NewzIntel.com

Category: Latin America

  • MIL-OSI: KMIN GROUP Corp.’s Skincare Brand O’CLEARIEN Expands Globally and Participates in major events

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SEOUL, KOREA, Sept. 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — KMIN GROUP Corp.’s premium skincare brand, O’CLEARIEN, is solidifying its position in the global market. Since being named “Rookie of the Year” at the Cosmo Beauty Expo in May, O’CLEARIEN has actively participated in major events such as The Hyundai Pop-Up Store, Mexico Brand Expo, and CosmoProf Las Vegas. Furthermore, the brand has recently completed its European export certification (CPNP) and U.S. export certification (MoCRA), enhancing its credibility in the global market.

    O’CLEARIEN’s main product lineup includes toners, mists, serums, creams, cleansers, and sunscreens, which will be showcased at Seoul Beauty Week (October 1–3, 2024) and the K-Beauty Expo (October 17–19, 2024). Seoul Beauty Week will be held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP), while the K-Beauty Expo will occur at KINTEX in Ilsan. These events will allow attendees to experience O’CLEARIEN’s product lines firsthand and explore collaboration opportunities with global beauty partners and buyers.

    Currently, O’CLEARIEN exports to 10 countries, including the U.S., Mexico, the Philippines, Vietnam, Japan, Hong Kong, Mongolia, Germany, France, and Mauritius. The brand is gaining recognition globally as a rapidly growing clean beauty brand. O’CLEARIEN products, which are made from the finest natural ingredients, provide gentle yet effective skincare, meeting the standards of clean beauty and receiving high praise.

    KMIN GROUP Corp., founded in 2019, specializes in beauty and women’s fashion and has received positive feedback from consumers who prefer clean beauty products made with natural ingredients through its premium product development and sustainable production practices. O’CLEARIEN, as an inclusive clean beauty brand catering to all generations, has garnered significant acclaim for its highly effective skincare products.

    Regarding distribution, O’CLEARIEN sells through offline and global e-commerce platforms, with special emphasis on sales through its online store, oclearien.com. This multi-faceted distribution strategy has allowed more consumers to experience O’CLEARIEN’s products, with serums and creams receiving particularly favorable reviews.

    An O’CLEARIEN representative stated, “We are delighted to introduce our premium skincare philosophy and top-quality natural ingredients to the world through global certifications and participation in major beauty events. We look forward to continuing our global expansion and reaching more consumers with our products.”

    O’CLEARIEN’s best-selling products will be featured at Seoul Beauty Week and the K-Beauty Expo, and the brand plans to further strengthen its presence in the global beauty market through continued participation in various international events and activities.

    Media Contact

    Company: Kmin Group Corp.

    Contact: Jeongbeen Lee

    Telephone: +82 1054912616

    Email: sales@oclearien.com

    Website: http://www.oclearien.com

    SOURCE: Kmin Group Corp.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: China pledges to retrieve more lost cultural artifacts

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

    BEIJING, Sept. 26 — China will keep working to bring home more of its cultural artifacts lost overseas, according to the National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA).

    Deputy director Guan Qiang has said that experts will further research the origins of these cultural relics to gather more evidence to support their return.

    Deeper, more flexible international cooperation is needed and the use of various platforms and mechanisms will be encouraged to facilitate this process, said the official at a press conference in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Guan also highlighted China’s commitment to its international obligations in this field. The country will encourage dialogue between countries of origin and those currently holding displaced artifacts, said the official.

    Since the Opium War in the 1840s, more than 10 million Chinese cultural relics have been displaced due to war and illicit trade, according to the Chinese Society of Cultural Relics, a domestic non-profit organization.

    The Chinese government set out to recover these artifacts since the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.

    The country now has government-to-government agreements with 27 countries, including Peru, Italy, Greece, Türkiye, the United States and Australia, to combat the theft, looting, and illegal export of cultural relics.

    Thanks to these frameworks, China has successfully recovered more than 1,900 cultural relics in 43 batches, Guan noted.

    This year alone, the country has reclaimed the stolen “Feng Xingshu Gui,” a bronze ritual vessel from the Western Zhou Dynasty (1046-771 BC), along with 38 ancient artworks from the United States and 14 artifacts from Argentina.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow exporters, with the support of the city, found new partners in 24 friendly countries

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Since the beginning of the year, the capital’s exporters, with the support of the city, have visited 11 international exhibitions in friendly countries. Among them are Gulfood in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Tibo in Belarus, Gitex Africa in Morocco and Vietnam Expo in Vietnam. This was reported by Natalia Sergunina, Deputy Mayor of Moscow.

    The costs of renting and building the negotiation area, delivering exhibits and organizing business meetings were covered by the Moscow Export Center (MEC).

    “Since January, more than 180 Moscow brands have presented their products at the Made in Moscow stand. Another 122 companies have joined foreign business missions in nine countries,” said Natalia Sergunina.

    Delegations from Indonesia, Mexico, Algeria, Morocco and Egypt came to the capital on a return visit.

    “As a result of participation in exhibitions and business missions, city entrepreneurs found new partners in 24 friendly countries. Among them are the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Thailand, India and Uruguay. The total amount of contracts exceeded 1.5 billion rubles. Foreign buyers were interested in Moscow digital solutions, technology and equipment, food products and cartoons,” noted Natalia Sergunina.

    Successful experience of participants

    Thus, the adventure series about the magical girl Yesenia found a response from the foreign audience. Commercial director of the animation bureau Marina Povkh said that the story is universal and understandable to children from any corner of the world, but without the support of the city, it would have been more difficult for the company to reach the international level.

    “If we went to exhibitions ourselves, we would have a small, unremarkable stand. But the Moscow Export Center pavilion provides us with scale, because we become part of the Made in Moscow brand,” said Marina Povkh.

    The authors signed one of the contracts for the delivery of the series during the China International Cartoon and Animation Festival.

    “The story about the sorceress is now being broadcast on children’s channels in Latin America, and will soon be shown in Thailand. The city does not forget about our successes, talks about them, and we are becoming more recognizable in the domestic market. Our bureau will continue to use the capital’s tools to develop its business, we are sure that this will bring new results,” the commercial director concluded.

    Another active participant in the MEC programs is a manufacturer of innovative simulators for students of medical universities. The hybrid dental simulator allows practicing manipulations on a jaw model. Unique software monitors the accuracy of work due to electromagnetic tracking technology.

    “With the support of the city, we attend leading industry events, it is completely free. After the exhibition in Alma-Ata, our simulators appeared in medical universities of Kazakhstan and the UAE,” shared the company’s founder Zalim Balkizov.

    The capital will organize other trips before the end of the year.

    Extensive toolkit

    The Moscow Export Center was created seven years ago with the aim of creating a single window of support for businessmen engaged in foreign economic activity. Since the beginning of the year, over two thousand entrepreneurs have used its services. In addition to participation in exhibitions and business missions, educational programs have been developed for the business community of the capital, grants, expert support, and placement of products on the largest marketplaces and retail chains are available.

    Before entering new markets, entrepreneurs should familiarize themselves with the rules of conduct at the international level. Legislation, culture, and mentality are unique in each country. Key aspects of working in specific markets can be learned during training at the Moscow School of Exporters.

    Lectures, master classes and conferences tell about which goods are in demand in a particular region, how to find a common language with potential partners, what are the features of customs clearance and logistics. Each event focuses on a particular topic: opportunities in the Persian Gulf market, certification in Mexico or export of IT solutions to Malaysia. The current schedule is published on the MEC website.

    Another convenient format for acquiring knowledge is accelerators. For example, within the framework of the program “Exporters 2.0” students analyze the competitive environment, develop a strategy, create a portrait of a future buyer and adapt the product to their needs. The course takes four months.

    The “Accelerator for High-Tech Companies and Technology Export” lasts three months. During this time, participants go from choosing a foreign market to increasing turnover. More than 85 percent of the cost of training in accelerators is subsidized by the city.

    Export cashback

    Cooperation with foreign partners and the first experience in a new country require not only comprehensive preparation, but also financial investments. High-tech and manufacturing industries can cover part of the costs by receiving an export grant. The maximum amount is 10 million rubles per year (or 50 percent of the amount of taxes paid to the city budget).

    The capital’s manufacturer of laser equipment for various industries, including surgical operations and microprocessing of materials (diamonds, sapphires and silicon), has had several applications approved in recent years for a total of more than 10 million rubles.

    “The funds were used to develop technologies and production. Entering the foreign market is not easy, especially given the current situation in the world. But the grants motivate us not to slow down,” said the company’s deputy director Matvey Konyashchenko.

    The enterprise cooperates with partners from the Eurasian Economic Union and China. This year, the size of grants for new and active exporters has been doubled — from 10 to 20 percent of the contract amount. Applications for them are open until October 31.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    http://vvv.mos.ru/nevs/item/144482073/

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: PM meeting with President da Silva of Brazil: 25 September 2024

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

    The Prime Minister met President Luiz Inacio da Silva at UNGA this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister met President Luiz Inacio da Silva at UNGA this afternoon.

    They discussed their shared commitment to tackling global challenges, including the importance of global ambition on climate change and poverty.

    The Prime Minister congratulated President Lula on his leadership on tackling both these challenges as President of the G20 and looked forward to the Summit in Rio. 

    The leaders shared their plans to accelerate the energy transition at home and internationally, and agreed to work closely on this agenda including for COP30.

    The Prime Minister also confirmed strong support for President Lula’s G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.

    They also discussed the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon. The Prime Minister set out his steadfast support for Ukraine and upholding the UN Charter. On the Middle East, the Leaders underlined the importance of ceasefires in both Lebanon and in Gaza.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Easing Africa’s debt burdens: a fresh approach, based on an old idea

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Danny Bradlow, Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria

    The statistics are stark: 54 governments, of which 25 are African, are spending at least 10% of their revenues on servicing their debts; 48 countries, home to 3.3 billion people, are spending more on debt service than on health or education.

    Among them, 23 African countries are spending more on debt service than on health or education.

    While the international community stands by, these countries are servicing their debts and defaulting on their development goals.

    The Group of 20’s current approach for dealing with the debts of low income countries is the Common Framework.

    It requires the debtor to first discuss its problems with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and obtain its assessment of how much debt relief it needs. Then it must negotiate with its official creditors – international organisations, governments and government agencies – over how much debt relief they will provide. Only then can the debtor reach an agreement – on comparable terms to the official creditors – with its commercial creditors.

    Unfortunately, this process has been sub-optimal.

    One reason is that it works too slowly to meet the urgent needs of distressed borrowers. As a result, it condemns debtor countries to financial limbo. The resulting uncertainty is not in anyone’s interest. For example, Zambia has been working through the G20’s cumbersome process for more than three and a half years and has not yet finalised agreements with all its creditors.

    The need for a new approach is overwhelmingly evident. Although the current crisis has not yet become the “systemic” threat it was in the 1980s when multiple countries defaulted on their debt, it is a “silent” sovereign debt crisis.

    We propose a two-part approach that would improve the situation of sovereign debtors and their creditors. This proposal is based on the lessons we have learned from our work on the legal and economic aspects of developing country debt, particularly African debt.

    First, we suggest that official creditors and the IMF create a strategic buyer of “last resort” that can purchase the bonds of debt distressed countries and refinance them on better terms.

    Second, we recommend that all parties involved in sovereign debt restructurings adopt a set of principles that they can use to guide the debtor and its creditors in reaching an optimal agreement and monitoring its implementation.

    The current approach fails to deal effectively and fairly with both the concerns of the creditors and all the debtor’s legal obligations and responsibilities. Our proposed solution would offer debtors debt relief that does not undermine their ability to meet their other legal obligations and responsibilities, while also accommodating private creditors’ preference for cash payments.

    Our proposal is not risk-free. And buybacks are not appropriate for all debtors. Nevertheless it offers a principled and feasible approach to dealing with a silent debt crisis that threatens to undermine international efforts to address global challenges such as climate, poverty and inequality.

    It uses the IMF’s existing resources to meet both the bondholders’ preferences for immediate cash and the developing countries’ need to reduce their debt burdens in a transparent and principled way.

    It also helps the international community avoid a widespread default on debt and development.

    Bondholders are a major problem

    Foreign bondholders, who are the major creditors of many developing countries, have proven to be particularly challenging in providing substantive debt relief in a timely manner. In theory, they should be more flexible than official creditors.

    Developing countries have been paying bondholders a premium to compensate them for providing financing to borrowers that are perceived to be risky. As a result, bondholders have already received larger payouts than official creditors. Therefore, they should be better placed than official creditors to assist the debtor in the restructuring processes.

    However, despite having received large returns from defaulted bonds, bondholders have remained obstinate in debt restructurings.

    Our proposal seeks to overcome this hurdle in a way that is fair to debtors, creditors and their respective stakeholders.

    How it would work

    First, the official creditors and the IMF should create and fund a strategic buyer “of last resort” who can purchase distressed (and expensive) debt at a discount from bondholders. The buyer, now the creditor of the country in distress, can repackage the debt and sell it to the debtor country on more manageable terms. The net result is that the bondholders receive cash for their bonds, while the debtor country benefits from substantial debt relief. In addition, the debtor and its remaining official creditors benefit from a simplified debt restructuring process.

    This concept has precedent. In 1989, as part of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the international community’s effort to deal with the then existing debt burdens of poor countries, the World Bank Group established the Debt Reduction Facility, which helped eligible governments repurchase their external commercial debts at deep discounts. It completed 25 transactions which helped erase approximately US$10.3 billion in debt principal and over US$3.5 billion in interest arrears.

    Some individual countries have also bought back their own debt. In 2009, Ecuador repurchased 93% of its defaulted debt at a deep discount. This enabled the government to reduce its debt stock by 27% and promote economic growth in subsequent years.

    Unfortunately, the countries currently in debt distress lack sufficient foreign reserves to pursue such a strategy. Hence, they need to find a “friendly” buyer of last resort.

    The IMF is well positioned to play this role. It has the mandate to support countries during financial crises. It also has the resources to fund such a facility. It can use a mix of its own resources, including its gold reserves, and donor funding, such as a portion of the US$100 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), the IMF’s own reserve currency, which rich economies committed to reallocate for development purposes.

    Such a facility, for example, would have enabled Kenya to refinance its debts at the SDR interest rate, currently at 3.75% per year, rather than at the 10.375% rate it paid in the financial markets.

    It is noteworthy that the 47 low-income countries identified as in need of debt relief have just US$60 billion in outstanding debts owed to bondholders. Our proposed buyer of last resort would help reduce the burden of these countries to manageable levels.

    Second, we propose that both debtors and creditors should commit to the following set of shared principles, based on internationally accepted norms and standards for debt restructurings.

    Guiding principles

    1. Guiding norms: Sovereign debt restructurings should be guided by six norms: credibility, responsibility, good faith, optimality, inclusiveness and effectiveness.

    Optimality means that the negotiating parties should aim to achieve an outcome that, considering the circumstances in which the parties are negotiating and their respective rights, obligations and responsibilities, offers each of them the best possible mix of economic, financial, environmental, social, human rights and governance benefits.

    2. Transparency: All parties should have access to the information that they need to make informed decisions.

    3. Due diligence: The sovereign debtor and its creditors should each undertake appropriate due diligence before concluding a sovereign debt restructuring process.

    4. Optimal outcome assessment: The parties should publicly disclose why they expect their restructuring agreement to result in an optimal outcome.

    5. Monitoring: There should be credible mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the restructuring agreement.

    6. Inter-creditor comparability: All creditors should make a comparable contribution to the restructuring of debt.

    7. Fair burden sharing: The burden of the restructuring should be fairly allocated between the negotiating parties.

    8. Maintaining market access: The process should be designed to facilitate future market access for the borrower at affordable rates.

    The G20’s current efforts to address the silent debt crisis are failing. They are contributing to the likely failure of low income countries in Africa and the rest of the global south to offer all their residents the possibility of leading lives of dignity and opportunity.

    Danny Bradlow, in addition to his university position, is Co-Chair of the T20 task force on sovereign debt, and Co-Chair of the Academic Circle on the Right to Development.

    Marina Zucker-Marques is a co-chair for the Brazil T20 Task Force 3 on reforming the International Financial Architecture

    Kevin P. Gallagher 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. Easing Africa’s debt burdens: a fresh approach, based on an old idea – https://theconversation.com/easing-africas-debt-burdens-a-fresh-approach-based-on-an-old-idea-239427

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM meeting with President da Silva of Brazil: 25 September 2024

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Prime Minister met President Luiz Inacio da Silva at UNGA this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister met President Luiz Inacio da Silva at UNGA this afternoon.

    They discussed their shared commitment to tackling global challenges, including the importance of global ambition on climate change and poverty.

    The Prime Minister congratulated President Lula on his leadership on tackling both these challenges as President of the G20 and looked forward to the Summit in Rio. 

    The leaders shared their plans to accelerate the energy transition at home and internationally, and agreed to work closely on this agenda including for COP30.

    The Prime Minister also confirmed strong support for President Lula’s G20 Global Alliance against Hunger and Poverty.

    They also discussed the conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and Lebanon. The Prime Minister set out his steadfast support for Ukraine and upholding the UN Charter. On the Middle East, the Leaders underlined the importance of ceasefires in both Lebanon and in Gaza.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Easing Africa’s debt burdens: a fresh approach, based on an old idea

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Danny Bradlow, Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria

    The statistics are stark: 54 governments, of which 25 are African, are spending at least 10% of their revenues on servicing their debts; 48 countries, home to 3.3 billion people, are spending more on debt service than on health or education.

    Among them, 23 African countries are spending more on debt service than on health or education.

    While the international community stands by, these countries are servicing their debts and defaulting on their development goals.

    The Group of 20’s current approach for dealing with the debts of low income countries is the Common Framework.

    It requires the debtor to first discuss its problems with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and obtain its assessment of how much debt relief it needs. Then it must negotiate with its official creditors – international organisations, governments and government agencies – over how much debt relief they will provide. Only then can the debtor reach an agreement – on comparable terms to the official creditors – with its commercial creditors.

    Unfortunately, this process has been sub-optimal.

    One reason is that it works too slowly to meet the urgent needs of distressed borrowers. As a result, it condemns debtor countries to financial limbo. The resulting uncertainty is not in anyone’s interest. For example, Zambia has been working through the G20’s cumbersome process for more than three and a half years and has not yet finalised agreements with all its creditors.

    The need for a new approach is overwhelmingly evident. Although the current crisis has not yet become the “systemic” threat it was in the 1980s when multiple countries defaulted on their debt, it is a “silent” sovereign debt crisis.

    We propose a two-part approach that would improve the situation of sovereign debtors and their creditors. This proposal is based on the lessons we have learned from our work on the legal and economic aspects of developing country debt, particularly African debt.

    First, we suggest that official creditors and the IMF create a strategic buyer of “last resort” that can purchase the bonds of debt distressed countries and refinance them on better terms.

    Second, we recommend that all parties involved in sovereign debt restructurings adopt a set of principles that they can use to guide the debtor and its creditors in reaching an optimal agreement and monitoring its implementation.

    The current approach fails to deal effectively and fairly with both the concerns of the creditors and all the debtor’s legal obligations and responsibilities. Our proposed solution would offer debtors debt relief that does not undermine their ability to meet their other legal obligations and responsibilities, while also accommodating private creditors’ preference for cash payments.

    Our proposal is not risk-free. And buybacks are not appropriate for all debtors. Nevertheless it offers a principled and feasible approach to dealing with a silent debt crisis that threatens to undermine international efforts to address global challenges such as climate, poverty and inequality.

    It uses the IMF’s existing resources to meet both the bondholders’ preferences for immediate cash and the developing countries’ need to reduce their debt burdens in a transparent and principled way.

    It also helps the international community avoid a widespread default on debt and development.

    Bondholders are a major problem

    Foreign bondholders, who are the major creditors of many developing countries, have proven to be particularly challenging in providing substantive debt relief in a timely manner. In theory, they should be more flexible than official creditors.

    Developing countries have been paying bondholders a premium to compensate them for providing financing to borrowers that are perceived to be risky. As a result, bondholders have already received larger payouts than official creditors. Therefore, they should be better placed than official creditors to assist the debtor in the restructuring processes.

    However, despite having received large returns from defaulted bonds, bondholders have remained obstinate in debt restructurings.

    Our proposal seeks to overcome this hurdle in a way that is fair to debtors, creditors and their respective stakeholders.

    How it would work

    First, the official creditors and the IMF should create and fund a strategic buyer “of last resort” who can purchase distressed (and expensive) debt at a discount from bondholders. The buyer, now the creditor of the country in distress, can repackage the debt and sell it to the debtor country on more manageable terms. The net result is that the bondholders receive cash for their bonds, while the debtor country benefits from substantial debt relief. In addition, the debtor and its remaining official creditors benefit from a simplified debt restructuring process.

    This concept has precedent. In 1989, as part of the Highly Indebted Poor Countries Initiative, the international community’s effort to deal with the then existing debt burdens of poor countries, the World Bank Group established the Debt Reduction Facility, which helped eligible governments repurchase their external commercial debts at deep discounts. It completed 25 transactions which helped erase approximately US$10.3 billion in debt principal and over US$3.5 billion in interest arrears.

    Some individual countries have also bought back their own debt. In 2009, Ecuador repurchased 93% of its defaulted debt at a deep discount. This enabled the government to reduce its debt stock by 27% and promote economic growth in subsequent years.

    Unfortunately, the countries currently in debt distress lack sufficient foreign reserves to pursue such a strategy. Hence, they need to find a “friendly” buyer of last resort.

    The IMF is well positioned to play this role. It has the mandate to support countries during financial crises. It also has the resources to fund such a facility. It can use a mix of its own resources, including its gold reserves, and donor funding, such as a portion of the US$100 billion in Special Drawing Rights (SDR), the IMF’s own reserve currency, which rich economies committed to reallocate for development purposes.

    Such a facility, for example, would have enabled Kenya to refinance its debts at the SDR interest rate, currently at 3.75% per year, rather than at the 10.375% rate it paid in the financial markets.

    It is noteworthy that the 47 low-income countries identified as in need of debt relief have just US$60 billion in outstanding debts owed to bondholders. Our proposed buyer of last resort would help reduce the burden of these countries to manageable levels.

    Second, we propose that both debtors and creditors should commit to the following set of shared principles, based on internationally accepted norms and standards for debt restructurings.

    Guiding principles

    1. Guiding norms: Sovereign debt restructurings should be guided by six norms: credibility, responsibility, good faith, optimality, inclusiveness and effectiveness.

    Optimality means that the negotiating parties should aim to achieve an outcome that, considering the circumstances in which the parties are negotiating and their respective rights, obligations and responsibilities, offers each of them the best possible mix of economic, financial, environmental, social, human rights and governance benefits.

    2. Transparency: All parties should have access to the information that they need to make informed decisions.

    3. Due diligence: The sovereign debtor and its creditors should each undertake appropriate due diligence before concluding a sovereign debt restructuring process.

    4. Optimal outcome assessment: The parties should publicly disclose why they expect their restructuring agreement to result in an optimal outcome.

    5. Monitoring: There should be credible mechanisms for monitoring the implementation of the restructuring agreement.

    6. Inter-creditor comparability: All creditors should make a comparable contribution to the restructuring of debt.

    7. Fair burden sharing: The burden of the restructuring should be fairly allocated between the negotiating parties.

    8. Maintaining market access: The process should be designed to facilitate future market access for the borrower at affordable rates.

    The G20’s current efforts to address the silent debt crisis are failing. They are contributing to the likely failure of low income countries in Africa and the rest of the global south to offer all their residents the possibility of leading lives of dignity and opportunity.

    – Easing Africa’s debt burdens: a fresh approach, based on an old idea
    – https://theconversation.com/easing-africas-debt-burdens-a-fresh-approach-based-on-an-old-idea-239427

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Amanda Dory’s Bilateral Meeting With Canadian Deputy Minister of National Defence Stefanie Beck

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Spokesman LtCol Garron Garn, USMC, provided the following readout:

    On September 26, 2024, Acting Under Secretary of Defense for Policy Amanda Dory hosted Canadian Deputy Minister of National Defence Stefanie Beck for a bilateral meeting at the Pentagon. The two leaders discussed continued international support for Ukraine, defense strategy and investment, modernization of the North America Aerospace Defense (NORAD) Command, support to Haiti, and a range of other bilateral and global issues. The leaders reaffirmed the deep and longstanding partnership between the United States and Canada, based on a shared commitment to a secure and prosperous North America. 

    The leaders discussed in detail potential areas for enhanced cooperation between the United States and Canada in order to maintain a free and open Indo-Pacific and agreed to continue close coordination on Indo-Pacific security.

    They also agreed on the importance of continuing to work together through bilateral and multilateral engagements.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Joint statement by Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    We, Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau and President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, reaffirm, here in Ottawa, the strong bond between Canada and France. This meeting reflects the importance of our historical and cultural ties and the enduring friendship between our nations that is rooted in a shared history, a common language and the values that drive what we do. 

    We also enjoy a strong trade relationship. Together, we are working to promote sustainable and inclusive economic growth, as well as a transparent, rules-based multilateral trade system. Since the provisional implementation of the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) in 2017, trade between Canada and France has grown significantly (over 53% for Canadian exports and nearly 46% for French exports in the span of seven years). Our bilateral trade helps to make life more affordable for our citizens and create good jobs on both sides of the Atlantic.

    In an international context marked by many different overlapping and mutually reinforcing crises, our two countries are determined to protect fundamental democratic principles in the face of authoritarian, populist and hateful ideologies. We stand up for human rights, fairness, and the rule of law, with due respect for international law and state sovereignty.

    Canada and France are facing foreign information manipulation and interference operations. Canada and France will strengthen their exchanges to effectively respond to these threats. In particular, Canada and France will work closely within the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to create tools to guide countries in developing public policy focused on strengthening information integrity. In addition, through fora such as the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) and the Forum on Information & Democracy, we are also developing collective approaches to counter other threats to democracy and will continue to advance these objectives in our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026.

    Enhancing our bilateral cooperation 

    This year, we commemorated the sacrifices made by Canadians, the French and our Allies on the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landing. We will work to step up our bilateral cooperation in security and defence in order to improve our ability to respond to geopolitical crises. To that end, the Canada-France Declaration on a Stronger Defence and Security Partnership, which we are announcing today, will enable us to provide more effective support to Ukraine in the face of Russian aggression, contribute to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific, strengthen our cooperation in modernizing our armed forces, and combat foreign information manipulation and interference. 

    To support French and Canadian citizens around the world, we also wish to strengthen our cooperation with respect to emergency preparedness and crisis management. We applaud the work of Canada’s Emergency Watch and Response Centre and France’s Centre de crise et de soutien in this area.

    Fighting climate change and protecting the ecosystems and environment

    In response to the triple planetary crisis of climate warming, biodiversity loss, and pollution, we will continue to step up our cooperation, particularly in the fight against climate change and ocean protection. We will do this through our bilateral and multilateral actions, in line with the France-Canada Partnership, which was renewed in April, in which we pledged to work together, in particular to implement the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework and to strengthen our climate and energy commitments, as well as our shared commitment to adopting a legally binding international agreement to address plastic pollution.

    Our Canada-France Declaration on the Ocean speaks to our readiness to put oceans at the heart of the bilateral and international agenda—with recognition of their critical role in the environmental and climate balance—in preparation for the June 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice. We also underscore their importance in providing food and energy sources, a vector for economic exchanges, and a vital link between countries and communities. The Prime Minister and the President also emphasized their commitment to working together in the fisheries sector, as demonstrated by the recent agreement reached on the Atlantic halibut fishery.

    Our two countries will also pursue their political commitment towards the adoption of a legally binding treaty to put an end to plastic pollution that meets our peoples’ expectations, with ambitious measures throughout the life cycle of plastic, from production to waste management. 

    To keep the Paris Agreement’s 1.5 °C target within reach, we will accelerate efforts on operationalizing the global stocktake’s decision on transitioning away from fossil fuels, including in the context of our G7 presidencies. We will continue to work with determination to align financial flows with the Paris Agreement, in particular by disclosing climate change risks and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies. We will continue our work together to expand the scope and use of carbon market instruments, while supporting countries that are interested in implementing these instruments.

    Canada is pleased to join France and the many countries that support The Paris Pact for People and the Planet (4P) in responding to the dual challenge of combatting poverty and preserving the planet. Further, to encourage increased funding in support of sustainable development, our two countries will continue to participate actively in the United Nations Secretary-General’s SDG Stimulus Leaders’ Group.

    Our responses to energy security concerns will aim to secure long-term energy supply in keeping with our climate objectives, and in a manner that ensures continued prosperity for both of our countries. Building on the Joint Statement Between Canada and France on Nuclear Energy Cooperation of fall 2023, we are working together to step up civil nuclear cooperation between our two countries, with a focus on identifying project funding solutions and upgrading skills and training for the trades. We will also work to accelerate the global phase-out of coal through our support for the Powering Past Coal Alliance and the Coal Transition Accelerator. 

    Recognizing the key role of critical minerals in supporting a green and digital economy, our two countries will work on the need to explore opportunities for joint investment in critical minerals projects, with the aim of securing their respective value chains. Canada and France are also founding members of the Sustainable Critical Minerals Alliance, which aims to promote on a global scale sustainable and socially inclusive mining, processing and recycling practices, and responsible critical minerals supply chains. We will continue to work with like-minded countries to reaffirm these values. Lastly, Canada and France will work together to develop low-carbon, efficient, sustainable and resilient transportation systems, whether in the aviation, rail or marine sectors.

    Embracing artificial intelligence responsibly

    Canada and France consider science and technology to be important levers for meeting the major challenges of the 21st century. We are mindful of the importance of developing a responsible approach to artificial intelligence (AI) that takes into account both risks and benefits, as demonstrated in the joint launch of the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence in 2020. The Canada-France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence published today reiterates our commitment to responsible, safe AI that respects human rights and democratic values. To promote and support scientific research in the field of AI, we welcome the recent call for proposals from last July for new funding, launched under the auspices of the Joint Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation uniting our two countries. 

    Expanding Canada-France collaboration in all areas of AI, we will further our work together at the AI Action Summit, to be hosted by France on February 10 and 11, 2025. With a view to promoting outreach and cooperation between our companies and business organizations and providing solutions, Canada is proud to announce that it will be Country of the Year at VivaTech 2025 in Paris. Responsible use of AI can create economic benefits for everyone, and adopting it can increase economic productivity and growth, for the benefit of all workers and businesses.

    In addition, our two countries will continue to work together to establish a digital dialogue on platform governance and ensure that AI is designed, developed, and deployed ethically and in compliance with copyright. This would allow us to recognize the important shared challenges in the digital space that have a considerable impact on the strength and health of culture and media in Canada and France.

    Promoting the French language throughout the world

    Canada and France reaffirm their support for the promotion of French and for the institutions of La Francophonie, and they commit to concluding a Canada-France Memorandum of Understanding on the Cité Internationale de la Langue Française on the margins of the upcoming Francophonie Summit in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, France, on October 4 and 5. With our partners in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, we will support linguistic and cultural diversity, peace, democracy, and human rights. The Summit will also provide an opportunity to strengthen education, research, and innovation in French, as well as economic and digital cooperation for sustainable development. 

    Addressing geopolitical challenges

    We reiterate our strongest condemnation of Russia’s more than 900-day war of aggression in Ukraine. In the face of this war, which jeopardizes the security of the entire Euro-Atlantic region, we reaffirm our unwavering support for Ukraine in all areas, for as long as it takes. We continue to work towards a comprehensive, just and lasting peace based on international law, and in particular the principles of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. In line with the NATO Washington Summit Declaration, we will continue to deepen our support for Ukraine, to give it the means to defend itself and deter Russian aggression. We are pursuing our efforts to support Ukraine in its reform process, notably in the fields of justice, the fight against corruption, and promotion of the rule of law. We also underscore the efforts of the International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, co-chaired by Canada with the participation of France. Finally, we are committed to helping to operationalize the agreement reached at the G7 Summit in Apulia to leverage immobilized Russian sovereign assets for the benefit of Ukraine.

    We also condemn in the strongest possible terms the October 7 massacres perpetrated by Hamas against Israel, and recognize Israel’s right to defend itself in accordance with international law and international humanitarian law. We are extremely concerned by the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and by the appalling situation of the civilian population, which has been repeatedly displaced within the country and is unable to meet its most basic needs. Canada and France therefore call for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the unfettered access of humanitarian aid to Gaza. Canada and France support the two‑state solution, which includes the creation of a Palestinian state, living in peace and security, alongside the State of Israel.

    We also wish to maintain our support for Haiti, to help re-establish security, the rule of law, and democracy. While we remain concerned about the humanitarian and security situation there, we are nevertheless pleased to note the progress made, including the establishment of the Transitional Presidential Council, a Prime Minister and a Cabinet of Ministers. We also welcome the fact that the creation of the Provisional Electoral Council is well underway. We are committed to supporting preparations for free, fair, and transparent elections. Canada and France will continue to work closely together to support the Haitian National Police, the Multinational Security Support Mission, and the strengthening of the justice sector and the fight against corruption and financial crime. 

    In the Indo-Pacific region, our two countries will study the deployment of joint patrol missions in the future, and will maintain their participation in multilateral exercises. To this end, our two countries will work on the possibility of integrating Canadian support into the deployment of the Charles de Gaulle aircraft carrier.

    Coordinating our successive 2025 and 2026 G7 presidencies

    We will strengthen strategic coordination between our governments in the context of our bilateral and multilateral exchanges, and with a view to our successive G7 presidencies in 2025 and 2026. We are determined to meet today’s global challenges, guided by our shared desire to build a better future based on our common values, and supported by the rich and dynamic relationship between our two countries.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister concludes successful visit from President of France to Canada

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, welcomed the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, to Canada from September 25 to 26, 2024. With stops in Ottawa, Ontario, and Montréal, Quebec, the visit helped further strengthen the close ties between our countries and advance our shared priorities.

    The leaders announced three key declarations that will align Canada and France’s work to preserve peace and security, take ambitious climate action, protect the environment, and responsibly harness the full potential of artificial intelligence (AI).

    The first of these three declarations, the Canada-France Declaration on a Stronger Defence and Security Partnership, underscores Canada and France’s steadfast commitment to supporting Ukraine in the face of Russia’s illegal invasion. It also reaffirms our contributions to regional stability and security in the Indo-Pacific and reflects our co-operation in managing emergencies, modernizing our armed forces, and combatting foreign interference.

    The two leaders discussed shared, ongoing work to respond to the humanitarian situation in Haiti and reiterated their support for the United Nations-authorized Multinational Security Support mission in the country. Canada and France are in steadfast support of Haitian-led solutions to the conflict that will make a meaningful and lasting difference in the lives of the Haitian people – and build a better future.

    Building on the progress made at the United Nations General Assembly and the Summit of the Future earlier this week, Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron highlighted the critical importance of continued action to fight climate change and protect our oceans. In the Canada-France Declaration on the Ocean, the leaders underlined the vital role that oceans play for the environment, the climate, the economy, and food and energy security throughout the world. To advance our work, Prime Minister Trudeau announced Canada’s membership in the Paris Pact for People and the Planet. The Pact, led by France and in partnership with global leaders, emphasizes collective action to accelerate sustainable development and create opportunities to help lift vulnerable populations out of poverty.

    During the visit, the Prime Minister and the President met with AI experts, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders to discuss the risks and benefits of this new technology. Canada and France have world-leading AI ecosystems, including leadership roles in the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), which has 29 members worldwide. A testament to our progress in growing a dynamic AI industry, GPAI’s first two centres of expertise opened in Canada and France. Moving forward on this work, the Prime Minister and the President announced the Canada-France Declaration on Artificial Intelligence. The Declaration reiterates our countries’ commitment to a safe use of AI that respects human rights and democratic values.

    During President Macron’s visit, Canada was also named Country of the Year for the Viva Technology 2025 technology conference, which will be held in Paris next year. At this event, Canada’s delegation will collaborate with the international community and meet with thousands of visionary start-ups, investors, organizations, and researchers to leverage advances in AI to strengthen our economy, increase productivity, and create new opportunities for Canadians. SCALE AI, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster dedicated to AI, will lead Canada’s business delegation.

    Prime Minister Trudeau and President Macron reaffirmed their commitment to promoting the French language and La Francophonie’s institutions ahead of the next Sommet de la Francophonie, which will be held in Villers-Cotterêts and Paris, France, on October 4 and 5, 2024. They also renewed their commitment to strengthening strategic coordination in preparation for the successive G7 Presidencies that Canada and France will hold, in 2025 and 2026 respectively.

    Quote

    “Canada and France’s relationship is built on shared history, a common language, and democratic values. President Macron’s visit to Canada is a testament to the enduring friendship between our two countries, and with the progress we have made over this visit, we will move forward to build a fairer and more prosperous future for our peoples.”

    Quick Facts

    • This was President Macron’s second visit to Canada. It followed both leaders’ participation in the United Nations General Assembly and Summit of the Future in New York City, United States of America.
    • As a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the G7 and the G20, a founding member of the European Union, and a key partner in the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, France is a key ally for Canada on the international stage.
    • In 2023, France was Canada’s third largest merchandise export market in the European Union, and its 12th largest trade partner globally, with two-way merchandise trade totalling $12.9 billion.
    • That same year, Canadian exports to France amounted to $4.3 billion, while imports from France totalled $8.7 billion.
    • In France, Canada is represented by an embassy in Paris and consulates in Lyon, Nice, and Toulouse. France is represented in Canada by its embassy in Ottawa and consulates in Vancouver, Toronto, Montréal, Québec, and Moncton.

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    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. Hendrikus Wilhelmus Maria (Dick) Schoof, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. Hendrikus Wilhelmus Maria (Dick) Schoof, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Sint Maarten and Aruba were represented by senior officials.

    They discussed developments related to Ukraine, the Middle East as well as Venezuela. They also exchanged views on the follow up to the Summit of the Future as well as on issues related to Small Island Developing States, including and climate adaptation financing.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Welch Statement for the Congressional Record in Support of Guatemala’s Democracy

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    Statement for the Congressional Recordin Support of Guatemala’s DemocracySenator Peter Welch (D-Vt.)September 25, 2024
    Madam President, last December I joined Senators Tim Kaine, Dick Durbin, Jeff Merkley, and Laphonza Butler, and Representatives Norma J. Torres and Delia C. Ramirez, on a trip to Guatemala. We arrived just weeks before the scheduled inauguration of President Bernardo Arévalo, who had been elected by an overwhelming majority. The Guatemalan people had voted decisively to reject the corruption, impunity, and malfeasance that had been the hallmark of successive governments in that country.
    We went to Guatemala to speak directly to Mr. Arévalo’s supporters, as well as to the powerful forces in Guatemala, including the Attorney General, opposition members of Congress, magistrates, and those who were corruptly conspiring to prevent President Arévalo from taking office. Our purpose was to make clear that if their efforts to subvert the will of the people succeeded, it would have profoundly negative long-term consequences for U.S. relations— both economic and security—for whoever illegally seized power. It would propel the country down a path of authoritarianism and economic decline much like Nicaragua, leading to further social division, political instability, and isolation
    Their efforts to overturn the election and undermine the people were flagrant; the Attorney General went so far as to attempt to nullify the fair election of then President-elect Arévalo shortly after we met with officials of the outgoing administration to urge a peaceful transfer of power.
    Ultimately, the efforts to prevent President Arévalo from taking office failed. But his detractors were far from defeated. They immediately set their sights on preventing President Arévalo from carrying out his anti-corruption agenda and forcing him from office. Those efforts continue today.
    I mention this because I recently met with a delegation of Guatemalan Indigenous women, led by Nobel Laureate Rigoberta Menchú.  Although their numbers are woefully under-represented in the three branches of government, I have never met more determined and courageous women.  Women who have experienced extreme poverty, violence, and loss, yet who have become leaders in their communities and fiercely dedicated to preserving their Indigenous identity, improving the lives of their families, and defending Guatemala’s fragile democracy. 
    The United States strongly supports President Arévalo, who offers the best chance Guatemala has had in decades to chart a new path for his country—a path grounded in the rule of law, in the institutions of democracy, in transparency, in accountability. And despite the efforts of the corrupt networks whose only interest is in using the institutions of power and privilege to enrich themselves, I am hopeful because President Arévalo has the support of Guatemala’s Indigenous population, exemplified by the fearless women I met this week.
    They are not going to let what they won freely and fairly at the ballot box be stolen from them.  They are not going to allow a minority of crooked elites deny them and their children the chance for a better life. They have an ambitious social, economic, and political reform agenda. They are committed to working to strengthen education, economic opportunity, equality, democracy, and justice. It is in the interest of the Arévalo Administration, and the United States, to help them achieve these goals for the benefit of all Guatemalans.
    View and the download the statement here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Sarah Davenport for Consideration to Serve on U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, before the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) introduced Sarah Davenport for consideration to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico. Heinrich and Luján strongly recommended Davenport to the Biden Administration and welcomed the announcement of her nomination in August. 

    VIDEO: Heinrich, Luján Introduce Sarah Davenport for Consideration to Serve on U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico, September 25, 2024.
    Sarah Morgan Davenport has served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico in Las Cruces, New Mexico, since 2009. In that capacity, her practice has focused on prosecuting complex, multi-defendant criminal cases. From 2008 to 2009, Ms. Davenport served as a Special Assistant United States Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico in Las Cruces. And from 2006 to 2008, she served as an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Law Clerk with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico in Albuquerque. She received her J.D. from the University of New Mexico in 2006 and her B.M. from the New Mexico State University in 1998.  
    In June, Heinrich and Luján commended the Honorable William Paul Johnson, who announced his intention to retire from regular active service as a United States District Court Judge effective in January 2025, after 23 years of distinguished service on the federal bench. The soon-to-be vacant seat on the District Court for the District of New Mexico, which Davenport has been nominated to fill, will be based in Las Cruces, N.M.  
    During the Biden Administration, Heinrich and Luján have worked together to confirm three of the currently sitting federal judges: District Judges Margaret Strickland, David Herrera Urias, and Matthew Garcia.   Earlier this year, the senators also successfully secured the confirmation of David O. Barnett, Jr. for U.S. Marshal for the District of New Mexico. In 2022, the senators highly recommended and welcomed the confirmation of Alexander M.M. Uballez as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Activity in the U.S. Attorney’s Office Recent Sentencings

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Crimes on Public Lands

    Curtis Jeffery, age 27, from Socorro, New Mexico, was sentenced to 10 days incarceration with credit for 3 days served for assaulting a Xanterra co-worker by pushing her head into a wall. He was also convicted of a second count of assault on a second individual and being under the influence of alcohol to a degree that rendered him a danger to others. In addition to the term of incarceration he was sentenced to five years of unsupervised probation. His terms of probation include that he not be permitted to enter Yellowstone National Park during his term of probation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 11, in Mammoth. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel C. Calmes prosecuted the case.

    Clarence Yoder, 40, from Idaho Falls, Idaho, pleaded guilty to three separate charges last week. The first offense was for intentionally disturbing bison for which he was sentenced to a ten-day term of incarceration with credit for two days served and was fined $3,000. He also pleaded guilty to being under the influence of alcohol to a degree that rendered him a danger to himself and others and was fined $200. Finally, he pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct and was fined $250. Yoder was placed on two years of unsupervised probation. He is not permitted to enter Yellowstone National Park during his term of probation. U.S. Magistrate Judge Stephanie A. Hambrick imposed the sentence on Sept. 10, in Mammoth. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel C. Calmes prosecuted the case. 

    Drug Trafficking

    Christopher Isgrigg, 38, of  Cheyenne, Wyoming was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on March 11, 2024, Cheyenne Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a Ford sedan belonging to the driver identified as Isgrigg. During the traffic stop, another officer arrived on scene with his narcotics certified canine which alerted to the presence of controlled substances inside the vehicle. Approximately 600 grams of methamphetamine and 34.2 grams of suspected fentanyl pills were located inside sedan. Isgrigg was indicted on May 16, pleaded guilty on July 2, and U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Sept. 19. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Cheyenne Police Department investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-0060

    Bank Robbery

    Roosevelt Rashaud Keys, 27, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 27 months for bank robbery and aiding and abetting, with three years of supervised release. According to court documents, on Oct. 14, 2023, an ATM robbery occurred at a financial institution in Jackson, Wyoming. Several male hooded and masked subjects stole ATM cash cassettes containing U.S. currency while a service repair technician was attempting to repair the ATM. Keys was later stopped for a traffic violation and the deputy was able to gain his personal information, travel plans, and rental car agreement. Further investigation determined that Keys and his vehicle matched the description of one of the bank robbers. Keys was ultimately arrested in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on unrelated charges. A search warrant was authorized for Keys’ cell phone and revealed photographs taken on Oct. 14, 2023 showing Keys with bundles of U.S. Currency. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Sept. 12, in Cheyenne. The FBI and Jackson Police department investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Case No. 24-00019

    llegal Re-entry of a Previously Deported Alien

    Isamar Tellez-Blancas, 24, of Tlaxacala, Mexico, was sentenced to time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings, for illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, on Feb. 12, Tellez-Blancas was arrested by Teton County Sheriff’s Office for driving under the influence of alcohol, no driver’s license, and unauthorized use of a vehicle. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted. A Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained fingerprints matching pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating Tellez-Blancas was in the U.S. illegally. ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Sept. 4. Case No. 24-CR-00109

    Hilario Mendoza-Rodriguez, 39, of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, was sentenced to time served for illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, on July 13, 2023, Mendoza-Rodriguez was arrested by the Rock Springs Police Department for assault and battery causing injury. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was contacted. A Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained fingerprints matching pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating Mendoza-Rodriguez was in the U.S. illegally. ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Sept. 19. Case No. 24-CR-00036

    About the United States Attorney’s Office 

    The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: 

    Environmental Justice
    The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.

    Project Safe Childhood
    Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.

    Project Safe Neighborhoods
    Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.

    Victim Witness Assistance
    The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.

    To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deploying Water Rescue Team Ahead of Hurricane Helene

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today announced the deployment of a team of 16 swift water rescue personnel, two canines and emergency response equipment to assist communities impacted by Hurricane Helene. The team, made up of members from the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Control, the Department of Environmental Conservation and State Police, are en route to Conover, North Carolina where they will deploy as directed.

    “New Yorkers lead by example and help our neighbors in times of despair,” Governor Hochul said. “Our expert swift water rescue team and the equipment they will bring with them will help save lives and protect against the potential destruction of property from Hurricane Helene. I thank these brave New Yorkers for answering the call and look forward to their safe return.”

    This team can conduct search and water rescues for people and animals, provide emergency medical care and support helicopter rescue operations. They are trained to operate in areas with compromised access to roadways, utilities, transportation and medical facilities, and with limited availability of shelter, food and water. Equipment sent to North Carolina with the team includes Zodiac boats and motors with trailers, two high-water rescue vehicles and drones.

    Personnel were deployed as part of the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the nation’s all-hazards national mutual aid system. EMAC has been ratified by U.S. Congress (PL 104-321) and is law in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Northern Mariana Islands. EMAC’s Members can share resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy and be reimbursed for mission-related costs.

    Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Commissioner Jackie Bray said, “New Yorkers know all too well the impacts that severe weather can have on a community. We are always willing to lend a hand to help other states in need, and we thank those who are currently on their way to provide support to those who will be impacted by Hurricane Helene.”

    Department of Environmental Conservation Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said, “DEC Forest Rangers are some of the most highly trained search and rescue professionals in the country and we are fortunate that they are always willing to answer the call when other states are in need. As preparations for Hurricane Helene’s landfall continue, I thank our experts for accepting the challenge and joining a team of heroes from across New York State.”

    New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The New York State Police have always answered the call for assistance wherever it’s needed. We are proud to work hand-in-hand with the Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services Office of Fire Prevention and Department of Environmental Conservation to mitigate this emergency situation. Our members will be assisting our partners with public safety and recovery efforts as long as necessary.”

    The swift water team is just the latest instance of New York State sending assistance to other states to help with emergencies. Since the beginning of this summer, Governor Hochul deployed a total of 45 New Yorkers, including 26 DEC Forest Rangers, to battle wildfires in Montana and Oregon. New York’s expertly trained wildland firefighters serve as task force leaders, facilities unit leaders, engine crews, and on suppression teams. One Forest Ranger remains deployed to the Homestead Complex fire on the Umpqua National Forest in Oregon and is scheduled to return home on Oct. 9.

    Hurricane Helene, currently a Category 3 storm, is expected to strengthen and make landfall in the Big Bend area of Florida tonight or early Friday bringing with it winds near 100 mph. After landfall, Helene is expected to turn northwestward and slow down over the Tennessee Valley on Friday and Saturday.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Readout of the Secretary-General’s meeting with H.E. Mr. William Samoei Ruto, C.G.H., President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    The Secretary-General met with H.E. Mr. William Samoei Ruto, C.G.H., President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces. They discussed Kenya’s leadership of the Multinational Security Support Mission in Haiti (MSS), regional peace and security, including sustainable financing for AU-led peace support operations, and ongoing efforts to strengthen the United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Working lunch of the leaders of the Paris Pact for People and the Planet on the sidelines of the UNGA.

    MIL OSI Translation. Government of the Republic of France statements from French to English –

    Acting unitedly to accelerate the implementation of the Paris Pact for People and Planet (4Ps) agenda in support of an ambitious reform of the international financial architecture

    Just over a year after the June 2023 Summit for a New Global Financial Deal, the UN General Assembly’s High-Level Week provided an opportunity for world leaders to reaffirm their support for the 4P agenda to reform the international financial system. They also expressed their commitment to establishing a 4P Senior Officials Group that will play a strategic facilitative role in delivering ambitious outcomes for the upcoming major events in 2024, ahead of the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville in 2025.

    On this occasion, the United Kingdom, Mauritania, Togo, Seychelles, Gambia and Guinea Bissau joined the Compact, bringing the number of 4P member countries to 66. Just over a year after its launch, the 4P is now a vibrant network involving countries from all income levels and continents. It offers the international community a unique opportunity to work together in a spirit of solidarity and equality to develop constructive measures and overcome bottlenecks. Heads of State and Government welcomed the establishment of the Compact Secretariat (housed at the OECD as an independent body) and are committed to supporting its important role in implementing the 4P agenda.

    Numerous operational coalitions have been established under the Compact, enabling countries and interested stakeholders to work together in concrete ways to improve outcomes, including the Debt, Nature and Climate Review Process by International Experts, the Coalition for the Inclusion of Debt Suspension Clauses in the Event of Climate-Related Natural Disasters, the Global Solidarity Levies Task Force, the Global Roadmap on Biodiversity Credits, the Global Green Bonds Initiative, and the Coalition for Paris-Compliant Carbon Markets.

    Despite an increasingly difficult international context, encouraging results have been achieved, but greater efforts will be needed to accelerate progress. Accordingly, in the presence of the UN, WTO, OECD, and IMF, Heads of State and Government reaffirmed their commitment to work together, in accordance with the fundamental principles of the Pact and in synergy with other relevant initiatives, such as the Bridgetown Initiative.

    They have in particular:

    affirmed their commitment to accelerate efforts to increase the participation and representation of developing countries and emerging economies in the decision-making bodies of international development finance institutions and other international economic and financial institutions. They supported the ambition of the Brazilian G20 presidency to work towards a fairer system of global governance, in particular with regard to the reform of the international financial architecture; stressed the need to provide concrete solutions to alleviate the debt burden and vulnerabilities of developing countries, including through innovative instruments, such as debt-for-climate or environmental swaps or the adoption, based on good practices, of debt service conditions, including debt suspension clauses in the event of climate-related natural disasters, as well as solutions to address liquidity issues and a voluntary reallocation of Special Drawing Rights to increase fiscal space for countries most in need; affirmed their commitment to support the scaling up of concessional financing for the poorest and most vulnerable countries, including to ensure that the 21st replenishment of the International Development Association is successful; stressed the importance of cooperation to support multilateral development banks (MDBs) and international financial institutions in following the recommendation to achieve a “1:1” ratio for private finance mobilized by public resources, and they recognized the need to mobilize private financial flows for their common priorities by reducing the mismatch between real and perceived investment risks. To this end, Heads of State and Government recognized the need to work together to develop a roadmap and establish a constructive dialogue between regulators, rating agencies, private investors, States and other stakeholders to improve the transparency and accuracy of country ratings and risk assessments, including to maximize the risk reduction impact and the mobilization of private financing by MDBs, development finance institutions and bilateral donors; recalled the need to increase public financing from all sources, including by exploring the possibility of globally targeted levies and other measures to develop fairer and more efficient tax systems, and by further supporting capacity building and the sharing of expertise to increase domestic resource mobilization. To advance these priorities, Heads of State and Government will continue to coordinate their efforts with other members of the Compact and raise the level of ambition in all fora, in order to contribute to ensuring that the best possible outcomes can be achieved. be obtained at the COPs, the International Conference on Financing for Development and other major international events.

    List of signatories:

    Emmanuel MACRON, President of the French RepublicMacky SALL, Special EnvoyAziz AKHANNOUCH, Head of Government of the Kingdom of MoroccoLolwa AL-KHATER, Minister of State for International Cooperation of the State of QatarGabriel BORIC, President of ChileMohamed Ould EL-GHAZOUANI, President of the Islamic Republic of MauritaniaMoussa FAKI, President of the African UnionMette FREDERIKSEN, Prime Minister of DenmarkLuiz Inácio LULA DA SILVA, President of the Federative Republic of BrazilAmina MOHAMMED, Deputy Secretary-General of the United NationsLuís MONTENEGRO, Prime Minister of the Portuguese RepublicMia MOTTLEY, Prime Minister of BarbadosGustavo PETRO, President of the Republic of ColombiaWilliam RUTO, President of the Republic of KenyaPedro SANCHEZ, Prime Minister of SpainKeir STARMER, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland of Northern IrelandJonas Gahr STØRE, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of NorwayTo LAM, President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Lufthansa Group appoints Felipe Bonifatti as Vice President Asia Pacific & Joint Ventures East

    Source: Lufthansa Group

    With an aviation career that spans more than three decades, Lufthansa Group is delighted to announce the appointment of Felipe Bonifatti as Vice President Asia Pacific & Joint Ventures East. Based in the Lufthansa Group regional headquarters of Singapore, Felipe will lead all commercial activities, including Joint Venture sales, in the Asia Pacific region from November 1, 2024.

    Born in Mar del Plata, Argentina, Felipe Bonifatti is a dual national of both Argentina and Spain. A graduate of the German school in Mar del Plata, Felipe holds both a bachelor’s degree as well as a law degree from the National University. Felipe also holds a master’s degree in international relations from the University of Belgrano in Argentina.

    Felipe’s career in aviation began in 1992, and he has held various senior positions with Lufthansa Group across Latin America, Africa and the Caribbean. Appointed General Manager Equatorial Guinea & Sao Tome and Principe, Felipe was subsequently promoted to General Manager Colombia, Ecuador & Peru where he was awarded with the prestigious Order of Alexander von Humboldt by the Colombian Parliament.

    As the youngest executive of the Lufthansa Aviation Group in Latin America, Felipe Bonifatti was subsequently appointed General Manager Central America & the Caribbean where he successfully opened Lufthansa Groups’ first operation in Central America. During this time Felipe spearheaded the Group’s expansion into the Caribbean region, including pioneering operations of Group airlines including Austrian Airlines, Eurowings and Edelweiss. Further promotions led to Felipe assuming the positions of Senior Director, Head of Sales Mexico, Central America & Caribbean, as well as his current position of Senior Director South America & Caribbean, in Sao Paolo, Brazil.

    According to Frank Naeve, Senior Vice President Global Markets & Stations:

    Felipe Bonifatti brings a wealth of experience to the role of Lufthansa Group Vice President Asia Pacific & Joint Ventures East, and I am personally very excited to have him on board. As one of our most senior executives in the Americas I am confident he will deliver on our ambitious growth plans for the Asia Pacific region

    Felipe Bonifatti speaks German, English, Portuguese & Spanish, is married with two children and very much looks forward to growing the Lufthansa Group footprint in the dynamic Asia Pacific region.

    About Lufthansa Group

    The Lufthansa Group is an aviation group with operations worldwide. With 100,000+ employees, Lufthansa Group generated revenue of €35.4bn in the financial year 2023. Our largest business segment is Passenger Airlines while other key business segments include Logistics and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO). Other companies and Group functions such as IT companies and Lufthansa Aviation Training form complimentary components of the Group. All airlines and business segments play leading roles in their respective markets.

     

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by President  Biden and First Lady Jill  Biden at the United Nations General Assembly Leaders’ Reception | New York,  NY

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    Metropolitan Museum of ArtNew York, New York
    5:49 P.M. EDT
    THE FIRST LADY: Good evening. (Applause.)
    Aren’t all of our U.S. military musicians spectacular? (Applause.) Thank you for all that you — for joining us this evening. It’s great to be with so many friends here.
    For Joe, diplomacy is personal. It’s why, for more than 50 years, he’s created deep personal bonds with world leaders. He shows up for our allies and our partners. He listens and is always eager to debate complex international issues to find common ground.
    Serving as first lady has be- — of the United States is the honor of my life. This is our — (applause). Thank you.
    This is our fi- — our United Nations — our final United Nations General Assembly as president and first lady. So, tonight, I want to take this moment to celebrate Joe and honor the relationships he’s built with all of you — (applause) — to honor these relationships with all of you to shape a brighter future for people around the world.
    Please join me in welcoming my husband, President Joe Biden. (Applause.)
    THE PRESIDENT: (Laughs.) That was worth the trip. (Laughter.)
    Well, welcome, everyone. I’m delighted to see you all. You know, my fellow leaders and friends we’ve honored here, it’s an honor to welcome you here tonight.
    I should start off by saying we owe a special thanks tonight to — to Mayor Bloomberg. He’s not the mayor right now, but he’s still the mayor. (Laughter.) Mr. Mayor, thank you for all you’ve done.
    I want to begin by quoting someone who I wish was here tonight: my mom, Catherine Eugenia Finnegan Biden. (Applause.) Growing up, my mom had an expression. She had a lot of expression. She had a backbone like a ramrod. But my mom, she used to say, “Joey, remember, never bow, never bend, never yield, and never give up.”
    Folks, as I said yesterday at the United Nations, I recognize the challenges the world faces: Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, war, hunger, poverty, climate change. But my message to you tonight is this: We must never, ever, ever bow, bend, yield, or give up. And most importantly, we must never lose faith — lose faith in our abilities to do so much.
    I was first elected to the United States Senate when I was 29 years old, 280 years ago. (Laughter.) Since then, I’ve seen the impossible become — the impossible become reality, for real. I’ve seen the Berlin Wall come down. I’ve seen Poland leave the (inaudible) — I shouldn’t go on, I guess. But I’ve seen apartheid end. I’ve seen humanity pull together to prevent a nuclear war. I’ve seen war criminals and dictators face justice and accountability for human rights violations. And I’ve seen countries in the Middle East make peace. We must always remember.
    In America, I was (inaudible) — I spent a lot of time with Xi of China, and we were in the Tibetan Plateau, and it was one of my 90-some hours alone with him. And he looked at me; he said, “Can you define America for me?” This is an absolutely true story. He said, “Can you define America for me?” I said, “Yes. In one word: possibilities — possibilities.” (Applause.) We believe anything is possible. No, I really mean it. Remember, nothing is impossible.
    And, folks, look, in our time, we turn the page on the — on the — on a whole range of issues. We turned the page. Nothing is impossible, as I said, but we turned the page on the worst pandemic in a century. We defended Ukraine as a tyrant threatened to wipe it off the map. We made the largest investment in history to fight climate change, the existential threat to humanity.
    And, folks, time and again — and I mean this sincerely — time and again, our nation and our world found a way forward. But make no mistake: It didn’t happen by accident. Nothing was inevitable. It took people like all of you assembled here tonight refusing to give up, rejecting the forces that pull us apart, believing that change is possible, and fighting to make it so every single day. That’s what you in this room assembled have done.
    Ladies and gentlemen, that’s our change. Together, we can broker deals, end wars and suffering. We can stop the spread of disease and dangerous weapons alike. We can make AIempower people, not shackle them. We can cut our emissions and achieve our climate ambitions. We can leave our children, literally, a better world.
    That’s our obligation, and we can. We can do this.
    I can say to you — and I mean this sincerely — I’ve never more optimistic in my life because of all of you, and I mean it from the bottom of my heart.
    So, thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Keep it up.
    And every time I’d walk out of my grandpop’s house up in Scranton, he’d yell, “Joey, keep the faith.” My grandmother would go, “No, Joey, spread it.” Spread it. Spread it. Spread it. (Applause.)
    Folks, remember, nothing is beyond our capacity when we work together. Nothing at all.
    So, thank you, thank you, thank you for all you’re doing. I appreciate it very, very much.
    It’s an honor to be with you. Thank you. (Applause.)
    5:54 P.M. EDT

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: September 25th, 2024 Zuni Indian Tribe and Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlements Bills Receive Key Committee Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    Before legislative hearing, Heinrich’s bipartisan Indian Buffalo Management Act also advanced out of Senate Committee
    WASHINGTON – Today, the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act and the Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlement Act, bills sponsored by U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), received a key hearing before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs.

    VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich testifies in support of the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act and the Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlement Act during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Indian Affairs onSeptember 25, 2024.
    “The failure of the United States to work with Tribal Governments to ensure that they could use the water they have always owned has reverberated through generations,” said Heinrich. “It has a direct impact on the well-being of Tribal members today. It’s time we make this right for Zuni and the Navajo Nation.”
    Heinrich and U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-N.M.) introduced the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act in July. The bill would unlock federal funding to support a trust for sustainable water management and infrastructure development that upholds the federal government’s trust responsibility while protecting the sacred Zuni Salt Lake. The bill ratifies the settlement between the federal government, State of New Mexico, and Zuni Tribe that affirms their water rights for irrigation, livestock, storage, and domestic and other uses. During the hearing, Zuni Tribe Governor Arden Kucate testified in support of the legislation.
    Heinrich and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández (D-N.M.) introduced the Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlement Act earlier this month to approve the water rights settlement for the Navajo Nation as well as participating non-Tribal parties in the Rio San José watershed. During the hearing, Navajo Nation President Dr. Buu Nygren testified in support of the legislation.
    Heinrich and Leger Fernández previously introduced the Rio San José and Rio Jemez Water Settlements Act, which would implement the water settlements agreed to by the Pueblos of Acoma and Laguna, the United States, the State of New Mexico, and non-Tribal parties, in the Rio San José watershed. That bill received a hearing and was reported out of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee in December. The House version of this bill received a legislative hearing in the House Water, Wildlife and Fisheries Subcommittee in July. The bill introduced this month and heard today in the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs would further resolve Tribal water claims in the Rio San José basin by settling the Navajo Nation’s claims.  
    Before the hearing on Tribal water rights settlements legislation, the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs also held a business meeting in which members voted to advance Heinrich’s Indian Buffalo Management Act. That legislation received a hearing before the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs in June.
    “This legislation will further foster growth of Tribal bison herds, and I am grateful for the committee’s support,” said Heinrich.
    The Indian Buffalo Management Act, which Heinrich introduced last year alongside U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), provides secure, consistent funding for Tribes and Tribal organizations that have established buffalo herds, as well as provides resources for Tribes that would like to establish new herds.
    The bill creates a permanent buffalo restoration and management program within the Department of Interior to:
    Promote and develop the capacity of Tribes and Tribal organizations to manage buffalo and buffalo habitat;
    Protect and enhance buffalo herds for the maximum benefit of Tribes; and
    Ensure that Tribes are directly involved in the Interior Department decision-making regarding buffalo.
    The bill has been endorsed by the InterTribal Buffalo Council, the National Bison Association, The Nature Conservancy, the National Wildlife Federation, and the National Parks Conservation Association.
    Full video of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee Business Meeting and Legislative Hearing can be found here.
    Heinrich’s full remarks as prepared for delivery are below: 
    Chairman Schatz and Vice Chairman Murkowski, I want to first thank you for considering the Indian Buffalo Management Act a few minutes ago. 
    This legislation will further support growth of Tribal bison herds, and I am grateful for the committee’s support. 
    Turning to the hearing agenda, I want to thank you for holding this hearing on the Zuni Indian Tribe Water Rights Settlement Act and the Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlement Act, two bills of critical importance for the water future of New Mexico’s Tribes. 
    I am happy to welcome the Governor of Zuni Pueblo, Arden Kucate, who is here today to provide testimony on the Zuni Water Rights Settlement Act.?
    The Zuni people have been stewards of the Zuni River Basin for millennia. 
    Their traditional agricultural practices and careful stewardship of water sustained the tribe over thousands of years. 
    Unfortunately, the United States has failed to protect Zuni’s water rights and has allowed their water to be diverted to other purposes. 
    Overuse of water in the Zuni Basin has caused the Zuni people to suffer from a lack of water for their community, their businesses, and their traditional agricultural practices.  
    This injustice continues today. Without reliable access to clean water, it is difficult for Zuni to attract new businesses that create jobs and revenue for the Tribe. 
    This legislation would not only fully settle Zuni’s water rights claims in the Zuni River Basin; it would also provide funding for several key water infrastructure projects.  
    It is an opportunity for the United States to make the Zuni Tribe whole for the water that they have always been entitled to. 
    And it will support Zuni’s traditional irrigation practice, their people, and their future business development, in a manner that builds resilience in the face of a drying climate. 
    This piece of legislation would also protect the Zuni Salt Lake, a sacred place of great cultural significance to the Zuni Tribe and others in the region.
    I am also happy to welcome the President of Navajo Nation, Dr. Buu Nygren, who is here to provide testimony for the Navajo Nation Rio San José Stream System Water Rights Settlement Act.
    This legislation would settle the water rights of the Navajo Nation in the Rio San José basin – it is the final step in an adjudication process that began more than forty years ago. 
    In that time, we’ve seen aridification in the Southwest further strain water resources for Tribes, including the Navajo Nation, that don’t have the resources to fully use their water rights.
    This settlement is an important step towards giving the Navajo Nation an equal voice amongst water users in the southwest. 
    Today, there are more than 200 Navajo households within the Rio San José and Rio Puerco Basins without access to running water. 
    These households instead have to rely on hauling water. 
    The lack of reliable drinking water systems in these communities contributed to the widespread health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Navajo Nation, which took the lives of far too many. 
    I am committed to working with the Navajo Nation to build a future where they have full access to their water rights. 
    This access to water will facilitate the preservation of Navajo culture and tradition.
    Both of these pieces of legislation would implement settlement agreements that have been carefully negotiated between the Tribes, the State of New Mexico, neighboring water users, and the United States. 
    I want to thank all of the parties for their tireless work in reaching settlements for these basins, and Senator Luján for cosponsoring these settlements along with me. 
    The failure of the United States to work with Tribal Governments to ensure that they could use the water they have always owned has reverberated through generations.
    It has a direct impact on the well-being of Tribal members today. 
    It’s time we make this right for Zuni and the Navajo Nation.
    Thank you to the committee for your consideration today, and I yield back the remainder of my time. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: September 25th, 2024 Heinrich, Luján Secure Hermit’s Peak Claims Office Extension in Continuing Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) and Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after securing an extension to the period that victims may file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office as part of the Continuing Resolution:
    “Today, we voted for a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open and avoid a costly shutdown for millions of Americans. As part of this Continuing Resolution, the period to file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office has been extended to December 20, 2024, which will give victims of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire additional time to apply for relief.
    “But make no mistake, the job is not over yet. We will continue to work with our colleagues to deliver a long-term federal funding solution for the American people and keep the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office open longer. We continue to encourage New Mexicans to apply for assistance as soon as possible.”
    The extension will run the length of the Continuing Resolution to December 20, 2024. In October 2023, Heinrich, Luján, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández introduced the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Extension Act, legislation that would extend the period a victim can file a claim with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office. Since the devastating wildfire, Heinrich, Luján, and the N.M. Delegation has delivered a total of $3.95 billion in federal funding for the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire recovery.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China ready to be Argentina’s good partner in development

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said in New York on Tuesday that China is ready to continue to be Argentina’s good friend and good partner in pushing forward development.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during talks with Argentine Foreign Minister Diana Mondino on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

    China, he said, always attaches great importance to its relations with Argentina, and maintains continuity and stability in its policy toward the country.

    He called on the two sides to continue to place China-Argentina relations at an important position in each other’s foreign policies and deepen political mutual trust.

    Noting that the two economies are highly complementary and their practical cooperation enjoys a solid foundation, Wang also urged the two countries to support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests and major concerns.

    For her part, Mondino said Argentina prizes the Chinese market, and Chinese enterprises are welcome to invest and do business in her country.

    Mondino also expressed her hope that the two countries can expand bilateral economic and trade cooperation, saying that Argentina is ready to actively participate in China-Latin America cooperation.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Velázquez Calls on DOJ to Tackle Disenfranchisement in Puerto Rican Electoral System

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) led a letter to the Department of Justice (DOJ) calling on the agency to act to safeguard the rights of Puerto Rican voters in the face of ongoing disenfranchisement in the Puerto Rican electoral system.
     
    “Voters in Puerto Rico have faced unprecedented obstacles in the exercise of their fundamental right to vote, and they deserve all the support of the federal government to remedy this untenable situation,” wrote the lawmakers. “We reiterate the need for the DOJ to send federal poll monitors to Puerto Rico for the island’s upcoming general election and to conduct a thorough audit of the CEE’s use of HAVA funds. Doing right by Puerto Rico at the present hour must necessarily mean protecting its fragile democracy.”
     
    On June 20, 2020, despite staunch public opposition the Government of Puerto Rico passed Act 58, the new Puerto Rican electoral code. Its provisions jeopardized the institutional balance that the Puerto Rico State Commission on Elections (CEE for its Spanish acronym) maintained over the years, placing the New Progressive Party (PNP for its Spanish acronym) in control of the CEE. As a result, key bureaucrats crucial to the agencies functioning were discharged and representation for minority parties within the agency was eliminated.
     
    The new electoral code included provisions that have severely impacted voter registration, participation, and have prompted disenfranchisement. As of July 31, 2024, only 55,147 new voters had registered— a 63% decline compared to the average number of new registrations over the past three elections.
     
    In the letter, the lawmakers call on the DOJ Civil Rights Division to immediately act to safeguard voters’ rights in the upcoming November election by sending federal poll monitors to oversee CEE compliance with voting rights laws. 
     
    “The federal government must do right by the people of Puerto Rico, which in this context means defending their fundamental right to vote per the safeguards and guarantees enshrined in the US Constitution’s Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments,” the lawmakers continued.
     
    The shortcomings of the CEE are aggravated by the fact that the office had nearly $7 million in federal funds as of September 30, 2023, to comply with the Help America Vote Act (HAVA). On August 14, 2003, Puerto Rico submitted its initial implementation plan to the U.S Office of Election Assistance Commission (EAC) pursuant to HAVA and has received funding since.  The letter calls for the EAC to open an audit around the use of HAVA funds by the CEE.
     
    In addition to Congresswoman Velázquez, the letter was also signed by Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Grace Meng (D-NY), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), and Delia Ramirez (D-IL).
     
    For a full copy of the letter, click here.
     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: International film festival in north China to screen movies from 22 countries, regions

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Visitors are seen at the eighth Pingyao International Film Festival in the ancient town of Pingyao in north China’s Shanxi Province, Sept. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Chen Zhihao)

    The eighth Pingyao International Film Festival opened in the ancient town of Pingyao in north China’s Shanxi Province on Tuesday evening, with nearly 60 movies from 22 countries and regions to be screened.

    All the works, from countries such as the United States, France, Portugal, Brazil, Italy, Mexico, Japan, Argentina, Columbia, Uruguay and Denmark, will make their debut on the Chinese mainland’s big screen, and nearly half of them will premiere globally at the festival with the theme of “Earth.”

    “In an era of technological transformation, looking back at our journey on earth will empower us to move forward,” Jia Zhangke, founder of the film festival and a renowned Chinese director, said while interpreting the theme.

    By screening excellent films from around the world, the festival focuses on discovering and promoting exceptional works by young directors, especially from emerging and developing countries.

    The festival will run until Sept. 30.

    Founded in 2017, the Pingyao International Film Festival is held annually in Pingyao, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Before Trump, there was a long history of race-baiting, fear-mongering and building walls on the US-Mexico border

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marie-Eve Loiselle, Lecturer in Law, Macquarie University

    Last month, Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump delivered a one-hour address on the danger of illegal immigration to the United States. His stage was the US-Mexico border in Arizona and the set piece of his performance was the border wall.

    The message was simple: with their border policy, Democrats have “unleashed a deadly plague of migrant crime”. Trump has ratcheted up the tensions on immigration further since then, repeating wild conspiracy theories about Haitian immigrants eating pets and, more recently, claiming migrants are “attacking villages and cities all throughout the Midwest”.

    What the US needs, Trump has repeatedly stressed, is a closed border, a walled border.

    A long history of wall-building advocacy

    The US-Mexico border wall, which is currently around 700 miles in length in various stretches, has loomed large in American politics in recent decades, especially since the 2016 US presidential campaign. Yet, current stories about the wall mostly overlook its history.

    Most importantly, the media ignore the long-standing appeal of the wall as a tool of spatial and cultural division in the making of the US-Mexico border.

    In my forthcoming book, I trace the origin of the border wall to the early 1900s, when the US Immigration Service and other federal agencies called for the construction of barriers at the border.

    Congress answered their appeal by adopting an act in 1935 that authorised the secretary of state to construct and maintain fences between the US and Mexico. For decades following its adoption, US officials stood before Congress almost yearly, asking for funding for the construction of border fences.

    This trend culminated in the 1940s with two parallel projects: the Western Land Boundary Fence Project (576 miles or 926 kilometres of fencing from El Paso, Texas, to the west) and the Rio Grande Border Fence Project (415 miles or 668 kilometres of fencing along the Mexico-Texas border).

    Neither one of these projects was ever fully realised. But if they had been built, they would have surpassed the length of the current border wall.

    Immigration, disease and crime

    What is telling when looking at the history is how similar the arguments supporting such fences in the early 1900s were to those deployed today. Immigration, disease and crime have been recurring justifications for the wall, both then and now.

    Indeed, there is an uncanny likeness to Trump’s rhetoric surrounding the US-Mexico border — including during his August speech in Arizona — and the narratives justifying a border wall in the mid-20th century.

    High on the list of justifications was the need to deter “juvenile delinquents”, “thieves”, “beggars”, undocumented workers, narcotic smugglers, “wetbacks” (a derogatory term for Mexicans), and Mexican nationals seeking medical care in the US at public expense.

    These arguments appeared regularly in government reports and during congressional hearings from the 1930s to the late 1950s.

    A 1934 report by the Immigration Services on the feasibility of a short border fence between El Paso and Ciudad Juárez, for example, said it would stifle illegal immigration that took employment opportunities from American workers, while lowering wages in the borderland area.

    Reminiscent of recent analogies between the borderland and a “war zone”, the report noted that sending agents to patrol the border without proper equipment was pointless. It was akin to:

    put[ting] a body of troops in the field in an enemy’s theatre of operation without artillery, observation planes, trucks, ammunition and other weapons.

    The fence was “the correct solution to the problem.”

    At times, the fear of the undocumented merged with the fear of contagion. A foot and mouth disease outbreak in Mexico in 1946, for example, provided additional rhetorical support for the wall. As Texas Senator Tom Connally said when the Committee on Foreign Relations considered the issue:

    It has been a dream of the Department of State for many years to have this fence, not because of the hoof and mouth disease, but for immigration and customs and smuggling and all of that sort of thing.

    Senator Tom Connally in 1938.
    Harris & Ewing photographs, via Wikimedia Commons

    Persistent racial faultlines

    The 1935 act has long been forgotten. In fact, by the end of the 1950s, only a few hundred miles of fencing had actually been built.

    These earlier walling plans failed for a range of reasons, including opposition by Texan landowners and industries relying on illegal Mexican labour. Perhaps most importantly, there were serious reservations back then about the efficiency of fences in curbing immigration.

    Yet, these doubts have not weighed in to the same extent in contemporary debates about the border wall. This underscores the performative role of the wall in today’s politics.

    In fact, close to 700 hundred miles (1,126 kilometres) of fencing has been built under the Secure Fence Act of 2006. This includes large portions of the wall built under the presidency of Barack Obama and, to a lesser extent, Trump’s.

    What has filtered through, however, is the racialised narrative that paints Mexicans nationals in a disparaging way.

    This rhetoric relied on generalisations and stereotypes on themes such as criminality, licentiousness and disease. It transformed Mexico into a threat to be curtailed and became a frame of reference that has permeated politics for decades – and is now a defining issue in the upcoming presidential election.

    Marie-Eve Loiselle 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. Before Trump, there was a long history of race-baiting, fear-mongering and building walls on the US-Mexico border – https://theconversation.com/before-trump-there-was-a-long-history-of-race-baiting-fear-mongering-and-building-walls-on-the-us-mexico-border-238425

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Global: Abortion rights defenders facing violence and stigmatization share powerful stories as part of Amnesty’s new podcast

    Source: Amnesty International –

    People defending the right to abortion have revealed what it’s like to provide life-saving healthcare in the face of violence, repression and stigma, as part of Amnesty International’s second season of On the Side of Humanity podcast.

    The three-part series – slated for release on International Safe Abortion Day on 28 September and available via all good podcast apps – features stories from healthcare workers and activists who are defending the right of women, girls and anyone who can get pregnant to take control over their own bodies and to get the best available healthcare when they most need it. Each episode is approximately 30 minutes.

    “Everyone has the right to safe abortion. However, with anti-abortion narratives and legislation gaining ground around the world, people who need abortions, or who make them happen, face increasing, life-changing risks,” said Fernanda Doz Costa, Director of the Gender, Racial Justice, Migrants and Refugees Programme at Amnesty International.

    “People defending the right to abortion, including those providing essential health services such as nurses, midwives, doctors, as well as activists distributing abortion-inducing pills, are being stigmatized, intimidated, attacked and subjected to unjust prosecutions, making their work increasingly difficult and dangerous to carry out. It’s time to shine a light on their stories through Amnesty’s new podcast and show them the support they deserve.”

    Those featured in Amnesty’s new podcast are no different – having faced a tirade of abuse, simply for supporting those in need of an abortion. Some have even been imprisoned, such as Venezuelan teacher and human rights defender Vannesa Rosales, whohelped her 13-year-old student who had been raped to get access to a safe abortion.

    “They raided my house and confiscated a grooming kit for my pets with scissors in it,” said Vannesa. “It was used as evidence that I was operating a clandestine abortion clinic. Immediately after, they arrested both of us, the girl’s mother and myself. She was facing up to five years in prison and I up to 15 years.”

    Alongside Vannesa’s story, the podcast features abortion rights defenders including Verónica Cruz Sánchez, founder of Las Libres – a feminist Mexican organisation that coordinates a network of daring activists sending free abortion pills to women in the USA; midwife Sylvia Hamata from Namibia advocating for safe abortion access and battling against abortion stigma in her country; eminent Maltese gynaecologist and Professor of Medicine Isabel Stabile; gender rights activist and Amnesty’s campaign partner Stephanie Willman Bordat; world-renowned gynaecologist and former president of FIGO (The International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics) Professor Sabaratnam Arulkumaran; as well as Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard.

    Criminalization of abortion is the biggest contributing factor to the estimated 35 million unsafe abortions happening every year. It means healthcare staff are constantly caught in the conflict between the ethical and professional duty to provide the best available care and being criminally liable if they do not follow harmful laws.

    “Research over several decades has shown that being able to control one’s reproduction and to exercise reproductive autonomy affects all spheres of life. It is central to the achievement of gender equality and social, racial, gender and economic justice. As part of our global campaign on the right to abortion, Amnesty International calls on states around the world to fulfil their obligations to protect the right to safe and legal abortion for all, and to respect and protect the right of all those who defend the right to abortion,” said Fernanda Doz Costa.

    On the Side of Humanity, Season Two, is available to stream on Spotify, Apple and Deezer.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brown Announces New Legislation to Block American Taxpayer Money from Going to Biofuels Made with Foreign Feedstocks

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Ohio Sherrod Brown
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) announced the introduction of his new bipartisan legislation to block taxpayer money from being used to subsidize biofuels produced using imported foreign feedstocks such as Chinese used cooking oil and Brazilian ethanol. The bill would also extend the 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit. Brown announced the bill on a news conference call, where he was joined by Tadd Nicholson, Executive Director of the Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association.
    The 45Z Clean Fuel Production Credit, which was passed as part of the Inflation Reduction Act, was intended to make America more energy independent and spur the production of biofuels made with American-produced feedstocks – building new markets for American farmers. But farmers are dealing with a surge in imports of Chinese used cooking oil being used to produce biofuels in the U.S. – and that is displacing the use of American feedstocks. In July, Brown called on Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and the Biden Administration to restrict the eligibility of the 45Z Credit to renewable biofuels fuels made from feedstocks sourced domestically. Brown’s bill would ensure eligibility for the tax credit is restricted to biofuels that are produced with domestic feedstocks.
    Brown’s legislation would also extend the credit for 10 years, giving the American ethanol industry the time and financial incentive to build up the infrastructure needed to produce sustainable aviation fuel. That will make the U.S. less reliant on foreign fuel, open new markets for farmers, and increase ethanol production across the Midwest.
    “American tax dollars should support American farmers – not imported feedstocks. To continue to grow the biofuels industry and open new markets for Ohio farmers, we must stop taxpayer money from subsidizing a surge in Chinese cooking oil or any other foreign feedstock from infiltrating the American market. Our bipartisan bill ensures these investments benefit Ohio farmers and Ohio energy producers,” said Brown.
    “Ohio’s family grain farms are strongest when their markets are close to home. Producing low carbon fuels has made them profitable for years, and the future of renewable fuels can keep those family businesses flourishing for generations to come. Senator Brown’s bill gives that market certainty and ensures that our national investment in renewable energy will benefit American energy producers first. That’s commonsense good policy,” said Tadd Nicholson, Executive Director, Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association.
    “Thank you to Sen. Brown and Rep. Kaptur for leading the way on this issue, prioritizing Ohio farmers and reducing the U.S. biofuels industry’s dependence on foreign feedstocks,” said Rusty Goebel, OSA president and Williams County soybean farmer. “While the use of foreign feedstocks can play a role in producing domestically manufactured biodiesel, renewable diesel, and sustainable aviation fuel, the American taxpayer-funded 45Z tax credit should only apply to biofuels produced from domestic feedstocks by domestic fuel producers.”
    This bill is co-led with Senator Roger Marshall (R-KS) and co-sponsored by Senators Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), and Tina Smith (D-MN). Representatives Tracey Mann (R-KS-01) and Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
    Brown is the first Ohioan to serve on the Senate Agriculture Committee in nearly 50 years. He has long been a leader for Ohio’s rural communities.
    Full text of the legislation can be found HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján, Heinrich Secure Hermit’s Peak Claims Office Extension in Continuing Resolution

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) issued the following statement after securing an extension to the period that victims may file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office as part of the Continuing Resolution:
    “Today, we voted for a Continuing Resolution to keep the government open and avoid a costly shutdown for millions of Americans. As part of this Continuing Resolution, the period to file claims with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office has been extended to December 20, 2024, which will give victims of the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire additional time to apply for relief.
    “But make no mistake, the job is not over yet. We will continue to work with our colleagues to deliver a long-term federal funding solution for the American people and keep the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office open longer. We continue to encourage New Mexicans to apply for assistance as soon as possible.”
    The extension will run the length of the Continuing Resolution to December 20, 2024. In October 2023, Luján, Heinrich, and U.S. Representative Teresa Leger Fernández introduced the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Claims Extension Act, legislation that would extend the period a victim can file a claim with the Hermit’s Peak Claims Office. Since the devastating wildfire, Luján, Heinrich, and the N.M. Delegation has delivered a total of $3.95 billion in federal funding for the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire recovery.
    New Mexicans can apply for assistance through the Hermit’s Peak/Calf Canyon Fire Assistance Act here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Homeland Security Advisor Dr. Liz Sherwood-Randall at the Fourth Ministerial Meeting on the Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection | New York,  NY

    Source: The White House

    On behalf of President Biden, I want to thank each of you for being here today. 

    The Los Angeles Declaration on Migration and Protection embodies our shared values and our commitment to work together to elevate the welfare and security of our entire hemisphere. As I listened to each of your remarks, I reflected on how much we have accomplished since your leaders joined President Biden on the podium in Los Angeles a little more than two years ago. 

    We have taken key actions to disrupt the smuggling networks that exploit vulnerable migrants through coordinated enforcement efforts.

    We have expanded lawful pathways as an alternative to the risks inherent in irregular migration.

    And collectively, we have fostered the long-term stabilization and integration of migrants.

    I will provide some details to illustrate more vividly what we have done on each of these three pillars of the Los Angeles Declaration.

    Enforcement

    Together, we are using our immigration and law enforcement tools to deter irregular migration and disrupt transnational criminal organizations that put migrants’ lives at risk for profit.

    We are encouraged by how many countries have taken concrete actions to increase enforcement, including by putting in place strong visa requirements and increasing information sharing. We know this is a challenge that can only be met if we work together.

    And we have:

    • Adopted new rules and processes to strengthen the consequences in place at our border, including refined procedures announced by President Biden on June 4.
    • Increased biometric information sharing across the region to identify bad actors before they enter any of our borders;
    • Imposed visa restrictions and financial sanctions, and prosecuted human smugglers;

    So many of these efforts have been done in close coordination with all of you. 

    Lawful Pathways

    The Biden-Harris Administration has also expanded lawful pathways to encourage migrants to apply to come to the United States from their home countries rather than making the dangerous journey to our border.

    That is why we launched the Cuban, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Venezuelan parole process – with notable results.

    We are also on track to welcome the largest number of refugees in three decades. This would not have been possible without the Safe Mobility Initiative and our partnership with Guatemala, Costa Rica, Colombia, and Ecuador.

    As part of today’s funding announcement, we are providing an additional $83 million to help resettle more refugees and refer migrants to additional pathways as well, including temporary labor opportunities in the United States and other countries.

    Stabilization and Integration

    And finally, I want to join Secretary Blinken in applauding the pioneering and generous policies that are enabling the stabilization and integration of migrants.

    This is a story that I think will be told for years to come: how Latin America rallied together in the face of the historic displacement of 8 million people from Venezuela and rose up to become a model for the world of how to respond to this kind of mass migration with pragmatism and humanity.

    We applaud so many of the countries represented here for opening your doors to displaced migrants and giving them hope for their future, enabling them to obtain formal employment, access basic social services, and put their kids in school.

    With today’s announcements, over half of the Los Angeles Declaration countries have implemented migrant regularization policies, collectively providing legal status to 4.4 million mostly Venezuelan migrants.

    The United States is proud to support these efforts. As part of today’s $686 million funding announcement by Secretary of State Blinken, the United States will assist partner countries as you implement regularization programs and successfully integrate newcomers. In addition, we will continue to provide lifesaving humanitarian assistance to help the most vulnerable Venezuelans, both inside Venezuela and throughout the region.

    Closing

    For President Biden, the Los Angeles Declaration was never just a piece of paper that each country signed; it was a call to action.

    And I am confident that with our continued commitment to the Declaration, including the establishment of an enduring Secretariat with Colombia as our first Country Chair, we will continue showing the world that regional collaboration can effectively and humanely address the migratory challenges that we face in our Hemisphere.    

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Challenges Ukraine Narrative, Blasts Biden-Harris Administration for Prolonging the War

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Tommy Tuberville (Alabama)
    “The Biden-Harris Administration needs to negotiate a peace agreement now . . . or there will be disastrous consequences coming in the very near future”
    WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) delivered a floor speech criticizing the Biden-Harris administration for prolonging the unwinnable war in Ukraine at the expense of American taxpayers. Sen. Tuberville also discussed why the history of NATO is inconvenient for the Biden-Harris administration’s narrative. In the speech, Sen. Tuberville highlighted that Ukraine is becoming desperate, which could have dire consequences.
    Read the speech below or watch it here.
    “Mr. President, 
    I rise today to talk about the un-winnable war in Ukraine, which has already cost American taxpayers billions of dollars. 
    Now, anyone who dares question the Uni-Party’s narrative on the war in Ukraine is obviously going to get criticized. That’s OK. The media has been complicit in pushing this narrative. Think about [it]: when was the last time you saw live footage on the ground in Ukraine? It’s rare because Ukraine is losing and is losing badly.
    This comes after we just gave Ukraine $60 billion dollars more of taxpayer money earlier this year to prolong this war. 
    I see President Zelensky, a Uni-Party puppet, is here begging, begging for more money on [the] campaign trail with Kamala Harris. It feels like he’s here every other month demanding more and more taxpayer money. That’s because he knows that the money spigot will cut off if Kamala Harris doesn’t win in November.
    Look, this subject is too important to go unaddressed. Over the last several months, I’ve asked multiple high-ranking members of the Biden-Harris administration to articulate what it is trying to accomplish in Ukraine. Just tell us. Tell us what it will cost and how we plan to achieve these results. Basically, I’m asking: what is our game plan? Not one official in this administration has answered my questions clearly. Not one. 
    One of the most interesting responses I received was from Secretary Austin himself, Secretary of Defense. He says, ‘We want to see Ukraine remain a sovereign, independent and democratic state that has the ability to defend itself in its territory and deter aggression.’ Ok. Secretary Austin continued, stating that it is the administration’s goal to bring Ukraine into NATO while simultaneously blaming Russia for NATO’s past expansion. 
    Now, here’s when the DC establishment really, really gets upset. I’m going to review a few undeniable facts about NATO’s history. Predictably, the Uni-Party will accuse me of spewing Russian propaganda. But these are the facts and that’s what we have to go by. We can’t shy away from them. 
    NATO was formed 75 years ago in 1949 as a defensive alliance to counter the communist Soviet Union. It was wildly successful in that it maintained peace through deterrence throughout the cold war. NATO helped us win the Cold War and dissolve [the] communist Soviet Union. When the Cold War ended in 1991, Ukraine instantly became the world’s third-largest nuclear power. Ukraine. Following a series of negotiations, Ukrainians agreed to give up their nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from both Russia and NATO. Territorial integrity and political independence.
    These efforts were successful because they included assurances by many, many heads of state, including our own, that would no up-eastward expansion of NATO towards Russia would ever happen. It was over. At that time, there were 16 NATO members. Today, 33 years later, after this agreement, there are 32 NATO members. Even though in 1991 we agreed to no more eastward expansion, we broke the agreement. We, NATO and the United States. NATO has expanded eastward seven times since that agreement in 1991. The largest expansion in 2004 included two countries that share a border with Russia: Estonia and Latvia. Today, NATO includes three countries that border Russia. Six NATO members are former Warsaw Pact members. The bulk of this expansion happened before Russia annexed Crimea and invaded part of Ukraine in 2014.
    Again, these are all the facts. All play a part in the NATO story and Russia’s response to it. Here’s another fact: NATO’s expansion was on NATO’s terms, separate and apart from any Russian input or activity. Let me read that again. NATO expansion was on NATO’s terms, separate and apart from any Russian input or activity—contrary to Secretary Austin’s claims. Ask yourself: How would the U.S. react if China or Russia entered a mutual defense organization with Mexico or Canada? How would we react? What if they started basing troops or participating in military exercises just miles from our homeland?
    Having covered a brief history of NATO, let’s ask logical follow-up questions that we should always ask before involving ourselves in any armed conflict. First, how far are we willing to take this proxy war with Russia? How far are we? Did we think about that before we got into this? Are we [as] committed to winning as Russia’s President is? Vladimir Putin? Are we committed to winning? What happens if the momentum turns? What happens if it turns against Ukraine and Russia starts making real gains, as it appears is happening today. Will the U.S. send more taxpayer money? More weapons? Will NATO send troops? Will the United States send troops? What’s the plan? 
    War is a serious business. We should understand that by now. You don’t half-ass your way into one and certainly don’t half-ass your way out of one. That doesn’t seem to resonate around here.
    Since the Russian offensive began, we have sent more than one $174 billion taxpayer dollars to Ukraine, one of the most corrupt countries in the world. Recently, the Biden-Harris administration announced their intent, their intent, to send an additional $700 million taxpayer dollars to Ukraine in cash. Are you kidding me? Why on earth would we give cash to the most corrupt country on the face of the planet? 
    So, after all that, after the last two and a half years of funding billions of taxpayer dollars, getting hundreds of thousands of people killed, what do we have to show for it? The war has only gotten worse. Hundreds of thousands are dead. Ukraine is becoming more desperate, as its forces are [experiencing] widespread insubordination and even mass desertion. We don’t hear that on TV. We don’t hear that in this propaganda media. Over six million Ukrainians have fled the country, have run, have left their country.
    Ukraine is playing with fire, now seeking to conduct offensive operations deep inside Russia. Why? You can’t win. Most recently, Ukraine launched a drone attack that struck in Moscow. What are we trying to do— start World War III? Most recently, Ukraine launched a drone attack that struck several other office buildings in Moscow. Adding to the uncertainty of this situation, this administration’s current policy towards Ukraine has all the hallmarks of every Biden-Harris foreign policy decision that has preceded it: weak planning, disastrous results, zero leadership. This administration never considered the consequences of Ukraine losing. How can that ever happen?
    This is really sad. It’s sad for the United States of America. It’s sad for the taxpayers. It’s sad for our military. It’s sad for our allies and it’s sad for NATO. Some of [his] Democratic colleagues have said, ‘Joe Biden never made a correct decision in foreign policy in forty years.’ Well, he hadn’t broke that. 
    Biden-Harris administration has dumped billions of dollars also into the lap of Iran. Removed the terrorist designation from the Houthis, who by the way, we’re fighting against right now, but they’re ‘not terrorists.’ Alienated one of our most important friends, Saudi Arabia. And they’ve executed the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal that unnecessarily cost the lives of Americans. All this weakness was a direct signal to our adversaries: ‘Now is the time to make your move.’ And that’s exactly what our adversaries China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea are doing.
    China today tested another ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean. They’re preparing. Russia now has pounced on Ukraine. Whatever you hear in the media, it’s not true. It is a slaughter. Iran has released its proxies and terrorized the Middle East. Our ally Israel is fighting for its life against Hamas following the gruesome October 7th attack almost a year ago. The Houthis, the Houthis, are a bunch of people that live in the mountains, have been emboldened to attack ships, which has negatively impacted global trade. We can’t even beat the Houthis and we’re trying to create more wars. China has stepped up its aggression in the China Sea. We’re losing influence across the globe, especially in South America and Africa where the Chinese and the Russians are taking over. We’re leaving leaps and bounds.
    So, let’s be very clear. Despite the administration’s incompetence, I still believe Putin was wrong to invade Ukraine. I think we all do. He should have withdrawn his forces immediately after it started. Putin is responsible for his actions, and he has made no secret of the fact that he sees Ukraine as historically a part of Russia. 
    At the same time, I do not think that Ukraine’s border is more important than ours—not even close—which we have been completely […] neglecting the last three and a half years.
    We have been overrun, [at the] southern border, northern border, and from airplanes all over the world flying into our cities. It’s an embarrassment.
    We do not need the administration to enable Ukraine to use offensive weapons and strike deep into Russia. That cannot happen. We are on the cusp of a nuclear war. Nobody seems concerned: ‘It won’t happen.’ Yes, it will happen. Putin has told us it will happen if you continue this. This would only escalate this conflict to an entirely new level that none of us can ever imagine. Do you think this offensive would convince Putin to come to the table and negotiate a peace agreement? Well, I would hope we would go, but we do not seem to want to make a peace agreement. We had better and we’d better do it in the very near future. This will provoke him to [use] even more deadly weapons if we continue to attack within their borders, costing more and more lives. NATO and the U.S. would be forced to respond as a result. We’re trying to create a war. 
    We must consider these questions thoroughly before we involve ourselves in another one of these crazy conflicts that should never happen. Improvising won’t cut it. Now is the time for the U.S. to lead and negotiate a peace to the end of this bloody war. I keep hearing people say, ‘well, we’re building equipment for our military.’ Yeah, right. Or our men and women are not losing their lives. We’re getting close to it. We’re getting very close.
    Now look, I come from a military state in the state of Alabama. We build everything. We have thousands of troops. I want it to be well-funded and well-equipped if we ever have to fight a war. We need a lethal killing machine to deter other aggression. That’s what a military is about. This is not about defunding our military. I want our military laser-focused on protecting Americans and not woke DEI initiatives. And it’s not about abandoning our allies either. We need to support our allies.
    It’s about this administration funding a proxy war with no plan, zero, no plan on how to stop it, or how to win it. The Biden-Harris administration needs to negotiate a peace agreement now. Immediately, or there will be huge, disastrous consequences coming in the very near future. 
    Mr. President, I yield floor.”
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, and HELP Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –