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Category: Fisheries

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Veasey Slams RFK Jr. for HHS Funding Cuts to Combat Opioid Epidemic After HHS Secretary Benefitted from Federal Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Marc Veasey (33rd District of Texas)

    Headline: Congressman Veasey Slams RFK Jr. for HHS Funding Cuts to Combat Opioid Epidemic After HHS Secretary Benefitted from Federal Programs

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman Marc Veasey, a member of the Energy & Commerce Subcommittee on Health, grilled HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. over his proposed FY 2025-2026 budget—which includes devastating cuts to lifesaving staff, hospitals, grants, and programs aimed at combating the opioid crisis.

    When pressed by Rep. Veasey to justify the cuts, Secretary Kennedy stonewalled, dodging basic questions about the harm his budget would cause. Rep. Veasey didn’t hold back—calling out the blatant hypocrisy of a man who once relied on federally funded addiction treatment programs to get clean, only to now slash funding for millions of Americans, including veterans, children, and seniors.

    “This is Republican chaos, cronyism, hypocrisy, and theft on full display,” said Congressman Veasey. “They use the very programs they gut—then leave everyone else to suffer. Marjorie Taylor Greene took $180,000 in PPP loans and then voted to rip it away from other hardworking Americans. JD Vance’s mother got addiction help through programs. RFK Jr. used taxpayer dollars to recover from heroin addiction, and now he wants to defund those same programs for everyone else.”

    “It’s theft. It’s a cold, callous assault on the health and lives of everyday Americans. Don’t believe the spin. The truth is right here: Republicans will use these programs for themselves, then defund them once they’re done. It’s selfish. It’s dangerous. And it’s costing lives.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Statement on Mike Lee’s Revised Plan to Sell off Public Lands—with Hundreds of Thousands of Acres of BLM Land in WA State At Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Murray Slams Secretary Burgum’s Plans to Fire National Park Staff, Sell Off Public Lands, & Slash Funding for Tribes

    Senator Murray is an outspoken opponent of Republicans’ partisan reconciliation bill; has repeatedly spoken out in opposition to the Republican plan to sell off public land in the legislation

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, released the following statement on the revised plan released by Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) to sell off public lands in Washington state and other Western states as part of Republicans’ partisan reconciliation bill, which they are pushing through Congress with only Republican votes. The updated text from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which Senator Lee chairs, would mandate the sale of between one-quarter and one-half of the 245 million acres currently owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Specifically, the provision mandates the sale of BLM land within 5 miles of a “population center,” which is otherwise undefined.

    Senator Lee’s first plan to sell off public lands was struck down by the Senate Parliamentarian earlier this week after Democrats challenged it as a violation of Senate rules. The Parliamentarian is expected to rule on the revised plan in the coming days.

    “Americans should know that the threat to our public lands is not over, as Senate Republicans are still trying to sell off public land as part of their Big Ugly Reconciliation Bill. Republicans’ revised plan would still put up to 450,000 acres of public land in Washington state on the auction block. Communities in Central and Eastern Washington will be most affected by this heist.

    “Now is the time for everyone who enjoys hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and other outdoor recreation on BLM land to call their Republican members of Congress and demand that they oppose this giveaway of the precious public lands that belong to all of us.”

    “Selling off our public lands to fund tax cuts for billionaires is an unconscionable betrayal of future generations and our cherished outdoor spaces. Public lands belong in public hands.”

    Senator Murray is staunch opponent of Republicans’ reconciliation bill—the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—and has held many recent events raising the alarm on the devastating cuts the legislation will make to Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and the Affordable Care Act (ACA), among other harmful provisions. Senator Murray has also repeatedly spoken out against Republican efforts to sell off public lands as part of the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Dogged determination gets results

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Man’s best friend, a trusty dog owner and some speedy Police work potentially prevented car thefts in an East Auckland suburb early this morning.

    A Greenlane resident who was woken by his dog barking around 3.45am investigated immediately.

    “His trusty pooch had alerted him to two people outside his home apparently scoping out parked cars with a torch,” Inspector Jim Wilson, Auckland City East Area Commander, says.

    But by the time Police arrived the pair were on the move and fled despite being signalled to stop.

    “Police monitored the vehicle from a distance until The Police Helicopter arrived overhead to monitor the situation.”

    The car was successfully spiked but kept going onto nearby Great South Road, and Police observed it driving on the wrong side of the road.

    Inspector Wilson says a dog unit was deployed when the driver finally abandoned the vehicle at Garland Road and took off on foot. 

    “He was apprehended nearby and received minor police dog bites and was given medical treatment,” Inspector Wilson says.

    “A passenger remained in the vehicle and was arrested without incident.”

    The 38-year-old driver is appearing in the Auckland District Court, charged with failing to stop, driving in a dangerous manner, possessing cannabis and possessing

    an offensive weapon.

    “Fortunately, it appears no vehicles in the street were successfully broken into and it goes to show the importance of vigilance,” Inspector Wilson says.

    “After a busy night it’s left two smart dogs catching up on some much-needed sleep.”

    Police remind the public to report suspicious activity as soon as possible by calling 111.

    ENDS

    Nicole Bremner/NZ Police 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Security: Fugitive’s Accomplice Killed as U.S. Marshals, Puerto Rico Police Arrest Most Wanted in Mayaguez

    Source: US Marshals Service

    Hato Rey, PR – One person was killed as the U.S. Marshals Violent Offenders Task Force and Puerto Rico Police early Monday arrested in Mayaguez a man wanted for attempted murder and other charges on a warrant that carried a bail of $1.2 million.

    Jose M. Rodriguez-Torres, aka “La J,” 26, the subject of the arrest and one of Puerto Rico’s 10 Most Wanted fugitives, was wanted on a state warrant for attempted murder, possession, transportation and use of firearms without a license, and tampering with an electronic monitoring device.

    Rodríguez-Torres had removed his electronic monitoring bracelet during his trial for the 2021 attempted murder of the chief executive of the company Flan-es-Cedó. He had been convicted in absentia for a June 27, 2021, massacre on PR-3345 in the Lavadero neighborhood of Hormigueros, where two brothers were killed, and was sentenced to 229 years in prison for that case. In addition, he had an active federal warrant issued in 2023 for drug trafficking and firearms charges.

    While law enforcement officers were executing the arrest warrant, they identified Rodríguez-Torres, along with two other individuals in a car. When the fugitive spotted the agents, he attempted to flee, driving against traffic until crashing into an official vehicle.

    According to preliminary reports, one of the rear passengers brandished a black firearm, prompting agents to return fire. The individual was identified as José A. Chevrés Ramos, 29, a resident of Cabo Rojo with a prior criminal record for robbery. He was fatally shot by agents during the pursuit. Chevrés Ramos also had pending warrants for his arrest.

    The FBI and the Puerto Rico Special Investigations Bureau assisted in the investigation but did not assume jurisdiction. The Criminal Investigation Corps of the Puerto Rico Police Department is handling the investigation, and the state prosecutor’s office has formally filed charges with the court. The judge found cause for all the charges filed against Rodríguez-Torres and Eliezer Graniela-Barreto (also a passenger in the vehicle), including attempted murder of federal agents and pointing a firearm at law enforcement.

    A bail bond of $4,200,000 was set but not posted, and both individuals were subsequently booked into state prison.

    Three firearms were seized from the vehicle and will be analyzed by the Forensic Sciences Institute’s ballistics laboratory. Two of the three weapons had been modified to fire automatically.

    “Our communities can trust that our Deputy U.S. Marshals, together with our partners from the Puerto Rico Police Department, will not relent in their efforts to remove violent offenders from our streets and bring them to justice,” said Wilmer Ocasio-Ibarra, U.S. Marshal for the District of Puerto Rico. “Enforcing the law and ensuring public safety is dangerous work, and unfortunately, incidents like these are sometimes the result. We always urge fugitives to surrender, accept responsibility, and face the consequences of their actions. However, we will not stop. We will continue to search for them and fulfill our mission as agents of law and order.”

    The U.S. Marshals Service encourages the community to continue to collaborate with our deputies on tips that help find the whereabouts of a fugitive by contacting our local office at (787) 766-6540, calling the U.S. Marshals Service Communication Center at 1 (800) 336-0102, or submitting tips using the USMS Tips App.

    MIL Security OSI –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Opposes Homeland Security Funding Measure That Would Cripple Federal Disaster Assistance To State And Local Governments

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and of its Subcommittee on Homeland Security, voted yesterday in the full committee against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations measure.  

    The FY 2026 Homeland Security bill proposes a total discretionary allocation of $66.4 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $1.3 billion over the FY 2025 enacted level.

    Combined with the additional $26.5 billion for disaster response and $6.3 billion for programs offset by fee collections, the bill proposes to spend a total of $99.1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security in FY 2026. 

    The bill supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and more.

    “While the measure funds many critical Hawai‘i and Indo-Pacific priorities I requested, I regrettably had to vote against this version because it dangerously underfunds disaster mitigation and cybersecurity initiatives, ultimately leaving Americans less safe,” said Case. “The Committee also was forced to draft the bill in the dark because the administration failed to provide a detailed budget request, and this is a dangerous precedent to support.”

    In his remarks to the full committee here, Case focused specifically on critical FEMA assistance to for the Maui wildfire disaster as well as proposed cybersecurity cuts.

    Through his assignment on the Subcommittee, Case secured $1 million for the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency’s (HIEMA) Emergency Operations Center IT Modernization Project. This is one of Case’s Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF) projects that specifically focuses on local needs in Hawai‘i. The project will fund the procurement and installation of touchscreen monitors for a new information wall at the emergency operations center to facilitate emergency response communications and instantaneous information sharing.

    “These facilities will share information in real time so that emergency responders can make informed decisions and take necessary actions to save lives and protect property in the event of a disaster,” said Case. 

    The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here.  

    Case also secured a number of other key programs and provisions for Hawai‘i, including:

    ·         $355 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like HIEMA. 

    ·         $360 million for FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which is a major source of funding for county fire departments.

    ·         $360 million for FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program. 

    ·         $60 million for increased Coast Guard operations and support funding in the Indo-Pacific, to include workforce support in housing, medical and childcare access for Coasties in Hawai‘i.

    ·         $15 million for the Coast Guard’s Honolulu Homeport Project, which funds expansion of operations and cutter maintenance activities at Base Honolulu. 

    ·         $101 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a $10 million increase over FY 2025, which funds University of Hawaii’s National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. 

    ·         $60 million for another Coast Guard Medium Endurance Cutter to be stationed in the Indo-Pacific.  

    ·         $40 million for FEMA’s Next Generation Warning System. 

    ·         Language requiring a report on the opportunity for the Coast Guard to acquire additional pier and related space at Base Honolulu. 

    ·         Language requiring a report on unmet requirements for the infrastructure at the Coast Guard’s Air Station Barbers Point. 

    ·         Language encouraging TSA to address potential degradation of security scanning equipment at open-air airports.

     The measure also includes the following priorities requested by Case: 

    ·         $14.4 billion for the Coast Guard. 

    ·         $54 million for the National Computer Forensic Institute, through which 397 state and local law enforcement officers from agencies in Hawai‘i have received a host of forensic training courses.

    ·         Report language supporting the growth of CISA support in the Pacific Islands. 

    ·         Language requiring a report on Coast Guard engagement and needs in the Indo-Pacific. 

    ·         Language requiring a briefing on the Coast Guard’s role in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is a major issue in the Indo-Pacific. 

    ·         $615 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative under FEMA. 

    ·         $520 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides funding to protect against terrorism and other threats. 

    ·         $95 million for the Transit Security Grant Program, which protects critical transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism. 

    ·         $105 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. 

    ·         $100 million for FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program. 

    ·         $45 million for the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement Program. 

    This measure is one of the twelve bills developed by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2026 (commencing October 1, 2025). The bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.   

    A summary of the bill is available here.  

    ### 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Southland commercial fishers and seller fined $36,900 for black-market seafood sales

    Source: NZ Ministry for Primary Industries

    Thousands of dollars of black-market seafood sales have cost 3 Southland commercial fishers and another man fines of $36,900.

    Commercial fishers Michael Noel Hawke (61), Stuart Teiwi Ryan (48) and Peter George Fletcher (32) were sentenced in the Invercargill District Court having pleaded guilty to multiple charges under the Fisheries Act. Another man, Duncan William Davis (39) was sentenced on 2 charges under the Fisheries Act for illegally selling a large amount of kina, some pāua, and blue cod, following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).

    Mr Hawke was fined $6,000, Mr Ryan $13,000, Mr Fletcher $3,900, and Mr Davis $14,000.

    The prosecution was part of a larger 2023 investigation into illegal sales of kina, pāua, crayfish, blue cod, and oysters. Fishery officers gathered evidence of the illegal sales by studying seafood landing records and electronic communications between the fishers, black-market suppliers and potential buyers.

    “Our investigation found Mr Hawke sold about 1,000 dredge oysters during the 2023 season that were not part of his allowable commercial take. They were his allowable recreational take and should have been in his landing report.

    “Based on 2023 prices of $37 a dozen, the oysters were valued at more than $3,000. Bluff is the only wild oyster fishery in the world and selling fish illegally has a serious effect on sustainability,” says Greg Forbes, Fisheries New Zealand district manager.

    The investigation found a deckhand aboard the fishing vessel was also selling his allowable recreational catch.

    “Mr Ryan was found to have sold 114 crayfish and about 40 blue cod. Crayfish retails at about $140 a kilogram and blue cod $75 a kilogram. Mr Ryan made around $2,250 in illegal earnings.

    “Most commercial fishers follow the rules because they want their fishery to remain sustainable into the future – black-market sales of recreational catch is a slap in the face to the majority of commercial fishers who do the right thing.”

    Electronic evidence found Mr Davis, who is not a commercial fisher, sold seafood including up to 400 punnets of kina roe, some pāua, and blue cod on the black market he had either caught, or bought from Mr Ryan to resell.

    “This was up to $5,000 of kina that was sold illegally and finfish valued at about $2,000. This was deliberate and the motivation was simply to make money.

    Meanwhile, fishery officers found the third commercial fisher, Mr Fletcher, sold about 200 dredge oysters illegally on about 6 occasions.

    “None of these fishers held permits allowing them to sell fish, nor were they licensed fish receivers or fish farmers. When we find evidence of deliberate illegal sales of seafood – we will take action.

    “Poachers steal from everyone because the shared resources belong to all New Zealanders. Their behaviour also undermines the Quota Management System and our reputation for sustainable kaimoana,” Mr Forbes says.

    MPI encourages people to report suspected illegal activity through the ministry’s 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224)

    For further information and general enquiries, call MPI on 0800 00 83 33 or email info@mpi.govt.nz

    For media enquiries, contact the media team on 029 894 0328.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Vice Ranking Member Amo Statement on Stopping Trump from Marching America into War

    Source: US Congressman Gabe Amo (Rhode Island 1st District)

    Amo declares Presidents do not get a blank check to engage in endless foreign conflicts.

    “Our Constitution says that only Congress has the authority to declare war. Presidents do not get a blank check to engage in endless foreign conflicts. Urgent, sustained diplomacy is needed to achieve our strategic goals of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and securing peace in the region.

    Unfortunately, President Trump has accelerated the entry of America into another disastrous war — by his own description — in the Middle East. His unilateral strikes against Iran, escalatory rhetoric, and erratic promises put American troops at risk and civilians in grave danger. Trump acted without a clear plan and has offered shifting rationales, objectives, and assessments of the outcomes of his decisions. 

    I’m joining a bipartisan coalition in the House seeking to enforce the War Powers Act, to reassert Congressional authority, uphold the Constitution, and stop Trump from marching America into another war based on falsehoods and unverifiable claims. Anything less endangers the lives of our brave, selfless troops and Americans across the world.”

    Vice Ranking Member Amo is a Co-Sponsor on H.Con.Res.40 and H.Con.Res.38.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Vice Ranking Member Amo Statement on Stopping Trump from Marching America into War

    Source: US Congressman Gabe Amo (Rhode Island 1st District)

    Amo declares Presidents do not get a blank check to engage in endless foreign conflicts.

    “Our Constitution says that only Congress has the authority to declare war. Presidents do not get a blank check to engage in endless foreign conflicts. Urgent, sustained diplomacy is needed to achieve our strategic goals of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon and securing peace in the region.

    Unfortunately, President Trump has accelerated the entry of America into another disastrous war — by his own description — in the Middle East. His unilateral strikes against Iran, escalatory rhetoric, and erratic promises put American troops at risk and civilians in grave danger. Trump acted without a clear plan and has offered shifting rationales, objectives, and assessments of the outcomes of his decisions. 

    I’m joining a bipartisan coalition in the House seeking to enforce the War Powers Act, to reassert Congressional authority, uphold the Constitution, and stop Trump from marching America into another war based on falsehoods and unverifiable claims. Anything less endangers the lives of our brave, selfless troops and Americans across the world.”

    Vice Ranking Member Amo is a Co-Sponsor on H.Con.Res.40 and H.Con.Res.38.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer, Neal, Thompson Convene Former IRS Commissioners and Taxpayer Advocates to Highlight Trump Administration’s Cuts

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government, co-led a briefing with Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee Richard E. Neal (MA-01) and Ranking Member of the House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures Mike Thompson (CA-04) to highlight the continued attacks on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) by the Trump Administration. 

    The Members heard testimony from ​Former IRS Commissioners John Koskinen, Fred Goldberg, Danny Werfel, as well as Natasha Sarin, President of the Yale Budget Lab, and Nina E. Olson, Executive Director of the Center for Taxpayer Rights, as they discussed the consequences that IRS cuts have on law enforcement and America’s fiscal responsibility.

    WATCH THE LIVESTREAM HERE

     

    “For years, the IRS has been desperately underfunded and understaffed, leading hundreds of billions of dollars in legally owed taxes to go uncollected each year,” Ranking Member Hoyer said. “An attack on the IRS is an attack on America’s fiscal health.”

    “The Trump Administration’s relentless effort to gut the IRS is nothing short of sabotage,” said Ranking Member Neal. “When the IRS works, America works, but Republicans are intent on tearing it down to protect the wealthy few. Their cuts mean fewer audits for millionaires, more burdens for honest taxpayers, and billions in lost revenue that could be invested in workers and families.”

    “The President’s decision to underfund the IRS is no accident. This administration is ensuring that the IRS can’t carry out audits of corporations and high-income earners, handing a free pass to their wealthy donors and guaranteeing billions of dollars lost in unpaid taxes. Meanwhile, the services ordinary Americans rely on will be worse. My constituents, and all Americans, deserve a government that works for them, not one that caters to the wealthy and the well-connected,” Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-04) said.

    “I spent 20 years in the private sector helping to turn around large, failed enterprises.  And it never occurred to us to starve the accounts receivable operations of any company to see how they did.  The goal was to protect revenues, not lose them.  I think it is nonsensical to maintain, on the one hand, that you’re concerned about the size of the deficit and, on the other hand, to undermine the agency charged with collecting taxes owed,” ​​​Fmr. IRS Commissioner John Koskinen said.

    “Any executive – whether they are from a public company, a large of small private company, or from the government – will tell you that there is no way to effectively run an enterprise when each year’s budget is completely unknown and unknowable in advance. Good management and strategic direction requires forward planning. You simply cannot do that if you do not have any idea what the budget outlook will be from year to year,” ​​​Fmr. IRS Commissioner Fred T. Goldberg, Jr., said

    “This is a critical time for the tax agency – and the nation. While the brave men and women of our armed services stand in harm’s way across the globe and members of both parties have concerns about the deficit, there should be no political disagreement that the success of the IRS is vital to the short-term and long-term success of our country, whether it’s serving taxpayers or collecting revenue critical to the health and safety of the United States and our citizens,” ​​​Fmr. IRS Commissioner Danny Werfel said.

    “The combination of staffing cuts, seriously damaged employee morale, technology starts and stops, replacement of human intervention with digital tools and decision-making, and erosion of the confidentiality of tax return and taxpayer return information – none of this bodes well for US taxpayers and the protection of their fundamental rights under the Taxpayer Bill of Rights,” said Nina E. Olson, Executive Director, Center for Taxpayer Rights.

    “The IRS interacts with every household and every business, and its dedicated civil servants take that responsibility seriously. Its workforce must grow and evolve, not indiscriminately be ransacked. It is unfortunate that the IRS has found itself under siege and without the tools its employees need to do the work they care so deeply about. I hope the testimony today, from a group of bipartisan tax experts across the ideological spectrum, can help to encourage course correction. If the IRS is not adequately funded we will be leaving significant revenue on the table and eroding our democracy,” said Natasha Sarin, President, Yale Budget Lab.

    A recording of the full meeting is available here. Witnesses’ prepared remarks can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Quigley Statement on Vote to Table House Impeachment

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05)

    U.S. Representative Mike Quigley (IL-05), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, released the following statement after voting to table H.Res. 537:

    “Donald Trump commits impeachable offenses on a near-daily basis. I wholeheartedly believe that he needs to be removed from office and never allowed near the levers of power again. That is why I voted to impeach twice during his first term. Unfortunately, both of those efforts ended in acquittals in the Senate, effectively enabling Trump’s eventual return to office. We cannot fail a third time.

    “Impeachment is the most serious tool given to Congress to check the president. A thoughtful, unified, strategic approach is not only necessary constitutionally, but critical to the future of our democracy. Another acquittal in the Senate risks emboldening Trump far beyond his current overreaches. For that reason, I will reserve my vote until I believe we can make an irreproachable case to the American people and earn a two-thirds vote of the Senate.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police accept IPCA findings following accidental fall

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police accept the findings by the Independent Police Conduct Authority following the death of a man in Auckland last year.

    On 4 November 2024, Police were called to a commercial property on Boston Road after a report of a man becoming agitated towards staff at the address and paramedics.

    Police officers arrived and instructed the man to leave.

    The man refused to leave despite the officer’s requests, so the officer placed a hand on his shoulder to guide him along.

    The man has then fallen and hit his head on the ground. Unfortunately, he was seriously injured and later died in hospital.

    The IPCA conducted an independent investigation, which included reviewing CCTV footage of the incident, and found the officer did not use force when placing his hand on the man’s shoulder and instead he lost his balance on the sloping driveway and fell to the ground.

    “This was an incredibly unfortunate incident for everyone concerned, including our attending staff,” Auckland City District Commander, Superintendent Sunny Patel, says.

    “Our sympathies remain with the man’s family and friends during what was no doubt a very challenging time.”

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business

    The strategy will make the UK the most connected nation in the world while protecting vital industries from global threats and backing businesses to thrive.

    New Trade Strategy to protect and boost British business 

    • Trade Strategy sets out how UK will unlock £5 billion for businesses and expand UKEF capacity to £80 billion, delivering growth as part of the Plan for Change  

    • Trade defence toughened up with new and improved tools to better protect our vital industries from global threats  

    • UK sets its sights on quicker deals that firms can benefit from sooner, with a strong focus on services and high growth sectors 

    British Businesses will be given greater access to global markets more quickly as the UK tomorrow [Thursday 26 June] publishes its first Trade Strategy since leaving the EU. 

    The Strategy will make the UK the most connected nation in the world and secure billions worth of opportunities for businesses, helping deliver the economic growth needed to put money in people’s pockets, strengthen local economies, create jobs, and raise living standards.  

    It takes a more agile and targeted approach than the previous government’s, focusing on quicker, more practical deals that deliver faster benefits to UK businesses. It strengthens trade defences, expands export finance – especially for smaller firms – and aligns trade policy with national priorities like green growth and services. It’s a smarter, more responsive plan for a changing global economy. 

    The Trade Strategy:  

    • Unlocks £5 billion worth of opportunities for UK exporters through the new Ricardo Fund, which will tackle complex regulatory issues, shape global standards, and remove obstacles for UK businesses selling abroad.  

    • Expands UK Export Finance (UKEF)’s capacity by £20 billion to a total of £80 billion, announces a new Small Export Builder to give smaller firms better access to export protection insurance, and introduces improvements to help overseas buyers finance repeat orders from trusted UK suppliers in a more streamlined way.   

    • Vows to bolster our trade defence toolkit and make our trade remedies system more agile, assertive, and accountable to guard British businesses against global turbulence and the growing threat of unfair trading practices.   

    • Targets more mutual recognition of qualifications to boost the UK’s status as a services superpower – the 2nd biggest exporter of services in the world.  

    • Builds on existing clean energy and green sector agreements with partners including Norway, Japan and South Korea and explores new, deeper cooperation with markets such as Brazil, the Philippines and Mexico.    

    • Announces the UK will join the Multi-Party Interim Appeal Arbitration Arrangement (MPIA), a temporary arbitration arrangement for resolving appeals to WTO trade disputes, demonstrating our commitment to an effective rules-based international trading system 

    The Trade Strategy comes amid a backdrop of turbulent economic waters, resurgent protectionism and unfair trading practices creating significant challenges for businesses and industries across the whole of the UK. Together with our modern Industrial Strategy – a plan to grow the UK’s growth-driving sectors – we are strengthening businesses at home and setting clear direction to ensure success abroad and create high-paid, secure jobs in every part of this country.  

    It follows three significant trade deals agreed last month with huge benefits for UK businesses, jobs and consumers. Not only does our deal with India add £4.8 billion to the economy and £2.2 billion to wages each year, its reduced and liberalised tariffs means more whisky and gin is likely to be sold to Indian consumers and British shoppers could see cheaper prices on things like clothes, footwear and food products.  

    Our landmark deal with the US, the only one they have agreed with any country, protects hundreds of thousands of British jobs from automotive workers in the West Midlands, to aeroplane builders in Wales, to steelmakers in Scunthorpe. It shows the government delivering on its promise to champion British businesses and put jobs and livelihoods first. 

    The EU agreement, meanwhile, cuts red tape and improves access to our biggest trading partner. It means Scottish salmon farmers can sell their fish more easily to the EU, Welsh sausages and lamb mince exports will no longer be blocked, and British pets can join their owners on holiday with less headache.   

    Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, said: 

    What works for business, works for Britain. It means more jobs, more opportunities, and more money in people’s pockets. 

    That’s why I’ve backed British industry through global headwinds – securing major trade deals with the US, India and the EU that protect jobs and drive growth right across the country. 

    Today’s Trade Strategy is a promise to British business: helping firms sell more, grow faster, and compete globally. It’s about delivering growth as part of our Plan for Change—and making sure working people feel the benefits.

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:  

    The UK is an open trading nation but we must reconcile this with a new geopolitical reality and work in our own national interest  

    Our Trade Strategy will sharpen our trade defence so we can ensure British businesses are protected from harm, while also relentlessly pursuing every opportunity to sell to more markets under better terms than before.  

    Broad and complex trade deals like we secured with India will bring billions to our economy every year but to deliver the Plan for Change we will strike more agile, targeted deals that exploit the sectors which drive the most growth for our economy.

    It comes as the government works in partnership with industry to shape future steel trade measures which will prevent cheap imports from undercutting UK businesses, following the expiry of the current UK steel safeguard measure in June 2026. Collaboration with steel producers, consumers and unions will help ensure the new phase of our trade defences continue to protect UK businesses and jobs, while providing a fair and competitive market.  

    UKEF measures included in the Strategy accompanies news this week that up to £13 billion of direct lending will be used to help boost exports across key industrial sectors, marking a £3 billion uplift in UKEF’s facility.  

    Trade Minister Douglas Alexander said:  

    This new hard-headed, data driven, and agile approach to trade policy is guided by our pragmatic patriotism. In this changed and challenging world, we will promote what we can and protect what we must to advance the UK’s national interest.  

    Through our Trade Strategy, we are supporting our businesses to expand and export with a wider range of trade tools that harness our high-growth industries of the future to deliver this government’s Plan for Change.  

    As we target these agreements, we will take every step necessary to safeguard British businesses from the increasingly protectionist mood in much of the world by sharpening our defensive toolkit.

    To complement the Trade Strategy, we have also today published the Global Trade Outlook 2025 which explores the long-term trends that may shape the global economy and international trade in the coming decades.

    Shevaun Haviland, Director General at the BCC, said: 

    The Trade Strategy sets out a clear, evidence-based approach to raising the UK’s export game. It rightly targets our strength in services, and vital high-growth goods sectors while identifying key markets in the Indo-Pacific, Americas and European neighbourhood.

    A focus on sectoral and digital trade deals is also welcome, alongside a commitment to a functioning rules-based global trading system. 

    Place matters in trade. This strategy can generate economic growth in every nation and region of the UK, lowering tariffs and removing trade barriers. Our Chamber Network stands ready to build, invest and deliver on international trade as a partner of government and an engine for economic growth.

    Rain Newton-Smith, CEO, CBI said:

    Businesses are clear that positioning the UK as an outward looking nation is a show of strength in this increasingly fragmented world. Backing free trade is critical to facing the great global challenges and opportunities of our time.

    The UK must be bold and ambitious to be a key player in the global race for growth. Today’s Strategy offers a dynamic vision which will help the UK to position itself as one of the world’s leading locations for investment and trade. Leaning into that openness, our international commitments, and partnerships with like-minded allies will be integral to our success.

    We now need government and business to work together to turn this ambition into action and ensure that the UK seizes on the opportunities available within the global economy.

    Ian Stuart, CEO of HSBC UK:  

    I welcome today’s announcement of the Trade Strategy. It provides a vital blueprint to ensure the UK’s continued role as a great trading nation and leading services exporter, with a focus on the sectors that will drive growth in the decades to come.  

    It also rightly recognises the challenges many exporters face at a time of heightened global uncertainty. This is a necessary first step in giving businesses the tools they need to thrive on the world stage. HSBC looks forward to supporting businesses to take advantage of the strategy and unlock the full benefits of international trade.

    Jon Holt, Group Chief Executive and UK Senior Partner, KPMG, said:    

    Our professional and business services industry is an international success story with our expertise in demand around the world. As a high-growth sector, we have long called for a Trade Strategy that enables UK businesses to take advantage of new global opportunities and expand into emerging markets.  

    Today we have a clear plan. From removing barriers to overseas markets, to making it easier for our highly skilled people to travel and work across borders, this approach will strengthen our connectivity, boost inward investment and make sure our sector remains globally competitive.

    The strategy’s success will depend on a strong partnership between business and Government.

    Stephen Phipson CBE, CEO of Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation said:

    Industry will welcome the Trade Strategy which, for the first time, aligns hard on the heels of the Industrial Strategy and is a perfect example of joined up thinking across Government which has long been missing.

    In particular, as well as a focus on new markets, it will help optimise market access and signposting for companies, especially SMEs, to take advantage of current trade deals with a new focus on strategic economic partnerships with key trading partners.

    At the same time, as well as helping boost exports, it will strengthen trade defences against the threat of dumping and support UK firms in reporting possible trade discrepancies to the Trade Remedies Authority.

    Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said:  

    UK Automotive is a trade powerhouse, generating imports and exports worth £108 billion a year and typically Britain’s biggest exporter of manufactured goods. Free and fair trade is fundamental to our success and recent agreements with India, the US and, particularly, the EU signal that intention.

    Today’s trade strategy, aligned to the industrial strategy announced earlier this week, provides confidence to help our sector navigate the many headwinds we face and sets a foundation for future success.

    Balanced trading relationships that break down tariffs and regulatory barriers to trade will enable automotive companies to grow and get great British products into the hands of consumers all over the world, boosting jobs, business and prosperity at home.

    Heathrow’s Chief Communications and Sustainability Officer, Nigel Milton, said:   

    We welcome this Trade Strategy, which is set to provide greater support for exporters and champion the importance of free trade.   

    As the UK’s hub airport and largest port by value, we know firsthand how trade can serve as a powerful engine for economic growth.   

    With our unrivalled access to global markets Heathrow is the UK’s gateway to growth and we stand ready to support the Government and exporters from across the country with the rollout of the new strategy.

    Paul Nowak, TUC General Secretary, said:

    This is an important step forward to a trade agenda with workers’ rights and good jobs at its heart.

    It’s right that the government is focusing on removing barriers to trade with our largest trading partner – the EU – on which thousands of quality jobs depend, and it’s vital that the government continues to show ambition in its trading reset with the bloc.

    Standing up for good jobs in sectors such as steel is essential and hugely welcome, especially with global trade wars leading to countries undercutting British products with cheaper foreign imports.

    The government has set out a path towards a values-based approach to trade, which supports international labour standards and human rights globally. We look forward to seeing the full detail and working with them to deliver this.

    John Pattinson, Founder and Managing Director of Air Covers Ltd, and a DBT Export Champion, said:   

    The UK Government plays a vital role in enabling and accelerating the journey to export – a critical driver of economic growth. At Air Covers, we have benefited greatly from our close partnership with DBT Wales.  

    The support we’ve received from DBT Wales, as well as from UK embassies and High Commissions around the world, has been instrumental to our expansion and success in international markets.  

    We believe that the UK Government’s Trade Strategy will open new opportunities for growth, both in established regions and emerging markets. For UK exporters, free trade agreements and the simplification of cross-border regulations are essential to unlocking global potential and maintaining a competitive edge.

    Julian David, CEO of techUK, said:

    TechUK welcomes the launch of this trade strategy as a landmark moment. For the first time, we have a coherent, long-term plan that reflects the realities of current geopolitics and the UK’s unique strengths – particularly in services and high-growth, innovation-driven sectors like ours.

    It’s especially encouraging to see government pulling together the full suite of tools at its disposal – from digital trade agreements to commercial diplomacy and meaningful trade defence instruments. We look forward to working closely with government to turn this vision into impact and ensure the UK remains a leader in the global digital economy.

    Marco Forgione, Director General of the Chartered Institute of Export & International Trade, said:

    Today’s new Trade Strategy is a welcome step forward that reflects many of the priorities we’ve been championing on behalf of our members, especially SMEs, who need targeted, accessible support to grow internationally.

    From the Small Exports Builder to enhanced UK Export Finance, these are practical tools designed to reduce friction and unlock potential for thousands of firms across the UK.

    We’ve worked closely with government to feed in the real-world experiences of our members, and it’s encouraging to see those insights reflected in today’s announcement.

    Launched alongside the Industrial Strategy, this sets a more joined-up direction for trade and growth. Now the focus must be on delivery, and we stand ready to help make it happen.

    Tina McKenzie, Policy Chair of the Federation of Small Businesses, said:

    Small firms know exporting is good for growth, so it’s good to see a clear strategy on trade. We welcome the government’s commitment to creating better digital tools, less red tape and putting stronger focus on practical support beyond just trade deals. 

    We also need to see more money and new funding programmes for SMEs wanting to trade internationally, as well as more bespoke support for the smallest firms, who do not qualify for one-to-one help.

    Small firms have been bogged down by unnecessary rules and costs for far too long, and today’s strategy is the first step to creating a better environment for exporters and importers.

    Notes to editor 

    • Department for Business and Trade (DBT) analysis of UNCTAD (2025) Global import data 2013-2023, mapped to industry sectors using sector definitions from DBT (2023) Global trade outlook.  

    • The GTO will be published at 0001 Thursday 26 June here 

    • The Trade Strategy will be published 0915 Thursday 26 June here 

    • More information on the UK Steel Trade Measures Call for Evidence will be issued separately, embargoed until 22.30 Thursday 25 June.

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    Updates to this page

    Published 25 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Terri Levien, Professor of Pharmacy, Washington State University

    A discredited study published in 1989 first alleged a link between thimerosal and autism. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

    An expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines is meeting for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly replaced the committee’s 17 members with eight hand-picked ones on June 11, 2025.

    The committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, generally discusses and votes on recommendations for specific vaccines. For this meeting, taking place June 25-26, 2025, vaccines for COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza and other infectious diseases were on the schedule. According to an updated agenda, however, the committee is now also scheduled to hear a presentation on a chemical called thimerosal and to vote on proposed recommendations regarding its use in influenza vaccines.

    Public health experts have raised concerns about the presentation, noting that anti-vaccine advocates continue to promote confusion regarding the purported health risks of thimerosal despite extensive research demonstrating its safety.

    I’m a pharmacist and expert on drug information with 35 years of experience critically evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications in clinical trials. No evidence supports the idea that thimerosal, used as a preservative in vaccines, is unsafe or carries any health risks.

    What is thimerosal?

    Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, is a preservative that has been used in some drug products since the 1930s because it prevents contamination by killing microbes and preventing their growth.

    In the human body, thimerosal is metabolized, or changed, to ethylmercury, an organic derivative of mercury. Studies in infants have shown that ethylmercury is quickly eliminated from the blood.

    Even though thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines, many parents still worry about whether it can harm their kids.

    Ethylmercury is sometimes confused with methylmercury. Methylmercury is known to be toxic and is associated with many negative effects on brain development even at low exposure. Environmental researchers identified the neurotoxic effects of mercury in children in the 1970s, primarily resulting from exposure to methylmercury in fish. In the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration established limits for maximum recommended exposure to methylmercury, especially for children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

    Why is thimerosal controversial?

    Fears about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines spread for two reasons.

    First, in 1998, a now discredited report was published in a major medical journal called The Lancet. In it, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield described eight children who developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. However, the patients were not compared with a control group that was vaccinated, so it was impossible to draw conclusions about the vaccine’s effects. Also, the data report was later found to be falsified. And the MMR vaccine that children received in that report never contained thimerosal.

    Second, the federal guidelines on exposure limits for the toxic substance methylmercury came out about the same time as the Wakefield study’s publication. During that period, autism was becoming more widely recognized as a developmental condition, and its rates of diagnosis were rising. People who believed Wakefield’s results conflated methylmercury and ethylmercury and promoted the unfounded idea that ethylmercury in vaccines from thimerosal were driving the rising rates of autism.

    The Wakefield study was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield was found guilty of dishonesty and flouting ethics protocols by the U.K. General Medical Council, as well as stripped of his medical license. Subsequent studies have not shown a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, but despite the absence of evidence, the idea took hold and has proven difficult to dislodge.

    The Wakefield study severely damaged many parents’ faith in the MMR vaccine, even though its results were eventually shown to be fraudulent.
    Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank, Getty Images

    Have scientists tested whether thimerosal is safe?

    No unbiased research to date has identified toxicity caused by ethylmercury in vaccines or a link between the substance and autism or other developmental concerns – and not from lack of looking.

    A 1999 review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in response to federal guidelines on limiting mercury exposure found no evidence of harm from thimerosal as a vaccine preservative other than rare allergic reactions. Even so, as a precautionary measure in response to concerns about exposure to mercury in infants, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint statement in 1999 recommending removal of thimerosal from vaccines.

    At that time, just one childhood vaccine was available only in a version that contained thimerosal as an ingredient. This was a vaccine called DTP, for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Other childhood vaccines were either available only in formulations without thimerosal or could be obtained in versions that did not contain it.

    By 2001, U.S. manufacturers had removed thimerosal from almost all vaccines – and from all vaccines in the childhood vaccination schedule.

    In 2004, the U.S. Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee reviewed over 200 scientific studies and concluded there is no causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Additional well-conducted studies reviewed independently by the CDC and by the FDA did not find a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or neuropsychological delays.

    How is thimerosal used today?

    In the U.S., most vaccines are now available in single-dose vials or syringes. Thimerosal is found only in multidose vials that are used to supply vaccines for large-scale immunization efforts – specifically, in a small number of influenza vaccines. It is not added to modern childhood vaccines, and people who get a flu vaccine can avoid it by requesting a vaccine supplied in a single-dose vial or syringe.

    Thimerosal is still used in vaccines in some other countries to ensure continued availability of necessary vaccines. The World Health Organization continues to affirm that there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thimerosal-containing vaccines.

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

    – ref. A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains – https://theconversation.com/a-preservative-removed-from-childhood-vaccines-20-years-ago-is-still-causing-controversy-today-a-drug-safety-expert-explains-259442

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Terri Levien, Professor of Pharmacy, Washington State University

    A discredited study published in 1989 first alleged a link between thimerosal and autism. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

    An expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines is meeting for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly replaced the committee’s 17 members with eight hand-picked ones on June 11, 2025.

    The committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, generally discusses and votes on recommendations for specific vaccines. For this meeting, taking place June 25-26, 2025, vaccines for COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza and other infectious diseases were on the schedule. According to an updated agenda, however, the committee is now also scheduled to hear a presentation on a chemical called thimerosal and to vote on proposed recommendations regarding its use in influenza vaccines.

    Public health experts have raised concerns about the presentation, noting that anti-vaccine advocates continue to promote confusion regarding the purported health risks of thimerosal despite extensive research demonstrating its safety.

    I’m a pharmacist and expert on drug information with 35 years of experience critically evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications in clinical trials. No evidence supports the idea that thimerosal, used as a preservative in vaccines, is unsafe or carries any health risks.

    What is thimerosal?

    Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, is a preservative that has been used in some drug products since the 1930s because it prevents contamination by killing microbes and preventing their growth.

    In the human body, thimerosal is metabolized, or changed, to ethylmercury, an organic derivative of mercury. Studies in infants have shown that ethylmercury is quickly eliminated from the blood.

    Even though thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines, many parents still worry about whether it can harm their kids.

    Ethylmercury is sometimes confused with methylmercury. Methylmercury is known to be toxic and is associated with many negative effects on brain development even at low exposure. Environmental researchers identified the neurotoxic effects of mercury in children in the 1970s, primarily resulting from exposure to methylmercury in fish. In the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration established limits for maximum recommended exposure to methylmercury, especially for children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

    Why is thimerosal controversial?

    Fears about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines spread for two reasons.

    First, in 1998, a now discredited report was published in a major medical journal called The Lancet. In it, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield described eight children who developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. However, the patients were not compared with a control group that was vaccinated, so it was impossible to draw conclusions about the vaccine’s effects. Also, the data report was later found to be falsified. And the MMR vaccine that children received in that report never contained thimerosal.

    Second, the federal guidelines on exposure limits for the toxic substance methylmercury came out about the same time as the Wakefield study’s publication. During that period, autism was becoming more widely recognized as a developmental condition, and its rates of diagnosis were rising. People who believed Wakefield’s results conflated methylmercury and ethylmercury and promoted the unfounded idea that ethylmercury in vaccines from thimerosal were driving the rising rates of autism.

    The Wakefield study was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield was found guilty of dishonesty and flouting ethics protocols by the U.K. General Medical Council, as well as stripped of his medical license. Subsequent studies have not shown a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, but despite the absence of evidence, the idea took hold and has proven difficult to dislodge.

    The Wakefield study severely damaged many parents’ faith in the MMR vaccine, even though its results were eventually shown to be fraudulent.
    Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank, Getty Images

    Have scientists tested whether thimerosal is safe?

    No unbiased research to date has identified toxicity caused by ethylmercury in vaccines or a link between the substance and autism or other developmental concerns – and not from lack of looking.

    A 1999 review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in response to federal guidelines on limiting mercury exposure found no evidence of harm from thimerosal as a vaccine preservative other than rare allergic reactions. Even so, as a precautionary measure in response to concerns about exposure to mercury in infants, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint statement in 1999 recommending removal of thimerosal from vaccines.

    At that time, just one childhood vaccine was available only in a version that contained thimerosal as an ingredient. This was a vaccine called DTP, for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Other childhood vaccines were either available only in formulations without thimerosal or could be obtained in versions that did not contain it.

    By 2001, U.S. manufacturers had removed thimerosal from almost all vaccines – and from all vaccines in the childhood vaccination schedule.

    In 2004, the U.S. Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee reviewed over 200 scientific studies and concluded there is no causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Additional well-conducted studies reviewed independently by the CDC and by the FDA did not find a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or neuropsychological delays.

    How is thimerosal used today?

    In the U.S., most vaccines are now available in single-dose vials or syringes. Thimerosal is found only in multidose vials that are used to supply vaccines for large-scale immunization efforts – specifically, in a small number of influenza vaccines. It is not added to modern childhood vaccines, and people who get a flu vaccine can avoid it by requesting a vaccine supplied in a single-dose vial or syringe.

    Thimerosal is still used in vaccines in some other countries to ensure continued availability of necessary vaccines. The World Health Organization continues to affirm that there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thimerosal-containing vaccines.

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

    – ref. A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains – https://theconversation.com/a-preservative-removed-from-childhood-vaccines-20-years-ago-is-still-causing-controversy-today-a-drug-safety-expert-explains-259442

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: In Aftermath of Iran Strikes, Reed Urges Trump Admin. to Strengthen Cybersecurity

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Rhode Island Jack Reed

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. cyber officials and private experts are warning that Iran and Iran-linked groups may try to target the U.S. with a range of cyberattacks that could cause serious damage and disruption to private and public sector interests.  In the wake of U.S. airstrikes on Iran, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin through the National Terrorism Advisory System, which read: “Low-level cyber attacks against U.S. networks by pro-Iranian hacktivists are likely, and cyber actors affiliated with the Iranian government may conduct attacks against U.S. networks.”

    In addition to these warnings, U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is urging the Trump Administration to take action to bolster the nation’s cyber defenses and assist American industries and municipalities that may be targeted for attacks. 

    “As sophisticated cyber threats mount, we should be surging resources and reinforcements to America’s cyber defenses.  We’ve got to secure our infrastructure and protect critical systems.  Unfortunately, the Trump Administration has undermined the capacity and capabilities of our country’s most critical cybersecurity agencies,” said Senator Reed.

    Reed warns that the Trump Administration’s partisan efforts to purge the federal workforce and slash the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) — America’s primary cyber agency — is putting U.S. national security at risk.  CISA is the frontline federal agency in charge of defending federal networks, state and local governments, and critical infrastructure against cyber threats.  CISA’s mission includes ransomware defense, supply chain resilience, and public-private coordination.

    The Trump Administration has targeted CISA for downsizing, already forcing out over 1,000 CISA employees – roughly one-third of CISA’s workforce.  The drastic staff reductions coupled with proposed future budget cuts jeopardize America’s ability to effectively repel, thwart, and deter cyberattacks; defend federal networks; and support critical infrastructure operators.

    Reed stated: “As the cyber threat level is rising from Iran, affiliated hacktivists, and other adversaries, the Trump Administration is gutting CISA and taking down our best defenses, leaving America dangerously exposed to cyberattacks.  The Trump Administration must stop undermining the capacity of America’s cyber defense agency.  I urge the Trump Administration to take immediate action to rehire technical cyber talent, restore CISA funding, and reinstate key cyber defense programs immediately.  We need to ramp up in the weeks and months ahead and be vigilant in defending against offensive cyber operations by Iran or their partners.”

    The Trump Administration is seeking to reduce CISA’s budget by over $490 million – reducing the agency’s operational funding obligations from $2.38 billion to $1.96 billion.  This includes dismantling and eliminating several key programs entirely, such as the agency’s Election Security Program and the innovative Cyber Safety Review Board.

    Meanwhile, the Trump Administration is targeting other key U.S. cyber defense assets for major budget cuts, including:

    • The FBI, which leads domestic cybercriminal investigations, would have its budget reduced $560 million, alongside a loss of nearly 1,900 staff.
    • The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) National Security Division, which handles foreign intelligence surveillance policy and various counterintelligence operations, would have its budget reduced by $14 million, accompanied by a reduction of full-time employees.
    • The U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security and Emergency Response, which oversees cybersecurity for the nation’s electric grid, would see a sharp cut of $43 million and a staffing reduction of more than 30 percent.
    • The National Science Foundation’s computer science research activities would be cut by $606 million, or 64 percent of its budget, in FY26.

    Beyond CISA and domestic cyber defenses, President Trump abruptly fired the previous director of the National Security Agency (NSA) and head of U.S. Cyber Command, General Timothy Haugh, and his top deputy, without explanation this April, following a meeting with right-wing activist Laura Loomer at the White House.  With support from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Army Lt. General Richard Angle was then announced as the nominee to be the successor for the job.  However, the White House then opted not to move forward with Lt. General Angle’s nomination, without public explanation.

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend San Marino on Aligning Citizenship Rights with International Standards, Ask about Temporary Special Measures and Incentives to Encourage Female Employment

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the combined first to fifth periodic reports of San Marino, with Committee Experts commending the State party on ensuring equal transmission of citizenship for maternal and paternal lines, while raising questions on temporary special measures and incentives to promote female employment.

    One Committee Expert commended the State party for the efforts and improvements made to align citizenship rights of a small landlocked nation with international standards, ensuring that the rules for transmission of citizenship for maternal and paternal lines were now aligned.

    A Committee Expert asked what kind of temporary special measures were already implemented in legislation and in the judicial branch?  What temporary special measures had been adopted in the area of parity to achieve increased representation of women?  Were there any examples of positive discrimination for women in fields such as the military?  Another Expert said there was an ongoing debate in the country about how to enforce the political participation of women in San Marino.  How did San Marino plan to achieve parity in public life. 

    One Committee Expert asked what was being done to facilitate women’s return to employment? Was there a wage gap?  Could more information be provided regarding measures to increase work life balance and incentivise employers to employ women? 

    On temporary special measures, the delegation said measures to guarantee women’s political life in the country were linked to two laws.  Women made up 50 per cent of the public administration.  Women’s representation within the judiciary was fully granted; a few years ago, the President of the San Marino court was a woman. San Marino did not intend to use the instrument of quotas again, as the results did not justify its existence, and the quotas were intended to be a temporary measure. 

    The delegation said San Marino had been providing incentives for female employment for several years, including that employers would pay less tax for female workers. As of 2025, the labour force in San Marino was better balanced, with the gender gap reduced.  If a female worker had a child and wished to return to work, she could transform her contract into one that was parttime.  This was a key provision which would help women balance their professional and private lives. 

    Introducing the report, Marcello Beccari, Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said significant progress had been made to combat gender-based violence in recent years.  On 29 October 2024, the Congress of State adopted delegated decree no. 161 on amendments to law no. 97 of 20 June 2008 – prevention and repression of violence against women and gender violence – and subsequent amendments and to the Criminal Code, which aimed to ensure a more effective system of prevention, protection and support for victims of violence.  In particular, the definition of violence against women and gender-based violence was rephrased.  The Authority for Equal Opportunities was responsible for keeping and disseminating data on gender-based violence.

    In closing remarks, Mr. Beccari thanked the Committee for the dialogue which had enabled the State to review the legislation and all areas where discrimination against women could occur.  The institutions of San Marino were actively engaged in the implementation of the Convention.

    In her closing remarks, Marianne Mikko, Committee Vice-Chair, thanked the delegation of San Marino for the constructive dialogue, which had provided further insight on the situation of women in the country. 

    The delegation of San Marino was comprised of representatives of the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Employment; the Department of Foreign Affairs; the Department of Institutional and Internal Affairs; the Department of Health and Social Security; the Department of Education and Culture; the Office of the French Border; the Single Court; the Gendarmerie Corp; the Office for Gender Violence and Minors; the Authority for Equal Opportunities; and the Permanent Mission of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s ninety-first session is being held from 16 June to 4 July.  All 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 at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 26 June to begin its consideration of the fifth periodic report of Chad (CEDAW/C/TCD/5).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the the combined initial to fifth periodic reports of San Marino (CEDAW/C/SMR/1-5).

    Presentation of Report

    MARCELLO BECCARI, Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the ratification of the Convention in 2003 had been long-awaited by San Marino society, in light of the undeniable steps forward that the country had made since the 1960s.  Unfortunately, women’s rights in San Marino had been denied for centuries: women had had, de jure and de facto, a position inferior to that of men.  San Marino women exercised their voting right for the first time only in 1964, and it was only in 1974 that they could be elected in the general elections and become members of the San Marino Parliament. 

    At the end of the 1990s, a serious discrimination experienced by San Marino women persisted: only men could transmit San Marino citizenship, which made it impossible for the children of a San Marino woman to become San Marino citizens if the father was not a San Marino citizen.  This discrimination was finally eliminated in 2000.  It was only at this time that the country aligned its legal system with the requirements of the Convention. 

    Significant progress had been made to combat gender-based violence in recent years. On 29 October 2024, the Congress of State adopted delegated decree no. 161 on amendments to law no. 97 of 20 June 2008 – prevention and repression of violence against women and gender violence – and subsequent amendments and to the Criminal Code, which aimed to ensure a more effective system of prevention, protection and support for victims of violence.  In particular, the definition of violence against women and gender-based violence was rephrased.  The Authority for Equal Opportunities was responsible for keeping and disseminating data on gender-based violence.  The data was provided by all the institutions that come into contact with women victims of violence, including the courts, the mental health service and the counselling centre, the Minors’ Protection Service, and all three police forces. 

    San Marino authorities recently implemented comprehensive policies with the adoption of two national plans for the prevention of gender-based violence, including all competent institutional and civil society actors: the comprehensive national plan to combat violence against women 2024–2026, and the multi-year national plan on the elimination of violence and harassment and discrimination in the world of work to implement International Labour Organization Convention no.190 on the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work.  The 24-hour on-call service of Social Workers and Psychologists was introduced and regulated, and the Emergency Centre was set up, where victims, including those with children, could receive psychosocial, health and legal assistance. 

    Every year on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, San Marino organised numerous meetings and initiatives to raise awareness, including a recent media campaign “the new languages of violence”.  The University of San Marino organised compulsory vocational training courses annually for a wide range of professionals, including magistrates, police forces, professional associations, socio-health services, school staff and family mediators.  The University also actively collaborated with schools to foster an innovative and inclusive educational approach.

    An initiative speared by civil society, the law regulating civil registered partnerships (law no. 147 of 20 November 2018), allowed same-sex couples to obtain a form of legal recognition of their relationship equivalent to marriage. Another action which originated from civil society was the Referendum for the decriminalisation and legalisation of the voluntary termination of pregnancy in February 2021.  One year after the historic overwhelming result which saw more than 77 per cent of San Marino citizens vote in favour of decriminalising abortion, the San Marino Parliament approved law no. 147 of 7 September 2022 regulating voluntary termination of pregnancy.  This law contained the necessary amendments to the Criminal Code for both the decriminalisation of the act and the protection of the procedure.

    Despite the progress that had been made in recent years, some challenges persisted in San Marino in the area of elimination of discrimination against women, particularly when it came to eliminating gender stereotypes.  Mr. Beccari said he would ensure the dialogue was open, useful and fruitful. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    ERIKA SCHLÄPPI, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said this was the first report submitted by the State party.  It was regretful that no reports had been received from civil society. Were the Convention’s provisions directly applicable in San Marino?  Were they referred to in practice in the courts?  What had been done to raise the visibility of the Convention?  Were there any plans to revise article 4 paragraph 1 of the San Marino Constitution to include other forms of discrimination, including gender identity?  Were there plans to introduce a body of laws preventing discrimination in the private and public spheres?  How did the San Marino authorities integrate a gender perspective in the legislative process? 

    What legal procedures could women currently use for submitting complaints about discriminatory acts?  What were the possible barriers for women to make use of existing legal remedies?  How were judges and lawyers trained to ensure gender equality in administrative procedures?  The Committee was concerned about the lack of disaggregated data in San Marino.  It was welcomed that authorities were considering taking measures to improve the data collections system.  What were the plans to improve data collection in the areas of gender equality? What were the timelines?  Did the State plan to enact a comprehensive law to prohibit discrimination?   

    Responses by the Delegation 

     

    The delegation said civil society organizations were informed about the drafting report and had several opportunities to get in touch.  Work had been carried out on the report with the San Marino Union for Women. Women’s rights were a topic close to the heart of San Marino citizens.  The Authority for Equal Opportunities conducted important work on the issue of violence against women.  The data on cases of violence was quite thorough.  San Marino was going through a process to join the European Union and it was hoped that once they had joined, a body on data gathering could be established. Data gathering was currently a weak point for the State and they would appreciate any specific advice from the Committee in this regard. 

    Work was underway to create a statistical body, and in the meantime, an office was charged with data collection and gathering.  Article 4 contained a list of protections which was not exhaustive.  This was to simplify the way such protection was worded. The Convention was fully applicable to San Marino’s legal body.  The State had signed the Istanbul Convention.  Women who were victims of violence could directly submit a complaint to the police, which would be passed on to the court.  There were nine police brigades which controlled the whole territory in San Marino, and there was an office dedicated to gender-based violence against minors.  A complaint could be received by the main police station, and victims needed to be informed of their rights.  Personnel of the gender-based violence office attended a three-week training course, in collaboration with the Italian police. 

    Data was gathered by the Authority on Equal Opportunities on gender-based violence and violence against minors, as well as discrimination in the world of work.  A new office, the Office of Statistics, was being created, which would act as a house for data, and would be used to answer questions from international bodies.  The State was striving to have data collected by all different agencies, including the police forces, to have a global vision on the issue.   

    While direct reference to the Convention was not that common, the legal framework of the State fully supported the provisions of the Convention. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said San Marino had demonstrated a commitment to promoting gender equality through several institutional frameworks, including the Commission for Equal Opportunities, which addressed a broad range of discrimination, including gender, disability and sexual orientation.  Could the State party clarify the mandate and resource allocations for the Commission and the Authority for Equal Opportunities?  What were the responsibilities of each body? How were they coordinated?  How were gender perspectives currently integrated into public policy?  The Authority for Equal Opportunities managed a fund for victim support.  Could updated information be provided on human and financial resources available for the bodies responsible for gender equality? Were steps being taken to ensure sustainability in line with their growing mandates? 

    San Marino had a vibrant civil society, with groups including the San Marino Union for Women contributing to reforms.  How were women’s organizations formally included in the development and monitoring of gender equality policies?  What measures were taken to ensure the participation of civil society organizations in national platforms?  Could an update be provided on the process and timeline for establishing a national human rights institution?  How would it ensure compliance with the Paris Principles?

    Another Expert asked what kind of temporary special measures were already implemented in legislation and in the judicial branch?  What temporary special measures had been adopted in the area of parity to achieve increased representation of women?  Were there any examples of positive discrimination for women in fields such as the military? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said there needed to be a radical mind shift within San Marino society. Education at schools and universities played a key role in this regard.  If men felt they had a right to discriminate against women, it meant they were not being educated properly.  This applied to other challenges, including racism and intolerance towards minorities. 

    Work was being done to create an Office of the Ombudsman in San Marino.  The office was expected to be operational in 2026.  The key elements of the office, including monitoring, combatting discrimination, complaints mechanisms, and mediation, among others, had already been identified.  The Ombudsman would have an independent budget and would have a six-year mandate. 

    The State endorsed civil society organizations in fighting gender-based violence and discrimination.  A petition called for the creation of mechanisms to combat discrimination.  A register was being developed for civil society organizations active in the field of women’s rights to facilitate work with these organizations.  San Marino was a small State and its services were fully adequate.  The victims’ reception centre had a 24/7 hotline which provided assistance. 

    A decree had set norms for the employment of specific roles, with incentives for the employment of women.  In April 2025, the gap between men and women was significantly reduced, highlighting the effectiveness of these norms. 

    San Marino was in the process of developing an independent human rights commission, in line with the Paris Principles. The bill would come into force in 2025 and become operative in 2026. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    An Expert asked how the effectiveness of training was being assessed?  What complaints mechanisms existed for discrimination against minority women?  Why was psychological harm not considered to be a criminal case?  Had the campaigns targeting men been assessed?  Was the State considering covering witnesses? Did judges, lawyers and law enforcement receive mandatory training in this regard?

    It was welcomed that the State provided services, including shelters for victims of violence.  Could women with disabilities and migrant women have access to these services?  Were there enough of these services?  What economic, labour and housing initiatives were provided for victims?  How many judicial sentences regarding gender-based violence had been handed down?  What period of time elapsed between the complaint and the finalised sentence? What public funds did civil society organizations currently receive when they provided assistance and support to victims?  How many victims of violence and their children had received reparation?  What kind of reparation did they receive?

    Another Committee Expert said the strong demand for foreign labour in the State created opportunities for trafficking.  The State party had reported that no investigations had been launched to date regarding trafficking cases.  When was the State party expecting to finalise work on the national action plan on trafficking?  What funds would be allocated to ensure its success?  How would the State party ensure that all relevant stakeholders were up to speed concerning their role in the fight against trafficking?  What steps was the State party taking to put in place national procedures and mechanisms to ensure the referral of trafficking victims?  Several sectors of the economy had been identified as being susceptible to trafficking, including domestic work.  Was the State party planning to follow the recommendation to raise awareness of the risk of trafficking among the general public?  Was the State party planning to decriminalise sex work?

    Responses by the Delegation 

     

    The delegation said San Marino was carrying out activities to improve its expertise in the area of trafficking.  The State currently had no cases directly relating to human trafficking, demonstrating the phenomenon was limited in the country, possibly due to its limited size, as well as the control and efficacy of law enforcement agencies.  The national strategy for combatting trafficking was currently being drafted.  Since trafficking cases were non-existent in San Marino, it was unlikely the topic would be addressed extensively in training courses, but it would be mentioned. The anti-violence network included magistrates and representatives of the legal system and law enforcement agencies. 

    Since the visit of the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings to San Marino, there had been no indication of risks or cases reported. Work was carried out in collaboration with the Italian State in terms of training opportunities, and new modules were being designed for labour inspectors.  The Labour Inspectorate carried out direct interviews with the home carers and had reported no issues in this regard.  The State would continue to remain vigilant about trafficking, particularly for high-risk sectors, but at present this risk was not prevalent.

    Psychological violence was included in the decree of 2024, which addressed domestic violence against women.  It was defined as any intentional behaviour which impacted the psychological integrity of women.  In 2024, there were four orders of protection enacted by the judge.  Parliament recently adopted a law regarding the duration of trial, which would ensure an improvement in the duration of cases pertaining to violence. 

    Over the last year, training had been dedicated to preventive action against discrimination. The State had a duty to punish perpetrators, and to ensure their rehabilitation.  The union contract had been signed for the 24-hour availability of social servants, for cases of discrimination or violence.  A protocol was in place with the authorities and Order of Psychologists, where psychologists received a financial contribution for completing mandatory training for victims of violence. 

    The State had a list of pro-bono lawyers who could assist victims, but were also working on a specific agreement with the Bar Association, to ensure that victims had legal assistance.  This assistance would be entirely covered by the Authority of Equal Opportunities.  A project was underway to support women victims of violence who did not have access to an income.  Two years ago, a training module was created for journalists to raise awareness about gender stereotypes in the media, with work carried out directly with the Association of Journalists.

    A new emergency centre was created in 2024 and had been operating 24/7, welcoming women victims of violence and their children, as well as unaccompanied minors.   

    Questions by Committee Experts

    An Expert said the crime of trafficking affected all countries; was size of the country considered an acceptable excuse for the lack of trafficking cases? 

    A Committee Expert said there was an ongoing debate in the country about how to enforce the political participation of women in San Marino.  How did San Marino plan to achieve parity in public life.  How did the State party explain the low representation of women in the cabinet?  Were there legal or policy measures in place to ensure the representation of women? What would be done to increase the number of women in leading positions in the public administration and the judiciary? 

    One Committee Expert commended the State party for the efforts and improvements made to align citizenship rights of a small landlocked nation with international standards, ensuring that the rules for transmission of citizenship for maternal and paternal lines were now aligned.  The Committee also welcomed the approval concerning the “amendment on citizenship” to remove the obligations for applicants to renounce their existing citizenship.  However, it was regretful that there was no data in the report enabling the Committee to assess the impact of these acts.  It was also concerning that San Marino was yet to ratify key conventions relating to stateless persons. 

    What was the number of women who had obtained citizenship through naturalisation compared to men?  Was the State party considering abolishing the requirement of the interdiction of dual citizenship?  What support mechanism were in place to ensure eligible individuals were able to access the right to San Marino citizenship?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said approximately 50 per cent of the San Marino population lived abroad. Until the year 2000, San Marino citizenship could only be transmitted through the paternal line.  Those who held San Marino citizenship could hold others as well.  The obligation to renounce other nationalities was linked to the naturalisation process.

    Some diplomats believed there were in fact too many women in the diplomatic core, as there had been significant progress in this regard.  Measures to guarantee women’s political life in the country were linked to two laws.  Women made up 50 per cent of the public administration.  Women’s representation within the judiciary was fully granted; a few years ago, the President of the San Marino court was a woman.  San Marino did not intend to use the instrument of quotas again, as the results did not justify its existence, and the quotas were intended to be a temporary measure.  Instead, the State had introduced a cultural mind shift through better awareness raising.  Measures had been introduced to support families, to allow all citizens to participate in the life of the country. 

    The judiciary had strong female representation, with six female representatives.  The coordinator for the civil administrative sector was a woman.   Psychical criteria had been adjusted for entering the gendarmerie corps, meaning there were new female recruits.  In 2025, 25 per cent of officers within the gendarmerie where female, which was a common trend across all law enforcement agencies.  Women had been able to ascend within law enforcement agencies, with women colonels responsible for several units. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert said the Committee commended the State party for achieving literacy rates for both women and men at a rate of 100 per cent.  Was the education system full inclusive to migrant girls and girls with disabilities?  The Committee congratulated the State party for ensuring that equality and inclusion started from primary school.  How did San Marino’s schools directly address topics of human rights, gender stereotypes, racism and gender equality?  Were human rights and gender equality issues explicitly addressed in education curricula? What were the specific recommendations made to prevent cyber bullying against women and girls?  Could sex disaggregated data be provided regarding access to financial aid for students? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said San Marino had two dedicated decrees related to education, including for students with learning disabilities.  There were training courses for teachers to ensure they could provide support to students with disabilities and deal with individual cases. Indications were introduced in all San Marino institutions, from kindergarten to secondary school.  Even at university level, courses offered to students related to gender-based violence and racial discrimination.  The curriculum of schools included specific projects for awareness raising.  This initiative was also passed on to families involved in this approach. 

    On 5 July, an exhibition entitled “Open Dreams” would open, gathering works of elementary and secondary school students, created during school projects relating to human rights and gender parity.  This exhibition would be open to the San Marino people and was part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization celebration for education for peace. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert said the Committee appreciated policies aimed at better integrating women into the labour force, including the one focusing on women over 50.  However, it was concerning that women were underrepresented in the labour market, but overrepresented in part time jobs. Around 95 per cent of those dismissed during the COVID-19 pandemic were women.  Could the State party provide disaggregated statistical data on the employment of women? Why were women the majority of those who lost their employment in the pandemic?  What was done to facilitate their return to employment?  Was there a wage gap?  Could more information be provided regarding measures to increase work life balance and incentivise employers to employ women? 

    What percentage of fathers had benefitted from parental leave since its introduction? What measures were taken to strengthen childcare and support services?  What was being done to strengthen the monitoring of labour conditions of vulnerable groups?  What measures were being taken to combat sexual harassment in the workplace?  What was being done to increase the low numbers of women in leadership positions in the private sector?  Was there a specific law prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said in San Marino law, selection of an individual for employment was based on merit and the candidate’s skillset.  San Marino’s labour market was fully open, meaning employers were free to make their selection specific to the profile they were looking for.  The labour inspectorate would then provide opportunities for the unemployed.  San Marino had been providing incentives for female employment for several years, including that employers would pay less tax for female workers. 

    As of 2025, the labour force in San Marino was better balanced, with the gender gap reduced. If a female worker had a child and wished to return to work, she could transform her contract into one that was part-time.  There were fiscal incentives for employers who were ready to hear needs of their female workers.  This part time contract was valid for the first three years of the child’s life and could be extended for an additional three years.  This was a key provision which would help women balance their professional and private lives.  There were no distinctions in the area of training and lifelong learning between men and women. 

    San Marino had adopted the International Labour Organization convention on workplace discrimination, and the State had adopted a national action plan in this regard. There were several types of paternal leave.  The San Marino legal system encouraged fathers to request permission to accompany children to the doctor and for other needs.  The legal system also provided for parental leave for foster children. 

    Discriminatory acts in San Marino were punishable under the law.  If this occurred in a work environment, the sentence would be further strengthened.  There were harsher punishments for sexual violence when it occurred in a work environment. 

     

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert asked what the State party was doing to ensure the right of minorities to health?  What were the current challenges faced by the Women’s Health Centre?  How was its sustainability guaranteed?  What measures were taken to ensure sexual and reproductive health, as well as modern, free and low-cost contraceptive measures, especially for more disadvantaged groups?  How was appropriate information provided on how to access appropriate gynaecological and obstetric care? 

    Forced sterilisation was sanctioned under the Penal Code but could be authorised on the grounds of psycho-social disability.  What measures would be taken to combat this harmful practice?  Had changes been made to the Penal Code which recognised exceptions to the general prohibition of abortion, including incest and rape?  How many women had access to legal abortion in 2023 and 2024?  What steps were being taken by the State party to have a team to support female victims of gender violence?  How were women’s needs in mental health being taken into account? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the law to support families included rights for mothers, fathers, natural and adopted children.  For years, the Women’s Health Centre had been working to support women, including counselling them.  This was a dedicated body which fought to protect women, their children, and families. The Centre offered counselling for women and couples, providing them with information and contraceptives. Activities in schools were tailored depending on the age of the pupils. 

    The Constitutional Court in San Marino had issued a ruling on the desire to de-penalise abortion, reflecting the mind shift already present in society.  Screenings for cancer risks were directly managed by the San Marino hospital.  The Women’s Health Centre was tasked with prevention and monitoring of such risks. There was no forced sterilisation in the country.  Close monitoring of contraception occurred under the supervision of medical personnel. 

    A series of events were organised in schools dedicated to sexuality, which were optional for elementary school pupils and mandatory for older pupils.  The content of these events differed depending on the age of the students.  Training courses had been developed to raise awareness among younger populations about sexual health.  These interventions had been favourably welcomed by San Marino households.  In 2023, a new hub providing psychological support was opened, accessible to all pupils.  Mental health support was available through the hub.  Adolescents and young people could freely access the human papillomavirus vaccine. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert congratulated the State party on law no. 158 of 2022, which provided a regulatory framework for the protection and support of women who went through pregnancy and postpartum in conditions of psychological, economic and social discomfort, as well as single pregnant women, and single parent families.  How many single pregnant women and single-parent families had benefited since the adoption of the law in November 2022? 

    Had the State party considered instituting surveillance and monitoring mechanisms to specifically track progress in inclusive social security systems?  What laws and policies had been implemented to promote women’s entrepreneurship, access to economic assets, and business ownership?  Were there government-led programmes that provided support to women entrepreneurs? Were there training or capacity building initiatives in key sectors like financial technology, e-commerce, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics, where women remained underrepresented?  What actions were being taken to increase the number of women in leadership roles within sports and cultural institutions? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said a new law provided favourable conditions for both male and female entrepreneurs.  More and more women were opting for activities in the e-commerce space.  Employers and employees could have access to the family allowance.  This was provided by the State to better support childcare.  Law 158 from 2022 supported pregnant women and single parent families.  The State was currently considering a reform bill which resulted in further allowances to support households with young children, particularly new fathers, to close the gap between men and women in the household. 

    In 2024, there were 22 cases of voluntary abortion in the country.  The San Marino Olympic Committee promoted equality.  In 2024, the University of San Marino organised a day focusing on sports and disability, using sports as a tool for inclusion and equality.  This special day was open to all sports operators and coaches in the country to raise awareness regarding inclusion and combatting all kinds of discrimination in sports. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said around five per cent of the State resided in rural areas, being predominantly involved in agriculture or domestic work.  Could information on the social conditions of rural women in San Marino be provided?  San Marino had 258 migrant workers employed in the private sector as caregivers or badanti. The Committee noted with satisfaction the establishment of the one stop shop set up to provide assistance to these badanti.  What was currently being done to prevent violence against badanti? 

    What measures were in place to ensure inclusive employment for women with disabilities? Since June 2019, discrimination on the ground of gender identity was expressly banned in San Marino.  What steps were being taken to recognise same sex marriage for citizens? 

    A Committee Expert asked for more information on forced sterilisation which had been imposed on women with disabilities over the past five years, possibly authorised by a legal guardian? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said it was difficult to distinguish between urban and rural areas in San Marino. All people living in San Marino enjoyed universal health coverage.  A desk had been organised for badanti to answer questions and deal with issues affecting them, and for families who wished to benefit from their services. There was no discrimination towards badanti in the country; efforts were made to protect their work. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert welcomed the law which allowed a judge to order the removal of the aggressor in cases of gender-based violence, among other initiatives.  How did the courts deal with custody and the visiting rights of parents?  How were the best interests of a child taken into account from a gender perspective? How many children had been able to receive their mothers surname since 2016?  What mechanisms existed to provide oversight for family mediation procedures and ensure the Convention standards were respected? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said the interests of minors were always protected when it came to custody matters.  Judges would take into account the circumstance of violence within the household. When it came to separation between the parents, mediation was ruled out if there was violence within the household. 

    Closing Remarks

    MARCELLO BECCARI, Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the dialogue which had enabled the State to review the legislation and all areas where discrimination against women could occur.  The institutions of San Marino were actively engaged in the implementation of the Convention.  The recommendations by the Committee would be carefully considered.

    MARIANNE MIKKO, Committee Vice-Chair, thanked the delegation of San Marino for the constructive dialogue, which had provided further insight on the situation of women in the country.  

    ___________

    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.

     

    CEDAW25.017E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scours Mars for Science

    Source: NASA

    In addition to drilling rock core samples, the science team has been grinding its way into rocks to make sense of the scientific evidence hiding just below the surface.

    On June 3, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover ground down a portion of a rock surface, blew away the resulting debris, and then went to work studying its pristine interior with a suite of instruments designed to determine its mineralogic makeup and geologic origin. “Kenmore,” as nicknamed by the rover science team, is the 30th Martian rock that Perseverance has subjected to such in-depth scrutiny, beginning with drilling a two-inch-wide (5-centimeter-wide) abrasion patch.  
    “Kenmore was a weird, uncooperative rock,” said Perseverance’s deputy project scientist, Ken Farley from Caltech in Pasadena, California. “Visually, it looked fine — the sort of rock we could get a good abrasion on and perhaps, if the science was right, perform a sample collection. But during abrasion, it vibrated all over the place and small chunks broke off. Fortunately, we managed to get just far enough below the surface to move forward with an analysis.”
    The science team wants to get below the weathered, dusty surface of Mars rocks to see important details about a rock’s composition and history. Grinding away an abrasion patch also creates a flat surface that enables Perseverance’s science instruments to get up close and personal with the rock.

    Time to Grind
    NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, each carried a diamond-dust-tipped grinder called the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) that spun at 3,000 revolutions per minute as the rover’s robotic arm pushed it deeper into the rock. Two wire brushes then swept the resulting debris, or tailings, out of the way. The agency’s Curiosity rover carries a Dust Removal Tool, whose wire bristles sweep dust from the rock’s surface before the rover drills into the rock. Perseverance, meanwhile, relies on a purpose-built abrading bit, and it clears the tailings with a device that surpasses wire brushes: the gaseous Dust Removal Tool, or gDRT.
    “We use Perseverance’s gDRT to fire a 12-pounds-per-square-inch (about 83 kilopascals) puff of nitrogen at the tailings and dust that cover a freshly abraded rock,” said Kyle Kaplan, a robotic engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Five puffs per abrasion — one to vent the tanks and four to clear the abrasion. And gDRT has a long way to go. Since landing at Jezero Crater over four years ago, we’ve puffed 169 times. There are roughly 800 puffs remaining in the tank.” The gDRT offers a key advantage over a brushing approach: It avoids any terrestrial contaminants that might be on a brush from getting on the Martian rock being studied.

    Having collected data on abraded surfaces more than 30 times, the rover team has in-situ science (studying something in its original place or position) collection pretty much down. After gDRT blows the tailings away, the rover’s WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) imager (which, like gDRT, is at the end of the rover’s arm) swoops in for close-up photos. Then, from its vantage point high on the rover’s mast, SuperCam fires thousands of individual pulses from its laser, each time using a spectrometer to determine the makeup of the plume of microscopic material liberated after every zap. SuperCam also employs a different spectrometer to analyze the visible and infrared light that bounces off the materials in the abraded area.
    “SuperCam made observations in the abrasion patch and of the powdered tailings next to the patch,” said SuperCam team member and “Crater Rim” campaign science lead, Cathy Quantin-Nataf of the University of Lyon in France. “The tailings showed us that this rock contains clay minerals, which contain water as hydroxide molecules bound with iron and magnesium — relatively typical of ancient Mars clay minerals. The abrasion spectra gave us the chemical composition of the rock, showing enhancements in iron and magnesium.”
    Later, the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) and PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) instruments took a crack at Kenmore, too. Along with supporting SuperCam’s discoveries that the rock contained clay, they detected feldspar (the mineral that makes much of the Moon brilliantly bright in sunlight). The PIXL instrument also detected a manganese hydroxide mineral in the abrasion — the first time this type of material has been identified during the mission.  
    With Kenmore data collection complete, the rover headed off to new territories to explore rocks — both cooperative and uncooperative — along the rim of Jezero Crater.
    “One thing you learn early working on Mars rover missions is that not all Mars rocks are created equal,” said Farley. “The data we obtain now from rocks like Kenmore will help future missions so they don’t have to think about weird, uncooperative rocks. Instead, they’ll have a much better idea whether you can easily drive over it, sample it, separate the hydrogen and oxygen contained inside for fuel, or if it would be suitable to use as construction material for a habitat.”
    Long-Haul Roving
    On June 19 (the 1,540th Martian day, or sol, of the mission), Perseverance bested its previous record for distance traveled in a single autonomous drive, trekking 1,348 feet (411 meters). That’s about 210 feet (64 meters) more than its previous record, set on April 3, 2023 (Sol 753). While planners map out the rover’s general routes, Perseverance can cut down driving time between areas of scientific interest by using its self-driving system, AutoNav.
    “Perseverance drove 4½ football fields and could have gone even farther, but that was where the science team wanted us to stop,” said Camden Miller, a rover driver for Perseverance at JPL. “And we absolutely nailed our stop target location. Every day operating on Mars, we learn more on how to get the most out of our rover. And what we learn today future Mars missions won’t have to learn tomorrow.”
    News Media Contact
    DC AgleJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-9011agle@jpl.nasa.gov
    Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov    
    2025-082

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Mast Exposes Spies, Lies and Mismanagement at the U.S. Agency for Global Media

    Source: US House Committee on Foreign Affairs

    Media Contact 202-321-9747

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Brian Mast delivered opening remarks at a full committee hearing titled, “Spies, Lies, and Mismanagement: Examining the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s Downfall.”

    Watch Here

    -Remarks-

    The purpose of today’s hearing is to examine the efficacy of the US Agency for Global Media, by allowing members the opportunity to discuss the agency’s history of national security concerns, the use of taxpayer dollars, and the Trump administration’s vision for a path forward. And I’m now going to recognize myself for an opening statement. As we meet to discuss the downfall of the US Agency for Global Media, or USAGM as we call it, an independent government agency.

    It’s an agency that can trace its roots back to fighting Nazi propaganda during World War II. But instead of staying true to its mandate of combating our adversaries and advocating for American values, in recent decades USAGM has unfortunately lost its way. Prior to this administration taking office again, the agency was riddled with OIG reports and investigations demonstrating that USAGM had been a cesspool of spies, lies and mismanagement.

    That is not an exaggeration. The agency has promoted the very propaganda that it was created to defeat.

    A case in point is Voice of America, or VOA as it’s known, a media outlet overseen directly by USAGM and funded by the American taxpayer, of course — because of Chinese pressure, Voice of America censored interviews with Chinese dissidents.

    VOA hired an admitted Taliban fighter, a jihadist, to criticize President Trump’s terror travel ban decision — it’s reminiscent of a headline that would be in the Babylon Bee: Terrorist hired to criticize President Trump’s travel ban — while instructing its reporters not to call Hamas terrorists, unless they used air quotes when they did so.

    VOA suppressed negative stories about Iran and its terrorist proxies. And VOA, which peddled the Russian collusion hoax, hired foreign nationals who previously worked for Russian state sponsored news outlets to tell that story.

    USAGM is a government agency tasked with promoting American ideals. But instead, it’s hired foreign adversaries with your tax dollars, who promoted anti-American propaganda, both at home and abroad.

    This is only a partisan issue because President Trump is in the White House. The fact is, Republicans and Democrat administrations alike have exposed USAGM’s hiring, vetting and messaging failures.

    During the Biden era, the State Department Inspector General found that USAGM skirted federal hiring guidelines when doling out jobs to foreign nationals. Many of these foreign nationals were quite literally security risks, yet they were given access to extremely sensitive information. To be specific, what’s known as tier 3 and tier 5, which are the equivalent of secret and top secret information. Everybody should be asking themselves why foreign nationals hired to be journalists need access to top secret information that most foreign militaries don’t get access to.

    This was not just incompetence. It was taxpayer funded self-sabotage. American taxpayers would have been better off if that money had just been lit on fire.

    Before President Trump won his historic second term, USAGM embraced and regurgitated enemy propaganda. It became a mouthpiece for our adversaries paid for, again, by your tax dollars. And we’re here to say that the grift is over.

    It’s not that USAGM has never provided any value. It’s that USAGM had drastically lost their way and allowed themselves to become a source of espionage. However, it’s clear that USAGM cannot continue to operate as it has in recent times. Drastic measures have to be taken to ensure that every taxpayer dollar for where those dollars come from, the American people. Not Xi Jinping. Not Vladimir Putin, not the Ayatollah.

    I want to thank our witness, Kari Lake, for appearing in front of this committee today. I’m looking forward to hearing your testimony. I’m looking forward to a productive and probably a rowdy discussion about the Trump administration’s vision for the future of US broadcasting.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-Evening Report: Whose story is being told — and why? 4 questions museum visitors should ask themselves this school holidays

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato

    The winter school holidays will mean families across Aotearoa New Zealand will be looking for indoor activities to entertain children. With millions of visitors each year, museums focused on the country’s history will inevitably play host to local and international visitors.

    Museums tend to enjoy a high level of trust among the public. They’re widely seen as neutral, factual sources of historical knowledge.

    But like all forms of storytelling, museums present the past in particular ways. They narrate events from a certain group’s or individual’s perspective and explain why events unfolded in the way they did.

    In this respect, museums are not so different from historical films. Consider the different ways two recent movies – 1917 and the remake of All Quiet on the Western Front – narrate the first world war.

    In 1917, the storyteller takes the British side, encouraging viewers to invest in the bravery and endurance of British soldiers. But All Quiet on the Western Front is narrated from a German perspective, inviting viewers to grieve for German soldiers as victims of a political system that glorified war.

    Museum exhibitions tell stories in a similar way. Visitors should be asking not just what story is told, but why.

    Spoiler alert: it often has to do with national identity. Museums tell particular stories of the past because these stories support a particular image of New Zealand as a nation.

    Four questions for your next museum visit

    At its core, every story has two basic ingredients: actors and events. To turn these into a compelling narrative, the storyteller connects the events into a plot, so they build on each other. The storyteller also transforms actors into characters by giving them particular traits — brave, selfish, wise, cruel and the like. Museums do this, too.

    As you move through a museum exhibition, try asking yourself the following questions:

    1. Which historical events are included — and which are left out?

    Every story begins somewhere. Museums choose which events to include and which to leave out, shaping how visitors understand what happened and why.

    Take Te Papa’s Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition. It opens with the landing at ANZAC Cove but skips over events in the lead-up to WWI — such as Britain’s earlier moves to seize Ottoman territories like Cyprus and Egypt.

    Leaving these out helps frame Gallipoli as a noble – albeit tragic – “coming of age” for New Zealand. But in reality, ANZAC soldiers were fighting to support Britain’s imperial ambitions in the Middle East.

    2. How are events organised into a plot?

    Museums don’t just say “this happened, then that happened”. They link events into a larger plot — a chain of cause and effect that explains how one thing led to another. This can happen through text, but also through spatial layout, lighting, sound and other techniques that guide visitors through rising and falling moments of narrative tension.

    Often, museums use familiar plot types to connect events. One common example is the quest narrative — a story in which heroes must navigate unknown terrain, and where mistakes are part of the journey and threaten to derail the mission. It’s a bit like The Lord of the Rings: a journey full of challenges, wrong turns and personal growth.

    At Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi, Aotearoa New Zealand’s Treaty story is told using this quest structure. The Treaty is presented as something unique and unfamiliar and the British, confronted with this unknown, fall back on familiar colonial practices — the “mistake” that led to the New Zealand wars.

    Because this misstep is treated as part of the learning curve typical of any quest, the exhibition avoids harder questions about this violent part of history, and instead preserves the image of Aotearoa New Zealand as fundamentally tolerant and respectful.

    3. Who are the main actors in the story — and who is missing?

    Every story needs protagonists, and whose perspective frames the story matters. In many smaller regional museums, history is still told almost entirely from the viewpoint of European settlers. But what about Māori experiences of colonisation? Or the histories of Chinese communities and other migrants who arrived in the 1800s?

    By focusing narrowly on European settlers as the main actors, these museums present a one-sided view of the past and construct an image of New Zealand as a European nation — one that expects others to assimilate.

    4. How are the main actors characterised — and how are we meant to feel about them?

    It’s not surprising that museums portray some actors positively and others less so. What’s more revealing is how certain individuals are elevated as symbols of the nation and how museums invite us to form personal connections with them.

    In Te Papa’s Gallipoli exhibition, visitors can open drawers and boxes containing soldiers’ personal belongings. This intimate activity encourages us to feel close to these figures — not just learning about them, but identifying with them as embodying national qualities: bravery, resilience and a commitment to peace.

    Why does this matter?

    Historical museum narratives aren’t necessarily inaccurate — but, much like historical movies, they are selective. They highlight certain events, actors and cause-and-effect chains to tell a particular kind of story. Often, that story supports a specific idea of what it means to be an Aotearoa New Zealander.

    By reading museum exhibitions with a critical eye, visitors can better understand not just the past, but how storytelling shapes national identity in the present — and imagine how it might be shaped differently.

    Olli Hellmann 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. Whose story is being told — and why? 4 questions museum visitors should ask themselves this school holidays – https://theconversation.com/whose-story-is-being-told-and-why-4-questions-museum-visitors-should-ask-themselves-this-school-holidays-259538

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU Trust Fund for Africa – 2023 discharge – E-001426/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Addressing migration is a joint responsibility and commitment between the EU, its Member States and EU’s partners based on the principles of solidarity and partnership.

    Fluctuations in irregular border crossings underscore the complex challenges of managing migration, which depends on variety of dynamic factors that require comprehensive and continuous efforts over the long-term.

    The EU Trust Fund for Africa (EUTF)[1] has played a crucial role by addressing the root causes of irregular migration, which is now continuing under the Neighbourhood, Development and International Cooperation — Global Europe Instrument (NDICI-Global Europe).

    Recent data indicate a significant reduction of irregular border crossings via the Central Mediterranean route, with a 59% decrease in 2024 compared to 2023, and similar levels so far in 2025[2].

    The Commission remains committed to the continuous evaluation and adaptation of its programmes to ensure their effectiveness in the ever-changing migration landscape.

    The data provided concerns the voluntary returns and reintegration supported by the EUTF in 2023 and is not related to the North of Africa region.

    In 2023, voluntary returns were funded under NDICI-Global Europe, through the Migrant Protection, Return and Reintegration programme[3], and reached the number of 27 212 both from North and Sub-Saharan Africa while 23 823 were assisted for their reintegration in Sub-Saharan Africa.

    When considering the EUTF projects which created new jobs, most of them were in the private sector. The types of jobs[4] vary according to the region, and include mainly: agriculture, fishery, livestock production or processing sector, construction and infrastructure sector, education, healthcare and social services sectors.

    • [1]  https://trust-fund-for-africa.europa.eu/index_en, established on 12 November 2015.
    • [2]  European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex).
    • [3]  https://international-partnerships.ec.europa.eu/policies/programming/projects/migrant-protection-return-and-reintegration-programme-sub-saharan-africa-mprr-ssa_en#:~:text=The%20Migrant%20Protection%2C%20Return%2C%20and%20Reintegration%20Programme%20for,Africa%2C%20as%20well%20as%20within%20the%20African%20continent.
    • [4]  Source is the Monitoring and Learning System reports available on the EUTF website: https://trust-fund-for-africa.europa.eu/library_en.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: RECOMMENDATION on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark – A10-0099/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

    on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark

    (COM(2024)0479 – C10-0227/2024 – 2024/0263(NLE))

    (Consent)

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the draft Council decision (14652/2024),

    – having regard to the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (2025-2030) (14781/24),

    – having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 43(2) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C10‑0227/2024),

    – having regard to its non-legislative resolution of …[1] on the draft decision,

    – having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

    – having regard to Rule 107(1) and (4) and Rule 117(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0099/2025),

    1. Gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement;

    2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States, of the one part, and of Greenland and Denmark, of the other part.

     

    EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

     

    At the end of 2024, Greenland and the European Union signed a new Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) (2025-2030). This is a mixed agreement that allows the European Union’s vessels to fish species such as cod, Greenland halibut, redfish and Northern prawn. In return, the European Union pays a financial contribution of EUR 17 296 857 per annum, comprising EUR 14 096 857 for access rights and EUR 3 200 000 for support and implementation of Greenland’s fisheries policy, plus the fees paid by vessel owners. In recent years, the fisheries agreement has allowed around 10 of the European Union’s vessels to operate in the autonomous territory’s waters. The new Protocol provides details of the rules and provisions governing this access.

     

    Fisheries in Greenland

     

    The fisheries sector is of central importance for Greenland in socio-economic and cultural terms. It accounts for 15% of the territory’s jobs and over 90% of its exports. Inshore fishing mainly involves small boats (dinghies), and sustains a local economy and jobs. Many remote Inuit communities rely on subsistence fishing. The territory also has a developed offshore fishing fleet and has fisheries agreements in force that allow foreign vessels to fish in the offshore area. Greenland’s fisheries are suffering the effects of climate change on a vulnerable Arctic marine environment, with particular impacts on the species caught. Greenland has put measures in place to limit the impact of fisheries on the marine environment; these include a ban on discards, a plan for the management of bycatch, etc.

     

    New Protocol implementing the SFPA

     

    The new Protocol that has been signed has a term of six years, providing stability and visibility for stakeholders. It contains provisions aimed at providing a framework for access to waters by European vessels and cooperation with Greenland: fishing opportunities, bycatch, scientific cooperation, monitoring, controls, surveillance, fishing areas, observers etc.

     

    A specific characteristic of the agreement is that catches are regulated on the basis of fishing opportunities that are set annually. Your rapporteur is concerned about the fact that, according to the ex-post evaluation, the TACs for several of the targeted species exceed the limits set on the basis of scientific advice. These proven cases of overfishing, or of uncertainty owing to a lack of data, pose a threat to fish populations and the sustainability of fisheries, as in the case of the Northern prawn. Several indicative fishing opportunities have been reduced. The second noteworthy point is linked to the need for additional data regarding the targeted species and marine ecosystems.

     

    The programming of sectoral support will be adopted in the three months following the application of the Protocol. The sectoral support allocated in recent years has made it possible to support research and scientific assessments, the administration of Greenland’s fisheries, controls and also small-scale coastal fisheries. This is assessed positively in the evaluation of the last Protocol.

     

    Conclusions and recommendations 

     

    In the context of current diplomatic tensions with the United States and the climate crisis in the Arctic, your rapporteur recalls the importance of the SFPA and relations between Greenland and the European Union in the area of fisheries. Through its sectoral support, the fisheries agreement offers assistance that is welcomed by the authorities and a number of civil society actors in Greenland. Positive developments include the increase in the financial contribution paid by the European Union, in the amount of sectoral support and in the fees paid by vessel owners.

     

    Your rapporteur invites the European Union to provide increased support to coastal fishing communities, with respect for the rights of the indigenous peoples and the FAO’s Guidelines for Securing Sustainable Small-Scale Fisheries. It is advisable to ensure that these peoples, as well as NGOs, are involved in the agreement. Another positive development is the European Union’s support in areas such as controls, the fight against IUU fishing, the collection of data and scientific research.

    Your rapporteur underlines the environmental challenges associated with the agreement. As already requested by Parliament in 2021, it is essential to continue efforts in relation to data collection and the fight against overfishing, by following the scientific advice for setting TACs in Greenland and allocating annual fishing opportunities to the European Union. Even though it fishes smaller quantities, the European Union must follow the precautionary principle. The definition of the surplus is controversial in certain cases. The fishing carried out by the European Union’s vessels furthermore has an impact on seabed ecosystems and the emphasis must be on identifying and protecting vulnerable marine ecosystems, with the sector’s help.

     

    Finally, your rapporteur asks for this fisheries agreement to be repositioned in the context of regional fisheries governance. Quota exchanges mean that post-Brexit relations with coastal countries, including Norway, are closely linked to the agreement. The European Union and Greenland must strengthen cooperation and transparency within the RFMOs and the agreements between coastal states. More broadly, the European Union must do more to protect species and the marine environment in the Arctic.

    ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR HAS RECEIVED INPUT

    Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that he has received input from the following entities or persons in the preparation of the draft report:

    Entity and/or person

    Delegation of France to the European Union

    Delegation of Germany to the European Union

    Delegation of Denmark to the European Union

    Greenland Ministry of Fisheries

    Oceana

    Europêche

    DG MARE (Commission)

    The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.

    Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that he has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.

     

     

    BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON BUDGETS (19.2.2025)

    for the Committee on Fisheries

    on the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Protocol implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union on the one hand, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, on the other hand

    (COM(2024)0479 – C10‑0227/2024 – 2024/0263(NLE))

    Rapporteur for budgetary assessment: Isabel Benjumea Benjumea

    The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

    A. whereas the previous 4-year Implementing Protocol to the Agreement will expire on 21 April 2025;

    B. whereas the financial contribution for the entire duration of the new Implementing Protocol is EUR 103 781 000, based on:

    (a) an annual amount for access to fishery resources for the categories provided for in the Protocol, set at EUR 14 096 857 for the duration of the Protocol;

    (b) support for the development of Greenland’s sectoral fisheries policy amounting to EUR 3 200 000 per year for the duration of the Protocol;

    C. whereas the implementation of the Protocol requires the use of operational appropriations, as explained below:

    DG MARE

     

    Year
    N

    Year
    N+1

    Year
    N+2

    Year
    N+3

    Year
    N+4

    Year
    N+5

    TOTAL

    □ Operational appropriations

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Budget line 08 05 01

    Commitments

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    103.781

    Payments

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    17.296

    103.781

    EUR million (to three decimal places)

    D. whereas on 21 November 2024, Parliament approved DEC 15/2024 submitted by the Commission on 25 October 2024, which makes available the necessary appropriations on operational line 08 05 01 to honour the 2024 financial obligations resulting from the new Implementing Protocol;

    E. whereas the Protocol with Greenland and Denmark was signed and entered into provisional application on 12 December 2024;

    1. Notes that the support allocated to the Protocol should meet the objectives of enabling Union vessels to fish in Greenland’s fishing zone, enabling the Union and Greenland to work closely together to further promote the development of a sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fishery resources in Greenland’s fishing zone, and ensuring that the Union and Greenland cooperate to contribute to decent working conditions in the fisheries sector; considers that there should be thorough scrutiny to ensure that the support meets those objectives effectively during the implementation of the Protocol;

    2. Recommends that, for future agreements, an impact assessment of the added value and socio-economic benefits derived from the previous agreement be taken into account; considers that this assessment should guide the negotiation and renewal of subsequent agreements to ensure that they align with the objectives of sustainable development and efficient use of the Union’s financial resources;

    3. Notes that the transfer of appropriations for an amount of EUR 16 992 434 in commitment appropriations, as submitted by the Commission in DEC 15/2024, was approved by the budgetary authority in the time limit provided for in the Financial Regulation; regrets that the decision on this budgetary matter is disconnected from, and had to be taken prior to, the decision on the consent to be given by Parliament to the new Implementing Protocol; underlines that decisions on the agreement itself and related budgetary matters are inextricably linked, and fears, therefore, that the disconnect risks de facto pre-empting the decision on consent and creating a fait accompli;

    4. Calls on the Commission to explain the need for the provisional application of the Implementing Protocol in question, since the existing Implementing Protocol remains in force until April 2025, thus allowing time for the agreement to be finalised without any risk of a gap; calls on the Commission to provide further information about the budgetary implications of the provisional application of the new Implementing Protocol as of 12 December 2024, given the fact that the current Implementing Protocol is still in force;

    5. Takes note that DEC 15/2024 does not include any transfer of payment appropriations to the operational line for 2024 on the basis that, according to the Commission, the first access payment linked to this Implementing Protocol will be due by 30 June 2025; asks the Commission to clarify the lack of synchronisation between commitment and payment appropriations;

    6. Notes that the 2025 budget as voted on in plenary on 27 November 2024 includes amounts of EUR 150 560 000 in commitment appropriations and EUR 135 300 000 in payment appropriations on line 08 05 01, as well as amounts of EUR 59 970 000 in commitment appropriations and EUR 41 620 000 in payment appropriations for fishing activities on reserve line 30 02 02; regrets that the amounts are cumulative and not broken down by fisheries agreements, thus making it difficult for Parliament to scrutinise budget implementation in this field;

    7. Stresses that the financial programming of line 08 05 01 needs to be sufficient to cater for the financial obligations in the years 2026-2027 subject to the decision of the budgetary authority in the annual budgetary procedures; calls for scrutiny regarding the financial programming of line 08 05 01 in the annual budgets of 2026 and 2027;

    8. Concludes that the Committee on Budgets is in a position to advise the Committee on Fisheries, as the committee responsible, to recommend approval of the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Protocol implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union on the one hand, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, on the other hand.

    ANNEX: ENTITIES OR PERSONS
    FROM WHOM THE RAPPORTEUR FOR BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT HAS RECEIVED INPUT

    The rapporteur for budgetary assessment declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not receive input from any entity or person to be mentioned in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

     

     

     

    PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT

    Title

    Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark

    References

    14652/2024 – C10-0227/2024 – 2024/0263(NLE)

    Committee(s) responsible

    PECH

     

     

     

     Date announced in plenary

    BUDG

    10.2.2025

    Rapporteur for budgetary assessment

     Date appointed

    Isabel Benjumea Benjumea

    12.12.2024

    Discussed in committee

    16.1.2025

     

     

     

    Date adopted

    19.2.2025

     

     

     

    Result of final vote

    +:

    –:

    0:

    23

    0

    5

    Members present for the final vote

    Georgios Aftias, Rasmus Andresen, Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, Tobiasz Bocheński, Tomasz Buczek, Angéline Furet, Jens Geier, Thomas Geisel, Jean-Marc Germain, Andrzej Halicki, Alexander Jungbluth, Fabienne Keller, Janusz Lewandowski, Giuseppe Lupo, Ignazio Roberto Marino, Victor Negrescu, Matjaž Nemec, Danuše Nerudová, Karlo Ressler, Bogdan Rzońca, Julien Sanchez, Hélder Sousa Silva, Joachim Streit, Carla Tavares, Lucia Yar

    Substitutes present for the final vote

    Moritz Körner, Tiago Moreira de Sá

    Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote

    Hildegard Bentele

     

    FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL
    IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT

    23

    +

    ECR

    Tobiasz Bocheński, Bogdan Rzońca

    NI

    Thomas Geisel

    PPE

    Georgios Aftias, Isabel Benjumea Benjumea, Hildegard Bentele, Andrzej Halicki, Janusz Lewandowski, Danuše Nerudová, Karlo Ressler, Hélder Sousa Silva

    Renew

    Fabienne Keller, Moritz Körner, Joachim Streit, Lucia Yar

    S&D

    Jens Geier, Jean-Marc Germain, Giuseppe Lupo, Victor Negrescu, Matjaž Nemec, Carla Tavares

    Verts/ALE

    Rasmus Andresen, Ignazio Roberto Marino

     

     

    5

    0

    ESN

    Alexander Jungbluth

    PfE

    Tomasz Buczek, Angéline Furet, Tiago Moreira de Sá, Julien Sanchez

     

    Key to symbols:

    + : in favour

    – : against

    0 : abstention

     

     

     

    PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

    Title

    Implementing Protocol (2025-2030) to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark

    References

    14652/2024 – C10-0227/2024 – 2024/0263(NLE)

    Date of consultation or request for consent

    18.12.2024

     

     

     

    Committee(s) responsible

    PECH

     

     

     

    Committees asked for opinions

     Date announced in plenary

    BUDG

    10.2.2025

     

     

     

    Rapporteurs

     Date appointed

    Emma Fourreau

    18.12.2024

     

     

     

    Discussed in committee

    27.1.2025

    18.3.2025

     

     

    Date adopted

    20.5.2025

     

     

     

    Budgetary assessment

     Date of budgetary assessment

    BUDG

    19.2.2025

     

     

     

    Result of final vote

    +:

    –:

    0:

    24

    1

    2

    Members present for the final vote

    Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Thomas Bajada, Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Carmen Crespo Díaz, Ton Diepeveen, Siegbert Frank Droese, Emma Fourreau, Nicolás González Casares, France Jamet, Nora Junco García, Isabelle Le Callennec, Isabella Lövin, Giuseppe Lupo, Giuseppe Milazzo, Francisco José Millán Mon, Jessica Polfjärd, André Rodrigues, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Sander Smit, António Tânger Corrêa, Emma Wiesner, Stéphanie Yon-Courtin

    Substitutes present for the final vote

    Sebastian Everding, Marco Falcone, Karin Karlsbro, Rasmus Nordqvist

    Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote

    Hélder Sousa Silva

    Date tabled

    28.5.2025

     

    FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

    24

    +

    ECR

    Stephen Nikola Bartulica, Nora Junco García, Giuseppe Milazzo, Bert-Jan Ruissen

    PPE

    Carmen Crespo Díaz, Marco Falcone, Isabelle Le Callennec, Francisco José Millán Mon, Jessica Polfjärd, Sander Smit, Hélder Sousa Silva

    PfE

    Ton Diepeveen, António Tânger Corrêa

    Renew

    Karin Karlsbro, Emma Wiesner, Stéphanie Yon-Courtin

    S&D

    Sakis Arnaoutoglou, Thomas Bajada, Nicolás González Casares, Giuseppe Lupo, André Rodrigues

    The Left

    Emma Fourreau

    Verts/ALE

    Isabella Lövin, Rasmus Nordqvist

     

    1

    –

    ESN

    Siegbert Frank Droese

     

    2

    0

    PfE

    France Jamet

    The Left

    Sebastian Everding

     

    Key to symbols:

    + : in favour

    – : against

    0 : abstention

     

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Djibouti: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 25, 2025

    A Concluding Statement describes the preliminary findings of IMF staff at the end of an official staff visit (or ‘mission’), in most cases to a member country. Missions are undertaken as part of regular (usually annual) consultations under Article IV of the IMF’s Articles of Agreement, in the context of a request to use IMF resources (borrow from the IMF), as part of discussions of staff monitored programs, or as part of other staff monitoring of economic developments.

    The authorities have consented to the publication of this statement. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    Washington, DC: Djibouti has been navigating regional tensions well, with robust growth, moderate inflation, and recovering reserves. In response to global uncertainties and domestic debt challenges, the authorities plan significant fiscal consolidation, including leveraging state-owned enterprises (SOE) dividends meaningfully, and advancing creditor dialogue. The authorities remain dedicated to investing in human capital and creating favorable investment conditions for job creation.  

    Djibouti’s economic resilience and contribution to regional stability 

    Djibouti helps maintain regional stability by supporting maritime security and facilitating humanitarian responses during crises. Djibouti’s GDP per capita has effectively doubled over the past decade thanks to significant investments that have contributed to the modernization of the economy. However, declining government revenues and increasing debt service have placed considerable strain on public finances, leading to unsustainable levels of public debt and diminishing reserves. Growth has not created enough jobs in the formal sector, while fiscal space to finance development needs is limited.

    The authorities are leveraging Djibouti’s growth resilience to advance fiscal consolidation and rebuild reserves. Growth is expected to have exceeded 6.5 percent in 2024 due to increased transshipments amid Red Sea tensions, while moderate international food and energy prices kept inflation in check. The government deficit was reduced from 3.5 percent of GDP in 2023 to 2.6 percent in 2024 following a brief period of fiscal overruns and deficit monetization, and reserves have begun to recover partially offsetting the decline observed since late 2023, though they remain below the monetary base. 

    The outlook is positive but subject to risks in an uncertain global context. Growth is projected to remain dynamic at around 6 percent this year and to continue over the medium term, albeit at a slower pace. Ethiopia’s robust economy is expected to boost Djibouti’s port activities; however, fiscal consolidation and the phasing out of large-scale investments may temper growth. Key risks include regional conflicts potentially increasing migration and affecting social stability amid a constrained fiscal space, and trade policy shifts that could depreciate the dollar and Djibouti franc, enhancing service exports but also raising inflation. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Djibouti has successfully navigated several shocks over the past few years, including COVID-19, the 2022 Tigray crisis, the Ukraine war, and the 2024 Red Sea maritime disruptions.

    Leveraging resilience for fiscal sustainability and rebuilding reserves  

    In the face of high global and regional uncertainty, Djibouti needs to quickly strengthen its economic resilience by restoring debt sustainability, safeguarding the currency board, and fostering inclusive growth. To this end, the authorities intend to strengthen fiscal consolidation and enhance financial transparency and governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to unlock sustainable and meaningful dividend contributions to the national budget, restore reserves, and encourage private sector growth while protecting vulnerable populations.  

    Durable fiscal consolidation is essential for restoring debt sustainability. The substantial fiscal adjustment frontloaded in the 2025 budget and the balanced budget target for 2026 onward are welcome steps. To sustain progress, it is essential that all governmental entities endorse annual fiscal targets that align with a medium-term fiscal consolidation strategy. Success depends on robust expenditure management via the diligent operationalization of the recently approved Public Financial Management Reform Strategy and Action Plan 2024–27. Furthermore, a comprehensive fiscal roadmap should continue to broaden the tax base by enhancing VAT and capital income taxation, rationalizing tax exemptions included in the investment code and the Free Zones regime, and finalizing the digitization of tax agencies. The effective establishment of the tax policy unit remains a priority for accurately assessing tax bases and enhancing tax reform efficiency. Operationalizing the recently created large taxpayer office will also bolster compliance and revenue collection.

    As Djibouti negotiates new terms for debt liabilities with creditors, well-managed and profitable SOEs can significantly aid national fiscal consolidation and restore reserves at the Central Bank of Djibouti (CBD), particularly following the dissolution of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). Building on ongoing efforts to improve SOE transparency and governance, it will be critical for the Executive Secretariat in charge of the State Portfolio (SEPE) to collect all SOEs’ financial statements and monitor their performance. Swiftly implementing the Code of Good Governance is also essential for establishing a more transparent dividend policy tied to SOE performance, thereby mobilizing dividends more consistently and meaningfully for the budget, improving SOE efficiency and services, and appropriately right-size them. Additionally, fiscal transparency can be strengthened by discontinuing financial settlement practices for clearing government arrears with SOEs, and by improving coordination among the Ministry of Budget, line ministries, and SEPE for more effective budget risk management.

    Alongside fiscal consolidation, completing ongoing debt negotiations and addressing outstanding arrears with external partners are critical for debt sustainability. Equally important is implementing binding limits on borrowing for the central government, SOEs, including their participation in public-private partnerships, and ensuring these are enforced by the Public Sector Debt Committee. 

    The mission is encouraged by the recent recovery in reserves and urges continued progress. To strengthen the currency board, the authorities plan to amend the CBD law to enhance its autonomy, which will help sustain reserves, exchange rate, and inflation stability. They also plan to introduce reserve requirements as a prudential tool, with implementation expected to follow a phased approach. Additionally, under MENAFATF’s enhanced monitoring, Djibouti is reforming its AML/CFT framework, improving the business climate, and enhancing oversight of the banking sector due to its significant offshore component and rising government exposure. To facilitate policy making, the authorities are leveraging technical assistance provided by the IMF to enhance their coverage and quality of statistics relevant to surveillance, with a focus on national accounts, the fiscal and external sectors.

    Advancing inclusivity through private sector development and employment creation  

    The government aims to foster economic growth and social equity. They aim to improve the existing targeting of the current fuel subsidy scheme. In order to create a more effective and equitable social protection system and reduce budget exposure to international energy prices, the authorities should gradually replace the current subsidy system with the strengthening of targeted cash transfers to the most vulnerable households, relying on the national social register. To attract investments and create jobs, they are enhancing access to education and job training under the 2021–35 education master plan. They aim to diversify the economy in sectors such as logistics and connectivity, tourism, agribusiness, and fisheries. To enable economic diversification, it is essential to develop a comprehensive roadmap with specific actions aimed at enhancing access to finance, streamlining administrative procedures, and expanding reliable and affordable internet services and electricity, including through increased bill collection, technical efficiency, and the adoption of cost-efficient renewable energy. These initiatives will enhance Djibouti’s business environment, which is already supported by a stable macroeconomic climate, a currency board, ports infrastructure, and connectivity to Ethiopia’s large market, all aligning with the objectives of Djibouti Vision 2035.

     “The mission team expresses deep appreciation to the Djiboutian authorities and other counterparts for their warm hospitality, excellent cooperation and candid discussions, and looks forward to continuing close engagement.” 

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Wafa Amr

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/25/djibouti-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2025-article-iv-mission

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Africa: Djibouti: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2025 Article IV Mission

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    Download logo

    Djibouti has been navigating regional tensions well, with robust growth, moderate inflation, and recovering reserves. In response to global uncertainties and domestic debt challenges, the authorities plan significant fiscal consolidation, including leveraging state-owned enterprises (SOE) dividends meaningfully, and advancing creditor dialogue. The authorities remain dedicated to investing in human capital and creating favorable investment conditions for job creation.  

    Djibouti’s economic resilience and contribution to regional stability 

    Djibouti helps maintain regional stability by supporting maritime security and facilitating humanitarian responses during crises. Djibouti’s GDP per capita has effectively doubled over the past decade thanks to significant investments that have contributed to the modernization of the economy. However, declining government revenues and increasing debt service have placed considerable strain on public finances, leading to unsustainable levels of public debt and diminishing reserves. Growth has not created enough jobs in the formal sector, while fiscal space to finance development needs is limited.

    The authorities are leveraging Djibouti’s growth resilience to advance fiscal consolidation and rebuild reserves. Growth is expected to have exceeded 6.5 percent in 2024 due to increased transshipments amid Red Sea tensions, while moderate international food and energy prices kept inflation in check. The government deficit was reduced from 3.5 percent of GDP in 2023 to 2.6 percent in 2024 following a brief period of fiscal overruns and deficit monetization, and reserves have begun to recover partially offsetting the decline observed since late 2023, though they remain below the monetary base. 

    The outlook is positive but subject to risks in an uncertain global context. Growth is projected to remain dynamic at around 6 percent this year and to continue over the medium term, albeit at a slower pace. Ethiopia’s robust economy is expected to boost Djibouti’s port activities; however, fiscal consolidation and the phasing out of large-scale investments may temper growth. Key risks include regional conflicts potentially increasing migration and affecting social stability amid a constrained fiscal space, and trade policy shifts that could depreciate the dollar and Djibouti franc, enhancing service exports but also raising inflation. Nonetheless, it is worth noting that Djibouti has successfully navigated several shocks over the past few years, including COVID-19, the 2022 Tigray crisis, the Ukraine war, and the 2024 Red Sea maritime disruptions.

    Leveraging resilience for fiscal sustainability and rebuilding reserves  

    In the face of high global and regional uncertainty, Djibouti needs to quickly strengthen its economic resilience by restoring debt sustainability, safeguarding the currency board, and fostering inclusive growth. To this end, the authorities intend to strengthen fiscal consolidation and enhance financial transparency and governance of state-owned enterprises (SOEs) to unlock sustainable and meaningful dividend contributions to the national budget, restore reserves, and encourage private sector growth while protecting vulnerable populations.  

    Durable fiscal consolidation is essential for restoring debt sustainability. The substantial fiscal adjustment frontloaded in the 2025 budget and the balanced budget target for 2026 onward are welcome steps. To sustain progress, it is essential that all governmental entities endorse annual fiscal targets that align with a medium-term fiscal consolidation strategy. Success depends on robust expenditure management via the diligent operationalization of the recently approved Public Financial Management Reform Strategy and Action Plan 2024–27. Furthermore, a comprehensive fiscal roadmap should continue to broaden the tax base by enhancing VAT and capital income taxation, rationalizing tax exemptions included in the investment code and the Free Zones regime, and finalizing the digitization of tax agencies. The effective establishment of the tax policy unit remains a priority for accurately assessing tax bases and enhancing tax reform efficiency. Operationalizing the recently created large taxpayer office will also bolster compliance and revenue collection.

    As Djibouti negotiates new terms for debt liabilities with creditors, well-managed and profitable SOEs can significantly aid national fiscal consolidation and restore reserves at the Central Bank of Djibouti (CBD), particularly following the dissolution of the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF). Building on ongoing efforts to improve SOE transparency and governance, it will be critical for the Executive Secretariat in charge of the State Portfolio (SEPE) to collect all SOEs’ financial statements and monitor their performance. Swiftly implementing the Code of Good Governance is also essential for establishing a more transparent dividend policy tied to SOE performance, thereby mobilizing dividends more consistently and meaningfully for the budget, improving SOE efficiency and services, and appropriately right-size them. Additionally, fiscal transparency can be strengthened by discontinuing financial settlement practices for clearing government arrears with SOEs, and by improving coordination among the Ministry of Budget, line ministries, and SEPE for more effective budget risk management.

    Alongside fiscal consolidation, completing ongoing debt negotiations and addressing outstanding arrears with external partners are critical for debt sustainability. Equally important is implementing binding limits on borrowing for the central government, SOEs, including their participation in public-private partnerships, and ensuring these are enforced by the Public Sector Debt Committee. 

    The mission is encouraged by the recent recovery in reserves and urges continued progress. To strengthen the currency board, the authorities plan to amend the CBD law to enhance its autonomy, which will help sustain reserves, exchange rate, and inflation stability. They also plan to introduce reserve requirements as a prudential tool, with implementation expected to follow a phased approach. Additionally, under MENAFATF’s enhanced monitoring, Djibouti is reforming its AML/CFT framework, improving the business climate, and enhancing oversight of the banking sector due to its significant offshore component and rising government exposure. To facilitate policy making, the authorities are leveraging technical assistance provided by the IMF to enhance their coverage and quality of statistics relevant to surveillance, with a focus on national accounts, the fiscal and external sectors.

    Advancing inclusivity through private sector development and employment creation  

    The government aims to foster economic growth and social equity. They aim to improve the existing targeting of the current fuel subsidy scheme. In order to create a more effective and equitable social protection system and reduce budget exposure to international energy prices, the authorities should gradually replace the current subsidy system with the strengthening of targeted cash transfers to the most vulnerable households, relying on the national social register. To attract investments and create jobs, they are enhancing access to education and job training under the 2021–35 education master plan. They aim to diversify the economy in sectors such as logistics and connectivity, tourism, agribusiness, and fisheries. To enable economic diversification, it is essential to develop a comprehensive roadmap with specific actions aimed at enhancing access to finance, streamlining administrative procedures, and expanding reliable and affordable internet services and electricity, including through increased bill collection, technical efficiency, and the adoption of cost-efficient renewable energy. These initiatives will enhance Djibouti’s business environment, which is already supported by a stable macroeconomic climate, a currency board, ports infrastructure, and connectivity to Ethiopia’s large market, all aligning with the objectives of Djibouti Vision 2035.

     “The mission team expresses deep appreciation to the Djiboutian authorities and other counterparts for their warm hospitality, excellent cooperation and candid discussions, and looks forward to continuing close engagement.” 

    – on behalf of International Monetary Fund (IMF).

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Bombing Iran: has the UN charter failed?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Caleb H. Wheeler, Senior Lecturer in Law, Cardiff University

    The recent US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites has prompted renewed questions about whether the UN charter’s prohibition on the use of force is meaningful.

    Considered one of the keystones of international law, article 2(4) of the charter specifically forbids member states from using force – or threatening to do so – against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, or “in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations”.

    A significant amount of commentary exists about what the prohibition entails. This tries to clarify ambiguities around the terms “force”, “threats of force”, “territorial integrity” and “political independence”. Although no absolute consensus has been reached, it is commonly thought that member states are prohibited from launching armed attacks against other states, or threatening to do so, unless acting in self-defence or with the authorisation of the UN security council.

    Other exceptions have been suggested. These include use of force as part of a larger humanitarian intervention operation. There’s also a question of whether it’s permissible when a state is rescuing its nationals abroad. But the legality of either of these situations is contentious and remains unsettled.


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    Early in its existence, the UN made concerted efforts to protect and respect article 2(4) and to comply with its provisions. In 1950, the security council authorised UN member states to provide South Korea with the assistance necessary to repel the armed attack launched by North Korea, triggering the increased internationalisation of the Korean war.

    While article 2(4) was not explicitly mentioned in resolution 83, it was alluded to through repeated references to North Korea’s “armed attack” against South Korea. As such, it can be interpreted as an effort by the security council to use its authority to address a violation of article 2(4), even if it did not clearly frame it in those terms.

    The security council also authorised member states in 2011 to take all necessary measures to protect civilians in Libya. Unfortunately, it quickly became apparent that the member states may have exceeded their authority in Libya and carried out acts that could themselves be construed as violations of the UN charter.

    Rather than just protecting civilians, as the security council resolution instructed, legal experts were concerned they had effectively intervened in a civil war. Any possible violations went unpunished by the security council.

    Security council actions taken with regard to Korea were, in many ways, the high watermark for the prohibition of the use of force, given the scale of the conflict. There are two reasons for that. First, a significant proportion of the wars taking place after 1945 have been domestic and not subject to the provisions of article 2(4). The prohibition specifically applies to a member state’s international relations so is not inapplicable when a member state attacks a group within its own borders.

    Second, the UN has failed to address many of the acts occurring after 1945 that might fall under the provisions of article 2(4). The reason for this inaction lies primarily in the flawed structure on which the UN is built.

    Chapter VII of the charter makes the security council responsible for addressing acts of aggression that would constitute uses of force under article 2(4). But it has repeatedly failed to fill that role, allowing states to commit these acts without meaningful response.

    The UN veto problem

    UN security council decisions can only be enacted when at least nine members vote in favour. This must also include the affirmative vote or abstention of all five of the permanent members: the US, Russia, China, the UK and France. This essentially gives each of the permanent members the right to veto security council resolutions.

    Permanent members have commonly used the threat of their veto in their own political interests. This can be seen in a variety of instances, most notably the 2003 US invasion of Iraq and the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. Both situations clearly involved uses of force prohibited by article 2(4), and in both situations the security council was prevented from acting by some of its permanent members.

    This inaction is consistent with the UN’s failure to address many other acts that might fall under the provisions of article 2(4), including US involvement in south-east Asia in the 1960s and the Russian invasion of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

    The security council’s failure to adequately perform its role has caused some to try and find a workaround. The Council of Europe, disappointed at the lack of accountability for Russia’s acts of aggression against Ukraine, has entered into an agreement with Ukraine to establish a special tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine.

    In the special tribunal’s draft statute, an act of aggression is defined to almost exactly mirror the type of conduct that would constitute a use of force under the UN charter.

    Bombing Iran

    Which brings us to the current situation in Iran. There is little question that the US violated article 2(4) when it bombed Iranian nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan on the evening of Saturday June 21. This is a clear use of force against the territory of another state.

    But even if the attacks themselves were not enough to establish a violation, they were also accompanied by US president Donald Trump’s suggestion that a regime change in Iran might be appropriate. These comments, coming immediately after the initial attack, could be construed as a threat of further force against Iran’s political independence should such a change not occur.

    Under the UN charter, such threats and uses of force should elicit a response from the security council. But just as with Iraq in 2003 and Ukraine in 2022, none will probably be forthcoming as the US will block any efforts to hold it to account.

    But equally chilling is the lack of condemnation of the US actions by its allies. German chancellor Friedrich Merz saw “no reason to criticise” the bombings, and Nato secretary general Mark Rutte insisted that the bombings did not violate international law.

    As the respected Dutch scholar of international law André Nollkaemper suggests, this refusal to condemn a clear violation of the prohibition of the use of force creates a real danger that the bar for when a state can legally use force will be lowered.

    Should that be allowed to happen it could further hollow out the prohibition, effectively making it less likely that states will be held to account for violating international law. Further, it could also lead to the return of a world where “might makes right”. This would undo more than a century of legal evolution.

    Caleb H. Wheeler 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. Bombing Iran: has the UN charter failed? – https://theconversation.com/bombing-iran-has-the-un-charter-failed-259751

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Global: Alasdair Gray: unseen artworks offer insight into a profoundly creative and original artist

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Blane Savage, Lecturer in MA Creative Media Practice and BA(Hons) Graphic Art & Moving Image, University of the West of Scotland

    Artist, writer, playwright, illustrator – and the man who made the Oscar-winning film Poor Things possible – Alasdair Gray was one of Scotland’s great creative polymaths and eccentrics, now celebrated every year on “Gray Day” (February 25). A new exhibition at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery in Glasgow has opened to reveal a selection of nine previously unseen artworks from The Morag McAlpine Bequest.

    This is the first time works have been on display from the bequest gifted by him to Glasgow Life Museums following the death of his wife in 2014, which comprises artworks he created for her on anniversaries, birthdays and Christmas.

    A small show like this cannot fully do justice to the vibrancy and volume of Gray’s output, but these nine pieces give a broad flavour of the artist’s working style and idiosyncratic idea development.


    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.


    Gray was a graduate of Glasgow School of Art where he specialised in murals and stained glass. In addition to being a talented artist and writer, he was also a professor of creative writing at Glasgow University.

    His landmark novel Lanark: A Life in Four Books (1981), a story within a story of adolescence, with the mythical Unthank standing in for Glasgow, has been praised as a modern classic.

    His influence on the Scottish art and literary scene was a powerful one. Regarded as the father figure of the Scottish Renaissance in art and literature, Gray’s postmodern work was a merging of realism, fantasy and science fiction, interwoven with his socialist political views. This was supported by his own book illustrations and typography. He inspired many young Scottish writers, including Irvine Welsh and Iain Banks.

    Gray was also a strong Scottish nationalist. Inspired by a poem by Dennis Lee, Gray’s epigram, “Work as if you live in the early days of a better nation” was inscribed on the wall of the new Scottish Parliament building when it opened in 2004.

    His creative works are deeply embedded in the psyche of the west end of Glasgow. Several of his murals are on display there, such as the one at the top of the escalators in Hillhead subway station, the surreal collages in The Ubiquitous Chip restaurant and the extraordinary night-sky ceiling fresco in Òran Mór, a church-turned-bar. These murals are a hybrid of styles, often black and white linear illustrations filled with colour, traditional painting and printmaking techniques.

    These “new” artworks on display show different aspects, stages and details of Gray’s creative practice when designing artwork for print, such as the Tippex-infused works that allowed him to merge disparate elements of his cut-out collages.

    The highlights of the show include the original artwork for his novel Poor Things, a subversive post-modern rewrite of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, set in and around Glasgow, and adapted by filmmaker Yorgos Lanthimos in 2023.




    Read more:
    Poor Things: meet the radical Scottish visionary behind the new hit film


    The illustration features the anti-hero Godwin Baxter hugging two smaller figures – the reanimated Bella Baxter and Archibald McCandless MD, the primary narrator of the novel. They are surrounded by anatomical illustrations of body parts and in the centre a woman’s head has been cut open revealing her brain. Gray’s illustrative style utilises bold ink outlines, watercolour washes and solid blocks of colour.

    The front cover illustration of Agnes Owen’s A Working Mother (1994) with black line work and solid acrylic colour washes, reflects Gray’s interest in everyday life and how alcohol smooths over the cracks. Hung beside it are two versions of working class figurative character sketches for People Like That (1996), in a similar style.

    A black and white illustrated jacket design for Old Negatives (1989), Gray’s four-verse sequence describing aspects of love in its “absences and reverses”, has been designed using solid blocks of black with repeating motifs engraved within them.

    Also included is a self-portrait of Gray as playwright, together with a series of 12 small black-and-white portraits of the performers of his play in Working Legs: A Play for Those Without Them (1997) performed by the Bird of Paradise Theatre Company. Set in a world of wheelchair users, those who can walk are monitored by the welfare state.

    Gray was known for illustrating friends and family as revealed in his artwork Simon Berry and Bill MacLellan, Glasgow Publishers, Jim Taylor, Australian Writer and Printer, Shelley Killen, USA artist, where are all the figures of the title are roughly drawn with pencil and ink. The solid blue background is painted in acrylic, overlaid with Gray’s inked observations of each.

    On the ground floor is what Gray called “my best big oil painting”, of a Cowcaddens streetscape in the 1950s which is by far the strongest piece on display here. Gray takes a wide-angled, almost fish-eye lens perspective to capture a famous Glasgow neighbourhood that was partially demolished and modernised in postwar development.

    St Aloysius Church in Garnethill and Speir’s Wharf at Port Dundas can still be clearly seen, connecting us to the Glasgow of the present day. Gray’s narrative-driven imagery of daily life plays out, with local characters, playing children and besuited pals going out for the evening, all framed by street lamps and tenements immersed in a dark foreboding industrialised landscape.

    Gray’s illustrations and artworks resonate not only with a celebration of Glasgow’s places, characters and life, they also give us insights into the intensely personal psyche of a creative genius. It’s a shame that more of this particular bequest could not have been displayed, but an opportunity to see these previously unseen works is most welcome.

    Alasdair Gray: Works from the Morag McAlpine Bequest will be on show at the Fragile Gallery, Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow until June 2026


    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something, The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Blane Savage 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. Alasdair Gray: unseen artworks offer insight into a profoundly creative and original artist – https://theconversation.com/alasdair-gray-unseen-artworks-offer-insight-into-a-profoundly-creative-and-original-artist-259470

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Mike Levin Reintroduces Bill to Improve Public Engagement on Nuclear Safety & Waste Removal Issues

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mike Levin (CA-49)

    June 25, 2025

    Washington, D.C.—Today, Rep. Mike Levin (CA-49) and Sen. Ed Markey (MA) reintroduced the bicameral NRC Office of Public Engagement and Participation (NRC OPEP) Act to establish an Office of Public Engagement and Participation at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). The Office would help the public better understand and participate in the decision-making process on nuclear energy issues. Every American should have a say when government agencies make decisions that affect our health and safety.

    The NRC considers public opinion in their nuclear regulatory decisions, but oftentimes the public does not understand how to engage with the complicated administrative processes at the Commission to offer their opinions. The proposed independent Office of Public Engagement and Participation would create opportunities for the public to be better informed and weigh in on the Commission’s work while streamlining processes for the NRC. The Office would provide educational, legal, and technical guidance and assistance to members of the public who want to comment on nuclear issues.

    “Communities across the country impacted by nuclear power, safety, and waste deserve to have their voices heard by the regulatory agency in charge of handling important nuclear safety issues. Unfortunately, too often there is no clear line of communication between the public and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. That must change,” said Rep. Levin. “This bill could not be more necessary as the Trump Administration is encroaching on the independence of the NRC and seeking to build out more nuclear power while cutting communities out of the process. I thank Senator Markey for his partnership, and I look forward to building bipartisan support for this bill.”

    “As independent agencies like the NRC come under attack by the Trump administration, we must defend open and transparent federal decision-making. The NRC should proactively and meaningfully work with communities living at the frontline of nuclear energy infrastructure and make its regulatory processes more accessible,” said Senator Markey. “The NRC OPEP Act would enable the Commission to carry out these responsibilities by creating a new, independent office dedicated to centering and uplifting community voices, while also breaking down financial barriers that limit public participation through needs-based, up-front compensation.” 

    The Trump Administration has undertaken a number of concerning actions that could compromise the safety of nuclear energy in America. The Administration’s plans to build out more nuclear power and unleash a “nuclear renaissance” are premised on “reducing unnecessary burdens” and undermining the federal government’s ability to protect public health and safety. Further, President Trump’s recent illegal firing of NRC Commissioner Christopher Hanson undermines the independence of the agency in an attempt to consolidate his power. The public must have a clear pathway to provide input on decisions related to nuclear issues in their communities in light of these actions.

    Since entering Congress in 2019, Rep. Levin has fought for federal action and resources to address the challenges at the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS) and remove thousands of metric tons of nuclear waste out of the region. Rep. Levin has secured over $148 million to expand the DOE’s nuclear waste removal program, and continues to fight as a member of the House Appropriations Committee for resources to address spent nuclear fuel challenges.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Africa: Comoros: Blue Economy Offers a Transformative Path to Sustainable Growth


    Download logo

    Comoros’ economy shows signs of recovery, surpassing pre-COVID-19 levels. Growth rose from 3 percent in 2023 to 3.4 percent in 2024, driven by household consumption supported by a 5.4 percent increase in remittances and strong services sector performance. Average annual inflation declined from 8.5 to 5.0 percent in 2024, reflecting the stabilization of global commodity prices and lower inflation in the Eurozone. Growth is projected to reach 4 percent by 2027, fueled by consumption and planned investments. However, poverty is projected to decline only slightly, due to modest GDP growth, high inequality, and weak social protection. Using the lower middle-income poverty line of $3.65 per day, the poverty rate is estimated at 38.1 percent in 2024 and expected to fall marginally to 37.2 percent in 2025.

    “Persistent poverty and high inequality in Comoros reflect deep regional disparities and structural challenges. Low labor participation, underemployment, and limited access to quality education continue to hold back productivity and incomes. While remittances offer short-term relief, they cannot replace a dynamic, self-sustaining economy,” said Boubacar-Sid Barry, World Bank Resident Representative in Comoros. “Without bold reforms, poverty may deepen. The World Bank is committed to supporting Comoros on its path toward more inclusive and sustainable growth.”

    The first edition of the Comoros Economic Update: An Ocean of Opportunities from the World Bank highlights that, without addressing structural barriers to investment and external competitiveness, growth will remain fragile. This will hamper job creation and income growth needed to reduce poverty and strengthen resilience to future shocks. The report also warns of significant downside risks. Comoros remains highly vulnerable to climate-related disasters, while rising fiscal pressures, contingent liabilities from state-owned enterprises, and a fragile banking sector increase macroeconomic risks. The current account deficit is expected to widen in the medium-term due to structural trade imbalances and infrastructure-driven imports, emphasizing the need for export diversification, stronger external buffers, and sustainable financing strategies.

    The blue economy offers a transformative opportunity for Comoros to achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, according to the focus section of this report. With targeted reforms and strategic investments, it has the potential to elevate Comoros to upper-middle-income status by 2050, requiring sustained annual GDP growth of 6.1 percent. Fisheries have demonstrated strong performance, averaging 11.4 percent of GDP between 2018 and 2024. Modernizing the sector could increase its contribution to 16 percent by 2035. Marine tourism also holds significant promise, with the potential to quadruple visitor arrivals by 2030 and contribute over 6 percent of GDP by mid-century. Integrated development of eco-tourism, sustainable fisheries, and marine conservation can further promote inclusive growth while protecting natural ecosystems. However, achieving this vision will depend on restoring natural capital, expanding renewable energy, upgrading infrastructure, and strengthening environmental safeguards.

    “Comoros stands at a turning point. The shift toward services and the blue economy has the potential to make Comoros a regional leader in sustainability. By 2040, services could contribute nearly two-thirds of GDP, with tourism and fisheries driving inclusive growth. Strong governance and sustained investment in these sectors can unlock lasting opportunities for people and protect the country’s natural wealth,” said Patrick John McCartney, Senior Economist at the World Bank in Comoros and author of the report.

    A well-executed blue economy strategy can position Comoros as a regional leader in sustainable marine resource management while driving economic diversification, job creation, and resilience. Fully leveraging the synergies between fisheries, tourism, and conservation will be key to maximizing economic benefits while protecting vital natural assets. Strategic investments in governance, infrastructure, market access, and environmental sustainability can help transform the blue economy into a pillar of national development. This vision aligns with the objectives of the Plan Comoros Émergent 2030 (PCE 2030). By capitalizing on its rich marine resources, Comoros can pave the way for a more prosperous and sustainable future, achieving its ambition of reaching upper-middle-income status by 2050.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of The World Bank Group.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Checking in on New England fisheries 25 Years after ‘The Perfect Storm’ movie

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephanie Otts, Director of National Sea Grant Law Center, University of Mississippi

    Filming ‘The Perfect Storm’ in Gloucester Harbor, Mass.
    The Salem News Historic Photograph Collection, Salem State University Archives and Special Collections, CC BY

    Twenty-five years ago, “The Perfect Storm” roared into movie theaters. The disaster flick, starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, was a riveting, fictionalized account of commercial swordfishing in New England and a crew who went down in a violent storm.

    The anniversary of the film’s release, on June 30, 2000, provides an opportunity to reflect on the real-life changes to New England’s commercial fishing industry.

    Fishing was once more open to all

    In the true story behind the movie, six men lost their lives in late October 1991 when the commercial swordfishing vessel Andrea Gail disappeared in a fierce storm in the North Atlantic as it was headed home to Gloucester, Massachusetts.

    At the time, and until very recently, almost all commercial fisheries were open access, meaning there were no restrictions on who could fish.

    There were permit requirements and regulations about where, when and how you could fish, but anyone with the means to purchase a boat and associated permits, gear, bait and fuel could enter the fishery. Eight regional councils established under a 1976 federal law to manage fisheries around the U.S. determined how many fish could be harvested prior to the start of each fishing season.

    Fishing has been an integral part of coastal New England culture since its towns were established. In this 1899 photo, a New England community weighs and packs mackerel.
    Charles Stevenson/Freshwater and Marine Image Bank

    Fishing started when the season opened and continued until the catch limit was reached. In some fisheries, this resulted in a “race to the fish” or a “derby,” where vessels competed aggressively to harvest the available catch in short amounts of time. The limit could be reached in a single day, as happened in the Pacific halibut fishery in the late 1980s.

    By the 1990s, however, open access systems were coming under increased criticism from economists as concerns about overfishing rose.

    The fish catch peaked in New England in 1987 and would remain far above what the fish population could sustain for two more decades. Years of overfishing led to the collapse of fish stocks, including North Atlantic cod in 1992 and Pacific sardine in 2015.

    As populations declined, managers responded by cutting catch limits to allow more fish to survive and reproduce. Fishing seasons were shortened, as it took less time for the fleets to harvest the allowed catch. It became increasingly hard for fishermen to catch enough fish to earn a living.

    Saving fisheries changed the industry

    In the early 2000s, as these economic and environmental challenges grew, fisheries managers started limiting access. Instead of allowing anyone to fish, only vessels or individuals meeting certain eligibility requirements would have the right to fish.

    The most common method of limiting access in the U.S. is through limited entry permits, initially awarded to individuals or vessels based on previous participation or success in the fishery. Another approach is to assign individual harvest quotas or “catch shares” to permit holders, limiting how much each boat can bring in.

    In 2007, Congress amended the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to promote the use of limited access programs in U.S. fisheries.

    Ships in the fleet out of New Bedford, Mass.
    Henry Zbyszynski/Flickr, CC BY

    Today, limited access is common, and there are positive signs that the management change is helping achieve the law’s environmental goal of preventing overfishing. Since 2000, the populations of 50 major fishing stocks have been rebuilt, meaning they have recovered to a level that can once again support fishing.

    I’ve been following the changes as a lawyer focused on ocean and coastal issues, and I see much work still to be done.

    Forty fish stocks are currently being managed under rebuilding plans that limit catch to allow the stock to grow, including Atlantic cod, which has struggled to recover due to a complex combination of factors, including climatic changes.

    The lingering effect on communities today

    While many fish stocks have recovered, the effort came at an economic cost to many individual fishermen. The limited-access Northeast groundfish fishery, which includes Atlantic cod, haddock and flounder, shed nearly 800 crew positions between 2007 and 2015.

    The loss of jobs and revenue from fishing impacts individual family income and relationships, strains other businesses in fishing communities, and affects those communities’ overall identity and resilience, as illustrated by a recent economic snapshot of the Alaska seafood industry.

    When original limited-access permit holders leave the business – for economic, personal or other reasons – their permits are either terminated or sold to other eligible permit holders, leading to fewer active vessels in the fleet. As a result, the number of vessels fishing for groundfish has declined from 719 in 2007 to 194 in 2023, meaning fewer jobs.

    A fisherman unloads a portion of his catch for the day of 300 pounds of groundfish, including flounder, in January 2006 in Gloucester, Mass.
    AP Photo/Lisa Poole

    Because of their scarcity, limited-access permits can cost upward of US$500,000, which is often beyond the financial means of a small businesses or a young person seeking to enter the industry. The high prices may also lead retiring fishermen to sell their permits, as opposed to passing them along with the vessels to the next generation.

    These economic forces have significantly altered the fishing industry, leading to more corporate and investor ownership, rather than the family-owned operations that were more common in the Andrea Gail’s time.

    Similar to the experience of small family farms, fishing captains and crews are being pushed into corporate arrangements that reduce their autonomy and revenues.

    Consolidation can threaten the future of entire fleets, as New Bedford, Massachusetts, saw when Blue Harvest Fisheries, backed by a private equity firm, bought up vessels and other assets and then declared bankruptcy a few years later, leaving a smaller fleet and some local business and fishermen unpaid for their work. A company with local connections bought eight vessels from Blue Harvest along with 48 state and federal permits the company held.

    New challenges and unchanging risks

    While there are signs of recovery for New England’s fisheries, challenges continue.

    Warming water temperatures have shifted the distribution of some species, affecting where and when fish are harvested. For example, lobsters have moved north toward Canada. When vessels need to travel farther to find fish, that increases fuel and supply costs and time away from home.

    Fisheries managers will need to continue to adapt to keep New England’s fisheries healthy and productive.

    One thing that, unfortunately, hasn’t changed is the dangerous nature of the occupation. Between 2000 and 2019, 414 fishermen died in 245 disasters.

    Stephanie Otts receives funding from the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program through the U.S. Department of Commerce. Previous support for fisheries management legal research provided by The Nature Conservancy.

    – ref. Checking in on New England fisheries 25 Years after ‘The Perfect Storm’ movie – https://theconversation.com/checking-in-on-new-england-fisheries-25-years-after-the-perfect-storm-movie-255076

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Checking in on New England fisheries 25 Years after ‘The Perfect Storm’ movie

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stephanie Otts, Director of National Sea Grant Law Center, University of Mississippi

    Filming ‘The Perfect Storm’ in Gloucester Harbor, Mass.
    The Salem News Historic Photograph Collection, Salem State University Archives and Special Collections, CC BY

    Twenty-five years ago, “The Perfect Storm” roared into movie theaters. The disaster flick, starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, was a riveting, fictionalized account of commercial swordfishing in New England and a crew who went down in a violent storm.

    The anniversary of the film’s release, on June 30, 2000, provides an opportunity to reflect on the real-life changes to New England’s commercial fishing industry.

    Fishing was once more open to all

    In the true story behind the movie, six men lost their lives in late October 1991 when the commercial swordfishing vessel Andrea Gail disappeared in a fierce storm in the North Atlantic as it was headed home to Gloucester, Massachusetts.

    At the time, and until very recently, almost all commercial fisheries were open access, meaning there were no restrictions on who could fish.

    There were permit requirements and regulations about where, when and how you could fish, but anyone with the means to purchase a boat and associated permits, gear, bait and fuel could enter the fishery. Eight regional councils established under a 1976 federal law to manage fisheries around the U.S. determined how many fish could be harvested prior to the start of each fishing season.

    Fishing has been an integral part of coastal New England culture since its towns were established. In this 1899 photo, a New England community weighs and packs mackerel.
    Charles Stevenson/Freshwater and Marine Image Bank

    Fishing started when the season opened and continued until the catch limit was reached. In some fisheries, this resulted in a “race to the fish” or a “derby,” where vessels competed aggressively to harvest the available catch in short amounts of time. The limit could be reached in a single day, as happened in the Pacific halibut fishery in the late 1980s.

    By the 1990s, however, open access systems were coming under increased criticism from economists as concerns about overfishing rose.

    The fish catch peaked in New England in 1987 and would remain far above what the fish population could sustain for two more decades. Years of overfishing led to the collapse of fish stocks, including North Atlantic cod in 1992 and Pacific sardine in 2015.

    As populations declined, managers responded by cutting catch limits to allow more fish to survive and reproduce. Fishing seasons were shortened, as it took less time for the fleets to harvest the allowed catch. It became increasingly hard for fishermen to catch enough fish to earn a living.

    Saving fisheries changed the industry

    In the early 2000s, as these economic and environmental challenges grew, fisheries managers started limiting access. Instead of allowing anyone to fish, only vessels or individuals meeting certain eligibility requirements would have the right to fish.

    The most common method of limiting access in the U.S. is through limited entry permits, initially awarded to individuals or vessels based on previous participation or success in the fishery. Another approach is to assign individual harvest quotas or “catch shares” to permit holders, limiting how much each boat can bring in.

    In 2007, Congress amended the 1976 Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act to promote the use of limited access programs in U.S. fisheries.

    Ships in the fleet out of New Bedford, Mass.
    Henry Zbyszynski/Flickr, CC BY

    Today, limited access is common, and there are positive signs that the management change is helping achieve the law’s environmental goal of preventing overfishing. Since 2000, the populations of 50 major fishing stocks have been rebuilt, meaning they have recovered to a level that can once again support fishing.

    I’ve been following the changes as a lawyer focused on ocean and coastal issues, and I see much work still to be done.

    Forty fish stocks are currently being managed under rebuilding plans that limit catch to allow the stock to grow, including Atlantic cod, which has struggled to recover due to a complex combination of factors, including climatic changes.

    The lingering effect on communities today

    While many fish stocks have recovered, the effort came at an economic cost to many individual fishermen. The limited-access Northeast groundfish fishery, which includes Atlantic cod, haddock and flounder, shed nearly 800 crew positions between 2007 and 2015.

    The loss of jobs and revenue from fishing impacts individual family income and relationships, strains other businesses in fishing communities, and affects those communities’ overall identity and resilience, as illustrated by a recent economic snapshot of the Alaska seafood industry.

    When original limited-access permit holders leave the business – for economic, personal or other reasons – their permits are either terminated or sold to other eligible permit holders, leading to fewer active vessels in the fleet. As a result, the number of vessels fishing for groundfish has declined from 719 in 2007 to 194 in 2023, meaning fewer jobs.

    A fisherman unloads a portion of his catch for the day of 300 pounds of groundfish, including flounder, in January 2006 in Gloucester, Mass.
    AP Photo/Lisa Poole

    Because of their scarcity, limited-access permits can cost upward of US$500,000, which is often beyond the financial means of a small businesses or a young person seeking to enter the industry. The high prices may also lead retiring fishermen to sell their permits, as opposed to passing them along with the vessels to the next generation.

    These economic forces have significantly altered the fishing industry, leading to more corporate and investor ownership, rather than the family-owned operations that were more common in the Andrea Gail’s time.

    Similar to the experience of small family farms, fishing captains and crews are being pushed into corporate arrangements that reduce their autonomy and revenues.

    Consolidation can threaten the future of entire fleets, as New Bedford, Massachusetts, saw when Blue Harvest Fisheries, backed by a private equity firm, bought up vessels and other assets and then declared bankruptcy a few years later, leaving a smaller fleet and some local business and fishermen unpaid for their work. A company with local connections bought eight vessels from Blue Harvest along with 48 state and federal permits the company held.

    New challenges and unchanging risks

    While there are signs of recovery for New England’s fisheries, challenges continue.

    Warming water temperatures have shifted the distribution of some species, affecting where and when fish are harvested. For example, lobsters have moved north toward Canada. When vessels need to travel farther to find fish, that increases fuel and supply costs and time away from home.

    Fisheries managers will need to continue to adapt to keep New England’s fisheries healthy and productive.

    One thing that, unfortunately, hasn’t changed is the dangerous nature of the occupation. Between 2000 and 2019, 414 fishermen died in 245 disasters.

    Stephanie Otts receives funding from the NOAA National Sea Grant College Program through the U.S. Department of Commerce. Previous support for fisheries management legal research provided by The Nature Conservancy.

    – ref. Checking in on New England fisheries 25 Years after ‘The Perfect Storm’ movie – https://theconversation.com/checking-in-on-new-england-fisheries-25-years-after-the-perfect-storm-movie-255076

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 26, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Potential for the development of Russian business education: a meeting with representatives of the VkusVill company was held at the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    On June 25, 2025, an introductory meeting of the university management with representatives of the VkusVill Joint Stock Company was held at the State University of Management.

    During the meeting, the founder and co-owner of the Vkusvill retail chain Andrey Krivenko briefly spoke about the company’s history and its main principles, cooperation with Roskachestvo and clients among medium-sized businesses, which today is about 500-600 companies. The guest expressed interest in cooperation with universities in the field of business education.

    Rector of the State University of Management Vladimir Stroyev expressed a reciprocal interest and spoke about the history of the business school at our university, in particular about the Business Games Center, which operated in the 1980s, about the outstanding economists Dmitry Lvov, Georgy Kleiner and Sergey Glazyev, who always focused on the domestic economy in their work.

    “Unfortunately, many universities of the new era that were engaged in business education were oriented towards the West. GUU was always against such a scheme, although it established strong partnerships. For example, we had a Russian-Dutch faculty for a long time. But we never worked for the brain drain,” the rector said.

    Vice-Rector Dmitry Bryukhanov also recalled that it was at our university that the first Russian textbook on business management was written. Dmitry Yuryevich spoke about the foreign internships that the State University of Management offers to graduates of the presidential management training program, and expressed interest in opening a master’s program taking into account the VkusVill methodology.

    The parties exchanged contacts and agreed to define working groups to specify areas of potential cooperation in the development of Russian business education. After which the guests were given an introductory tour of the SUM territory.

    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 –

    June 26, 2025
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