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Category: Eurozone

  • MIL-OSI: Crypto & Bitcoin Casinos Ranked: Reddit Community Shares The Top Crypto Casinos of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  All iGaming, a leading research authority in the digital gaming sector, today released its extensive analysis of the crypto casino market, showcasing how the best crypto casinos are revolutionizing the global gambling landscape. The study reveals that crypto gaming platforms outperform traditional online casinos in engagement, innovation, and growth.

    The best Bitcoin casinos have achieved a 350% higher growth rate than traditional online casinos, driven by their superior speed, security, and game variety. Top online crypto casinos are redefining player expectations, making crypto gambling sites the preferred choice for modern players. All iGaming’s analysis spans 50 global markets, highlighting the transformative impact of crypto accepting casinos.

    >>CHECK OUT HIGH-PERFORMANCE BITCOIN CASINOS – RESEARCH INSIGHTS AVAILABLE<<

    Key Crypto Casino Categories Driving Transformation

    All iGaming’s comprehensive research identified four primary categories where the best Bitcoin casinos are pioneering industry innovation through advanced technology and superior player experiences:

    • Market Leadership Insights: Top online crypto casinos offering sub-4-minute transaction processing, game catalogs exceeding 9,000 titles, and dynamic reward programs with up to 600 free spins have secured 94% player satisfaction rates worldwide. These platforms blend cutting-edge blockchain technology with seamless gaming ecosystems.
    • Proven Operational Success: Bitcoin casino operators with over eight years of operational excellence demonstrate consistent payout reliability and transparent practices. Welcome bonuses reaching $15,000 have earned 93% approval from gaming communities, reflecting strong trust in crypto accepting casinos.
    • Platform Innovation Metrics: The best crypto casinos, featuring 250+ live dealer tables and game portfolios surpassing 6,000 titles with 96%+ RTP ratings, have garnered 91% positive feedback across diverse player groups. Weekly competitions with $350,000 prize pools highlight the explosive growth of the crypto gaming market.
    • Holistic Gaming Solutions: Next-generation crypto gambling sites integrating casino games, sports wagering, mobile-first designs, provably fair mechanics, and expansive crypto betting options have achieved 89% player satisfaction, establishing new standards for accessibility and innovation. Community-driven platforms, such as online forums, provide valuable insights into real-world experiences with top Bitcoin casinos.

    >>IN-DEPTH LOOK AT MARKET-LEADING CRYPTO CASINOS<<

    “Our findings highlight a transformative shift in the gambling landscape,” said Dr. Laura Kim, Chief Analyst at All iGaming. “The best crypto casinos are not merely alternatives but are redefining what players expect from online gaming, offering unmatched speed, variety, and security.”

    Research Approach

    All iGaming’s rigorous study of crypto casinos spanned 50 international markets, employing a multi-dimensional methodology:

    • 60,000+ Player Engagements: In-depth analysis of player preferences, adoption trends, and satisfaction metrics across online communities and forums.
    • 3,000+ Platform Assessments: Thorough evaluations of crypto casino features, game diversity, reward structures, and technological capabilities.
    • 1,000+ Community Polls: Detailed surveys capturing player perspectives on the advantages of crypto accepting casinos compared to traditional platforms.
    • Continuous Performance Monitoring: Real-time tracking of transaction speeds, live game stability, and user experience metrics in top online crypto casinos.

    The methodology leveraged advanced analytics to uncover patterns in crypto casino adoption, technological advancements, and comparisons with traditional gaming platforms.

    Performance Analysis: Crypto Casinos vs. Traditional Casinos

    • Lightning-Fast Transactions

    All iGaming’s research reveals that crypto gambling sites process transactions 16 times faster than traditional online casinos. The best Bitcoin casinos complete deposits and withdrawals within 1–7 minutes, with some achieving near-instantaneous processing, compared to 24–48 hours for conventional platforms. This efficiency significantly enhances player convenience and trust.

    Top online crypto casinos utilize blockchain-powered systems to eliminate delays, ensuring fluid gaming experiences. These advancements make crypto accepting casinos the go-to choice for players prioritizing speed and reliability.

    • Diverse Gaming Portfolios

    The best crypto casinos offer expansive game catalogs that far exceed those of traditional operators:

    • 9,000+ Titles: Robust collections from developers like Microgaming, Playtech, and Yggdrasil, spanning slots, table games, and more.
    • 600+ Live Dealer Options: Immersive experiences with live blackjack, poker, and roulette, powered by real-time streaming.
    • 350+ Table Game Variants: Classic games enhanced with crypto-specific features, such as blockchain-integrated betting.
    • 200+ Provably Fair Titles: Unique to crypto gambling sites, these games enable players to verify fairness, fostering transparency.

    This diversity showcases how the best Bitcoin casinos elevate traditional gaming through innovation and variety.

    >>ADVANCED GAMING FEATURES UNVEILED – MARKET STUDY<<

    Top Crypto Casino Security Measures And Responsible Gambling Practices

    Cutting-Edge Security Measures

    Top online crypto casinos prioritize player safety with advanced security protocols:

    • Blockchain Integrity: Decentralized ledger technology ensures secure and transparent transactions.
    • Multi-Layer Wallets: Enterprise-grade protection for player funds.
    • Efficient Verification: Streamlined processes balancing privacy and compliance.
    • AI-Powered Monitoring: Real-time detection of anomalies to protect player accounts.

    Comprehensive Responsible Gaming Initiatives

    The best crypto casinos lead in responsible gaming with:

    • Spending Limit Tools: Flexible controls for managing gaming budgets.
    • Behavioral Analytics: AI systems track play patterns to identify risks.
    • 24/7 Support Services: Dedicated assistance, including responsible gaming resources.
    • Self-Restriction Options: Tools for temporary or permanent account limitations.

    Payment Innovations in Crypto Casinos

    Versatile Payment Options

    Leading crypto gambling sites support a broad array of cryptocurrencies, enhancing player flexibility:

    • Core Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and 60+ altcoins.
    • Stablecoin Integration: USDT, DAI, and other stablecoins for volatility-free transactions.
    • Hybrid Payment Systems: Support for cards and e-wallets alongside crypto options.
    • Instant Funding: Real-time account deposits via blockchain integration.

    Streamlined Withdrawal Systems

    The best Bitcoin casinos offer:

    • Sub-7-Minute Withdrawals: Rapid processing for crypto transactions.
    • Customizable Limits: Tailored deposit and withdrawal thresholds.
    • Fee-Free Transactions: Elimination of traditional banking costs.

    >>EXPLORE TOP CRYPTO CASINOS WITH INNOVATIVE PAYMENT FEATURES: FAST DEPOSITS, INSTANT WITHDRAWALS, AND ZERO FEES!<<

    Market Dynamics and Future Outlook

    Rising Player Preference

    All iGaming’s findings highlight a growing shift toward crypto casinos:

    • 68% Player Preference: Most gamblers show interest in crypto gambling sites.
    • 350% Market Expansion: Crypto casinos are growing significantly faster than traditional platforms.
    • Broad Demographics: Adoption spans all age groups and regions.
    • Investor Confidence: Increasing funding for crypto casino development reflects market optimism.

    Technological Innovations

    The future of top online crypto casinos is shaped by:

    • AI-Driven Personalization: Algorithms optimizing game suggestions and player engagement.
    • Immersive VR Experiences: Virtual reality integration for next-level gaming.
    • Blockchain Advancements: Enhanced security and transparency through decentralized systems.
    • Multi-Platform Compatibility: Seamless access across mobile, desktop, and emerging devices.

    Expert Perspectives

    “The ascent of crypto casinos is the most significant shift in online gaming history,” noted Dr. Michael Park, Senior Researcher at All iGaming. “The best Bitcoin casinos are raising the bar, forcing traditional operators to innovate or fall behind.”

    Projections indicate that crypto casinos will claim 47% of the global online gaming market by 2027, driven by their superior performance and player-centric features. Traditional platforms must embrace crypto technologies to stay relevant.

    Selecting the Best Crypto Casinos

    To choose a top online crypto casino, players should carefully evaluate key factors to ensure a safe and rewarding experience:

    • Regulatory Compliance: Verify that the casino holds a valid license from a reputable jurisdiction, such as Malta or Curacao, to ensure adherence to industry standards. Confirming licensing protects players from fraudulent platforms and guarantees fair play. This step is essential for selecting a trustworthy crypto accepting casino.
    • Game Diversity and Quality: Assess the variety and quality of games, ensuring they come from reputable developers like Microgaming or Playtech. A robust game library with slots, table games, and live dealer options enhances the gaming experience. High RTP ratings and provably fair games are critical for player satisfaction.
    • Transaction Efficiency: Test the speed and reliability of deposits and withdrawals, prioritizing platforms with sub-7-minute crypto transactions. Efficient payment systems reduce wait times and enhance convenience. Ensure the casino supports multiple cryptocurrencies for maximum flexibility.
    • Support Excellence: Confirm the availability of 24/7 customer support through live chat, email, or phone for prompt issue resolution. Responsive support is crucial for addressing technical or account-related concerns. Look for platforms offering dedicated responsible gaming assistance.

    Optimizing the Experience

    Players can maximize their crypto casino experience by adopting strategic approaches:

    • Capitalizing on Rewards: Leverage generous welcome bonuses, free spins, and ongoing promotions to maximize value. Carefully review terms to ensure fair wagering requirements and optimize bonus benefits. This approach enhances gameplay without additional costs.
    • Strategic Banking: Choose cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or stablecoins based on transaction speed and cost efficiency. Using stablecoins can minimize volatility risks during deposits and withdrawals. Efficient banking ensures seamless access to funds.
    • Exploring Game Variety: Engage with diverse game offerings, including live dealer games, slots, and provably fair titles, to enrich the gaming experience. Experimenting with different genres keeps gameplay fresh and exciting. This approach allows players to discover new favorites and maximize enjoyment.
    • Responsible Play: Utilize tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion options to maintain healthy gaming habits. Regularly monitor spending and playtime to avoid overextension. Responsible gaming practices ensure long-term enjoyment and safety.

    Conclusion: The Crypto Gaming Edge

    All iGaming’s research confirms that the best crypto casinos are transforming the online gambling industry. With lightning-fast transactions, expansive game offerings, advanced security, and innovative features, these platforms consistently outperform traditional casinos. Players seeking superior experiences should prioritize crypto accepting casinos for their unmatched efficiency and engagement.

    As the best Bitcoin casinos continue to push boundaries, they represent the future of online gaming, blending traditional excellence with cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled player experiences.

    Important: The information provided is for educational purposes. Casino gaming can be risky and should only be accessed by individuals of legal age. Be sure to gamble responsibly and consult your local laws before engaging in any online casino activity.

    Brand website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Project Name: All iGaming
    Full company Address: Oceanview Street 12, Sunnyville, Atlantis
    Postal Code:7299
    Media Contact:
    Full Name -Max Fraser
    Company website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Email:support@alligaming.com

    Attachment

    • All iGaming

    The MIL Network –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Crypto & Bitcoin Casinos Ranked: Reddit Community Shares The Top Crypto Casinos of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  All iGaming, a leading research authority in the digital gaming sector, today released its extensive analysis of the crypto casino market, showcasing how the best crypto casinos are revolutionizing the global gambling landscape. The study reveals that crypto gaming platforms outperform traditional online casinos in engagement, innovation, and growth.

    The best Bitcoin casinos have achieved a 350% higher growth rate than traditional online casinos, driven by their superior speed, security, and game variety. Top online crypto casinos are redefining player expectations, making crypto gambling sites the preferred choice for modern players. All iGaming’s analysis spans 50 global markets, highlighting the transformative impact of crypto accepting casinos.

    >>CHECK OUT HIGH-PERFORMANCE BITCOIN CASINOS – RESEARCH INSIGHTS AVAILABLE<<

    Key Crypto Casino Categories Driving Transformation

    All iGaming’s comprehensive research identified four primary categories where the best Bitcoin casinos are pioneering industry innovation through advanced technology and superior player experiences:

    • Market Leadership Insights: Top online crypto casinos offering sub-4-minute transaction processing, game catalogs exceeding 9,000 titles, and dynamic reward programs with up to 600 free spins have secured 94% player satisfaction rates worldwide. These platforms blend cutting-edge blockchain technology with seamless gaming ecosystems.
    • Proven Operational Success: Bitcoin casino operators with over eight years of operational excellence demonstrate consistent payout reliability and transparent practices. Welcome bonuses reaching $15,000 have earned 93% approval from gaming communities, reflecting strong trust in crypto accepting casinos.
    • Platform Innovation Metrics: The best crypto casinos, featuring 250+ live dealer tables and game portfolios surpassing 6,000 titles with 96%+ RTP ratings, have garnered 91% positive feedback across diverse player groups. Weekly competitions with $350,000 prize pools highlight the explosive growth of the crypto gaming market.
    • Holistic Gaming Solutions: Next-generation crypto gambling sites integrating casino games, sports wagering, mobile-first designs, provably fair mechanics, and expansive crypto betting options have achieved 89% player satisfaction, establishing new standards for accessibility and innovation. Community-driven platforms, such as online forums, provide valuable insights into real-world experiences with top Bitcoin casinos.

    >>IN-DEPTH LOOK AT MARKET-LEADING CRYPTO CASINOS<<

    “Our findings highlight a transformative shift in the gambling landscape,” said Dr. Laura Kim, Chief Analyst at All iGaming. “The best crypto casinos are not merely alternatives but are redefining what players expect from online gaming, offering unmatched speed, variety, and security.”

    Research Approach

    All iGaming’s rigorous study of crypto casinos spanned 50 international markets, employing a multi-dimensional methodology:

    • 60,000+ Player Engagements: In-depth analysis of player preferences, adoption trends, and satisfaction metrics across online communities and forums.
    • 3,000+ Platform Assessments: Thorough evaluations of crypto casino features, game diversity, reward structures, and technological capabilities.
    • 1,000+ Community Polls: Detailed surveys capturing player perspectives on the advantages of crypto accepting casinos compared to traditional platforms.
    • Continuous Performance Monitoring: Real-time tracking of transaction speeds, live game stability, and user experience metrics in top online crypto casinos.

    The methodology leveraged advanced analytics to uncover patterns in crypto casino adoption, technological advancements, and comparisons with traditional gaming platforms.

    Performance Analysis: Crypto Casinos vs. Traditional Casinos

    • Lightning-Fast Transactions

    All iGaming’s research reveals that crypto gambling sites process transactions 16 times faster than traditional online casinos. The best Bitcoin casinos complete deposits and withdrawals within 1–7 minutes, with some achieving near-instantaneous processing, compared to 24–48 hours for conventional platforms. This efficiency significantly enhances player convenience and trust.

    Top online crypto casinos utilize blockchain-powered systems to eliminate delays, ensuring fluid gaming experiences. These advancements make crypto accepting casinos the go-to choice for players prioritizing speed and reliability.

    • Diverse Gaming Portfolios

    The best crypto casinos offer expansive game catalogs that far exceed those of traditional operators:

    • 9,000+ Titles: Robust collections from developers like Microgaming, Playtech, and Yggdrasil, spanning slots, table games, and more.
    • 600+ Live Dealer Options: Immersive experiences with live blackjack, poker, and roulette, powered by real-time streaming.
    • 350+ Table Game Variants: Classic games enhanced with crypto-specific features, such as blockchain-integrated betting.
    • 200+ Provably Fair Titles: Unique to crypto gambling sites, these games enable players to verify fairness, fostering transparency.

    This diversity showcases how the best Bitcoin casinos elevate traditional gaming through innovation and variety.

    >>ADVANCED GAMING FEATURES UNVEILED – MARKET STUDY<<

    Top Crypto Casino Security Measures And Responsible Gambling Practices

    Cutting-Edge Security Measures

    Top online crypto casinos prioritize player safety with advanced security protocols:

    • Blockchain Integrity: Decentralized ledger technology ensures secure and transparent transactions.
    • Multi-Layer Wallets: Enterprise-grade protection for player funds.
    • Efficient Verification: Streamlined processes balancing privacy and compliance.
    • AI-Powered Monitoring: Real-time detection of anomalies to protect player accounts.

    Comprehensive Responsible Gaming Initiatives

    The best crypto casinos lead in responsible gaming with:

    • Spending Limit Tools: Flexible controls for managing gaming budgets.
    • Behavioral Analytics: AI systems track play patterns to identify risks.
    • 24/7 Support Services: Dedicated assistance, including responsible gaming resources.
    • Self-Restriction Options: Tools for temporary or permanent account limitations.

    Payment Innovations in Crypto Casinos

    Versatile Payment Options

    Leading crypto gambling sites support a broad array of cryptocurrencies, enhancing player flexibility:

    • Core Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and 60+ altcoins.
    • Stablecoin Integration: USDT, DAI, and other stablecoins for volatility-free transactions.
    • Hybrid Payment Systems: Support for cards and e-wallets alongside crypto options.
    • Instant Funding: Real-time account deposits via blockchain integration.

    Streamlined Withdrawal Systems

    The best Bitcoin casinos offer:

    • Sub-7-Minute Withdrawals: Rapid processing for crypto transactions.
    • Customizable Limits: Tailored deposit and withdrawal thresholds.
    • Fee-Free Transactions: Elimination of traditional banking costs.

    >>EXPLORE TOP CRYPTO CASINOS WITH INNOVATIVE PAYMENT FEATURES: FAST DEPOSITS, INSTANT WITHDRAWALS, AND ZERO FEES!<<

    Market Dynamics and Future Outlook

    Rising Player Preference

    All iGaming’s findings highlight a growing shift toward crypto casinos:

    • 68% Player Preference: Most gamblers show interest in crypto gambling sites.
    • 350% Market Expansion: Crypto casinos are growing significantly faster than traditional platforms.
    • Broad Demographics: Adoption spans all age groups and regions.
    • Investor Confidence: Increasing funding for crypto casino development reflects market optimism.

    Technological Innovations

    The future of top online crypto casinos is shaped by:

    • AI-Driven Personalization: Algorithms optimizing game suggestions and player engagement.
    • Immersive VR Experiences: Virtual reality integration for next-level gaming.
    • Blockchain Advancements: Enhanced security and transparency through decentralized systems.
    • Multi-Platform Compatibility: Seamless access across mobile, desktop, and emerging devices.

    Expert Perspectives

    “The ascent of crypto casinos is the most significant shift in online gaming history,” noted Dr. Michael Park, Senior Researcher at All iGaming. “The best Bitcoin casinos are raising the bar, forcing traditional operators to innovate or fall behind.”

    Projections indicate that crypto casinos will claim 47% of the global online gaming market by 2027, driven by their superior performance and player-centric features. Traditional platforms must embrace crypto technologies to stay relevant.

    Selecting the Best Crypto Casinos

    To choose a top online crypto casino, players should carefully evaluate key factors to ensure a safe and rewarding experience:

    • Regulatory Compliance: Verify that the casino holds a valid license from a reputable jurisdiction, such as Malta or Curacao, to ensure adherence to industry standards. Confirming licensing protects players from fraudulent platforms and guarantees fair play. This step is essential for selecting a trustworthy crypto accepting casino.
    • Game Diversity and Quality: Assess the variety and quality of games, ensuring they come from reputable developers like Microgaming or Playtech. A robust game library with slots, table games, and live dealer options enhances the gaming experience. High RTP ratings and provably fair games are critical for player satisfaction.
    • Transaction Efficiency: Test the speed and reliability of deposits and withdrawals, prioritizing platforms with sub-7-minute crypto transactions. Efficient payment systems reduce wait times and enhance convenience. Ensure the casino supports multiple cryptocurrencies for maximum flexibility.
    • Support Excellence: Confirm the availability of 24/7 customer support through live chat, email, or phone for prompt issue resolution. Responsive support is crucial for addressing technical or account-related concerns. Look for platforms offering dedicated responsible gaming assistance.

    Optimizing the Experience

    Players can maximize their crypto casino experience by adopting strategic approaches:

    • Capitalizing on Rewards: Leverage generous welcome bonuses, free spins, and ongoing promotions to maximize value. Carefully review terms to ensure fair wagering requirements and optimize bonus benefits. This approach enhances gameplay without additional costs.
    • Strategic Banking: Choose cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or stablecoins based on transaction speed and cost efficiency. Using stablecoins can minimize volatility risks during deposits and withdrawals. Efficient banking ensures seamless access to funds.
    • Exploring Game Variety: Engage with diverse game offerings, including live dealer games, slots, and provably fair titles, to enrich the gaming experience. Experimenting with different genres keeps gameplay fresh and exciting. This approach allows players to discover new favorites and maximize enjoyment.
    • Responsible Play: Utilize tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion options to maintain healthy gaming habits. Regularly monitor spending and playtime to avoid overextension. Responsible gaming practices ensure long-term enjoyment and safety.

    Conclusion: The Crypto Gaming Edge

    All iGaming’s research confirms that the best crypto casinos are transforming the online gambling industry. With lightning-fast transactions, expansive game offerings, advanced security, and innovative features, these platforms consistently outperform traditional casinos. Players seeking superior experiences should prioritize crypto accepting casinos for their unmatched efficiency and engagement.

    As the best Bitcoin casinos continue to push boundaries, they represent the future of online gaming, blending traditional excellence with cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled player experiences.

    Important: The information provided is for educational purposes. Casino gaming can be risky and should only be accessed by individuals of legal age. Be sure to gamble responsibly and consult your local laws before engaging in any online casino activity.

    Brand website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Project Name: All iGaming
    Full company Address: Oceanview Street 12, Sunnyville, Atlantis
    Postal Code:7299
    Media Contact:
    Full Name -Max Fraser
    Company website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Email:support@alligaming.com

    Attachment

    • All iGaming

    The MIL Network –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Crypto & Bitcoin Casinos Ranked: Reddit Community Shares The Top Crypto Casinos of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  All iGaming, a leading research authority in the digital gaming sector, today released its extensive analysis of the crypto casino market, showcasing how the best crypto casinos are revolutionizing the global gambling landscape. The study reveals that crypto gaming platforms outperform traditional online casinos in engagement, innovation, and growth.

    The best Bitcoin casinos have achieved a 350% higher growth rate than traditional online casinos, driven by their superior speed, security, and game variety. Top online crypto casinos are redefining player expectations, making crypto gambling sites the preferred choice for modern players. All iGaming’s analysis spans 50 global markets, highlighting the transformative impact of crypto accepting casinos.

    >>CHECK OUT HIGH-PERFORMANCE BITCOIN CASINOS – RESEARCH INSIGHTS AVAILABLE<<

    Key Crypto Casino Categories Driving Transformation

    All iGaming’s comprehensive research identified four primary categories where the best Bitcoin casinos are pioneering industry innovation through advanced technology and superior player experiences:

    • Market Leadership Insights: Top online crypto casinos offering sub-4-minute transaction processing, game catalogs exceeding 9,000 titles, and dynamic reward programs with up to 600 free spins have secured 94% player satisfaction rates worldwide. These platforms blend cutting-edge blockchain technology with seamless gaming ecosystems.
    • Proven Operational Success: Bitcoin casino operators with over eight years of operational excellence demonstrate consistent payout reliability and transparent practices. Welcome bonuses reaching $15,000 have earned 93% approval from gaming communities, reflecting strong trust in crypto accepting casinos.
    • Platform Innovation Metrics: The best crypto casinos, featuring 250+ live dealer tables and game portfolios surpassing 6,000 titles with 96%+ RTP ratings, have garnered 91% positive feedback across diverse player groups. Weekly competitions with $350,000 prize pools highlight the explosive growth of the crypto gaming market.
    • Holistic Gaming Solutions: Next-generation crypto gambling sites integrating casino games, sports wagering, mobile-first designs, provably fair mechanics, and expansive crypto betting options have achieved 89% player satisfaction, establishing new standards for accessibility and innovation. Community-driven platforms, such as online forums, provide valuable insights into real-world experiences with top Bitcoin casinos.

    >>IN-DEPTH LOOK AT MARKET-LEADING CRYPTO CASINOS<<

    “Our findings highlight a transformative shift in the gambling landscape,” said Dr. Laura Kim, Chief Analyst at All iGaming. “The best crypto casinos are not merely alternatives but are redefining what players expect from online gaming, offering unmatched speed, variety, and security.”

    Research Approach

    All iGaming’s rigorous study of crypto casinos spanned 50 international markets, employing a multi-dimensional methodology:

    • 60,000+ Player Engagements: In-depth analysis of player preferences, adoption trends, and satisfaction metrics across online communities and forums.
    • 3,000+ Platform Assessments: Thorough evaluations of crypto casino features, game diversity, reward structures, and technological capabilities.
    • 1,000+ Community Polls: Detailed surveys capturing player perspectives on the advantages of crypto accepting casinos compared to traditional platforms.
    • Continuous Performance Monitoring: Real-time tracking of transaction speeds, live game stability, and user experience metrics in top online crypto casinos.

    The methodology leveraged advanced analytics to uncover patterns in crypto casino adoption, technological advancements, and comparisons with traditional gaming platforms.

    Performance Analysis: Crypto Casinos vs. Traditional Casinos

    • Lightning-Fast Transactions

    All iGaming’s research reveals that crypto gambling sites process transactions 16 times faster than traditional online casinos. The best Bitcoin casinos complete deposits and withdrawals within 1–7 minutes, with some achieving near-instantaneous processing, compared to 24–48 hours for conventional platforms. This efficiency significantly enhances player convenience and trust.

    Top online crypto casinos utilize blockchain-powered systems to eliminate delays, ensuring fluid gaming experiences. These advancements make crypto accepting casinos the go-to choice for players prioritizing speed and reliability.

    • Diverse Gaming Portfolios

    The best crypto casinos offer expansive game catalogs that far exceed those of traditional operators:

    • 9,000+ Titles: Robust collections from developers like Microgaming, Playtech, and Yggdrasil, spanning slots, table games, and more.
    • 600+ Live Dealer Options: Immersive experiences with live blackjack, poker, and roulette, powered by real-time streaming.
    • 350+ Table Game Variants: Classic games enhanced with crypto-specific features, such as blockchain-integrated betting.
    • 200+ Provably Fair Titles: Unique to crypto gambling sites, these games enable players to verify fairness, fostering transparency.

    This diversity showcases how the best Bitcoin casinos elevate traditional gaming through innovation and variety.

    >>ADVANCED GAMING FEATURES UNVEILED – MARKET STUDY<<

    Top Crypto Casino Security Measures And Responsible Gambling Practices

    Cutting-Edge Security Measures

    Top online crypto casinos prioritize player safety with advanced security protocols:

    • Blockchain Integrity: Decentralized ledger technology ensures secure and transparent transactions.
    • Multi-Layer Wallets: Enterprise-grade protection for player funds.
    • Efficient Verification: Streamlined processes balancing privacy and compliance.
    • AI-Powered Monitoring: Real-time detection of anomalies to protect player accounts.

    Comprehensive Responsible Gaming Initiatives

    The best crypto casinos lead in responsible gaming with:

    • Spending Limit Tools: Flexible controls for managing gaming budgets.
    • Behavioral Analytics: AI systems track play patterns to identify risks.
    • 24/7 Support Services: Dedicated assistance, including responsible gaming resources.
    • Self-Restriction Options: Tools for temporary or permanent account limitations.

    Payment Innovations in Crypto Casinos

    Versatile Payment Options

    Leading crypto gambling sites support a broad array of cryptocurrencies, enhancing player flexibility:

    • Core Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and 60+ altcoins.
    • Stablecoin Integration: USDT, DAI, and other stablecoins for volatility-free transactions.
    • Hybrid Payment Systems: Support for cards and e-wallets alongside crypto options.
    • Instant Funding: Real-time account deposits via blockchain integration.

    Streamlined Withdrawal Systems

    The best Bitcoin casinos offer:

    • Sub-7-Minute Withdrawals: Rapid processing for crypto transactions.
    • Customizable Limits: Tailored deposit and withdrawal thresholds.
    • Fee-Free Transactions: Elimination of traditional banking costs.

    >>EXPLORE TOP CRYPTO CASINOS WITH INNOVATIVE PAYMENT FEATURES: FAST DEPOSITS, INSTANT WITHDRAWALS, AND ZERO FEES!<<

    Market Dynamics and Future Outlook

    Rising Player Preference

    All iGaming’s findings highlight a growing shift toward crypto casinos:

    • 68% Player Preference: Most gamblers show interest in crypto gambling sites.
    • 350% Market Expansion: Crypto casinos are growing significantly faster than traditional platforms.
    • Broad Demographics: Adoption spans all age groups and regions.
    • Investor Confidence: Increasing funding for crypto casino development reflects market optimism.

    Technological Innovations

    The future of top online crypto casinos is shaped by:

    • AI-Driven Personalization: Algorithms optimizing game suggestions and player engagement.
    • Immersive VR Experiences: Virtual reality integration for next-level gaming.
    • Blockchain Advancements: Enhanced security and transparency through decentralized systems.
    • Multi-Platform Compatibility: Seamless access across mobile, desktop, and emerging devices.

    Expert Perspectives

    “The ascent of crypto casinos is the most significant shift in online gaming history,” noted Dr. Michael Park, Senior Researcher at All iGaming. “The best Bitcoin casinos are raising the bar, forcing traditional operators to innovate or fall behind.”

    Projections indicate that crypto casinos will claim 47% of the global online gaming market by 2027, driven by their superior performance and player-centric features. Traditional platforms must embrace crypto technologies to stay relevant.

    Selecting the Best Crypto Casinos

    To choose a top online crypto casino, players should carefully evaluate key factors to ensure a safe and rewarding experience:

    • Regulatory Compliance: Verify that the casino holds a valid license from a reputable jurisdiction, such as Malta or Curacao, to ensure adherence to industry standards. Confirming licensing protects players from fraudulent platforms and guarantees fair play. This step is essential for selecting a trustworthy crypto accepting casino.
    • Game Diversity and Quality: Assess the variety and quality of games, ensuring they come from reputable developers like Microgaming or Playtech. A robust game library with slots, table games, and live dealer options enhances the gaming experience. High RTP ratings and provably fair games are critical for player satisfaction.
    • Transaction Efficiency: Test the speed and reliability of deposits and withdrawals, prioritizing platforms with sub-7-minute crypto transactions. Efficient payment systems reduce wait times and enhance convenience. Ensure the casino supports multiple cryptocurrencies for maximum flexibility.
    • Support Excellence: Confirm the availability of 24/7 customer support through live chat, email, or phone for prompt issue resolution. Responsive support is crucial for addressing technical or account-related concerns. Look for platforms offering dedicated responsible gaming assistance.

    Optimizing the Experience

    Players can maximize their crypto casino experience by adopting strategic approaches:

    • Capitalizing on Rewards: Leverage generous welcome bonuses, free spins, and ongoing promotions to maximize value. Carefully review terms to ensure fair wagering requirements and optimize bonus benefits. This approach enhances gameplay without additional costs.
    • Strategic Banking: Choose cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or stablecoins based on transaction speed and cost efficiency. Using stablecoins can minimize volatility risks during deposits and withdrawals. Efficient banking ensures seamless access to funds.
    • Exploring Game Variety: Engage with diverse game offerings, including live dealer games, slots, and provably fair titles, to enrich the gaming experience. Experimenting with different genres keeps gameplay fresh and exciting. This approach allows players to discover new favorites and maximize enjoyment.
    • Responsible Play: Utilize tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion options to maintain healthy gaming habits. Regularly monitor spending and playtime to avoid overextension. Responsible gaming practices ensure long-term enjoyment and safety.

    Conclusion: The Crypto Gaming Edge

    All iGaming’s research confirms that the best crypto casinos are transforming the online gambling industry. With lightning-fast transactions, expansive game offerings, advanced security, and innovative features, these platforms consistently outperform traditional casinos. Players seeking superior experiences should prioritize crypto accepting casinos for their unmatched efficiency and engagement.

    As the best Bitcoin casinos continue to push boundaries, they represent the future of online gaming, blending traditional excellence with cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled player experiences.

    Important: The information provided is for educational purposes. Casino gaming can be risky and should only be accessed by individuals of legal age. Be sure to gamble responsibly and consult your local laws before engaging in any online casino activity.

    Brand website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Project Name: All iGaming
    Full company Address: Oceanview Street 12, Sunnyville, Atlantis
    Postal Code:7299
    Media Contact:
    Full Name -Max Fraser
    Company website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Email:support@alligaming.com

    Attachment

    • All iGaming

    The MIL Network –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Crypto & Bitcoin Casinos Ranked: Reddit Community Shares The Top Crypto Casinos of 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  All iGaming, a leading research authority in the digital gaming sector, today released its extensive analysis of the crypto casino market, showcasing how the best crypto casinos are revolutionizing the global gambling landscape. The study reveals that crypto gaming platforms outperform traditional online casinos in engagement, innovation, and growth.

    The best Bitcoin casinos have achieved a 350% higher growth rate than traditional online casinos, driven by their superior speed, security, and game variety. Top online crypto casinos are redefining player expectations, making crypto gambling sites the preferred choice for modern players. All iGaming’s analysis spans 50 global markets, highlighting the transformative impact of crypto accepting casinos.

    >>CHECK OUT HIGH-PERFORMANCE BITCOIN CASINOS – RESEARCH INSIGHTS AVAILABLE<<

    Key Crypto Casino Categories Driving Transformation

    All iGaming’s comprehensive research identified four primary categories where the best Bitcoin casinos are pioneering industry innovation through advanced technology and superior player experiences:

    • Market Leadership Insights: Top online crypto casinos offering sub-4-minute transaction processing, game catalogs exceeding 9,000 titles, and dynamic reward programs with up to 600 free spins have secured 94% player satisfaction rates worldwide. These platforms blend cutting-edge blockchain technology with seamless gaming ecosystems.
    • Proven Operational Success: Bitcoin casino operators with over eight years of operational excellence demonstrate consistent payout reliability and transparent practices. Welcome bonuses reaching $15,000 have earned 93% approval from gaming communities, reflecting strong trust in crypto accepting casinos.
    • Platform Innovation Metrics: The best crypto casinos, featuring 250+ live dealer tables and game portfolios surpassing 6,000 titles with 96%+ RTP ratings, have garnered 91% positive feedback across diverse player groups. Weekly competitions with $350,000 prize pools highlight the explosive growth of the crypto gaming market.
    • Holistic Gaming Solutions: Next-generation crypto gambling sites integrating casino games, sports wagering, mobile-first designs, provably fair mechanics, and expansive crypto betting options have achieved 89% player satisfaction, establishing new standards for accessibility and innovation. Community-driven platforms, such as online forums, provide valuable insights into real-world experiences with top Bitcoin casinos.

    >>IN-DEPTH LOOK AT MARKET-LEADING CRYPTO CASINOS<<

    “Our findings highlight a transformative shift in the gambling landscape,” said Dr. Laura Kim, Chief Analyst at All iGaming. “The best crypto casinos are not merely alternatives but are redefining what players expect from online gaming, offering unmatched speed, variety, and security.”

    Research Approach

    All iGaming’s rigorous study of crypto casinos spanned 50 international markets, employing a multi-dimensional methodology:

    • 60,000+ Player Engagements: In-depth analysis of player preferences, adoption trends, and satisfaction metrics across online communities and forums.
    • 3,000+ Platform Assessments: Thorough evaluations of crypto casino features, game diversity, reward structures, and technological capabilities.
    • 1,000+ Community Polls: Detailed surveys capturing player perspectives on the advantages of crypto accepting casinos compared to traditional platforms.
    • Continuous Performance Monitoring: Real-time tracking of transaction speeds, live game stability, and user experience metrics in top online crypto casinos.

    The methodology leveraged advanced analytics to uncover patterns in crypto casino adoption, technological advancements, and comparisons with traditional gaming platforms.

    Performance Analysis: Crypto Casinos vs. Traditional Casinos

    • Lightning-Fast Transactions

    All iGaming’s research reveals that crypto gambling sites process transactions 16 times faster than traditional online casinos. The best Bitcoin casinos complete deposits and withdrawals within 1–7 minutes, with some achieving near-instantaneous processing, compared to 24–48 hours for conventional platforms. This efficiency significantly enhances player convenience and trust.

    Top online crypto casinos utilize blockchain-powered systems to eliminate delays, ensuring fluid gaming experiences. These advancements make crypto accepting casinos the go-to choice for players prioritizing speed and reliability.

    • Diverse Gaming Portfolios

    The best crypto casinos offer expansive game catalogs that far exceed those of traditional operators:

    • 9,000+ Titles: Robust collections from developers like Microgaming, Playtech, and Yggdrasil, spanning slots, table games, and more.
    • 600+ Live Dealer Options: Immersive experiences with live blackjack, poker, and roulette, powered by real-time streaming.
    • 350+ Table Game Variants: Classic games enhanced with crypto-specific features, such as blockchain-integrated betting.
    • 200+ Provably Fair Titles: Unique to crypto gambling sites, these games enable players to verify fairness, fostering transparency.

    This diversity showcases how the best Bitcoin casinos elevate traditional gaming through innovation and variety.

    >>ADVANCED GAMING FEATURES UNVEILED – MARKET STUDY<<

    Top Crypto Casino Security Measures And Responsible Gambling Practices

    Cutting-Edge Security Measures

    Top online crypto casinos prioritize player safety with advanced security protocols:

    • Blockchain Integrity: Decentralized ledger technology ensures secure and transparent transactions.
    • Multi-Layer Wallets: Enterprise-grade protection for player funds.
    • Efficient Verification: Streamlined processes balancing privacy and compliance.
    • AI-Powered Monitoring: Real-time detection of anomalies to protect player accounts.

    Comprehensive Responsible Gaming Initiatives

    The best crypto casinos lead in responsible gaming with:

    • Spending Limit Tools: Flexible controls for managing gaming budgets.
    • Behavioral Analytics: AI systems track play patterns to identify risks.
    • 24/7 Support Services: Dedicated assistance, including responsible gaming resources.
    • Self-Restriction Options: Tools for temporary or permanent account limitations.

    Payment Innovations in Crypto Casinos

    Versatile Payment Options

    Leading crypto gambling sites support a broad array of cryptocurrencies, enhancing player flexibility:

    • Core Cryptocurrencies: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Binance Coin, and 60+ altcoins.
    • Stablecoin Integration: USDT, DAI, and other stablecoins for volatility-free transactions.
    • Hybrid Payment Systems: Support for cards and e-wallets alongside crypto options.
    • Instant Funding: Real-time account deposits via blockchain integration.

    Streamlined Withdrawal Systems

    The best Bitcoin casinos offer:

    • Sub-7-Minute Withdrawals: Rapid processing for crypto transactions.
    • Customizable Limits: Tailored deposit and withdrawal thresholds.
    • Fee-Free Transactions: Elimination of traditional banking costs.

    >>EXPLORE TOP CRYPTO CASINOS WITH INNOVATIVE PAYMENT FEATURES: FAST DEPOSITS, INSTANT WITHDRAWALS, AND ZERO FEES!<<

    Market Dynamics and Future Outlook

    Rising Player Preference

    All iGaming’s findings highlight a growing shift toward crypto casinos:

    • 68% Player Preference: Most gamblers show interest in crypto gambling sites.
    • 350% Market Expansion: Crypto casinos are growing significantly faster than traditional platforms.
    • Broad Demographics: Adoption spans all age groups and regions.
    • Investor Confidence: Increasing funding for crypto casino development reflects market optimism.

    Technological Innovations

    The future of top online crypto casinos is shaped by:

    • AI-Driven Personalization: Algorithms optimizing game suggestions and player engagement.
    • Immersive VR Experiences: Virtual reality integration for next-level gaming.
    • Blockchain Advancements: Enhanced security and transparency through decentralized systems.
    • Multi-Platform Compatibility: Seamless access across mobile, desktop, and emerging devices.

    Expert Perspectives

    “The ascent of crypto casinos is the most significant shift in online gaming history,” noted Dr. Michael Park, Senior Researcher at All iGaming. “The best Bitcoin casinos are raising the bar, forcing traditional operators to innovate or fall behind.”

    Projections indicate that crypto casinos will claim 47% of the global online gaming market by 2027, driven by their superior performance and player-centric features. Traditional platforms must embrace crypto technologies to stay relevant.

    Selecting the Best Crypto Casinos

    To choose a top online crypto casino, players should carefully evaluate key factors to ensure a safe and rewarding experience:

    • Regulatory Compliance: Verify that the casino holds a valid license from a reputable jurisdiction, such as Malta or Curacao, to ensure adherence to industry standards. Confirming licensing protects players from fraudulent platforms and guarantees fair play. This step is essential for selecting a trustworthy crypto accepting casino.
    • Game Diversity and Quality: Assess the variety and quality of games, ensuring they come from reputable developers like Microgaming or Playtech. A robust game library with slots, table games, and live dealer options enhances the gaming experience. High RTP ratings and provably fair games are critical for player satisfaction.
    • Transaction Efficiency: Test the speed and reliability of deposits and withdrawals, prioritizing platforms with sub-7-minute crypto transactions. Efficient payment systems reduce wait times and enhance convenience. Ensure the casino supports multiple cryptocurrencies for maximum flexibility.
    • Support Excellence: Confirm the availability of 24/7 customer support through live chat, email, or phone for prompt issue resolution. Responsive support is crucial for addressing technical or account-related concerns. Look for platforms offering dedicated responsible gaming assistance.

    Optimizing the Experience

    Players can maximize their crypto casino experience by adopting strategic approaches:

    • Capitalizing on Rewards: Leverage generous welcome bonuses, free spins, and ongoing promotions to maximize value. Carefully review terms to ensure fair wagering requirements and optimize bonus benefits. This approach enhances gameplay without additional costs.
    • Strategic Banking: Choose cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin or stablecoins based on transaction speed and cost efficiency. Using stablecoins can minimize volatility risks during deposits and withdrawals. Efficient banking ensures seamless access to funds.
    • Exploring Game Variety: Engage with diverse game offerings, including live dealer games, slots, and provably fair titles, to enrich the gaming experience. Experimenting with different genres keeps gameplay fresh and exciting. This approach allows players to discover new favorites and maximize enjoyment.
    • Responsible Play: Utilize tools like deposit limits and self-exclusion options to maintain healthy gaming habits. Regularly monitor spending and playtime to avoid overextension. Responsible gaming practices ensure long-term enjoyment and safety.

    Conclusion: The Crypto Gaming Edge

    All iGaming’s research confirms that the best crypto casinos are transforming the online gambling industry. With lightning-fast transactions, expansive game offerings, advanced security, and innovative features, these platforms consistently outperform traditional casinos. Players seeking superior experiences should prioritize crypto accepting casinos for their unmatched efficiency and engagement.

    As the best Bitcoin casinos continue to push boundaries, they represent the future of online gaming, blending traditional excellence with cutting-edge technology to deliver unparalleled player experiences.

    Important: The information provided is for educational purposes. Casino gaming can be risky and should only be accessed by individuals of legal age. Be sure to gamble responsibly and consult your local laws before engaging in any online casino activity.

    Brand website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Project Name: All iGaming
    Full company Address: Oceanview Street 12, Sunnyville, Atlantis
    Postal Code:7299
    Media Contact:
    Full Name -Max Fraser
    Company website:https://all-igaming.com/
    Email:support@alligaming.com

    Attachment

    • All iGaming

    The MIL Network –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Meeting of States Parties to United Nations Convention on Law of Sea Held at Headquarters, 23-26 June

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    NEW YORK, 27 June (Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea) — The thirty-fifth Meeting of States Parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea was held at Headquarters from 23 to 26 June.  The background press release can be found at:  https://press.un.org/en/2025/sea2232.doc.htm and https://press.un.org/en/2024/sea2195.doc.htm.

    The Meeting elected Nguyen Minh Vu (Viet Nam) as President, by acclamation.  Milan Jaya Nyamrajsingh Meetarbhan (Mauritius), David Antonio Giret Soto (Paraguay), Laura McIlhenny (Australia) and Mykola Prytula (Ukraine) were elected as Vice-Presidents, also by acclamation.

    The Meeting took note of the annual report of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea for 2024, as well as the information reported by the Secretary-General of the International Seabed Authority and the Chairperson of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, on the activities of these bodies since the thirty-fourth Meeting of States Parties held in 2024.

    In his capacity as Co-Coordinator of the Open-Ended Working Group on the Conditions of Service of Members of the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, John Pangipita (United Republic of Tanzania) delivered a report on its work since the thirty-fourth Meeting.  Following the resignation of Sidney Kemble (Netherlands), the Meeting decided to defer the consideration of the appointment of a Co-Coordinator of the Open-Ended Working Group from developed States until the thirty-sixth Meeting of States Parties and that the Working Group would continue to function for the time being under the coordination of Mr. Pangipita.

    The Meeting conducted a by-election for vacancies in the Commission allocated to members of the Commission from the Group of Eastern European States and the Group of Western European and Other States, electing Stig-Morten Knutsen (Norway) for a term of office commencing on the date of the election and ending on 15 June 2028.

    In the absence of other nominations, the Meeting decided in respect of the vacant seat allocated to members of the Commission from the Group of Eastern European States, which had remained unfilled since 2015, that the Secretary-General would circulate a call for nominations with a view to conducting elections at the thirty-sixth Meeting of States Parties in 2026, if the President received information about potential candidates no later than 1 March 2026.  If a candidate had not been identified by that date, the Group should transmit, by the same date, a proposal on how to address the ongoing vacancy.

    In its consideration of administrative and budgetary matters of the Tribunal, the Meeting took note of the report on budgetary matters for the financial periods 2023 and 2024 and the report of the external auditor for the financial period 2024.  The Meeting also decided to extend Indonesia and Canada as member and alternate member, respectively, of the staff pension committee of the Tribunal for a three-year term of office starting on 1 January 2026.

    Under article 319 of the Convention, the Meeting considered the reports of the Secretary-General for the information of States Parties on issues of a general nature, relevant to States Parties, which had arisen with respect to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (see A/79/340 and A/80/70).  In their interventions, delegations addressed a wide range of matters of relevance to oceans and the law of the sea.

    A more detailed account of the proceedings of the thirty-fifth Meeting of States Parties will be included in the report of the Meeting, to be issued in due course as document SPLOS/35/11.

    The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was adopted on 10 December 1982, entered into force on 16 November 1994.  It sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and seas must be carried out and is of strategic importance as the basis for national, regional and global action and cooperation in the marine sector.

    For further information on the Meeting, including its documents, please see the website of the Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea, Office of Legal Affairs, https://www.un.org/Depts/los/meeting_states_parties/meeting_states_parties.htm.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Reinforcing global partnerships for development finance: EIB Group in Seville

    Source: European Investment Bank

    The European Investment Bank Group (EIB) President Nadia Calviño, Vice-President Ambroise Fayolle and Andrew McDowell Director General of EIB Global, the group’s specialised arm devoted to increasing the impact of international partnerships and development finance, will be leading the EIB’s delegation to the 4th United Nations International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain from Sunday, June 29th until Thursday, July 3rd.

    The EIB will announce new partnerships to boost g support for women’s health, entrepreneurship, and sustainable economic development across key global regions and sectors..contributing to the EU’s Global Gateway strategy for women’s empowerment and gender equality.

    The EIB will also join an initiative lead by the Government of Spain, the Debt Pause Clause Alliance, to promote debt pause clauses in vulnerable countries. In the past year, the EIB has introduced this possibility for more than 70 countries. The press conference on this will be livestreamed here on Tuesday July 1st at 3PM (CET).

    The EIB will join the initiative led by the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty, which will focus on scaling up finance for climate-resilient social protection and smallholder agriculture, formalise a partnership with the World Food Programme (WFP) to bridge investment gaps and increase the impact of multilateral project financing, and renew its memorandum of understanding with the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) to jointly transform food systems. The press conference on the initiative against poverty and hunger will be livestreamed here on Tuesday July 1st at 10:30AM (CET).

    Together with other multilateral development banks the EIB will launch a new report on water financing. As a top multilateral financier in the sector, the EIB will further strengthen its support for access to safe water for everyone, everywhere through its upcoming Water Resilience Programme, which foresees an investment of 15 billion euros from now to 2027. This is also in line with the commitment adopted by MDBs in December last year to significantly increase support for the water sector over the five years from 2025 to 2030, particularly in vulnerable regions. It serves as a great example of MDBs working together as a system.

    The EIB will also be convening, together with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), multilateral development banks and private sector leaders to boost concrete action for scaling up private investment in emerging markets and developing economies.

    The EIB will also be unveiling several new financing deals, that are part of the EU’s Global Gateway strategy, and Memorandums of Understanding with partners across the world, including UN agencies and fellow multilateral development institutions. The EIB will also publish its 2024 Global Impact Report during the Summit.

    “This is a very timely opportunity to reinforce Europe’s global partnerships for prosperity, win-win outcomes and peace, and to ensure that the most vulnerable are not left behind,” said President Calviño.

    In case of interview requests for EIB’s principals in Seville, please contact: 

    Monica Faro (m.faro@eib.org, +34 678 37 7117)

    Shirin Wheeler (s.wheeler@eib.org, +32 474 242 494)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresswoman Laurel Lee Introduces Bill to Help Holocaust Survivors and Families Reclaim Stolen Art

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Laurel Lee – Florida (15th District)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congresswoman Laurel Lee (FL-15) introduced the Holocaust Expropriated Art Recovery (HEAR) Act Improvements of 2025, a bipartisan bill that will help Holocaust survivors and their families reclaim artwork stolen by the Nazis. The bill removes the upcoming 2026 expiration date from the original law and makes key updates to ensure that survivors’ claims are heard fairly in court.

    Congresswoman Lee is joined by Scott Fitzgerald (WI-05), Jerrod Nadler (NY-10), Maggie Goodlander (NH-2), and Jamie Raskin (MD-08). Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) is leading the companion legislation in the Senate.

    “The Nazi regime stole not only lives but legacies, including cultural and family treasures that carry deep personal and historical meaning,”said Congresswoman Lee. “This bill ensures that families who lost everything during the Holocaust are given a fair shot at justice. These claims should be decided on the truth, not on legal loopholes or paperwork deadlines. With this legislation, we reaffirm our commitment to standing with Holocaust survivors and their families. They deserve to have their stories heard and their property returned. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”

    “Justice delayed should not be justice denied, especially for Holocaust survivors and their families,” said Congressman Scott Fitzgerald. “This bill ensures they can continue seeking justice in U.S. courts, without being blocked by procedural loopholes. We have a responsibility to uphold the rule of law and stand with those still fighting to recover what was wrongfully taken during one of history’s darkest chapters.”

    “During the Holocaust, the Nazis stripped Jewish families of countless works of art, culture, and heritage. The effects of these atrocities are still being felt today by survivors and their families,” said Rep. Jerry Nadler (NY-12). “I was proud to be a lead sponsor of the HEAR Act when it passed in 2016 and am proud to help lead my colleagues in reintroducing the bill today. As a matter of principle, we affirm that in the United States, everyone who has a credible claim deserves to have their day in court. This bill realizes that principle and ensures that every family has the right to a fair and just process based solely on the merits of their claim. We cannot fix the past, but this bill is a promise to the victims of the Holocaust that the United States is committed to creating a fair judicial process for the return of property that was wrongfully stolen during the darkest period of human history.” 

    “The Nazis murdered more than 6 million Jews, including 1.5 million children under the age of 12.  Looting art and other possessions from Jewish families was an essential part of Hitler’s concerted plan to annihilate the Jewish people. To allow museums here and in Europe, and foreign governments to keep Nazi looted art perpetuates the crimes of the Nazi regime, and demeans the memory of six million Jewish souls.  We applaud Congress for making sure that families can recover their treasured legacies, and that the true history of the Nazis’ brutal campaign of murder and theft cannot be erased or trivialized by the scoundrels who refuse to return looted art,”David Schaecter, Holocaust survivor and President of the Holocaust Survivors Foundation USA. 

    “This legislation renews and strengthens the HEAR Act, which is set to expire, by closing critical loopholes and addressing key oversights. It reaffirms our commitment to ensuring that rightful owners of Nazi-looted art—and their families—receive the restitution they are owed. Any museum that knowingly retains stolen works is complicit in perpetuating the injustice inflicted on Holocaust victims. We have both a moral and legal obligation to correct these wrongs and to ensure the crimes of the Holocaust are neither forgiven nor forgotten,”Joel Greenberg, President of Art Ashes.

    “We strongly support this legislation.  Each artwork or object taken during the Holocaust is more than property – it holds the memory of a life, a family, a community culture. Restituting these items is not simply about returning possessions; it is about restoring history, identity, and a measure of justice to those who lost everything,”said Gideon Taylor, President of World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO).

     

    Background: 

    The original HEAR Act was passed in 2016 to provide families with a fair opportunity to recover art looted by the Nazis during World War II. It created a six-year window for legal claims, starting from the time a family discovers where their stolen art is located. The law was meant to ensure that cases are decided based on facts, not thrown out due to complicated legal deadlines. However, in recent years, some courts have dismissed these claims using time-based technical defenses, which goes against the original purpose of the law. 

    The new bill eliminates the 2026 “sunset clause,” which would have ended the protections offered by the HEAR Act. It also makes clear that as long as a family files within six years of discovering their artwork’s location, their case cannot be dismissed simply because of how much time has passed. This change is especially important as the number of living Holocaust survivors continues to decline.

    The bill also responds to a 2021 Supreme Court ruling (Federal Republic of Germany v. Philipp) that made it harder to sue foreign governments involved in looting or holding art stolen during the Holocaust. Under this legislation, families will be able to bring claims in U.S. courts as long as the foreign government or museum has ties to the United States. The bill also blocks other legal defenses that could be used to avoid facing the facts in court and allows families to sue foreign defendants if they have any significant contact with the U.S., not just in one state.

    The bill is supported by a wide range of respected organizations, including: Art Ashes, Agudath Israel of America, American Jewish Committee (AJC), Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Bet Tzedek – House of Justice, Christians United for Israel (CUFI) Action Fund, Creative Community for Peace, Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum, Florida Holocaust Museum, Holocaust Center for Humanity (Seattle), Holocaust Museum Houston, Holocaust Museum LA, Holocaust Survivors Foundation USA, Illinois Holocaust Museum & Education Center, Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), Jewish Women International (JWI), Museum of Jewish Heritage – A Living Memorial to the Holocaust (New York), Nancy & David Wolf Holocaust & Humanity Center (Cincinnati), Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights, StandWithUs, The Jewish Council for Public Affairs (JCPA), Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History, World Jewish Congress, and the World Jewish Restitution Organization (WJRO).

    MIL OSI USA News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Russia: Three killed in tourist plane crash in France

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    PARIS, June 27 (Xinhua) — A tourist plane belonging to an aeroclub crashed in the commune of Chamfoll in north-central France on Friday afternoon, killing all three people on board.

    The single-engine Cessna 172 crashed in a residential area just after 4 p.m. local time, narrowly missing nearby houses, according to authorities in the Eure-et-Loir department.

    The plane crash killed two men and one woman.

    The crash site was quickly cordoned off by emergency services. An investigation is underway under the direction of the Air Transport Gendarmerie and the National Police. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Canada: Defence Minister McGuinty concludes productive visit to Europe

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    June 27, 2025 – Riga, Latvia – National Defence / Canadian Armed Forces

    Yesterday, the Honourable David J. McGuinty, Minister of National Defence, concluded a successful visit to Latvia, where he met with Latvian Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds, participated in a flower laying ceremony, and attended the first Transfer of Command Authority ceremony of the Canada-led North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Multinational Brigade in Latvia (MNB-LVA) since its establishment last year.

    During his meeting in Riga, Minister McGuinty reaffirmed Canada’s unwavering commitment to NATO’s deterrence and defence posture through the MNB-LVA. The Ministers discussed concrete opportunities to deepen defence cooperation following Canada’s June 9 defence investment announcement and underscored the importance of closer collaboration through initiatives such as Readiness 2030 (formerly ReArm Europe).

    Minister McGuinty also attended the MNB-LVA Transfer of Command Authority ceremony at Ādaži Military Base, which saw Colonel Kris Reeves assume command of the 14-nation Brigade from Colonel Cédric Aspirault. The Minister was joined by Minister Sprūds, Lieutenant-General Steve Boivin, Commander of the Canadian Joint Operations Command, and Major General Jette Albinus, Commander of Multinational Division North, among other distinguished guests. Minister McGuinty also took the opportunity to thank Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members deployed in Latvia for their dedication and service.

    This historic transition marks a milestone in Canada’s contribution to NATO’s largest reinforcement to collective defence in a generation. Canada’s contributions to the Brigade support Operation REASSURANCE, the CAF’s largest overseas mission, which plays a critical role in NATO’s deterrence and defence posture in Central and Eastern Europe.

    Prior to his visit to Latvia, Minister McGuinty joined Prime Minister Mark Carney and Minister of Foreign Affairs Anita Anand at the Canada-European Union (EU) and NATO Summits, where they reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to European defence and reinforced Canada’s support for Ukraine.

    At the Canada-EU Summit, Ministers McGuinty and Anand signed the Canada-EU Security and Defence Partnership (SDP), strengthening Canada-EU ties and enhancing security cooperation. The SDP provides a framework for dialogue and co-operation in security and defence priorities. For Canada and the EU Member States who are also NATO Allies, this will help deliver on capability targets more quickly and economically. This new partnership is the first step toward Canada’s participation in Security Action for Europe (SAFE), an instrument under Readiness 2030, which will create significant defence procurement and industrial opportunities for Canada.

    On the margins of the Canada-EU Summit, Minister McGuinty met with Belgian Minister of Defence Theo Franken as well as High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission Kaja Kallas. Together, they highlighted the importance of transatlantic security and welcomed the signature of the Canada-EU SDP.

    At the NATO Leaders’ Summit on June 24–25, in The Hague, Prime Minister Carney and Minister McGuinty reaffirmed Canada’s strong commitment to NATO and Euro-Atlantic security. Alongside their counterparts, they endorsed a new Defence Investment Pledge—outlined in the Leaders’ Declaration—committing Allies to invest five percent of GDP in defence by 2035, including at least 3.5 percent for core military spending and 1.5% for defence-related expenditures.

    Minister McGuinty also held several bilateral meetings with key Allies to advance defence cooperation. On June 24, he signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for Canada to join a NATO project regarding cooperation on establishing a multinational capacity for stockpiling of defence critical raw materials. This project will help showcase Canada’s advantage in critical minerals, while supporting Canadian defence industries and improving supply chain security across the Alliance.

    Minister McGuinty also joined Danish Defence Minister Troels Lund Poulsen, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius, and Norwegian Defence Minister Tore O. Sandvik in signing a LOI welcoming Denmark to the Maritime Security Partnership (MSP). It was established between Canada, Germany, and Norway on the margins of last year’s NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. This expanded cooperation builds on the MSP’s core pillars—innovation, materiel cooperation, industry resilience, and joint training—and strengthens maritime security in the North Atlantic. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 27 June 2025 Departmental update Partners unite to launch WHO Disability Health Equity

    Source: World Health Organisation

    WHO has launched the WHO Disability Health Equity Initiative, a landmark global initiative to advance health equity for over 1.3 billion people with disabilities.

    Unveiled on 10 June 2025, at the United Nations Headquarters in New York during the 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the initiative marks a bold step toward achieving health equity for all. The initiative aims to guide governments, health institutions, and communities in addressing barriers to care, promoting inclusive policies, and strengthening data and research on disability and health. Over 150 participants—government leaders, civil society, academia, and persons with disabilities—gathered in person, while many more joined online.

    Darryl Barrett, WHO’s Technical Lead on Disability presented a bold vision for the initiative. He discussed persistent systemic failures – political inaction, underinvestment, fragmented collaboration, and the exclusion of organizations of persons with disabilities – as critical barriers to progress. “Health systems are not fit-for-purpose,” Barrett said. “If we agree on Health for All, then we must agree that services must be inclusive and accessible. Right now, we can’t say that with confidence.”

    The Initiative is built around four strategic pillars:

    1. Leadership by persons with disabilities and their organizations
    2. Political prioritization of disability-inclusive health
    3. Inclusive health systems and service delivery
    4. Strengthening data and evidence

    Barrett also outlined how this new initiative will facilitate strategic engagement with key partners to advance health equity for persons with disabilities, including through a multi-stakeholder network, partnerships with the private sector, technical guidance development, and support for country-level implementation. He emphasized that WHO’s work has been shaped by years of collaboration with diverse partners, including organizations of persons with disabilities. “We at WHO haven’t done this by ourselves,” Barrett noted. “The strong presence of partners – both in the room and online – reflects the shared commitment needed to drive meaningful, lasting change.”

    David Duncan, Special Olympics athlete and Chair of the Global Athlete Leadership Council, delivered a powerful testimony about the discrimination people with intellectual and developmental conditions often face in health care. “Invisible, unknown, disrespected… but I know it’s possible to do better – and that’s something everyone deserves,” Duncan said.

    Norway’s Minister of Culture and Equality, Lubna Jaffery, issued a powerful call to action, urging governments to close health access gaps and uphold the rights of persons with disabilities. Emphasizing access to health services, reproductive autonomy for women with disabilities, and expanded availability of assistive products, Jaffery affirmed Norway’s leadership in disability-inclusive development. “Inclusion is not just a policy, it is a principle and we are committed to making it a reality for all.”

    Sweden’s Director-General of the Agency for Participation, Malin Ekman-Aldén, echoed this commitment, stressing that advancing health equity for persons with disabilities is a human rights imperative. She highlighted Sweden’s continued investments in inclusive development and welcomed the WHO initiative as a key driver of accountability, better data, and systemic change.

    Dirk Platzen, Director at Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, underscored the need for political leadership in building inclusive health systems. Introducing Australia’s new International Disability Equity and Rights Strategy, he called for recognition of health as a fundamental human right, not a privilege.

    Representing Germany, Michael Schloms of the Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development emphasized international collaboration, sustainable financing, and shared responsibility. Reflecting on Germany’s experience hosting global disability events and co-leading the Global Disability Summit, he reaffirmed support for the initiative and the Amman-Berlin Declaration.

    Speakers from civil society, funding agencies, and academia highlighted the importance of funding, civil society engagement, and academic research in sustaining momentum and ensuring accountability. Ola Abualghaib, Director of the Global Disability Fund, emphasized the Fund Strategy’s alignment with the new WHO initiative. Hannah Loryman, Co-Chair of the International Disability and Development Consortium UN Task Force, stressed the vital role of civil society in advocacy, technical input, and accountability. Bonnielin Swenor, Director of the Disability Health Research Center at Johns Hopkins University, highlighted academia’s responsibility to advance disability health equity through inclusive research, education, and community engagement. She called for a paradigm shift from “living with a disability” to “thriving with a disability,” driven by data and implementation science.

    This initiative offers a pathway to making better choices – choices that ensure dignity, autonomy, and the right to health for all persons with disabilities.

    Jarrod Clyne / Deputy Director of the International Disability Alliance

    Audience members raised critical issues including the need for sustainable health system funding in humanitarian crises, the inclusion of Deaf people and persons with a psychosocial condition, the importance of training health professionals, digital health acccessibility, and support for independent living – highlighting the diverse and intersectional challenges that must be addressed to achieve true health equity for persons with disabilities.

    Jarrod Clyne, Deputy Executive Director of the International Disability Alliance, closed the event by stressing the importance of persistence, partnership, and shared responsibility. “This initiative offers a pathway to making better choices – choices that ensure dignity, autonomy, and the right to health for all persons with disabilities,” he said.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Climate, conflict and energy security – our research shows how the EU’s industrial policy must change to face this polycrisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Bärnthaler, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Ecological Economics, University of Leeds

    Green energy sites like Flevoland in the Netherlands will be part of the EU’s industrial future. fokke baarssen/Shutterstock

    Industrial policy is back – it’s currently central to the agendas of both the EU and the UK. This resurgence comes amid a polycrisis marked by climate breakdown, social inequality, energy insecurity and geopolitical instability. And it reflects a wider shift. Governments across G20 countries are stepping in more actively to shape their economies, moving away from the idea that markets should be left to run themselves.

    This is an important development. But current frameworks for industrial policy risk deepening the crises they are meant to solve.

    In our research with Sebastian Mang of the New Economics Foundation, we have found that in the case of the EU, its industrial policy framework is riddled with contradictions.

    It seeks resilience, yet fails to strengthen essential public services that underpin stability. It aims for strategic autonomy, yet reinforces resource dependencies. And while it gestures towards sustainability, it remains tethered to private-sector strategies that delay the phase-out of harmful industries.

    Eroding foundations

    EU industrial policy aims to strengthen the resilience of the bloc’s single market by preventing supply chain disruptions. It rightly views Europe’s economy as an interconnected ecosystem, where shocks in one sector ripple across others. But it fails to prioritise the foundational sectors that sustain everyday life. These include essential services such as food, utilities, housing, healthcare and public transport.

    Two core issues drive this failure. First, deregulation in the single market has often extended to essential services, pushing providers to operate like private businesses. For example, liberalisation of the energy sector has contributed to volatile prices and energy poverty. And EU competition law and state aid rules have historically constrained social housing provision.

    Yet social resilience — the capacity of communities to withstand and recover from crises — and, by extension market resilience, rely on these essential services. But affordable housing, universal healthcare and affordable energy for households are often not prioritised.

    Second, EU industrial policy lacks a clear definition of which sectors are “critical” and why. This results in inconsistent lists of priority industries and technologies, while foundational sectors like energy and housing often remain overlooked.

    These blind spots have real consequences. Around 40% of Europe’s workforce is employed in foundational sectors. These sectors are where low-income households spend about two-thirds of their income. Yet they often remain precarious and undervalued, leaving Europe more exposed to economic shocks.

    To build real resilience, industrial policy must reassert public control over essential services and recognise them as priorities. This means redefining what counts as “critical”, supporting jobs in foundational sectors and accelerating public investment. This investment could be enabled through measures such as reforming the fiscal rules and with joint borrowing by member states.

    The scramble for resources

    Europe is pushing for strategic autonomy (the capacity of the bloc to act in strategically important areas, without being dependent on non-member countries). The aim is to reduce reliance on imports in key industries such as green technology.

    But to make this happen, the EU should put reducing demand for resources and energy at the centre of its industrial policy. Instead, however, its Critical Raw Materials Act foresees skyrocketing consumption of rare earths, lithium and other inputs.

    This strategy is self-defeating. It increases the likelihood of European aggression towards the rest of the world and ultimately threatens long-term security and peace for all. These tensions are already surfacing. Export restrictions on things such as nickel, cobalt and rare earth minerals are multiplying. In an era of geopolitical ruptures, these tendencies are likely to intensify.

    At the same time, resource conflicts are also escalating within Europe itself. Tensions are emerging in countries including Serbia, Portugal and Greece over lithium and copper, and the environmental and social costs of mining them. And indigenous communities such as the Sámi in northern Europe face threats to their land and rights.

    This is not to argue against increasing the extraction of raw materials within Europe. However, without an absolute reduction in energy and material use, these contradictions will deepen. To avoid these problems, the EU must centre industrial policy on reducing unnecessary demand. Some key moves could include investing in public transport instead of subsidising cars, prioritising retrofitting over new building, ending planned obsolescence and backing agro-ecology over industrial farming.

    Investing in public rather than private transport will help European nations reduce their demand on energy and materials.
    The Global Guy/Shutterstock

    Research shows that this kind of strategy could significantly lower Europe’s energy use. It could also drastically cut reliance on critical imports and contribute to achieving energy independence by 2050. This is all without compromising basic quality of life.

    If Europe wants peace and security, demand reduction is a rational approach that must be at the heart of the EU’s industrial strategy. This should be adopted alongside strengthening ties of cooperation and integration with the rest of Eurasia and the global south, rather than ramping up antagonism towards these neighbours.

    Green transition

    The EU’s vision of “competitive sustainability” rests on the belief that market incentives and the private sector can drive the green transition. Yet despite decades of efficiency improvements, high-income countries have not decoupled material use and emissions from economic growth at the speed and scale required.

    The EU remains reliant on derisking – using public subsidies, guarantees and looser regulations to make green investments attractive to private finance. But as this approach leaves both the pace and direction of change to private capital, it slows the phase-out of harmful industries.

    What’s missing is more effective economic planning to restore public control over decarbonisation. Achieving this means building on existing mechanisms capable of delivering change — such as public credit guidance. This sets rules to limit the flow of finance from commercial banks to damaging sectors while directing investment toward sustainable ones.

    China offers an example whereby the central bank has used public credit guidance to shift finance to cleaner sectors. The European Central Bank also experimented with credit guidance between 2022 and 2023, introducing climate scores for companies. And post-war France used planned credit to modernise infrastructure over two decades.

    Europe and the UK are rearming, climate shocks are intensifying and global power dynamics are shifting. This moment demands a new industrial strategy — one that prioritises foundational sectors and creates fiscal space to build resilience. Reducing demand must be a prerequisite for security, peace and strategic autonomy. And reviving economic planning tools, such as public credit guidance, can accelerate the green transition.

    Without these shifts, Europe and the UK face an increasingly unstable future. Industrial policy must change because the stakes are existential.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Climate, conflict and energy security – our research shows how the EU’s industrial policy must change to face this polycrisis – https://theconversation.com/climate-conflict-and-energy-security-our-research-shows-how-the-eus-industrial-policy-must-change-to-face-this-polycrisis-259477

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Climate, conflict and energy security – our research shows how the EU’s industrial policy must change to face this polycrisis

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Bärnthaler, Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in Ecological Economics, University of Leeds

    Green energy sites like Flevoland in the Netherlands will be part of the EU’s industrial future. fokke baarssen/Shutterstock

    Industrial policy is back – it’s currently central to the agendas of both the EU and the UK. This resurgence comes amid a polycrisis marked by climate breakdown, social inequality, energy insecurity and geopolitical instability. And it reflects a wider shift. Governments across G20 countries are stepping in more actively to shape their economies, moving away from the idea that markets should be left to run themselves.

    This is an important development. But current frameworks for industrial policy risk deepening the crises they are meant to solve.

    In our research with Sebastian Mang of the New Economics Foundation, we have found that in the case of the EU, its industrial policy framework is riddled with contradictions.

    It seeks resilience, yet fails to strengthen essential public services that underpin stability. It aims for strategic autonomy, yet reinforces resource dependencies. And while it gestures towards sustainability, it remains tethered to private-sector strategies that delay the phase-out of harmful industries.

    Eroding foundations

    EU industrial policy aims to strengthen the resilience of the bloc’s single market by preventing supply chain disruptions. It rightly views Europe’s economy as an interconnected ecosystem, where shocks in one sector ripple across others. But it fails to prioritise the foundational sectors that sustain everyday life. These include essential services such as food, utilities, housing, healthcare and public transport.

    Two core issues drive this failure. First, deregulation in the single market has often extended to essential services, pushing providers to operate like private businesses. For example, liberalisation of the energy sector has contributed to volatile prices and energy poverty. And EU competition law and state aid rules have historically constrained social housing provision.

    Yet social resilience — the capacity of communities to withstand and recover from crises — and, by extension market resilience, rely on these essential services. But affordable housing, universal healthcare and affordable energy for households are often not prioritised.

    Second, EU industrial policy lacks a clear definition of which sectors are “critical” and why. This results in inconsistent lists of priority industries and technologies, while foundational sectors like energy and housing often remain overlooked.

    These blind spots have real consequences. Around 40% of Europe’s workforce is employed in foundational sectors. These sectors are where low-income households spend about two-thirds of their income. Yet they often remain precarious and undervalued, leaving Europe more exposed to economic shocks.

    To build real resilience, industrial policy must reassert public control over essential services and recognise them as priorities. This means redefining what counts as “critical”, supporting jobs in foundational sectors and accelerating public investment. This investment could be enabled through measures such as reforming the fiscal rules and with joint borrowing by member states.

    The scramble for resources

    Europe is pushing for strategic autonomy (the capacity of the bloc to act in strategically important areas, without being dependent on non-member countries). The aim is to reduce reliance on imports in key industries such as green technology.

    But to make this happen, the EU should put reducing demand for resources and energy at the centre of its industrial policy. Instead, however, its Critical Raw Materials Act foresees skyrocketing consumption of rare earths, lithium and other inputs.

    This strategy is self-defeating. It increases the likelihood of European aggression towards the rest of the world and ultimately threatens long-term security and peace for all. These tensions are already surfacing. Export restrictions on things such as nickel, cobalt and rare earth minerals are multiplying. In an era of geopolitical ruptures, these tendencies are likely to intensify.

    At the same time, resource conflicts are also escalating within Europe itself. Tensions are emerging in countries including Serbia, Portugal and Greece over lithium and copper, and the environmental and social costs of mining them. And indigenous communities such as the Sámi in northern Europe face threats to their land and rights.

    This is not to argue against increasing the extraction of raw materials within Europe. However, without an absolute reduction in energy and material use, these contradictions will deepen. To avoid these problems, the EU must centre industrial policy on reducing unnecessary demand. Some key moves could include investing in public transport instead of subsidising cars, prioritising retrofitting over new building, ending planned obsolescence and backing agro-ecology over industrial farming.

    Investing in public rather than private transport will help European nations reduce their demand on energy and materials.
    The Global Guy/Shutterstock

    Research shows that this kind of strategy could significantly lower Europe’s energy use. It could also drastically cut reliance on critical imports and contribute to achieving energy independence by 2050. This is all without compromising basic quality of life.

    If Europe wants peace and security, demand reduction is a rational approach that must be at the heart of the EU’s industrial strategy. This should be adopted alongside strengthening ties of cooperation and integration with the rest of Eurasia and the global south, rather than ramping up antagonism towards these neighbours.

    Green transition

    The EU’s vision of “competitive sustainability” rests on the belief that market incentives and the private sector can drive the green transition. Yet despite decades of efficiency improvements, high-income countries have not decoupled material use and emissions from economic growth at the speed and scale required.

    The EU remains reliant on derisking – using public subsidies, guarantees and looser regulations to make green investments attractive to private finance. But as this approach leaves both the pace and direction of change to private capital, it slows the phase-out of harmful industries.

    What’s missing is more effective economic planning to restore public control over decarbonisation. Achieving this means building on existing mechanisms capable of delivering change — such as public credit guidance. This sets rules to limit the flow of finance from commercial banks to damaging sectors while directing investment toward sustainable ones.

    China offers an example whereby the central bank has used public credit guidance to shift finance to cleaner sectors. The European Central Bank also experimented with credit guidance between 2022 and 2023, introducing climate scores for companies. And post-war France used planned credit to modernise infrastructure over two decades.

    Europe and the UK are rearming, climate shocks are intensifying and global power dynamics are shifting. This moment demands a new industrial strategy — one that prioritises foundational sectors and creates fiscal space to build resilience. Reducing demand must be a prerequisite for security, peace and strategic autonomy. And reviving economic planning tools, such as public credit guidance, can accelerate the green transition.

    Without these shifts, Europe and the UK face an increasingly unstable future. Industrial policy must change because the stakes are existential.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Climate, conflict and energy security – our research shows how the EU’s industrial policy must change to face this polycrisis – https://theconversation.com/climate-conflict-and-energy-security-our-research-shows-how-the-eus-industrial-policy-must-change-to-face-this-polycrisis-259477

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: JAMining launches AI multi-currency cloud mining platform to prepare for the next cryptocurrency bull market

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recently, the price of Bitcoin has successfully broken through $105,000, and Ethereum has also stabilized at the $2,400 mark. Mainstream currencies such as Solana, XRP, Litecoin and Dogecoin have all ushered in a strong rebound, and investors’ attention has reached an all-time high. JAMining’s AI-driven cloud mining solution provides a reliable entry point for investors to seize this round of market conditions.

    AI drives mining decisions to optimize returns

    Different from the single mining strategy of traditional cloud mining platforms, JAMining platform relies on advanced AI algorithms to automatically optimize mining portfolios based on real-time market conditions and the performance of various currencies. This technology can significantly improve the performance of investment portfolios and greatly reduce the difficulty of manual management for users, truly maximizing passive income around the clock.

    Flexible contracts, stable returns, and low barriers to entry

    The platform has launched a variety of flexible contract plans. Whether investors are pursuing short-term gains or long-term stable returns, they can choose a suitable investment plan based on their own financial situation and risk preferences:

    Affiliate program and new user benefits to enhance investment experience

    In order to further encourage investors to share and participate, the JAMining platform has specially launched a multi-level alliance program, where users can get up to 5% referral commission for successful referrals. At the same time, new users can receive a cloud mining experience package worth $100 for free after completing registration and enjoy daily income.

    Real feedback from users

    “I never thought that investing in cryptocurrency could be so simple and efficient. JAMining’s AI system allows me to avoid spending time managing equipment or analyzing the market, and the income is credited to my account on time every day. This experience is far beyond my expectations!” —— Sophia R., JAMining senior user, Germany

    The industry has broad prospects, and smart mining has become the mainstream trend

    As cryptocurrencies enter the mainstream, more and more investors are turning to cloud mining, which does not require equipment or expertise. The launch of JAMining marks a milestone in the deep integration of artificial intelligence and crypto investment, providing a replicable intelligent investment paradigm for the next wave of crypto asset investment.

    About JAMining

    Dedicated to providing simple, secure and stable cloud mining services. and currently has millions of users around the world. It provides users with industry-leading intelligent cloud mining solutions through AI algorithms and security technologies.

    Take Action Now

    For more details and to register for free cloud mining packages, please visit the official link: https://jamining.com/

     

    Media Contact:
    JAMining PR Department
    Email: info@jamining.com
    Official website: https://jamining.com/

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

    The MIL Network –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI: Eavor Announces Leadership Transition: John Redfern to Step Down as CEO

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 27, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Eavor Technologies Inc., a leader in next generation geothermal technology, today announced that John Redfern will be stepping down as Chief Executive Officer for personal reasons. Redfern, as an eight-year company veteran and co-founder, will continue his association with the company in a strategic advisory role. As CEO, Redfern has led the company from inception through numerous major accomplishments, including raising over half a billion in equity, overseeing first of a kind technology development through several demonstrations globally, and driving the team to its first commercial project in Geretsried, Germany which is scheduled to come on stream later this year.  

    “I am immensely proud of all my colleagues at Eavor and what they’ve accomplished,” said Redfern. “We’ve gone from having this initially counter-intuitive idea for a closed-loop geothermal system, to now implementing the technology on a commercial-scale. It has been a privilege to be part of such an extraordinary team and its mission. You can be certain I will continue to support the Eavor team in any way I can as it embarks on this next stage of its journey and again redefines what is possible.”

    In the interim, Robert Winsloe, currently serving as EVP Origination, will assume the role of CEO while the company conducts its search for a permanent successor. Winsloe has been with Eavor for eight years, demonstrating exceptional leadership and strategic vision, making him well-positioned to guide the organization during this transitional period.

    “We are grateful for John’s leadership and dedication to Eavor,” said Doug Beach, Chair of the Board. “John’s vision has been instrumental in driving our success, and we are pleased he will continue his work with us in an advisory role. As we begin the search for our next CEO, we are confident that Robert will provide the requisite leadership and stability.”

    Winsloe, one of Eavor’s co-founders and the architect behind Eavor’s market development strategy and the pipeline of Eavor-Loop™ projects around the world, also expressed his appreciation for Redfern’s significant contribution and the opportunity to step in as CEO: “I would like to thank John for his visionary leadership and dedication to Eavor in bringing us to within touching distance of first power at our commercial project in Germany. It’s an exciting time to step into the role and lead our incredibly talented team as we continue to focus on our long-held mission of making geothermal power development possible at scale, everywhere.”

    Additional Information

    • In June 2025, Eavor secured up to C$138 million to support the global scale-up of our proprietary Eavor-Loop™ system.
    • Located in Bavaria, the Geretsried project is the first commercial deployment of the Eavor-Loop™ system. It is designed to deliver approximately 8.2 MW of electricity and 64 MW of thermal energy for district heating, with a projected annual offset of over 44,000 tonnes of CO₂.
      • The project was awarded €91.6 million from the EU Innovation Fund.
      • Named “Geothermal Deal of the Year” by IJGlobal (2024).
    • For more, read our 2024 Year in Review and learn about Eavor’s technology developments here.

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Tracy Larsson
    Senior Communications Specialist
    368-338-8154
    tracy.larsson@eavor.com

    About Eavor Technologies Inc.
    Eavor (pronounced “Ever”) is a next-generation geothermal technology company led by a team dedicated to creating a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future on a global scale. Eavor’s solution (Eavor-Loop™) represents the world’s first truly scalable form of clean, dispatchable, baseload capable, and flexible heat and power. Eavor achieves this by mitigating or eliminating many of the issues that have traditionally hindered geothermal energy. Eavor instead circulates a benign working fluid that is completely isolated from the environment in a closed-loop, through a massive subsurface radiator. This radiator simply collects heat from the natural geothermal gradient of the Earth via conduction. Eavor has been supported by equity investments made by several leading global energy producers, investors, developers, and venture capital funds including Vickers Venture Partners, bp Ventures, Chubu Electric Power, BDC Capital, Temasek, BHP Ventures, OMV, Canada Growth Fund, Kajima Corporation, and Microsoft Climate Innovation Fund. Learn more at Eavor.com.

    The MIL Network –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Central African Republic at ‘Delicate Juncture’ ahead of Election Cycle, Peacekeeping Chief Tells Security Council, Urging International Support to Strengthen Democracy

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    As it prepares to hold elections, the Central African Republic stands at a delicate juncture, and international support is key to consolidate its unique opportunity to strengthen democracy and national reconciliation, the Security Council heard today from the top UN peacekeeping official, as well as the country’s representative.

    “This year is of particular significance for the Central African Republic as the country is preparing to organize local, presidential and legislative elections,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations said.  He highlighted the efforts of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to assist the Government’s electoral preparations.

    Elections are a key component of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, he pointed out.  However — and despite significant political will — local elections were postponed on several occasions due to financial, technical and logistical challenges.  “The electoral process is at a turning point and there’s a critical need to safeguard and preserve the progress that has been achieved.”  The international community must mobilize resources to prevent any backsliding. 

    Mistrust, Tensions Remain Despite Efforts to Implement 19 April Peace Agreement

    “The political situation remains punctuated by mistrust and tensions” between the majority in power and the opposition, he said, while noting efforts to implement the peace agreement reached on 19 April between the Government, and the Unité pour la paix en Centrafrique, or UPC and Retour, Réclamation, Réhabilitation, or 3R. Despite progress in expanding the authority of the State, violence by armed groups and militias continues to compromise stability.  The Government is collaborating with MINUSCA to improve border security, he said, noting the spillover of the Sudanese conflict in the north-east.  He also noted an attack on 28 March near Tabane, Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, which took the life of a Kenyan military observer.

    On the humanitarian front, “urgent needs continue to outpace available resources”, he said, noting the suspension of critical services of some of the most vulnerable populations.  Also noting persistent conflict-related sexual violence and violations of children’s rights, he said the Government, supported by the Mission, is making efforts to advance transitional justice mechanisms. Further, the Special Criminal Court is playing a significant role in the fight against impunity and transitional justice, and requires financial and human resources to sustain its activities.

    Calling on the Council to help consolidate the gains made by the country, he said:  “If these efforts are sustained in the spirit of partnership and shared responsibility, the Central African Republic has the potential to become a true success story, not only for Central Africans, but also for peacekeeping and for this Security Council.”

    He also recalled the tragic fire that occurred on Wednesday at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui and expressed condolences to all the affected families.  Further, six days ago a MINUSCA patrol was attacked during an operation in response to signaling of attacks by armed Sudanese elements, resulting in the tragic loss of a Zambian blue helmet, he said, condemning that attack.

    Delegates Urge Investigation into Deadly Attack on MINUSCA Patrol

    In the ensuing discussion, speakers expressed their condolences for both events, and several called for an investigation into the attack on the MINUSCA patrol.

    Central African Republic’s Representative Points to National Reconciliation Efforts, ‘Promise of Rebirth’

    The representative of the Central African Republic called for a moment of silence in honor of the victims of these incidents.  “Recent progress reflects steadfast political will to end the cycle of violence” in his country, he said.  The inclusive political dialogue supported by the President and the 19 April ceasefire agreement providing for the dissolution of certain armed groups are examples of this.  Also detailing Government efforts to re-establish authority throughout the country, he said that the “triptych” of State authority, security and justice “represents our vision for national reconstruction”.  Further, he said, the lifting of the arms embargo in July 2024 was a “turning point”, which allowed national forces to be equipped through a legal, transparent framework.

    “However, force alone is not enough,” he observed, detailing additional Government efforts to establish peace, hold elections, uphold the rule of law and assist victims of sexual violence.  Nevertheless, the Sudanese conflict is a “genuine” threat, he said, reporting that a joint force established by his country and Chad in March aims to address its spillover.  “This mechanism,” he stated, “is part of a new generation of bilateral African cooperation in the service of collective security.”  For its part, he called on the Council to provide political, institutional, security and financial support.  He added that his country is not an “emergency situation”; rather, “it is a promise of rebirth”.

    Council members welcomed these positive developments, with the representative of Guyana, Council President for June, speaking in her national capacity and also for Somalia, Algeria and Sierra Leone, hailing the ongoing implementation of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, the integration of 9 of 14 armed groups and the continued expansion of State authority across the country.  Also underscoring “the importance of the upcoming local and national elections as a milestone for democratic consolidation”, she said the international community must help address the significant funding gap affecting the electoral process.

    Unpaid Assessed Contributions for MINUSCA Raises Concern

    However, she also expressed concern about the ineffective implementation of the arms embargo and the persistent insecurity in various regions.  This is “exacerbated by armed groups competing over natural resources and trade routes”, she said, calling on non-signatory armed groups to join the peace process.  Noting the spillover effects from the Sudan conflict, she condemned the incursions by the Rapid Support Forces into Central African Republic territory and their reported collaboration with local armed groups. MINUSCA’s resource constraints, including unpaid assessed contributions, stand at over $400 million, she said, stressing that adequate and timely financing is essential for the Mission to deliver on its mandate, especially during this critical electoral period.

    Agreeing, the speaker for Slovenia, welcoming MINUSCA’s “proactive peacekeeping posture”, said it should be equipped with adequate support to ensure the safety of civilians and its own personnel.  The representative of Pakistan said that his country is proud to have 1,400 troops serving in MINUSCA.  “We will soon deploy a level-two field hospital in the Mission, which will provide medical facilities to uniformed personnel, civilian staff, Government officials and the local population,” he added.  However, pointing out that MINUSCA’s operational capacity is “crippled” by unpaid contributions, he urged Member States to pay in full and on time.

    Panama’s delegate added:  “Experience has taught us that withdrawing from a peace mission too soon may end up being more costly than sustaining it.”  Welcoming the Government’s efforts towards security sector reform, he urged finalization of the “military programming law”, which will “allow for clearer articulation of the needs of the defence sector”.

    Focus on Fighting Arms Trafficking and Combatants

    “The Central African Republic is on the path of returning to peace and security,” said France’s representative, as he asked the Council to continue assisting the Government in its fight against arms trafficking and combatants.  He pledged that his country would work together with all Council members and the Central African Republic on the renewal of the coercive measures against the armed groups outlined in resolution 2745 (2024).

    The representative of the United States said his delegation looks forward to engaging with Member States on renewing that sanctions regime.  He also expressed concern that Government regulations on fuel imports restrict MINUSCA’s operations, emphasizing that forcing the Mission to rely solely on Government-designated importers results in inflated fuel prices.  “This must stop,” he declared, urging the Government to uphold the status-of-forces agreement.

    International Support Must Respect Central African Republic’s Sovereignty

    “There is no room here for the obsolete, discredited colonialist practices, nor for their contemporary manifestations thereof,” warned the representative of the Russian Federation.  She voiced confidence in Bangui’s ability to translate security gains into socioeconomic progress, emphasizing that normalization — supported by the UN and international financial institutions — can become “irreversible” if grounded in respect for sovereignty and non-interference. The Government now controls nearly the entire national territory and the capabilities of the national armed forces are growing.  Armed groups must seize this opportunity to engage constructively with the authorities.  “The abandonment of armed struggle is the only path,” she said, warning:  “The alternative to this is well known — that is a one-way ticket.”

    Elections Must Be Timely, Orderly, Inclusive

    “The Central African Republic stands at a pivotal point in its transition from post-conflict recovery to sustainable development,” said the representative of the Republic of Korea, urging the Government to uphold its commitment to ensure timely, orderly and inclusive local, legislative and presidential elections, a call taken up by several speakers today.

    The representative of Denmark commended the work of the Government, National Elections Authority, MINUSCA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in advancing preparations for elections.  She added:  “It is essential that all groups in society — especially women, young voters and internally displaced persons — can participate fully and freely.”  The representative of the United Kingdom, called on the Government — with MINUSCA’s support — to ensure a safe environment during all stages of the electoral cycle.  Greece’s delegate pointed out that “an expanding political and civic space is the most trustworthy pathway towards a demonstrated commitment by all stakeholders for further implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation.”

    While the Central African Republic is entering a critical phase of economic recovery, China’s delegate said, it continues to face significant challenges, including a widening fiscal deficit, high inflation and power shortages.  The international community should prioritize helping countries, like this, achieve sustainable development by providing support in key areas, such as infrastructure, education and employment — aligned with the priorities outlined in the country’s National Development Action Plan.  “This,” he emphasized, “will in turn help consolidate the foundation for peace”.  At the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Beijing announced zero tariffs on 100 per cent of products from 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to China, he added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Central African Republic at ‘Delicate Juncture’ ahead of Election Cycle, Peacekeeping Chief Tells Security Council, Urging International Support to Strengthen Democracy

    Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

    As it prepares to hold elections, the Central African Republic stands at a delicate juncture, and international support is key to consolidate its unique opportunity to strengthen democracy and national reconciliation, the Security Council heard today from the top UN peacekeeping official, as well as the country’s representative.

    “This year is of particular significance for the Central African Republic as the country is preparing to organize local, presidential and legislative elections,” Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations said.  He highlighted the efforts of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) to assist the Government’s electoral preparations.

    Elections are a key component of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, he pointed out.  However — and despite significant political will — local elections were postponed on several occasions due to financial, technical and logistical challenges.  “The electoral process is at a turning point and there’s a critical need to safeguard and preserve the progress that has been achieved.”  The international community must mobilize resources to prevent any backsliding. 

    Mistrust, Tensions Remain Despite Efforts to Implement 19 April Peace Agreement

    “The political situation remains punctuated by mistrust and tensions” between the majority in power and the opposition, he said, while noting efforts to implement the peace agreement reached on 19 April between the Government, and the Unité pour la paix en Centrafrique, or UPC and Retour, Réclamation, Réhabilitation, or 3R. Despite progress in expanding the authority of the State, violence by armed groups and militias continues to compromise stability.  The Government is collaborating with MINUSCA to improve border security, he said, noting the spillover of the Sudanese conflict in the north-east.  He also noted an attack on 28 March near Tabane, Haut-Mbomou Prefecture, which took the life of a Kenyan military observer.

    On the humanitarian front, “urgent needs continue to outpace available resources”, he said, noting the suspension of critical services of some of the most vulnerable populations.  Also noting persistent conflict-related sexual violence and violations of children’s rights, he said the Government, supported by the Mission, is making efforts to advance transitional justice mechanisms. Further, the Special Criminal Court is playing a significant role in the fight against impunity and transitional justice, and requires financial and human resources to sustain its activities.

    Calling on the Council to help consolidate the gains made by the country, he said:  “If these efforts are sustained in the spirit of partnership and shared responsibility, the Central African Republic has the potential to become a true success story, not only for Central Africans, but also for peacekeeping and for this Security Council.”

    He also recalled the tragic fire that occurred on Wednesday at Barthelemy Boganda High School in Bangui and expressed condolences to all the affected families.  Further, six days ago a MINUSCA patrol was attacked during an operation in response to signaling of attacks by armed Sudanese elements, resulting in the tragic loss of a Zambian blue helmet, he said, condemning that attack.

    Delegates Urge Investigation into Deadly Attack on MINUSCA Patrol

    In the ensuing discussion, speakers expressed their condolences for both events, and several called for an investigation into the attack on the MINUSCA patrol.

    Central African Republic’s Representative Points to National Reconciliation Efforts, ‘Promise of Rebirth’

    The representative of the Central African Republic called for a moment of silence in honor of the victims of these incidents.  “Recent progress reflects steadfast political will to end the cycle of violence” in his country, he said.  The inclusive political dialogue supported by the President and the 19 April ceasefire agreement providing for the dissolution of certain armed groups are examples of this.  Also detailing Government efforts to re-establish authority throughout the country, he said that the “triptych” of State authority, security and justice “represents our vision for national reconstruction”.  Further, he said, the lifting of the arms embargo in July 2024 was a “turning point”, which allowed national forces to be equipped through a legal, transparent framework.

    “However, force alone is not enough,” he observed, detailing additional Government efforts to establish peace, hold elections, uphold the rule of law and assist victims of sexual violence.  Nevertheless, the Sudanese conflict is a “genuine” threat, he said, reporting that a joint force established by his country and Chad in March aims to address its spillover.  “This mechanism,” he stated, “is part of a new generation of bilateral African cooperation in the service of collective security.”  For its part, he called on the Council to provide political, institutional, security and financial support.  He added that his country is not an “emergency situation”; rather, “it is a promise of rebirth”.

    Council members welcomed these positive developments, with the representative of Guyana, Council President for June, speaking in her national capacity and also for Somalia, Algeria and Sierra Leone, hailing the ongoing implementation of the 2019 Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation, the integration of 9 of 14 armed groups and the continued expansion of State authority across the country.  Also underscoring “the importance of the upcoming local and national elections as a milestone for democratic consolidation”, she said the international community must help address the significant funding gap affecting the electoral process.

    Unpaid Assessed Contributions for MINUSCA Raises Concern

    However, she also expressed concern about the ineffective implementation of the arms embargo and the persistent insecurity in various regions.  This is “exacerbated by armed groups competing over natural resources and trade routes”, she said, calling on non-signatory armed groups to join the peace process.  Noting the spillover effects from the Sudan conflict, she condemned the incursions by the Rapid Support Forces into Central African Republic territory and their reported collaboration with local armed groups. MINUSCA’s resource constraints, including unpaid assessed contributions, stand at over $400 million, she said, stressing that adequate and timely financing is essential for the Mission to deliver on its mandate, especially during this critical electoral period.

    Agreeing, the speaker for Slovenia, welcoming MINUSCA’s “proactive peacekeeping posture”, said it should be equipped with adequate support to ensure the safety of civilians and its own personnel.  The representative of Pakistan said that his country is proud to have 1,400 troops serving in MINUSCA.  “We will soon deploy a level-two field hospital in the Mission, which will provide medical facilities to uniformed personnel, civilian staff, Government officials and the local population,” he added.  However, pointing out that MINUSCA’s operational capacity is “crippled” by unpaid contributions, he urged Member States to pay in full and on time.

    Panama’s delegate added:  “Experience has taught us that withdrawing from a peace mission too soon may end up being more costly than sustaining it.”  Welcoming the Government’s efforts towards security sector reform, he urged finalization of the “military programming law”, which will “allow for clearer articulation of the needs of the defence sector”.

    Focus on Fighting Arms Trafficking and Combatants

    “The Central African Republic is on the path of returning to peace and security,” said France’s representative, as he asked the Council to continue assisting the Government in its fight against arms trafficking and combatants.  He pledged that his country would work together with all Council members and the Central African Republic on the renewal of the coercive measures against the armed groups outlined in resolution 2745 (2024).

    The representative of the United States said his delegation looks forward to engaging with Member States on renewing that sanctions regime.  He also expressed concern that Government regulations on fuel imports restrict MINUSCA’s operations, emphasizing that forcing the Mission to rely solely on Government-designated importers results in inflated fuel prices.  “This must stop,” he declared, urging the Government to uphold the status-of-forces agreement.

    International Support Must Respect Central African Republic’s Sovereignty

    “There is no room here for the obsolete, discredited colonialist practices, nor for their contemporary manifestations thereof,” warned the representative of the Russian Federation.  She voiced confidence in Bangui’s ability to translate security gains into socioeconomic progress, emphasizing that normalization — supported by the UN and international financial institutions — can become “irreversible” if grounded in respect for sovereignty and non-interference. The Government now controls nearly the entire national territory and the capabilities of the national armed forces are growing.  Armed groups must seize this opportunity to engage constructively with the authorities.  “The abandonment of armed struggle is the only path,” she said, warning:  “The alternative to this is well known — that is a one-way ticket.”

    Elections Must Be Timely, Orderly, Inclusive

    “The Central African Republic stands at a pivotal point in its transition from post-conflict recovery to sustainable development,” said the representative of the Republic of Korea, urging the Government to uphold its commitment to ensure timely, orderly and inclusive local, legislative and presidential elections, a call taken up by several speakers today.

    The representative of Denmark commended the work of the Government, National Elections Authority, MINUSCA and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in advancing preparations for elections.  She added:  “It is essential that all groups in society — especially women, young voters and internally displaced persons — can participate fully and freely.”  The representative of the United Kingdom, called on the Government — with MINUSCA’s support — to ensure a safe environment during all stages of the electoral cycle.  Greece’s delegate pointed out that “an expanding political and civic space is the most trustworthy pathway towards a demonstrated commitment by all stakeholders for further implementation of the Political Agreement for Peace and Reconciliation.”

    While the Central African Republic is entering a critical phase of economic recovery, China’s delegate said, it continues to face significant challenges, including a widening fiscal deficit, high inflation and power shortages.  The international community should prioritize helping countries, like this, achieve sustainable development by providing support in key areas, such as infrastructure, education and employment — aligned with the priorities outlined in the country’s National Development Action Plan.  “This,” he emphasized, “will in turn help consolidate the foundation for peace”.  At the recent Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Beijing announced zero tariffs on 100 per cent of products from 53 African countries with diplomatic ties to China, he added.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: With Child Rights Violations at Record High, Speakers Urge Course Correction in Day-Long Security Council Debate

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    In the wake of unprecedented violence against children in 2024, the Security Council heard today that the world is failing to protect them from the horrors of war — and that urgent action is needed to correct this course — during a day-long debate on children and armed conflict.

    “The year 2024 marked a devastating new record,” reported Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, as the UN verified 41,370 grave violations against children — a “staggering” 25 per cent increase from 2023.  “Behind these numbers are the shattered stories, dreams and futures of 22,495 children, each of them profoundly affected by war, displacement and the collapse of protection systems that should have served as their shield,” she stressed.  Spotlighting the “sharp” rise in the number of children subjected to multiple grave violations — 3,137 in total — she said this is a “stark reminder of the compounded vulnerabilities children face in conflict settings”.

    Nearly 12,000 Children Killed or Maimed in 2024

    Detailing “the six grave violations the Security Council entrusted to my office”, she said that, in 2024, 11,967 children were killed or maimed — the highest number “since this mandate was established over two decades ago”.  Further, there were 7,402 cases of recruitment and use; 1,982 cases of sexual violence; 2,374 cases of attacks on schools and hospitals; thousands of children were forcibly abducted; and denied humanitarian access is now one of the greatest obstacles to protecting children in conflict zones.  “These atrocities against children span the globe,” she underscored, which demonstrates the universal, indiscriminate nature of these grave violations.

    Also noting that Government forces “remained the principal perpetrators” of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access, she stressed:  “We cannot continue to stand by and watch with no action what is happening to the children globally — and especially in Gaza.”  She therefore urged the international community, inter alia, to call on all parties to conflict to engage with the UN to develop, sign and fully implement action plans that end and prevent these violations.  Adding that the children and armed conflict mandate has proven its value, she urged:  “Let us prove that it matters — that they, our children, matter.”

    Explosives Leading Cause of Child Casualties

    Also briefing the Council was Sheema Sen Gupta, Director of Child Protection and Migration of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who stated that today’s report “once again confirms what too many children already know — that the world is failing to protect them from the horrors of war”.  She highlighted two “deeply disturbing” trends.  First, the increased use of explosive weapons in populated areas is now the leading cause of child casualties in many of the world’s conflicts, accounting for over 70 per cent of all incidents of killing and maiming. Second is the surge in sexual violence, and she reported that verified cases of such violence against children increased by 35 per cent in 2024.

    On that, she noted that nearly 10,000 cases of sexual violence were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the first two months of 2025, with children constituting over 40 per cent of those affected.  Nevertheless, this agenda “remains a source of hope”, with over 16,000 children receiving protection and reintegration support in 2024.  Calling on all parties to conflict to stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, she also underlined the need to protect and expand humanitarian space.  “Fund this agenda,” she added, stressing:  “Children are not collateral damage.”

    Growing Up in War

    Next, Sila — a 17-year-old girl from Idlib, Syria — said that she is part of a generation of thousands of children that has lived through war and knows nothing of safety.  “Rather, I know nothing but smoke, shelling, displacement and fear,” she said.  Stating that she came to the Council to talk about the pain that remains after war, she described a childhood in which her home was a suitcase as bombings forced her family to constantly move.  “My childhood was full of fear and anxiety, and I was deprived of people I loved,” she said.  She added: “Imagine that you go to school, and you hear the sound of the plane over your head, and you don’t know if the projectile will hit your school or your home.”

    War does not end when the bombing stops, she added.  “The real danger remains after the war — the landmines, the unexploded shells and the life that turns into death traps,” she said, pointing out that “many people lost their limbs — or even their lives — without participating in any battle”.  Now, she works with a humanitarian organization to raise awareness about the dangers posed by remnants of war.  “It’s our turn to speak and raise our voices, and to educate others,” she said. She stressed:  “Today, I did not come as a victim — I came as a witness.” As such, she asked for the international community’s support so that children can achieve their dreams and opportunities.

    “It is my fervent hope that today’s debate will be an opportunity not just to express outrage, but to follow through with tangible action,” stressed Vindhya Vasini Persaud, Minister for Human Services and Social Security of Guyana and Council President for June, speaking in her national capacity as the floor opened.  Similarly, Greece’s representative, Chair of the Working Group on this agenda item, welcomed today’s report as a call “not just for reflection on one of the gravest affronts to international law, but also for action”.  He asked those present:  “Do we live up to our promises to children?”

    Mandate Holder’s Response Muted

    Most statements suggested otherwise.  Algeria’s representative posed his own question: “How can we ignore the 7,188 verified grave violations attributed to Israeli forces?”  Stressing that the response of the Special Representative’s office to this matter has been “strikingly insufficient”, he said that its statements “fall critically short of the decisive and sustained condemnation warranted by the immense scale of the crisis”.  He concluded:  “The protection of children in conflict demands a more vigorous — a more vocal — response to the unparalleled crisis in Gaza.”

    The representative of the United Kingdom, for his part, pointed to the Palestinians killed trying to reach “the few aid sites permitted by Israel”.  “This is unacceptable,” he stated, calling on Israel to abide by its obligations to protect children and to enable aid to enter Gaza at scale.  China’s representative also called on Israel to lift its humanitarian blockade.  The representative of Sierra Leone — expressing similar concern over the “appalling humanitarian situation confronting children in Gaza” — emphasized that it is States — especially those exercising territorial control — that must ensure the protection of civilians.

    The representative of the Russian Federation also emphasized States’ leading role in this context, emphasizing:  “This is why this theme — more than any other theme — requires intergovernmental cooperation and must, under no circumstances, be politicized.”  However, he said that the structures assisting the Council in this regard “have not demonstrated themselves to be paragons of impartiality”, as the report continues to include “unverified figures about children in Ukraine”.  Further spotlighting a “continuous reduction in Russian child victims in the report”, he said that it does not include figures of the children killed or maimed by Ukraine’s armed forces.

    Pakistan’s representative, meanwhile, pointed out that it took the killing of thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza for the situation to be included in the last year’s report.  And while welcoming this year’s removal of references to his country as a situation of concern — “a long-overdue correction” — he expressed regret that the previously documented plight of children in “the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir” was omitted without justification.

    Report Offers ‘Sobering Snapshot’

    Nevertheless, the representative of the United States said that the report is a “sobering snapshot”, which “serves as a poignant reminder of the urgency and necessity of strengthening the international community’s child-protection capacity”.  Observing that “alarm bells should be ringing everywhere”, Slovenia’s representative stressed:  “We need to do better.”  Panama’s representative said that there is an “urgent need to broaden social-integration programmes with a focus on young people to rebuild their futures”.  The representative of France called for capacity-building to protect children in peacekeeping operations.

    Offering another proposal, the representative of the Republic of Korea said that “listening to and empowering survivors must be the starting point of any survivor-centred response”, for which he expressed support.  To that end, Seoul has contributed $8.6 million to prevent gender-based violence and assist survivors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  In that vein, Denmark’s representative urged that all monitoring, prevention and response efforts account for the gendered impact of grave violations, as they have “distinct and profound effects on girls and boys”.

    Somalia’s representative, however, concluded:  “It is only by striving to end wars — and by investing earnestly in the prevention of new ones — that we can hope to guarantee a world where no child is left to bear the wounds of war.”  Similarly, Ukraine’s representative said that “one simple thing” is needed to stop the Russian Federation from killing and maiming children in Ukraine — “a full, unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days as a first step towards just and lasting peace”.  The representative of Lebanon, too, said that children have suffered from the ravages of numerous wars that have broken out on Lebanese territory:  “They pay a hefty toll for the mistakes of adults.”

    He, along with other Member States, also drew attention to the high number of violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  “What is happening in Gaza now is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and humanitarian values,” said Saudi Arabia’s representative.  However, Israel’s representative — pointing to “one of the most outrageous statements I have ever seen in official UN documents” — noted that the Secretary-General has called on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to develop action plans with the UN, and on Israel to sign a matching one. Adding that the report “switches the roles of victim and aggressor”, he rejected the “grotesque false equivalence between a sovereign democracy and a terror regime”.

    Success Stories

    Yet, there were positive notes.  The observer for the African Union reported that the bloc has adopted a comprehensive legal and policy framework for protecting children, particularly in conflict situations.  El Salvador’s representative pointed to her country’s “drastically” reduced homicide rates and provision of psychosocial care, education and reintegration programmes to victims of violence.  The representative of the Philippines, for her part, welcomed the removal of her country as a situation of concern in the next report, which is a testament to its whole-of-Government approach and sustained, strategic collaboration with the UN.  She stated:  “We hope that the Philippines’ story will serve as an inspiration of what we, as a global community, can do for children everywhere — to let children be children.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: With Child Rights Violations at Record High, Speakers Urge Course Correction in Day-Long Security Council Debate

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    In the wake of unprecedented violence against children in 2024, the Security Council heard today that the world is failing to protect them from the horrors of war — and that urgent action is needed to correct this course — during a day-long debate on children and armed conflict.

    “The year 2024 marked a devastating new record,” reported Virginia Gamba, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, as the UN verified 41,370 grave violations against children — a “staggering” 25 per cent increase from 2023.  “Behind these numbers are the shattered stories, dreams and futures of 22,495 children, each of them profoundly affected by war, displacement and the collapse of protection systems that should have served as their shield,” she stressed.  Spotlighting the “sharp” rise in the number of children subjected to multiple grave violations — 3,137 in total — she said this is a “stark reminder of the compounded vulnerabilities children face in conflict settings”.

    Nearly 12,000 Children Killed or Maimed in 2024

    Detailing “the six grave violations the Security Council entrusted to my office”, she said that, in 2024, 11,967 children were killed or maimed — the highest number “since this mandate was established over two decades ago”.  Further, there were 7,402 cases of recruitment and use; 1,982 cases of sexual violence; 2,374 cases of attacks on schools and hospitals; thousands of children were forcibly abducted; and denied humanitarian access is now one of the greatest obstacles to protecting children in conflict zones.  “These atrocities against children span the globe,” she underscored, which demonstrates the universal, indiscriminate nature of these grave violations.

    Also noting that Government forces “remained the principal perpetrators” of the killing and maiming of children, attacks on schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access, she stressed:  “We cannot continue to stand by and watch with no action what is happening to the children globally — and especially in Gaza.”  She therefore urged the international community, inter alia, to call on all parties to conflict to engage with the UN to develop, sign and fully implement action plans that end and prevent these violations.  Adding that the children and armed conflict mandate has proven its value, she urged:  “Let us prove that it matters — that they, our children, matter.”

    Explosives Leading Cause of Child Casualties

    Also briefing the Council was Sheema Sen Gupta, Director of Child Protection and Migration of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), who stated that today’s report “once again confirms what too many children already know — that the world is failing to protect them from the horrors of war”.  She highlighted two “deeply disturbing” trends.  First, the increased use of explosive weapons in populated areas is now the leading cause of child casualties in many of the world’s conflicts, accounting for over 70 per cent of all incidents of killing and maiming. Second is the surge in sexual violence, and she reported that verified cases of such violence against children increased by 35 per cent in 2024.

    On that, she noted that nearly 10,000 cases of sexual violence were reported in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the first two months of 2025, with children constituting over 40 per cent of those affected.  Nevertheless, this agenda “remains a source of hope”, with over 16,000 children receiving protection and reintegration support in 2024.  Calling on all parties to conflict to stop the use of explosive weapons in populated areas, she also underlined the need to protect and expand humanitarian space.  “Fund this agenda,” she added, stressing:  “Children are not collateral damage.”

    Growing Up in War

    Next, Sila — a 17-year-old girl from Idlib, Syria — said that she is part of a generation of thousands of children that has lived through war and knows nothing of safety.  “Rather, I know nothing but smoke, shelling, displacement and fear,” she said.  Stating that she came to the Council to talk about the pain that remains after war, she described a childhood in which her home was a suitcase as bombings forced her family to constantly move.  “My childhood was full of fear and anxiety, and I was deprived of people I loved,” she said.  She added: “Imagine that you go to school, and you hear the sound of the plane over your head, and you don’t know if the projectile will hit your school or your home.”

    War does not end when the bombing stops, she added.  “The real danger remains after the war — the landmines, the unexploded shells and the life that turns into death traps,” she said, pointing out that “many people lost their limbs — or even their lives — without participating in any battle”.  Now, she works with a humanitarian organization to raise awareness about the dangers posed by remnants of war.  “It’s our turn to speak and raise our voices, and to educate others,” she said. She stressed:  “Today, I did not come as a victim — I came as a witness.” As such, she asked for the international community’s support so that children can achieve their dreams and opportunities.

    “It is my fervent hope that today’s debate will be an opportunity not just to express outrage, but to follow through with tangible action,” stressed Vindhya Vasini Persaud, Minister for Human Services and Social Security of Guyana and Council President for June, speaking in her national capacity as the floor opened.  Similarly, Greece’s representative, Chair of the Working Group on this agenda item, welcomed today’s report as a call “not just for reflection on one of the gravest affronts to international law, but also for action”.  He asked those present:  “Do we live up to our promises to children?”

    Mandate Holder’s Response Muted

    Most statements suggested otherwise.  Algeria’s representative posed his own question: “How can we ignore the 7,188 verified grave violations attributed to Israeli forces?”  Stressing that the response of the Special Representative’s office to this matter has been “strikingly insufficient”, he said that its statements “fall critically short of the decisive and sustained condemnation warranted by the immense scale of the crisis”.  He concluded:  “The protection of children in conflict demands a more vigorous — a more vocal — response to the unparalleled crisis in Gaza.”

    The representative of the United Kingdom, for his part, pointed to the Palestinians killed trying to reach “the few aid sites permitted by Israel”.  “This is unacceptable,” he stated, calling on Israel to abide by its obligations to protect children and to enable aid to enter Gaza at scale.  China’s representative also called on Israel to lift its humanitarian blockade.  The representative of Sierra Leone — expressing similar concern over the “appalling humanitarian situation confronting children in Gaza” — emphasized that it is States — especially those exercising territorial control — that must ensure the protection of civilians.

    The representative of the Russian Federation also emphasized States’ leading role in this context, emphasizing:  “This is why this theme — more than any other theme — requires intergovernmental cooperation and must, under no circumstances, be politicized.”  However, he said that the structures assisting the Council in this regard “have not demonstrated themselves to be paragons of impartiality”, as the report continues to include “unverified figures about children in Ukraine”.  Further spotlighting a “continuous reduction in Russian child victims in the report”, he said that it does not include figures of the children killed or maimed by Ukraine’s armed forces.

    Pakistan’s representative, meanwhile, pointed out that it took the killing of thousands of Palestinian children in Gaza for the situation to be included in the last year’s report.  And while welcoming this year’s removal of references to his country as a situation of concern — “a long-overdue correction” — he expressed regret that the previously documented plight of children in “the Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir” was omitted without justification.

    Report Offers ‘Sobering Snapshot’

    Nevertheless, the representative of the United States said that the report is a “sobering snapshot”, which “serves as a poignant reminder of the urgency and necessity of strengthening the international community’s child-protection capacity”.  Observing that “alarm bells should be ringing everywhere”, Slovenia’s representative stressed:  “We need to do better.”  Panama’s representative said that there is an “urgent need to broaden social-integration programmes with a focus on young people to rebuild their futures”.  The representative of France called for capacity-building to protect children in peacekeeping operations.

    Offering another proposal, the representative of the Republic of Korea said that “listening to and empowering survivors must be the starting point of any survivor-centred response”, for which he expressed support.  To that end, Seoul has contributed $8.6 million to prevent gender-based violence and assist survivors in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  In that vein, Denmark’s representative urged that all monitoring, prevention and response efforts account for the gendered impact of grave violations, as they have “distinct and profound effects on girls and boys”.

    Somalia’s representative, however, concluded:  “It is only by striving to end wars — and by investing earnestly in the prevention of new ones — that we can hope to guarantee a world where no child is left to bear the wounds of war.”  Similarly, Ukraine’s representative said that “one simple thing” is needed to stop the Russian Federation from killing and maiming children in Ukraine — “a full, unconditional ceasefire for at least 30 days as a first step towards just and lasting peace”.  The representative of Lebanon, too, said that children have suffered from the ravages of numerous wars that have broken out on Lebanese territory:  “They pay a hefty toll for the mistakes of adults.”

    He, along with other Member States, also drew attention to the high number of violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.  “What is happening in Gaza now is a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and humanitarian values,” said Saudi Arabia’s representative.  However, Israel’s representative — pointing to “one of the most outrageous statements I have ever seen in official UN documents” — noted that the Secretary-General has called on Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad to develop action plans with the UN, and on Israel to sign a matching one. Adding that the report “switches the roles of victim and aggressor”, he rejected the “grotesque false equivalence between a sovereign democracy and a terror regime”.

    Success Stories

    Yet, there were positive notes.  The observer for the African Union reported that the bloc has adopted a comprehensive legal and policy framework for protecting children, particularly in conflict situations.  El Salvador’s representative pointed to her country’s “drastically” reduced homicide rates and provision of psychosocial care, education and reintegration programmes to victims of violence.  The representative of the Philippines, for her part, welcomed the removal of her country as a situation of concern in the next report, which is a testament to its whole-of-Government approach and sustained, strategic collaboration with the UN.  She stated:  “We hope that the Philippines’ story will serve as an inspiration of what we, as a global community, can do for children everywhere — to let children be children.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Responsibility to Protect More Than a Principle — It Is a Moral Imperative’, Secretary General Tells General Assembly

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    As the General Assembly marked the twentieth anniversary of the responsibility to protect, the UN Chief emphasized that the principle remains a moral imperative amid growing global turmoil, escalating identity-based violence, widespread breaches of international law and deepening impunity.

    Opening the session, Philémon Yang (Cameroon), President of the General Assembly, recalled that, 20 years ago, at the 2005 World Summit, world leaders affirmed the responsibility of individual States to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.  Born from the horrors of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, that commitment represented a pledge that “never again would the international community stand silent as innocent lives were destroyed by the gravest crimes”.

    Nevertheless, today, two decades later, “we must ask ourselves how we have allowed ourselves to fall short”, he said.  From Gaza to Ukraine, from Sudan to Myanmar, there is blatant disregard for human rights, early warnings are ignored and the Security Council is failing to act.

    Also acknowledging commendable gains, he noted the establishment of international mechanisms for atrocity prevention.  Prevention and protection strategies have been implemented across peacekeeping operations.  “We must find ways to deliver on the promise of ‘never again’,” he stressed.

    Picking up that thread, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the world is witnessing the highest number of armed conflicts since the end of the Second World War.  Further, conflicts are becoming more protracted, complex and interconnected, while emerging threats such as the weaponization of new technologies and the proliferation of advanced weaponry require a constant adaptation to prevent the commission of atrocity crimes and to protect populations.

    However, he continued, too often, early warnings go unheeded, and alleged evidence of crimes committed by States and non-State actors is met with denial, indifference, or repression.  “Responses are often too little, too late, inconsistent or undermined by double standards,” he said, adding that “civilians are paying the highest price”.

    “We must recognize that the responsibility to protect is more than a principle — it is a moral imperative, rooted in our shared humanity and the UN Charter,” he emphasized, spotlighting the seventeenth report of the Secretary-General on the responsibility to protect.

    The report highlights efforts achieved through national prevention mechanisms or under regional leadership, demonstrating that early diplomacy, early warning and institutional innovation can be effective in preventing and responding to atrocity crimes.  It also underscores the need to mainstream atrocity prevention across the United Nations system — from humanitarian action to peacekeeping to human rights.  Additionally, it calls for integrating early warning, supporting national prevention mechanisms and embedding atrocity prevention in the broader agendas of sustaining peace, human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    “No society is immune from the risk of atrocity crimes,” he asserted, emphasizing that “prevention must begin at home — with leadership that protects rights, embraces diversity and upholds the rule of law”. And it must be supported globally through multilateral cooperation, principled diplomacy, and early and decisive action to effectively protect populations.  Two decades on, the responsibility to protect remains both an urgent necessity and an unfulfilled promise.  “Let us keep the promise, deepen our commitment, strengthen our cooperation and ensure that atrocity-prevention and protecting populations becomes a permanent and universal practice,” he stated.

    In the ensuing debate, numerous Member States emphasized that — amid growing violence against civilians and worsening humanitarian crises — the responsibility to protect must remain central to efforts aimed at promoting peace and security.

    Speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Responsibility to Protect, the representative of Morocco expressed concern that, despite unanimous support for ending atrocity crimes, serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law persist.  “This growing gap between rhetoric and action is especially concerning given the international community’s improved understanding of risk factors and increased capacity to respond,” he pointed out.  He also acknowledged the key role of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect in advancing this principle.

    Expressing concern about the increased use of the veto in the Council, the representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, said all Member States — especially those holding veto power — must support both the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, as well as the French-Mexican initiative on refraining from the use of veto in the case of mass atrocities.

    “While some advances in military technology can bring increased precision and a reduction of civilian harm,” she said, the recent evolution of warfare, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI), may lead to diluted human control and increased brutality in conflict.  Further, “when prevention fails, we need to make every effort to ensure that the perpetrators of atrocity crimes are held accountable,” she said, reaffirming support for the International Criminal Court.

    Relatedly, Denmark’s delegate, also speaking for Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, urged the Council “to renew and strengthen its focus on prevention” and acknowledged the efforts of the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, as well as civil society experts.  Stressing the importance of the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, she added:  “Independent and impartial international courts and tribunals, in particular the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, are central to accountability for the most serious crimes.”

    Slovenia’s delegate stressed that the veto power in the Council should not be used in situations where there is a clear threat of mass atrocity crimes, as it hinders effective decision–making and prevents action that would help to protect populations in a timely and effective manner. Her country was among the first to appoint a national Responsibility to Protect Focal Point, she said, highlighting the Ljubljana-Hague Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and Other International Crimes.  “This is the first major international treaty in the field of international criminal law since the Rome Statute that enables States to cooperate effectively internationally in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes by filling legal gaps in the fields of international legal assistance and extradition,” she pointed out.

    The representative of France, speaking also for Mexico, said that while civilians worldwide are victims of large-scale violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, “the Council is too often paralysed by the use of the veto”.  He welcomed the mention in the Secretary-General’s report of the French-Mexican initiative on the voluntary regulation of the use of the veto in the Council in cases of mass atrocities.  “The veto is not a privilege but a responsibility,” he said, noting that this proposal is already supported by over 100 States and inviting all other States to join this commitment, starting with the Council’s elected and permanent members.  He also emphasized the crucial role of national human rights institutions, civil society and the Human Rights Council’s mechanisms as essential tools for early warning, prevention and accountability.

    “Now, more than ever, we must continue to promote and defend our collective political commitment to [the] responsibility to protect and its implementation,” said Australia’s delegate, speaking also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand.  The world is facing the highest level of conflict since the Second World War, with reported violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.  “We cannot allow impunity,” he asserted, calling for full accountability for atrocity crimes through appropriate national and international investigative and justice mechanisms, such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

    However, other delegates voiced concern that the responsibility to protect principle is increasingly being instrumentalized to justify interventions under a humanitarian pretext, or to undermine States’ sovereignty through the application of unilateral coercive measures.

    Among them was the representative of Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, who cited the notion as “non-consensual and controversial”.  Accordingly, he voiced concern over the principle “selective and politically motivated” application.

    Paradoxically, at the same time, the world is witnessing a “resounding failure” to ensure the protection of civilians caught in the armed conflict in Gaza, where the Palestinian people are suffering an increasingly brutal Israeli occupation, which represents a systematic violation of international law and requires urgent action to protect and save civilian lives, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

    Poland’s representative emphasized that invoking the responsibility to protect to justify military aggression — such as the Russian Federation’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — constitutes a deliberate distortion of the principle.  In March 2022, the International Court of Justice issued a preliminary ruling finding that Moscow did not have grounds to attack Ukraine based on claims of genocide, he noted.  He also expressed support for the mandates of the Special Advisers on Genocide Prevention and on the Responsibility to Protect.

    Other delegates highlighted their countries’ experiences with genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

    “The crisis in Myanmar is the heartbreaking case in point,” said that country’s representative, adding that the military junta continues to commit widespread atrocities with impunity, violating the core principles of the responsibility to protect.  Noting that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court applied in 2024 for an arrest warrant against Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, he said a swift decision is vital.  He also called for the issuance of the arrest warrant against Min Aung Hlaing “to save lives and protect the people of Myanmar from the military junta’s further heinous crimes”.  The Security Council must act decisively, he asserted, noting that a follow-up to resolution 2669 (2022) should include monitoring and enforcement.

    Noting that the application of the responsibility to protect principle “remains uneven”, Burundi’s delegate emphasized that it “cannot be selective on the basis of temporal or material considerations”.  Drawing attention to the 1972 genocide committed against the Hutu ethnic group, he said that, during this “massacre of terrible proportions”, which occurred between April and July 1972, hundreds of thousands of Burundians of the Hutu ethnic group were hunted down, arrested, executed without trial and very often buried in mass graves.

    “This has a name in international law:  genocide,” he said.  And while Burundi’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission officially described the events of 1972 as such, identifying over 4,000 potential mass graves and collecting thousands of witness testimonies, “no international body has recognized this crime as such”.  Citing this silence as “a form of abandoning innocent victims whose souls need to be put to rest”, he underscored that “the responsibility to protect is not a slogan”, but a “legal, moral and political commitment”.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Responsibility to Protect More Than a Principle — It Is a Moral Imperative’, Secretary General Tells General Assembly

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    As the General Assembly marked the twentieth anniversary of the responsibility to protect, the UN Chief emphasized that the principle remains a moral imperative amid growing global turmoil, escalating identity-based violence, widespread breaches of international law and deepening impunity.

    Opening the session, Philémon Yang (Cameroon), President of the General Assembly, recalled that, 20 years ago, at the 2005 World Summit, world leaders affirmed the responsibility of individual States to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.  Born from the horrors of Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, that commitment represented a pledge that “never again would the international community stand silent as innocent lives were destroyed by the gravest crimes”.

    Nevertheless, today, two decades later, “we must ask ourselves how we have allowed ourselves to fall short”, he said.  From Gaza to Ukraine, from Sudan to Myanmar, there is blatant disregard for human rights, early warnings are ignored and the Security Council is failing to act.

    Also acknowledging commendable gains, he noted the establishment of international mechanisms for atrocity prevention.  Prevention and protection strategies have been implemented across peacekeeping operations.  “We must find ways to deliver on the promise of ‘never again’,” he stressed.

    Picking up that thread, UN Secretary-General António Guterres emphasized that the world is witnessing the highest number of armed conflicts since the end of the Second World War.  Further, conflicts are becoming more protracted, complex and interconnected, while emerging threats such as the weaponization of new technologies and the proliferation of advanced weaponry require a constant adaptation to prevent the commission of atrocity crimes and to protect populations.

    However, he continued, too often, early warnings go unheeded, and alleged evidence of crimes committed by States and non-State actors is met with denial, indifference, or repression.  “Responses are often too little, too late, inconsistent or undermined by double standards,” he said, adding that “civilians are paying the highest price”.

    “We must recognize that the responsibility to protect is more than a principle — it is a moral imperative, rooted in our shared humanity and the UN Charter,” he emphasized, spotlighting the seventeenth report of the Secretary-General on the responsibility to protect.

    The report highlights efforts achieved through national prevention mechanisms or under regional leadership, demonstrating that early diplomacy, early warning and institutional innovation can be effective in preventing and responding to atrocity crimes.  It also underscores the need to mainstream atrocity prevention across the United Nations system — from humanitarian action to peacekeeping to human rights.  Additionally, it calls for integrating early warning, supporting national prevention mechanisms and embedding atrocity prevention in the broader agendas of sustaining peace, human rights and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

    “No society is immune from the risk of atrocity crimes,” he asserted, emphasizing that “prevention must begin at home — with leadership that protects rights, embraces diversity and upholds the rule of law”. And it must be supported globally through multilateral cooperation, principled diplomacy, and early and decisive action to effectively protect populations.  Two decades on, the responsibility to protect remains both an urgent necessity and an unfulfilled promise.  “Let us keep the promise, deepen our commitment, strengthen our cooperation and ensure that atrocity-prevention and protecting populations becomes a permanent and universal practice,” he stated.

    In the ensuing debate, numerous Member States emphasized that — amid growing violence against civilians and worsening humanitarian crises — the responsibility to protect must remain central to efforts aimed at promoting peace and security.

    Speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends on the Responsibility to Protect, the representative of Morocco expressed concern that, despite unanimous support for ending atrocity crimes, serious violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law persist.  “This growing gap between rhetoric and action is especially concerning given the international community’s improved understanding of risk factors and increased capacity to respond,” he pointed out.  He also acknowledged the key role of the Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect in advancing this principle.

    Expressing concern about the increased use of the veto in the Council, the representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, said all Member States — especially those holding veto power — must support both the Code of Conduct regarding Security Council action against genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes, as well as the French-Mexican initiative on refraining from the use of veto in the case of mass atrocities.

    “While some advances in military technology can bring increased precision and a reduction of civilian harm,” she said, the recent evolution of warfare, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI), may lead to diluted human control and increased brutality in conflict.  Further, “when prevention fails, we need to make every effort to ensure that the perpetrators of atrocity crimes are held accountable,” she said, reaffirming support for the International Criminal Court.

    Relatedly, Denmark’s delegate, also speaking for Estonia, Finland, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden, urged the Council “to renew and strengthen its focus on prevention” and acknowledged the efforts of the UN Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect, as well as civil society experts.  Stressing the importance of the fight against sexual and gender-based violence, she added:  “Independent and impartial international courts and tribunals, in particular the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court, are central to accountability for the most serious crimes.”

    Slovenia’s delegate stressed that the veto power in the Council should not be used in situations where there is a clear threat of mass atrocity crimes, as it hinders effective decision–making and prevents action that would help to protect populations in a timely and effective manner. Her country was among the first to appoint a national Responsibility to Protect Focal Point, she said, highlighting the Ljubljana-Hague Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and Other International Crimes.  “This is the first major international treaty in the field of international criminal law since the Rome Statute that enables States to cooperate effectively internationally in the investigation and prosecution of international crimes by filling legal gaps in the fields of international legal assistance and extradition,” she pointed out.

    The representative of France, speaking also for Mexico, said that while civilians worldwide are victims of large-scale violations of international humanitarian law and human rights, “the Council is too often paralysed by the use of the veto”.  He welcomed the mention in the Secretary-General’s report of the French-Mexican initiative on the voluntary regulation of the use of the veto in the Council in cases of mass atrocities.  “The veto is not a privilege but a responsibility,” he said, noting that this proposal is already supported by over 100 States and inviting all other States to join this commitment, starting with the Council’s elected and permanent members.  He also emphasized the crucial role of national human rights institutions, civil society and the Human Rights Council’s mechanisms as essential tools for early warning, prevention and accountability.

    “Now, more than ever, we must continue to promote and defend our collective political commitment to [the] responsibility to protect and its implementation,” said Australia’s delegate, speaking also on behalf of Canada and New Zealand.  The world is facing the highest level of conflict since the Second World War, with reported violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Myanmar, Sudan, Ukraine and Yemen.  “We cannot allow impunity,” he asserted, calling for full accountability for atrocity crimes through appropriate national and international investigative and justice mechanisms, such as the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

    However, other delegates voiced concern that the responsibility to protect principle is increasingly being instrumentalized to justify interventions under a humanitarian pretext, or to undermine States’ sovereignty through the application of unilateral coercive measures.

    Among them was the representative of Venezuela, speaking on behalf of the Group of Friends in Defense of the Charter of the United Nations, who cited the notion as “non-consensual and controversial”.  Accordingly, he voiced concern over the principle “selective and politically motivated” application.

    Paradoxically, at the same time, the world is witnessing a “resounding failure” to ensure the protection of civilians caught in the armed conflict in Gaza, where the Palestinian people are suffering an increasingly brutal Israeli occupation, which represents a systematic violation of international law and requires urgent action to protect and save civilian lives, in accordance with international humanitarian law.

    Poland’s representative emphasized that invoking the responsibility to protect to justify military aggression — such as the Russian Federation’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine — constitutes a deliberate distortion of the principle.  In March 2022, the International Court of Justice issued a preliminary ruling finding that Moscow did not have grounds to attack Ukraine based on claims of genocide, he noted.  He also expressed support for the mandates of the Special Advisers on Genocide Prevention and on the Responsibility to Protect.

    Other delegates highlighted their countries’ experiences with genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

    “The crisis in Myanmar is the heartbreaking case in point,” said that country’s representative, adding that the military junta continues to commit widespread atrocities with impunity, violating the core principles of the responsibility to protect.  Noting that the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court applied in 2024 for an arrest warrant against Commander-in-Chief Min Aung Hlaing, he said a swift decision is vital.  He also called for the issuance of the arrest warrant against Min Aung Hlaing “to save lives and protect the people of Myanmar from the military junta’s further heinous crimes”.  The Security Council must act decisively, he asserted, noting that a follow-up to resolution 2669 (2022) should include monitoring and enforcement.

    Noting that the application of the responsibility to protect principle “remains uneven”, Burundi’s delegate emphasized that it “cannot be selective on the basis of temporal or material considerations”.  Drawing attention to the 1972 genocide committed against the Hutu ethnic group, he said that, during this “massacre of terrible proportions”, which occurred between April and July 1972, hundreds of thousands of Burundians of the Hutu ethnic group were hunted down, arrested, executed without trial and very often buried in mass graves.

    “This has a name in international law:  genocide,” he said.  And while Burundi’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission officially described the events of 1972 as such, identifying over 4,000 potential mass graves and collecting thousands of witness testimonies, “no international body has recognized this crime as such”.  Citing this silence as “a form of abandoning innocent victims whose souls need to be put to rest”, he underscored that “the responsibility to protect is not a slogan”, but a “legal, moral and political commitment”.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Concluding Second Resumed Session, Fifth Committee Approves Budget Covering Peacekeeping Missions, Service Centres, Headquarters Support Staff

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved a budget of nearly $5.4 billion to cover the financing needs of about a dozen peacekeeping missions, two service centres and support staff at Headquarters from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.  As it wrapped up its second resumed session, the Committee sent to the General Assembly 19 resolutions and 1 decision.  All but one of these texts were adopted without a vote.  The exception dealt with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and its financing document (document A/C.5/79/L.36/Rev.1), which the Committee approved by a recorded vote of 134 in favour, to 3 against (Argentina, Israel, United States), with 1 abstention (Paraguay).

    That was after the Committee rejected, also by a recorded vote, an oral amendment proposed by Israel to delete four paragraphs referring to the shelling of a UNIFIL compound in Qana, Lebanon, by the Israeli forces on 18 April 1996.  The oral amendment was rejected by a vote of 5 in favour (Argentina, Canada, Paraguay, Israel, United States) to 70 against, with 53 abstentions.

    Chandramouli Ramanathan, Assistant Secretary-General, Controller, Management Strategy, Policy, thanked the delegates for finishing the session before the end of June and recognized their power of consensus as they find common ground three times a year to approve crucial resolutions that keep the Organization running.  Yet, as much as the world needs peacekeeping, the Committee needs to solve a financing problem that has been plaguing the United Nations for 80 years.  “The UN staff is progressively losing confidence in the entire budget process,” he said, referring to cash shortages that have led to severe spending and hiring restrictions.  The United Nations needs to find a compromise that allows the Organization to function effectively, he added.

    Fifth Committee Chair Egriselda Aracely González López (El Salvador) recognized the time, effort and dedication that delegates displayed in recent weeks as they worked through days, nights and weekends to achieve today’s results.  She noted the Committee’s unique working methods and thanked delegates for exercising the political will to achieve results.  The Committee’s work, on the eve of the Organization’s eightieth anniversary, helps establish policy and lets the Organization operate and carry out its mandates.

    In closing remarks, many delegates welcomed the adoption of the peacekeeping budgets for the 2025/26 financial year and the agreement to move forward with the Strategic Heritage Plan for the UN offices in Geneva.  Yet, many regretted that agreements were not reached on cross-cutting policy issues or on a mechanism to improve the Organization’s financial situation.

    The representative of Egypt, speaking on behalf of the African Group, expressed concern about the Committee’s inability to agree on a cross-cutting policy resolution, as well as the lack of agreement on mission-specific policy directives.  “Unfortunately, this year, the Committee has chosen to abandon its duty to provide overall guidance to missions as well as specific provisions based on their unique context and operational requirements,” he said.  This is an alarming regression that risks eroding the trust between host countries and the UN, he cautioned.

    The United Kingdom’s delegate echoed this sentiment and said her delegation was disappointed that the Committee iron out a solution to provide predictable financing for the Organization.  The representative of the United States said his delegation was pleased that the $5.38 billion peacekeeping budget for 2025/26, $110 million less than the Secretary-General’s proposal, ensured the core functions of international peacekeeping would be met.

    The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, stressed that the outcome of the budget approval can only be meaningful if all States pay their assessed contributions in full and on time.  She also noted the agreement reached to fund and maintain the full scope of the Strategic Heritage Plan in Geneva and the adoption of the report of the Board of Auditors.  However, “a non-constructive approach to negotiations by some delegations hampered our ability to reach meaningful compromises, resulting in skeletal resolutions on several agenda items”, she said.  For the fifth consecutive year, the Committee was unable to provide any guidance on the support account, the Global Service Centre and the Regional Service Centre.

    “Most disappointing was our handling of the financial situation agenda item, together with the liquidity aspects of closed peacekeeping operations,” she said, adding that the proposals on the table would have contributed meaningfully to the long-term financial health of the Organization.  The Fifth Committee’s strength lies in its ability to engage in dialogue collectively and constructively and reach decisions by consensus.  It is essential to begin substantive engagement earlier in the session because consensus requires sufficient time and space for meaningful dialogue, she said.

    Japan’s delegate agreed, stating:  “Unfortunately, we were unable to give the necessary guidance to the Secretariat in tackling the liquidity crisis.”  The Fifth Committee must work together with the Secretariat to resolve these outstanding fiscal challenges.

    The representative of Iraq, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said the bloc was pleased to reach consensus on the Strategic Heritage Plan in Geneva, the Board of Auditors and peacekeeping mission budgets.  Yet, it was concerning that consensus could not be achieved on a plan to address the Organization’s recurring financial problems.

    As the second-largest contributor to the Organization’s budget, the representative of China said his delegation stands for the allocation of necessary resources to achieve its peacekeeping goals.  He hoped the Secretariat would cherish these resources as it works to maintain peace and security.  He noted that the Organization’s largest contributor remains in arrears and was the main cause of the liquidity crisis.

    Action on Draft Resolutions

    The Committee first approved the draft resolutions “Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors” (document A/C.5/79/L.51) and “Strategic heritage plan of the United Nations Office at Geneva” (document A/C.5/79/L.52).

    The Committee then approved draft resolution I, “Support account for peacekeeping operations” (document A/C.5/79/L.50); draft resolution II, “Financing of the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, Uganda” (document A/C.5/79/L.40); and draft resolution III, “Financing of the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, Uganda”(document A/C.5/79/L.39).

    The Committee then approved the draft “Financing of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei” (document A/C.5/79/L.41).

    The Committee the approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic” (document A/C.5/79/L.42).

    It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus” (document A/C.5/79/L.43).

    The Committee then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo” (document A/C.5/79/L.44).  It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo” (document A/C.5/79/L.45).

    The Committee then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali” (document A/C.5/79/L.38).

    Turning to “Financing of United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in the Middle East”, the Committee approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force” (document A/C.5/79/L.46).

    It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan” (document A/C.5/79/L.47).

    The Committee then approved draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara” (document A/C.5/79/L.48).

    Next it approved the draft resolution “Financing of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur” (document A/C.5/79/L.37).

    It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the activities arising from Security Council resolution 1863 (2009)” (document A/C.5/79/L.49).

    The Committee then took notes of the Secretary-General contained in documents A/C.5/79/L.33 and A/C.5/79/L.34.

    Finally, it approved the draft decision “Questions deferred for future consideration” (document A/C.5/79/L.53).

    __________

    * The 37th Meeting was covered in Press Release GA/12685.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Concluding Second Resumed Session, Fifth Committee Approves Budget Covering Peacekeeping Missions, Service Centres, Headquarters Support Staff

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today approved a budget of nearly $5.4 billion to cover the financing needs of about a dozen peacekeeping missions, two service centres and support staff at Headquarters from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.  As it wrapped up its second resumed session, the Committee sent to the General Assembly 19 resolutions and 1 decision.  All but one of these texts were adopted without a vote.  The exception dealt with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and its financing document (document A/C.5/79/L.36/Rev.1), which the Committee approved by a recorded vote of 134 in favour, to 3 against (Argentina, Israel, United States), with 1 abstention (Paraguay).

    That was after the Committee rejected, also by a recorded vote, an oral amendment proposed by Israel to delete four paragraphs referring to the shelling of a UNIFIL compound in Qana, Lebanon, by the Israeli forces on 18 April 1996.  The oral amendment was rejected by a vote of 5 in favour (Argentina, Canada, Paraguay, Israel, United States) to 70 against, with 53 abstentions.

    Chandramouli Ramanathan, Assistant Secretary-General, Controller, Management Strategy, Policy, thanked the delegates for finishing the session before the end of June and recognized their power of consensus as they find common ground three times a year to approve crucial resolutions that keep the Organization running.  Yet, as much as the world needs peacekeeping, the Committee needs to solve a financing problem that has been plaguing the United Nations for 80 years.  “The UN staff is progressively losing confidence in the entire budget process,” he said, referring to cash shortages that have led to severe spending and hiring restrictions.  The United Nations needs to find a compromise that allows the Organization to function effectively, he added.

    Fifth Committee Chair Egriselda Aracely González López (El Salvador) recognized the time, effort and dedication that delegates displayed in recent weeks as they worked through days, nights and weekends to achieve today’s results.  She noted the Committee’s unique working methods and thanked delegates for exercising the political will to achieve results.  The Committee’s work, on the eve of the Organization’s eightieth anniversary, helps establish policy and lets the Organization operate and carry out its mandates.

    In closing remarks, many delegates welcomed the adoption of the peacekeeping budgets for the 2025/26 financial year and the agreement to move forward with the Strategic Heritage Plan for the UN offices in Geneva.  Yet, many regretted that agreements were not reached on cross-cutting policy issues or on a mechanism to improve the Organization’s financial situation.

    The representative of Egypt, speaking on behalf of the African Group, expressed concern about the Committee’s inability to agree on a cross-cutting policy resolution, as well as the lack of agreement on mission-specific policy directives.  “Unfortunately, this year, the Committee has chosen to abandon its duty to provide overall guidance to missions as well as specific provisions based on their unique context and operational requirements,” he said.  This is an alarming regression that risks eroding the trust between host countries and the UN, he cautioned.

    The United Kingdom’s delegate echoed this sentiment and said her delegation was disappointed that the Committee iron out a solution to provide predictable financing for the Organization.  The representative of the United States said his delegation was pleased that the $5.38 billion peacekeeping budget for 2025/26, $110 million less than the Secretary-General’s proposal, ensured the core functions of international peacekeeping would be met.

    The representative of the European Union, speaking in its capacity as observer, stressed that the outcome of the budget approval can only be meaningful if all States pay their assessed contributions in full and on time.  She also noted the agreement reached to fund and maintain the full scope of the Strategic Heritage Plan in Geneva and the adoption of the report of the Board of Auditors.  However, “a non-constructive approach to negotiations by some delegations hampered our ability to reach meaningful compromises, resulting in skeletal resolutions on several agenda items”, she said.  For the fifth consecutive year, the Committee was unable to provide any guidance on the support account, the Global Service Centre and the Regional Service Centre.

    “Most disappointing was our handling of the financial situation agenda item, together with the liquidity aspects of closed peacekeeping operations,” she said, adding that the proposals on the table would have contributed meaningfully to the long-term financial health of the Organization.  The Fifth Committee’s strength lies in its ability to engage in dialogue collectively and constructively and reach decisions by consensus.  It is essential to begin substantive engagement earlier in the session because consensus requires sufficient time and space for meaningful dialogue, she said.

    Japan’s delegate agreed, stating:  “Unfortunately, we were unable to give the necessary guidance to the Secretariat in tackling the liquidity crisis.”  The Fifth Committee must work together with the Secretariat to resolve these outstanding fiscal challenges.

    The representative of Iraq, speaking on behalf of the Group of 77 and China, said the bloc was pleased to reach consensus on the Strategic Heritage Plan in Geneva, the Board of Auditors and peacekeeping mission budgets.  Yet, it was concerning that consensus could not be achieved on a plan to address the Organization’s recurring financial problems.

    As the second-largest contributor to the Organization’s budget, the representative of China said his delegation stands for the allocation of necessary resources to achieve its peacekeeping goals.  He hoped the Secretariat would cherish these resources as it works to maintain peace and security.  He noted that the Organization’s largest contributor remains in arrears and was the main cause of the liquidity crisis.

    Action on Draft Resolutions

    The Committee first approved the draft resolutions “Financial reports and audited financial statements, and reports of the Board of Auditors” (document A/C.5/79/L.51) and “Strategic heritage plan of the United Nations Office at Geneva” (document A/C.5/79/L.52).

    The Committee then approved draft resolution I, “Support account for peacekeeping operations” (document A/C.5/79/L.50); draft resolution II, “Financing of the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, Uganda” (document A/C.5/79/L.40); and draft resolution III, “Financing of the United Nations Regional Service Centre in Entebbe, Uganda”(document A/C.5/79/L.39).

    The Committee then approved the draft “Financing of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei” (document A/C.5/79/L.41).

    The Committee the approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic” (document A/C.5/79/L.42).

    It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus” (document A/C.5/79/L.43).

    The Committee then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo” (document A/C.5/79/L.44).  It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo” (document A/C.5/79/L.45).

    The Committee then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali” (document A/C.5/79/L.38).

    Turning to “Financing of United Nations Peacekeeping Forces in the Middle East”, the Committee approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force” (document A/C.5/79/L.46).

    It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan” (document A/C.5/79/L.47).

    The Committee then approved draft resolution “Financing of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara” (document A/C.5/79/L.48).

    Next it approved the draft resolution “Financing of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur” (document A/C.5/79/L.37).

    It then approved the draft resolution “Financing of the activities arising from Security Council resolution 1863 (2009)” (document A/C.5/79/L.49).

    The Committee then took notes of the Secretary-General contained in documents A/C.5/79/L.33 and A/C.5/79/L.34.

    Finally, it approved the draft decision “Questions deferred for future consideration” (document A/C.5/79/L.53).

    __________

    * The 37th Meeting was covered in Press Release GA/12685.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: WTO General Council February 2025: UK Statements

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    WTO General Council February 2025: UK Statements

    Statements delivered by Simon Manley, the UK’s Permanent Representative to the WTO and UN, 18 – 19 February 2025 at the World Trade Organization in Geneva.

    Item 2: Practical Steps to Enhance the Process for the Appointment of Officers to Certain WTO Bodies. Communication from Canada, Chile, Jamaica, New Zealand, Nigeria, Norway, Singapore and Switzerland

    Thank you, Chair. The UK adds our congratulations to the new Chairs, and also extends our thanks to you, Chair, in particular, for your work in the General Council. Your leadership and tireless drive, which we can already see this morning, to take forward our work with both good humour and astute steering of the meetings has been hugely appreciated. On this item, the UK does support pragmatic initiatives that can help improve processes for all of us here at the WTO, so we are grateful to the countries who have put this forward. We do support reform by doing, and as this document says, this is reform by doing. It solves issues around the appointment of Chairs, which when they are delayed leads to gaps that effect all of us and the efficiency of the organization. It is practical steps that we should all be able to agree to and the UK supports it.

    Item 4: Incorporation of the Agreement on Electronic Commerce into Annex 4 of the WTO Agreement

    Thank you, Chair. The UK is disappointed with the objections this morning to the incorporation of the E-commerce agreement as an annex 4 plurilateral. It is even more disappointing to see the failure to reach agreement on an investment facilitation and development on the previous item and I would just like to acknowledge the large number of very eloquent and well-reasoned interventions, especially from developing countries, on how they, like all WTO numbers, stand to benefit from the Investment Facilitation for Development Agreement (IFDA). Both the IFDA and E-commerce agreements are in the category of things the WTO can and should do now, and in good time, before MC14. Speakers this morning, especially from developing countries, have clearly set out the benefits which the E-commerce agreement offers. I’m just going to briefly recap a few. First, that this is the first set of global digital trade rules, in a sector which already by 2020 represented 25% of global trade worth almost 5 trillion USD; it has a key role in global economic growth. It is an agreement which not just increases digital trade and lowers trade barriers, it also enhances trust in an open digital environment. In all these ways it can unlock opportunities for businesses, jobs and their consumers all around the world. It is also an agreement that has been inclusive in its preparation. The vast majority of the 91 countries originally involved in the negotiation are developing countries. It is inclusive in its benefits as so many developing countries have set out. It is not just the delegations in this room who say all of these things, just in the last few weeks. For example, we heard directly from businesses at the World Economic Forum about the benefits of unleashing digital trade for MSMEs, in particular. Then, very importantly, my last point to support the implementation of the agreement includes a multi-avenue support package comprising implementation periods, technical assistance and capacity building.

    The UK is committed to continuing our support for various technical assistance and capacity-building initiatives, such as a Digital Access Programme. We are ready to work with all members on the E-commerce agreement to make progress and reach agreement swiftly, hopefully well in advance of MC14.

    Item 5: Report by the Chairperson of the Trade Negotiations Committee and Report by the Director General

    Thank you for your Report, in particular for reminding us of the measurable benefits traders have brought to economic growth and development and for your commitments driving forward all our work. The UK is ready to cooperate with all members to ensure meaningful progress across all the areas you mentioned in the run up to MC14, including things we can and should agree before MC14. We recognise that, as you said Director General, it is a challenging time for global trade. We are grateful for your efforts. As our Minister for Trade Policy and Economic Security said in the UK parliament last week, the UK stands behind your exemplary leadership. We agreed that the WTO is a forum to listen and to discuss differences on trade with a review to resolving them; for calm responses and constructive dialogue as we look ahead to MC14.

    As we look ahead to MC14, we support the particular priority to deliver for development. For the UK this includes the things we can and should do before MC14. On the development benefits of IFDA and E-commerce, I refer to the points I and others, including so many developing countries, made this morning. On the fisheries subsidies agreements and, through them, realising SDG target 14.6, we hope both enter into force, and Fish One and adoption of Fish Two could be secured before the UN Ocean Summit in France in June. That these agreements are so close is actually a tribute to the hard work and readiness to listen with compromises by so many in this room. Completing that work will also help us form a clear pathway to MC14, including space to work on agriculture and other important areas already under discussion. On agriculture, our thanks also to outgoing Chair, Ambassador Alparslan Acarsoy of Türkiye, for his work. Achieving a breakthrough on agriculture is more essential than ever. We cannot lose time, including to agree a new Chair, and then to work for successive MC14. Director General, thank you again for your leadership. We of course recognise the challenges. Trade is not always straightforward. The UK continues to support the WTO in the multilateral trading system; the benefits for trade for all of us, for growth, for development, are real. We are committed to working with you, with Members, to realise them. Thank you.

    Item 9: Follow-up to the WTO Off-Site Retreat on Trade as a Tool for Development and Way Forward. Request from Barbados and South Africa

    Thank you, Chair and the Secretariat for giving us a quick readout of the discussions. Already today we have heard several times about the importance of high ambition on development for MC14, and more widely, and the UK fully agrees. We would particularly like to thank South Africa and Barbados for bring in this discussion and helping to set out a path forward and welcome your particular collaboration when we think about what can be achieved. Development is cross cutting in so much of our work, and that is why, for the UK, the best way to maintain short-term momentum is with the early agreement on outcomes that are already in reach. That is why in earlier interventions today we have stressed the development benefits from early conclusion on investment facilitation for development, fisheries and E-commerce. We add to this, the development opportunities around LDC graduation and indeed the opportunities through new accessions to the WTO, that we will hear about tomorrow. Equally, to make a success of this we want to hear ideas, and we urge developing country members in particular to deliver their priority proposals as soon as possible, so that we really can work together to achieve progress in the timeframe of MC14.

    Finally, the UK is committed to wider initiatives supporting developing countries, working in partnerships, listening to needs, and with this in mind we note that as the only fund dedicated to LDC trade, the UK wants to ensure that the enhanced integrated framework continues to deliver impact for LDCs. We have just made available this year an additional £100,000 into the interim facility, which brings our total contribution to £1,000,000 and we hope this will help ensure continuity while the future of the fund is discussed. As Members are aware, we hope the EIF taskforce will make its recommendations very soon as a basis for further improvement, meeting the expectations of LDCs and donors. Thank you.

    Item 11: WTO Accessions: 2024 Annual Report by the Director General

    The UK is closely engaged in this work and supports prospective Members to secure the benefits of the global trading system by progressing their accessions. We particularly note the positive development impact of WTO accession and underline that we are keen to welcome more developing countries, particularly LDCs, to the WTO. We support the strategic focus for 2025 on the accession of Uzbekistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina who have made significant progress. The UK for example recently held constructive bilateral discussions with Uzbekistan to help advance the accession and we encourage all Members to work with Uzbekistan and Bosnia and Herzegovina to support their ambitions for early WTO accession. We also very much welcome Somalia’s first Working Party and Ethiopia’s renewed energy behind their accession as specific examples of LDC interest and with this in mind we would like to reconfirm the UK’s commitment to chairing the Working Party on the accession of Ethiopia, but are also grateful to the Deputy Director General for temporarily standing in the coming meeting. Finally, the UK is a provider of technical support in this area, and we note that the Enhanced Integrated Fund is open to LDCs post accession, so we encourage Timor Leste and Comoros to use the facility where it is helpful.

    Item 13: Stocktaking of Work on the Operationalization of paragraph 21 of the MC13 Abu Dhabi Ministerial Declaration. Communication from Pakistan

    Thank you, Chair. We will be brief, but we just wanted to add thanks to Pakistan for bringing this important issue back to the General Council’s attention. Unfortunately, if anything, it is becoming increasingly relevant and urgent, and the UK does see the role of trade in this area. We will publish a full statement but just to acknowledge, in particular, Pakistan’s proactivity and thinking of areas like services, financial services and trade debt and finance work to identify where, as a Membership, we can take things forward and we look forward to continuing to contribute.

    Item 14: WTO at 30. Statement by the Director General

    Thank you. I want to be short. We set out yesterday commitment to the WTO in the multilateral trading system and the opportunities we have at work to benefit all Members. Of course, that includes WTO reform by doing, and we set out our confidence in your leadership, Director General. Like Australia, we encourage further work on this proposal. Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: OSCE annual meeting reinforces cybersecurity co-operation through cross-functional dialogue

    Source: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe – OSCE

    Headline: OSCE annual meeting reinforces cybersecurity co-operation through cross-functional dialogue

    The OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department convened the fifth annual meeting of national points of contact (PoC), in line with cyber/ICT security confidence-building measure (CBM) no. 8 on 23 June in Vienna, bringing together 69 policy and technical experts from 41 participating States.
    This year’s meeting focused on bridging the gap between policy and technical communities to enhance national co-ordination and strengthen collective responses to cybersecurity challenges. The network of PoCs, a key element of the OSCE’s cyber/ICT security efforts, was reinforced as a dynamic platform for national co-ordination and international co-operation.
    Participants engaged in open exchanges on national approaches to cybersecurity, sharing insights into how co-ordination among diplomats, cybersecurity professionals, and other relevant stakeholders is organized and can be improved. Thematic discussion groups explored concrete ways to deepen collaboration; through regular communication, joint activities, information exchange, and other trust-building measures.
    The meeting was held as part of the project “Strengthening the work of the CBM 8 Points of Contact crisis communication network,” with financial support from Germany and the Netherlands.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement on PPS Decision to Prosecute in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council FOI Case

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV MLA for North Antrim Timothy Gaston:
    “I welcome today’s decision by the Public Prosecution Service to bring prosecutions following the police investigation into the alleged deletion of emails at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council.
    “The integrity of Freedom of Information processes is essential to public trust in local government. If officials or others interfered with those processes, there must be consequences.
    “This case has taken years to come to this point after the Raid On The Braid back in October 21. I will follow proceedings closely.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Survey shows support for electoral reform now at 60% – so could it happen?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alan Renwick, Professor of Democratic Politics, UCL

    Public support for reforming the UK’s first past the post electoral system has risen markedly of late. So is there any serious chance that such reform could actually happen?

    The annual British Social Attitudes survey (BSA) has been tracking public attitudes to electoral reform (and other issues) since 1983. It found consistent majorities for the status quo up to 2017, but charts a dramatic shift since then. In the latest BSA, support for reform has risen to 60%, with just 36% backing the current arrangements.

    It’s true that these views are unlikely to be deeply held: most people rarely think about electoral systems. But they do reflect a profound disillusionment with the way the political system is working.

    Significant electoral reforms are very rare outside times of regime change. When I wrote a book on the subject in 2010, there had been just six major reforms (from one system type to another) in national parliaments in established democracies since the second world war. That number has increased a little since then, but only because Italy has got into a pattern of endless tinkering. The basic pattern is one of stability.

    The main reason for that is obvious: those who gain power through the existing system rarely want to change it.

    Yet the cases where reform has happened reveal two basic routes through which such change can take place.

    First, those in power can conclude that a different system would better serve their interests. In 1985, for example, France’s president François Mitterrand replaced the system for electing the National Assembly because he feared heavy losses for his Socialist party in the looming elections.

    Second, leaders can cave into public demands for reform because they fear that failing to do so will add to their unpopularity. This requires a scandal that affects people in their daily lives, and campaigners who successfully pin blame for that scandal on the voting system. It typically also needs at least a few reform advocates within government.


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    These conditions characterised three major reforms in the 1990s, in Italy, Japan, and New Zealand. In the first two cases, rampant corruption fed economic woes and was attributed to the voting system. In New Zealand, first past the post enabled extreme concentration of power, which allowed successive governments to unleash radical, and widely disliked, economic restructuring.

    Prospects for reform in the UK

    If Labour continues to lag in the polls and votes remain fragmented across multiple parties, we might imagine reform by the first route in the UK. Ministers could calculate that a more proportional system would cut Labour’s losses, clip Nigel Farage’s wings, and reduce uncertainty.

    Yet majority parties facing heavy defeat almost never change the system in this way. Mitterrand’s reform of 1985 was a rare exception. Such parties always hope things will turn around. They don’t want to look like they have given up. And they are used to playing a game of alternation in power: they want to hold all the levers some of the time, and will tolerate years in the wilderness to get that.

    Reform by the second route is equally improbable. Notwithstanding great public dissatisfaction with the state of politics in the UK, there is little narrative that the electoral system is the source of the problem.

    But, depending on the results, the chances of reform could grow after the next general election.

    Change by the first route is most likely if no party comes close to a majority and a coalition is formed from multiple fragments. Those parties might all see reform as in their interests. Perhaps more likely, the smaller parties in such a coalition might push their larger partner into conceding a referendum – much as the Liberal Democrats did with the Conservatives in 2010. If support for the two big parties is disintegrating, referendum voters might opt for change – though that is not guaranteed.

    As for the second route, a majority victory for Reform UK that was generated by first past the post from a small vote share could – given the party’s marmite quality – trigger widespread public rejection of the voting system. A clear path to change might open up if Reform then lost a subsequent election, particularly if it lost to a coalition of parties, some of which backed reform already.

    In short, the shifting sands of politics are making electoral reform more likely. But almost certainly not before the 2030s. And much will depend on how the party system evolves in the years to come.

    This article includes links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

    Alan Renwick 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. Survey shows support for electoral reform now at 60% – so could it happen? – https://theconversation.com/survey-shows-support-for-electoral-reform-now-at-60-so-could-it-happen-259851

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Sixteenth-century tennis was a dangerous sport played with balls covered in wool

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Penny Roberts, Professor of Early Modern European History, University of Warwick

    Portrait of a young boy with a paletta and a ball, late 16th century, artist unknown. Wiki Commons/Canva

    In 1570, a Frenchman was arrested for smuggling clandestine correspondence between France and England. A passing comment in his interrogation document reveals that he also happened to be carrying a leather bag “in which there were three or four dozen balls of wool for playing tennis”.

    The French term used was jeu de paume. This sport was played with the hand (palm), often gloved, rather than a racquet. This developed into the game that in English we usually refer to as “real tennis” (a different beast to the lawn tennis played at Wimbledon).

    The interrogator believed that this cheap merchandise was simply a ruse for the man’s true purpose of communicating with Huguenot exiles. I have written a book, Huguenot Networks, based on this interrogation document, which will be published by Cambridge University Press later this year. But, as a historian, I was intrigued by both the number and makeup of the goods he was transporting. The wool, if wrapped tightly, could certainly have made these balls bouncy.


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    By chance, I encountered similar objects in a small display in the Palazzo Te in Mantua in Italy. These balls had apparently been retrieved from the palace roof and several others had come from a nearby church. They were variously made of leather, cloth and string rather than wool, probably stuffed with earth or animal hair. Just like the handmade “real tennis” balls of today, they were harder and more variable in size than regular tennis balls, and usually not so colourful, although sometimes having a simple painted design on the outside.

    Today, “real tennis” is known as the “sport of kings”, praised for testing agility and athletic prowess. The most famous court in England is at Hampton Court, but many others survive in the UK. For instance, there is one down the road from where I work at the University of Warwick, at Moreton Morrell in Warwickshire.

    Louis X of France popularised the sport.
    Gallica

    In the 16th century, real tennis attracted gamblers, meaning it became a later target for Puritans. Anne Boleyn is said to have placed a wager on a match she was watching on the day of her arrest. And Henry VIII, fittingly, supposedly played a match on the day Boleyn was executed.

    And if there is any doubt about how dangerous tennis could be, several royal deaths in France are attributed to it. King Louis X of France was a keen player of jeu de paume. He was the first ruler to order enclosed indoor courts to be constructed. This later became popular across Europe.

    In June 1316, after a particularly exhausting game, Louis X is said to have drunk a large quantity of chilled wine and soon afterwards died – probably of pleurisy, although there was some suspicion of poisoning.

    Likewise, in August 1536, the death of the 18-year-old dauphin, eldest son of Francis I, was blamed on his Italian secretary, the Count of Montecuccoli, who had brought him a glass of cold water after a match. The count was subsequently executed despite a post-mortem suggesting that the prince had died of natural causes.

    By the 16th century, there were two courts at the Louvre and many more around the city of Paris as well as at other royal residences. Ambassadors’ accounts describe frequent games between high-ranking courtiers and the king which could sometimes result in injury, especially if struck by one of the hard balls.

    Our man carrying many tennis balls in 1570 had probably spotted a lucrative opportunity in response to rising demand. The French game had become increasingly popular in England under the Tudors.

    By the Tudor period, no self-respecting European court was without its own purpose-built tennis courts where monarchs and their entourages tested their prowess and skill. They often did so before ambassadors, who could report back to their own rulers, making it a truly competitive international sport.

    Thankfully, today’s game has far fewer dangers – there’s no risk of being hit by a ball full of earth or the fear of mortal retribution after beating an exhausted high-ranking opponent.

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

    Penny Roberts 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. Sixteenth-century tennis was a dangerous sport played with balls covered in wool – https://theconversation.com/sixteenth-century-tennis-was-a-dangerous-sport-played-with-balls-covered-in-wool-255643

    MIL OSI Analysis –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister of State for International Cooperation Meets Under-Secretary of State for Africa at UK Foreign Ministry

    Source: Government of Qatar

    London, June 26, 2025

    HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met on Thursday with HE Under-Secretary of State for Africa at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Lord Collins of Highbury, on the sidelines of the World Humanitarian Forum, held in London, UK.

    During the meeting, they discussed cooperation relations between the two countries and ways to support and enhance them, in addition to several topics of mutual interest.

    HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Thani attended the meeting.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Africa: Minister of State for International Cooperation Meets British Officials

    Source: Government of Qatar

    London, June 26, 2025

    HE Minister of State for International Cooperation Maryam bint Ali bin Nasser Al Misnad met on Thursday with HE CEO of the World Humanitarian Forum Feraye Ozfescioglu, HE Lord of Wimbledon, former Minister of State for the Middle East, South Asia and United Nations at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office Lord Tariq Ahmad, and member of the Advisory Board of the World Humanitarian Forum Richard Hawkes, on the sidelines of the World Humanitarian Forum, held in London, UK.

    During the meeting, cooperation relations were discussed, as well as ways to support and enhance them, in addition to several topics of mutual interest.

    HE Ambassador of the State of Qatar to the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland Sheikh Abdullah bin Mohammed bin Saud Al-Thani attended the meeting.

    MIL OSI Africa –

    June 28, 2025
  • MIL-OSI Europe: Statement by President Meloni on International Day against Drug Abuse

    Source: Government of Italy (English)

    Drugs destroy people’s lives, enslaving them and making them powerless. Addiction doesn’t have the last word, and those who have fallen into it can find hope again. We do not intend to give in to indifference, and will do everything necessary to give dignity and a future back to those who have fallen into the abyss of drug abuse.

    These are some of the key messages we intend to reiterate today, on the International Day against Drug Abuse established by the United Nations.

    This Government has undertaken extraordinary efforts to combat drugs and prevent addiction, accompanying this work with a record financial investment of approximately EUR 165 million, around double what was available in previous years.

    We still have a lot of work to do in order to overcome this challenge but, as Pope Leo XIV highlighted during today’s audience with Italy’s anti-addiction system, the key word is “together”.

    Together with communities, third sector entities, scientific organisations, doctors, healthcare professionals, public addiction services, regional and local authorities. Together with all those who pursue the common good, and care about the dignity of each and every person. This has been the spirit behind the Government’s work ever since it took office, and it will continue to drive its efforts. 

    [Courtesy translation]

    MIL OSI Europe News –

    June 28, 2025
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