozdina became the best graduate at the Humanitarian Institute.

    At the Institute of Electronics and Telecommunications, Nikita Ivanov and The Manh Do from Vietnam received gold medals.

    From 2003 to 2025, 970 best graduates of the Polytechnic University were awarded SPbPU gold medals based on the results of winter and summer defenses of their final qualifying works. The largest number of gold medalists graduated from SPbPU in 2013 — 68 graduates. The smallest number — 19 graduates — in 2016 and 2023.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 1st phase of integrated fishery, photovoltaic project starts generating electricity in Qingdao

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

    1st phase of integrated fishery, photovoltaic project starts generating electricity in Qingdao

    Updated: July 4, 2025 20:54 Xinhua
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an offshore integrated fishery and photovoltaic project in Aoshan Bay of Jimo District, Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. The first phase of an integrated fishery and photovoltaic project has started generating electricity off the coast of Qingdao. This offshore solar facility combines clean energy generation with sustainable marine aquaculture. With a total investment of 10.2 billion yuan (about 1.42 billion U.S. dollars), the full project is planned for 1.15 gigawatts (GW) of capacity. Its innovative design creates a dual-use marine space, with solar panels generating electricity above the water, while the area beneath supporting fish farming. Once the first phase is put into operation at full capacity, it’s projected to produce approximately 1.07 billion kilowatt-hours of green electricity. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an offshore integrated fishery and photovoltaic project in Aoshan Bay of Jimo District, Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an assembly site of a photovoltaic project in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an offshore integrated fishery and photovoltaic project in Aoshan Bay of Jimo District, Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an assembly site of a photovoltaic project in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an assembly site of a photovoltaic project in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an assembly site of a photovoltaic project in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an assembly site of a photovoltaic project in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows an assembly site of a photovoltaic project in Jimo District of Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Latest death and injury figures in Greyhound racing shows need for UK-wide ban

    Source: Scottish Greens

    04 Jul 2025 Nature Sport

    Last year alone 346 dogs died in the racing industry, and a further 3,809 were injured

    More in Nature

    The latest deaths and injury figures released by the Greyhound Board of Great Britain (GBGB) shows the need for a UK-wide ban on greyhound racing, say the Scottish Greens.

    Last year, 346 dogs died in the racing industry and there were 3,809 injuries. GBGB only started recording the deaths and injuries in the greyhound racing industry in 2017.

    The average lifespan of a greyhound is 10-14 years. Greyhounds forced to race typically retire between 3-5 years old. In the past seven years since their records began, there have been 3,957 dogs killed and 35,168 injuries, meaning many of these dogs died well before their time for the sake of a so-called ‘sport’.

    Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell introduced the Greyhound Racing (Offences) (Scotland) Bill this year to make greyhound racing illegal in Scotland.

    In Wales, plans have also been scheduled to end greyhound racing for good. Mark says this should be a starting point, with the rest of the UK learning from our nations.

    Mark said:

    “I am proud that my Bill is moving through Parliament at the moment to protect greyhounds and make racing illegal in Scotland. I want to see a UK-wide ban as soon as possible to end the needless suffering of these gentle creatures.

    “These beautiful dogs deserve a better life than dying young or being left in severe pain for the sake of so-called entertainment. They are forced to run round a track at 40mph speeds, colliding with each other, resulting in broken legs, necks, and too frequently, deaths.

    “My own dog Bert is a greyhound. When I rescued him, he was around two years old and had been discarded with a broken leg that had never been properly treated. He was frightened, anxious and dealing with an unhealed break at such a young age. He’s now 12 years old and a completely different dog who has brought such love into our family, but he should never have been put through trauma caused by racing to begin with.

    “One dead or injured greyhound, caused by racing, is one too many, and this industry has thousands on its hands. If you have ever met a greyhound, you will know how loving and trusting they are. You will see their individual personalities shine through. How could anyone possibly think it is acceptable to subject them to such pain and injury in this day in age?

    “The figures across the UK are harrowing, but unfortunately not surprising. So long as greyhound racing is legal, these numbers will continue to grow. I hope that both Scotland can lead by example and the rest of the UK can catch up with us, by ending the sport for good to put paws before profits.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Water potential, climate adaptation and student mobility: HSE projects at the forum of strong ideas

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: State University Higher School of Economics – State University Higher School of Economics –

    Photo: Igor Rodin / Roscongress Foundation

    The forum “Strong Ideas for a New Time” has concluded in Moscow. HSE researchers presented their projects in various fields. One of them, “Water Potential of Russia,” was among the top 10 and was presented by the head of the Scientific and educational laboratory of climate change economics HSE University Igor Makarov at a plenary session with the participation of President Vladimir Putin.

    The forum “Strong Ideas for a New Time” was organized by the Agency for Strategic Initiatives (ASI) and the Roscongress Foundation, co-organized by VEB.RF. This year, the forum received more than 35 thousand initiatives, including from employees of the Higher School of Economics. The authors of the best ideas, Russian President Vladimir Putin, ASI head Svetlana Chupsheva and VEB.RF chairman, chairman of the ASI expert council Igor Shuvalov took part in the plenary session on July 3 at the Russia National Center.

    At the plenary session, Igor Makarov, Head of the Scientific and Educational Laboratory of Climate Change Economics at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, spoke about his idea, which will allow Russia to become a water superpower.

    More than one billion people in the world live in areas that suffer from water shortages, and by the middle of the 21st century this will be two-thirds of the population, Igor Makarov noted in his speech. “Russia has 20% of the world’s reserves of this strategic asset and has every opportunity to become a water superpower of the 21st century,” he believes. But for this, according to the scientist, a comprehensive strategy for using competitive advantages associated with the availability of fresh water and its rational use is needed. The strategy may consist of four points. First, the development of a mechanism for assessing the real cost of water and the introduction of an assessment of the “water footprint” of products.

    “We must know how much water we spend on the production of a particular product,” says Igor Makarov. Secondly, creating incentives for rational water use, introducing water consumption standards. Thirdly, developing new developments and technologies in the field of water conservation and water purification. “Technologies are already appearing that not only use water without harming its quality, but even improve it: they return water to the reservoir cleaner than it was when it was taken,” explains Igor Makarov. The fourth point of the strategy could be the creation of mechanisms for joint investment in water management by the state, enterprises and citizens. “Such an approach could become the basis for water to become a new investment-attractive segment of the economy,” says Igor Makarov.

    Vladimir Putin supported the HSE project, noting that although, according to international experts, Russia is one of the countries that has more water than it consumes, it is necessary to approach its use rationally. According to the president, when implementing the programs that will arise on the basis of the proposals made by the scientist, it is necessary to take into account the balance of water consumption.

    “Because if we use this resource for industrial development, this is what we are talking about, then we must proceed from the fact that 50% of the total volume of water consumption goes specifically to industry. If we take these 50% as 100, 75% is energy. We just have to keep this in mind. For agriculture, let’s say, in my opinion, only 2%,” Vladimir Putin noted. He also emphasized that “we must be very careful when making any large-scale decisions.”

    “We have huge amounts of fresh water, and the coastal zone creates unique opportunities for development… Together with the agency and the expert council, we will try to formulate this topic so that it sounds like an economy around water. There is currently a great demand for such questions – these are completely new aspects that have not been considered before, especially in terms of supporting and developing family businesses, which is certainly important and in demand,” said Igor Shuvalov.

    Another HSE project, the creation of the National Climate Adaptation System, was included in the top 100 of the forum. The authors of the idea are employees Faculty of Geography and Geoinformation Technologies HSE University: Dean of the Faculty, Director Center for Digital Technologies for Natural and Climate Projects Nikolay Kurichev, who presented the idea at the forum, and Tatyana Aniskina, director Geodata Center.

    Geographers from the National Research University Higher School of Economics propose creating an integrated national system for managing adaptation to climate change based on microdata. It is possible to launch such a system on the basis of the multi-level digital platform “Natural and Climate Risks and Adaptation to Climate Change”. HSE.Glavnoe will tell more about this project in one of its next publications.

    The top 300 included the initiative of students of the GosVyshka platform, “A comprehensive program of academic and project-based student mobility for regional development.” “Today, it is sometimes easier for a student to go on an exchange to another country than to a Russian region,” says Maria Matveeva, head of the project “GosVyshka”, who presented the idea at the forum. “In Russia, there are formats for short-term student trips, such as expeditions and student tourism. But to get a full-fledged transformative experience, a student must stay in another region for at least 4-6 months, and, unfortunately, at the moment this is quite difficult.”

    In order to form a unified educational space in Russia, the authors of the idea proposed a program with four tracks: academic (a student from an average regional university goes to a highly selective university to gain knowledge), scientific (theoretical research due to the specifics of the host region, for example, studying volcanoes in Kamchatka), social (in combination with the service learning program, work on NPO projects), and managerial (work on the tasks of executive authorities and senior officials of the regions in the format of workshops based at the State Higher School of Economics).

    “We thank ASI for supporting our project and hope for further assistance in its implementation. In addition, we are looking for regional partners to receive project assignments for students within the framework of mobility programs,” said Maria Matveeva.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Lianjiang County in China’s Fujian promotes upgrade, intelligent transformation of mariculture

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

    Lianjiang County in China’s Fujian promotes upgrade, intelligent transformation of mariculture

    Updated: July 4, 2025 20:22 Xinhua
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows a marine ranch in Lianjiang County of Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. Leveraging its unique marine resources, distinctive fisheries industry, and regional economic advantages, Lianjiang County has in recent years been promoting the upgrade and intelligent transformation of deep-sea and far-sea mariculture platforms, and developing the farming of aquatic products such as kelp, large yellow croaker, and abalone. So far, a total of 11 deep-sea and far-sea mariculture platforms have been deployed in the sea area off Lianjiang. The annual output of aquatic products is expected to reach around 2,000 tonnes, with an annual output value of more than 200 million yuan (about 27.92 million U.S. dollars). [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows a marine ranch in Lianjiang County of Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows a national-level marine ranch in Lianjiang County of Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows a marine ranch in Lianjiang County of Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A fishing vessel is seen in a marine ranch in Lianjiang County of Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province, July 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows deep-sea and far-sea mariculture platforms (rear) in Lianjiang County of Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo taken on July 3, 2025 shows a panoramic view of a national-level marine ranch in Lianjiang County of Fuzhou, southeast China’s Fujian Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • How tiny plastic beads are helping scientists create colour-shifting materials

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A team of researchers in Bengaluru has discovered a way to create tunable colour-shifting surfaces inspired by nature’s vibrant displays—like the feathers of a peacock or the wings of a butterfly.

    At the core of this breakthrough is a phenomenon known as structural coloration, where colours are produced not by pigments but by the physical structure of a surface that interacts with light.

    The study, carried out at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), demonstrates how light can be manipulated at the nanoscale to produce colours that do not fade over time.

    Inspired by Nature
    Unlike dyes or paints, structural colours arise when light waves are reflected, refracted or scattered by microscopic patterns. This is what gives the peacock its iridescent blues and greens that change with the angle of light.

    The scientists at CeNS have used polystyrene nanospheres, each about 400 nanometres wide, to replicate this effect. These tiny beads, far smaller than a grain of sand, naturally arrange themselves into a hexagonal pattern when placed on water, forming what is called a close-packed monolayer.

    Fine-Tuning Colours with Light and Geometry
    Once this layer is formed, the team uses a technique called reactive ion etching—similar to a nano-scale sandblasting process—to slightly reduce the size of the spheres while maintaining their orderly arrangement. This changes how light interacts with the surface.

    As light strikes this nanostructured layer, certain wavelengths are enhanced or suppressed. This means the reflected colour can be adjusted—simply by tilting the surface or changing the viewing angle, shifting it towards shades like blue.

    The result is a vibrant, durable colour that does not fade under sunlight or over time, unlike traditional chemical dyes.

    Scalable and Sustainable
    What makes this research notable is its practicality. The technique relies on self-assembly, a low-cost process where the particles naturally arrange themselves—making it scalable for large-area production without complex machinery.

    According to the researchers, this approach could find applications in wearable sensors, anti-counterfeit labels, flexible displays, and even eco-friendly paints that do not release harmful chemicals into the environment.

    The findings, recently published in the Journal of Applied Physics, highlight how understanding light’s interaction with matter at the nanoscale could lead to new materials with customisable optical properties.

    Bridging Science and Application
    By showing how tiny changes in the geometry of these nanospheres influence how light is reflected, the CeNS team has opened new possibilities for advanced optical materials.

    Such materials could eventually replace conventional pigments in various industries, helping reduce environmental impact while providing vibrant, long-lasting colours.

  • How tiny plastic beads are helping scientists create colour-shifting materials

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    A team of researchers in Bengaluru has discovered a way to create tunable colour-shifting surfaces inspired by nature’s vibrant displays—like the feathers of a peacock or the wings of a butterfly.

    At the core of this breakthrough is a phenomenon known as structural coloration, where colours are produced not by pigments but by the physical structure of a surface that interacts with light.

    The study, carried out at the Centre for Nano and Soft Matter Sciences (CeNS), an autonomous institute under the Department of Science and Technology (DST), demonstrates how light can be manipulated at the nanoscale to produce colours that do not fade over time.

    Inspired by Nature
    Unlike dyes or paints, structural colours arise when light waves are reflected, refracted or scattered by microscopic patterns. This is what gives the peacock its iridescent blues and greens that change with the angle of light.

    The scientists at CeNS have used polystyrene nanospheres, each about 400 nanometres wide, to replicate this effect. These tiny beads, far smaller than a grain of sand, naturally arrange themselves into a hexagonal pattern when placed on water, forming what is called a close-packed monolayer.

    Fine-Tuning Colours with Light and Geometry
    Once this layer is formed, the team uses a technique called reactive ion etching—similar to a nano-scale sandblasting process—to slightly reduce the size of the spheres while maintaining their orderly arrangement. This changes how light interacts with the surface.

    As light strikes this nanostructured layer, certain wavelengths are enhanced or suppressed. This means the reflected colour can be adjusted—simply by tilting the surface or changing the viewing angle, shifting it towards shades like blue.

    The result is a vibrant, durable colour that does not fade under sunlight or over time, unlike traditional chemical dyes.

    Scalable and Sustainable
    What makes this research notable is its practicality. The technique relies on self-assembly, a low-cost process where the particles naturally arrange themselves—making it scalable for large-area production without complex machinery.

    According to the researchers, this approach could find applications in wearable sensors, anti-counterfeit labels, flexible displays, and even eco-friendly paints that do not release harmful chemicals into the environment.

    The findings, recently published in the Journal of Applied Physics, highlight how understanding light’s interaction with matter at the nanoscale could lead to new materials with customisable optical properties.

    Bridging Science and Application
    By showing how tiny changes in the geometry of these nanospheres influence how light is reflected, the CeNS team has opened new possibilities for advanced optical materials.

    Such materials could eventually replace conventional pigments in various industries, helping reduce environmental impact while providing vibrant, long-lasting colours.

  • MIL-OSI: AIXA Miner Launches Advanced Bitcoin Cloud Mining Platform with AI-Powered Optimization

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GREENWOOD VILLAGE, CO , July 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — AIXA Miner announced the launch of its advanced cloud mining platform, designed to increase accessibility to cryptocurrency mining for a global audience. The platform leverages AI-driven optimization to manage mining operations, removing the need for users to purchase and maintain expensive, specialized hardware.

    As interest in digital assets continues, many potential participants are deterred by the technical complexity and high upfront costs associated with traditional cryptocurrency mining. AIXA Miner aims to address these challenges by providing a cloud-based infrastructure that handles all technical aspects of the mining process.

    “Our goal is to demystify the process of cryptocurrency mining,” said a spokesperson for AIXA Miner. “By managing the hardware, energy, and optimization, we provide a platform for individuals interested in participating in the digital asset ecosystem without the traditional barriers to entry.”

    AIXA Miner: Breaking Down The Key Highlights

    1. Low investment entry. AIXA Miner’s flexible investment plans suit every investor looking to acquire Bitcoin as a daily income.
    2. Automated daily passive income with zero exposure to market volatility. The platform’s users enjoy a hassle-free opportunity to have real-time earnings credited to their accounts after every 24 hours.
    3. Multi-currency access. Apart from Bitcoin, AIXA Miner supports ETH, DOGE, XRP, and other major altcoins.
    4. No expensive infrastructure required. Undoubtedly, AIXA Miner is the best Bitcoin cloud mining service provider, offering a hands-free approach to acquiring BTC

    Choose a plan that will have your crypto portfolio looking strong:

    Empowering Investors at Every Stage: Ideal for Investors Looking for Trusted Cloud Mining Sites

    • New investors receive a free welcome bonus. AIXA Miner rewards free trials without expensive infrastructure or expertise.
    • Its diverse investment plans allow users to effortlessly scale up to high-yielding contracts. AIXA Miner’s flexibility in contract terms and ROI creates a globally accommodating investment space.
    • AIXA Miner’s operations favour eco-conscious crypto investors. It seamlessly adopts renewable energy-powered mining technology to maximise daily profits. This is among the top reasons why it stands out among the most trusted cloud mining sites.

    Unlock Seamless Crypto Mining: Your Step-by-Step Path to Earning with The Best Bitcoin Cloud Mining Platform:

    1. Visit the AIXA Miner’s intuitive dashboard or download their app on your mobile device.
    2. Claim your registration bonus after a successful sign-up using your email.
    3. Choose the best Bitcoin cloud mining contract that satisfies your investment goals and strategies.
    4. Monitor your Bitcoin mining operations and daily passive income in the dashboard.
    5. You can choose to withdraw or reinvest your already earned income anytime, anywhere.

    AIXA Miner is registered and licensed by FinCEN as a Money Services Business (MSB) in the United States and is headquartered at 5800 S Quebec St, Greenwood Village. The company operates data centers in over 150 countries to support its global user base.

    About AIXA Miner

    AIXA Miner is a technology company specializing in cloud-based cryptocurrency mining services. By combining an accessible user platform with AI-driven operational management, the company offers a modern approach to digital asset mining.

    You don’t have to wait for the crypto market to grow to benefit; click here for a free mining bonus. Boost your Bitcoin reserve without the hassle! Let your investments lead you to a fortunate financial future.

    For more information, visit the official website at https://aixaminer.com/.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or trading recommendations. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and the possibility of losing funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    The MIL Network –

  • Amit Shah to lay foundation stone of India’s first national cooperative university in Gujarat

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Saturday will lay the foundation stone of the country’s first national-level cooperative university, Tribhuvan Sahkari University (TSU) in Anand, Gujarat . The event marks a historic step toward institutionalising education and research in the cooperative space.

    Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Assembly Speaker Shankar Chaudhary, Union Ministers of State for Cooperation Krishan Pal Gurjar and Muralidhar Mohol, as well as Gujarat’s Education and Cooperation Ministers Rishikesh Patel and Jagdish Vishwakarma, will be present at the foundation-laying ceremony.

    The establishment of Tribhuvan Sahkari University (TSU) is being hailed as a forward-looking initiative aimed at transforming India’s cooperative landscape. Designed to meet the growing educational and training demands of the country’s expansive and varied cooperative sector, the university is expected to play a pivotal role in driving cooperation, fostering innovation, and creating employment opportunities — an integrated vision referred to as the “Triveni” of progress.

    Shah will also take part in the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” tree plantation drive, a national campaign that encourages environmental consciousness and cultural values. Shah will also unveil an educational module developed by NCERT, designed to introduce school students to cooperative principles and highlight the contributions of the cooperative movement in India.

    Tribhuvan Sahkari University is envisioned as a national hub for capacity building in areas such as cooperative management, finance, law, and rural development. With a focus on skilling the workforce and improving grassroots governance, the university will offer a range of academic programs tailored to meet the sector’s evolving demands.

    Aligned with the National Education Policy 2020, TSU will offer flexible and multidisciplinary academic options — including PhDs, degree programs at the managerial level, diplomas at the supervisory level, and certificate courses for operational staff. It will also establish specialised schools on campus and expand to other states, creating a nationwide academic network for cooperative education and training.

    Over the next four years, the university aims to collaborate with more than 200 existing cooperative institutions across the country. In a bid to enhance sectoral capacity, it has set an ambitious target of training around 20 lakh cooperative personnel within five years—catering to the growing needs of approximately 40 lakh workers and 80 lakh board members involved in cooperative societies spanning agriculture, dairy, fisheries, and other sectors.

    To overcome the shortage of skilled faculty in cooperative education, TSU will actively promote PhD programs in cooperative studies, helping to build a strong cadre of qualified educators. Additionally, the university will establish a dedicated Research and Development Council focused on driving innovation and developing cost-effective technological solutions tailored for rural cooperatives. This council will work in close partnership with national and international academic institutions to introduce global best practices into India’s cooperative framework.

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Somalia at 65: what’s needed to address its dismal social development indicators

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Ali A. Abdi, Professor, University of British Columbia

    Somalia ranks among the lowest scoring countries in the United Nations Human Development Index. The index of 195 countries is a summary measure of average achievement in key dimensions of human development: a long and healthy life, years of schooling, and access to a decent standard of living. Ali A. Abdi, a scholar of social development education, examines Somalia’s failure to advance social development programmes.

    What is socio-economic development and how does Somalia stack up?

    Somalia is celebrating its 65th year of independence. This was marked officially on 1 July 2025.

    Despite the pomp and circumstance, though, the country’s social development indicators are dismal.

    Social development generally means visible improvements in the quality of life. People’s well-being is based on aspects of national progress like:

    • universally available good quality education and adequate healthcare

    • employment opportunities that generate liveable incomes and upward socioeconomic mobility

    • governance structures that protect people’s rights to security.

    Somalia has failed to meet these human development targets.

    Its low score in the UN index can be understood by looking at the statistics relating to education and health. In any society these act as foundational blocks for social development. But in Somalia:

    • children can expect to get an average of 1.72 years of education (the continental African average is 7.7 years)

    • there are 0.23 doctors per 10,000 people, and many doctors serve in fee-based private clinics which are out of reach for ordinary citizens in a country with US$600 GDP per capita income

    • the capital city, Mogadishu, with a population of 2.8 million, has only two fully public hospitals and they lack specialist services; patients who require specialist care must go to private hospitals

    • the youth unemployment rate is just below 70%.

    With these social development liabilities, it’s no wonder that the country is the biggest per capita producer of both global refugees and internally displaced persons.

    How did Somalia come to this?

    The Somali state collapsed as a cohesive national entity in 1991. The military government that had been in power since 1969 was overthrown by armed opposition forces. The country slowly fragmented into quasi-self-governing regions. Transitional national governments have come and gone.

    The current federal political structure came into being in August 2012. The Federal Republic of Somalia comprised five founding member states (there are now six).

    The depressed social development situation is not the only obstacle facing Somalia. Other complexities include:

    A governance system built on cronyism and political loyalty: Somalia’s national political leadership entrenched cronyism. In fairness, the same selectively applies to sub-national, federal member states leadership. This corrupt system has found traction in a country where professionals, young graduates and traditional leaders lack legitimate sources of income. This undermines good governance while creating discord within and among the federal government and federal member states.

    Discord at national level and between national and sub-national leaders: The most recent example of this revolves around the national leadership’s 2024 attempt to change the interim constitution. The unilaterally proposed one-person-one-vote proposal runs counter to the 2012 framework through which the current federal system was created. This has fuelled yet another national controversy with less than a year to the next presidential election.

    Externally constructed political and economic interventions: Somalia receives significant international aid to address political and developmental challenges. But the strings attached include the management of these funds by external entities. These donor priorities can be detached from immediate social development needs. And aid creates and sustains dependency and entrenches poverty.

    What should the government prioritise and why?

    The political class always says fighting terrorism is the top policy priority. This thinking, while viable for the current situation, ignores the potential to minimise terrorism by putting the basic needs of the public first, and especially the youth.

    Somali leaders are duty-bound to shift focus. A good place to start is the basis of social development: security, education and healthcare. It falls upon them to marshal the country’s resources and capacities to improve the well-being of its citizens.

    The national leadership also needs to restructure its relationship with federal member states. Distribution of development resources (including foreign aid) must be fair, not based on political alliances.

    Somalia also needs to reform the government’s policy on public appointments. People must get jobs based on their educational background, professional experience, incorruptible character and institutional accountability.

    The country has impressive natural resources. There’s huge untapped potential for fisheries and agriculture, which is the country’s economic backbone. The country also has untapped minerals and hydrocarbons wealth.

    The above observations are not to say that the federal government should lose sight of the fight against the terrorist organisations. But the welfare of people, including job creation for young people, must be equally prioritised. That will surely advance much needed social development while also reducing the appeal of terrorism among the youth.

    – Somalia at 65: what’s needed to address its dismal social development indicators
    – https://theconversation.com/somalia-at-65-whats-needed-to-address-its-dismal-social-development-indicators-258307

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Office of the Governor – News Release – Gov. Green Finalizes Veto Decisions

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    HONOLULU – Governor Josh Green, M.D., today finalized veto decisions and issued eight vetoes of the 20 bills on the Intent-to-Veto list. As of today, Governor Green has taken action on 304 of the 320 bills passed by the Legislature in the 2025 Session. Other bills signed into law today include the remaining bills on the Intent-to-Veto list, as well as five bills relating to stormwater management and kūpuna care. The remaining 16 of 320 bills passed by the Legislature will become law by July 9. These include bills relating to condominium insurance, Maui wildfire settlement, construction liability reform and support for local nonprofit organizations impacted by changes to federal funding.

    “I want to thank the Legislature for its work this past legislative session to bring forward these important bills signed into law,” said Governor Green. “So far, we have covered critical topics such as the climate impact fee, women’s court, biosecurity, free school meals, fireworks and public safety. Lieutenant Governor Sylvia Luke spearheaded efforts for broadband access and expanded Preschool Open Doors. These wins reflect what can be achieved when we work together for the good of our state,” said Governor Green.

    Regarding the late inclusion of SB 935 on the Intent-to-Veto list, Governor Green stated, “I want to thank the Legislature and Chief Justice for the thoughtful discussion on SB 935. The bill appropriates funds to analyze vesting changes and we are committed to working with the Legislature and the Judiciary to find meaningful recruitment and retention policies for public service.”

    Chief Justice Mark E. Recktenwald shared the following comments, “We had a very productive session this year, where a great deal was accomplished, including the establishment of several new courts and judicial initiatives. We are grateful that as part of the process, all sides have been able to express their views on SB 935 and we respect the Governor’s decision. I thank the Governor and legislative leadership for their openness to considering issues relating to recruitment of judges and other important matters going forward.”

    Bills Signed into law:

    Governor Green signed 12 bills into law from the Intent-to-Veto list:

    HB 302 (ACT 241): RELATING TO CANNABIS

    HB 496 (ACT 242): RELATING TO MĀMAKI TEA

    HB 300 (ACT 250): RELATING TO THE STATE BUDGET

    SB 589 (ACT 266): RELATING TO RENEWABLE ENERGY

    HB 126 (ACT 288): RELATING TO PROPERTY FORFEITURE

    HB 800 (ACT 289): RELATING TO GOVERNMENT

    SB 935 (ACT 290): RELATING TO GOVERNMENT

    SB 447 (ACT 291): RELATING TO A DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PILOT PROGRAM

    SB 104 (ACT 292): RELATING TO CORRECTIONS

    SB 15 (ACT 293): RELATING TO HISTORIC PRESERVATION

    SB 38 (ACT 294): RELATING TO HOUSING

    SB 66 (ACT 295): RELATING TO HOUSING

    Vetoes:

    Governor Green issued the following eight vetoes today:

    HB 235: RELATING TO TRAFFIC SAFETY
    Veto rational: The Department of Transportation has developed specific criteria for the selection of communities within which to implement traffic safety systems. This criteria incorporates data-driven crash, citation and traffic volume metrics, which ensure communities are chosen based on need and potential for greatest impact. Ignoring this criteria in favor of legislatively mandated location selection threatens the integrity of the photo red light imaging detector system and automated speed enforcement system programs.

    HB 796: RELATING TO TAX CREDITS
    Veto rational: This bill would have a significant long-term impact on income tax credits across a variety of industries, including film and television, research, and renewable energy. These tax credits are critical to supporting economic development and diversification, particularly within growing and emerging sectors. Categorically sunsetting income tax credits will not only disincentivize future investors from doing business in Hawai‘i, but will destabilize existing businesses that currently rely upon these tax credits.

    HB 958: RELATING TO TRANSPORTATION
    Veto rational: While mopeds and motorcycles are exempt from the prohibition established within this bill, on “high-speed electric devices” driving on public roadways, electric cars are not exempt in the definition. Such a prohibition would likely violate the Commerce Clause and Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution and conflict with the administration’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

    HB 1296: RELATING TO THE MAJOR DISASTER FUND
    Veto rational: The administration is committed to the transparent, efficient management of state funds. During times of emergency, flexibility and the quick release of funds is necessary to respond to rapidly changing situations. This bill disrupts the delicate balance between reporting requirements facilitating government transparency and fiscal flexibility for efficient emergency response and recovery efforts. Placing additional administrative oversight over funds expended for emergencies jeopardizes public safety.

    HB 1369: RELATING TO TAXATION
    Veto rational: The amendments to the general excise tax and use tax contained in this bill would impact sugarcane producers, commercial fishing vessels and securities exchanges. Removing the specific tax exemptions afforded to these entities would provide little financial benefit to the state while harming, in particular, sugarcane producers.

    SB 31: RELATING TO PROPERTY
    Veto rational: By enabling any person, including those without any interest in the specified real property, to record a statement that a real property’s title includes a discriminatory restrictive covenant, this bill provides a statutorily authorized mechanism for the circulation of disinformation. This disinformation has the potential to negatively affect the marketability of a property. Because the person who recorded the statement claiming a discriminatory restrictive covenant exists is waived of any liability, no recourse is available to those who suffer financial loss due to inaccurate claims concerning their property’s title.

    SB 583: RELATING TO NAMING RIGHTS
    Veto rational: Pursuant to section 14, article III, of the Hawai‘i State Constitution, each bill may only contain one subject, which must pertain to the bill’s title. The exemption of concessions in the stadium facility and Convention Center from typical concession procurement procedures may violate section 14, article III, of the Hawai‘i State Constitution since the exemption appears to fall outside the titular scope of the bill, naming rights.

    SB 1102: RELATING TO THE AIRCRAFT RESCUE FIRE FIGHTING UNIT
    Veto rational: The appointment process proposed in the bill is inconsistent with the selection process for other department leadership positions. Further, due to the need to obtain legislative approval for the appointment of the Fire Chief, following the appointment process contained in this bill may delay the appointment of this critical leadership position, impacting airport operations, safety and readiness.

    Bills signed by the Governor are tracked on the Legislature’s website, here.
    The Governor’s Messages relating to actions on legislation can be found here.
    Bills vetoed by the Governor will be uploaded here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Inter-American Court sets milestone in the global fight for climate justice  

    Source: Amnesty International –

    In a historic moment, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued its Advisory Opinion clarifying the specific obligations of states to address the climate crisis through a human rights lens. The decision sets transnational standards that could shape legal jurisprudence in courts across the world. 

    Responding to the Advisory Opinion, Ana Piquer, Regional Director for the Americas at Amnesty International, stated: 
    “Each day of inaction means more suffering for the people and communities who have contributed the least to the climate crisis. Today, therefore, marks a moment of hope for millions of people in the Americas whose human rights are being devastated by this crisis. States now have clear guidance and can no longer claim ignorance of their human rights obligations. The roadmap is set — now is the time for immediate, concrete, and positive action to urgently tackle the climate crisis.” 

    Each day of inaction means more suffering for the people and communities who have contributed the least to the climate crisis. Today, therefore, marks a moment of hope for millions of people in the Americas whose human rights are being devastated by this crisis. 

    Ana Piquer, Regional Director for the Americas at Amnesty International

    The Court emphasized that the climate crisis does not affect all people equally. In the Americas and globally, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-descendant communities, rural and fishing populations, women, children, older persons, and socioeconomically marginalized groups face disproportionate impacts. The Court ruled on the specific duties of states to prevent harm and ensure protection for these groups, affirming that climate action is a human rights obligation — not a political choice. 

    In this context, Mandi Mudarikwa, Head of Strategic Litigation at Amnesty International, emphasized: “Today, the Inter-American Court affirmed and clarified the obligations of states to respect, ensure, prevent, and cooperate in order to realize human rights in the context of the climate crisis. Crucially, the Court recognized the autonomous right to a healthy climate for both individuals and communities, linked to the right to a healthy environment. The Court also underscored the obligation of states to protect cross-border climate-displaced persons, including through the issuance of humanitarian visas and protection from deportation.” 

    Today, the Inter-American Court affirmed and clarified the obligations of states to respect, ensure, prevent, and cooperate in order to realize human rights in the context of the climate crisis.

    Mandi Mudarikwa, Head of Strategic Litigation at Amnesty International

    This Advisory Opinion is a significant contribution to the ongoing development and clarification of states’ human rights obligations in the face of climate change. Amnesty International looks forward with great interest to future decisions resulting from advisory opinions to be issued by the International Court of Justice later this year, as well as from other regional courts, domestic courts, and quasi-judicial bodies. 

    MIL OSI NGO –