NewzIntel.com

Category: MIL-OSI

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Driver before the courts after he fails to stop for Police, Gisborne

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

     A man has been taken into custody after failing to stop for Police in Gisborne.

    At around 2:10pm Police sighted a person of interest driving on Ormond Road. Police activated lights and sirens signalling for the driver to stop, however they continued, and Police elected not to pursue.

    Police conducted areas for the vehicle and located the driver and vehicle on Queens Road shortly after.

    Police followed keeping the vehicle in view and coordinated multiple units to deploy Tyre Deflation Devices to stop the vehicle safely.

    Spikes were successfully deployed on Tyndall Road and Police continued to follow the vehicle through the Gisborne CBD until the driver abandoned the vehicle in an alleyway.

    The driver ran through a store and attempted to get away in a second vehicle on Gladstone Road, leaving the CBD.

    At around 2:45pm Police stopped the second vehicle on Cobden Street and the fleeing driver was taken into custody without further incident.

    A 25-year-old man is due to appear in the Gisborne District Court on a charge of failing to stop, and dangerous driving.

    During the incident the driver was driving at lower speeds but crossed the centre line several times, went blindly through intersections and was causing a risk to public safety.

    Due to Police’s efforts, the driver was arrested swiftly and will be held to account for his actions. 

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: IOM Intensifies Emergency Response to Severe Flooding across West and Central Africa

    Source: International Organization for Migration (IOM)

    Geneva/ Dakar, 25 September – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is scaling up its emergency operations to assist millions impacted by the severe flooding across West and Central Africa.  IOM is working to deliver a comprehensive and integrated regional response, collaborating closely with sister UN agencies, including OCHA, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WFP.   

    Since the onset of the rainy season, heavy downpours have ravaged vast regions, claiming more than 1,500 lives, affecting 4 million people and displacing more than 1.2 million individuals across Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Guinea, Mali, Nigeria, and Niger.  

    “This year’s floods are unprecedented, a stark reminder of the growing impacts of climate change in our region,” said Sylvia Ekra, IOM Regional Director for West and Central Africa. “Our teams are working tirelessly on the ground to support affected communities and local authorities. While we continue to strengthen emergency preparedness year-round, the scale of the situation at hand demands urgent additional funding to address immediate and longer-term needs” .

    In Chad, one of the hardest-hit countries, over 1.5 million people have been affected, and over 164,000 homes destroyed. Displacement is widespread, particularly in N’Djamena and southern regions along the Chari River. The floods have devastated more than 400,000 hectares of arable land, severely impacting food security and livelihoods. IOM is leveraging its experience in helping the government’s emergency response, drawing on lessons learnt from the 2022 flood.   

    Rapid response teams are helping local authorities assess immediate needs through IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM). IOM has also reopened previously used displacement sites to provide temporary shelter and essential services to those affected, actively coordinating within the Camp Coordination and Camp Management (CCCM) framework.   

    In the Lake region and N’Djamena, IOM Chad is preparing to provide immediate multisectoral assistant to 7,000 direct beneficiaries through the provision of 700 shelters, water trucking, and repairing of 21 water pumps and 350 latrines.   

    In Nigeria, the floods have displaced nearly 650,000 people. Torrential rains have destroyed homes, farmlands, and vital infrastructure across 31 states, with the most severe impact reported in Adamawa, Bauchi, Borno, and Benue. IOM has allocated $3 million through its Rapid Response Fund (RRF) to provide critical relief, while working with local partners to assess additional needs. 

    Meanwhile, between July and September, Mali has experienced the most significant rainfall since 1967, affecting nearly all regions and impacting over 180,000 people. IOM has been helping the government to assist those impacted in the hardest-hit regions of Gao, Ségou, and Mopti.  The Organization’s support includes emergency tents and shelter materials, as well as technical assistance for the construction of 635 shelters.  As of 19 September, 20,389 flood-affected individuals had been registered by the DTM team.   

    Across West and Central Africa, the floods have exacerbated health concerns. Stagnant water and poor sanitation has increased the risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera while damaged infrastructure such as roads have limited access to affected areas further complicating humanitarian response efforts.   

    Despite the ongoing effort, the scale of the disaster has revealed critical gaps in the resources available to respond to the emergency. With the rainy season expected to continue until November, IOM urgently calls on the international community for increased support to meet the growing needs.    

    IOM’s ongoing efforts on the ground are made possible thanks to the generous support of the USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO) and the Japanese Supplementary Budget (JSB). 

      

    For more information, please contact:   

    Dakar : Joëlle Furrer, jfurrer@iom.int    

    Geneva: Kennedy Okoth, kokoth@iom.int   

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Recruitment for an Administrative Officer

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Administrative Officer vacancy, working within the VMD.

    We have a vacancy for an Administrative Officer within the VMD.

    Job Title

    Administrative Officer

    Grade

    AO

    Salary & Pension

    £27,245 per annum with Pension Scheme

    Annual Leave entitlement

    Commencing at 25 days

    Role

    The Veterinary Medicines Directorate (VMD) is the regulator and policy lead responsible for issues concerning the authorisation, use, and manufacture of veterinary medicines in the UK. Our aim is to protect public health, animal health, and the environment, and promote animal welfare by assuring the safety, quality and effectiveness of veterinary medicines.

    We are looking to fill at least two AO roles to support these aims. However, we will maintain a reserve list of successful candidates, which we may call upon if other AO roles become available in the VMD.

    How to apply

    You must make your application via Administrative Officer – Civil Service Jobs – GOV.UK where you will find a full job description.

    Closing Date

    21 October 2024

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Closure of Canadian Coast Guard Seasonal Inshore Rescue Boat Stations in Quebec

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal Inshore Rescue Boat stations in Quebec will close on the following dates: • Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8:00 P.M. • Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12:00 P.M. • The Bainsville station closed on September 3

    September 25, 2024                             

    Quebec City, Quebec – The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal Inshore Rescue Boat stations in Quebec will close on the following dates:

    • Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8:00 P.M.
    • Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12:00 P.M.
    • The Bainsville station closed on September 3

    All Inshore Rescue Boat stations opened on May 29 – the start of peak boating and sailing season in Quebec.

    The Inshore Rescue Boat program trains and employs post-secondary students to provide additional maritime search and rescue services during the busy summer season. The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal search and rescue stations located in Cap-aux-Meules, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Kegaska, Quebec City, Rivière-au-Renard and Tadoussac will remain in service until November and December.

    Emergencies can be reported to the Canadian Coast Guard 24/7:

    • Phone: 1-800-463-4393 or 418-648-3599
    • VHF radio channel 16 (156.8 Mhz)
    • Digital Selective Calling (DSC/VHF) channel 70
    • Radio frequency MF 2182 Khz

    The Canadian Coast Guard recommends that you wear your life jacket at all times on the water. For more tips, including navigation laws and “rules of the road” on waterways, consult Transport Canada’s Safe Boating Guide.

    Before heading out on the water, we also recommend that you:

    • Ensure your boat is in good condition;
    • Share your trip plan with family or friends; and,
    • Have enough fuel, and some in reserve.

    For additional information on the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue services, please visit: https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/search-rescue-recherche-sauvetage/index-eng.html

    Communications Branch
    Fisheries and Oceans Canada
    Quebec Region
    media.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca
    418-648-5474

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to US President Biden and Australian Prime Minister Albanese conveying high regard for peace and stability across Taiwan Strait

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to US President Biden and Australian Prime Minister Albanese conveying high regard for peace and stability across Taiwan Strait

    September 21, 2024  

    US President Joe Biden met with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on September 20 in the US state of Delaware. Following the meeting, the White House published a readout stating that the two leaders had discussed their support for maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait; their concerns about the coercive and destabilizing activities of the People’s Republic of China, including in the South China Sea; and the commitment of the United States and Australia to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable.
     
    Following the public expression of strong, all-round support for Taiwan in the joint statement on the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations in August, the readout of the meeting between the two leaders once again demonstrates both countries’ high regard for maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sincerely appreciates and welcomes this.
     
    The United States, Australia, and other like-minded nations continue to frequently issue statements to express a joint position regarding peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, fully demonstrating that the safeguarding of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait has become an international consensus. As a responsible member of the Indo-Pacific region, Taiwan will continue to work with like-minded nations to defend the common values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law; preserve the rules-based international order; and uphold peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to US secretary of state and Japanese and ROK foreign ministers reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to US secretary of state and Japanese and ROK foreign ministers reaffirming importance of cross-strait peace and stability

    September 24, 2024 

    United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoko Kamikawa, and Republic of Korea Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul held a trilateral meeting on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on September 23. According to a US Department of State press readout, the three sides reiterated the importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait as an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the international community. They called for the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues and affirmed their strong opposition to any unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the maritime domains of the Indo-Pacific.
     
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs thanks the United States, Japan, and the ROK for continuing to reaffirm the importance of cross-strait peace and stability at high-level bilateral and multilateral events, demonstrating their high regard and staunch support for stability across the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific. Taiwan will continue to work with the United States, Japan, the ROK, and other like-minded countries to preserve peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to US, Japan, and other QUAD members reaffirming importance of regional peace and stability

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to US, Japan, and other QUAD members reaffirming importance of regional peace and stability

    September 22, 2024 

    US President Joe Biden met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in the US state of Delaware on September 21. In a readout released by the White House following the meeting, the two sides reaffirmed their resolve to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and underscored their opposition to any attempts to change the status quo by force. They also addressed shared concerns over coercive and destabilizing activities of the People’s Republic of China, including in the South China Sea. 
     
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs sincerely welcomes and appreciates this reiteration by US and Japanese leaders of the importance of cross-strait peace and stability, which came one day after a US-Australia leaders’ meeting. 
     
    Separately, the leaders of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India met in Delaware on September 21 for the fourth Quad Leaders Summit. A joint statement released following the meeting stressed the parties’ support for maintaining regional peace and stability as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity. It also underscored their strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. The statement further condemned dangerous actions by coast guard or maritime militia forces, again showing the international community’s great concern for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. 
     
    MOFA thanks the United States, Japan, and other like-minded nations for again highlighting the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and in the region. As a responsible stakeholder in the Indo-Pacific, Taiwan will continue to cooperate with like-minded partners to uphold peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and in the region. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy Administration Releases New Reports Highlighting the Urgent Need to Continue Improving Health Care Affordability

    Source: US State of New Jersey

    Findings show that while New Jersey benefits from high-quality care, health care costs have risen rapidly over nearly a decade

    TRENTON – The Murphy Administration today released a trio of reports assessing the quality and affordability of health care in New Jersey. These reports serve as a critical first step to understanding and addressing the health care affordability challenge impacting individuals and families both in the state and across the nation. Together, the reports show that a lack of affordable health care continues to burden New Jerseyans, and they will be instrumental in supporting the development of innovative and collaborative approaches to address high costs.

    The reports come on the heels of recently enacted legislation that protects consumers from harmful medical debt and builds upon a significant foundation of health care affordability and accessibility initiatives championed by Governor Murphy. This includes record enrollment into quality, affordable health coverage through Get Covered New Jersey, enhanced Medicaid benefits, a landmark legislative package aimed at prescription drug affordability and transparency, and increased prescription drug assistance for low-income seniors, which have brought financial relief to New Jersey residents as well as provided a strong foundation for long-term solutions that expand access to affordable health care.

    “We’ve taken critical steps toward addressing the rising cost of health care in New Jersey, but these reports underscore the urgency to continue our progress in making high-quality health care more affordable for all,” said Governor Phil Murphy. “It’s time to ramp up our work to transform our health care system so that it delivers the best care possible at a price that every New Jerseyan can afford.”

    Commissioned by the New Jersey Health Care Affordability, Responsibility and Transparency (HART) Program, a joint initiative of the Governor’s Office of Health Care Affordability and Transparency (OHCAT) and the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI), the reports represent an important milestone in advancing the State’s long-term strategy to mitigate the unsustainable rate of health care cost growth. Most significantly, they bring greater transparency to health care spending, providing everyone in the state with a shared understanding of how rapidly health care costs are growing and the factors contributing to high costs and cost growth.

    “We’re all feeling the financial strain of inflation and the rising costs of daily life. These reports serve as a critical landmark in our efforts to make high-quality health care more affordable and accessible for everyone in our state, and set the stage for more work to come,” said OHCAT Director Shabnam Salih. “Using this information, advocates, policymakers, and leaders in the health care industry can make evidence-based decisions about how to bring better value and cost savings to New Jersey residents and businesses.”

    The three reports released today include:

    • First Annual Cost Growth Benchmark Report: 2018-2019, which is based on comprehensive aggregate spending data submitted by health insurance carriers operating in NJ. The report finds that statewide health care spending grew 4.5 percent between 2018 and 2019, increasing from $10,061 to $10,509 per person. Health care spending growth varied by market, with the highest growth in the commercial insurance market (8.7%), followed by Medicaid (4.4%) and Medicare (0.2%). This is the first of the HART Program’s annual Cost Growth Benchmark Reports, which offer insights into the year-over-year change in total health care spending in New Jersey in the last full year before the COVID-19 public health emergency. Following the first program year, future reports will compare annual health care spending to New Jersey’s health care cost growth benchmark, a target to slow spending growth.
    • Health Care Spending Trends for New Jersey Residents with Commercial Insurance, 2016–2021, which is based on detailed claims data for approximately 25% of New Jerseyans with employer-sponsored insurance, obtained through the Health Care Cost Institute. The findings show that rising health care prices — and not increased use of services — are driving spending growth in the commercial sector. According to the report, spending per person in New Jersey is growing faster than the national average rate, a gap that has widened from 12 percent in 2016 to 15 percent in 2021.
    • The Health Care Landscape in New Jersey: Select Indicators of Quality, Access, and Affordability, which summarizes New Jersey’s performance on a select set of measures of quality, access, and affordability that are obtained through secondary sources. The report finds that health care affordability has generally worsened because of increased spending for out-of-pocket medical costs and health care premiums, while quality and access have remained consistent or improved, compared with previous years. One exception is primary care, where use has fallen. The report highlights the health inequalities among New Jerseyans, with the medical cost burden highest among people with low incomes. White residents fared the worst on the affordability measure of medical cost burden. Residents of Hispanic and Latino heritage fared the worst in terms of access, and Black residents experienced the worst health outcomes. Counties that performed better than the state average on measures of quality were more likely to be in North or Central Jersey, while counties that performed worse on those measures were more likely to be in South Jersey.

    Additionally, pursuant to Executive Order No. 217, the Department of Banking and Insurance has prepared a report regarding health insurance affordability standards that has been posted on the Department’s website.

    “The reports released today allow for greater transparency around costs and improved understanding of New Jersey’s health care landscape, which will drive strategies to limit cost growth over time,” said Department of Banking and Insurance Acting Commissioner Justin Zimmerman. “New Jersey is committed to increasing access to quality, affordable health care. While strides have been made through the establishment of Get Covered New Jersey, the state’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace, state subsidies to make plans more affordable, caps on certain prescription drugs, and the implementation of out-of-network reforms, it is clear we have more work ahead to connect residents with care they can afford.”

    By facilitating the reporting of health care costs in the state and using data to understand the causes of rising health care costs, these reports can inform whole-of-government strategies to reduce health care cost growth while sustaining or improving quality of care, reflecting the Governor’s commitment to put in place long-term solutions that will benefit generations to come.

    Across New Jersey, hospitals and health care providers, carriers, employers, consumer groups, union groups, and policy organizations have signaled their commitment to working collaboratively to make health care more affordable, signing onto a compact to meet the State’s established benchmark for health care spending growth. This benchmark acts as a statewide goal for how much health care spending should grow each year to be affordable, bringing it in line with projected increases in wages and the state economy.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MOFA response to US President Biden reaffirming staunch US support for cross-strait peace and stability in UNGA address

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan 3

    MOFA response to US President Biden reaffirming staunch US support for cross-strait peace and stability in UNGA address

    September 25, 2024  

    In his remarks before the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on September 24, US President Joe Biden underlined the United States’ determination to maintain peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait, push back against unfair economic competition, and oppose military coercion in the South China Sea. He added that the United States would continue to strengthen its network of alliances and partnerships across the Indo-Pacific to build a free, open, secure, and peaceful region.
     
    The Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes and appreciates President Biden’s consistent public support for cross-strait peace and stability during his term in office. Within the past week, in addition to his address at the UNGA, President Biden has reiterated his high regard for and firm commitment to the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific during meetings with the leaders of Australia and Japan. Taiwan will continue to work with the United States and other like-minded countries to safeguard peace, stability, and prosperity across the Taiwan Strait and throughout the region. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James Takes Action to Support Federal Regulations on Gun Trafficking

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell today co-led a multistate coalition of 22 attorneys general in support of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) rule that helps prevent illegal gun trafficking by requiring private gun sellers to obtain a license and perform background checks on potential buyers. Attorney General James and the coalition filed an amicus brief in Texas v. ATF arguing that the ATF’s rule is necessary to protect public safety and prevent domestic abusers and other dangerous individuals from illegally obtaining guns.

    “Gun violence causes so much pain and suffering throughout the country, and we know that gun safety laws are an important tool to help tackle this crisis,” said Attorney General James. “For too long, gun traffickers and criminals got away with buying weapons from private sellers to avoid restrictions that would prevent them from buying a gun. The commonsense rule advanced by ATF will address this problem and help prevent illegal gun trafficking to keep our communities safer by placing more regulations on private sellers. I am proud to co-lead this effort with my fellow attorneys general and we will continue fighting to stop gun violence.”

    After the mass shooting at the Tops Supermarket in Buffalo, NY and the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, Congress enacted the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (BSCA), which closed certain loopholes that allowed gun traffickers and criminals to obtain guns without undergoing background checks. In particular, the law expanded the definition of gun sellers to include additional private sellers, making them subject to federal licensing and background check requirements.

    The coalition argues that unlicensed gun sales by private sellers make it easier for people who cannot legally purchase firearms to obtain them, endangering communities and fueling gun violence. From a mass shooting at a bar in St. Paul, Minnesota that left one dead and 14 people injured, to the murder of a Chicago Police officer, to a mass shooting at a block party in Brooklyn that left eight people injured, trafficked guns have been used to carry out catastrophic violence in American communities. The ATF’s rule is intended to make it more difficult for dangerous individuals to illegally obtain guns. Attorney General James and the coalition argue that the ATF’s rule will curb gun trafficking and protect public safety.

    Joining Attorney General James in filing this amicus brief are the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawai‘i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.

    Attorney General James has been a leader in the fight to protect New Yorkers and communities throughout the nation from gun violence. In September 2024, Attorney General James sent a letter urging Congress to take action to stop gun trafficking in Caribbean countries. In August 2024, Attorney General James led a coalition of 22 attorneys general in support of commonsense state and federal laws that regulate the sale of guns to keep communities safe. In April 2024, Attorney General James took down gun traffickers for selling ghost guns and other firearms in Central New York. In March 2024, Attorney General James secured a $7.8 million judgment against gun retailer Indie Guns for illegally selling ghost gun components in New York. In February 2024, Attorney General James announced the takedowns of a gun trafficking network that sold ghost guns and assault-style rifles and a narcotics trafficking network in Dutchess County. In December 2023, Attorney General James led a multistate coalition in support of the ATF’s rule at issue in this lawsuit.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James’ Office of Special Investigation Releases Report on Death of Daniel Legler

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James’ Office of Special Investigation (OSI) today released its report on the death of Daniel Legler, who died on August 6, 2023 after an encounter with a member of the New York State Police (NYSP) in Monroe County. Following a thorough investigation, which included review of body-worn camera footage, interviews with the involved trooper and a witness, and comprehensive legal analysis, OSI concluded that a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the trooper’s actions were justified under New York law.

    At approximately 9:24 p.m. on August 6, a NYSP trooper was pursuing a vehicle traveling westbound on Interstate 490 in Rochester after the driver of the vehicle, Mr. Legler, refused to comply with an attempted traffic stop. Mr. Legler was driving on the left shoulder of the highway to pass other cars, and at some points, his speed appeared to reach up to or over 100 MPH, almost 50 MPH over the speed limit.

    Later in the pursuit, Mr. Legler exited the highway at the exit for the Rochester Tech Park in Gates, which involves a sharp turn. Mr. Legler’s vehicle struck a guardrail and then hit a curb on the median near the intersection of Harek Road and Les Harrison Drive West, becoming airborne before landing in a nearby field. The trooper exited his vehicle and commanded Mr. Legler remain in his vehicle, but Mr. Legler did not comply. Once out of the car, Mr. Legler began reaching around his waistband and moved to the other side of the car, prompting the trooper to command him to show his hands. Mr. Legler again refused to comply. 

    The trooper asked Mr. Legler to turn around to be placed under arrest. Mr. Legler then stumbled backward to the ground and a physical struggle ensued as the trooper attempted to place Mr. Legler in handcuffs. During the struggle, the trooper heard a shot fired and backed away from Mr. Legler. The trooper then saw a gun in Mr. Legler’s hand and discharged his service weapon in response. The trooper commanded Mr. Legler to remain on the ground, but Mr. Legler attempted to stand up and the trooper discharged his service weapon, striking Mr. Legler. Mr. Legler was pronounced dead at the scene. Officers recovered a gun at the scene.

    Under New York’s justification law, a police officer may use deadly physical force when the officer reasonably believes it to be necessary to defend against the use of deadly physical force by another. In this case, the trooper heard a shot ring out and saw a gun in Mr. Legler’s hand. Under these circumstances, given the law and the evidence, a prosecutor would not be able to disprove beyond a reasonable doubt at trial that the trooper’s use of deadly physical force against Mr. Legler was justified, and therefore OSI determined that criminal charges should not be pursued in this matter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Closure of seasonal Canadian Coast Guard coastal rescue boat stations in Quebec

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    The seasonal stations of the Canadian Coast Guard Inshore Rescue Boat program will close on the following dates: • Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. • Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12 p.m. • The Bainsville station has been closed since September 3

    September 25, 2024

    Quebec City (Quebec) – The Canadian Coast Guard’s Inshore Rescue Boat Program seasonal stations will close on the following dates:

    Longueuil, Trois-Rivières, Vaudreuil-sur-le-Lac, and Beaconsfield: Sunday, September 29 at 8 p.m. Sorel: Wednesday, November 13 at 12 p.m. The Bainsville station has been closed since September 3

    All coastal rescue boat stations have been in service since May 29 for the start of the high recreational boating season in Quebec.

    The Inshore Rescue Boat program trains and employs post-secondary students to provide additional maritime search and rescue services during the summer season. The Canadian Coast Guard’s seasonal search and rescue stations located in Cap-aux-Meules, Havre-Saint-Pierre, Kegaska, Quebec, Rivière-au-Renard, and Tadoussac will continue operations through November and December.

    Any marine emergency can be reported to the Canadian Coast Guard 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:

    Phone: 1-800-463-4393 or 418-648-3599 VHF radio channel 16 (156.8 MHz) Digital selective calling (DSC/VHF) channel 70 FM radio frequency 2182 kHz

    The Canadian Coast Guard recommends wearing a lifejacket at all times when you are on the water. For more advice, including boating laws and “rules of the road” on waterways, please consult the Boating Safety Guide on the Transport Canada website.

    Before going on the water, we also recommend that you:

    ensure your boat is in good condition communicate your itinerary to your relatives or friends provide sufficient fuel and reserves

    To learn more about the Canadian Coast Guard’s search and rescue services, please visit: https://www.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/search-rescue-recherche-sauvetage/index-eng.html.

    Communications DirectorateFisheries and Oceans CanadaQuebec Regionmedia.qc@dfo-mpo.gc.ca418-648-5474

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

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Laws to Increase Transparency Into Utility Rate Changes

    Source: US State of New York

    Governor Kathy Hochul today signed legislation to increase transparency and accountability in the public utility rate-setting process.

    “Today, we are taking bold steps to ensure New Yorkers have greater transparency into the utility rate changes that impact their daily lives,” Governor Hochul said. “New Yorkers deserve to know why there is an increase in rates and how the revenue will be spent. These laws represent a new chapter of a fair, open and trustworthy utility system for New Yorkers.”

    Legislation S.9188/A.9827 requires the Public Service Commission to publish certain information prior to a major rate change by a public gas or electric utility, including an explanation of why the rate change is requested and a summary of how the proposed revenue will be spent. The legislation will provide public education about the rate process with minimal additional cost, allowing for expanded transparency and accessibility.

    State Senator Leroy Comrie said, “Consumers have for far too long been left in the dark when it comes to utility rate increases, with providers offering little explanation or accountability. With the cost of energy delivery and development constantly rising, these bills will bring greater transparency, protections from unjustified rate hikes, and add a financial deterrent to would-be bad actors. I thank Governor Hochul for her steadfast leadership and continuing to work to protect New Yorkers.”

    Assemblymember Didi Barrett said, “Across the state, New Yorkers are struggling with increased utility costs, so it is especially important that we do all we can to help them understand the implications of the often complex and confusing utility rate case process. This legislation increases transparency and helps keep ratepayers informed. I thank Senator Comrie and Governor Hochul for their partnership in getting this important bill passed and signed into law.”

    Legislation S.6710/A.3746 establishes civil penalties for making false material statements to the Public Service Commission in relation to a rate proceeding. The penalty will be up to $250,000 for any utility corporation and its officers, agents or employees that knowingly make a false material statement, representation or certification to the Public Service Commission in any rate proceeding.

    State Senator James Skoufis said, “Simplifying and improving the transparency surrounding the process of major rate increases – and holding bad actors accountable – is an essential step toward increasing public understanding and ensuring utility companies are responsible to ratepayers. I am gratified to see the Governor enact S.9188 into law.”

    Assemblymember Simcha Eichenstein said, “In the past, there have been instances where customers of public utilities have been subject to rate hikes based on false or misleading information. This legislation institutes severe penalties on utility companies that knowingly and deliberately provide false testimony to the Public Service Commission to justify an unfair rate increase, at the expense of hardworking New Yorkers who are already struggling to pay their utility bills. Thank you, Governor Hochul, for recognizing the importance of this issue and helping to ensure that ratepayers will no longer suffer the consequences of false material statements.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ICC calls for united action to end plastic pollution at NY Climate Week 

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: ICC calls for united action to end plastic pollution at NY Climate Week 

    In a keynote speech at a high-level roundtable hosted by ICC, Mr Varin emphasised ICC’s commitment in securing an ambitious, workable and effective agreement that rallies everyone, everywhere – including the business community – to end plastic pollution once and for all. 

    “We are confident that the spirit of collaboration and common purpose that brought the gavel down on the initial resolution in Nairobi, will prevail in advancing its mandate and delivering a historic agreement to spearhead the change the planet and humanity deserves.”

    Philippe Varin, ICC Chair.

    The event brought together leaders from the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), government and regional group representatives as well as senior business executives from sectors across the plastics industry to discuss what is concretely needed to get an effective agreement finalised and how businesses can support these efforts. 

    A crucial role for business 

    Mr Varin highlighted the vital role business has to play in providing the expertise and the solutions that will be needed to tackle the plastics challenge at the required scale and speed across value chains.   

    “The global business community needs an agreement that provides the enabling frameworks and policies to drive innovation and accelerate business action across all sectors and geographies, including for MSMEs. This will be indispensable for businesses to effectively deliver on the objectives of the agreement and spur impactful change,” he added. 

    The fifth session of the Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee to develop an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in the marine environment (INC-5), will take place from 25 November to 1 December 2024 in Busan, Republic of Korea. 

    “With only one negotiating session left this year to conclude an agreement, it will be critical to make the best use of the limited time left to advance towards a robust agreement that sets the foundation for a truly circular economy for plastics.”

    Raelene Martin, ICC Head of Sustainability

    Clear plans for intersessional work will be essential to build common ground on key issues and ICC is continuing to provide input to the process on behalf of over 45 million companies in more than 170 countries. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: On the Heels of Inflation, Why Experts Expect Gold Prices Will Climb to Record Highs in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALM BEACH, Fla., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Gold prices are forecast to climb to record highs in the coming year. The price of gold has soared to new heights this year and is positioned to climb into early 2025, rising to new record highs, according to Goldman Sachs Research. The precious metal has increased more than 20% this year, peaking at a record of more than $2,500 per troy ounce. Goldman Sachs Research forecasts the price will reach $2,700 by early next year, buoyed by interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve and gold purchases by emerging market central banks. The metal could get an additional boost if the US imposes new financial sanctions or if concerns mount about the US debt burden. They see that Gold prices are forecast to climb to record high. Goldman Sachs says that: “Gold is our strategists’ preferred near-term long (the commodity they most expect to go up in the short term), and it’s also their preferred hedge against geopolitical and financial risks. In this softer cyclical environment, gold stands out as the commodity where we have the highest confidence in near-term upside,” Goldman Sachs Research strategists Samantha Dart and Lina Thomas write. Active Mining Companies in the markets today include Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB), Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX), Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC), Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD), IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG).

    In an additional article, Goldman Sachs added: “The yellow metal typically only guards against very high inflation and large inflation surprises caused by losses in central bank credibility and geopolitical supply shocks. Gold usually didn’t perform well in response to positive demand shocks when the central bank responded swiftly by hiking rates. Gold emerged as the best commodity to serve as a potential hedge against inflation and geo-political risks. Goldman Sachs Research’s base case is that gold appreciates to $2,700/troy ounce by year-end, an increase of about 16%, on solid demand from central banks in emerging markets and from Asian households. Gold could help shield against potential stock market drops if a trade war erupts, and it has upside if concerns mount about the US debt load or if the Fed is subordinated by a new administration.”

    Asia Broadband Inc. (OTCPK: AABB) Gold Production Continues Upward Trend For Third Quarter, As Ore Stockpile Processing Plant Advances Towards Completion – Asia Broadband Inc. (“AABB” or the “Company) is pleased to announce that the Company’s operations for the 3rd quarter ending September 30, 2024, will be completed next week and production levels have already surpassed the second quarter. The Company has exceeded its production and gross profit levels achieved in both the 1st and 2nd consecutive record quarters this year. Gold production more than doubled in the 1st quarter of 2024, in comparison to the 4th quarter of 2023, due to higher grade selection, recovery efficiencies and increased daily throughput levels. Additionally, the economies of scale from higher productions levels reduced production costs and added to the bottom-line gross profit, which has continued in an upward trend over the last three quarters.

    The elevated operational strategies and efficiencies of the AABB mining team continued in the 3rd quarter and has firmly established the foundation for the high production levels to follow the completion of the Company’s processing plant. The new facility is currently under construction in Etzatlan, Mexico, and its capacity will be primarily dedicated to processing the estimated $1 billion dollar ore value of the Company’s exclusive rights surface stockpile. AABB continues to develop the processing plant and will release updates as progress milestones are reached. The Company will release a processing plant project update in October.

    “The elevation of our production processes by the mining operations team in all three quarters of this year will have a multiplier effect with increased production levels. We are eagerly awaiting to extend this expertise to our massive ore stockpile processing when the new plant is complete. This will take us to a much higher level than we have ever reached before,” expressed Chris Torres, the Company President and CEO.

    AABB continues to implement its mining property acquisition strategy to optimize development capital utilization by focusing operations in regions of Mexico where AABB has a comparative advantage of development resources and expertise readily available for rapid expansion and duplication of the Company’s previous gold production success. CONTINUED… Read this full release for Asia Broadband at: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-aabb/

    Other recent developments in the mining industry include:

    Barrick Gold Corporation (NYSE: GOLD) recently said it is projecting a 30% growth in the production of gold-equivalent ounces from its existing assets by the end of this decade while it continues to unlock the value embedded in its portfolio, says president and chief executive Mark Bristow.

    Speaking at the Gold Forum Americas, Bristow said while Barrick was alert to potentially value-accretive opportunities generated by the consolidation of the industry, it had the rare luxury of doing so from an asset base that would support organic growth well into the future.

    “Five years ago, we set out to build a sustainably profitable gold and copper business focused on world-class assets. We did not have to buy them at a premium: they were embedded in the merged portfolio of Barrick and Randgold and we just had to unlock their value,” he said.

    Kinross Gold Corporation (NYSE: KGC) recently provided an update on the Great Bear project (the “Project”), located in Red Lake, Ontario, Canada. Kinross has completed a Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) for the Great Bear project which supports the Company’s acquisition thesis of a top tier high-margin operation in a stable jurisdiction with strong infrastructure. Based on mineral resources drilled to date, the PEA outlines a high-grade combined open pit and underground mine with an initial planned mine life of approximately 12 years and production cost of sales of $594 per ounce. The Project is expected to produce over 500,000 ounces per year at an all-in sustaining cost (AISC) of approximately $800 per ounce during the first 8 years through a conventional, modest capital 10,000 tonne per day (tpd) mill.

    Kinross has also released an updated mineral resource estimate increasing the inferred resource estimate by 568koz. to 3.884 Moz. which is in addition to the existing M&I resource estimate of 2.738 Moz. The mineral resource estimate and PEA for the Great Bear project are available here.

    Equinox Gold Corp. (NYSE American: EQX) recently announced an updated Mineral Resource Estimate (“MRE”) for its 100% owned, exploration-stage Hasaga Property (“Hasaga” or the “Property”) in Red Lake, Ontario.

    “Hasaga is located in the Red Lake Gold District of northwestern Ontario, which is renowned for its high gold grades and prolific historical gold production. This updated Mineral Resource Estimate focuses on the high-grade nature of the gold mineralization and is a departure from the previous bulk-tonnage approach,” stated Scott Heffernan, EVP Exploration of Equinox Gold. “As expected, the updated Mineral Resource Estimate contains fewer gold ounces but at significantly higher average gold grades.

    “Further, the main zones of gold mineralization included in the updated Mineral Resource Estimate remain open, with numerous historical gold intersections defining drill-ready targets highlighting the potential for resource growth and new discoveries.”

    IAMGOLD Corporation (NYSE: IAG) recently announced that the Côté Gold Mine (“Côté Gold” or “Côté”) has reached commercial production. Côté Gold is located in Ontario, Canada and is operated as a joint venture between IAMGOLD, as the operator, and Sumitomo Metal Mining Co., Ltd. (“Sumitomo”). Commercial production is defined as the achievement of reaching a minimum of 30 consecutive days of operations during which the mill operated at an average of 60% of nameplate throughput of 36,000 tpd.

    “I would like to commend our teams at Côté Gold who have come together to achieve another great milestone as we progress and ramp up what we believe will be one of Canada’s largest gold mines and a model for modern mining in Canada,” said Renaud Adams, President and Chief Executive Officer of IAMGOLD. “Since achieving the first pour of gold on March 31, 2024, our teams have spent the last four months methodically and iteratively testing and ramping up all facets of the mine. This process has required remarkable commitment, ingenuity and teamwork to bring all the systems online together to achieve this milestone.”

    About FN Media Group:

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    DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated forty five hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Asia Broadband Inc. by a non-affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

    This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

    Contact Information:

    Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

    SOURCE: FN Media Group

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    resident of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gedion Onyango, Research Fellow, Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Kenya has published a draft bill outlining protections for whistleblowers. Long in the making, the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 could help to encourage disclosures in a country where 86% of the respondents to a 2023 survey feared what might happen to them if they reported corruption cases. Gedion Onyango, who researches public accountability reforms, anti-corruption and whistleblowing reforms, sets out what protections are needed and how to change public mindsets.

    What is whistleblowing?

    Whistleblowing is disclosing information about behaviour or misconduct that could harm the public interest – the overall welfare of a society.

    Whistleblowing is primarily associated with disclosing corruption in state institutions. Because the private sector has become a partner in public service and national development processes, emerging laws like Kenya’s whistleblower protection bill and existing ones like Botswana’s Whistleblower Protection Act 2016 have been designed also to expose activities of companies and institutions that directly affect public affairs.

    Several key conditions must be met for whistleblowing to be effective.

    Read more: Corruption in South Africa: would paying whistleblowers help?

    Firstly, the society needs to broadly agree on what misconduct is. People should feel obliged to flag and address wrongdoing, and know what is expected when such information is disclosed. Essentially, the disclosure must be made in good faith.

    Secondly, there must be an authority that is expected to and is willing to take action after receiving such information.

    Thirdly, clear procedures or legal processes should be in place for receiving the information and determining the truth.

    The person disclosing the information must find it easy to report, besides having sufficient evidence to support their claims. A thoroughly bureaucratic way of receiving information about wrongdoing is more likely to intimidate and discourage potential whistleblowers.

    Fourthly, a system should be in place to reward individuals who disclose wrongdoing. This could involve recognising their contribution to society or providing financial incentives, often a percentage of money recovered in cases of corruption and asset recovery. Not all countries have this provision. But having such a reward is not always enough. This has been shown in Nigeria, where whistleblowing is declining despite the reward of 5% of recovered funds.

    Finally, there needs to be trust in the authority and the process for it to work.

    Why the focus on whistleblowers?

    Whistleblowers are important sources of information about misconduct, dishonesty and unethical behaviour that would otherwise remain concealed from the public. They are critical in promoting human rights, fighting corruption and addressing governance misconduct and inequalities.

    Many infamous scandals around the world have been brought to light by individuals who disclosed the wrongdoing. These include Kenya’s Anglo Leasing scandal.

    Whistleblowing is essential to ethical public leadership. It is no accident that many developing countries are now enacting laws to encourage and protect whistleblowers. With new laws in Kenya, whistleblowers would no longer have to primarily defend themselves against non-disclosure clauses that outlaw disclosures of a potential wrongdoing. Whistleblowers have previously been targeted by public organisations for releasing information in an unprocedural manner.

    You want to blow the whistle. What next?

    Potential whistleblowers can use internal or external mechanisms to disclose wrongdoing. The choice of mechanism will depend on the whistleblower’s confidence or history with these mechanisms.

    Studies have shown that internal whistleblowing is less desirable, and most whistleblowers prefer anonymous external whistleblowing channels that could prompt an investigation by an authority.

    Read more: South Africa’s corporate whistleblowers don’t get enough protection: what needs to change

    What protections should whistleblowers expect?

    Effective whistleblower protection mechanisms include protecting the identities of whistleblowers until the responsible authority has checked that there was wrongdoing.

    Whistleblowers should be protected from retaliation or harm, including social victimisation, physical attacks and disciplinary actions.

    The law should ensure that an insider whistleblower, such as an employee, is protected from being intimidated, disciplined or removed from their position. This should be for a long enough time (for example, at least five years), even if the case ultimately collapses, as often happens.

    In other words, the person should be protected from any loss, including damages that would affect their mental health or their job. This is typical of legislation globally.

    In today’s age of social media, the laws against defamation should be applied strictly to guard against online harassment.

    What would a forward-looking whistleblower policy look like?

    It’s important that whistleblower protection policies are understood and accepted by everyone. The process should start with extensive consultation. It should involve authorities such as religious groups, traditional leaders and government administrators at the lowest levels.

    Including whistleblowing in the country’s school, college and professional curriculum would increase awareness and improve social acceptance.

    It’s often the case that whistleblowers are seen as betrayers or snitches rather than as courageous defenders of public interest and ethical members of society. The reward system for whistleblowers should be included in prestigious national honours such as the Presidential Award.

    – Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them
    – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-whistleblowers-are-key-to-fighting-corruption-how-a-new-law-could-protect-them-239647

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier stresses stronger food safety supervision

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

    BEIJING, Sept. 25 — Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing on Wednesday emphasized the need to strengthen food safety supervision and to impose harsh penalties on related illegal activities.

    Zhang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks at the main event of the 2024 national food safety awareness activity held in Beijing.

    He underscored the importance of continuously improving food safety standards to better meet the public’s aspirations for a high-quality life.

    To achieve this goal, he highlighted the necessity to prevent risks at the source and to further improve the standards system. He also called for focusing on major issues of public concern, responding swiftly, and imposing heavy penalties.

    Moreover, Zhang called for stringent risk control measures and expedited efforts to establish a robust food safety traceability system.

    He underscored the importance of punishing violations severely, urging rigorous legal actions against food safety crimes and significantly increasing the costs levied toward illegal behavior.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to meeting of G20 Foreign Ministers [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations – English

    gradeço ao Presidente Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva e ao governo do Brasil por co-organizar esta reunião entre os ministros das Relações Exteriores do G20, todos os Estados Membros das Nações Unidas, e as organizações financeiras internacionais.

    [I thank President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and the government of Brazil for co-convening this meeting between G20 foreign ministers, all UN Member States, and the international financial organizations.]

    This is a historic first.

    The G20, the United Nations system and the Bretton Woods institutions and other international financial institutions deal with some of the most important challenges of our time: inequality, financing for development, the climate crisis, the impact of new technologies. 

    In all these areas, progress is slipping out of reach as our world becomes more unsustainable, unequal and unpredictable.

    Conflicts are raging, the climate crisis is accelerating, inequalities are growing, and new technologies have unprecedented potential for good – and bad.

    Global institutions must work together – not on parallel or conflicting tracks.

    They must cooperate and collaborate for the good of humanity and the Summit of the Future was an essential first step.

    It has created opportunities and possibilities for reform across the board.

    But without implementation, it will be meaningless.

    The work starts today.

    Excellencies,

    The Pact for the Future is about action in the here and now.

    And G20 countries can act in three specific areas.

    First, finance.

    We need ambitious reforms of the international financial architecture to make it fully representative of today’s global economy, so it can provide strong support to implement the Sustainable Development Goals.

    I commend the leadership of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund for making important progress.

    But the resources available are still dwarfed by the size of the needs.

    Many developing countries are being hit by a double whammy of climate chaos and debt.

    To support low- and middle-income developing countries effectively, multilateral development banks must be bigger, bolder and better.

    We need a far more robust financial safety net to shield countries in a world of frequent shocks.

    Voting rights and decision-making rules should reflect the changing global landscape.

    And access to concessional finance should be based on needs and vulnerabilities, not just on income.

    All parts of the global financial system must work together to reduce the cost of finance and the inequalities that blight our world.  

    This demands action on debt – starting with an effective mechanism to deal with debt relief and restructuring.

    As a first step, I welcome the commitment by the International Monetary Fund to review the debt architecture – as set out in the Pact for the Future. 
    I look to all G20 countries to push for deep reforms so that global financial institutions reflect today’s world and respond to today’s challenges.

    One of those challenges is global hunger.  It is shameful that in our world of plenty, around one person in ten regularly goes without food for an entire day or more – known as severe food insecurity.

    I welcome President Lula and Brazil’s focus on global hunger during the G20 presidency and call on all G20 countries – and all UN Member States – to strengthen efforts to end this affront to our common humanity.  

    Excellencies,

    The second area for action is climate.

    We are at a critical moment: a battle to prevent temperatures from rising above the agreed limit of 1.5 degrees.  

    Today’s decisions and actions will determine the course of our world for decades to come.

    The climate crisis transcends borders and politics.  Climate action cannot be a victim of geopolitical competition.

    Under G20 leadership we will be able to have drastic reductions in fossil fuel production and consumption as an essential element for climate action.

    By 2030, global production and consumption of all fossil fuels must decline by at least thirty per cent – and global renewables capacity must triple.

    This requires OECD countries to phase out coal by 2030 and to fully decarbonize power generation systems by 2035.

    And it means non-OECD countries must phase out coal by 2040. 

    I have been strongly advocating for no new coal or upstream oil and gas projects for all G20 nations.

    New national climate plans due next year are an opportunity for countries to align energy strategies and development priorities with climate ambition, taking into account the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities.

    They must also show how each country intends to transition away from fossil fuels, in line with the outcome at COP 28.

    Excellencies,

    There has never been a greater global challenge than the climate crisis.

    There has never been more agreement on the solution: a just transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

    And renewable technologies have never been better – or cheaper.

    The obstacle to the renewables revolution is not economics, or a lack of solutions.

    It is mindsets, and lack of vision.

    Those that lead the renewables revolution are already reaping the rewards.

    But many developing countries are being left behind.

    Clean energy investments in emerging and developing economies outside China and India have barely increased since 2015.

    The energy transition must be based on justice and equity, so that all countries benefit.

    Excellencies,

    Third, we need strong, inclusive, legitimate global institutions and tools to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow. 

    Fair and representative governance is a first step to unlock broader reforms.

    The Pact for the Future includes commitments to make multilateral institutions more representative, effective, transparent and accountable.

    I urge the strong engagement of G20 countries, including in reforms of our United Nations bodies:

    Making the Security Council truly representative by addressing the under-representation of Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America and the Caribbean;

    Strengthening the role of the General Assembly and the Peacebuilding Commission;

    And enhancing the Economic and Social Council.

    The same principle applies to the international financial architecture: it should correspond to today’s global economy, with much stronger representation of developing countries.   

    For our part, the United Nations is totally committed to strengthening our convening role as an inclusive platform for dialogue and action.

    As part of that role, from next year, we intend to host biennial summits to formalize a dialogue between the UN system, the G20, and international financial institutions.

    Excellencies,

    Only together will we achieve the reforms in the Pact for the Future and deliver the SDGs and the Paris Agreement, to meet the expectations of the people we serve.  

    I urge the G20 to seize every opportunity to raise ambition for global leadership and transformative action for a safer, more peaceful and sustainable world for all.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Old industry base in N China sees green and environmental friendly shift

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

    Old industry base in N China sees green and environmental friendly shift

    Updated: September 25, 2024 21:46 Xinhua
    Workers arrange exhibits at the exhibition hall of a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. As one of the old industry bases in the central south of Hebei, Botou is dubbed “origin of casting industry” in the country, home to 322 casting companies, and boasting an annual output of 24.7 billion yuan (about 3.52 billion U.S. dollars) by clustered players there. Recent years have witnessed their manufacturing processes converted to green and environmental friendly ones. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker assembles a piece of mold at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers assemble products at a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers check product quality at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker is seen at a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker arranges exhibits at the exhibition hall of a company producing explosion-preventive tools in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker scans a piece of automotive mold for quality check at a mold company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers operate at a workshop of a casting company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A worker checks product quality at a casting company in Botou, north China’s Hebei Province, Sept. 24, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Body of former senior Chinese official Ren Jianxin cremated

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

    BEIJING, Sept. 25 — The body of Ren Jianxin, a former senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and former president of the Supreme People’s Court, was cremated in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping, along with other senior Party and state leaders including Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi and Han Zheng, bid farewell to Ren at the Babaoshan Revolutionary Cemetery on Wednesday morning, paying their final tribute to Ren and offering condolences to his family.

    Ren passed away due to illness at 1:33 p.m. on Sept. 21 in Beijing. He was 99.

    Ren had served as a member of the Secretariat of the 14th CPC Central Committee, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, and vice chairman of the 9th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference.

    He was extolled as an excellent member of the CPC, a long-tested and loyal Communist fighter, and an outstanding leader in China’s judicial, prosecuting and public security systems.

    Xi Jinping, Li Qiang, Zhao Leji, Wang Huning, Cai Qi, Ding Xuexiang, Li Xi, Han Zheng, Hu Jintao and others either paid Ren a visit while he was in hospital or mourned him and sent their condolences to his family through various means following his passing.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Steel, Lee Legislation Boosting Geothermal Production

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Michelle Steel (CA-48)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. House of Representatives has passed Rep. Michelle Steel (R-CA) and Rep. Susie Lee’s (D-NV) legislation to speed up geothermal energy production, a move which would provide a more sustainable and reliable energy future in the United States.

    H.R. 6474 would expedite geothermal exploration and development in previously studied or developed areas. California and Nevada lead the nation in geothermal energy production, with more growth opportunities possible under the provisions outlined in the legislation.

    “Geothermal energy is a vital tool to make America more energy independent and less reliant on our adversaries. This legislation will provide a cleaner energy future and allow my home state of California to seize the reins as a leading national energy provider,” said Rep. Michelle Steel. “I was honored to work with Representative Susie Lee to successfully pass this legislation through the House of Representatives and look forward to its passage in the Senate.”

    You can view Rep. Steel’s floor speech here.

    The legislation amends the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to allow for new categorical exclusions for geothermal projects, under permitting requirements set by the National Environmental Policy Act.

    “If we want to fully unleash our renewable energy potential, then we need to cut the red tape that has been a barrier to the growth of geothermal energy development,” said Congresswoman Lee. “I want to thank Congresswoman Steel for partnering on this commonsense, bipartisan bill to strengthen energy independence and help lower costs for the working families we represent.
     
    According to 2023 data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, California provides 66.6% of the nation’s geothermal power while Nevada provides 26.1%.

    “America’s energy future requires an all-of-the-above strategy. Congresswoman Steel’s legislation that passed the House today will expedite geothermal energy projects and streamline development of our abundant geothermal energy sources right here in America. I applaud her for her thoughtful work on this issue and her forward-thinking legislative solution,” said House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Bruce Westerman.

    After passing the House, the legislation now moves to the U.S. Senate for approval.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese vice premier urges joint efforts on sustainable transport

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

    BEIJING, Sept. 25 — Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Wednesday called for joint efforts to promote sustainable transport development and ensure the smooth flow of international logistics.

    He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when addressing the opening ceremony of the Global Sustainable Transport Forum 2024 in Beijing.

    China is willing to work with all parties to enhance the construction and maintenance of transport infrastructure, maintain the stability and smooth flow of international logistics supply chains, and safeguard transport safety, he said.

    He said China will enhance the level of service guarantee for international shipping and promote building a multidimensional network for connectivity under the Belt and Road Initiative.

    Before the forum’s opening, the Chinese vice premier met with Nepal’s Deputy Prime Minister Bishnu Prasad Paudel and Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit, who attended the event.

    The forum, themed “Sustainable Transport: Logistics Connecting the World,” aims to foster global cooperation and promote the development of a safe, convenient, efficient, green, economical, inclusive and resilient transport system.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greens disappointed in lack of SNP commitment to hospitality fair work charter.

    Source: Scottish Greens

    25 Sep 2024 Economy

    SNP fail to back the Fair Work Charter for hospitality workers

    More in Economy

    The Scottish Government’s lack of up-front commitment to a fair work charter for the hospitality sector is disappointing, says Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman.

    This comes following the publication of an inquiry report by the Fair Work Convention, which made 12 key recommendations, including the creation of tax incentives for businesses that pay the Real Living Wage, developing accredited training for managers to champion fair work practices, and the creation of a single Fair Work Charter under which hospitality businesses can operate.

    During portfolio questions in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Greens MSP Maggie Chapman asked the Government:

    “The [Fair Work Convention’s] Inquiry recommends the establishment of a voluntary Fair Work Charter for Hospitality that stipulates a range of workers’ protections, from payment of the Real Living Wage and recognition of Real Living Hours to effective voice, robust anti-bullying procedures and “safe home” policies for all workers asked to travel to or from work after 11 pm.

    “Can the Minister say how quickly he expects the Charter to be in place, what mechanisms will be in place if an employer breaches any aspect of the Charter, and how he expects public bodies, including local authorities, to support the implementation of the Charter?

    “And will the Scottish Government incentivise the adoption of the charter through conditionality for public funding?”

    Answering Ms Chapman’s question, the Minister for Employment, Tom Arthur, welcomed the findings of the inquiry; however, he failed to say when the Scottish Government would fully endorse the recommendations.

    In response to the Minister’s answer, Ms Chapman said:

    “This is a bit of a disappointing response from the Minister. I had expected at least a commitment from the Scottish Government to back the Fair Work Charter, but the Government has sidestepped this answer and said nothing.

    “Just yesterday, at the launch of the report, the Minister for Employment said we need to do more to embed the fair work agenda into the structures of the hospitality industry. The Scottish Greens have been pushing to improve conditions for hospitality workers, ensuring every worker gets a real living wage and proper protections.

    “We need to see conditions in the hospitality sector rapidly improve for workers; this is such an essential part of our culture and economy, and those working in it deserve clear protection.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Molinaro Hosts Two Broome Community Leaders In DC For Hearing On Workforce Development

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Marc Molinaro (R-NY-19)

    Washington, DC – U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (NY-19) today will have Frank Stento of the International Union of Painter’s and Allied Trades (IUPAT), and Ashley Gamba of Community Options testify at a House Small Business Committee hearing. The hearing will examine workforce development strategies.

    Rep. Molinaro will chair the hearing, which begins at 10am and can be viewed here.

    Frank Stento is a skilled craftsman who completed a registered apprenticeship program in 2016, offering him a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience. He is now the Business Development Director for IUPAT District Council 4, which represents 2,000 workers in the Southern Tier and Central New York. He helps attract new members and connects current members with work opportunities. 

    Ashley Gamba is an Executive Director with Community Options in Binghamton, a nonprofit organization that provides housing and employment support for individuals with disabilities. Prior to this position, Ashley was the New York State Director of Employment Services, overseeing vocational services in Binghamton, Syracuse, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Queens. She has been an advocate for individuals with disabilities for over 18 years.

    Rep. Molinaro said, “I’m excited to have Frank Stento and Ashley Gamba in Washington today to share their perspectives. Through our Think DIFFERENTLY and Broome County’s Next Chapter initiatives, we have been working to create an economy that offers good-paying job opportunities for every person of every ability. I look forward to hearing their testimony on how we can build on our work in Broome County and across Upstate New York.”

    Frank Stento, Business Development Director for District Council #4 of the IUPAT said, “The construction industry as a whole faces challenges with workforce demand but with that comes opportunities. An abundance of projects on the horizon thanks to the CHIPS Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act means contractors will be looking at improved methods to recruit & retain skilled labor for years to come. There is no better way to address that need than through an earn while you learn Registered Apprenticeship Program. I look forward to sharing my experience and connecting with our leadership in Congress to address ways to build a more robust workforce. Rep. Molinaro has been a steadfast supporter of the Building & Construction Trades Councils in his district and together we will find solutions towards these workforce challenges.”  

    Ashley Gamba, Executive Director for Community Options in Binghamton said, “The unemployment and underemployment rate for people with disabilities is significantly higher than people without disabilities. Community Options is proud to collaborate with the small business community to provide meaningful opportunities for people with disabilities to enter the workforce, helping to create inclusive environments where everyone can thrive.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New approach to electrical testing will increase tenants’ safety in their homes The new approach will ensure everyone who lives in a Sheffield City Council property will receive an electrical safety test every five years, as well as a condition check of their home. 25 September 2024

    Source: City of Sheffield

    A new approach to carrying out both electrical testing and condition reports in tenants’ properties will ensure those who live in council properties are even safer moving forward.

    The new approach will ensure everyone who lives in a Sheffield City Council property will receive an electrical safety test every five years, as well as a condition check of their home.

    This was unanimously agreed at today’s (Wednesday September 25th) Strategy and Resources Committee at Sheffield Town Hall.

    In Sheffield, people are at the heart of what we do, and we are continually looking at ways to improve services for tenants. This includes being committed to keeping tenants’ homes in a good and safe condition.

    We will of course inform all of our tenants when we are due to attend their property. It is vital tenants work with us to allow the inspections to take place and ensure that their property is safe for them and their families.

    We don’t want tenants to worry about these visits, and we want to ensure people our staff will cater for the vulnerabilities of any resident which might make these essential safety visits to their home more challenging for them.

    The increased frequency of testing keeps the Council in line with the Safety and Quality Standard in the new Consumer Standards set for all local authority and housing association landlords which were put in place in April this year (2024).

    The Council owns more than 38,500 social housing properties, and these have been subject to a 10-year inspection cycle up to now. Under the new regulations, there will be 15,502 properties that fall outside of the five-year cycle window, as well as 6,436 properties that will fall outside that window by the end of 2024.

    This is part of the ongoing journey of improvement the Council’s Housing and Repairs Services are undertaking in order to comply with current regulations. Dialogue with the Regulator of Social Housing has taken place to outline our plans to ensure we quickly achieve compliance in regards to our electrical testing.

    The Housing Service is part of an ambitious Council-wide transformation programme which is called Future Sheffield [link to Future Sheffield piece on SheffNews]. This work is committed to better service delivery for residents, and will help us become the organisation we need to be, providing consistent, modern, and high-quality services that Sheffield deserves.

    The next steps are for the Council to seek two external contractors to carry out both sets of checks due to a lack of capacity to carry out such a large number of checks through our own Housing and Repairs teams.

    Therefore, the committee today approved that £19,668,000, will be spent over the next five-and-a-half years to ensure all these checks take place to keep our tenants safe. As well as covering the cost of carrying out the safety checks, this will also cover the cost of any new electrical equipment that has to be installed to future proof properties.

    Cllr Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council and Chair of the Strategy and Resources Committee, said:

    “Sheffield City Council recognises that everybody deserves a safe, secure and affordable place to call home. Good quality homes are fundamental for enabling everyone to live happy, healthy lives.

    “Part of that is ensuring homes are kept up to standard in terms of electrical safety. The Regulator of Social Housing has brought in welcome regulatory standards for all social properties this year, which we welcome. This work will help us comply with those regulations which are there to keep social housing tenants nationwide safe in their homes.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Zombie-style knives banned

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    From this week, zombie-style knives and machetes are now illegal to possess or sell as part of new measures introduced to halve knife crime in a decade.

    Zombie-style knives and machetes have this week (24 September) been added to the list of prohibited weapons in the Criminal Justice Act 1988 as the government cracks down on dangerous weapons with no legitimate purpose.   

    ‘Zombie-style’ is the street name given to weapons which are over 8 inches in length and often have a serrated edge, spikes or more than 2 sharp points. A full list of the features of these knives can be found in the guidance for surrender of ‘zombie-style’ knives and ‘zombie-style’ machetes.  

    NPCC lead for knife crime, Commander Stephen Clayman said:  

    Tackling knife crime requires all agencies and partners working together, approaching this from a number of different perspectives. Dealing with the accessibility of deadly and intimidating weapons is key and we are doing all we can to reduce how easily they can end up in the wrong hands. Many of these ‘zombie-style’ knives and machetes are clearly designed to intimidate and cause harm, rather than serve any practical purpose, so the ban will support us by significantly stopping their manufacture and overall availability.

    Our fight to remove knife crime from our communities has been further strengthened with the government’s recent announcements and I look forward to leading an end-to-end review of online knife sales. This is just part of the ongoing work and we will continue to work in close partnership with the Home Office, retailers and the third sector to find ways we can bring meaningful, long-term change that will make our streets safer for everyone.

    This is just one of a package of measures being introduced by the government to halve knife crime in a decade. Earlier this month, the government announced that legislation is underway to ban ninja swords and it has also commissioned the largest ever review into how knives are sold online to identify any gaps in legislation which will prevent these being sold illegally to under-18s.

    The Coalition to Tackle Knife Crime has also been launched, bringing together campaign groups, families of people who have tragically lost their lives to knife crime, young people who have been impacted and community leaders, united in their mission to save lives and make Britain a safer place for the next generation.

    From 24 September, anyone caught with a zombie-style knife or machete could face time behind bars. 

    The ban on zombie-style knives comes at the end of a Home Office run surrender scheme which allowed members of the public to hand in these types of weapons, and those who wished to do so were eligible for compensation. This scheme ended on 23 September and anyone still in possession of these weapons should safely hand them into their local police station or local surrender bin immediately.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Grab a bargain as Revive open third Leeds reuse shop in Hunslet

    Source: City of Leeds

    New store offering recycled goods opens

    PRESS RELEASE ISSUED BY REVIVE LEEDS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH LEEDS CITY COUNCIL 

    Almost 14 years after establishing its first shop reuse in Seacroft, Revive had its grand opening this week of its newest retail outlet in Hunslet.

    The Hunslet store provides everything from quality furniture and electrical items to clothes, music and books, at a fraction of the price of something new, to help local people pass on their pre-loved things.

    Revive’s five retail outlets across West Yorkshire are run by a team of 67 staff, with over 30 volunteers with people on work-based training providing practical retail and warehousing experience to give them a step-up into paid employment.

    Revive carries out electrical testing on all donated items and money from the sales go back into their two member Charities, SLATE’s The Feel Good Furniture Stores who provide work opportunities for people with learning disabilities and The St Vincent de Paul Society (England & Wales) who are working to alleviate poverty in Leeds.

    Residents can either buy or drop-off donations at the Hunslet store which is open 10am to 5:30pm, seven days a week.

    Revive work in partnership with Leeds City Council to help collect reusable donations deposited at household waste recycling centres. These items including furniture, bric-a-brac and clothing are sold at low prices at their reuse shops including sites at Kirkstall and Seacroft.

    Leeds City Council executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, Councillor Mohammed Rafique said:

    “It’s great to see a third Revive shop being opened in Leeds that helps to build on our successful partnership together. It can only be a good thing that more and more of the fantastic reuseable items we receive at council recycling centres can find a new home whilst benefitting our local communities and the environment.”

    Louise Megson, Director at Revive, said:

    “Revive are proud to yet again open another retail outlet which not only aids in our objective to convert as much, designated waste, into reuse but also brings employment to the local communities where we are based.  Last year we saved 1,650 tonnes from the waste stream providing local people with affordable and quality goods.”

    Editor’s notes

    The Hunslet shop has just under 3,000 square feet of floor space and is open seven days a week with accessible parking for two cars at the front of the store.

    Common items for sale include:

    • House and garden furniture
    • Clothing and footwear
    • kitchen items like cutlery and crockery
    • books, DVDs, CDs, records, board games and toys
    • electrical items like lamps and food mixers

    Last year, Revive helped reuse 1,150 bicycles and sold 40,968 books.

    Find out more about Revive at www.revivereuse.org.uk

    Revive Reuse Community Interest Company was established in November 2010 as a partnership between local organisations which continues today with St Vincent de Paul and SLATE.  Any year-end financial surplus is divided between their member charities to assist in continuing to provide quality services to their own specific client groups. 

    In a joint venture with Leeds City Council, Revive Leeds set up its first re-use shop in August 2011 on the Seacroft household waste and recycling centre designed to catch and divert waste back into valuable reuse. To date, Revive have expanded and now has five stores across Leeds and Kirklees including in Seacroft, Kirkstall, Hunslet, Huddersfield and Batley.

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please email louise.megson@revivereuse.org.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cat Smith MP Joins Celebration of Lancaster’s High Street Heritage Action Zone Cat Smith MP joined Lancaster City Council representatives, local residents and business owners..

    Source: City of Lancaster

    Representatives from Historic England and Lancaster City Council reps with Cat Smith MP & developer Pete Mercer outside Stonewell Spring

    Cat Smith MP joined Lancaster City Council representatives, local residents and business owners, and Historic England to celebrate the successful completion of Lancaster’s High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) project.

    Launched in 2020 by Lancaster City Council and Historic England, the initiative has delivered over £2 million of investment to revitalise the Mill Race area in Lancaster’s city centre.

    Buildings have been revitalised, with eight properties undergoing external restoration. Four buildings have been brought back into use, breathing new life into long-vacant properties. Notable transformations include the former Colonial Amusements, which has been reborn as the Stonewell Spring wine bar and delicatessen, and the restoration of Quality Plus Furniture, on the corner or St Leonard’s Gate and Lodge Street.

    Significant repairs and improvements were made to The Grand Theatre, including render removal, masonry and structural repairs, and the addition of new windows, lighting, and signage.

    Improvements to the streetscape have been made on Damside Street and St Leonard’s Gate. Pavements have been widened with new Yorkstone paving, and pedestrian crossing points have been upgraded with customised bollards providing historical information. These changes have not only improved the look and feel of these streets but have also made them safer and more accessible for pedestrians. Lancaster Footlights who run the theatre shared that their customers had benefitted because of the streetscape enhancements.

    The project’s commitment to heritage preservation featured, with attendees on the visit learning about the support provided for the long-term repair and re-use of the Grade II* listed St John’s Church, a centrepiece of the Mill Race area.

    This year St John’s hosted a summer school run by Historic England for 21 trainees from across northern England to learn under-threat heritage craft skills. The heritage skills developed through this programme are vital, given that an estimated 86,500 new workers a year will be needed until 2050 to retrofit England’s buildings to meet Net Zero targets.

    Community engagement and education initiatives throughout the project included guided tours of the Mill Race area, and a new heritage trail along with signage has been created. Heritage skills training has been provided to over 160 people, covering topics from the care and maintenance of old properties to stained glass repair. A new app featuring archive material, photos, and historic building plans is set to launch soon, providing a valuable resource for local historians and architects.

    The visit showcased improvements for local businesses, including Tailored Hearing on St Leonard’s Gate, who have also delivered internal improvements to strengthen their business offer.

    Cat Smith MP said: “It was fantastic to meet with representatives from Historic England and witness the incredible work they’ve done through the Lancaster High Street Heritage Action Zone. Revitalising treasured buildings such as The Grand Theatre plays a vital role in preserving our city’s rich history.

    “I was also pleased to meet with local business owners from Tailored Hearing Solutions and Quality Plus Furniture who have collaborated with Historic England on this project, which not only safeguards our heritage for future generations but also enhances the experience for all who visit our beautiful city. I thank Historic England for their commitment to ensuring our historical town remains a source of pride and enjoyment for all.”

    Councillor Nick Wilkinson, cabinet member with responsibility for regeneration, skills and digital innovation, stated: “As a result of the investment from Historic England, we have been able to invest in the heritage of this important part of Lancaster and ensure it is ready to play its part in our future by unlocking its economic potential. This has included safeguarding some of our most historic buildings such as the Grand Theatre, improving the streetscape and helping people to learn more about the area’s heritage.”

    Marie Smallwood, Historic England’s Head of Advice North said:  “We’re delighted to see the power of Lancaster’s fantastic heritage being harnessed to get people and businesses back to their high street, strengthening the connection between local people and their city. While the project has now finished, its legacy will continue to benefit Lancaster’s residents and visitors for generations to come.”

    Cat Smith with 3 generations of the Smilie family, Quality Plus Furniture. Photo by Rich Berry.
    Cat Smith MP learning about works to the Grand Theatre, Quality Plus and public realm. Photo by Rich Berry.

    Last updated: 25 September 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the General Assembly Plenary Meeting on Addressing the Existential Threats Posed by Sea Level Rise [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires.  En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.
     
    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique.  C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future. We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    President of the General Assembly, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Our world is in dangerous waters.

    Scientists tell us that the global sea level is now rising faster than at any time in the last 3,000 years, and accelerating – the rate of increase has more than doubled since the 1990s.

    They tell us the cause is clear:

    Greenhouse gases – overwhelmingly from burning fossil fuels – are heating our planet, expanding seawater and melting ice. 

    But they cannot tell us where this will end.

    That is down to world leaders today.

    Their choices will determine the scale, pace and impact of future sea level rise.

    Temperature increases over 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels could take the world past dangerous tipping points – potentially leading to long-term, irreversible collapse of the Greenland and West Antarctica icesheets.

    In the worst-case scenario, people alive today could witness sea levels rise by meters.

    Excellencies,

    Low-lying coastal zones are home to around 900 million people.

    Rising seas mean a rising tide of misery:

    More intense storm surges, coastal erosion, and coastal flooding;

    Communities swamped, fresh water contaminated, crops ruined, infrastructure damaged, biodiversity destroyed, and economies decimated – with sectors such as fisheries, agriculture, and tourism pummelled.

    The poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    I saw this recently in the Pacific, where cyclones are tearing chunks out of island economies.  In 2015, Vanuatu suffered damage equivalent to well over half its GDP.

    Meanwhile, in Panama, hundreds of island families have been relocated to the mainland.

    In Bangladesh, saltwater is polluting drinking water, killing crops and creating a health threat that can be deadly, particularly for pregnant women. 

    In the city of Saint Louis in Senegal, homes, schools, small businesses, and mosques have reportedly been abandoned to the encroaching tide.

    Such events are reproduced across the globe.

    This is what climate injustice looks like. This is the face of inequity.

    But the rich are not immune. 

    Advanced economies are spending billions – in damages, and adaptation.

    And without rapid action we’re in for much worse. 

    As the title of today’s debate reminds us, for some, this could be existential:

    Whole islands lost;

    Coastal communities destroyed as lands become uninhabitable and uninsurable.
                   
    Mass displacement can pile pressure on scarce resources elsewhere, inflaming already dire situations.

    Global trade, food systems and supply chains will be battered as ports are damaged, and agricultural land and fisheries ruined.

    Rising seas will reshape not only coastlines, but economies, politics and security too. 

    Excellencies,

    Only drastic action to reduce emissions can limit sea level rise.

    And only drastic action to adapt can keep people safe from rising waters.

    Everyone must be protected by an alert system by 2027 – in line with our Early Warnings for All initiative.

    And all countries must deliver new national climate action plans – or Nationally Determined Contributions – well ahead of COP30 next year.

    These must align with 1.5 degrees, cover all sectors of the economy, and put us on track to phase out fossil fuels, fast and fairly.

    The G20 – responsible for around eighty percent of global emissions – must lead. And align their fossil fuel production and consumption plans with 1.5 degrees.

    Money is indispensable.

    We need a strong finance outcome at COP29 this year – including on new and innovative sources of capital.

    We need significant contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund – as a step towards climate justice.

    We need developed countries to double adaptation finance to at least $40 billion a year by 2025 – and to show how they will close the adaptation finance gap.

    And we need to reform the Multilateral Development Banks to become bigger, bolder, and able to deliver far more affordable finance to developing countries.

    We made real progress at the Summit of the Future.  We must keep driving that forward – including at the World Summit for Social Development and the Financing for Development conference next year.

    We must also address gaps in our international legal framework concerning sea level rise: to ensure continuing access to resources, while protecting existing maritime boundaries; as well as to protect affected persons and – in extreme scenarios – to address the implications related to statehood.

    Excellencies,

    We cannot leave the hopes and aspirations of billions of people dead in the water. 

    We cannot allow the wholesale destruction of countries and communities.

    It’s time to turn the tide.

    And save ourselves from rising seas.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Excellences,

    L’humanité navigue en eaux dangereuses.

    Les scientifiques nous disent que le niveau des mers monte aujourd’hui plus rapidement que jamais au cours des 3 000 dernières années, et que cette hausse s’accélère – avec un taux d’augmentation qui a plus que doublé depuis les années 1990.

    Ils nous disent que la cause est claire :

    Les gaz à effet de serre – issus en grande partie de la combustion des énergies fossiles – réchauffent notre planète, dilatent l’eau de mer et font fondre la glace. 

    Mais ils ne peuvent pas nous dire où cela s’arrêtera.

    Cela dépendra des dirigeants du monde actuels.

    Leurs choix détermineront l’ampleur, le rythme et l’impact des futures élévations du niveau des mers.

    Une augmentation des températures de plus de 1,5 degré Celsius au-dessus des niveaux préindustriels pourrait faire franchir au monde des points de bascule dangereux – ce qui pourrait sur le long terme entraîner l’effondrement irréversible des calottes glaciaires du Groenland et de l’Antarctique occidental.

    Dans le pire des scénarios, les personnes vivant aujourd’hui verraient le niveau des mers monter de plusieurs mètres.

    Excellences,

    Près de 900 millions de personnes habitent dans les zones côtières de basse altitude.

    Pour elles, la montée des eaux est synonyme d’une marée de malheurs :

    Des ondes de tempête plus intenses, une érosion des côtes et des inondations côtières ;

    Des communautés submergées, de l’eau douce contaminée, des récoltes ruinées, des infrastructures endommagées, une biodiversité détruite et des économies décimées – avec des secteurs tels que la pêche, l’agriculture et le tourisme qui subissent de plein fouet les effets de la tempête.

    Les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables sont les plus durement touchés.

    J’ai pu le constater récemment encore dans le Pacifique, où les cyclones détruisent des pans entiers des économies insulaires. En 2015, Vanuatu a subi des dégâts équivalant à plus de la moitié de son PIB.

    Pendant ce temps, au Panama, des centaines de familles insulaires ont dû être relogées sur le continent.

    Au Bangladesh, l’eau salée pollue l’eau potable, détruit les récoltes et crée une menace sanitaire qui peut être mortelle – en particulier pour les femmes enceintes. 

    Dans la ville de Saint-Louis, au Sénégal, des maisons, des écoles, des petites entreprises et des mosquées auraient été abandonnées face à la marée montante.  

    De tels événements se reproduisent partout dans le monde.

    Voilà à quoi ressemble l’injustice climatique. C’est le visage de l’iniquité.

    Mais les riches ne sont pas à l’abri. 

    Les économies avancées dépensent des milliards – en dommages, et en adaptation.

    Et si nous n’agissons pas rapidement, la situation sera bien pire. 

    Comme le rappelle le titre du débat d’aujourd’hui, cette situation représente pour certains une menace existentielle :

    Des îles entières perdues ;

    Des communautés côtières détruites à mesure que les terres deviennent inhabitables et non assurables.
                   
    Les déplacements massifs de population peuvent exercer une pression sur les ressources limitées des régions voisines – et aggraver des situations déjà dramatiques.

    Le commerce mondial, les systèmes alimentaires et les chaînes d’approvisionnement seront mis à mal lorsque les ports seront endommagés et que les terres agricoles et les pêcheries seront ruinées.

    La montée des eaux remodèlera non seulement les côtes, mais aussi les économies, la politique et la sécurité. 

    Excellences,

    Seules des mesures radicales de réduction des émissions peuvent limiter l’élévation du niveau de la mer.

    Et seules des mesures drastiques d’adaptation peuvent mettre les populations à l’abri de la montée des eaux.

    Tout le monde doit être protégé par un système d’alerte d’ici 2027 – conformément à notre initiative « Alertes précoces pour tous ».

    Tous les pays doivent présenter de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux sur le climat – ou contributions déterminées au niveau national – bien avant la COP30 de l’année prochaine.

    Ces plans doivent s’aligner sur le seuil de 1,5 degré, couvrir tous les secteurs de l’économie et nous mettre sur la voie de l’élimination progressive, rapide et équitable, des combustibles fossiles.

    Le G20, responsable d’environ 80 % des émissions mondiales, doit montrer la voie. Il doit aligner ses plans de production et de consommation de combustibles fossiles sur le seuil de 1,5 degré.

    Le financement est indispensable.

    Nous avons besoin de résultats ambitieux en matière de finances à la COP29 de cette année – y compris en termes de sources de capital nouvelles et innovantes.

    Nous avons besoin de contributions significatives au nouveau Fonds pour les pertes et les dommages – une étape essentielle sur le chemin vers la justice climatique.

    Les pays développés doivent doubler le financement en faveur de l’adaptation pour atteindre au moins 40 milliards de dollars par an d’ici 2025 – et démontrer comment ils vont combler le déficit de financement de l’adaptation.

    Enfin, nous devons réformer les Banques multilatérales de développement pour qu’elles deviennent plus grandes, plus audacieuses et capables de fournir des financements beaucoup plus abordables aux pays en développement.

    Nous avons réalisé de réels progrès lors du Sommet de l’avenir. Nous devons continuer à porter ces avancées, notamment lors du Sommet mondial pour le développement social et de la Conférence sur le financement du développement qui se tiendront l’année prochaine.

    Nous devons également combler les lacunes de notre cadre juridique international concernant l’élévation du niveau de la mer : pour garantir un accès continu aux ressources, tout en protégeant les frontières maritimes existantes, ainsi que pour protéger les personnes touchées et, dans les scénarios extrêmes, pour traiter les implications liées à aux statuts d’un État.

    Excellences,

    Nous ne pouvons pas laisser les espoirs et les aspirations de milliards de personnes sans réponse. 

    Nous ne pouvons pas permettre la destruction massive de pays et de communautés.

    Il est temps d’inverser la tendance.

    Et de nous sauver de la montée des eaux.

    Je vous remercie.

    ***
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –