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Category: France

  • MIL-OSI Global: Cameroon after Paul Biya: poverty, uncertainty and a precarious succession battle

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David E Kiwuwa, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Nottingham

    Cameroon’s President Paul Biya is 91 years old. He is Africa’s oldest head of state and only one has served longer: President Teodoro Obiang Nguema of neighbouring Equatorial Guinea, who is 82 years old.

    Biya has been Cameroon’s president since 1982. Prior to that, he was prime minister from 1975.

    In recent weeks there has been growing speculation about the nonagenarian’s health. Some rumours even suggested that he had died. This led the Cameroonian government to issue a statement banning all reports about his health.

    These cycles of rumour have recurred whenever Biya has “gone missing” for extended periods of time. Before he arrived at Yaoundé’s international airport on 21 October, Biya was last seen in public on 8 September, when he attended a China-Africa forum in Beijing.

    Cameroon has known only two presidents since independence. For 60% of the country’s youth population, Biya is the only president they have known.



    Read more:
    Paul Biya has been Cameroon’s president for 40 years – and he might win office yet again

    The country finds itself in a precarious situation, uncertain about what will happen after Biya, who has ruled with an iron fist.

    Long term incumbencies don’t usually end well. Examples across the continent illustrate the high potential for political instability. The most vivid cases include Libya, Tunisia, Sudan, Gabon, Chad and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    For me as an associate professor of international studies and researcher of regime transformation in Africa, Cameroon holds specific interest because of its regime resilience over the decades, when many in the region haven’t fared as well.

    My view is that Cameroon will, sooner rather than later, hit an inflection point post-Biya. Cameroon lacks strong constitutional guard rails, so succession is bound to be a very messy affair.

    Second, due to years of nepotism and tribalism institutionalised by Biya, there will be heightened potential for regional and ethnic tensions or conflict – even a general breakdown of law and order.

    Lastly, the military establishment could well make a move in the name of safeguarding the republic in times of uncertainty.

    The legacy

    Cameroon is endowed with abundant resources, including oil, gas and timber. It is also strategically located at a crossroads between west and central Africa on the Atlantic coast, an entry point to landlocked inner regions.

    Yet, according to the World Food Programme, over 55% of Cameroonians live in poverty and 37.7% are severely impoverished.

    The country’s infrastructure is in poor shape. While the Douala port has been modernised and railway regional linkages such as the Douala-Yaoundé lines have been expanded, road and railway infrastructure are barely functional.

    According to Transparency International, corruption is endemic in Cameroon. The country ranks 140th out of 180. This is despite official efforts to do something about it.

    In 1982 Biya capitalised on the anti-corruption sentiment that had been directed at the Amadou Ahidjo regime. Biya promised an anti-corruption “new deal”. Despite initial progress, by the early 1990s Cameroon was topping the world’s corruption tables.

    Critics suggest that Biya has also used his anti-corruption drive to keep his potential competitors in check.

    Nepotism and tribalism continue as Biya has established a patron-client state system. For example, the Beti people, who are the president’s ethnic kin, are reported to take up a disproportionate slice of senior positions in government and the military. Yet they account for a small percentage of the population.

    This has bred a kleptocratic system matched only by widespread communal resentment.



    Read more:
    Cameroon: how language plunged a country into deadly conflict with no end in sight

    There are other deep fissures in Cameroonian society. Socially, the country became a federated entity at independence in 1960. Two language groups – French and English speaking – came together for a United Republic of Cameroon.

    For a while this unity held. But increasing disenchantment with Biya’s regime, especially the marginalisation of the Anglophone south-west, developed into a rebellion in 2016. Thousands of people have been killed and tens of thousands displaced. It has also resulted in an increased crackdown by the central authority.

    Today, Cameroon is a fractured society with the south-west calling for increased autonomy and language justice and even self-determination. The creation of the Commission of Bilingualism and Multiculturalism and designating special status to the rebellious regions has done little to quell the crisis.

    Regional role

    Regionally, Cameroon has been a key partner for the US and France through tackling Boko Haram in the region. The country has been directly affected by the attacks of this Islamist group, which originated in Nigeria and has extended its reign of terror across the region.

    The anti-terror campaign has seen a close US-France-Cameroon relationship with military and intelligence strategic cooperation.

    Equally Biya can be lauded for having peacefully settled the Bakassi peninsula crisis with Nigeria, a territorial border dispute, thereby averting regional instability.

    There are not yet obvious signs that, after Biya, the Franco-Cameroon relationship would come under strain similar to other scenarios in the region.

    France has built a steady political and economic relationship with Cameroon, investing heavily in the region, providing political cover to the regime and entering into a defence pact.

    This relationship has also benefited many a political and military elite. Barring any monumental development, it is bound to be sustained in the post-Biya era.



    Read more:
    Cameroon spends 90% of Chinese development loans on its French region: this could deepen the country’s divisions

    Fractured political landscape

    Biya’s longevity at the helm of Cameroon politics is testament to his ability to mobilise all state resources, power and constitutional levers for his lifetime presidency. He has outmanoeuvred all political competitors.

    This has enabled him to avoid the fate of neighbouring countries such as Central African Republic, Niger, Chad and Gabon, where governments have been overthrown by military coups.

    In 1992 Biya agreed to a multiparty dispensation. But since then, he has engineered removal of term limits and he is on his seventh term of office.

    But in the evening of his years, and in the absence of a designated successor or an elite pact, there is a real possibility that various factions of the Biya regime such as that of Frank Biya, Ngoh Ngoh, Laurent Esso or even the military will jostle and fight for power.

    Without a political culture of constitutional constraint, instability seems inevitable. And the south-west rebellion might escalate its military and political pressure for better leverage with whoever comes to power post-Biya.

    Whether the next political leadership will be able to set a transformative agenda for socio-political reconciliation and national renewal will be dictated by their ability to strike a grand compromise.

    David E Kiwuwa 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. Cameroon after Paul Biya: poverty, uncertainty and a precarious succession battle – https://theconversation.com/cameroon-after-paul-biya-poverty-uncertainty-and-a-precarious-succession-battle-241312

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION on the situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia – B10-0139/2024

    Source: European Parliament 2

    Nathalie Loiseau, Petras Auštrevičius, Helmut Brandstätter, Benoit Cassart, Olivier Chastel, Veronika Cifrová Ostrihoňová, Bernard Guetta, Karin Karlsbro, Ľubica Karvašová, Marie‑Agnes Strack‑Zimmermann, Hilde Vautmans, Lucia Yar, Dainius Žalimas
    on behalf of the Renew Group

    B10‑0139/2024

    European Parliament resolution on the situation in Azerbaijan, violation of human rights and international law and relations with Armenia

    (2024/2890(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Azerbaijan and on the situation in Nagorno-Karabakh,

    –  having regard to the relevant documents and international agreements, including but not limited to the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act and the Alma-Ata Declaration of 21 December 1991,

    –  having regard to the Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions of the Election Observation Mission to the Early Presidential elections held on 7 February 2024 and to the Statement of Preliminary Findings and Conclusions of the International Election Observation Mission of the Early Parliamentary Elections in Azerbaijan held on 1 September 2024,

    –  having regard to the report of 29 March 2023 by the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance on Azerbaijan and to the memorandum of 21 October 2021 by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights on the humanitarian and human rights consequences following the 2020 outbreak of hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan over Nagorno-Karabakh,

    –  having regard to the orders of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of 22 February 2023, of 6 July 2023 and of 17 November 2023 on the request for the indication of provisional measures for the application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v Azerbaijan),

    –  having regard to the 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict,

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

    A. whereas the choice of Azerbaijan’s capital Baku as the venue for the 29th United Nations Climate Change conference (COP29), scheduled to take place from 11 to 22 November 2024, has sparked controversy, notably owing to Azerbaijan’s worsening human rights record, as well as recent and blatant violations of international law, including aggressive behaviour towards its neighbour Armenia; whereas in the lead-up to this major international conference, the Azerbaijani authorities have intensified their repression of civil society organisations, activists, opposition politicians and the remaining independent media through detentions and judicial harassment;

    B. whereas civil society organisations list over 300 political prisoners in Azerbaijan, including Gubad Ibadoghlu, Anar Mammadli, Bakhtiyar Hajiyev, Tofig Yagublu, Ilhamiz Guliyev, Aziz Orujov, Bahruz Samadov and Akif Gurbanov; whereas there are credible reports of violations of prisoners’ human rights, including detention in inhumane conditions, torture and refusal of adequate medical care;

    C. whereas in recent years, the Azerbaijani authorities have imposed increasingly stringent restrictions on civil society organisations; whereas activists, journalists, political opponents and others have been imprisoned on fabricated and politically motivated charges;

    D. whereas Gubad Ibadoghlu, a political economist, opposition figure and one of the finalists for the 2024 Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, was arrested by Azerbaijani authorities in July 2023 and remained in detention until 22 April 2024, when he was transferred to house arrest; whereas his health has deteriorated significantly since his arrest, as a result of torture, inhumane detention conditions and refusal of adequate medical care, thus endangering his life; whereas the health of Gubad Ibadoghlu’s wife, Irada Bayramova, continues to deteriorate as a result of the physical violence she suffered during her detention by the Azerbaijani authorities;

    E. whereas the Azerbaijani regime appears to extend its repressive actions beyond its borders; whereas, since 2020, Mahammad Mirzali, an Azerbaijani dissident blogger, has been the target of several assassination attempts in France; whereas, on 29 September 2024, Vidadi Isgandarli, a critic of the Azerbaijani regime living as a political refugee in France, was attacked in his home and succumbed to his injuries two days later; whereas the Azerbaijani authorities have also engaged in politically motivated prosecutions of EU citizens, as seen in the case of Théo Clerc, prompting at least one Member State to formally warn its citizens against travelling to Azerbaijan owing to the risk of arbitrary detention;

    F. whereas according to the Election Observation Mission led by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (OSCE/ODIHR), the early presidential election held on 7 February 2024 took place in a restrictive environment and was marked by the stifling of critical voices and the absence of political alternatives; whereas Azerbaijan held early parliamentary elections on 1 September 2024 in what the OSCE/ODIHR-led International Election Observation Mission described as a restrictive political and legal environment that did not enable genuine pluralism and resulted in a contest devoid of competition; whereas in the period leading up to the parliamentary elections, several government critics were detained;

    G. whereas according to Reporters Without Borders, virtually the entire media sector in Azerbaijan is under official control, with no independent television or radio broadcasts from within the country, and all critical print newspapers shut down; whereas the authorities continue to suppress the last remaining independent media and repress journalists who reject self-censorship;

    H. whereas media legislation in Azerbaijan has become increasingly repressive, with the February 2022 media law effectively legalising censorship; whereas several other laws affecting the media also violate the country’s international obligations with regard to freedom of expression and press freedom; whereas public criticism of the authorities is subject to severe penalties;

    I. whereas in September 2023, after months of the illegal blockade of Nagorno-Karabakh, Azerbaijan launched a pre-planned, unjustified military attack on the territory, forcing over 100 000 ethnic Armenians to flee to Armenia, which amounts to ethnic cleansing; whereas as a result, Nagorno-Karabakh has been almost entirely emptied of its Armenian population, who had been living there for centuries; whereas this attack represents a gross violation of human rights and international law, a clear breach of the trilateral ceasefire statement of 9 November 2020 and a failure to uphold commitments made during EU-mediated negotiations;

    J. whereas the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh lost their property and belongings while fleeing the Azerbaijani military push in 2023 and have been unable to recover them since; whereas actions amounting to ethnic cleansing have continued since then; whereas the EU has provided humanitarian aid to people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas credible reports confirm the organised destruction of Armenian cultural and religious heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas Azerbaijani leaders and officials repeatedly use hate speech against Armenians;

    K. whereas both Azerbaijan and Armenia are bound by international humanitarian law and the Third Geneva Convention protects prisoners of war from all forms of torture and cruel treatment; whereas reports indicate that 23 Armenian prisoners are currently being held in Azerbaijani prisons, including eight former leaders of the unrecognised Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, some of whom have received long prison sentences;

    L. whereas in February 2023, the EU deployed the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) to observe developments at the international border with Azerbaijan; whereas Azerbaijan has refused to cooperate with EUMA and the mission has been the target of disinformation by Azerbaijani authorities and government-controlled media; whereas Azerbaijan occupies territories internationally recognised as Armenian;

    M. whereas Armenia and Azerbaijan have engaged in negotiations on a peace treaty, the normalisation of their relations and border delimitation, both before and after the 2023 attack on Nagorno-Karabakh; whereas, despite mediation efforts by the EU and others, no peace agreement has been signed between Azerbaijan and Armenia; whereas, although both governments have stated that they are close to an agreement, recent remarks by the Azerbaijani President indicate that Baku is not eager to conclude the negotiations;

    N. whereas the EU fully supports the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia and actively supports efforts towards a sustainable peace agreement between the two countries, achieved by peaceful means and respecting the rights of the population concerned;

    O. whereas since Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, Azerbaijan has deepened its relations with Russia, including political and economic ties, as well as increased cooperation between their intelligence services; whereas Russia has openly backed Azerbaijan in its aggressive behaviour towards Armenia; whereas there are worrying reports of Russian gas being rebranded as Azerbaijani for sale in the EU;

    P. whereas Azerbaijani leaders have engaged in anti-EU and anti-Western rhetoric; whereas Azerbaijan has intensified its disinformation campaigns targeting the EU and its Member States, with a specific focus on France; whereas Azerbaijan has actively interfered in European politics under the guise of ‘anti-colonialism’, notably in overseas countries and territories such as New Caledonia;

    1. Strongly condemns the domestic and extraterritorial repression by the Azerbaijani regime against activists, journalists, opposition leaders and others, including EU nationals, which has noticeably intensified ahead of COP29; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to release all persons arbitrarily detained or imprisoned on account of their political views, to drop all politically motivated charges, and to cease all forms of repression, both within and beyond Azerbaijan;

    2. Reiterates its call for the Azerbaijani authorities to lift the travel ban and drop all charges against Dr Gubad Ibadoghlu; calls on Azerbaijan to ensure that he receives an independent medical examination by a doctor of his own choosing and to allow him to receive treatment abroad;

    3. Expresses deep concern about the choice of Baku as the host city for COP29, given Azerbaijan’s flagrant violations of fundamental rights, democracy and international law; considers that Azerbaijan’s ongoing human rights abuses are incompatible with its hosting of COP29; urges the EU to use COP29 as an opportunity for the international community to remind Azerbaijan of its international obligations and to condemn and meaningfully address the country’s human rights record in their interactions with the Azerbaijani authorities;

    4. Demands that the organisers of COP29 ensure that human rights and fundamental freedoms are fully enshrined and guaranteed in the Host Country Agreement; calls for the EU and its Member States to do their utmost to ensure that United Nations Climate Change Conferences are not hosted in countries with poor human rights records;

    5. Reminds the Azerbaijani authorities of their obligations to respect fundamental freedoms, and calls on them to repeal repressive legislation that drives independent non-governmental organisations and media to the margins of the law; reminds the Azerbaijani Government of its international obligations to safeguard the dignity and rights of detainees, ensuring that they receive adequate medical care, are detained in humane conditions and are protected from any mistreatment;

    6. Reiterates its call for EU sanctions to be imposed under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime on Azerbaijani officials who have committed serious human rights violations;

    7. Insists that any future partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan be made conditional on the release of all political prisoners, the implementation of legal reforms, and the overall improvement of the human rights situation in the country;

    8. Calls on the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to request meetings with political prisoners in Azerbaijan;

    9. Reaffirms its support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of both Azerbaijan and Armenia; reiterates its demand for the withdrawal of Azerbaijan’s troops from the entirety of Armenia’s sovereign territory; calls on Azerbaijan to unequivocally commit to respecting Armenia’s territorial integrity;

    10. Expresses its support for the activities of the European Union Mission in Armenia (EUMA) and underscores the important role it plays; reiterates its concern regarding the repeated smear campaigns originating from Azerbaijan against EUMA; calls on EUMA to continue to closely monitor the evolving security situation on the ground, provide transparent reporting to Parliament and actively contribute to conflict resolution efforts; calls for the EU and its Member States to strengthen EUMA’s mandate, increase its size and extend its duration;

    11. Urges Azerbaijan and Armenia to promptly sign a peace treaty – before COP29 – in order to resolve their long-lasting disputes; warns Azerbaijan that any military action against Armenia would be unacceptable and would have serious consequences for the partnership between Azerbaijan and the EU;

    12. Calls for the full implementation of all orders issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), including the 17 November 2023 order indicating provisional measures regarding the safe, unimpeded and expeditious return of people who fled Nagorno-Karabakh; recalls that the decision to host COP29 in Baku was made after Azerbaijan failed to comply with the abovementioned ICJ order as well as those of 7 December 2021 and of 22 February 2023; reiterates its call on the Azerbaijani authorities to allow the safe return of the Armenian population to Nagorno-Karabakh, to provide robust guarantees for the protection of their rights and to refrain from any inflammatory rhetoric that could incite discrimination against Armenians; urges the Azerbaijani authorities to release all 23 Armenian prisoners of war detained following Azerbaijan’s retaking of the Nagorno-Karabakh region;

    13. Reiterates its call for the EU institutions and the Member States to continue to offer assistance to Armenia to deal with the refugees from Nagorno-Karabakh;

    14. Expresses deep concern regarding the preservation of cultural, religious and historical heritage in Nagorno-Karabakh following the massive exodus of its Armenian population; urges Azerbaijan to refrain from further destruction, neglect or alteration of the origins of cultural, religious, or historical heritage in the region;

    15. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the President, Government and Parliament of the Republic of Armenia, the Director-General of UNESCO, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the United Nations and the Council of Europe.

     

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How the #MeToo movement has shaped how women write crime fiction

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alison Taft, Course Director of Creative Writing, Leeds Beckett University

    It’s seven years since #MeToo became a viral phenomenon. The social media campaign against sexual harassment and assault encouraged survivors to share their stories. But has anything changed in the way crime fiction is written as a result?

    There are now novels that specifically reference the #MeToo movement, such as Complicit by Winnie M Li, The List by Yomi Adegoke and This Is Pleasure by Mary Gaitskill. Between them, they deal with the consequences of sex crimes for a set of main characters that include: a female film producer wondering if she could have done more to prevent the actions of the male predator (Complicit), a falsely accused man (The List) and the female friend of a man seemingly unaware his behaviour could be experienced as offensive (This is Pleasure).

    These novels, all written by women, invite readers to consider differing perspectives in the aftermath of what appeared as a tsunami of offences. But by shifting the focus away from the perpetrators of the crimes they do little to challenge what some women activists identify as a rape culture.

    In 2018, in response to the #MeToo movement, screenwriter Bridget Lawless launched the Staunch Prize. It was to be “awarded to the author of a novel in the thriller genre in which no woman is beaten, stalked, sexually exploited, raped or murdered”. She argued that the majority of crime thrillers focus on the least common forms of violence against women (the stalker, the serial killer, the unknown assailant) giving readers a false idea of what a rapist looks like and so making it more difficult to convict real offenders. “Well over 90% of rapes and murders of women are by men known to them,” she explained, “often a former or current partner”.

    However, the Staunch Prize met with criticism. Novelist Sophie Hannah argued that rather than pretend these crimes don’t exist, writers should challenge the prejudices that exist within the way they are written about. Val McDermid meanwhile (widely credited as one of few female crime writers who attracts male readers) said she’d stop writing stories about violence against women when men stop committing the crimes.

    It is important to tell these stories, and to do so in ways that challenge the fetishisation of sex crimes. However, creating realistic yet empowering stories can be something of a challenge.

    #MeToo and crime tropes

    When Sarah Bailey published her novel Into The Night (2019), which features a female character who experiences sexual harassment, she claims her US editors argued “that because of #MeToo and #TimesUp, readers would desire a more empowering narrative, a ‘happy ending’ so to speak, where justice was served and the bad guy got his comeuppance”. Bailey wasn’t convinced. She argued that manufacturing happy endings for fictional women might not offer much support to real women on the receiving end of these crimes.

    Gail Simone, creator of the website Women in Refrigerators, has been working to highlight some of the more damaging tropes found within crime fiction. She brought attention to the concept of “fridging” – a plot device where violence against women is used to motivate the (usually male) protagonist into action. In these stories, women appear with no other purpose than to be a victim.

    These tropes, Simone argues, “both reflect and perpetuate the idea that women don’t have any agency over their own lives in the real world”.

    The Change by Kirsten Miller (2022) challenges this lack of agency. The novel features three peri-menopausal characters intent on exposing a Jeffrey Epstein-inspired network of abusers.

    The feminist thriller is unflinching in laying the blame squarely where it belongs. It does also, perhaps to avoid the accusation of bias, include a female antagonist who may, or may not, be based upon Ghislaine Maxwell (currently serving a 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of child sex trafficking and other offences connected to Epstein). The Change serves as a call to action to women, particularly older women, to play their part in bringing perpetrators to justice.

    The ongoing mass rape trial of Dominique Pelicot in France has perhaps provided the world with a shock dose of reality. Pelicot admitted repeatedly drugging his wife, Gisèle and inviting strangers to rape her. The court has heard statements, such as “there is rape, and then there’s rape” (a lawyer for six of the accused); “she did not deserve this” (Pelicot); and “women do not belong to men, I hope that future generations will learn that” (one of the accused).

    It’s clear that writers are working to explore the issues the #MeToo movement raised. But statements like this show that, despite these efforts, the social narrative around sex-crime remains depressingly unchanged.


    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.

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

    – ref. How the #MeToo movement has shaped how women write crime fiction – https://theconversation.com/how-the-metoo-movement-has-shaped-how-women-write-crime-fiction-239905

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Colonialism’s legacy has left Caribbean nations much more vulnerable to hurricanes

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Farah Nibbs, Assistant Professor of Emergency and Disaster Health Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

    Hillside streets can quickly become muddy rivers during hurricane rains in the islands. Estailove St-Val/AFP via Getty Images

    Long before colonialism brought slavery to the Caribbean, the native islanders saw hurricanes and storms as part of the normal cycle of life.

    The Taino of the Greater Antilles and the Kalinago, or Caribs, of the Lesser Antilles developed systems that enabled them to live with storms and limit their exposure to damage.

    On the larger islands, such as Jamaica and Cuba, the Taino practiced crop selection with storms in mind, preferring to plant root crops such as cassava or yucca with high resistance to damage from hurricane and storm winds, as Stuart Schwartz describes in his 2016 book “Sea of Storms.”

    The Kalinago avoided building their settlements along the coast to limit storm surges and wind damage. The Calusa of southwest Florida used trees as windbreaks against storm winds.

    In fact, it was the Kalinago and Taino who first taught the Europeans – primarily the British, Dutch, French and Spanish – about hurricanes and storms. Even the word ‘hurricane’ comes from Huracán, a Taino and Mayan word denoting the god of wind.

    But then colonialism changed everything.

    A French advertising card from around 1900 depicts colonial power in Guadeloupe, with a trader sitting comfortably among sacks of cotton, cocoa and coffee while islanders work in the field.
    Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

    I study natural disasters in the Caribbean, including how history molded responses to disasters today.

    The current disaster crisis that the Caribbean’s small islands are experiencing as hurricanes intensify did not start a few decades ago. Rather, the islands’ vulnerability is a direct result of the exploitative systems forced upon the region by colonialism, its legacies of slave-based land policies and ill-suited construction and development practices, and its environmental injustices.

    Forcing people into harm’s way

    The colonial powers changed how Caribbean people interacted with the land, where they lived and how they recovered from natural hazard events.

    Rather than growing crops that could sustain the local food supply, the Europeans who began arriving in the 1600s focused on exploitative extractive economic models and export cash crops through the plantation economy.

    They forced Indigenous people off their lands and built settlements along the coast, which made it easier to import enslaved peoples and goods and to export cash crops such as sugar and tobacco to Europe – and also left communities vulnerable to storms. They also developed settlements in low-lying areas, often near rivers and streams, which could provide transportation for agricultural produce but which became flood risks during heavy rains.

    Homes built to the water’s edge in Saint-Martin, an overseas collectivity of France, were devastated when Hurricane Irma hit in 2017.
    Helene Valenzuela/AFP via Getty Images

    Today, more than 70% of the Caribbean’s population lives along the coast, often less than a mile from the shore. These coastlines are not only highly exposed to hurricanes but also to sea-level rise fueled by climate change.

    Legacies of slave-based land policies

    Colonialism’s legacy of land policies has also made recovery from disasters much harder today.

    When colonial powers took over, a few landowners were given control of most of the land, while the majority of the population was forced onto marginal and small areas. The local population had no legal right to the land, as the people did not possess land certificate titles or deeds and were often forced to pay rent to landlords.

    After independence, most island governments tried to acquire land from former plantations or estates and to redistribute it to the working class. But these efforts, mainly in the 1960s and ’70s, largely failed to transform land ownership, improve economic development or reduce vulnerability.

    One colonial legacy perpetuating vulnerability to this day is known as crown land, or state land. In the English-speaking Caribbean, all land for which there was no land grant was considered property of the British crown. Crown land can be found in every English-speaking island to this day.

    How colonial powers controlled the Caribbean over time.

    For example, in Barbuda, all land is vested in the “crown in perpetuity” on behalf of Barbudans. This means that an individual born on the island of Barbuda cannot individually own land.

    Instead, land is communally owned, which limits access to the credit and development opportunities that were sorely needed to reconstruct the island after Hurricane Maria in 2017. Most Barbudans were unable to insure their homes because they had no title deeds to their property.

    This and other collective land tenure systems created by colonialism places Caribbean residents at greater risk from a variety of natural hazards and limits their ability to seek financial credit for disaster recovery today.

    The roots of poor construction

    Vulnerability to disasters in the Caribbean also has roots in post-slavery housing construction and subsequent failures to institute proper building codes.

    After emancipation from slavery, freed people had no right nor access to land. To build houses, they were forced to lease land from the former enslavers who at a whim could terminate their employment or kick them off the land.

    This led to the development of a particular type of housing structure known as chattel houses in countries such as Barbados. These houses are tiny and were constructed in a way in which they could be easily taken apart and loaded onto carts, should the residents be forced out by their former enslavers. Many Bajans still live in these houses today, although quite a few have been converted to restaurants or shops.

    Chattel houses are still used as homes in Barbados.
    Shardalow via Wikimedia, CC BY

    In Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao, owned by the Dutch, slave huts were built along the coast, on land not suitable for agriculture and easily damaged by storms. These former slave huts are now tourist attractions, but the colonial patterns of settling along the coast has left many coastal communities exposed to hurricane damage and rising seas.

    The vulnerability of such houses is not only a result of their exposure to natural hazards but also the underlying social structures.

    Slave huts were built on the coast in Bonaire, where they were vulnerable to storm surge.
    Leslie Ket via Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    In many islands today, poorer residents can’t afford protective measures, such as installing storm shutters or purchasing solar-powered generators.

    They often live in marginal and disaster-prone areas, such as steep hillsides, where housing tends to be cheaper. Houses in these areas are also often poorly constructed with low-grade materials, such as galvanized sheeting for roofs and walls.

    This situation is made worse by the informal and unregulated nature of residential housing construction in the region and the poor enforcement of building codes.

    Due to the legacy of colonialism, most housing or building standards or codes in the Commonwealth Caribbean are relics from the United Kingdom and in the French Antilles from France. Building standards across the region lack uniformity and are generally subjective and uncontrolled. Financial limitations and staffing constraints mean that codes and standards more often than not remain unenforced.

    Progress, but still a lot of work to do

    The Caribbean has made progress in developing wind-related building codes to try to increase resilience in recent years. And while damage from torrential rain is still not properly addressed in most Caribbean building standards, scientific guidance is available through the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology in Barbados.

    Individual islands, including Dominica and Saint Lucia, have new minimum building standards for recovery after disasters. The island of Grenada is hoping to guide new construction as it recovers from Hurricane Beryl. Trinidad and Tobago has developed a national land use strategy but has struggled to use it.

    Construction standards can help the islands build resilience. But work remains to be done to overcome the legacy of colonial-era land policies and development that have left island towns vulnerable to increasing storm risks.

    Farah Nibbs 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. Colonialism’s legacy has left Caribbean nations much more vulnerable to hurricanes – https://theconversation.com/colonialisms-legacy-has-left-caribbean-nations-much-more-vulnerable-to-hurricanes-231913

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Marie-Philippe Bouchard to become the next President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Minister St-Onge announces the appointment of Marie-Philippe Bouchard as President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada

    GATINEAU, October 22, 2024

    Since its inception in 1936, CBC/Radio-Canada has been and continues to be a vital institution for Canadians. From sharing local and diverse stories to providing accessible and reliable information, Canada’s public broadcaster plays a central role in strengthening Canadian culture and democracy.

    The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage, today announced the appointment of Marie‑Philippe Bouchard as the next President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada for a five-year term, effective January 3, 2025. This appointment is the result of a rigorous, open, transparent and merit-based selection process led by the Independent Advisory Committee for Appointments to the CBC/Radio-Canada Board of Directors convened in March 2024.

    Ms. Bouchard has served as President and CEO of TV5 Québec Canada since February 2016. She has been responsible for managing all aspects of the TV5 Unis channels and platforms, a leader in public broadcasting, serving Francophone audiences across the country. She has also presided over TV5 Numérique, TV5MONDE’s partner in establishing the international French-language platform TV5MONDEPlus, since September 2019.

    Prior to joining TV5 Québec Canada, Ms. Bouchard held key management and senior executive positions at CBC/Radio-Canada in legal services, strategic planning and regulatory affairs, information and digital services, and music. A member of the Québec Bar since 1985, she holds a master’s degree in public law from the Université de Montréal. She also sits on a number of boards, including the Festival international de Lanaudière, and chairs the management board of the Université de Montréal’s Centre for Research in Public Law.

    Ms. Bouchard is fluently bilingual and the first Francophone woman to serve as President and CEO of Canada’s national public broadcaster, bringing a deep understanding and experience in the unique value of public service media and public broadcasting in Canada.

    “Marie-Philippe Bouchard is a talented, strong public broadcasting leader with a proven record of transformation. As the next President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada, she brings a wealth of experience to this pivotal time for our cultural and information ecosystem, as well as a solid background in organizational culture and change leadership. In a critical time of modernization, I am confident that Ms. Bouchard will provide a steady hand and be a positive guiding force for Canada’s national public service media now and into the future. I want to thank the Independent Advisory Committee, which played a crucial role in this process. I would also like to thank Catherine Tait for her work and passion for CBC/Radio-Canada as a vibrant, creative and inclusive force during her tenure as President and CEO.”

    —The Honourable Pascale St-Onge, Minister of Canadian Heritage

    “Public service media all around the world serve as a precious public asset. As society changes at a fast pace, so must our public broadcaster, continuing to build trust in order to remain relevant to all Canadians. With my experience serving audiences both at TV5/Unis TV and CBC/Radio-Canada, I look forward to this challenge and to working together with all Canadians, including the CBC/Radio-Canada team, Canadian content creators and other partners, to chart the path forward. Our national public broadcaster brings us and our understanding of one another closer together despite massive distance. CBC/Radio-Canada is our place for discovering and sharing stories that embody Francophone, Anglophone and Indigenous cultures, on a range of innovative platforms. Our national broadcaster provides us with trustworthy news and information, highlights our creativity and offers us perspectives that enrich our lives, right here in this place we call home.”

    —Marie-Philippe Bouchard, next President and CEO of CBC/Radio-Canada

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Breaking the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns for good | Joint guest contribution by Joachim Nagel and Nicolas Véron, op-ed for Politicoby Politico

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    Twelve years after its initiation, it is time to complete the banking union
    In the early hours of 29 June 2012, boldness and clarity came together. After a long night of negotiations, European leaders laid the foundations for the banking union project. They found strong and clear words on its purpose, stating it is imperative to break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns.
    The decision was taken in the aftermath of a twin crisis that had shaken the euro area – a sovereign debt crisis coupled with a banking crisis. The close links between sovereigns and banks had created a “doom loop”: sovereigns bailed out teetering banks, straining public finances, and rising sovereign yields put pressure on banks’ home-biased sovereign exposures. Such loops emerged as a particular vulnerability of the euro area, with its unique institutional setup as a monetary union of otherwise sovereign states, increasing the pressure on the Eurosystem to save the day. The banking union was conceived as the sword that would sever the doom loop.
    Today’s banking union is primarily the result of intensive legislative efforts between 2012 and 2014. They established a complete framework for supervising European banks, and an incomplete one for dealing with banking crises. This helped to mitigate the vicious circle, in particular by creating the Single Supervisory Mechanism under the European Central Bank and the national supervisory authorities. That has proven its effectiveness, but the vicious circle has not yet been broken.
    Before the lessons of 2012 are forgotten, the new EU term offers an opportunity to finish the task and break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns for good. Action must go both ways. First, block the direct contagion channel from banks to sovereigns. Taxpayers should not have to suffer when banks run into problems. Second, close the contagion channel from sovereigns to banks. A sovereign credit event cannot and should not be ruled out in a monetary union with sovereign fiscal policies at the national level. At the same time, it must not be permitted to drag down banks with it and thus further jeopardise financial stability.
    The first aim calls for strengthening the crisis intervention framework. Valuable progress has been made with the establishment of the Single Resolution Board and the Single Resolution Fund. The latter reached its target level, currently at €78 billion, after a decade of build-up. However, a more streamlined and predictable framework is needed. Specifically, resolution should be a credible and feasible option to manage more, if not all, failing banks under EU law, instead of the current confusing mix of European and national procedures that leaves too much scope for national state aid and moral hazard.
    The reform of the framework for crisis management is closely linked to deposit insurance. A common European deposit insurance mechanism would strengthen confidence in depositor protection and thus reduce the risk of bank runs. It is intended to weaken the link between banks and their national sovereigns and thus to contribute to making the euro area as a whole more resilient. The two of us have different views on how it should be structured, whether fully centralised or a hybrid involving national authorities. However, we share the firm conviction that deposit protection needs a European level. All banks in the euro area should participate in it. Its funding can and should be risk-based, taking into account arrangements such as the institutional protection schemes that play a significant role in Austria and Germany.
    Under that mechanism, certain risks would be shouldered jointly within the EU. Conversely, risks that are within the remit of the individual Member States must be appropriately limited. To reduce negative spillovers from sovereigns to banks – the second aim – it is crucial to avoid large and undiversified exposures of bank balance sheets to a single sovereign. Concentration limits and capital charges can serve as effective tools here. With adequate calibration and a transition phase, these tools could incentivise banks to diversify their sovereign exposures, thereby gradually overcoming home bias.
    As it turns out, the issues of crisis management, deposit insurance and banks’ sovereign exposures are intertwined. Attempts to make progress have so far failed, not least because they were not comprehensive enough. Part of why the European Commission’s 2015 legislative proposal on deposit insurance was shelved is because banks’ concentrated sovereign exposures were not tackled at the same time. It seems that Member States are unwilling to make concessions if the outcome is merely a halfway house. A comprehensive approach that addresses the interlinked issues holistically is worth considering. It could complete the work that began with a promise twelve years ago – to break the vicious circle between banks and sovereigns.
    Nicolas Véron is a French economist. He is a senior fellow at Bruegel in Brussels, which he co-founded in 2002–05, and at the Peterson Institute for International Economics in Washington DC.

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada announces creation of external advisory panel on the creation and dissemination of scientific information in French

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Government of Canada is investing $8.5 million over five years to support French-language research in Canada

    GATINEAU, October 22, 2024

    Canadians value French and scientific research. We also value our post-secondary education system and research in French in Canada. For many years, French-speaking researchers have had to contend with several major obstacles: the fragility of Francophone research infrastructure, the lack of appropriate resources and the predominance of English in the dissemination of scientific knowledge. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to improving conditions for the production and dissemination of scientific research in French in Canada.

    Today, the Honourable Randy Boissonnault, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages, announced an investment of $8.5 million over five years to support and strengthen Canada’s French-language research ecosystem. This investment aims to respond to the pressing challenges facing French-speaking researchers by offering them better support for the production, discoverability and dissemination of their work in French.

    To support this effort, an external advisory group on the creation and dissemination of scientific information in French will be established. This group will provide advice and recommendations to Minister Boissonnault and develop a federal strategy to ensure the long-term viability of Canada’s French-language research ecosystem.

    The advisory panel’s mandate will be to analyze the current dynamics of the creation and dissemination of scientific knowledge in French in Canada. It will also propose actions that account for the dynamics of official language minority communities and Quebec.

    The panel is made up of experts and specialists from across Canada who will share their knowledge and experience in a variety of fields. They are:

    • Anne Leis, Professor, University of Saskatchewan
    • Danielle de Moissac, Professor, Université de Saint-Boniface
    • Gary W. Slater, Professor, University of Ottawa
    • Linda Cardinal, Professor and Associate Vice-President of Research, Université de l’Ontario français
    • Mamadou Fall, Distinguished University Professor and Director, University of Ottawa
    • Valérie Lapointe-Gagnon, Associate Professor, Faculté Saint-Jean, University of Alberta
    • Vincent Larivière, Professor, Université de Montréal
    • Michelle Landry, Associate Professor, Université de Moncton
    • Rémy Léger, Professor, Simon Fraser University
    • Patrick Poirier, Executive Director Les Presses, Université de Montréal

    The Government of Canada’s investment is part of its broader commitment to promoting official languages and supporting Francophone communities across the country, while contributing to an inclusive and diverse research environment.

    The government’s investment was made through the Action Plan for Official Languages 2023–2028: Protection-Promotion-Collaboration, unveiled April 26, 2023. It allows the Government of Canada to support measures focused on Francophone immigration, economic development, education, justice, health, arts and culture.

    John Fragos
    Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Official Languages
    john.fragos@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Joint donor statement on Humanitarian Access in Sudan by the UK, USAID, Norway, Sweden, France, Germany, Netherlands, Ireland, Switzerland, Canada and the European Commissioner for Crisis Management

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The UK, alongside ten other donors, has issued a joint statement on humanitarian access in Sudan, calling on the warring parties to stop blocking aid from reaching those in need.

    The people of Sudan are experiencing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. 25 million people, half of Sudan’s population, are in urgent need of assistance. Fighting between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) has forced approximately 11 million from their homes, fleeing horrific violence and severe hunger since the outbreak of conflict 18 months ago. Women and girls are facing severe protection risks, including widespread sexual violence and other grave human rights violations. 

    In August, famine conditions were confirmed in Zamzam camp for internally displaced people – home to over 500,000 people. This marks the third official famine determination in the 21st century. On 9 October, in addition to the ongoing risk of famine in areas of greater Darfur, we were alerted that urban and rural areas of South Kordofan are now at elevated risk of famine due to continuing conflict and siege-like conditions. 

    The conflict between SAF and RSF and the two sides’ systematic obstruction of local and international humanitarian efforts is at the root of this famine. The war has driven civilians from their homes – uprooting them from their livelihoods. People have been increasingly forced into harmful coping strategies and are more at risk of being trafficked. It has damaged agricultural production and disrupted trade flows and market functionality, resulting in a severe deterioration in the production of and access to food. 

    In Darfur, only a fraction of the aid needed to feed 7 million acutely food insecure people has been allowed in since August. Untold numbers of people have already died, and many more will die as a result. An immediate and coordinated scale-up of assistance, together with full, safe and unhindered humanitarian access to populations in need, is urgently required to mitigate the large-scale loss of life. We condemn that, despite the overwhelming urgency, both SAF and RSF persist in obstructing the humanitarian response. 

    In addition, bureaucratic impediments by both the Sudan’s Humanitarian Aid Commission and the Sudan Agency for Relief and Humanitarian Operations continue to impede the delivery of assistance at the necessary scale. The Sudanese authorities must recognize that it is essential to work in partnership with humanitarian actors in Sudan, allowing them to address the most urgent needs independently and unhindered. Bureaucratic obstacles that are primarily designed to obstruct the delivery of aid, such as delays in issuing visas and travel permits, will continue to prevent life-saving support to the most vulnerable communities – including those seeking safety from the RSF’s assault on El Fasher in Northern Darfur. The recent treatment of the inter-agency Mission in Darfur is unacceptable and underlines this pattern of obstructive behaviour. The UN and partners must be able to engage with all parties to the conflict to ensure that lifesaving aid reaches people in urgent need wherever they are. 

    The parties have a duty to comply with their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and humanitarian personnel. In practice, this means the removal of all arbitrary restrictions on the Adre border crossing from Chad, including the 3-month time limit, opening of all possible cross-border routes without impediment, and agreeing on routes for humanitarian aid across conflict lines. In this regard, we recall the clear commitment of Chairman of the Sovereign Council, General Al-Burhan, to alleviate and remove all obstacles facing humanitarian actions. 

    We welcome the fulfilment of the humanitarian pledges made during the Paris Conference for Sudan and neighbouring countries on 15 April and recent progress of the Advancing Lifesaving and Peace in Sudan (ALPS) group in improving cross-border and crossline access. We call on the SAF and the RSF to engage and to deliver on their existing commitments and obligations for the sake of the Sudanese people. 

    Last month, world leaders gathered at the UN General Assembly called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent action in support of Sudan. This is needed now more than ever, with the escalation of the hostilities causing displacement, destruction and death.

    ENDS

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Caisse Française de Financement Local EMTN 2019-2 C

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Paris, 18 October 2024

    Capitalised terms used herein shall have the meaning specified for such terms in the Caisse Française de Financement Local base prospectus to the €75,000,000,000 Euro Medium Term Note Programme dated 8 July 2024 (the “Base Prospectus”).

    Caisse Française de Financement Local has decided to issue on 22 October 2024 – Euro 150,000,000 Fixed Rate Obligations Foncières due 16 January 2034 to be assimilated upon listing and form a single series with the existing Euro 500,000,000 Fixed Rate Obligations Foncières due 16 January 2034 issued on 16 January 2019 and the existing Euro 150,000,000 Fixed Rate Obligations Foncières due 16 January 2034 issued on 14 February 2019.

    The Base Prospectus dated 8 July 2024 and the supplements to the Base Prospectus dated 13 September 2024 and 30 September 2024 approved by the Autorité des Marchés Financiers are available on the website of the Issuer (https://www.caissefrancaisedefinancementlocal.fr/), at the registered office of the Issuer: 112-114, avenue Emile Zola, 75015 Paris, France, and at the office of the Paying Agent indicated in the Base Prospectus.

    The Final Terms relating to the issue will be available on the website of the AMF (http://www.amf-france.org) and of the Luxembourg Stock Exchange (www.bourse.lu), at the office of the issuer and at the office of the Paying Agent.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New IAEA Report on Climate Change and Nuclear Power Focuses on Financing

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    The 2024 edition of the IAEA’s Climate Change and Nuclear Power report has been released, highlighting the need for a significant increase in investment to achieve goals for expanding nuclear power. The new report was launched last week on the margins of the Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM) in Brazil. 

    Nuclear power is enjoying increasing interest around the world as countries seek to strengthen energy security and decarbonize their economies. A rapid expansion of clean energy technologies is required to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 and nuclear power is expected to play a key role, with the IAEA projecting a capacity increase of 2.5 times the current level by mid-century in its high case scenario. 

    According to the report, global investment in nuclear energy must increase to 125 billion USD annually, up from the around 50 billion USD invested each year from 2017-2023, to meet the IAEA’s high case projection for nuclear capacity in 2050. The more aspirational goal of tripling of capacity, which more than 20 countries pledged to work towards at COP28 last year, would require upwards of USD 150 billion in annual investment. 

    “Across its near century-long lifetime, a nuclear power plant is affordable and cost competitive. Financing the upfront costs can be a challenge however, especially in market driven economies and developing countries,” said IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi. “The private sector will increasingly need to contribute to financing, but so too will other institutions. The IAEA is engaging multilateral development banks to highlight their potential role in making sure that developing countries have more and better financing options when it comes to investing in nuclear energy.” 

    The new report also examines ways to unlock private sector finance, a topic that is gaining increasing attention worldwide. Last month, 14 major financial institutions including some of the world’s largest banks came together during a New York Climate Week event to signal a willingness to help finance nuclear newbuild projects. 

    The report was presented at a side event jointly organized by the Agency and the CEM’s Nuclear Innovation: Clean Energy Future (NICE) initiative on the margins of the 15th CEM in Brazil. The CEM is a high-level global forum that promotes policies and programmes to advance clean energy technology, and share lessons learned and best practices. 

    “The CEM is bringing together key stakeholders to discuss concrete steps to make clean energy—including nuclear power—affordable, attractive and accessible for all and accelerate clean energy transitions around the world,” said Jean-Francois Garnier, Head of the CEM Secretariat. “Financing the necessary expansion of nuclear power to help integrate other sources of clean electricity is key to this success and I am happy to see the IAEA and CEM/NICE Future partnering to launch this report which highlights some innovative approaches to attract investments from both the public and private sectors.” 

    The side event featured speakers from Brazil, the IAEA, the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the United States of America sharing their thoughts on how best to secure capital for nuclear power projects and looking ahead to COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, where financing the clean energy transition is set to be a major topic of discussion. 

    “IAEA energy system modelling and planning tools and publications are fundamental to decision-making processes for nuclear power plants,” said Giovani Machado, Advisor to the President of Brazil’s Energy Research Office (EPE). “IAEA publications on full cost analyses for electricity provision and financing of nuclear power plants were very useful to an EPE study on the Angra-3 nuclear power reactor for the National Energy Policy Council of Brazil.” 

    Nuclear power’s inclusion in sustainable financing frameworks, including the European Union (EU) taxonomy for sustainable activities, is having a tangible impact. In the EU, the first green bonds have been issued for nuclear power in Finland and France in 2023. Electricité de France (EDF) was one of the first recipients, with the award of €4 billion in green bonds and around €7 billion in green loans between 2022 and 2024. 

    To achieve climate change goals, global nuclear capacity needs to increase rapidly, increasing by a factor of 1.8 by 2035, said Sylvia Beyer, a Senior Energy Policy Analyst at the IEA. “Financing mechanisms that support scale, work force and supply chain development are going to be needed,” she added. 

    The report makes the case for policy reform and international partnerships to help bridge the financing gap and accelerate nuclear power expansion into emerging markets and developing economies, including for small modular reactors. Robust regulatory frameworks, new delivery models, skilled labour development and stakeholder engagement can unlock new avenues for sustainable energy investments towards development goals. 

    “Accelerating the transition process is a multifaceted challenge that needs to be addressed within the broader framework of energy transition plans,” said Celso Cunha, President of the Brazilian Association for the Development of Nuclear Activities. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Artivism in Peacekeeping: Harnessing Creativity for Global Change

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    As conflicts rise worldwide, over 2 billion people—one-quarter of humanity—live in conflict-affected areas. With peace increasingly under threat, the United Nations’ peacekeeping operations continue to play a critical role in promoting stability in some of the world’s most challenging environments. However, as peacekeeping faces unprecedented challenges, a new and powerful tool is being leveraged: artivism. By merging art and activism, artivism has emerged as an innovative way to inspire social change, raise awareness, and engage global communities in peacebuilding.

     

    Artivism—where art meets activism—is the use of artistic expression to promote social or political causes. Whether through murals, street art, or public installations, artivists highlight critical issues such as human rights, justice, and peace. In the context of UN peacekeeping, artivism has become an essential part of global peace campaigns, turning abstract concepts like peace and security into tangible, relatable experiences. On 25 October, International Artist Day 2024 will provide an opportunity to honor those who use art as a tool for fighting for peace, further solidifying the connection between creativity and social change.

    Artivism has transformed peacekeeping efforts, humanizing its work and reaching a broader audience. By tapping into the emotional power of art, peacekeeping operations engage communities and individuals in ways that traditional methods cannot. This form of activism allows UN Peacekeeping to connect with the public, creating solidarity and fostering participation in the global peace movement.

    One notable example is the 2024 International Day of Peace, which showcased artivism at the heart of UN Peacekeeping’s activities. On this day, the UN Department of Peace Operations collaborated with renowned street artist Detour to create a live painting at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The event, curated by Street Art for Mankind, encouraged attendees to contribute their own messages of peace on a second canvas, fostering a collaborative and participatory experience. This combination of creativity and community engagement underscored the power of artivism to inspire collective action.

    High-profile figures, including Danish actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, American actress Kat Graham, and Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo, joined the event, amplifying its message. UN officials, including Under-Secretaries-General Melissa Fleming and Rosemary DiCarlo, also attended, highlighting the importance of art as a tool for promoting global peace.

    Beyond New York, peacekeeping missions around the world also embraced the power of artivism. In places like Kosovo (UNMIK), Cyprus (UNFICYP), the Central African Republic (MINUSCA), and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) (in French), local artists and peacekeepers collaborated to create murals addressing region-specific issues such as youth engagement, misinformation, and gender-based violence.

    More importantly, the installations serve as powerful reminders of the global effort needed to build and sustain peace.

    Artivism goes beyond simply creating aesthetically pleasing works of art. It aims to inspire action and mobilize communities around critical social and political issues. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Social Movement Studies found that artivism is more effective than traditional forms of activism in engaging audiences and raising awareness. Art-driven activism, according to the study, is more memorable and has a greater impact on people’s willingness to act on the issues it highlights.

     

    For UN Peacekeeping, the success of artivism is already visible. The 2024 International Day of Peace promoted unity and collective action through creative expression.

    Audrey and Thibault Decker, co-founders of Street Art for Mankind, emphasized the universal impact of art, noting, “Art is a universal language. It speaks to the heart and moves humankind in a way nobody can explain, but everybody can experience. Art is essential to the creation of a peaceful world.”

    As conflicts become more complex, artivism offers an accessible and powerful means of fostering dialogue, raising awareness, and promoting peace. Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations, highlighted the importance of these efforts, stating, “As world leaders […] forge a new international consensus on how we deliver a better present and safeguard the future, it’s important that the communities we serve remain at the center of all our efforts.”

    Looking forward, UN Peacekeeping will continue to embrace innovative ways to engage communities, raise awareness, and build a more peaceful world. By involving local communities, artists, and peacekeepers in these creative efforts, the message of peace becomes more than just a goal—it becomes a shared vision that people across the globe can actively participate in.

    In embracing artivism, UN Peacekeeping demonstrates that peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of creativity, solidarity, and shared purpose. Through continued art-driven activism, peacekeeping will remain a vital force in the global movement toward a more peaceful and just future.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of the Meeting of President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom, and President  Biden of the United  States

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, Prime Minister Keir Starmer of the United Kingdom, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States met today in Berlin, Germany.
    The leaders condemned Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine, discussed their plans to provide Ukraine with additional security, economic, and humanitarian assistance – including leveraging the extraordinary revenues of immobilized Russian sovereign assets, as decided at the G7 Summit –, discussed President Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan, and reiterated their resolve to continue supporting Ukraine in its efforts to secure a just and lasting peace, based on international law, including the United Nations Charter, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.
    The leaders also discussed events in the Middle East, in particular the implications of the death of Yahya Sinwar, who bears responsibility for the bloodshed of the October 7th terrorist attack, the immediate necessity to bring the hostages home to their families, ending the war in Gaza, and ensuring humanitarian aid reaches civilians. The leaders also reiterated their condemnation of Iran’s escalatory attack on Israel and coordinated on efforts to hold Iran accountable and prevent further escalation. They discussed the situation in Lebanon and agreed on the need to work towards full implementation of UNSCR 1701 and a diplomatic resolution that allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return safely home.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany and President Biden of the United States: 18 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States today in Berlin, Germany.

    The Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States today in Berlin, Germany.

    The leaders condemned Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine, discussed their plans to provide Ukraine with additional security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, including leveraging the extraordinary revenues of immobilized Russian sovereign assets – as decided at the G7 Summit, discussed President Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan, and reiterated their resolve to continue supporting Ukraine in its efforts to secure a just and lasting peace, based on international law, including the United Nations Charter, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    The leaders also discussed events in the Middle East, in particular the implications of the death of Yahya Sinwar, who bears responsibility for the bloodshed of the October 7th terrorist attack, for the immediate necessity to bring the hostages home to their families, for ending the war in Gaza, and ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians.

    The leaders also reiterated their condemnation of Iran’s escalatory attack on Israel and coordinated on efforts to hold Iran accountable and prevent further escalation. They discussed the situation in Lebanon and agreed on the need to work towards full implementation of UNSCR 1701 and a diplomatic resolution that allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return safely home.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: PM meeting with President Macron of France, Chancellor Scholz of Germany and President Biden of the United States: 18 October 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    The Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States today in Berlin, Germany.

    The Prime Minister met President Emmanuel Macron of France, Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany, and President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. of the United States today in Berlin, Germany.

    The leaders condemned Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine, discussed their plans to provide Ukraine with additional security, economic, and humanitarian assistance, including leveraging the extraordinary revenues of immobilized Russian sovereign assets – as decided at the G7 Summit, discussed President Zelenskyy’s Victory Plan, and reiterated their resolve to continue supporting Ukraine in its efforts to secure a just and lasting peace, based on international law, including the United Nations Charter, and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    The leaders also discussed events in the Middle East, in particular the implications of the death of Yahya Sinwar, who bears responsibility for the bloodshed of the October 7th terrorist attack, for the immediate necessity to bring the hostages home to their families, for ending the war in Gaza, and ensure humanitarian aid reaches civilians.

    The leaders also reiterated their condemnation of Iran’s escalatory attack on Israel and coordinated on efforts to hold Iran accountable and prevent further escalation. They discussed the situation in Lebanon and agreed on the need to work towards full implementation of UNSCR 1701 and a diplomatic resolution that allows civilians on both sides of the Blue Line to return safely home.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Wicker to President Biden: Make Final Push for Ukraine Before Leaving Office

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Mississippi Roger Wicker
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, is demanding that President Biden exercise his responsibilities as commander-in-chief and give Ukraine the weapons it needs to make a “substantial difference” on the battlefield in the last 90 days of his term.
    Senator Wicker specifically called on the president to provision Ukraine with weaponry at a much faster rate, deliver more vehicles, missiles, drones and counter-drone equipment, and increase defense industrial base cooperation between the United States and Ukraine, among other recommendations. The senator sent these detailed requests, along with more than five others, as a part of a detailed plan to enable Ukrainian success prior to the next presidential term starting.
    These demands follow repeated, unsuccessful engagements with the White House since August. In the letter, Senator Wicker notes that he sent a classified letter to President Biden with suggestions on how to improve the military assistance program for Ukraine, and he later followed up with a September phone call to the president regarding the letter. Senator Wicker has also shared these ideas with senior national security officials but has yet to see them yield any significant results.
    “I am frustrated – and mystified – that your administration has accomplished so little in the last three months regarding the war in Ukraine.  You seem poised to leave the next president a weak hand,” Senator Wicker wrote.
    For two years, Senator Wicker has led Senate Republicans in pushing President Biden to implement a more effective strategy for Ukrainian victory. In September, Senator Wicker criticized President Biden’s intention to drag out his use of Presidential Drawdown Authority. Senator Wicker has also repeatedly published a detailed timeline of many instances when President Biden failed to deliver support to Ukraine at a speed where they could make a difference on the battlefield. In a 2023 floor speech, Senator Wicker laid out his first principles as it comes to supporting Ukraine: “more, better, faster.”
    Read the full October 18, 2024 letter here or below.
    October 17, 2024
    President Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
    The White House
    1600 Pennsylvania Avenue
    Washington, D.C. 20500
    Dear Mr. President,
    In early August, I sent you a classified letter, which identified steps you could take to support Ukraine more aggressively. The letter contained detailed recommendations, including policy changes and suggestions to improve military assistance delivery and defense industrial base cooperation. My goal was to highlight ways that your administration could use its remaining six months in office wisely – to put Ukraine in the most advantageous position possible for your successor, whomever the American people choose. I followed up with you in a phone conversation in mid-September, and I have attended meetings with senior national security officials.
     
    I am frustrated – and mystified – that your administration has accomplished so little in the last three months regarding the war in Ukraine. You seem poised to leave the next president a weak hand. Nonetheless, I maintain that a focused effort – directed by you – could make a substantial difference over your final 90 days as president.
    Toward that end, I have included a list of 10 recommendations.
    Recommendation 1: Increase the pace of weapons transfers to Ukraine. The current pace of Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) usage would drag on through calendar year 2025. This is true despite the agreement between Congress and your administration that the authority granted in the National Security Supplemental would last through calendar year 2024. That tempo led your administration to seek a $5.5 billion extension of this authority last month.
    The Secretaries of State and Defense exercised this authority to prevent its expiration, but your administration has said that the pace of deliveries will not change. Ukraine will continue to receive only about $400 million in military equipment per month for the next 14 months.
    I am troubled that your administration is using U.S. military readiness as an excuse to “manage” the conflict in Ukraine. Officials are making decisions about strategic and military risk, but they are not consulting Congress. You should direct the Secretary of Defense to provide you a plan that would deliver the remaining $5.5 billion in Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) to Ukraine immediately.
    Deliver more vehicles. Ukraine needs many more heavy vehicles, such as M1A1 Abrams tanks and Bradley infantry fighting vehicles, to form the core of combined-arms brigades. Ukraine also faces a significant shortfall of general protected vehicles (such as up-armored HMMWVs, ambulances, and MRAPs) to protect troops from Russian drones and artillery. The U.S. Army and Marine Corps possess ample stocks of these vehicles. Our industrial base can easily replace those that are transferred. Additionally, there is no near-term need for massive stockpiles of vehicles given the degraded state of Russian ground forces.
    Deliver more ATACMS. Ukraine has used U.S.-provided ATACMS responsibly and effectively, but it needs more. We have a sufficient inventory of serviceable long-range ATACMS. A significant number of these should go to Ukraine. Although there may be division within your administration on this recommendation, I urge you to push the Army and the combatant commands to aid Ukraine’s largely successful deep strike campaign.
    Deliver more drones and counter unmanned aerial systems. U.S. attack drone and counter-UAS production can increase. The industrial base is expanding rapidly and has multiple solution options in each of these areas. Ukraine is quite receptive to using unproven systems.
    Recommendation 2: Allow greater flexibility on restrictions for U.S.-provided munitions. One of Ukraine’s key asymmetric advantages against Russia is its ability to target high-value Russian military targets and to do so rapidly. Your administration has hamstrung this crucial advantage. You should immediately revise any policies that limit the use of U.S.-provided munitions, including ATACMS, to strike military targets inside Russia. Any restrictions should be placed on the types of targets, rather than on the distance from a border that Russia does not even recognize. Numerous allies and partners already allow their long-range munitions to be used for deep strikes.
    Recommendation 3: Increase the cap of U.S. government non-military personnel allowed in-country. You should direct Secretary Blinken to allow more State Department, Defense Department, and other government agency personnel inside Ukraine. The current number of personnel cannot manage a military aid effort in the tens of billions of dollars while conducting planning for future improvements in the Ukrainian industrial base and economy. As a result, anything beyond the day-to-day management is not getting done. Current staff is overworked, and more U.S. government personnel are required to manage security assistance and to conduct accountability and oversight work. Numerous allies already have a much more risk-tolerant government presence in Ukraine.
    Recommendation 4: Establish a regulated presence of U.S. military contractors inside Ukraine. You should allow a limited number of U.S. military contractors to operate in Ukraine – under strict conditions – to increase Ukraine’s ability to maintain its equipment. The current approach is too slow, as we remotely perform maintenance or move Ukrainian equipment to Poland for up-keep. The presence of U.S. contractors in-country would also help to mentor Ukrainian personnel to increase their self-sufficiency. U.S. contractors are well-prepared to execute such a mission. They have extensive experience in Iraq and Afghanistan. British, French, and Czech personnel are already in-country, or will soon be, to conduct similar missions.
    Recommendation 5: Expand training for Ukrainian land forces. The United States should maximize the use of all available training capacity located in the European Command (EUCOM) area of responsibility, and it should build up Ukrainian brigades capable of combined arms warfare. Currently, improved Ukrainian recruitment is outpacing Ukrainian and allied training. EUCOM almost certainly has the ability to train even more troops per month than it does now, which would help cover the number of troops that Ukraine does not have the capacity to train.
    Recommendation 6: Deliver more shareable, commercially-derived intelligence. The administration should use processes already in place to increase the delivery of available unclassified information to Ukraine, including disposition of Russian forces and location data. The National Reconnaissance Office has contract vehicles in place for commercial satellite services (such as RF data) that are instrumental in providing Ukraine with services for tipping and cueing (i.e., targeting) of Russian radars, air assets, defense systems, and other threats.
    Recommendation 7: Dramatically expand the Pentagon industrial base policy workforce. U.S. industrial base expansion and industrial base integration with Europe is not happening fast enough because we lack the personnel to plan and execute these activities. You should direct the Secretary of Defense, in the next 15 days, to reassign at least 100 capable and motivated DOD civil servants, moving them into these offices and asking Congress for new hiring authorities and supplemental money to pay for this expansion. The short-staffed office that runs the Defense Production Act illustrates the need. Only a handful of people staff that organization, which is tasked with finding ways to rebuild our supplier base for solid rocket motors, missile casings, and more. DOD industrial base offices can also help allies and partners expand their own production, such as the Storm Shadow and SCALP lines in the UK and France, respectively.
    These U.S. offices include:
    Joint Production Acceleration Cell
    Assistant Secretary of Defense for Industrial Base Policy
    Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for International and Industry Engagement
    Manufacturing Capability Expansion and Investment Prioritization (DPA & ICAM/IBAS)
    Recommendation 8: Rapidly accelerate contracting timelines. I understand that many large contracts for Ukraine, especially those funded through the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, are still taking a year or more on average. This is unacceptable. Section 1244 of the Fiscal Year 2023 NDAA, as well as additional contracting authorities, grant broad flexibilities to the Department of Defense. By written instruction, you should formally direct the Secretary of Defense and the service acquisition executives to require all contracting officers to leverage – to the maximum extent possible – those contracting flexibilities. The Army has used section 1244 for the new 155mm artillery ammunition factory in Mesquite, Texas, and doing so brought it online two years faster than expected.
    Recommendation 9: Hold monthly high-level defense industrial base meetings. You should direct the Secretaries of State, Defense, and Commerce to host monthly high-level defense industrial base meetings with Ukraine, key NATO allies, and defense industry officials. You should prioritize coproduction with Ukraine so it can better meet its own needs.
    Recommendation 10: Deliver more DPICMs. In addition to ATACMS, Ukraine also has used Dual Purpose Improved Conventional Munitions (DPICMs) effectively and responsibly. The U.S. inventory includes hundreds of thousands of serviceable 155mm DPICMs rounds. Each 155mm DPICMs round has the effect of 3–5 high explosive artillery projectiles. You possess the authority to send Ukraine $250 million of DPICMs today. There is simply no way to offset the artillery advantage of the Russians without using DPICMs.
    Sincerely,
    Roger F. Wicker
    Ranking Member

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Outbreak of bluetongue virus in southern France – E-002019/2024

    Source: European Parliament

    10.10.2024

    Question for written answer  E-002019/2024
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Julien Leonardelli (PfE), Julie Rechagneux (PfE), Pierre Pimpie (PfE), Marie Dauchy (PfE), Mélanie Disdier (PfE), Valérie Deloge (PfE), Marie-Luce Brasier-Clain (PfE), Jean-Paul Garraud (PfE)

    EU Member States, and France in particular, are being hit by a serious bluetongue virus (BTV) epidemic.

    It has reached especially alarming levels in Hauts-de-France and Bourgogne-Franche Comté, but also in Occitania.

    In view of the above:

    • 1.Will the vaccines against BTV, and serotype 8 in particular (which is not covered in France), be fully or at least partly paid for by the EU? Is the EU planning to ramp up BTV prevention and improve alerts whenever an outbreak of the virus occurs?
    • 2.Will farmers who have lost some of their livestock be compensated for their losses and lost earnings? Will efforts be made to protect sheep species (like the Tarasconnais) that are threatened by the disease?
    • 3.As the epidemic spread from Spain to France, what steps does the Commission intend to take to improve the exchange of health information among Member States in the future?

    Supporter[1]

    Submitted: 10.10.2024

    • [1] This question is supported by a Member other than the authors: Aleksandar Nikolic (PfE)
    Last updated: 18 October 2024

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Praise Cuba’s High Percentage of Women in Parliament, Ask about Measures to Address Sex Trafficking and Reduce the Burden of Unpaid Care Work

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today considered the ninth periodic report of Cuba, with Committee Experts praising the State’s high percentage of women in Parliament, and asking about measures to protect women and girls from sex trafficking and reduce the burden of unpaid care work on women.  Committee Experts also discussed the impact that the United States’ economic blockade had on Cuban women’s rights.

    A Committee Expert welcomed that Cuba currently had one of the highest rates of female participation in Parliament worldwide.

    Rhoda Reddock, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Cuba, raised the issue of the economic blockade on Cuba by the United States, which she said was estimated to have cost Cuba a significant percentage of its gross domestic product.  Had the State party had been able to address all the challenges that came with the blockade?

    One Committee Expert said there were concerning reports of sexual abuse of girls in the tourism industry and of criminalisation of women victims of sex trafficking.  When would the State party adopt a comprehensive law on trafficking with clear provisions on prevention and reparation for victims?

    Another Expert said women spent twice as much time doing domestic and care work compared to men, and there had been successive cuts to social care programmes.  How did the State party intend to sustain these programmes?

    Introducing the report, Inés María Chapman Waugh, Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba and head of the delegation, said women accounted for 56 per cent of members of Cuba’s Parliament, the second highest percentage in the world.  Around 80 per cent of judges in the judiciary were women; eight in every 10 prosecutors were women; and women made up 60 per cent of university graduates.  The State also had a high representation of women in its science and technology sector, she noted.

    Ms. Chapman Waugh said the United States’ financial blockage against Cuba was a flagrant violation of the rights of Cubans and it had disproportionately affected women. It had led to devastating shortages in medication, food and energy.  Progress in distributing the human papilloma virus vaccine, for example, had been hampered by the blockade.

    The delegation said Cuba had a zero-tolerance policy regarding all forms of trafficking.  Trafficking in persons had been included as a crime in the Criminal Code, as had forced labour.  The State did not criminalise women victims of trafficking.  Detection and combatting systems were in place in the tourism industry.

    The Government was calling for fair distribution of household and care work between men and women, the delegation said.  A recent decree on the national care system provided for a more equitable approach to care.  The State was training carers to provide formalised care for the aging population and raising awareness about the need for men and women to spend equal time on care duties.

    In closing remarks, Ms. Chapman Waugh said Cuba valued the recommendations of the Committee, which would be scrutinised with due rigour.  The Government was committed to implementing the Convention and promoting women’s rights.  It would do its utmost to achieve its goals in this regard, despite the economic blockade imposed by the United States.

    Ana Peláez Narváez, Committee Chair, in concluding remarks, said that the Committee commended Cuba for its efforts and called on the State party to implement the Committee’s recommendations for better implementation of the Convention for the benefit of all women and girls in the State.

    The delegation of Cuba consisted of representatives from the National Assembly of People’s Power; Ministry of Justice; National Secretariat of the Federation of Cuban Women; Ministry of Education; University of Havana; Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and the Permanent Mission of Cuba to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Cuba at the end of its eighty-ninth session on 25 October.  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 in public at 10 a.m. on Monday, 21 October to consider the fifth periodic report of Benin (CEDAW/C/BEN/5).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the ninth periodic report of Cuba (CEDAW/C/CUB/9).

    Presentation of Report

    INÉS MARÍA CHAPMAN WAUGH, Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba and head of the delegation, said gender equality and the eradication of all forms of violence against women were objectives that Cuba and the Committee shared.  Almost 80 per cent of the Committee’s recommendations from the last review had been complied with.  Cuba was steadfastly committed to complying with its obligations under the Convention.

    Since 2019, Cuba had undergone a far-reaching process to strengthen its legislative framework. The 2019 Constitution promoted the right to equality and the prohibition of discrimination.  Direct and indirect discrimination had been prohibited in the Criminal Code.  The newly adopted Family Code defended women’s rights, permitted same-sex marriage, and set the age of marriage at 18.

    The national programme for the advancement of women was implemented in 2021.  It included 46 measures promoting women’s advancement and established a follow-up mechanism to ensure its implementation.  Under the programme, the State party adopted polices to promote the inclusion of women in the labour market.  Around 250 creches had been established to support working women.

    A Cuban association for persons with disabilities had been established, and the social assistance programme provided support for the children of women with disabilities. Around one quarter of women were self-employed.  The State’s unemployment rate was low, at around two per cent.  Six decree laws were recently adopted that promoted the protection of women working in the private sector.  The national response to the COVID-19 pandemic included benefits provided to working women and women who lost their jobs.  Over 60 per cent of persons who coordinated COVID-19 vaccination development in Cuba were women.

    Women accounted for 56 per cent of members of Parliament, the second highest percentage in the world.  In the Supreme Court, women accounted for 53 per cent of judges, while around 80 per cent of judges in the judiciary were women.  Eight in every 10 prosecutors were women.  Women made up 60 per cent of university graduates.  The State also had a high representation of women in its science and technology sector.  Care services accounted for a high percentage of the State budget.  The State party continued to work to collect cross-cutting and intersectoral data on women. 

    Cuba had developed robust legislation and a national action plan to tackle gender-based violence. It addressed direct and indirect violence in all settings.  In 2022, the murder of women was specifically criminalised in the Criminal Code. Education measures played a key role in preventing gender-based violence in the State.  In the coming days, Cuba would set up a data mechanism that would provide real-time information about violent deaths of women and girls, and a hotline for reporting violence against women.  Measures would also be implemented to address the disproportionate burden of care placed on women.

    The United States had been imposing a financial blockage against Cuba for several decades. This was a flagrant violation of the rights of Cubans and it had disproportionately affected women.  It had led to devastating shortages in medication, food and energy.  Progress in distributing the human papilloma virus vaccine, for example, had been hampered by the blockade.

    The Government was working to address macho stereotypes, and support women’s access to health, education and land.  Measures were implemented to support the many rural women who were engaged in low paid or unpaid work.  Programmes had also been implemented to address the high prevalence of teenage pregnancies.  Cuba promoted women’s bodily autonomy and allowed women to decide regarding abortion.

    Seventy per cent of the people murdered in the Gaza Strip were women and girls.  Ms. Chapman Waugh appealed for peace in the Middle East.

    Cuba, on the basis of its international commitments and in spite of the blockade placed upon it, would continue to do its best to implement the Convention and protect the rights of all women in its territory.

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    RHODA REDDOCK, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Cuba, congratulated Cuba on its achievements over the years.  Cuba was the first country to sign and the second to ratify the Convention, and several Cuban experts had served on the Committee.  The economic blockade on Cuba by the United States had been in place since the 1960s.  It was estimated to have cost Cuba a significant percentage of its gross domestic product.  Cuba had also been added to the United States’ list of States that sponsored terrorism, further hindering Cuba’s access to resources.  Women were worst affected by this situation.  They were forced to spend most of their time working to obtain resources to support their families, and more than one million women and girls had fled the State to seek a better life.

    Ms. Reddock welcomed that the State party had introduced several laws to address discrimination and violence against women.  It was also promising that a National Ombudsperson’s Office had recently been established.

    The death penalty remained in place for more than 20 offences.  Were there plans to implement a moratorium?  The July 2021 protests against increasing shortages of fuel and food were met with disproportionately violent responses by State agents.  Many women protesters reportedly remained in detention.  There were also reports of poor conditions for women in Cuban prisons.  Were there plans to release the women protesters detained since 2021?  Was there a right of appeal for detained protestors?  What was the status of the National Ombudsperson?  Had it received complaints from women?

    Another Committee Expert welcomed efforts by the State party to disseminate the Convention and provide training for State agents on the Convention.  What concrete steps had been taken to enhance women’s awareness of their rights under the Convention?  How was the Committee disseminating the Convention among politicians and the judiciary? What was the national mechanism for monitoring the Committee’s recommendations?  What was the position of the State party on the ratification of the Optional Protocol?

    The Committee was concerned that the State party had failed to incorporate a comprehensive definition of discrimination against women in the Constitution or in State legislation. Why was this?  What legislative and policy measures were in place to address intersectional discrimination against women?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said access to justice was a constitutionally recognised right for all Cubans.  Men and women enjoyed the same legal status and the same rights with regard to succession.  Exorbitant fees could not be charged for legal aid services.  Around 700 pro-bono services were made available in 2024, the majority of which related to gender-based violence cases. 

    The National Ombudsperson was established in June 2023.  Its role was to protect and restore the rights of marginalised people, including women, young people, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.  It had received 102 complaints of violence and discrimination.  Forty-eight of these cases had been resolved; the rest were being reviewed.

    No authority could modify the rulings of courts or instruct judges.  The judiciary’s independence met the highest international standards.  The public was actively engaged in trials and rulings could be appealed.

    Cuba was in favour of removing the death penalty when the conditions were favourable to do so.  It had not been applied or handed down as a sanction for 20 years and had never been issued against a woman.  Four crimes had been removed from the list of crimes for which the death penalty could be applied. 

    There were no political prisoners in Cuba.  All prisoners had been sentenced for violating the law and had benefited from fair trial guarantees.  In the 2021 riots, there was vandalism and public and private property was destroyed. No country would allow such actions to go unpunished.  Criminal trials of persons who committed such actions were fair; rioters were prosecuted based on their actions, not their gender.

    Cuba engaged in ongoing awareness raising and training on the Convention and other international human rights instruments for civil servants and the judiciary.  There was also an awareness raising campaign for women and vulnerable groups.  The State party worked with local media and civil society to support this work. There were also post-graduate courses in universities on women’s empowerment and gender-based violence.

    The State party did not recognise the competence of any international treaty bodies to receive individual communications.  This was a long-standing position of the Government and there were no plans to change it.

    The State party had a follow-up mechanism to assess the implementation of the Convention and the national programme for the advancement of women.  It was working to ensure that women could play their full roles in the family, the economy and society.  The mechanism included representatives of all government bodies and civil society organizations.

    Cuba prohibited all forms of discrimination.  State legislation addressed discrimination based on sex and gender identity, amongst others.  The 2019 Constitution stated that international treaties ratified by Cuba were directly applicable in the State.  The State party had adopted over 400 decrees promoting gender equality.  An important example was the new Family Code, which placed gender equality at its core.  Members of parliament were provided with training on this legislation to ensure that they were able to apply it.  The national programme against racism and discrimination also addressed intersectional forms of discrimination.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert asked about the State party’s assessment of its efforts to disseminate the Convention. The Optional Protocol put into practical effect the rights of the Convention and would be of benefit to Cuba if it were ratified.

    RHODA REDDOCK, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Cuba, asked if the State party had been able to address all the challenges that came with the United States’ blockade.

    Another Committee Expert shared deep concerns about the negative impact of unilateral coercive measures on human rights.  Businesses and multilateral actors needed to consider the impacts of overcompliance with sanctions, and States needed to act in line with their international obligations.

    One Committee Expert said the Federation for Cuban Women coordinated the national programme for the advancement of women.  How did the Federation mainstream gender equality across different sectors and promote the participation of women of African descent and women with disabilities in the creation of public policies?  How did it assist civil society organizations in efforts to promote gender equality?

    Cuba did not have a national human rights institute, but the National Ombudsperson might be a first step towards this.  How many complaints had it received from women?  To what extent had gender sensitivity training been provided?  Did the State party plan to establish a national human rights institute in accordance with the Paris Principles?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said that specialised training on international treaties was a challenge.  To address this, the State party had stepped up training of police, journalists and other stakeholders on the Convention, including in rural areas.  A gender approach was gradually being implemented in university textbooks. There was a communication strategy in place to promote positive portrayals of women in the media and prevent gender stereotypes.

    The State party did not recognise the competence of the treaty bodies to receive individual communications as Cuba believed that its national rights protection framework was sufficient.

    The economic blockade had primarily impacted women and families.  Banks did not allow Cuba to conduct many transactions, due to the State having been classified as a co-sponsor of terrorism.  This had hampered efforts to invest in energy and infrastructure. During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a shortage of ventilators in hospitals, and the Government was unable to acquire them due to the blockade.  Twenty-five days of the blockade represented a year’s worth of financing required to acquire the basic basket of food and medical supplies for one year.  Eighteen days of the blockade covered a year’s worth of investment in fuel. Thirty-six hours of the blockade represented the annual cost of education materials in the country.

    Since the establishment of the Ombudsperson, it had dealt with 1,001 cases, 616 of which it had accepted for follow-up.  Over 300 of these cases had been resolved.  Two national workshops had been held to strengthen the capacity of Ombudsperson Office staff.  The State was working to ensure that women were aware of the national programme for women’s empowerment.  National and local groups provided follow-up on human rights issues affecting certain communities; these issues included racism, women’s empowerment, and the rights of persons with disabilities.  In all these fora, civil society participated actively.

    Among Cuban members of Parliament, there were 149 Afro descendants, representing over 30 per cent of members. Around 56 per cent of women members of Parliament were Afro descendants.  The State party was working to address discrimination and racism against this group.  A national observatory on racism had been established and there was a reporting line for lodging complaints of racism.  A national day for Afro-Latina and Afro-Caribbean women had been established. Over 60 civil society organizations representing these women participated in celebrations of this day.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert said the Federation of Cuban Women was very strong.  How did it support independent civil society organizations which did not belong to the Federation?

    Another Committee Expert asked whether the State party believed that there was a need to enact temporary special measures to support young girls and older women?  Were temporary special measures planned to address the phenomenon of rural to urban migration?

    RHODA REDDOCK, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Cuba, commended the State party for continuing efforts to eliminate gender discrimination of women and carry out training and sensitisation programmes on gender discrimination.  How effective had these programmes been?  Would the State party consider establishing a multi-sectoral strategy to eliminate patriarchal stereotypes?  What work on gender stereotypes had been carried out with men and boys?  Schools reproduced gender ideologies.  To what extent were gender studies part of the teacher training curriculum?

    There were many legislative changes put in place related to gender-based violence since the last dialogue.  To what extent had the implementation of this legislation been affected by the economic blockade?  Were there official shelters for victims of gender-based violence and did the State party collaborate with civil society organizations that supported victims?  Was there a reparations procedure for victims?  Did the State party have an aversion to addressing femicide in its legislation?  What was the social perception of this phenomenon?

    One Committee Expert said that the State party had a zero-tolerance policy to trafficking.  However, there were concerning reports of sexual abuse of girls in the tourism industry and of criminalisation of women victims of sex trafficking.  When would the State party adopt a comprehensive law on trafficking with clear provisions on prevention and reparation for victims?  When would it review its Penal Code to criminalise the use of services of trafficking victims?  How would it prevent the revictimisation of trafficking victims? How many victims had been identified and assisted in the past year, and how many perpetrators had been prosecuted? Did the State party intend to include women’s non-governmental organizations in the process of identifying and preventing trafficking?  How was the State party training officials to respond to trafficking, including online trafficking activities?  What awareness raising campaigns were in place regarding trafficking?  How many shelters were available for victims of trafficking and what services did they provide?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said more than four million Cubans belonged to the Federation of Cuban Women.  The Federation of Cuban Women coordinated a working group on implementing the national programme on women’s empowerment, which also included civil society organizations that were not part of the Federation.

    Cuba had a tradition of enacting temporary special measures when needed.  For example, it had reopened children’s creches in workplaces. Measures were also being implemented to support women’s access to the basket of foodstuff and employment, and to support women and girls migrating from rural areas to cities.  The Government was supporting rural women to access livelihoods to reduce their need to migrate from rural areas.  There was a working group in place that addressed internal and external migration, developing policies to support migrants and manage urban development

    The national education system was being reviewed in 2023 and 2024 to strengthen guidelines for teachers. Issues such as gender inequality and sexual division of labour were being incorporated in students’ education. Intergenerational meetings were held with men and boys, in which elderly men taught boys about the importance of tackling gender stereotypes.

    The State party had a comprehensive legal framework and a national strategy to address gender-based violence. One of the goals of the strategy was to develop a comprehensive law on violence against women.  The Criminal Code imposed severe sanctions for the crime of murder of a women motivated by gender.  There were shelters for female victims of violence provided by grassroots organizations.  Workshops were held to coordinate the Government and civil society’s responses to gender-based violence.  Comprehensive reparations for violence could be sought through civil courts.  Members of parliament had discussed but had not agreed to include the concept of “femicide” within legislation.

    Cuba had a zero-tolerance policy regarding all forms of trafficking and was a State party to international instruments addressing various forms of trafficking.  Trafficking in persons had been included as a crime in the Criminal Code, as had forced labour.  There was a very low incidence of human trafficking in Cuba, thanks in part to the absence of significant organised crime networks.  Cuba had a national action plan and a national working group addressing trafficking.  The national action plan included strong measures promoting support for victims. The State did not criminalise women victims of trafficking. 

    State regulations prohibited sex tourism.  Detection and combatting systems were in place in the tourism industry.  The State party had identified a small number of foreigners in the country who were involved in facilitating child sex tourism, who were duly sentenced.  Over 700 training sessions had taken place for 7,000 workers in the tourism sector on the prevention of trafficking. 

    Cuba had published an annual report on trafficking that contained data on cases of trafficking before the courts. There were 14 prosecutions for trafficking crimes in 2023.  The State party did not criminalise prostitution but did punish pimping with severe penalties.  Social workers were supporting sex workers and the State was working to eradicate the root causes of women becoming involved in prostitution.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert welcomed that Cuba currently had one of the highest rates of female participation in Parliament worldwide.  However, a gender gap persisted in cabinet ministries, with only 18.5 per cent of ministerial positions being held by women.  Men were concentrated in the most influential spheres of Government.  How was the State party measuring the number of women in executive posts in the private sector?  Was it encouraging private sector bodies to promote women’s representation?  How many heads of standing committees in Parliament were women?  How many women civil society organizations were there and were they affected by laws preventing access to foreign funding?

    Another Committee Expert asked about circumstances in which Cuban women could lose their nationality.  Could the State party strip people of their nationality? Was there a mechanism for Cuban women born abroad to regain their nationality?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Cuba had made significant progress over the reporting period regarding the representation of women in Parliament.  Three women played a key role in leadership of the Central Communist Party Committee and 46 per cent of members of this committee were women.  Six provinces had female governors; 80 per cent of vice-ministerial posts were held by women; and six of the 11 standing working committees of Parliament were led by women.  The State party had put in place an action plan to increase the representation of women in non-traditional sectors and in leadership positions, and to increase the number of women-owned enterprises.

    Civil society organizations could receive foreign funding, but not financing for activities that subverted the constitutional order.

    The Constitution regulated how citizenship was acquired.  The acquisition of citizenship of other States did not lead to the revoking of Cuban citizenship.  A new law on citizenship had been adopted but had not yet come into force.  The law would require persons who applied to renounce Cuban nationality to hold another nationality.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert asked if there was a follow-up mechanism in place to assess the number of women in executive posts.

    RHODA REDDOCK, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Cuba, said that the President could issue decisions on the removal of citizenship.  Could this lead to statelessness?

    One Committee Expert commended Cuba for its efforts to make the right to education free and universal and to promote women’s academic achievements.  The Expert cited reports of an increased rate of teenage pregnancies in rural and remote areas, particularly for people of African descent.  When would the State party start implementing a sexual education programme?  How was it working around the economic blockade to support rural and Black women? How many rural and marginalised women were attending university?  Did the State party have legislation and policies that addressed bullying in schools and cyber bullying?  How did the State party ensure that women and men earned the same in the education sector?

    Another Committee Expert said women’s labour force participation rate was relatively low, at 39 per cent.  How would the State party increase this rate, particularly in the formal sector, and ensure that women in the informal sector had the same access to protections as in the formal sector?  What measures were in place to address the segregation of women in the workforce and to promote the employment of women of African descent and women with disabilities?  The State party had prohibited discrimination on the basis of employment.  How was this being implemented?  Women spent twice as much time doing domestic and care work, and there had been successive cuts to social care programmes.  How did the State party intend to sustain these programmes? 

    How effective was legislation promoting shared parental responsibility?  How was the State party working to prevent workplace sexual harassment? How many complaints of workplace harassment had been received since 2019?  What were the obstacles to the State party ratifying International Labour Organization Conventions 189 and 160?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the national programme for the advancement of women included measures to assess the representation of women in construction, agriculture, mining and water resource fields, in which there were fewer women in executive posts.  The ministries of transport and energy and mining had vice-ministers who were women.  The Government would continue to undertake actions to incentivise women’s participation in non-traditional sectors.

    Citizens needed to comply with specific requirements to renounce nationality.  There needed to be serious circumstances, such as membership of an armed group that had attacked the State, for nationality to be deprived. The President authorised the deprivation of nationality.

    For the current school year, the State party had incorporated comprehensive sexual education into the common compulsory syllabus at both primary and secondary levels.  Students and their families had contributed to drafting a protocol to tackle violence in schools.  Capacity building on responding to violence was provided through conferences and training for teachers.  There was only a small number of girls who dropped out of school, but every effort was taken to encourage them to return.  This had led to a decline in the dropout rate in recent years.  At the secondary level, around 1,500 students with disabilities had graduated in the most recent school year.  There was no gender wage gap in the educational sector.

    Cuba was promoting the prevention of cyber violence.  The law on social communications established that online content could not be used to discriminate against any group on any grounds.  Online advertising could not employ stereotypical depictions of women. There was also legislation sanctioning online child pornography and bullying.  The Criminal Code addressed criminal activities using digital spaces. In the 10 years since the last review, access to the internet in Cuba had improved significantly, despite the United States’ blockade, which affected the telecommunications industry.

    The Government was calling for the fair distribution of household and care work between men and women.  A recent decree on the national care system provided for a more equitable approach to care.  The decree recognised that carers’ unpaid work made valuable contributions to society.  The State was training carers to provide formalised care for the aging population and raising awareness about the need for men and women to spend equal time on care duties.

    The Labour Code included a definition of workplace harassment.  If the victim was a subordinate to the perpetrator, or if the harassment was based on gender, higher sanctions were implemented.  Mechanisms for reporting harassment were in place in each workplace and complaints could also be submitted directly to the Government. 

    Women workers enjoyed the right to maternity leave, which had recently been extended to 15 weeks after the birth of a child.  The posts of women who took maternity leave were reserved for when they returned. The Government was also encouraging sharing of parental leave between mothers and fathers.  It had opened early childhood facilities across the country, increasing places in those facilities ten-fold.  Workplace creches provided childcare for 5,000 children.  Wage equality between men and women was established as a right within legislation.

    Cuba did not believe it was currently necessary to ratify International Labour Organization Convention 160.  It was a party to the main eight International Labour Organization Conventions.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert said the Committee welcomed actions taken by the State party to reduce under five mortality rates.  The life expectancy in Cuba had reached 81 years, which was remarkable.  The Government provided a public and free health care system.  Did it cover the needs of poor and rural women?  How did the State party succeed in being the first country to eradicate mother-to-child HIV and syphilis transmission?  There was a high level of teenage pregnancy in Cuba.  What measures were in place to provide affordable contraception to women and girls who needed it?  How was the State party reducing post-partum complications and ensuring the availability of family doctors in rural and remote areas?

    Another Committee Expert noted that there were multiple initiatives to promote women’s access to employment in fields such as agriculture.  The Government had promoted 20 affirmative actions in the rural sector to advance the empowerment of women.  What resources were available to women to succeed in business initiatives?  Were there opportunities for women to participate in the blue economy?  A law on the transfer of agricultural land had recently been enacted; how had it assisted rural women to access land?  To what extent had Cuba provided loans and credit for women?  Were there plans to improve data on women’s access to credit?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said that in 2023, there were around 27,500 general practitioners in the State party. Priority was attached to providing health services in rural areas. 

    The State party needed to continue to increase the percentage of women in agriculture and the percentage of women landowners.  The Government was supporting women to access bank loans.  It planned to collect data on recipients of bank loans, disaggregated by sex and ethnicity.

    Cuba had managed to keep prevalence rates of HIV at the lowest rates in Latin America through prophylaxis measures implemented with the support of the World Health Organization.  There were several programmes in place for the prevention and monitoring of sexually transmitted infections.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    RHODA REDDOCK, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Cuba, said that only 10 per cent of the agricultural land distributed by the Government had been distributed to women.  What factors were affecting women’s involvement in agriculture and their access to land?

    Another Committee Expert said that there were restrictions on people changing residence, particularly affecting women in the eastern part of the island.  Institutions had been authorised to find and deport people to their places of origin.  How would the State party guarantee the right to internal migration?

    Women deprived of liberty reportedly faced violence from staff and inmates.  How did the State party work with civil society to oversee prisons? Was prenatal care provided to pregnant women in prisons?

    How was the State party providing elderly women with basic care, food and services?  What steps had been taken to ensure substantive equality for women of African descent?  What services were provided for women with disabilities in rural areas?  How was the State party promoting the right to identity for lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex women?

    One Committee Expert said that the economic blockade on Cuba was a flagrant violation of the rights of Cubans, damaging their rights to food, education, health and other areas.  The Expert commended legislation that increased the age of marriage to 18.  How did the State party plan to address de facto unions with children?  How many criminal cases related to child marriage had there been in the last four years?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the gender observatory was compiling data on women who owned land and worked in agriculture. The Government was working to support more rural women to gain access to land, State services and economic empowerment.

    The national health system had 53 different services for older persons delivered at the community level.  Cuba continued to promote access to services, cultural spaces and employment for persons with disabilities.  The State party was taking steps to ensure that Afro descendant women played their full role by supporting access to education and breaking down stereotypes.

    The treatment of detainees in Cuba was in line with the Mandela and Bangkok Rules.  The right to free medical care was provided in places of detention, along with recreational activities.  Women prisoners received differentiated treatment.  Support and care for children staying in prisons with their mothers was provided.

    The Family Code recognised same-sex marriage and assisted reproduction.  There had been 85 same-sex marriages between women in the last year. The State party was providing care and support for trans women.  Campaigns to tackle homophobia and transphobia were being rolled out across the country.

    Concluding Remarks 

    INÉS MARÍA CHAPMAN WAUGH, Deputy Prime Minister of Cuba and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the constructive dialogue.  Cuba valued the recommendations of the Committee, which would be scrutinised with due rigour.  The Government was committed to implementing the Convention and promoting women’s rights. It would do its utmost to achieve its goals in this regard, despite the economic blockade imposed by the United States.

    ANA PELÁEZ NARVÁEZ, Committee Chair, said that the Committee commended Cuba for its efforts and called on the State party to implement the Committee’s recommendations for better implementation of the Convention for the benefit of all women and girls in the State.

     

    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.

     

    CEDAW24.030E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Verizon to offer new iPad Mini

    Source: Verizon

    Headline: Verizon to offer new iPad Mini

    NEW YORK – Verizon will offer the new iPad mini that is built for Apple Intelligence1, is more capable and versatile than ever with the powerful A17 Pro chip and offers support for Apple Pencil Pro. iPad mini delivers incredible value and the full iPad experience in an ultraportable design. Customers can pre-order the new iPad mini today, with availability beginning Wednesday, October 23. For complete pricing and availability details, please visit verizon.com.

    The new iPad mini is supercharged by the A17 Pro chip and Apple Intelligence, the easy-to-use personal intelligence system that understands personal context to deliver intelligence that is helpful and relevant while protecting user privacy. With a beloved ultraportable design, the new iPad mini is available in four gorgeous finishes, including a new blue and purple, and features the brilliant 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display. A17 Pro delivers a huge performance boost for even the most demanding tasks, with a faster CPU and GPU, a 2x faster Neural Engine than the previous-generation iPad mini2, and support for Apple Intelligence. The versatility and advanced capabilities of the new iPad mini are taken to a whole new level with support for Apple Pencil Pro, opening up entirely new ways to be even more productive and creative. The 12MP wide back camera supports Smart HDR 4 for natural-looking photos with increased dynamic range, and uses machine learning to detect and scan documents right in the Camera app. The new iPad mini also features all-day battery life and brand-new experiences with iPadOS 18.

    Cellular models of the new iPad mini are activated with an eSIM, a more secure alternative to a physical SIM card. With eSIM, users can quickly activate their cellular plan, store multiple cellular plans on the same device, and stay connected. With the portable design of iPad mini, users can conveniently stay connected with eSIM wherever they go. The new iPad mini supports Wi-Fi 6E, which delivers up to twice the performance than the previous generation3, so users can download files, play games online, and stream movies even faster.

    Apple Pencil Pro unlocks magical capabilities and powerful interactions, turning iPad mini into a sketchbook users can take anywhere. Apple Pencil Pro can sense a user’s squeeze, bringing up a tool palette to quickly switch tools, line weights, and colors, all without interrupting the creative process. A custom haptic engine delivers a light tap that provides confirmation when users squeeze, double-tap, or snap to a Smart Shape for a remarkably intuitive experience. Users can roll Apple Pencil Pro for precise control of the tool they’re using. Rotating the barrel changes the orientation of shaped pen and brush tools, just like pen and paper, and with Apple Pencil hover, users can visualize the exact orientation of a tool before making a mark. Apple Pencil Pro features support for Find My, and pairs, charges, and is stored through a new magnetic interface on the new iPad mini. iPad mini also supports Apple Pencil (USB-C), ideal for note taking, sketching, annotating, journaling, and more, at a great value.

    For more details on pricing and plans visit verizon.com.

    For more details on Apple products, please visit apple.com.

    1 Apple Intelligence will be available as a free software update for iPad with A17 Pro or M1 and later with device and Siri language set to U.S. English. The first set of features will be available in beta this month with iPadOS 18.1 with more features rolling out in the months to come. Later this year, Apple Intelligence will add support for localized English in Australia, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and the U.K. In the coming year, Apple Intelligence will expand to more languages, like Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and others.

    2 Testing conducted by Apple in September 2024 using preproduction iPad mini (A17 Pro) and production iPad mini (6th generation) units. Tested with Affinity Photo 2 v2.5.5.2636 using the built-in benchmark version 25000. Performance tests are conducted using specific iPad units and reflect the approximate performance of iPad mini.

    3 Wi-Fi 6E available in countries and regions where supported.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks by President  Biden and Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany in Joint Statements to the Press | Berlin,  Germany

    Source: The White House

    German Chancellery
    Berlin, Germany

    12:34 P.M. CEST

    CHANCELLOR SCHOLZ:  (As interpreted.)  Mr. President. 

    (Speaking English.)  Dear Joe, it is my great pleasure to welcome you here to the Chancellery in Berlin as a friend of Europe, as a friend of Germany, and, above all, as my friend.  Welcome.

    (As interpreted.)  Dear Joe, our cooperation the past three years was extraordinarily close and full of trust.  I know that this is not something that we can take for granted, even among good partners as the U.S. and Germany have been for many, many decades. 

    I would like to take this opportunity here and today to express my gratitude and say thank you.  Thank you, Mr.  President. 

    The times in which we’re living are extremely challenging indeed.  With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, war has returned back to Europe.  The European security order has been shaken in its very foundations. 

    It is all the more important that we reacted decisively and stood closely together and unequivocably condemned this blatant violation of international law and stand by our Ukrainian friends’ side. 

    It is thanks to your leadership that Putin’s plans failed, that Ukraine wasn’t overrun within a few days.  But it is thanks to the bravery of Ukrainian armed forces and the support of many states — above all, the United States and Germany — Ukraine stands up to imperialist Russia since more than two and a half years. 

    Together, we commit to Ukraine’s sovereignty and integrity so that Russia cannot subjugate Ukraine by force.  We stand by Ukraine’s side as long as it is necessary.  Putin has miscalculated.  He cannot sit and ride out this war.

    Together, therefore, we decided, with our G7 partners, to support Ukraine with a loan package to the tune of 50 billion U.S. dollars by the end of this year. 

    Together, we commit to a strong NATO Alliance which defends every square inch of its territory.  Every member of our alliance can rely on that.  And together, we commit to the fundamental principles of the free world as enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations. 

    Mr. President, from the very beginning of the war, we closely coordinated ourselves across the Atlantic.  It has made us strong.  It has made the Alliance strong, and we will continue to do that. 

    Our position is clear.  We continue to support Ukraine as strongly as possible.  At the same time, we are making sure that NATO does not become a party to this war so that this war does not lead to an even bigger catastrophe.  We are very much aware of this responsibility, and no one can shoulder this responsibility for us. 

    Of course, the situation in the Middle East is also on our agenda.  The barbaric terrorist attacks of Hamas on Israel of October 7th has massively destabilized the situation. 

    Israel has the right to defend itself.  It is important to me to say this very clearly.  We stand by Israel’s side, and we fully agree that it is now more important than ever before to prevent further escalation and a regional conflagration.

    With the death of Hamas leader Sinwar, who was responsible for the horrific terrorist attacks, we hopefully now see a tangible prospect of a ceasefire in Gaza, an agreement that leads to the release of hostages held by Hamas. 

    Joe, your efforts — we always supported your efforts in this conflict, and we will continue to do so.  Our common objective remains a credible political process towards a two-state solution, and we will continue to be fully committed to that. 

    In Lebanon, we’re working towards a situation that the conflict leads to a diplomatic process as soon as possible.  It is clear the people in Northern Israel have to be able to live free of fear and insecurity.  Lebanon deserves a future in self-determination, stability, and security. 

    Originally, your visit was scheduled to take place last Friday and had to be postponed due to the severe hurricanes.  And I’m delighted that you were able to come today.  It affords us the opportunity to talk about the challenging global situation in great detail bilaterally but also together with the French president, Emmanuel Macron, and the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, who will join us later. 

    In my view, we need such talks at highest levels to make progress in the most important, pressing issues. 

    (In English.)  Joe, thanks again for taking the time for this visit.  It is a strong signal of our transatlantic unity and of our friendship.

    Please.

    PRESIDENT BIDEN:  Well, Chancellor — Olaf, it’s great to see you again, and I do apologize for having to cancel the first time around, but we did have a crisis in our southeastern border with hurricanes and tornadoes.  But we’re here because Germany is — Germany is my country’s closest and most important of allies. 

    When Putin launched his brutal invasion in Ukraine, you reminded us all why this alliance is so essential.  Under your leadership, Chancellor, Germany rose to meet the moment.  You showed the wisdom to recognize that this war marked a turning point in the history, an assault on the very principles of the protected peace and security in Europe for more than 75 years. 

    And then you summoned the resolve to act, remaking Germany’s foreign policy to reckon new realities — with new realities to stand strong and steadfast with Ukraine. 

    America and Germany are the two largest supporters of Ukraine in its fight for survival as a free and independent nation.  As Ukraine faces a tough winter, we must — we must sustain our resolve, our effort, and our support. 

    And I know the cost is heavy, but make no mistake, it pales in comparison to the cost of living in the world where aggression prevails, where large states attack and bully smaller ones simply because they can. 

    Today, the chancellor and I are going to discuss ongoing efforts to surge support to Ukraine’s military; to shore up Ukraine’s civilian energy infrastructure, which is under constant assault and bombardment from Russia; and to help Ukraine recover by unlocking the value of frozen Russian assets.

    I also want to recognize Germany’s decision to spend 2 percent of your gross domestic product on defense.  Please keep it up, because it matters. 

    Our alliance with Germany extends far beyond Ukraine and Europe.  It’s global. 

    Today, the chancellor and I will discuss regional security in the Middle East, including the ongoing domestic efforts regarding Lebanon and Gaza. 

    The death of the leader of Hamas represents a moment of justice.  He had the blood of Americans and Israelis, Palestinians and Germans, and so many others on his hands.

    I told the prime minister of Israel yesterday: Let’s also make this moment an opportunity to seek a path to peace, a better future in Gaza without Hamas.  And I look forward to discussing Iran. 

    Olaf and I spoke the morning after Iran launched 200 ballistic missiles at Israel earlier this month.  With our G7 counterparts, we agreed to coordinate our response through sanctions and other measures, and that is what we have done. 

    I’m grateful for Germany’s cooperation holding Iran accountable for destabilizing policies, including providing missiles and drones to Russia to use against Ukraine. 

    And just this week, the European Union followed Germany, the UK, and France in sanctioning Iran’s leading airlines.  This followed our own oil sanctions.  This coordination is going to have to continue. 

    I also want to thank Germany for standing firm against a vicious surge of antisemitism, hatred, and extremism we’re witnessing today.  Some of it fueled by foreign misinformation.

    As domestic — as democratic allies, we have to remain ever vigilant against what I call the “old ghosts in new garments,” ancient hatreds resurfacing.  Our charge is to make sure that the forces holding our societies together and binding us in the common cause of human dignity and freedom remain stronger — stronger than the forces seeking to pull us apart. 

    And finally, Chancellor, I deeply appreciate your partnership and the many times you’ve forsaken the easy choice to make the right choice.  Your act of statesmanship and friendship has made possible the safe return and unjustly detained Americans and Germans and the reunion of brave Russian dissidents to their families.  I want to thank you, thank you, thank you. 

    I value our conversations, and I look forward to them — this one is — particularly.  And I want to — I really mean it — I want to thank you for your friendship, not only personally, but I don’t see how we maintain stability in Europe and around the world without a tight German-U.S. relationship.  And you’re the leader to do it. 

    Thank you. 

    12:45 P.M. CEST

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada announces $3 million in funding to support tourism recovery in Jasper and the region

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    Jasper is one of Canada’s most iconic destinations, treasured by Canadians and renowned around the world.

    October 18, 2024 – Jasper, Alberta

    Jasper is one of Canada’s most iconic destinations, treasured by Canadians and renowned around the world. With its proximity to majestic mountains and clear blue lakes, Jasper draws over two million visitors from across Canada and around the world every year. This summer’s wildfires had a devastating impact on Jasper and the region’s economy, which is built on tourism. That’s why the Government of Canada is taking action to support Jasper’s recovery and help its tourism industry come back strong.

    The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, alongside Marsha Walden, President and CEO of Destination Canada, the Honourable Joseph Schow, Alberta Minister of Tourism and Sport, Richard Ireland, Mayor of the Municipality of Jasper, David Goldstein, CEO of Travel Alberta, and Tyler Riopel, CEO of Tourism Jasper, today announced $3 million in support from the Government of Canada to help Jasper and the region’s tourism industry recover, rebuild and retake its place on the world stage. This is made possible through collaboration between Destination Canada and Travel Alberta, which are integrating their marketing strategies to showcase one of Canada’s most sought-after experiences.

    Key marketing initiatives delivered by Destination Canada include:

    • investing in Destination Canada-led seasonal marketing campaigns, in collaboration with Travel Alberta, with a focus on the United States—Canada’s top international arrivals market;
    • co-investing in opportunities for targeted Destination Canada-led marketing programs in additional key markets such as the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Australia and Mexico;
    • hosting Canada’s largest global tourism media event in Jasper in September 2025, which will be organized in collaboration with Travel Aberta and Tourism Jasper and will serve as a platform to foster relationships between over 80 top-tier travel media outlets from around the world and Canadian tourism industry representatives; and
    • leveraging Destination Canada’s $50 million International Convention Attraction Fund.     

    These important investments build on significant support for Jasper already announced by the Government of Canada. This began with calling in the Canadian Armed Forces to fight the wildfires in July. As Jasper began to recover, the government matched donations and ensured local residents received the benefits and services they needed. As the town started rebuilding, the government quickly made changes to put the municipality in charge of the effort. This work is being directed by a special cabinet committee, led by the Honourable Randy Boissonnault. 

    Today’s announcement followed Minister Ferrada and Minister Schow’s co-hosting of the annual Canadian Council of Tourism Ministers meeting in Banff, Alberta and subsequent tour of the region. At the meeting, federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for tourism discussed challenges facing the tourism sector and cross-governmental opportunities to support its growth.

    Marie-Justine Torres
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
    marie-justine.torresames@ised-isde.gc.ca
    613-327-5918

    Media Relations
    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
    media@ised-isde.gc.ca

    For easy access to government programs for businesses, download the Canada Business app.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why America is buying up the Premier League – and what it means for the future of ‘soccer’

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kieran Maguire, Senior Teacher in Accountancy and member of Football Industries Group, University of Liverpool

    When the Premier League broke away from the rest of English football in 1992, its 22 clubs generated £205 million in its debut season, and the average player earned £2,050 a week. Thirty years later, despite having two fewer clubs, the league’s revenue had increased by 2,850% to £6.1 billion and the average player earned £93,000 a week.

    At the heart of this extraordinary growth is an American revolution. In the Premier League’s inaugural season, football was still in recovery from the horrors of the stadium disasters at Hillsborough and Heysel. Owners tended to be from the local area and with a business background. The only foreign owner was Sam Hamman at Wimbledon, a Lebanese millionaire who bought the club on a whim having reportedly been much more interested in tennis. The season ended with Manchester United (under Alex Ferguson) winning the English game’s top league for the first time in 26 years.

    Now, if the Texas-based Friedkin Group’s recent deal to buy Everton goes through, 11 of the 20 Premier League clubs will be controlled or part-owned by American investors. The US – long seen as football’s final frontier when it comes to the men’s game – suddenly can’t get enough of English “soccer”.

    Four of the Premier League’s “big six” are American-owned – Manchester United, Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea – while a fifth, Manchester City, has a significant US minority shareholding. Aston Villa, Fulham, Bournemouth, Crystal Palace, West Ham and Ipswich Town also have varying degrees of American ownership.

    And it’s not even just the glamour clubs at the top of the tree. American investment has also been significant lower down the football pyramid, led by the high-profile acquisition of then non-league Wrexham by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenny, and Birmingham City’s purchase by US investors including seven-time Super Bowl winner Tom Brady. American investment in football has reached places as geographically diverse as Carlisle and Crawley in England, and Aberdeen and Edinburgh in Scotland.


    The Insights section is committed to high-quality longform journalism. Our editors work with academics from many different backgrounds who are tackling a wide range of societal and scientific challenges.

    So why the American obsession with English football? And how real are concerns that these US owners could collude to “Americanise” the traditions of the Premier League – whether by reducing the risk of relegation, introducing some form of “draft pick” system, or moving matches and even clubs to other cities?

    The Premier League’s first US owner

    Manchester United was the first Premier League club to come under American ownership – after a row about a horse.

    In 2005, United was owned by a variety of investors including Irish businessmen and racehorse owners John Magnier and J.P. McManus. Their erstwhile friend Ferguson, the United manager, thought he co-owned the champion racehorse Rock of Gibraltar with them – a stallion worth millions in stud rights. They disagreed – and their bitter dispute was such that Magnier and McManus decided to sell their shares in the football club.

    The Miami-based Glazer family – already involved in sport as owners of NFL franchise the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – had already been buying up small tranches of shares in United, but the sudden availability of the Irish shares allowed Malcolm Glazer to acquire a controlling stake for £790 million (around £1.5 billion at today’s prices).

    The fact Glazer did not actually have sufficient funds to pay for these shares was a solvable problem. In the some-might-say commercially naive world of top-flight English football before the Premier League, Manchester United was a club without debt, paying its way without leveraging its position as one of the world’s most famous football clubs. Glazer saw the opportunity this presented and arranged a leveraged buy-out (LBO), whereby the football club borrowed more than £600 million secured on its own assets to, in effect, “buy itself” in 2005.

    Despite the need to meet the high interest costs to fund the LBO, United continued winning trophies under Ferguson – including three Premier League titles in a row in 2007, 2008 and 2009, as well as a Champions League victory in 2008. Amid this success, the club felt that ticket prices were too low and set about increasing them, with matchday revenue increasing from £66 million in 2004/05 to over £101 million by 2007/08.

    Commercial income was another area the Glazers were keen to increase. United set up offices in London and adopted a global approach to finding new official branding deals ranging from snacks to tractor and tyre suppliers – doubling revenues from this income source too.

    But in this new, more aggressive world of “sweating the asset”, the debts lingered – and most United fans remained deeply suspicious of their American owners. (Following their father’s death in 2014, the club was co-owned by his six children, with brothers Avram and Joel Glazer becoming co-chairmen.)

    Today, despite its partial listing on the New York Stock Exchange and the February 2024 sale of 27.7% of the club to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe for a reputed £1.25 billion, United still has borrowings of more than £546 million, having paid cumulative interest costs of £969 million since the takeover in 2005. But with the club now valued at US$6.55 billion (around £5bn), it represents a very smart investment for the Glazer family.

    Indeed, while the prices being paid for football clubs across Europe have reached record levels, they are still seen as cheap investments compared with US sports’ leading franchises. Forbes’s annual list of the world’s most valuable sports teams has American football (NFL), baseball (MLB) and basketball (NBA) teams occupying the top ten positions, with only three Premier League clubs – Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City – in the top 50.

    With NFL teams having an average franchise value of US$5.1 billion and NBA $3.9 billion, many English football clubs still look like a bargain from the other side of the pond.

    The risk of relegation

    The latest to join this US bandwagon, the Friedkin Group – a Texas-based portfolio of companies run by American businessman and film producer Dan Friedkin – is reported to have offered £400m to buy Everton, despite the club’s poor financial state.

    “The Toffees” have been hit by loss of sponsorships as well as two sets of points deductions for breaching the Premier League’s financial rules, leading to revenue losses from lower league positions. While the new stadium being built at Liverpool’s Bramley-Moore dock has been yet another financial constraint, it will at least increase matchday income from the start of next season.

    Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore dock will open in time for the start of the 2025-26 season.
    Phil Silverman / Shutterstock

    A wider reason for the relative bargain in valuations of European football clubs is the risk of relegation – something that is not part of the closed leagues of most US sports. While the threat of relegation (and promise of promotion) has always been an integral part of English and European football, the jeopardy this brings for supporters – and a club’s finances – does not exist in the NFL, NBA, Major League Soccer and similar competitions.

    The Premier League, with its three relegation spots at the end of each season, has featured 51 different clubs since it launched in 1992. Only six clubs – Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and Everton – have been ever present, with Arsenal now approaching 100 years of consecutive top-flight football.

    Other Premier League clubs have experienced the dramatic cost-benefit of relegation and promotion. Oldham Athletic, who were in the Premier League for its first two seasons, now languish in the fifth tier of the game, outside the English Football League (EFL). In contrast, Luton Town, who were in the fifth tier as recently as 2014, were promoted to the Premier League in 2023 – only to be relegated at the end of last season.

    While it is difficult to compare football clubs with basketball and American football teams, the financial difference between having an open league, with relegation, and a closed league becomes apparent when you look at women’s football on both sides of the Atlantic.

    Angel City, a women’s soccer team based in Los Angeles, only entered the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in 2022 and is yet to win an NWSL trophy. But last month, the club was sold for US$250 million (£188m) to Disney’s CEO Bob Iger and TV journalist Willow Bay – the most expensive takeover in the history of women’s professional sport.

    In comparison, Chelsea – seven-time winners of the English Women’s Super League and one of the most successful sides in Europe – valued its women’s team at £150 million ($US196m) earlier this summer. While there are a number of factors to this price differential, the confidence that Angel City will always be a member of the big league of US soccer clubs – and share very equally in its revenue – will have made its new owners very confident in the long-term soundness of their deal.

    The story of Angel City FC, the most expensive team in women’s sport.

    A further attraction for American investors is the potential to enter two markets – one mature (men’s football) and one effectively a start-up (the women’s game) – in a single purchase. In the US, the top men’s and women’s clubs are completely separate. But in Europe, most top-flight women’s teams are affiliated to men’s clubs – with the exception of eight-time Women’s Champions League winners Olympique Lyonnais Feminin, which split from the French men’s club when Korean-American businesswoman Michele Kang bought a majority stake in the women’s team in February 2024).

    While interest in, and hence value of, the WSL is now growing fast, the women’s game in England is dwarfed by viewer ratings for the Premier League – the most watched sporting league in the world, viewed by an estimated 1.87 billion people every week across 189 countries.

    These figures dwarf even the NFL which, while currently still the most valuable of all sporting leagues in terms of its broadcasting deals, must be looking at the growth of the Premier League with some jealousy. This may explain why some US franchise owners, such as Stan Kroenke, the Glazer family, Fenway Sports Group and Billy Foley, have subsequently purchased Premier League football clubs.

    Ironically, for many spectators around the world, it is the intensity and competitiveness of most Premier League matches – brought on in part by the threat of relegation and prize of European qualification – that makes it so captivating. However, billionaire investors like guaranteed numbers and dislike risk – especially the degree of financial risk that exists in the Premier League and English Football League.

    European not-so-Super League

    In April 2021, 12 leading European clubs (six from England plus three each from Spain and Italy) announced the creation of the European Super League (ESL). This new mid-week competition was to be a high-revenue generating, closed competition with (eventually) 15 permanent teams and five annual additions qualifying from Europe. According to one of the driving forces behind the plan, Manchester United co-chairman Joel Glazer:

    By bringing together the world’s greatest clubs and players to play each other throughout the season, the Super League will open a new chapter for European football, ensuring world-class competition and facilities, and increased financial support for the wider football pyramid.

    The problem facing the Premier League’s “big six” clubs – and their ambitious owners – is there are currently only four slots available to play in the Champions League. So, their thinking went, why not take away the risk of not qualifying? However, the proposal was swiftly condemned by fans around Europe, together with football’s governing bodies and leagues – all of whom saw the ESL proposal as a threat to the quality and integrity of their domestic leagues. Following some large fan protests, including at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge, Manchester City was the first club to withdraw – followed, within a couple of days, by the rest of the English clubs.

    Under the terms of the ESL proposals, founding member clubs would have been guaranteed participation in the competition forever. Guaranteed participation means guaranteed revenues. The current financial gap between the “big six” and the other members of the Premier League, which in 2022/23 averaged £396 million, would have widened rapidly.

    For example, these clubs would have been able to sell the broadcast rights for some of their ESL home fixtures direct to fans, instead of via a broadcaster. All of a sudden, that database of fans who have downloaded the official club app, or are on a mailing list, becomes far more valuable. These are the people most willing to watch their favourite team on a pay-per-view basis, further increasing revenues.

    At the same time, a planned ESL wage cap would have stopped players taking all these increased revenues in the form of higher wages, allowing these clubs to become more profitable and their ownership even more lucrative.

    American-owned Manchester United and Liverpool had previously tried to enhance the value of their investments during the COVID lockdowns era via ProjectBig Picture – proposals to reduce the size of the Premier League and scrap one of the two domestic cup competitions, thus freeing up time for the bigger clubs to arrange more lucrative tours and European matches against high-profile opposition.

    Most importantly, Project Big Picture would have resulted in changing the governance of the domestic game. Under its proposals, the “big six” clubs would have enjoyed enhanced voting rights, and therefore been able to significantly influence how the domestic game was governed.

    Any attempt to increase the concentration of power raises concerns of lower competitive balance, whereby fewer teams are in the running to win the title and fewer games are meaningful. This is a problem facing some other major European football leagues including France’s Ligue 1, where interest among broadcasters has dwindled amid the perceived dominance of Paris St-Germain.

    So while to date, American-led attempts to change the structure of the Premier League have been foiled, it’s unlikely such ideas have gone away for good. The near-universal fear of fans – even those who welcome an injection of extra cash from a new billionaire owner – is that the spectacle of the league will only be diminished if such plans ever succeed.

    And there is evidence from the women’s game that the US closed league format is coming under more pressure from football’s global forces. The NWSL recently announced it is removing the draft system that is designed (as with the NFL and NBA) to build in jeopardy and competitive balance when there is no risk of relegation.

    Top US women’s football clubs are losing some of their leading players to other leagues, in part because European clubs are not bound by the same artificial rules of employment. In a truly global professional sport such as football, international competition will always tend to destabilise closed leagues.

    Why do they keep buying these clubs?

    Does this mean that American and other wealthy owners of Premier League clubs seeking to reduce their risks are ultimately fighting a losing battle? And if so, given the potential risks involved in owning a football club – both financial and even personal – why do they keep buying them?

    The motivations are part-financial, part technological and, as has always been the case with sports ownership, part-vanity.

    The American economy has grown far faster than that of the EU or UK in recent years. Consequently, there are many beneficiaries of this growth who have surplus cash, and here football becomes an attractive proposition. In fact, football clubs are more resilient to recessions than other industries, holding their value better as they are effectively monopoly suppliers for their fans who have brand loyalty that exists in few other industries.

    From 1993 to 2018, a period during which the UK economy more than doubled, the total value of Premier League clubs grew 30 times larger. And many fans are tied to supporting one club, helping to make the biggest clubs more resilient to economic changes than other industries. While football, like many parts of the entertainment industry, was hit by lockdown during Covid, no clubs went out of business, despite the challenges of matches being played in empty stadiums.

    Added to this, the exchange rates for US dollars have been very favourable until recently, making US investments in the UK and Europe cheaper for American investors.

    So, while Manchester United fans would argue that the Glazer family have not been good for the club, United has been good for the Glazers. And Fenway Sports Group (FSG), who bought Liverpool for £300 million in 2010, have recouped almost all of that money in smaller share sales while remaining majority owners of Liverpool.

    Despite this, the £2.5 billion price paid for Chelsea by the US Clearlake-Todd Boehly consortium in May 2022 took markets by surprise.

    The sale – which came after the UK government froze the assets of the club’s Russian oligarch owner, Roman Abramovich, following the invasion of Ukraine – went through less than a year after Newcastle United had been sold by Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley to the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund for £305 million – approximately twice that club’s annual revenues. Yet Clearlake-Boehly were willing to pay over five times Chelsea’s annual revenues to acquire the club, even though it was in a precarious financial position.

    Clearlake is a private equity group whose main aim is to make profits for their investors. But unlike most such investors, who tend to focus on cost-cutting, the Chelsea ownership came in with a high-spending strategy using new financial structuring ideas, such as offering longer player contracts to avoid falling foul of football’s profitability and sustainability rules (although this loophole has since been closed with Uefa, European football’s governing body, limiting contract lengths for financial regulation purposes to five years).

    Chelsea’s location in the one of the most expensive areas of London, combined with its on-field success under Abramovich, all added to the attraction, of course. But there are other reasons why Clearlake, along with billionaire businessman Boehly, were willing to stump up so much for the club.

    From Hollywood to the metaverse

    While some British football fans may have viewed the Ted Lasso TV show as an enjoyable if slightly twee fictional account of American involvement in English soccer, it has enhanced the attraction of the sport in the US. So too Welcome To Wrexham – the fly-on-the-wall series covering the (to date) two promotions of Wales’s oldest football club under the unlikely Hollywood stewardship of Reynolds and McElhenney.

    Welcome To Wrexham, season one trailer.

    The growth in US interest in English football is reflected in the record-breaking Premier League media rights deal in 2022, with NBC Sports reportedly paying $2.7 billion (£2.06bn) for its latest six-year deal.

    But as well as football offering one of increasingly few “live shared TV experiences” that carry lucrative advertising slots, there may also be more opportunity for more behind-the-scenes coverage of the Premier League – as has long been seen in US coverage of NBA games, for example, where players are interviewed in the locker room straight after games.

    According to Manchester United’s latest annual report, the club now has a “global community of 1.1 billion fans and followers”. Such numbers mean its owners, and many others, are bullish about the potential of the metaverse in terms of offering a matchday experience that could be similar to attending a match, without physically travelling to Manchester.

    Their neighbours Manchester City, part-owned by American private equity company Silverlake, broke new (virtual) ground by signing a metaverse deal with Sony in 2022. Virtual reality could give fans around the world the feeling of attending a live match, sitting next to their friends and singing along with the rest of the crowd (for a pay-per-view fee).

    Some investors are even confident that advancements in Abba-style avatar technology could one day allow fans to watch live 3D simulations of Premier League matches in stadiums all over the world. Having first-mover advantage by being in the elite club of owners who can make use of such technology could prove ever more rewarding.

    More immediately, there are some indications that competitive matches involving England’s top men’s football teams could soon take place in US or other venues. Boehly, Chelsea’s co-owner, has already suggested adopting some US sports staples such as an All-Star match to further boost revenues. Indeed, back in 2008, the Premier League tentatively discussed a “39th game” taking place overseas, but that idea was quickly shelved.

    The American owners of Birmingham City were keen to play this season’s EFL League One match against Wrexham in the US, but again this proposal did not get far. Liverpool’s chairman Tom Werner says he is determined to see matches take place overseas, and recent changes to world governing body Fifa’s rulebook could make it easier for this proposal to succeed.

    The potential benefits of hosting games overseas include higher matchday revenues, increased brand awareness, and enhanced broadcast rights. While there is likely to be significant opposition from local fans, at least American owners know they would not face the same hostility about rising matchday prices in the US as they have encountered in England.

    When the Argentinian legend Lionel Messi signed for new MLS franchise Inter Miami in 2023, season ticket prices nearly doubled on his account. And while there is vocal opposition to higher ticket prices in England, this is not borne out in terms of lower attendances for matches against high-calibre opposition – as evidenced by Aston Villa charging up to £97 for last week’s Champions League meeting with Bayern Munich.

    Villa’s director of operations, Chris Heck, defended the prices by saying that difficult decisions had to be made if the club was to be competitive.

    Manchester United’s matchday revenue per EPL season (£m)


    Kieran Maguire/Christina Philippou, CC BY

    For much of the 2010s, with broadcast revenues increasing rapidly, many Premier League owners made little effort to stoke hostilities with their loyal fan bases by putting up ticket prices. Indeed, Manchester United generated little more from matchday income in the 2021-22 season, as football emerged from the pandemic, than the club had in 2010-11 (see chart above).

    However, this uneasy truce between fans and owners has ceased. The relative flatlining of broadcast revenues since 2017, along with cost control rules that are starting to affect clubs’ ability to spend money on player signings and wages, has changed club appetites for dampened ticket prices. This has resulted in noticeable rises in individual ticket and season ticket prices by some clubs.

    However, season ticket and other local “legacy” fans generate little money compared with the more lucrative overseas and tourist fans. They may only watch their favourite team live once a season, but when they visit, they are far more likely not only to pay higher matchday prices, but to spend more on merchandise, catering and other offerings from the club.

    Today’s breed of commercially aware, profit-seeking US Premier League owners – pioneered by the Glazer family, who saw that “sweating the asset” meant more than watching football players sprinting hard – understand there is a lot more value to come from English football teams. The clubs’ loyal local supporters may not like it, but English football’s American-led revolution is not done yet.


    For you: more from our Insights series:

    To hear about new Insights articles, join the hundreds of thousands of people who value The Conversation’s evidence-based news. Subscribe to our newsletter.

    Kieran Maguire has taught courses and presented on football finance for the Professional Footballers Association, League Managers Association, FIFA and national football associations in Europe.

    Christina Philippou is affiliated with the RAF FA, and Premier League education programs.

    – ref. Why America is buying up the Premier League – and what it means for the future of ‘soccer’ – https://theconversation.com/why-america-is-buying-up-the-premier-league-and-what-it-means-for-the-future-of-soccer-240695

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SBA Steps in: Disaster Assistance now Available for Florida Businesses and Residents Affected by Hurricane Milton, Helene and Debby

    Source: United States Small Business Administration

    WASHINGTON – Low-interest disaster loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) are available to businesses and residents in Florida following the announcement of a Presidential disaster declaration for Hurricane Milton that began on Oct. 5.  SBA has opened a Business Recovery Center (BRC) at the Entrepreneurs Collaborative Center, in Tampa. The SBA opened the Center to assist businesses and residents who were affected by Hurricanes Milton, Helene and Debby.  

    “SBA’s mission-driven team stands ready to help small businesses and residents in Florida impacted by this disaster in every way possible under President Biden’s disaster declaration for certain affected areas,” said SBA Administrator Isabel Casillas Guzman. “We’re committed to providing federal disaster loans swiftly and efficiently, with a customer-centric approach to help businesses and communities recover and rebuild.”

    On October 15, 2024, it was announced that funds for the Disaster Loan Program have been fully expended. While no new loans can be issued until Congress appropriates additional funding, we remain committed to supporting disaster survivors. Applications will continue to be accepted and processed to ensure individuals and businesses are prepared to receive assistance once funding becomes available.

    Applicants are encouraged to submit their loan applications promptly for review in anticipation of future funding.

    The disaster declaration covers Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Volusia and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida which are eligible for both Physical and Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the SBA. Small businesses and most private nonprofit organizations in the following adjacent counties are eligible to apply only for SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs): Alachua, Baker, Bradford, Broward, Levy, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Nassau counties in Florida.  

    SBA’s Customer Service Representatives are available at the Centers to assist business owners complete their disaster loan application, accept documents, and provide updates on an application’s status. Walk-ins are accepted, but you can schedule an in-person appointment at an SBA Business Recovery Center in advance.  The Centers will operate as indicated below.

    Business Recovery Center (BRC)

    Pinellas County  

    Entrepreneurs Collaborative Center

    2101 E Palm Ave  

    Tampa, FL 33605

    Hours:            Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  

                            Saturday, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.  

    Closed:          Sunday  

    Business Recovery Center (BRC)

    Pinellas County  

    SPC Epicenter at St. Petersburg College

    13805 58th Street N, Suite 1-200

    Clearwater, FL 33760

    Hours:        Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    Closed:       Saturday and Sunday

    Business Recovery Center (BRC)

    Manatee County  

    Rocky Bluff Library

    6750 US-301  

    Ellenton, FL 34222

    Hours:         Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.                    

    Closed:        Sunday

    Business Recovery Center (BRC)

    Sarasota County  

    Sarasota Christian Church

    2923 Ashton Rd  

    Sarasota, FL 34231

    Hours:        Monday – Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

    Closed:       Sunday

    “SBA’s Business Recovery Centers are a cornerstone of our support for business owners,” said Francisco Sánchez, Jr., associate administrator for the Office of Disaster Recovery and Resilience at the Small Business Administration. “At these centers, business owners can meet face-to-face with specialists to apply for disaster loans and access a wide range of resources to guide them through their recovery.”

    Disaster survivors should not wait to settle with their insurance company before applying for a disaster loan. If a survivor does not know how much of their loss will be covered by insurance or other sources, SBA can make a low-interest disaster loan for the total loss up to its loan limits, provided the borrower agrees to use insurance proceeds to reduce or repay the loan.

    Businesses and private nonprofit organizations of any size may borrow up to $2 million to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate, machinery and equipment, inventory, and other business assets.  

    For small businesses, small agricultural cooperatives, small businesses engaged in aquaculture and most private nonprofit organizations, the SBA offers Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) to help meet working capital needs caused by the disaster. Economic Injury Disaster Loan assistance is available regardless of whether the business suffered any physical property damage.

    Disaster loans up to $500,000 are available to homeowners to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed real estate. Homeowners and renters are eligible for up to $100,000 to repair or replace disaster-damaged or destroyed personal property.

    Interest rates are as low as 4% for businesses, 3.25% for nonprofit organizations, and 2.813% for homeowners and renters, with terms up to 30 years. Interest does not begin to accrue, and monthly payments are not due, until 12 months from the date of the initial disbursement. Loan amounts and terms are set by the SBA and are based on each applicant’s financial condition.

    Building back smarter and stronger can be an effective recovery tool for future disasters. Applicants may be eligible for a loan amount increase of up to 20% of their physical damages, as verified by the SBA for mitigation purposes. Eligible mitigation improvements may include a safe room or storm shelter, sump pump, French drain or retaining wall to help protect property and occupants from future disasters.  

    “SBA’s disaster loan program offers an important advantage–the chance to incorporate measures that can reduce the risk of future damage,” said Sánchez. “Work with contractors and mitigation professionals to strengthen your property and take advantage of the opportunity to request additional SBA disaster loan funds for these proactive improvements.”

    With the changes to FEMA’s Sequence of Delivery, survivors are now encouraged to simultaneously apply for FEMA grants and the SBA low-interest disaster loan assistance to fully recover.  FEMA grants are intended to cover necessary expenses and serious needs not paid by insurance or other sources. The SBA disaster loan program is designed for your long-term recovery, to make you whole and get you back to your pre-disaster condition.  Do not wait on the decision for a FEMA grant.

    Survivors impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Debby should submit separate applications for each disaster. For information and to apply online visit sba.gov/disaster. Applicants may also call the SBA’s Customer Service Center at (800) 659-2955 or send an email to disastercustomerservice@sba.gov for more information on SBA disaster assistance. For people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability, please dial 7-1-1 to access telecommunications relay services.

    The filing deadline to return applications for physical property damage is Dec. 10, 2024. The deadline to return economic injury applications is July 11, 2025.

    ###

    About the U.S. Small Business Administration  

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments strengthening mental health services for international agricultural workers

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    News release

    Federal-provincial investment will provide new mental health resources

    Oct. 17, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario  –  Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing nearly $1.8 million over 2 years to provide international agricultural workers (IAWs) in Ontario with enhanced access to mental health supports in Spanish, Tagalog, French and English.

    Delivered by the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division, in close partnership with its Windsor-Essex and Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk regional branches, the International Agricultural Worker Wellness Program will support IAWs with managing stress, homesickness and isolation. The program will provide referrals to free local services, including recreational activities, primary care, counselling, support groups, in-person workshops, and more.

    The program will launch in early 2025 and be delivered over 2 years, with resources available in Spanish, French and English in year 1, expanding to include Tagalog in year 2. The program will focus on the Windsor-Essex region first and then expand to Brant-Haldimand-Norfolk in year two. Both regions have high populations of IAWs. In the second year, the program will also offer support to farm operators with workshops on how to create safer workplaces.

    This investment recognizes the critical contribution IAWs make in Ontario’s agricultural economy. It builds on the success of the IAW Welcome Centre and the IAW Welcoming Communities Initiative.

    This program is funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year (2023-2028), $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5 billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs designed and delivered by the provinces and territories.

    Quotes

    “Working far from home can be tough, and it’s so important that our international agricultural workers have access to the mental health supports they need. Through the IAW Wellness Program, we can better support these workers with tailored programs and services so they can continue to help us deliver top-quality products to Canadians, and the world.”  

    – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

    “Ontario respects and appreciates the international agricultural workers who call our province home and who contribute so much to our almost $51 billion agri-food sector. The IAW Wellness Program will help these important workers access the supports and services needed to improve their quality of life and better integrate into our dynamic agri-food workforce of over 871,000 men and women.”

    – Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

    “International agricultural workers are integral to Ontario’s agriculture industry and food supply, so it’s critical that this population has mental health support while they’re living and working in our province. Since 2022, CMHA’s team at Agriculture Wellness Ontario has been working to reduce mental health stigma and meet the needs of the agricultural community. We’re delighted to work with our branches to offer this new program for international agricultural workers.”

    – Camille Quenneville, Chief Executive Officer, Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario Division

    “Mental health care plays a crucial role in supporting the well-being of migrant workers, who often face unique challenges like family separation and cultural transitions. It’s heartening to see the governments of Canada and Ontario develop the IAW Wellness Program. By offering services in their first languages, this initiative ensures that migrant workers feel understood and supported, which is vital for their mental health. This empowers individuals to navigate daily challenges and fosters a more inclusive and compassionate community for everyone. Such efforts are essential for building a society that values the well-being of every migrant worker.”

    – Martin Varela, Chairman, Migrant Worker Community Program

    Quick facts

    •  In 2023, Ontario launched the Virtual Welcome Centre, a web page of resources for IAWs available in English, Spanish and French. It includes information and links about worker rights and responsibilities, adjusting to life in Ontario, health care, human and labour trafficking, and living and working safely in the community. 

    • The IAW Welcoming Communities Initiative, announced in September, supports municipalities and not-for-profits in creating an inclusive and welcoming environment for international agricultural and food workers. Eligible activities include introducing or enhancing translation supports and transportation services.   

    • The governments of Canada and Ontario also recently announced a $178,000 expansion of the Farmer Wellness Initiative to include delivery of services in Spanish for Ontario farm workers.

    • For more information about OMAFA programs and services, contact the Agricultural Information Contact Centre (AICC) at 1-877-424-1300 or at ag.info.omafa@ontario.ca.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    For media:

    Annie Cullinan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
    annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
    Ottawa, Ontario
    613-773-7972
    1-866-345-7972
    aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
    Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
    Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Makena Mahoney
    Minister’s Office
    Makena.Mahoney@ontario.ca

    Meaghan Evans
    Communications Branch
    OMAFRA.media@ontario.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: François Alabrune, candidate for judge at the International Court of Justice in 2026

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    France presents the candidacy of Mr François Alabrune for the position of judge at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for the 2027-2036 term. This election will be held in New York in November 2026, both at the Security Council and at the United Nations General Assembly.

    In accordance with Article 4 of the Statute of the Court, the French candidate was chosen by the French national group in the Permanent Court of Arbitration, based on demanding selection criteria.

    As required by the Statute, Mr Alabrune has recognized competence in international law and all the qualities, namely rigour, independence, impartiality and integrity, required to serve as a judge at the International Court of Justice. Moreover, he is fully bilingual in French and English, both the Court’s official languages.

    Mr Alabrune’s candidacy is in line with France’s constant support for the International Court of Justice since its creation in 1945. At a time when the international legal order faces major challenges, France’s commitment to the Court is rooted in the fundamental contribution of the principal United Nations judicial organ to the peaceful settlement of international disputes and to the clarification of the rules of international law. France is determined to do its utmost to help the Court fulfil its duties and address the many challenges facing it.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: World Update: how the Middle East conflict could escalate

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    Hamara/Shutterstock

    This article was first published in our World Update newsletter. To receive a weekly briefing on global affairs and international relations direct to your inbox, please subscribe to the newsletter.

    Vladimir Putin’s regular threats about his nuclear arsenal have focused minds on the existential threat his nuclear weapons still represent. But it’s the volatility of the situation in the Middle East that has added a worrying degree of uncertainty to the international situation.

    A year after the brutal Hamas attack on Israel – and after months of tit-for-tat missile attacks between Israel and Iran – Israel has commenced a ground invasion of Lebanon which pits the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) directly against Iranian proxy Hezbollah.

    At the same time, the government of Benjamin Netanyahu is pursuing an ever more drastic campaign against Hamas in Gaza. It is now reportedly planning to expel all residents from the north of the enclave in order to establish a military zone there. Meanwhile it has ramped up its attacks on the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen and against Iranian proxies in Syria.

    All-out war between Israel and Iran remains unthinkable, even as questions are raised about Iran’s nuclear ambitions. And yet, as any historian will tell you, the wrong combination of miscalculation, errors of strategic judgement and failures of diplomacy to cause things to escalate with alarming rapidity.

    In 1997, Austrian economist Friedrich Glasl published a model of conflict escalation which is generally accepted as the best study of how disagreements can develop into disastrous warfare. It maps, in nine stages, how a conflict can develop from tension between antagonists to a situation into which the warring parties plunge “together into the abyss”.

    Nine stages of confict escalation.
    Graphic by Swinnall, original from Sampi. Derived from: Konflikteskalation nach Glasl.svg, CC BY-NC-SA

    Matthew Powell, a historian of warfare, compares Glasl’s model to the situation between Israel and Iran. He assesses the two antagonists have have reached stage seven, “where they are launching limited blows against each other while avoiding direct confrontation. Both want to make their adversary consider whether the cost of continuing is worth the potential rewards that can be gained”.

    Powell believes that both sides presently seem keen to remain at arms length for fear that a direct conflict could plunge them – and their allies – into the aforementioned abyss.



    Read more:
    Israel-Iran and the nine stages of how conflicts can escalate and get out of control

    Now, more than ever, it’s vital to be informed about the important issues affecting global stability. Sign up to receive our weekly World Update newsletter. Every Thursday we’ll you expert analysis of the big stories making international headlines.

    For longtime Middle East analyst Paul Rogers, one of the key issues governing the likely future of the conflict is likely to be the domestic politics of Israel. He has watched the country move steadily to the right over more than 50 years, to the extent that the Netanyahu government is now heavily influenced by religious nationalists. Netanyahu has depended for two years on the support of some of the more extreme elements on Israel’s political fringe in order to stay in power.

    These hardliners, Rogers writes, are willing to subvert Israeli democracy itself in order to realise their dream of “Messianic Judaism”. A byproduct of this dream would be to push the Palestinian population out of Gaza, which would be a disaster for regional stability. The irony is that by making war on Lebanon, Netanyahu has managed to improve his standing with the Israeli people and is no longer as dependent on political hawks.



    Read more:
    Israel: what hardliners in Netanyahu’s government want from the war

    Campaign in Lebanon

    Of course, what may be good for Netanyahu is a disaster for Lebanon, where the death toll is rising daily and more than one-quarter of the population has been displaced.

    While Israel’s air force has launched 140 airstrikes across the country, most of the activity has focused on the border areas in the south of the country, where the IDF is reported to be clearing villages, perhaps in anticipation for setting up a buffer zone there.

    Israeli ground operation in southern Lebanon as at October 16 2024.
    Institute for the Study of War

    Over the past fortnight there have been repeated incidents where the IDF have – apparently deliberately – targeted units of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil). This peacekeeping force was set up in 1978 and has the mandate to enforce the UN’s resolution to prevent clashes between Israel and Hezbollah in southern Lebanon. Netanyahu has demanded that Unifil move its peacekeepers out of the conflict zone, but so far the UN troops, led by France and Spain, have refused to leave their posts.

    Vanessa Newby and Chiara Ruffa, with input and advice from former senior Unifil political and civil affairs officer John Molloy, (formerly of the Irish Defence Forces) have been tracking the incidents. Most recently they involved an IDF tank firing on a Unifil watchtower and has resulted in a growing number of casualties among the peacekeepers.

    Newby and Ruffa believe that Israel wants to remove Unifil from southern Lebanon because it wants to carry out its operations without the scrutiny of an international observer. They also speculate that the sheer number of forces being moved by the IDF into south Lebanon indicates that Israel may be planning to occupy a swath of territory beyond what its military has described as a “limited, localised, and targeted” operation.



    Read more:
    IDF actions against UN peacekeepers suggest Israel may be considering occupying part of southern Lebanon

    Meanwhile tensions are rising between Hezbollah and other sections of Lebanese society. We’ve seen this before, and it has never gone well, writes Mohamad El Kari, who has witnessed the challenges to security in Lebanon firsthand as a translator.

    He fears that Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah will kick off a bout of factional infighting that could seriously destabilise a country that is already showing signs of serious social and political instability. In some areas, Kari writes, people were dancing in the streets at the news of Nasrallah’s death. Not a good sign for Lebanon’s fragile stability.



    Read more:
    Lebanon: assassinating sectarian leaders has always led to instability – this time will be no different

    90 seconds to midnight

    All this talk of escalation had me reflecting on history. I grew up during the cold war under the shadow of the nuclear threat. As a schoolboy in the 1970s, I was taken to a nuclear bunker where, in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK, key personnel would have sheltered as they ran secure communications.

    As a student in the 1980s, I shared a house with several women who would spend weekends at Greenham Common airbase where they protested against the presence of nuclear weapons there. I remember the gallows humour with which we greeted the government’s Protect and Survive campaign, which encouraged building makeshift nuclear shelters under the stairs.

    The peace movement of the day adapted the campaign into the slogan “protest and survive” and the Raymond Briggs graphic novel When the Wind Blows darkly lampooned the government’s advice with its portrayal of an elderly couple following the government’s instructions with predictably tragic results.

    In 1984, Britain was horrified by the BBC film, Threads, a docudrama based on the idea of a nuclear attack on Sheffield. The premise called for a confrontation between Nato and the Warsaw Pact after a US-sponsored coup in Iran. It showed how quickly an international crisis could degenerate into global nuclear conflict and, in turn, how quickly societal collapse was likely to follow.

    Then in the 1990s the nuclear threat seemed to diminish. The collapse of the Soviet Union and treaties to limit the spread of nuclear weapons and decommission existing stockpiles meant that, for most of us anyway, the idea of a nuclear holocaust receded to almost nothing.

    The BBC recently screened the film again, to mark its 40th anniversary, and has made it available for streaming on iPlayer. The Independent’s preview of the screening noted that the Doomsday Clock, which atomic scientists use to indicate how close the world is to nuclear disaster, is set at 90 seconds to midnight, the closest it has ever been. The scientists said that conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, with the prospect the latter might spread across the Middle East had made the world a much more dangerous place in 2024. And so it has come to pass.

    Philosopher Mark Lacy was shown the film as a schoolboy and doesn’t intend to watch it again. But he’s an expert in the changing nature of warfare and he has seen how conflicts can explode out of “accidents, miscalculations and errors of strategic judgement”.

    He is concerned that, unlike in the cold war where events were largely controlled by “rational actors” who were all too aware of the potential for “mutually assured destruction” and made their calculations accordingly, today’s leaders may not act with the same circumspection. And this is what makes the world a much more dangerous place.



    Read more:
    Threads: the harrowing 1984 BBC docudrama is back on our screens – scary but appropriate viewing for our uncertain times

    The latest edition of our podcast, The Conversation Weekly, focuses on the the Middle East question. Podcast host Gemma Ware speaks with two academic experts in Middle East politics, Amnon Aran and Mireille Rebeiz, to get a sense of what’s at stake for the region.



    Read more:
    What Israel and its neighbours want now as all-out war looms in the Middle East – podcast

    World Update is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get our updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. World Update: how the Middle East conflict could escalate – https://theconversation.com/world-update-how-the-middle-east-conflict-could-escalate-241603

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NATO launches five new multinational cooperation initiatives that enhance deterrence and defence

    Source: NATO

    On Thursday (17 October 2024), NATO launched five initiatives designed to address some of the most critical areas for Allied deterrence and defence. These new multinational High Visibility Projects will involve a total of 26 Allies and will help deliver critical capabilities that will enhance interoperability among NATO forces.

    Contributing Allies took part in a signing ceremony during a meeting of NATO Defence Ministers at NATO Headquarters. NATO’s Acting Deputy Secretary General Boris Ruge welcomed “the beginning of more meaningful work in new areas, but also important milestones for existing projects,” adding that “it’s a great example of how our Alliance delivers”.

    The first project aims to accelerate the delivery of new generation Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) – such as NATO’s Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) – through multinational cooperation. Thirteen Allies kicked off the project: Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom. RPAS fleets are essential to a range of roles and missions including joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance and electromagnetic warfare. 

    The second initiative seeks to increase the interchangeability and interoperability of key Allied artillery munitions. With initial contributions from 15 Allies – Czechia, Denmark, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Türkiye, the United Kingdom and the United States – the project will contribute to harmonizing national fire testing and certification mechanisms. It will also help keep relevant standards up-to-date and support their adoption.

    The Distributed Synthetic Training Environment project aims to respond to the ever-growing demand for virtual training at the multinational level. It establishes a network of advanced and immersive multinational training opportunities for militaries. Eighteen NATO nations have joined the project: Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Latvia, The Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom and the United States. By leveraging national simulated training capabilities for multinational purposes, the project will bring immense operational benefits and economies of scale. 

    NATO is further stepping up its efforts to support Allied delivery of space technologies with two new projects. Through NORTHLINK, 13 Allies – Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the United States – will explore the development of a secure, resilient and reliable multinational Arctic satellite communications capability. Through the STARLIFT initiative, 14 nations – Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, United Kingdom, United States – will investigate ways to strengthen NATO’s access to and use of space to deal with a range of challenges coming from operating from space. STARLIFT may help Allies to launch assets on short notice, manoeuvre a pre-positioned spare spacecraft or buy data from commercial partners during crisis or conflict 

    Further steps were also taken to advance work on two projects already underway: the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) and NATO’s cross-border airspace cooperation. Launched in 2020 and managed by the NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), the NGRC initiative aims to replace medium multi-role capabilities ending their life cycle in 2035 and beyond. On Thursday, five of the participating Allies – France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom – committed to identify a single preferred solution for the replacement of these capabilities by the end of 2027, thereby enabling the development of this solution in 2030. 

    NATO’s cross-border airspace initiative also grew to 20 member countries with the addition of Denmark, Germany, Iceland and Portugal. First launched in October 2023, the project aims to foster civil-military cooperation on the use of airspace for NATO training and exercises, and other air activities in several regions of Europe.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Tucson Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Murder of a Child

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TUCSON, Ariz. –Pablo Martinez, Jr., 36, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Scott H. Rash to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Martinez, Jr. pleaded guilty to Second Degree Murder on April 15, 2024.

    On September 26, 2019, Martinez murdered the six-year-old victim by holding the victim’s face under the running bathtub faucet for between five to ten minutes, while giving the victim a bath. The victim inhaled water that caused liquid thermal burns, resulting in his death. The victim was an enrolled member of the Pascua Yaqui Indian Tribe.

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pascua Yaqui Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frances M. Kreamer Hope and Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
     

    CASE NUMBER:           CR-19-2617-TUC-SHR
    RELEASE NUMBER:    2024-140_Martinez, Jr.

    # # #

    For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
    Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.

    2024-140_Martinez, Jr.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Gaggle by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan En Route Berlin,  Germany

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    2:15 P.M. EDT
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Okay.  So, I’m just going to get straight to it.  
    As you can see, I have the national security advisor, Jake Sullivan, here to talk to us about the trip but also the latest in the Middle East.
    Jake, the floor is yours. 
    MR. SULLIVAN:  So, I don’t know if you guys have heard because of the lack of Wi-Fi back here, but the IDF has confirmed the death of Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader, and I’ll come to that in just a moment. 
    But let me start by laying out what we hope to achieve over the course of the next 24 hours in Berlin.  This is the president’s first visit to Berlin as president, and he did not want his time in office to go by without going to the capital of one of — one of our most important partners and allies. 
    Germany is a core Ally in NATO, a core partner in the G7.  They’ve been a core player in the Allied response to Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine.  And the president is looking forward to having the opportunity to talk to the chancellor and other German officials about where we go from here in Ukraine; about developments in the Middle East, in Iran, Lebanon, Gaza, Israel; about how we align our respective approaches on the PRC; about how we align our industrial and innovation strategies; about artificial intelligence and the clean energy transition. 
    He will also have the opportunity to meet with the prime minister of the UK and president of France.  The four leaders — Germany, France, UK, U.S. — will sit together to particularly focus on two issues.
    One, the war in Ukraine and the pathway ahead, particularly in light of the fact that they’ve all had the opportunity to engage in person with President Zelenskyy over the course of the last few weeks and heard from him about where he sees things going.  So, this is an opportunity to consult on that.
    And then, second, to talk about the ongoing and fast-moving developments across the Middle East region.
    The president will see President Steinmeier.  He’ll spend one-on-one time with Chancellor Scholz.  He’ll spend time with his delegation — with Chancellor Scholz and his delegation. 
    And then, of course, there’ll be this meeting among the four leaders in the afternoon, and there’ll be an opportunity for press statements with the chancellor and the president. 
    So, that’s the plan for tomorrow.
    Of course, this comes against the backdrop of a pretty significant — very significant day in the Middle East, and that is that Yahya Sinwar has been taken off the battlefield.  This is a murderous terrorist responsible for the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.  He has a lot of blood on his hands — Israeli blood, American blood, Palestinian blood — and the world is better now that he’s gone. 
    President Biden has just put out a written statement sharing his thoughts and reactions to the death of Sinwar, and he looks forward to the opportunity soon, perhaps very shortly, to speak to Prime Minister Netanyahu to congratulate the IDF and the brave Israeli soldiers and security professionals who carried out the operation that killed Sinwar but also to talk about the way forward, because Sinwar was a massive obstacle to peace and the day after in Gaza.  And now that that obstacle has been removed, President Biden looks forward to talking to Prime Minister Netanyahu about how we secure the return of the hostages, an end to the war, and a move to the day after in Gaza — a Gaza where Hamas is no longer in power or control. 
    So they’ll have the opportunity to have an initial conversation about that, but this truly is an opportunity we need to seize together to bring about a better day for the people of Gaza, the people of Israel, the people of the whole region.  And the United States is committed to doing everything in our power to help contribute to that. 
    Last thing I will say is that from shortly after October 7th, President Biden dispatched special operations personnel and intelligence professionals to Israel to work side by side with their Israeli counterparts in the hunt for Hamas leaders, including Sinwar, and it was with American intelligence help that many of these leaders, including Sinwar, were hunted and tracked, were flushed out of their hiding places, and put on the run.  And, ultimately, this is a credit to the IDF for taking out Sinwar over the course of the last hours and days, but we’re proud of the support that the United States has given to the IDF all along the way. 
    So, with that, I’d be happy to take your questions.
    Q    Jake —
    Q    Can you say anything — well, go ahead.  I’m sorry. 
    Q    Jake, thanks so much for doing this.  You kind of implied that Sinwar had been an obstacle to hostage release and ceasefire.  How big an obstacle is that?  And does this give you additional hope now of a ceasefire and possibly a hostage release?  How should we process this?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I didn’t just imply it; I stated it explicitly. 
    At various points along the way, Sinwar was more interested in causing mayhem and chaos and death than in actually trying to achieve a ceasefire and hostage deal.  And we repeatedly saw moments where it was him, in particular, who stood in the way of making progress towards a ceasefire and hostage deal.  Now, there were other obstacles too along the way, but he was certainly a critical one. 
    And, yes, I think his removal from the battlefield does present an opportunity to find a way forward that gets the hostages home, brings the war to an end, brings us to a day after.  That’s something we’re going to have to talk about with our Israeli counterparts.
    Of course, there are still other Hamas actors who need to be brought to justice, and there are hostages, including Americans, being held by terrorists.  We’re going to have to deal with all of that, but we believe there is a renewed opportunity right now that we would like to seize.
    Yeah.
    Q    Do you assess this as being the cutting off of the head of the Hydra, or what — what’s your assessment of Hamas’ capabilities from now on?  Is there going to be a mop up?  And what — what would you recommend the Israelis do?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Sinwar was a critical figure operationally, militarily, and politically for Hamas.  He had, in fact, consolidated control of both the political and military wing under his singular leadership in — in recent weeks and months.  And so, this is a very significant event.
    But what exactly it means for the future of Hamas as an organization, it’s early days yet.  We will have to see.
    What we do know is that the broad military structure, the battalions of Hamas have been systematically dismantled.  We do know that Hamas does not pose the kind of threat to Israel that it posed on October 7th or anything close to it.  We also know that there are still Hamas terrorists wielding guns and holding hostages and harboring a desire to continue to attack Israel and attack others. 
    And so, we’re going to have to sort through all of that.  But this is an incredibly significant blow to Hamas.  It is the removal of someone who, as I said, was unique in the consolidation of the control of the Hamas apparatus under his command.  And now we will have to work to ensure that his death actually does deal the kind of long-term blow to Hamas that all of us would like to see.
    Q    Can you give —
    Q    Do you get the sense that Netanyahu is done now, that he’s — he’s reached his objectives?  You just laid out the decimation of Hamas — 
    MR. SULLIVAN:  No, his critical objective that — has not been reached.  That objective is the return of the hostages, including American hostages.  So, from the United States’ perspective, we now need to work with Israel, with Qatar and Egypt, with others — and this is something we’ll discuss with our European partners as well — to secure the release of those hostages.  We’d like to see that happen.
    Q    You referenced U.S. intel.  To what extent did that play a role in this particular operation? 
    MR. SULLIVAN:  This operation was an IDF operation.  I’m not here to overclaim or — or try to take credits for something where the credit belongs to them. 
    But the Americans — the special operations personnel, the intelligence professionals — they also deserve our thanks for the work that they did alongside the IDF over the course of many months to help create the kind of counterterrorism pressure in Gaza that put a lot of these guys on the run.  And Sinwar was plainly on the run (inaudible).
    Q    Earlier this — earlier this week, Secretary Blinken and Secretary Austin sent letters to their counterparts threatening legal action if the humanitari- — humanitarian situation in Gaza doesn’t improve.  Can you give us a sense of what that legal option would be and if there are any deadlines or specific actions that the president will raise with Prime Minister Netanyahu about that today?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  The letter speaks for itself.  I think a lot of the headlines were breathless and overblown.  We have had an ongoing dialogue with Israel for months now about improving the humanitarian situation.  We have had previous communications that looked quite similar and that generated positive momentum towards opening crossings and getting more aid in.  We’ve had, actually, constructive back-and-forth with our Israeli counterparts over the last few days in response to our requests, and we expect that we’ll see progress on the ground. 
    One thing that has unfolded this week is — is the reopening of some of the crossings that had been closed in the north and trucks going in.  We need to see that sustained and expanded as we go forward, among the other requests in that letter. 
    But I’d — and I’d — just the other point I would make here is that it’s — it was a private diplomatic communication.  It was a serious, substantive laydown.  It’s part of our ongoing work and partnership with Israel.  And having it all out there in the open, leaked in the way that it was, I think, was highly unfortunate.  And I’ll leave it at that.
    Q    Can you give us a sense of what the president will say in this conversation with Netanyahu?  Will he push for an accelerated timeline for a ceasefire?  Will he say, you
    know, kind of, “Now you achieved the main direct- — main objective and we should move forward on — on other things,” or push for humanitarian aid?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m going to let the president speak to the prime minister before I preview what he’s going to say in the press on the record, but we’ll try to give you a good sense of both what the president is thinking and what he’s communicating to the prime minister at the appropriate time.
    Q    To — to what extent do you think this success with Sinwar might embolden Netanyahu when it comes to retaliating against Iran?  Or do you see them as totally unrelated?  And what are your conversations right now with them in terms of restraint — or whatever you want to call it — when the president has thoughts about what the target should be when they hit back?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  We’ve had very constructive communications with the Israelis about how they’re thinking about responding to the attack on October 1st.  Those conversations will continue. 
    I can’t speculate as to the psychology of the prime minister based on what happened today.  What I can say is that the logic of deterrence, the logic of a response to a salvo of 200 ballistic missiles — nothing in the Middle East is unrelated, but that is a distinct logic from the killing of Sinwar today.
    Q    Jake, going back to the trip.  What message will President Biden give his fellow leaders about America’s place in the world, given the uncertainty around our upcoming election?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Say that again.
    Q    What reassurance will President Biden give his fellow leaders about America’s place in the world, given the uncertainty about our upcoming presidential election?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  What President Biden can do is what he’s done for four years, which is lay out his vision of America’s place in the world and point the way forward based on what he thinks are in America’s national security interests and in the interests of our close allies. 
    Beyond that, he can’t speak for anyone else and doesn’t intend to.
    Q    Is there any —
    Q    Does this change your calculus on whether Israel can come to the table on a ceasefire by the end of the year?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m sorry?
    Q    Your calculus on whether a ceasefire could be reached by the end of the year.
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I have long since given up on making predictions or drawing timelines.  All I can say is that we see an opportunity now that we want to seize to try to secure the release of the hostages, and we’re going to work at that as rapidly as we possibly can.
    Q    Give- — given the situation, would the president reconsider possibly holding a press conference during his time in Berlin?  It would be good to hear from him firsthand on how he thinks about this and the situation in Ukraine. 
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I will note for the record there are heads nodding.  (Laughter.)  I’ll also note for the record that that is a really fascinating way to bring the press into the middle of a world historical event.  So — (laughter) — and I’ll leave it at that.
    Q    I’ll follow up on that.  The president talks about democracy as being a key part of his administration, of his vision for America that you just referenced.  Why would he not take questions from the press at what was originally going to be a state visit to Germany?  I don’t understand.
    MR. SULLIVAN:  It’s fascinating how you guys can — (laughs) — make this the story.
    Q    It’s not the story.  It’s just a question. 
    MR. SULLVIAN:  I mean, honestly, I think invoking democracy and suggesting that President Biden is somehow insufficiently committed to it because of the structure of his press engagement on one day in Germany is a bit ludicrous. 
    Q    I can ask a Germany question.  So, a lot of the moves that President Biden has made both domestically and internationally have been characterized as “Trump-proofing” the — the, you know, U.S. government for a future Trump presidency. 
    How do you feel about that characterization?  I’m talking about moves like bringing NATO under — forgive me, it’s too complicated to explain, but you know what I’m talking about. 
    So, do you think he’s Trump-proofing?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I — I don’t like characterizations like that because they’re inherently political.
    Q    So, what is he doing, then?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  What the president is trying to do is to make our commitment to Ukraine sustainable and institutionalized for the long term.  And every other ally agreed that that was the responsible thing to do. 
    The la- —
    Q    (Inaudible) necessarily reduced U.S. role, is that the idea?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Not at all.  The basic logic was what the president laid out at the Washington Summit this summer, which is the communiqué said Ukraine’s place, Ukraine’s future, is in NATO.  There is work to do to get from here to there, including reforms and security conditions being met. 
    So, the question is, how do you build a bridge from where we are now to Ukraine’s eventual membership in NATO?  And the answer to that question was the set of deliverables in Washington, including the institutionalization of the security support apparatus for Ukraine.  That is what we were trying to accomplish, and that’s what we believe we did accomplish.
    Q    Jake, on Iran.  Can you confirm and elaborate on reporting that President Biden directed the NSC to warn Iran that any attempt on President Trump’s life would be seen as an act of war?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I will tell you that President Biden has taken this issue with the utmost seriousness.  He asked to be updated on it regularly.  He gives us direction for how to respond to it regularly and in a very serious and consequential way.  We are following his directives and implementing them.  And I’m not going to get into specifics on what that looks like.
    Q    Jake, what about these reports that President Trump and President Putin have had seven conversations?  Are you worried about this?  Are you worried about any sort of backdoor conversations President Trump is having with leaders?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I do not know if that’s true or not, but obviously that would raise red flags if it were true. 
    Q    Another one on — since you just said Putin.  There’s been reporting in Germany that Chancellor Scholz said he would be open to speaking with President Putin ahead of the G20 if asked — sort of various ways he said it.  Have you guys talked about this?  Has he told President Biden about this?  Do you think this would be a good idea to do a leader-level conversation with President Putin at this time?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  That has not come up between the chancellor and the president.  You know, I was just in Germany at the end of last week with my German counterpart.  That — the question of a call to Putin didn’t come up.  So, I think that’s a question better put to the chancellor. 
    Q    The official who briefed us yesterday about the Germany trip on the — on the phone mentioned that the Ramstein meeting would be rescheduled.  Does that mean the president will be going back to Ramstein at some point, or what — what did that mean?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  We will hold a leaders-level Ramstein meeting virtually in November.
    Q    One more.  On the frozen assets deal — the Russian frozen assets.  What’s the progress on that there?  I assume this comes up in the conversations.  Is there a plan B if the EU doesn’t figure out a sanctions regime?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m feeling very good about the progress that we’ve made on the G7 commitment to mobilize $50 billion from the proceeds of the Russian sovereign assets by the end of the year.  We intend to meet that commitment, and we intend to make a contribution — the United States.  The EU, obviously, has announced that it’s prepared to make a contribution.  So are other partners.  So, from my perspective, at this point, everything is on track. 
    Q    Is there any update on when the president might talk to President Xi?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  No.
    Thank you, guys. 
    Q    Thank you.
    Q    Who you — wait, who are you rooting for in the playoffs, World Series?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  I’m a Minnesota Twins fan, so I can’t root for the Guardians, but I definitely can’t root for the Yankees.
    I don’t know.
    Q    What about the Dodgers and Mets?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Yeah, I’m watching, but actually I don’t — I’ve not clearly determined who I’d prefer to win.  But, yeah, Dodgers or Mets. 
    Q    Can you swing back and talk to us off the record later?
    MR. SULLIVAN:  Sure. 
    Q    Great.
    Q    Thanks.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I don’t know.  Is there any real thing — anything else to discuss?  Let me t- —
    Q    The only thing I would say is we disagree with the suggestion that democracy and speaking — and taking questions from the press is “ludicrous.” 
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Noted.
    Q    I would argue that our stories allow the president to have a relationship with the world, not just with other leaders, and the ability to talk openly will help that. 
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  All right.  Noted.  Noted. 
    Let’s move on.
    So, just want to talk about an announcement.  This is domestic, obviously, going to go to the — to that space.  I just wanted to touch on an announcement very quickly.
    And so, today, the Biden-Harris administration announced an additional $4.5 billion in student debt cancelation for over 60,000 public service workers, bringing the total number of public — of public service workers who have had their student debt canceled under the Biden-Harris administration to over 1 million people. 
    One such example is Kelly, a kindergarten teacher in Rhode Island, who had been paying off her student loans for a decade.  After the student let her know that her debt had been canceled, she tol- — after the president, pardon me — she told us that after 12 years of marriage, she might be able to take the honeymoon she never had.
    The president — the president’s administration made it a priority to fix the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.  Prior to our administration, only 7,000 public service workers had received relief since the program was established in 2007. 
    Thanks to the work of the Biden-Harris administration, as of today, 1 million teachers, nurses, firefighters, service members, first resp- — responders, and — and more who — who pursued careers in public service have gotten the relief they deserve. 
    The relief brings the total loan forgiveness approved by the Biden-Harris administration — administration to over $175 billion for nearly 5 million Americans.  And while — meanwhile, our Republicans elected officials have repeatedly attempted to block student debt relief. 
    President Biden and Vice President Harris remain committed to making education affordable for all Americans. 
    With that, what else do you guys have for me?
    Q    I have a question. 
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Sure.
    Q    Did President Biden talk to Vice President Harris ahead of this trip to see if she had any message for the world leaders or to get her input on what the situation should be going forward? 
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  As you know, the president and the vice president talk regularly.  I don’t have a specific call to — to read out, but I think you can see the last almost four years of the — what we’ve been able to do, what the president has been able to do on the world stage, certainly has been in partnership with the vice president.  I know that she supports his trip and everything that he’s — he’s trying to do tomorrow in the — in the short trip that we have in — in Germany.
    I just don’t have anything to read out as a call specifically on this trip.
    Q    Is the president or the administration facing pressure from allies to get something done after the election but before he is out of office?  There’s been some talks that Zelenskyy — you know, whether that’s accelerating a push for Ukraine into NATO or — or other funding things for Ukraine?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, you’re talking about the victory plan.  Certainly, I’m going to let the Ukr- — Ukrainians speak to their victory plan as it relates to that question about NATO. 
    Look, I think — I think what you have seen from this president, from this administration — obviously, including the vice president — is how much we have stand behind — next to, if you will — with Ukrainians and how they’re trying to beat back the aggression that we’ve seen from Russia.  And you have not just seen us standing there.  You’ve seen this president take action, and — which is why you see NATO much stronger than it was, and that’s why you see 50 countries have gotten behind Ukraine.  And you heard us — you heard us lay out yesterday an additional assistance package that we have provided to Ukrainians. 
    And so, we’re going to have to continue — we’re going to continue having conversations with the Ukrainians on what they need on the battlefield and how else we can be helpful to them. 
    As it relates to their victory plan — as it relates to what’s next, I’m certainly going to let the Ukrainians speak directly about that. 
    Obviously, the president has had a conversation with the president, President Zelenskyy, on that plan.  I just don’t have anything beyond that, and I’m not — certainly, I’m not going to get into hypotheticals from here. 
    Q    The president at the funeral yesterday had a — what looked like a spirited conversation with former President Obama.  Did you talk to him about what they discussed?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, it’s been kind of busy the last couple hours on the plane, as you can imagine. 
    Look, I’ll — I’ll say this.  The president really very much looked — appreciated being there at the — at the funeral of Ethel Kennedy, who he saw as someone who was incredible and had a — was an incredible force, obviously, in her life, during her — her years.  And what he wanted to do is — was to lift up — lift her up and speak to her accomplishment and what she meant to him — not just to him but to her family and to the country.  So, he appreciated doing that. 
    And we have said many times the president and — and president — and former President Biden [Obama] — they have a very close relationship.  They’ve had one for a long time, obviously, as he served as his vice president.
    I don’t have anything else to — to share on that.  I have not had this conversation with the president.  Obviously, we’ve been pretty busy these past couple of hours on the plane. 
    Q    Do you know if the president was able to watch any of the Fox News interview that Vice President Harris did?  And does —
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yes, he —
    Q    — did he talk to you about how — how she did? 
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah, he was able to — to catch that.  And he saw her performance, her interview as strong.  And I think what you saw and what — and this is what he believes — is that you saw why Americans and people want to see her continuing to fight for them.  And that’s what he saw last night.  That’s what we all saw — many of us saw.  So, I think she was strong and incredibly impressive in that interview. 
    Q    Karine, does the president believe that his vice president would be a markedly different leader?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, look, he talked about this on Tuesday when he was in Philly, and he — and I talked a little bit about this as well, just reit- — really reiterating what the president shared, which is that, look, she’s going to be essentially her own person, right?  She is going to have her own direction, her own view of how to move forward. 
    And he did that, right?  He was loyal to President Obama when he was vice president, but he cut his own path.  And so, that’s what he expects from the vice president to do. 
    So, nothing — nothing new.  That’s what he expects her to do — to have her own path, to have — to build on — certainly, to build on the economic successes that we have seen and continuing the — the work that we’ve been able to do. 
    But she’s going to cut her own path.  He was very clear about that a couple days ago.
    Q    Karine —
    Q    But on student loans — you talked about the PSLF 1 million, a huge achievement for those borrowers — what’s your message for the other 40 million-plus borrowers who’ve been caught up in a lot of legal limbo over the past three years?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Look, I’ll — I’ll say this.  You know, I’m not going to speak to the legal — the legal components of this.  There are legal matters that are happening, so they are ongoing.  So, I’m not going to speak to that. 
    But I think what you can take away from what this president has — trying to do, when Republicans have continued to block him, in promising to give Americans a little bit of breathing room, to make sure that Americans who have — borrows [borrowers] who have loans and — and are squeezed by those loans are not able to, you know, buy a home, start a family.
    The president was very attuned to that and very clear that he wanted to give them an opportunity — an opportunity to really, you know, be able to — to start that life that they wanted.  And so, he’s been trying to do that, even though he’s been blocked and — and Republicans have gotten in the way. 
    I think you can see over the past — certainly, the past six months, the president continuing to try to take actions to — to make sure he kept his commitment to Americans who, again, need a little bit of breathing room.
    So, I’m not going to speak to the legal matter, but I think this announcement today shows his commitment to public service workers, right?  I talked about firefighters, nurses.  I talked about police officers, who put so much on the line, who give so much for — for everybody, for folks who need their assistance and their help, and wanted to give them that opportunity to really be able to — to move on economically in what they want to accomplish for themselves and for their family.
    All right.  Anything else?
    Q    On the —
    Q    So —
    Q    Sorry.  Go ahead.
    Q    Sorry.
    Now going back to the funeral for a minute.  Did he speak with Speaker Emeritus Pelosi?  And also, she was not seen at the Italian American celebration, when she’s been front and center in the past.  Was she not invited?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I — I don’t have anything to share with you on that.  I didn’t talk to the president about that at all.  But what you saw — obviously, you saw the president and the former president, Pres- — President Obama, connect, have a moment together.  The president m- — very much looked forward to that.  I just don’t have anything on Nancy Pelosi.
    Q    Just —
    Q    I noticed he didn’t recognize her when he recognized the other two presidents at the funeral.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, he wanted it — I can say this.  He wanted it to be, you know — to — to be very focused on the family.  He wanted it to be, you know, brief and — and very poignant.  And that’s what his focus was yesterday on his remarks.
    Q    On the trip.  Obviously, this is a abbreviated agenda from, you know, the Ramstein summit —
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.
    Q    — and other things.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Yeah.
    Q    But can you explain to us, what’s the reason that it’s so short?  Why do we have to get out of Germany at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow?  Is there a reason on the German chancellor’s schedule why we have to —
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, I mean —
    Q    Regardless of the press conference, there was also talk about maybe doing a Holocaust memorial situation.  What’s —
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  No, I totally understand what — totally — as you — let’s step back for a second. 
    The reason that the president had to postpone his trip was because Hurricane Milton was coming, and it was — it was forecast to be a historical hurricane, and the president wanted to be in the States to deal with the response and what was needed, certainly, by the impacted region, for what folks on the ground really needed.
    And so, that’s why we postponed the trip.  We said that we wanted to certainly get that back on the books.  We were able to do it — to your point, a truncated version, but it is a robust schedule.  And we were able to work with the Germans and to be able to get done what we can on this trip.
    I mean, the president has a busy schedule.  He does.  There’s a lot going on in the next couple days, couple weeks.
    Q    But he has to get back to the States for something in particular —
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  I mean, we’ll —
    Q    — that we don’t know about?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  We’re certainly going to share with you what the — his — the next couple of days of his schedule is going to look like.  But he wanted to — and I said this yesterday in the briefing room.  He wanted to thank the chancellor for his partnership, for his leadership as well with Ukraine.  Outside of the U.S., U- — the U- — German is the second — have provided the second-most resources, assistance to Ukrainians.
    And so, he wanted to be, you know, thankful to him.  And so, that’s what you’re seeing on this trip.  He wanted to make this happen.  He asked his team to make this trip happen.
    And so, look, we have a busy schedule.  We got a lot going on in next couple of days, next couple of weeks.  And so, we tried to fit this in, and this is what we were able to do in working with the German government as well to make this happen.
    Q    Does the president, as the election hits its final two weeks, expect to get more aggressive in outreach and participation?  Is that maybe what you’re referencing, or what’s his thinking on that?
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  So, you know I can’t speak to political trips or any- —
    Q    But if —
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  But wa- —
    Q    — you could speak on his schedule.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Well, I — I’m just — want to get that out of there.  And so, look, the president is certainly looking at — looking forward to being out there and supporting the vice president.
    I just want to be super mindful.  But he will — you’ll see him — you’ll see him hit the road.  You’ll see him hit the road, for sure.
    That’s all I got. 
    All right.  Thanks, everybody.  Sorry my voice is a little hoarse.
    Q    Thanks, Karine.
    MS. JEAN-PIERRE:  Thanks, everybody.
    2:45 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Activist News – Weekly protests are extending further around the country as Israel runs riot and our government’s policy of appeasement towards Israel fails dramatically – PSNA

    Source: Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa

     

    Details of our weekly solidarity protests around the country are listed at the end of this letter sent to the Prime Minister yesterday.

     

    Rt Hon Christopher Luxon

    Prime Minister

    Parliament Buildings

    Wellington

    c.luxon@ministers.govt.nz

     

    Kia ora Mr Luxon,

     

    We write to you as a matter of utmost urgency, with a rapidly deteriorating situation in the Middle East.

     

    The policy of appeasement towards Israel over the past year by western countries has failed miserably.  Israel has expanded its attacks and has abandoned all pretence of any sort of negotiated settlements.

     

    Our government is holding on desperately to a hopelessly weak and indefensible policy towards the Middle East. I have no doubt you know this.

     

    Israel is running riot with endless bombing and killing as it spreads murder and mayhem.  The majority of victims in Gaza, Lebanon and the West Bank are women and children – tens of thousands of children.

     

    You and I know this would never be tolerated if the victims were European.

     

    The situation has now become even more desperate and deadly with

    • Israel has refused to allow any food or supplies to be delivered since the beginning of this month to northern Gaza.  It has again unleased its firepower with absolute impunity on refugee camps and other civilian areas with the openly stated aim of ethnic cleansing of the majority of the 400,000 Palestinians who remain there.
    • Israel’s delivery of its threat to turn Lebanon into another Gaza, with attacks throughout the country, including Christian areas.
    • Israel’s endless attempts to widen the war across the region into Iran with repeated violations of its sovereignty until Iran responded – though without a single Israeli casualty.
    • Israel’s blatant attacks on UNIFIL positions and demands that UNIFIL withdraw from its mission to allow Israeli military advances further into Lebanon to achieve regime change for a Lebanese government subservient to its interests.

     

    Despite all that has happened over 12 months you have issued only platitudes “calling an all sides to exercise restraint” and condemnation of all parties Israel decides that is its enemies.

     

    You have failed to condemn Israel for anything it has ever done against the Palestinian victims of its settler colonial project and yet you have condemned every act of Palestinian resistance to Israel’s illegal occupation, genocide, and ethnic cleansing.

     

    Other countries, the UK, France, Spain, Norway, and Ireland have spoken out and taken, albeit token, action to remind Israel that it is operating outside international law.

     

    History will condemn your 12 months of complicit silence but action now can make a real difference and saves tens of thousands of innocent lives. A minimum list of actions includes:

     

    1. Condemn Israeli action against the Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank as war crimes
    2. Join South Africa’s case of proving genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice
    3. Implement the recent obligations specified by the ICJ under the Geneva Conventions towards ending Israeli occupation of the Palestinian Occupied Territories.
    4. Identify and ban imports of products from illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories
    5. End procurement of goods and services from companies identified by the United Nations as complicit in building and maintaining illegal Israeli settlements
    6. Direct the Superfund, ACC and Kiwisaver providers to divest from companies on the UN list
    7. Investigate the export of Rakon Industry components which are incorporated into US weapons which almost inevitably end in the industrial-scale killing of Palestinians.
    8. Immediately close the Israeli embassy as Israel’s propaganda and lobby outlet in New Zealand
    9. Clearly and publicly state that NZDF personnel in the Middle East will neither participate in nor provide assistance to either US or Israel attacks or preparations for attacks on Iran
    10. Publicly join other countries in condemning the Israeli military attack on UNIFIL and demand of Israel that it will cease to demand UNIFIL withdraw from any of its positions in Lebanon
    11. Reiterate New Zealand’s participation in UNTSO and demand that Israel allow UNTSO continue its work unmolested
    12. Demand Israel revoke its declaration that the UN Secretary General is persona non grata in Israel.
    13. Note and support this UN report https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/un-commission-finds-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity-israeli-attacks

     

    Please respond to this letter urgently.

     

    John Minto

    National Chair

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa.

     

    Nationwide rallies/marches/MP protests/vigils this week

     

    These are on the PSNA Facebook events page here with the basic details listed below.

     

    North Island

    Opononi – Gathering for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October 

    1.30pm

    Opononi (outside the Four Square)

     

    Kerikeri – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Whangarei – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Auckland – Picket 

    Friday 18 October 

    12:00 noon

    New World Devonport – 

    35 Bartley Terrace, Devonport,

     

    Waiheke – Market Stall – hosted by Stand With Palestine Waiheke!

    Every Saturday

    8:00 am – 1:00 pm

    Ostend Market, Waiheke Island

     

    Auckland – Banners around Tamaki Makaurau

    Saturday 19 October 

    10:00 am

    Text John on 021 899 659 for location

     

    Auckland – Central Bike Ride for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    Meet at 12.45 to leave (ride to the rally) at 1.10pm

    Western Park. Ponsonby Road

     

    Auckland – Rally

    Saturday 19 October 

    2:00 pm

    Te Komititanga – Britomart Square, Tamaki Makaurau

     

    Then travel to Browns Bay for the Prayer Vigil for Gaza

     

    Auckland – Prayer Vigil @ Erica Stanford’s Office

    Aotearoa Christians for peace in Palestine will hold a Prayer Vigil to mark a year since the Israeli airstrike on St Porphyrius Church in Gaza City

    Saturday 19 October 

    4:00 pm

    85 Beach Front Lane, Browns Bay, Auckland

    https://www.facebook.com/events/s/vigil-for-gaza-st-porphyrius-c/1056552113142463/

     

    Auckland – Movie – The Last Sky

    Saturday 19 October 

    7:00 pm

    Trades Hall auditorium – 147 Great North Road, Grey Lynn

    Limited seats. Tickets essential

    Admission by Koha

    https://events.humanitix.com/the-last-sky

    Director Nicholas Hanna will have a Q&A after the movie

     

    Thames – Vigil to Stop the war on Children

    (Hosted by The Basket – Social and Environmental Justice – Hauraki)

    First Saturday of the month

     

    Tauranga – Flag wave

    Sunday 20 October 

    11:00 am

    SH2 Bethlehem – By Woolworths

     

    Hamilton – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 pm

    Civic Square, Hamilton

     

    Whaingaroa/Raglan

    To be advised

     

    Cambridge – Rally for Palestine

    Every Saturday

    11:00 am

    Cambridge Town Hall

     

    Rotorua – Rally for Palestine

    Every Thursday

    4:00 pm

    Rotorua Lakes Council, Haupapa Street (Sir Howard Morrison Corner)

     

    Gisborne – Farmers Market – Vigil to Stop the war on Children

    Every Saturday

    9:30 – 11:30 am

    Gisborne Farmers Market

     

    Napier – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:30 am

    Marine Parade Soundshell Roundabout

     

    Hastings – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    1:00 pm

    Hastings Town Clock – Hastings CBD

     

    Palmerston North – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    2:00 pm 

    The Square, Palmerston North

     

    New Plymouth – Flags on the Bridge

    Friday 18 September

    4:30 pm

    Paynters Ave Bridge, New Plymouth

     

    New Plymouth – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 PM 

    The Landing, 1 Ariki Street, New Plymouth

     

    Whanganui – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:00 am

    Riverside Market, Whanganui

     

    Carterton – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Tuesday

    12:00 midday

    Memorial Square.

     

    Martinborough – Vigil for Palestine

    Every Wednesday

    11:00 am

    The square at the top of Kitchener St, Martinborough

     

    Masterton – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Sunday

    9:30 am

    Town Hall Lawn, Masterton

     

    Featherston – Gathering for Gaza

    Every Saturday

    11:00 am

    The Squircle (opposite the op shop).

     

    Wellington – Vigil for Palestine (by Aotearoa Healthcare Workers for Palestine)

    Every Friday

    6:00 pm

    In front of Wellington Hospital

    49 Riddiford Street, Newtown, Wellington

     

    Wellington – Flags on the Bridge

    (hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)

    Every Friday

    7:15 – 8:15 am

    Hill Street bridge Overbridge, Wellington

     

    Wellington – Rally

    (hosted by the Falastin Tea Collective)

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 – 2:00 pm

    Meet at Glover Park and Hikoi down Cuba Mall and back to Glover Park

     

    South Island

    Nelson – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    10:30 am

    Rocks Road by the beach

     

    Blenheim – Rally for Palestine

    Saturday 19 October 

    11:00 am

    Blenheim Railway Station

     

    Christchurch – Nobela Protest

    Thursday 17

    11:45 am

    Foodstuffs Headquarters

    167 Main North Road, Northcote, Christchurch

     

    Christchurch- Flag Waving for Palestine

    Friday 18 October 

    4:00 pm

    Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

     

    Christchurch – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    1:00 – 2:00 pm

    Bridge of Remembrance, Cashel Street, Christchurch

     

    Timaru

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Dunedin – Rally and March

    Saturday 19 October 

    No Rally this weekend

     

    Queenstown
    No Rally this weekend

     

    Invercargill – Rally for Palestine

    Sunday 20 October

    1:00 pm

    Wachner place Invercargill.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Global Bodies – Global Parliamentary community recommits to multeralism for peace – IPU

    Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

    Hundreds of parliamentarians, from some 130 countries, gathered at the 149th IPU Assembly in Geneva, have adopted a resolution reaffirming unwavering support for multilateralism through the United Nations system and other global institutions.

    Against a backdrop of escalating conflicts around the world, the consequences of climate change and the risk of pandemics, resulting in a multiplication of humanitarian crises, lawmakers emphasized the urgency of a collective response and cooperation at the international level.

    The resolution, put forward by the IPU’s founding Members, France and the United Kingdom, along with Germany, the Netherlands and Canada, calls for a “complete rejection of the indiscriminate targeting by armed forces of civilians, wherever they may be, particularly emergency personnel, health and education workers, and medical, education and other public infrastructure”.

    The resolution was reinforced by the IPU’s Committee to Promote Respect for International Humanitarian Law, which issued a plea for the international community to pressure the parties to the conflict in Israel, Lebanon, and Gaza, to take action to avert a full-scale war.

    The Assembly also provided a space for intensive parliamentary diplomacy, including meetings of the IPU’s various international parliamentary bodies which contribute to peace-building efforts, such as the Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine and the Committee on Middle East Questions.

    Other outcomes on science, technology and Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    The global parliamentary also adopted a landmark resolution on The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

    The resolution urges parliaments worldwide to swiftly develop and implement robust legal frameworks and policies for the responsible creation, deployment and use of AI technology.

    Key demands of the resolution include:

    • Mitigating risks to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, with a particular focus on the disproportionate impact of AI on women and girls
    • Legislating against deepfake intimate images and AI-generated content that fuels hate speech or incites violence
    • Developing tools to verify the origin of online images and content, empowering users to discern authenticity
    • Reviewing and updating existing legislation to close loopholes exposed by AI advances.

    The resolution underscores the need for parliaments to stay ahead of the curve in regulating AI, striking a balance between innovation and the protection of fundamental rights.

    IPU Charter on the Ethics of Science and Technology

    During the Assembly, the Governing Council adopted a new Charter on the Ethics of Science and Technology.

    Drafted by the IPU’s Working Group on Science and Technology, the Charter underscores the critical role of scientific knowledge in parliamentary decision-making and the ethical considerations essential for governing emerging technologies.

    Key highlights of the Charter include:

    • Emphasizing ethical responsibilities in scientific advancements
    • Advocating for equitable global participation, and addressing gender, social and economic inequalities
    • Outlining key principles for regulating science and technology, including enacting laws promoting societal values, the preservation of research freedom, international cooperation and sustainability considerations.

    The Charter recommends that legislators maintain parliamentary structures for presenting evidence-based information, engage with competent organizations on ethics, develop checklists for scrutinizing legislation and consult civil society.

    Geneva Declaration on science and technology

    In their final Declaration, legislators expressed resolve to harness and regulate science, technology and innovation (STI) for the benefit of humanity.

    The Declaration emphasizes the need to bridge digital divides, protect human rights, and foster international cooperation in STI governance.

    Parliamentarians pledged to implement these commitments through legislative, budgetary and oversight actions, striving for an equitable and technologically advanced world.

    Background

    The 149th IPU Assembly took place from 13-17 October 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland. It was attended by over 630 MPs, including 54 Speakers of Parliament and 36 Deputy Speakers. Around 36% of the MPs were women and some 25% were young MPs under 45.

    The 150th IPU Assembly will take place in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from 5-9 April 2025.

    The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. It was founded in 1889 as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 181 national Member Parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes peace, democracy and sustainable development. It helps parliaments become stronger, younger, greener, more innovative and gender-balanced. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –