NewzIntel.com

Category: Natural Disasters

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Iran-Israel crisis: IAEA chief calls for access to damaged nuclear sites

    Source: United Nations 2

    Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), was addressing the agency’s Board of Governors, amid fresh reports of new Israeli missile strikes on Iranian military sites in Tehran and elsewhere earlier on Monday. Iranian weapons fire has also been reported across Israel. 

    Mr. Grossi – who also addressed an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Sunday – insisted that the agency’s weapons inspectors should return to Iran’s nuclear sites and account for their stockpiles.

    There is particular concern about 400 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 per cent by Iran.

    Under the terms of a 2015 nuclear deal with the international community, Iran is permitted to enrich the naturally occurring radioactive material to less than four per cent.

    “Craters are now visible at the Fordow site, Iran’s main location for enriching uranium at 60 per cent, indicating the use of ground-penetrating munitions; this is consistent with statements from the United States,” he told the IAEA Board of Governors. “At this time, no one including the IAEA, is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow.”

    Mr. Grossi said that taking into account the highly explosive payload used in the US attacks, “very significant damage is expected to have occurred” to the highly sensitive centrifuge machinery used to enrich uranium at Fordow.

    Several sites hit

    Fordow is one of several nuclear-related sites across Iran that are known to have been damaged in the strikes by the United States, including those in Esfahan, Arak and Tehran.

    In comments to the UN Security Council in New York on Sunday, the IAEA chief said that although radiation levels remained normal outside these nuclear facilities, deep concerns remained about Iran’s operational nuclear plant at Bushehr.

    Any strike on Bushehr could trigger a massive radiation release across the region –  “the risk is real”, Mr. Grossi said.

    Eleven days after Israel launched air and missile strikes at Iranian military and nuclear sites, some 430 people are believed to have been killed in Iran, most of them civilians.

    According to Israeli reports, 25 people have been killed and more than 1,300 injured by Iranian missile strikes.

    Terror and hoarding

    Inside Iran, many people are sleep-deprived after 10 days of Israeli strikes and afraid that they have nowhere to go.

    Testimonies shared with UN News of events indicate that internet access is extremely limited and that people are queueing for hours to stock up on food and fuel. “Even bread has been scarce at times,” said one Iranian national, who noted that many of those with dual nationality have been leaving the country.

    The crisis has also increased problems for the elderly and infirm – “not for lack of money, but because their caregivers have disappeared”, she added.

    Meanwhile in Israel, civilians impacted by Iranian missile attacks have spoken of their shock at the destruction of their homes, echoing calls for peace in Iran.

    “We came to try to evacuate some equipment left at our flats, which were totally collapsed by the direct heat of the missile yesterday morning,” one Israeli resident said in an online testimony published on Monday. “So, that’s it, the entire house is gone.”

    Another resident explained that he was returning to his apartment which had been “totally destroyed by a missile landed under my window – and luckily I wasn’t here.”

    Explained: Why striking nuclear facilities risks catastrophe

    IAEA safety experts have warned repeatedly that armed attacks on nuclear infrastructure – enrichment facilities or reactors – risk damaging containment systems and could lead to the release of dangerous levels of radioactive or toxic materials.

    “Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State which has been attacked,” IAEA chief Mr. Grossi told the agency’s Board of Governors on Monday.

    Even well-fortified facilities are not immune from structural or systemic failure when subjected to extreme external force, such as missile strikes, the UN nuclear watchdog has said.

    A range of threats

    The potential consequences include localised chemical exposure and far-reaching radioactive contamination, depending on the nature of the site and the strength of its defensive barriers.

    At enrichment or conversion facilities, the primary hazard often comes from uranium hexafluoride (UF₆). If struck and exposed to moisture, this radioactive compound of uranium and fluorine can break down into hydrogen fluoride – a highly toxic gas that can cause burns and respiratory damage.

    Radiation risks at these enrichment sites are typically lower than at reactors, although chemical hazards can have severe local impacts, IAEA said.

    In contrast, reactor cores and spent-fuel pools hold large inventories of fission products which result from nuclear reactions, such as iodine-131 and cesium-137. A breach here could result in large-scale radioactive dispersal, especially if cooling systems fail. 

    Different sites and risks

    Iran’s nuclear programme includes a range of facilities with varying risk profiles, reports indicate. The Bushehr nuclear power plant, Iran’s only operational commercial reactor, remains undamaged but contains significant radioactive material under IAEA safeguards.

    Research reactors including the Tehran facility are smaller, while the Arak heavy-water reactor, struck recently, held no nuclear material at the time.

    Enrichment plants at Natanz and Fordow are fortified and underground, limiting the spread of radiation despite recent damage. However, conversion sites such as Isfahan involve uranium hexafluoride (UF₆), raising the risk of toxic chemical exposure if containment is breached.

    International legal frameworks and UN resolutions strongly prohibit military action against peaceful nuclear facilities. The IAEA stresses that any such strike endangers not just national safety, but regional and global stability.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN condemns ‘heinous’ terrorist attack at Damascus church that killed dozens

    Source: United Nations 2

    More than 60 churchgoers were also wounded in the attack, which is reported to be the first in the Syrian capital since rebel groups ousted former president Bashar al-Assad in December, ending more than a decade of civil war.

    A gunman opened fire inside the Greek Orthodox St. Elias Church in the Dweila neighbourhood before detonating an explosive vest, according to media reports.  

    Photos and video from inside the church showed a heavily damaged altar and pews covered in broken glass.

    UN chief demands accountability

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres strongly condemned the attack, expressing his deepest condolences to the families of those killed and wishing a swift recovery to the injured.

    “All perpetrators of terrorism must be held accountable,” Stéphane Dujarric, his spokesperson, said on Monday.

    Mr. Guterres noted that the Syrian interim authorities had attributed the attack to the terrorist group, ISIL – also known as Da’esh – based on preliminary investigations, and he called for a thorough and impartial probe.

    “The Secretary-General reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations to supporting the Syrian people in their pursuit of peace, dignity, and justice,” Mr. Dujarric added.

    Call for justice

    UN Special Envoy for Syria Geir Pedersen echoed the condemnation, denouncing the bombing “in the strongest possible terms.”

    He urged authorities to investigate the attack and ensure accountability.

    He also called for unity in rejecting terrorism, extremism, incitement, and the targeting of any community in Syria, which has been a patchwork of different faiths throughout its history.

    No place for extremism

    Adam Abdelmoula, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, described the incident as a “deliberate attack on a place of worship” and stressed that it had targeted civilians, including women and children, gathered in prayer.

    “There is no room for violence and extremism,” he said, urging solidarity as Syria moves toward recovery and reconciliation.

    Mr. Abdelmoula reiterated the UN’s continued support for the Syrian people and called for all possible steps to be taken to protect civilians, prevent future attacks, and bring those responsible to justice.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres condemns Iran attack on US airbase in Qatar

    Source: United Nations 2

    It comes in the wake of reports that Iran launched missiles at an American military base in Qatar in retaliation for the US bombing three of its nuclear facilities this past weekend.

    Iran reportedly fired seven missiles at Al Udeid Air Base, where some 10,000 troops reportedly are stationed.  All but one were intercepted by Qatar and no casualties were reported, according to international media.

    End the fighting

    The development marks the latest step in more than a week of missile strikes between Iran and Israel, and the situation has escalated with US involvement.

    “From the outset of the crisis, the Secretary-General has repeatedly condemned any military escalation in this conflict, including today’s attack by Iran on the territory of Qatar. He further reiterates his call on all parties to stop fighting,” the statement said.  

    The Secretary-General urged all Member States to uphold their obligations under the UN Charter and other rules of international law. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Ukraine: Ceasefire a critical first step on the road to durable peace

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo addressed ambassadors alongside UN deputy relief chief, Joyce Msuya, who updated on the dire humanitarian situation in the country amid ongoing Russian attacks.

    Ms. DiCarlo said the meeting was taking place at a potential inflection point in the three-year war, as the past few weeks have seen intensified shuttle diplomacy towards a possible peace deal. 

    ‘Glimmer of hope’

    “These initiatives offer a glimmer of hope for progress towards a ceasefire and an eventual peaceful settlement,” she said.

    “At the same time, we continue to witness relentless attacks on Ukrainian cities and towns.”

    Russian forces have carried out recent deadly strikes, such as the massive, combined missile and drone attack last week on several regions, including the capital Kyiv.  

    Multiple residential buildings in the city were hit. At least 12 people were reported killed and more than 70 others injured, including children, making it the deadliest attack on the capital in nine months. 

    This followed several other deadly strikes, including one in Sumy city on Palm Sunday that reportedly killed 35 people.  Another in Kryvyi Rih killed 18, including nine children – the deadliest single strike against children since the start of the full-scale Russian invasion.

    The UN human rights office, OHCHR, verified that as of 24 April, 151 civilians have been killed, and 697 injured so far this month in Ukraine. 

    Verification is ongoing, but numbers are expected to surpass the March figures, which were already 50 per cent higher than in February.

    She also noted recent media reports quoting local Russian authorities that indicate civilian casualties in the Kursk, Bryansk and Belgorod regions in Russia, including alleged Ukrainian strikes on 23 and 24 April that reportedly killed three people in the Belgorod region.

    “We condemn all attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur,” she said.

    Diplomatic efforts encouraged

    Ms. DiCarlo noted that the UN Secretary-General has repeatedly called for de-escalation and a durable ceasefire in Ukraine.

    “In this regard, we are encouraged by the diplomatic efforts underway,” she said.

    “We take note of yesterday’s announcement by the Russian Federation of a 72-hour truce planned for the period from 8 to 10 May.”

    It follows a similar Russian announcement on 19 April of a 30-hour Easter truce, “and Ukrainian authorities reportedly agreed to mirror any such steps, reiterating their earlier support for a 30-day ceasefire proposed by the United States,” she said.

    “Regrettably, hostilities continued during Holy Week, with both sides accusing each other of violations.”

    She recalled that a month earlier, the Secretary-General welcomed separate announcements by the US, Russia and Ukraine regarding a 30-day moratorium on strikes against energy infrastructure and the resumption of negotiations on the safety of navigation in the Black Sea.

    “Despite these commitments, however, attacks against energy infrastructure persisted,” she said. 

    Political will valuable

    Ms. DiCarlo said the continued exchange of prisoner of war by both sides – including the largest to date, when 500 people were swapped on 20 April – “shows that with political will, diplomacy can yield tangible results even in the most difficult circumstances.”

    She concluded her remarks by pointing to the forthcoming 80th anniversary of the Second World War, which serves as a reminder “with even greater urgency” of the centrality of the UN Charter and international law in safeguarding peace and security.

    “The Russian Federation’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine stands as an egregious challenge to these fundamental principles, jeopardizing stability in Europe and threatening the broader international order,” she said.

    “What is needed now is a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a critical first step towards ending the violence and creating the conditions for a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace.”

    UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

    Joyce Msuya, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefs the Security Council meeting on maintenance of peace and security of Ukraine.

    Millions in need

    Ms. Msuya reported that the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has worsened despite ceasefire opportunities. Overall, nearly 13 million people need assistance.

    “So far this year, not a single day has passed without civilians being killed or injured in attacks,” she said. 

    The operating environment also remains highly dangerous for humanitarians. 

    Aid workers under attack

    “From 1 January to 23 April, there were 38 verified security incidents impacting humanitarian staff within 20 kilometers of the frontline. This has left three aid workers dead and 21 injured while delivering life-saving assistance,” she said.

    Ms. Msuya reiterated earlier calls for the Council to take urgent, collective action on Ukraine in three areas.

    She urged ambassadors to ensure the protection of civilians – including humanitarian and health workers – and critical infrastructure. 

    Her second point stressed the need to increase financial support for humanitarian operations as underfunding is forcing critical programmes to scale down. 

    Finally, she called for a just peace: “Every effort, whether aimed at a temporary pause or a lasting agreement, must prioritize the protection and needs of civilians.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN denounces deadly Palm Sunday attack in Ukraine

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    The two missiles struck a busy street in the city centre, damaging residential buildings, an educational facility and civilian vehicles, as people were out celebrating Palm Sunday, a major religious holiday in Ukraine.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres was deeply alarmed and shocked to learn of the attack his spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

    Devastating pattern of assaults

    “The attack, on Palm Sunday and at the start of Holy Week, continues a devastating pattern of similar assaults on Ukrainian cities and towns in recent weeks, resulting in civilian casualties and large-scale destruction,” he said.

    The Secretary-General underlined that attacks against civilians and civilian objects are prohibited under international humanitarian law and must end immediately.

    Mr. Guterres renewed his call for a durable ceasefire in Ukraine.

    He also reiterated the UN’s support to meaningful efforts towards a just, lasting and comprehensive peace that fully upholds the country’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, in line with the UN Charter, international law, and relevant UN resolutions.

    Senior aid official ‘utterly appalled’

    The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, was “utterly appalled” by the Russian missile strike on the heart of Sumy city, which is located in northeastern Ukraine.

    “Palm Sunday is meant to be a day of peace and reflection. Instead, people in Sumy in northeastern Ukraine have been subjected to violence, terror, and loss,” he said.

    The missile hit a busy street in the city centre, damaging residential buildings, an educational facility, and civilian vehicles — including a public bus.

    “On behalf of the humanitarian community and the United Nations country team, I condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms and express my deeply felt condolences with the families whose lives have been torn apart,” said Mr. Schmale.

    He recalled that international humanitarian law strictly prohibits attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, stressing that “those rules exist to protect human life and dignity — and they must be respected at all times.”

    The head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) office in Kharkiv, which also supports residents of the Sumy region, was part of a mission that visited the city in the wake of the devastating attack.

    Jinan Ramadan shared powerful accounts of the suffering she witnessed and urged the international community to continue to support Ukraine.  Our interview below has more details. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Myanmar on the ‘path to self-destruction’ if violence does not end

    Source: United Nations 2-b

    Since then, “there has been no end to the violence, even though thousands have been killed and thousands more injured,” said UN Special Envoy to Myanmar, Julie Bishop, on Tuesday, briefing the General Assembly.

    “I have stressed consistently that without a ceasefire, a de-escalation of violence and a focus on the needs of the people, there can be no inclusive lasting peace,” she said.

    Call for ceasefire

    Having spoken with survivors among the rubble of homes, hospitals and schools, Ms. Bishop said they “wanted the fighting to end so they could live in peace,” as armed clashes continue to obstruct the aid and reconstruction effort.

    Although some parties to the conflict have announced ceasefires, “they have largely not been observed,” she said.

    Reiterating her call for an end to hostilities she said civilian protection “must be the priority and inclusive and sustainable peace a shared goal.”

    Without an end to the violence she said Myanmar would continue on “the path to self-destruction.”

    Contested elections

    Ms. Bishop warned that unless there is an end to the violence and an inclusive and transparent electoral process, all that could result from any election – which the junta is planning to contest – would be “greater resistance and instability.”

    “It is inconceivable how an election could be inclusive,” she said, with so many political leaders still being held by the regime.

    Ms. Bishop also reiterated the UN’s call for the release of all arbitrary prisoners, including democratically elected leaders Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi.

    Rohingya’s plight

    With up to 80 per cent living in poverty, the situation of the mostly Muslim Rohingya minority in both Myanmar and Bangladesh remains dire.

    Caught in the crossfire between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, Rohingya civilians in their historic homeland of Rakhine State are being subjected to forced recruitment and other abuse.

    As aid dwindles, Rohingyas living in Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar face real consequences, including cuts to food rations and education.  

    “A viable future for Myanmar must ensure safety, accountability, and opportunity for all its communities, including Rohingya, and must address the root causes of conflict, discrimination and disenfranchisement in all its forms,” said Ms. Bishop. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: World News in Brief: Global growth slows, deadly Ukraine attacks, Haiti hurricane hunger risk, legal migration for refugees

    Source: United Nations 4

    Growth is projected to weaken to 2.3 per cent, or nearly half a percentage point lower than expected at the start of the year, according to the Global Economic Prospects report.

    “The global outlook is predicated on tariff rates close to those of late May prevailing,” it said.

    “Accordingly, pauses to previously announced tariff hikes between the United States and its trading partners are assumed to persist.”

    Although a global recession is not expected, average global growth is on track to be the slowest of any decade since the 1960s.

    Poor countries suffer

    Growth forecasts are being slashed in nearly 70 per cent of all economies, with the poorest countries most affected.

    In most developing countries, nearly 60 per cent, growth should average 3.8 per cent in 2025 before reaching an average 3.9 per cent in the following two years – more than a percentage lower than the average in the 2010s.

    The slowdown will impact efforts by developing countries in areas such as job creation, poverty reduction and closing income gaps with richer economies.

    “The world economy today is once more running into turbulence. Without a swift course correction, the harm to living standards could be deep,” said Indermit Gill, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist.

    The report calls for rebuilding trade relations as “economic cooperation is better than any of the alternatives – for all parties,” he said.

    Countries are also urged to improve business climates and to promote employment by ensuring workers are equipped with necessary skills.

    At least three dead in new Russian drone assault on Ukrainian cities 

    A massive new wave of Russian drone attacks has killed at least three civilians and left Kyiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia engulfed in clouds of thick smoke, aid teams said on Tuesday. 

    The attack was reportedly one of the largest since Russia’s full-scale invasion more than three years ago.

    In an online update, the UN aid coordinating office, OCHA, said that a maternity ward in Odesa had come under fire, causing injuries and widespread damage to homes. 

    Another terrible night

    The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, underscored the impact of the violence on civilians, citing 16-year-old Sonya from Kyiv in an online post. “It was a terrible night,” she said. “The sounds were so frightening – a buzzing sound that was getting closer and explosions every five minutes.”

    Russia has intensified its airstrikes on Ukraine in recent days. 

    According to Moscow, it stepped up its bombing campaign in retaliation for Ukraine’s surprise drone attacks deep inside Russian territory last week codenamed operation spiderweb.

    Amid the ongoing conflict, UN humanitarian teams and partners continue to work to help civilians in cities across Ukraine.

    They provide first aid, protection services, food, construction materials and other support including counselling and legal advice.

    Haiti: Hurricane season is here, but there are no food supplies

    The World Food Programme (WFP) has reported that for the first time ever, it has no prepositioned food supplies in Haiti for the hurricane season, which lasts from June to November. 

    WFP also said staffers do not have the financial resources to respond quickly to an emergency weather event in the country. 

    Other UN agencies have prepositioned water and sanitation kits for 100,000 and health supplies for 20,000 people. However, these are not sufficient, especially in the absence of food, to meet needs during an emergency. 

    “The current lack of contingency stocks and operational funds leaves Haiti’s most at-risk communities dangerously unprotected at a time of heightened vulnerability,” Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a briefing Tuesday. 

    Famine-like conditions

    Food insecurity and malnutrition are already rampant, with over half the population facing acute hunger. Haiti is one of five countries worldwide which is experiencing famine-like conditions. 

    Continuing armed violence by gangs in the capital and in other regions has displaced over one million people, compounding the hunger crisis and limiting access to other basic services such as clean water and health care. 

    UN agencies in the country estimate that they will need $908 million to continue providing life-saving resources in Haiti, but currently, they have only received $78 million in emergency support. 

    Refugees find hope through legal migration

    Nearly one million refugees from eight countries with high asylum recognition rates were granted entry permits to 38 destination countries between 2019 and 2023, according to a new report from UN refugee agency, UNHCR, and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Safe Pathways for Refugees. 

    These permits were issued through existing systems for work, study, or family reunification.

    “Refugees are using the same legal channels that millions rely on every day,” said Ruven Menikdiwela, UNHCR’s Assistant High Commissioner for Protection. 

    “We don’t need new systems – just safer access to the ones already in place.”

    In 2023 alone, nearly 255,000 permits were issued, marking a 14 per cent increase from 2022 and the highest number recorded since tracking began in 2010. 

    Countries such as Germany, Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Sweden have played a leading role. 

    UNHCR is urging States to remove obstacles for refugees and integrate them into regular migration systems. It also calls for stronger partnerships to expand access to legal pathways amid growing displacement and strained asylum systems. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres calls for an end to ocean ‘plunder’ as UN summit opens in France

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    “The ocean is the ultimate shared resource,” he told delegates gathered at the port of Nice. “But we are failing it.”

    Oceans, he warned, are absorbing 90 per cent of the excess heat from greenhouse gas emissions and buckling under the strain: overfishing, rising temperatures, plastic pollution, acidification. Coral reefs are dying. Fish stocks are collapsing. Rising seas, he said, could soon “submerge deltas, destroy crops, and swallow coastlines — threatening many islands’ survival.”

    Call for stewardship

    More than 50 Heads of State and Government took part in the opening ceremony, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen — a show of political force underscoring the summit’s weight.

    In total, over 120 countries are participating in the five-day gathering, known by the shorthand UNOC3, signaling a growing recognition that ocean health is inseparable from climate stability, food security, and global equity.

    French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country is co-hosting the summit alongside Costa Rica, followed with a forceful appeal for science, law, and multilateral resolve.

    “The abyss is not for sale, any more than Greenland is for sale, any more than Antarctica or the high seas are for sale,” he declared. “If the Earth is warming, the ocean is boiling.”

    He insisted the fate of the seas could not be left to markets or opinion. “The first response is therefore multilateralism,” Mr. Macron said. “The climate, like biodiversity, is not a matter of opinion; it is a matter of scientifically established facts.”

    Costa Rican President Rodrigo Chaves Robles took the podium next, thanking Mr. Guterres for elevating the ocean on the global agenda, then shifting to a stark warning.

    “The ocean is speaking to us — with bleached coral reefs, with storms, with wounded mangroves,” he said. “There’s no time left for rhetoric. Now is the time to act.”

    Condemning decades of treating the ocean as an “infinite pantry and global waste dump,” Mr. Chaves urged a shift from exploitation to stewardship.

    UN News/Heyi Zou

    Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, at the opening ceremony of UNOC3

    “Costa Rica is a small country, but this change has started,” he said. “We are now declaring peace with the ocean.”

    Most notably, the Costa Rican leader called for a moratorium on deep-sea mining in international waters until science can adequately assess the risks — a position already backed by 33 countries, he noted.

    A treaty within reach

    One of the summit’s core objectives is to help bring into force the landmark High Seas Treaty — known as the BBNJ accord — adopted in 2023 to safeguard life in international waters. Sixty ratifications are required for the treaty to become binding international law. Emmanuel Macron announced that this milestone is now within reach.

    “In addition to the 50 or so ratifications already submitted here in the last few hours, 15 countries have formally committed to joining them,” he said. “This means that the political agreement has been reached, which allows us to say that this [Treaty] will be properly implemented.”

    Whether the legal threshold is crossed this week or shortly after, the French President added, “it’s a win.”

    UN News/Heyi Zou

    The plenary hall of the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3) in Nice.

    High-stakes negotiations in the ‘Blue Zone’

    The tone set by the opening speeches made clear that Nice will be the stage for high-stakes negotiations — on finalizing a global treaty on plastic pollution, scaling up ocean finance, and navigating conflicting opinions surrounding seabed mining.

    Hundreds of new pledges are expected to be announced, building on more than 2,000 voluntary commitments made since the first UN Ocean Conference in 2017. The week-long talks will culminate in the adoption of a political declaration and the unveiling of the Nice Ocean Action Plan, a blueprint aligned with the landmark Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, a 2022 agreement to protect 30 per cent of marine and terrestrial ecosystems by 2030.

    “The deep sea cannot become the Wild West,” António Guterres warned.

    The summit is being held in a purpose-built venue overlooking Port Lympia, Nice’s historic marina, now transformed into the secured diplomatic ‘Blue Zone.’ On Sunday, a symbolic ceremony led by Li Junhua, head of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of the conference, saw the French and UN flags raised above the harbor.

    “This ceremony marks not only the formal transfer of this historic port into the hands of the United Nations, but also the beginning of a week of shared commitment, responsibility, and hope,” said Mr. Li.

    UN News/Fabrice Robinet

    Ludovic Burns Tuki marked the start of the summit by blowing a pu, a traditional conch shell

    Culture, science, and collective memory

    Before the negotiations began in earnest, Monday’s opening turned to ritual and reflection. Polynesian climate activist Ludovic Burns Tuki marked the start of the summit by blowing a pu, a traditional conch shell.

    “It’s a way to call everyone,” he told UN News after the ceremony. “I blow with the support of our ancestors.” In Polynesian navigation, the conch is sounded upon arrival at a new island to signal peaceful intent. Mr. Tuki, born in Tahiti to parents from the Tuamotu and Easter Islands, sees the ocean as both boundary and bond.

    “We are not only countries,” he said. “We need to think like a collective system, because this is one ocean, one people, a future for all.”

    The cultural segment also included a blessing by Tahitian historian Hinano Murphy, a martial arts performance by French taekwondo master Olivier Sicard, a scientific reflection by deep-sea explorer Antje Boetius, and a poetic testimony by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrahmane Sissako, accompanied by kora musician Wassa Kouyaté.

    What was lost can return

    The goals of the Conference are ambitious but clear: to advance the ‘30 by 30’ pledge, promote sustainable fisheries, decarbonize maritime transport, and unlock new streams of “blue finance,” including ocean bonds and debt-for-nature swaps to support vulnerable coastal states.

    In addition to plenary sessions, Monday will feature two high-level action panels: one on conserving and restoring marine ecosystems — including deep-sea habitats — and another on strengthening scientific cooperation, technology exchange, and education to bridge the gap between science and policy.

    In his opening statement, António Guterres stressed that Sustainable Development Goal 14 , on ‘Life Below Water’, remains the least funded of the 17 UN global goals.

    “This must change,” he said. “We need bold models to unlock private capital.”

    “What was lost in a generation,” he concluded, “can return in a generation. The ocean of our ancestors — teeming with life and diversity — can be more than legend. It can be our legacy.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Climate crisis driving surge in gender-based violence, UN study finds

    Source: United Nations 4

    That is the warning from a new issue brief by the UN Spotlight Initiative, which finds that climate change is intensifying the social and economic stresses that are fuelling increased levels of violence against women and girls.

    The brief explains that extreme weather, displacement, food insecurity, and economic instability are key factors increasing the prevalence and severity of gender-based violence.

    These impacts hit hardest in fragile communities, where women already face entrenched inequalities and are more vulnerable to assault.

    Every 1°C rise in global temperature is associated with a 4.7 per cent increase in intimate partner violence (IPV), the study cites. In a 2°C warming scenario, 40 million more women and girls are likely to experience IPV each year by 2090. In a 3.5°C scenario, that number more than doubles.

    The Spotlight Initiative is the United Nations high-impact initiative to end violence against women and girls. Its latest findings emphasise that climate solutions must address rights, safety, and justice if they are to be effective or sustainable.

    UNIC Mexico/Eloísa Farrera

    A ‘shadow pandemic’

    Gender-based violence is already a global epidemic, the report outlines. Over one billion women — at least one in three — have experienced physical, sexual, or psychological abuse in their lifetime. These figures are likely underestimated, as only around seven per cent of survivors file a formal report to police or medical services.

    The Spotlight Initiative identifies a pattern of increased violence in the aftermath of climate disasters.

    In 2023 alone, 93.1 million people were affected by weather-related disasters and earthquakes, while an estimated 423 million women experienced intimate partner violence. As climate shocks become more frequent and severe, the risk of violence is projected to rise dramatically.

    For example, one study highlighted in the report found a 28 per cent increase in femicide during heatwaves.

    Other consequences include higher rates of child marriage, human trafficking, and sexual exploitation, especially in the wake of displacement caused by floods, droughts, or desertification.

    © WFP/Mehedi Rahman

    Marginalized communities

    The burden of this crisis is not evenly distributed. Women and girls living in poverty — including smallholder farmers and those in informal urban settlements — face heightened vulnerability.

    Women who are Indigenous, disabled, elderly, or part of the LGBTQ+ community also experience overlapping risks, with limited access to services, shelters, or protections.

    In sub-Saharan Africa, projections show that intimate partner violence could nearly triple from 48 million women in 2015 to 140 million by 2060 if temperatures rise by 4°C. However, under a scenario that limits warming to 1.5°C, the share of women affected could decrease from 24 percent in 2015 to 14 percent in 2060.

    The report also draws attention to the growing threats against women environmental human rights defenders. Many face harassment, defamation, physical assault, or worse for speaking out against destructive land use or extractive industries.

    In Guatemala, women who reported illegal logging were forcibly evicted and had their homes burned. In the Philippines, those opposing mining operations have faced abduction and deadly violence.

    © UNICEF/Anderson Flores

    An urgent call for gender-inclusive climate policy

    Despite the urgency of this issue, only 0.04 per cent of climate-related development assistance focuses primarily on gender equality. The report argues that this gap represents a critical failure to recognize how gender-based violence – or GBV – determines climate resilience and justice.

    The Spotlight Initiative calls for GBV prevention to be integrated into all levels of climate policy, from local strategies to international funding mechanisms.

    Examples from countries like Haiti, Vanuatu, Liberia, and Mozambique have shown how programmes can be designed to simultaneously address violence and build climate resilience.

    These include re-training midwives who had previously performed female genital mutilation to access alternative livelihoods through climate-smart agriculture, ensuring that disaster response includes GBV services, and supporting mobile health clinics in disaster zones.

    The report stresses that effective climate action must prioritize safety, equity, and the leadership of women and girls.

    Ending violence against women and girls, the report concludes, is not only a human rights imperative — it is essential to achieving a just, sustainable, and climate-resilient future.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Humans can’t survive without a healthy Ocean: UN envoy

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    The urgent need to restore the Ocean will be the focus of a major international conference taking place in Nice, France, this June. This will be the first UN Ocean Conference since the adoption of a legal agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity and the protection of life in the Ocean will be a key topic.

    Peter Thompson, the Secretary General’s Envoy for the Ocean, Alfredo Giron, Head of the Ocean Action Agenda at the World Economic Forum (WEF), and Minna Epps, who runs the Ocean Program at the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), spoke to UN News ahead of the Conference, to talk about UN-led initiatives designed to protect marine biodiversity.

    UN News: How serious is the marine biodiversity crisis?

    Minna Epps: We’re in really dire straits. If we don’t protect and restore the Ocean this is going to have devastating consequences for all those services that we are dependent on. The entire climate is dependent on the Ocean as a climate regulator. However, we don’t want the Ocean to absorb more carbon dioxide, because that’s what makes it acidic, so we need to start by cutting emissions.

    If you are in an airplane and you fly over a forest, you can see deforestation, that a habitat has been lost. The same thing is happening in the Ocean, but we can’t really see it. Another effect of climate change is marine heat waves, when water temperature increases over an extended period. A marine heat wave in Panama wiped out around 75 per cent of coral diversity.

    Or take coral reefs. These make up less than one per cent of the Ocean, but almost 25 per cent of marine species depend on them. Reefs also protect against storm surges and extreme weather events.

    Peter Thomson: Fossil fuels are causing man-made global warming, which is heating the Ocean at an alarming rate, which is causing changes in ecosystems, rising sea levels and the death of coral.

    Colombian Environment Ministry

    Divers pose with transplanted corals and a ‘One Million Corals for Colombia’ sign, the name of the biggest ocean restoration project in Latin-America.

    How can Homo sapiens survive on a healthy planet if you don’t have a healthy Ocean? And how can you have a healthy Ocean if you don’t have a coral in it? So, my message is, leave fossil fuels in the ground. Get as fast as we can to an electrified world, an equitably electrified world powered by renewable energy.

    Alfredo Giron: So many things in our daily lives depend on the Ocean. How we eat, how we move and transport goods. Your Amazon delivery package probably went on a ship at some point in the supply chain. How we power our activities: offshore wind is the fastest expanding renewable energy source today. Or how we communicate: the deep-sea cables that we depend on for so many transactions are having an impact on marine biodiversity.

    UN News: What is the 30×30 biodiversity initiative and how could it help to restore the Ocean?

    Alfredo Giron: 30×30 is about protecting and restoring thirty percent of the Ocean and of land by 2030. Many countries that have stepped up and achieved their targets of protecting thirty per cent of their national waters. And we finally have the Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction Agreement, the High Seas Treaty, which is giving us, for the first time, the legal instruments to actually protect waters that are outside of national jurisdictions.

    We have protected close to ten percent of the Ocean at this point. So, as we go into the last five years of the decade, the important question that we should be asking ourselves is, how are we going to protect that other 20 per cent? Do we have the right instruments? Do we have the right incentives? Do we have the right amount of money and ambition to achieve it?

    Peter Thomson: The best of our scientists told us that if we don’t protect 30 per cent of the planet by 2030, we are going to begin seeing a great cascading away of species on this planet and extinctions, including the extinction of Homo sapiens.

    That’s why this 30 per cent protection assumes such great importance, and the Ocean community stood up and committed to protecting 30 per cent of the Ocean. Whether we get there or not is a big question, but at least we’re going to have a plan to get there.

    UN News: This is the first UN Ocean Conference since the adoption of the High Seas Treaty. Why is this important?

    UN Global Compact/Elma Okic

    Peter Thomson: The Treaty brings in a multilateral regime for the exploitation of genetic resources and sharing technology. We are very hopeful that, by the time of the UN Ocean Conference, we will have got the sixty ratifications required for the Treaty to come into force.

    Equally important to me are the World Trade Organisation Harmful Fisheries Subsidies. We are very close to an agreement. This is about up to $30 billion of public money funding industrial fleets each year, to go out and chase diminishing stocks of fish.

    It is human madness. That money should be going towards the development of coastal communities or adaptation to sea level rise, rather than subsidizing industrial fishing fleets.

    © UN Indonesia/M. Gaspar

    Women on the remote island of Bianci, Southwest Papua, have doubled their income by moving from selling raw fish to selling fish-based products.

    UN News: What role should the private sector play in the protection of the Ocean?

    Alfredo Giron: It is not enough to think about sustainable use. Now we need to think about regeneration. For example, if you install an offshore wind farm, can you make sure that you use the right materials so that you can build a coral reef around it? Or, if you build a new port, can you use mangroves to protect and stabilise the coastline, while making sure that the waves are not as strong and that the ships can interact more easily with the port itself?

    If we stop thinking about the private sector as the flip side of conservation but rather as one more stakeholder that will really benefit from a healthy Ocean, then we start unlocking a lot of opportunities. The WEF is partnering with the UN to bring in the private sector and help them to navigate and understand what is going on in this space.

    Minna Epps: We also must stop thinking about the private sector as a homogenous group, and distinguish between the big corporations that we can we need to work with, and the small to medium enterprises that we need to invest in.

    We want this conference to be a game changer. We are focusing on initiatives such as the International Panel of Ocean Sustainability, which is gathering both scientific and Indigenous knowledge. Then there is finance: how do we move the needle in a decisive manner? Because without that happening, the conference will not have a strong legacy. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 5, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 5, 2025.

    Palestine protesters target NZ businesses ‘complicit’ with Israel’s Gaza genocide
    Asia Pacific Report Protesters against the Israeli genocide in Gaza and occupied West Bank targeted three business sites accused of being “complicit” in Aotearoa New Zealand today. The Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa’s “End Rocket Lab Genocide Complicity” themed protest picketed Rocket Lab’s New Zealand head office in Mt Wellington. Simultaneously, protesters also picketed a site

    Lyssavirus is rare, but deadly. What should you do if a bat bites you?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vinod Balasubramaniam, Associate Professor (Molecular Virology), Monash University Ken Griffiths/Getty Images A man in his 50s has died from lyssavirus in New South Wales after being bitten by a bat several months ago. This is Australia’s fourth human case of bat lyssavirus and the first confirmed case

    Guam nuclear radiation survivors ‘heartbroken’ over exclusion from compensation bill
    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist People on Guam are “disappointed” and “heartbroken” that radiation exposure compensation is not being extended to them, says the president of the Pacific Association for Radiation Survivors (PARS), Robert Celestial. He said they were disappointed for many reasons. “Congress seems to not understand that we are no different than

    Hong Kong’s light fades as another pro-democracy party folds
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Clift, Lecturer in Law & Justice, UNSW Sydney Thomas Yau/Shutterstock The demise of one of Hong Kong’s last major pro-democracy parties, the League of Social Democrats, is the latest blow to the city’s crumbling democratic credentials. The league is the third major opposition party to disband

    Eyewitness account of Rainbow Warrior voyage – new Eyes of Fire edition
    By Giff Johnson, editor of the Marshall Islands Journal Author David Robie and Little Island Press are about to publish next week a 40th anniversary edition of Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior, a first-hand account of the relocation of the Rongelap people by Greenpeace’s flagship Rainbow Warrior in

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 4, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 4, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Is Mark Carney turning his back on climate action?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Deborah de Lange, Associate Professor, Global Management Studies, Toronto Metropolitan University

    The G7 summit in Alberta, hosted by Prime Minister Mark Carney, has ended with only passing mention of fighting climate change, including a statement on wildfires that is silent on the pressing need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

    This is puzzling. Canadians didn’t opt for Conservative Pierre Poilievre, considered by some to be an oil and gas industry mouthpiece, in the last federal election. Instead, voters gave Carney’s Liberals a minority government.

    Carney was the United Nations Special Envoy on Climate Action and Finance and was behind the UN-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance, so some Canadians might have assumed he’d prioritize climate action if he won the election. Instead, Carney has described developing fossil fuel infrastructure as “pragmatic.”

    But it’s unclear how a country grappling with abysmal air quality due to wildfires fuelled by global warming will benefit from further global fossil fuel development and its related emissions.



    Read more:
    Wildfire smoke can harm your brain, not just your lungs

    Warming rapidly

    Canada is warming faster than most of the globe. Its leaders should be laser-focused on mitigating climate change by reducing fossil fuel use to the greatest extent possible, as soon as possible.

    This decades-long understanding of how to approach climate action has been repeatedly explained by experts and is well known to governments globally. Canada’s prime minister was once one of those experts.

    Carney now has a tremendous opportunity to lead by steering Canada in a clean direction.

    Canada is at the forefront of clean technology, with numerous business opportunities emerging, particularly in areas like circular economy international trade. These opportunities not only support Canada’s commitment to meeting its Paris Agreement targets but also help expand and diversify its global trade.

    Eco-industrial parks

    Canada already has exemplar eco-industrial parks — co-operative businesses located on a common property that focus on reducing environmental impact through resource efficiency, waste reduction and sharing resources. Such industrial communities are in Halifax and in Delta, B.C. They represent significant investment opportunities.

    Vacant urban land could be revitalized and existing industrial parks could boost their economic output and circular trade by building stronger partnerships to share resources, reduce waste and cut emissions.



    Read more:
    A sustainable, circular economy could counter Trump’s tariffs while strengthening international trade

    Canada would benefit economically and environmentally by building on existing expertise and expanding successful sustainability strategies to achieve economic, environmental and social goals.

    But by continuing to invest in fossil fuels, Canada misses out on opportunities to diversify trade and boost economic competitiveness.

    The secret to China’s success

    Real diversification makes Canada less vulnerable to economic shocks, like the ones caused by the tariffs imposed by United States President Donald Trump.

    Fossil fuel reliance increases exposure to global economic risks, but shifting to cleaner products and services reduces climate risks and expands Canada’s global trade options. China’s economic rise is partly a result of this strategy.



    Read more:
    While the U.S. threatens tariffs and builds walls around its economy, China opens up

    That’s seemingly why Trump is so fixated on China. China today is a serious competitor to the U.S. after making smart trade and economic decisions and forging its own path, disregarding American pressure to remain a mere follower.

    Investing in its huge Belt and Road Initiative, China also aligned itself with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. It’s building diplomatic bridges with many Belt and Road countries in southeast Asia as Trump’s America alienates its partners, pulling out of the Paris Agreement and cutting foreign aid.

    As another one of America’s mistreated partners, Canada was poised to forge its own path under Carney. Instead, Carney is supporting American oil and gas by encouraging Canadian pipeline projects.

    Clean innovation is the path forward

    Canadian oil and gas is a concentrated industry controlled by a wealthy few, primarily Americans. More pipelines would therefore mean more sales of fossil fuels to other countries, with the beneficiaries mostly American.

    Fossil fuel investments reduce Canada’s diversification because the resources used to further these projects could go elsewhere — toward clean diversification. With almost unlimited clean economy options across many sectors, clean diversification would broaden Canada’s economic and trade portfolios and reduce American control.



    Read more:
    Why Canada’s Strong Borders Act is as troublesome as Donald Trump’s travel bans

    This is International Business 101, and would make the Canadian economy more competitive through innovation, while reducing the country’s climate risk.

    California, often targeted by Trump for its policies, has been a leader in clean innovation, making its economy the envy of the world.



    Read more:
    California is planning floating wind farms offshore to boost its power supply – here’s how they work

    My recent research shows that clear, decisive choices like those made in California will be key to Canada’s future success. Canada must make choices aligned with goals — a core principle of strategic management.

    My research also suggests Canada must restructure its energy industry to focus on renewable energy innovation while reducing fossil fuel reliance. Increased renewable energy innovation, as seen in patent numbers, leads to higher GDP.

    Contrary to common beliefs, pollution taxes boost the economy in combination with clean innovation. But when the government supports both the fossil fuel industry and clean industries, it hinders Canada’s transition to a cleaner future.

    Trapped by the fossil fuel industry?

    Do Canadian taxpayers truly want to keep funding an outdated, polluting industry that benefits a wealthy few, or invest in clean industries that boost Canada’s economy, create better jobs and protect the environment? To differentiate Canada from the United States, it would make sense to choose the latter.

    Carney should consider refraining from pushing for the fast-tracking of polluting projects. If he doesn’t, Canada will become more uncompetitive and vulnerable, trapped by the fossil fuel industry.



    Read more:
    Mark Carney wants to make Canada an energy superpower — but what will be sacrificed for that goal?

    Carney’s support for pipelines may have stemmed from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith’s implicit support for Alberta sovereignty. She made veiled threats to Canada at a critical juncture, when Trump was making repeated assertions about annexing Canada.

    Missed opportunities

    Alberta didn’t vote for Carney. But Canadians who care about mitigating climate change did.

    Banks that felt pressure to at least recognize sustainable finance during the Joe Biden administration joined Carney’s Net-Zero Banking Alliance.

    But as soon as Trump came to power a second time and walked away from the Paris Agreement, many American banks abandoned the alliance. Canadian banks followed suit, and Carney remarkably missed another moment to show Canadian leadership by stopping their exit.

    In fact, Carney seems to have abandoned his own organization to appease Trump as the president made multiple 51st state threats. The prime minister had the chance to differentiate Canada and demonstrate his own leadership. Instead, he seems to have easily turned his back on his principles under pressure from Trump.

    Deborah de Lange receives funding from SSHRC and ESRC. She is affiliated with The Liberal Party of Canada and The Writers’ Union of Canada.

    – ref. Is Mark Carney turning his back on climate action? – https://theconversation.com/is-mark-carney-turning-his-back-on-climate-action-258737

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Asia is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    While there are records which exist to be broken – Olympic ones, for example -these monthly temperature extremes are not medal worthy. And yet, China was not the only Asian country to set a flurry of new highs in 2024.

    The continent is warming twice as fast as the global average, according to a report released Monday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). This rate of warming – which shows no signs of stopping – is leading to devastating consequences for lives and livelihoods across the region, and no country is exempt from the consequences.

    “Extreme weather is already exacting an unacceptably high toll,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo on Monday.

    Large landmass, warmer temperatures

    The WMO report said that Asia is warming twice as fast as global averages because of its large landmass, explaining that temperatures over land increase more quickly than those over sea.

    “Variations in surface temperature have a large impact on natural systems and on human beings,” the report said.

    The oceans around Asia are also experiencing temperature increases with surface temperatures in the Indian and Pacific Oceans reaching record levels in 2024.

    Moreover, prolonged heat waves, both on land and sea, wreaked havoc across the region, leading to melting glaciers and rising sea levels. 

    Too much and too little water

    Some countries and communities in Asia were ravaged by record rainfall. Northern Kerala in India, for example, experienced a fatal landslide which killed over 350 people.

    Record rainfall coupled with snow melt in Kazakhstan, which is home to thousands of glaciers, led to the worst flooding in 70 years.

    Others were ravaged by the exact opposite problem – not enough rainfall. A summer long drought in China, for example, affected over 4.76 million people and damaged hundreds of thousands of hectares of crops.

    WMO emphasized in the report that the only way to adapt to these increasingly polar weather patterns is to install more comprehensive early warning systems which are coupled with capacity building measures that enable communities to be more resilient.

    Nepal: A case study in preparedness

    The WMO report lauded the success that Nepal has had in installing early warning systems which monitor flooding risks, among other things, even as it said that more comprehensive action was necessary.

    Between 26 and 28 September 2024, Nepal experienced extreme rainfall which created landslides and flooding across large swaths of the country. 246 people were killed, 178 injured and over 200 missing in the wake of the climate emergency.

    While the impact of the crisis was extreme, early flood warning systems enabled communities to prepare for evacuation in addition to crisis responders to reach the worst hit regions quickly.

    “This is the first time in 65 years that the flooding was this bad. We had zero casualties thanks to preparedness and rescue measures, but the damage was extensive,” said Ramesh karki, Mayor of Barahakshetra, an affected municipality in Eastern Nepal.

    Moreover, comprehensive national protocols on emergency funding ensured that funding for humanitarian and rebuilding needs was quickly dispersed throughout the country.

    WMO said that they are working with the Nepalese government and other partners to continue improving upon these systems.

    “The work of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services and their partners is more important than ever to save lives and livelihoods,” Ms. Saulo said. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Still reeling’: Myanmar quakes worsen humanitarian crisis in fractured country

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    The 28 March quake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale, struck central regions with deadly force, killing some 3,800 people and injuring over 5,000, according to UN estimates.

    The disaster devastated infrastructure and homes across Mandalay, Sagaing and Magway, displacing tens of thousands more in a country already grappling with over 3.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) since the 2021 military coup.

    “Communities are still reeling from the earthquakes – the strongest the country has experienced in a century,” said Jorge Moreira da Silva, Executive Director of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), speaking to journalists at the UN Headquarters in New York via video from Beijing after a three-day visit to Myanmar.

    “The devastation caused by the quakes compounded the existing challenges of conflict, displacement and severe humanitarian needs.”

    Needs outpace resources

    UNOPS, which maintains the largest UN presence in Myanmar with nearly 500 staff, mobilized $25 million within weeks of the disaster and has reached half a million people with lifesaving support.

    “My colleagues worked swiftly with partners to deliver emergency shelters, clean water, and deploy infrastructure specialists for rapid assessments,” Mr. da Silva said.

    However, he warned that far greater international support is needed to meet the scale of needs.

    The World Bank estimates total damages at nearly $11 billion, with full reconstruction expected to cost two to three times more. Over 2.5 million tonnes of debris must also be cleared to enable recovery.

    Mr. da Silva emphasized that reconstruction must be people-centred, inclusive, and linked to peacebuilding efforts.

    “We echo calls from across the UN for an end to violence,” he said. “Recovery and reconstruction should support Myanmar’s journey to peace and reconciliation. Protection of civilians must be a priority.”

    Women and girls face disproportionate risks

    The humanitarian fallout has hit women and girls particularly hard – many of whom were among those killed or injured – and now face growing protection risks.

    According to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA, more than 4.6 million women of reproductive age – including over 220,000 currently pregnant – are at heightened risk.

    Damage to health facilities, worsened by monsoon flooding and insecurity, has disrupted access to emergency obstetric care and menstrual hygiene. Gender-based violence meanwhile, is rising sharply in overcrowded, poorly lit shelters.

    © UNOPS/KMT

    UNOPS Executive Director Jorge Moreira da Silva meets with a woman and her newborn child at a health clinic.

    Health system under pressure

    The risk of waterborne diseases such as cholera and vector-borne illnesses like dengue and malaria is also rising.

    According to the World Health Organization (WHO) while no major outbreaks had been reported as of 31 May, cases of acute watery diarrhoea and skin infections are ticking up.

    Monsoon rains have worsened conditions in temporary shelters, where overcrowding and poor sanitation raise serious health concerns. Mental health remains fragile, with 67 per cent of respondents in a recent survey reporting emotional distress linked to the quake and ongoing conflict.

    WHO and its partners have delivered more than 300,000 vaccine doses – including tetanus and rabies – but access remains limited, and health services underfunded.

    Protracted crisis

    More than 3.25 million people remain displaced within Myanmar since the military coup of February 2021, with at least another 176,000 seeking refuge in neighbouring countries, according to refugee agency, UNHCR.

    This excludes the hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from earlier waves of violence.

    Myanmar also remains one of the world’s deadliest countries for landmines and explosive remnants of war.

    In the first nine months of 2024 alone, 889 casualties were reported – raising fears the toll could surpass the record 1,052 deaths and injuries documented in 2023.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Energy access has improved, but more funding is needed to address disparities: WHO

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    While the rate of basic access to energy has increased since 2022, the current pace is insufficient to reach universal access by 2030, one of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), according to a report published by the WHO and partners this Wednesday.

    The report highlights the role of cost-effective distributed renewable energy — a combination of mini-grid and off-grid solar systems — in accelerating energy access, particularly as the populations who remain unconnected mostly live in remote, lower-income, and fragile areas.

    Regional disparities

    “Despite progress in some parts of the world, the expansion of electricity and clean cooking access remains disappointingly slow, especially in Africa,” said Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), as 85 per cent of the global population without electricity access reside in sub-Saharan Africa.

    In the region, renewables deployment has rapidly expanded; however, on average, it remains limited to 40 watts of installed capacity per capita — only one eighth of the average in other developing countries.

    Clean cooking

    As regional disparities persist, an estimated 1.5 billion people residing in rural areas still lack access to clean cooking, while over two billion people remain dependent on polluting and hazardous fuels such as firewood and charcoal for their cooking needs.

    Yet, the use of off-grid clean technologies, such as household biogas plants and mini-grids that enable electric cooking, can offer solutions that reduce the health impacts caused by household air pollution.

    “The same pollutants that are poisoning our planet are also poisoning people, contributing to millions of deaths each year from cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, particularly among the most vulnerable, including women and children,” said Tedros Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

    Lack of financing

    The report identified the lack of sufficient and affordable financing as a key reason for regional inequalities and slow progress.

    While international public financial flows to developing countries in support of clean energy have increased since 2022, the developing world received significantly fewer flows in 2023 than in 2016.

    “This year’s report shows that now is the time to come together to build on existing achievements and scale up our efforts,” said Stefan Schweinfest, Director of the UN Statistics Division, as the report called for strengthened international cooperation between the public and private sectors to scale up financial support for developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Afghanistan: Surging returns from Iran overwhelm fragile support systems, UN agencies warn

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Ninety-nine per cent of the returnees were undocumented, and 70 per cent were forcibly returned, with a steep rise in families being deported – a shift from earlier months, when most returnees were single young men, according to the UN agency.

    The rise follows a March decision by the Iranian Government requiring all undocumented Afghans to leave the country.

    Conditions deteriorated further after the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which caused the daily refugees crossings to skyrocket from about 5,000 to nearly 30,000, according to Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan.

    “They are coming in buses and sometimes five buses arrive at one time with families and others and the people are let out of the bus and they are simply bewildered, disoriented, and tired and hungry as well,” he told UN News, describing the scene at a border crossing.

    “This has been exacerbated by the war, but I must say it has been part of an underlying trend that we have seen of returns from Iran, some of which are voluntary, but a large portion were also deportations.” 

    Strain on aid efforts

    Afghanistan, already grappling with economic collapse and chronic humanitarian crisis, is unprepared to absorb such large-scale returns.

    The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan calls for $2.42 billion in funding, but only 22.2 per cent has been secured to date.

    “The scale of returns is deeply alarming and demands a stronger and more immediate international response,” said IOM Director General Amy Pope, “Afghanistan cannot manage this alone.”

    Meanwhile, UNHCR alongside partners is working to address the urgent needs of those arriving – food, water, shelter, protection. However its programmes are also under severe strain due to limited funding. 

    The agency had to drastically reduce its cash assistance to returnee families at the border from $2,000 per family to just $156.

    “We are not able to help enough women, and we are also hurting local communities,” added Mr. Jamal.

    Some relief, but not enough

    In response to growing crisis, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $1.7 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to support drought-affected families in Faryab Province.

    The funds will provide cash assistance to some 8,000 families in the region, where over a third of the rural population is already facing crisis or emergency levels of acute food insecurity.

    “Acting ahead of predicted hazards to prevent or reduce humanitarian impacts on communities is more important than ever,” said Isabelle Moussard Carlsen, Head of OCHA Afghanistan, adding “when humanitarian action globally and in Afghanistan is underfunded…we must make the most of every dollar.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Without urgent funding, global hunger hotspots are set to grow, UN warns

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    But hunger has followed them. Over 57 per cent of the population in the world’s youngest country to the south is already facing high levels of acute food insecurity.

    Sudan and South Sudan are among five global hunger hotspots of “highest concern”, trapped in a worsening cycle of conflict, climate shocks and economic decline.

    Continued fighting in Sudan, anticipated flooding impacting its southern neighbour and deteriorating economic conditions in both countries are set to intensify hunger in the coming months.

    A new report released on Monday by the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) also identified Palestine, Mali and Haiti as the other top-priority hunger hotspots, with a further seven countries likely to see worsening food security over the next five months.

    The report, which analyses existing data to project the nature of food insecurity, emphasised that without immediate humanitarian assistance, people living in these hotspots will face severe food conditions and high risks of starvation and death.  

    “This report makes it very clear: hunger today is not a distant threat  – it is a daily emergency for millions. We must act now and act together to save lives and safeguard livelihoods,” said FAO Director General QU Dongyu.  

    Conflict-driven hunger

    The report identified that the main driver of hunger is conflict which is often compounded by climate and economic shocks.  

    “There’s an on-going famine in Sudan and also a risk of famine in the case of Gaza. And all of those are driven by conflict and lack of access for humanitarians,” said Jean-Martin Baucer, FAO food security analysis director.

    In Gaza, the entire population of 2.1 million people is projected to experience crisis levels of food insecurity in the next months as a result of protracted military operations, with almost 500,000 projected to face catastrophic levels of food insecurity.  

    Sawsan was an artist in Gaza before the conflict began. Since then, she and her four children have been displaced, losing everything that they owned. They do not have enough to eat: Sawsan described to WFP that she now reduced to crushing macaroni to make bread for her children.  

    The report also noted that climate shocks and conflict often cause protracted economic declines, diminishing the purchasing power and self-sustaining capacity of households and communities.

    Window closing fast 

    In recent months, humanitarian food operations have faced significant food shortages and have been geographically impeded by security crises which make the delivery of aid simply dangerous.  

    WFP and FAO are calling for the international community to drastically step up funding for food and nutrition related humanitarian aid in the coming months and advocate for an end to the fighting.  

    “Urgent, sustained investment in food assistance and recovery support is crucial as the window to avert yet more devastating hunger is closing fast,” said WFP executive director Cindy McCain.

    ‘Red alert’

    In May, the food aid sector estimated that it would need $12.2 billion, but only nine per cent of this was funded.  

    The report also underlined the importance of moving towards longer-term humanitarian strategies which equip communities with self-sustaining capabilities and are less expensive.

    “This report is a red alert. We know where hunger is rising and we know who is at risk. We have the tools and experience to respond but without funding and access, we cannot save lives,” said Ms. McCain.   

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN Human Rights Council hears grim updates on Ukraine, Gaza and global racism

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Escalating conflict in Ukraine

    In an oral update, Ilze Brands Kehris, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights, reported a sharp escalation in hostilities in Ukraine.

    Civilian casualties have surged, with April to June seeing nearly 50 per cent more deaths and injuries compared to the same period in 2024.

    “More than 90 per cent of these casualties occurred in territory controlled by Ukraine,” she said, attributing the spike in part to intensified Russian drone and missile attacks.

    Attacks using airburst warheads and repeated strikes on hospitals have instilled “terror and anxiety” among urban populations, she added. A June 16-17 nighttime attack in Kyiv killed more civilians than any other assault in the past year.

    While ceasefire negotiations have produced some humanitarian gains – such as the exchange of prisoners of war and the return of deceased soldiers – Ms. Kehris underscored harrowing conditions in detention.

    Over 117 former Ukrainian POWs interviewed by the UN rights office, OHCHR, reported torture, including sexual violence, in Russian captivity. Though less widespread, similar abuses have also been documented in unofficial Ukrainian detention facilities, prompting calls for transparent investigations.

    The report also noted ongoing human rights violations in territories occupied by Russia, including restrictions on civic space and the exercise of freedom of expression.

    “Peace is more imperative than ever,” Ms. Kehris said, reiterating calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in line with international law.

    Structural racism and intersectionality

    Ashwini K.P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, delivered a thematic report focused on intersectionality as a tool for racial justice.

    Drawing from experiences of Black feminists and expanded by studies focusing on Dalit, Indigenous, Muslim and Roma community members, the concept of intersectionality was presented as essential to dismantling systemic discrimination.

    “Women of African descent, caste-oppressed communities, Roma, Arab and Muslim women, and other marginalized groups are disproportionately impacted due to overlapping forms of discrimination,” Ms. Ashwini said.

    Her report detailed how states can integrate an intersectional approach, emphasising data disaggregation, participatory policymaking, legal recognition of multiple discrimination and historical accountability.

    Ms. Ashwini highlighted the importance of reparatory justice for communities affected by colonialism and slavery and called on states – particularly those historically complicit – to implement bold reforms.

    People search through the rubble of a destroyed building in the central Gaza Strip.

    Deepening crisis in Gaza

    Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, also reported to the Council, with grim update on Gaza.

    She described conditions as “apocalyptic” and reported over 200,000 people killed or injured since 7 October 2023, when Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups attacked Israeli communities – killing at least 1,200 people and taking more than 250 as hostages.

    “In Gaza, Palestinians continue to endure suffering beyond imagination,” Ms. Albanese said, describing the Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as a “death trap – engineered to kill or force the flight of a starved, bombarded, emaciated population marked for elimination.”

    She also accused Israel of using the conflict as an opportunity to test new weapons and technology against the population of the enclave “without restraint”.

    “The forever-occupation has provided an optimal testing ground for arms manufacturers and big tech with little oversight and zero accountability – while investors, and private and public institutions have profited handsomely,” she said.

    “We must reverse the tide,” Ms. Albanese urged, calling on Member States to impose a full arms embargo on Israel, suspend all trade agreements and investment relation and enforce accountability, “ensuring that corporate entities face legal consequences for their involvement in serious violations of international law.”

    Independent rights experts

    Special Rapporteurs are independent human rights experts appointed and mandated by the Human Rights Council – the UN’s highest intergovernmental forum on human rights.

    Forming a part of its Special Procedures, Special Rapporteurs and other independent experts are mandated to monitor and assess the rights situation in certain thematic or country situations.

    They work in their individual capacity, are not UN staff and do not receive a salary. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: Families deprived of the means for survival, humanitarians warn

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    “As humanitarian assistance and basic services dwindle, people in Gaza have been increasingly deprived of the means for their survival,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at the UN Headquarters in New York.

    It has been 17 weeks since any fuel has entered Gaza, according to Mr. Dujarric – a critical shortage that forced the Al-Shifa Medical Complex to suspend its kidney dialysis services and restrict its intensive care unit services to just a few hours per day.

    Other hospitals, including Al-Aqsa in Deir al-Balah, have also come under attack, with the World Health Organization (WHO) reporting a strike on a tent sheltering displaced civilians in its courtyard.

    Over the past 48 hours, five school buildings sheltering displaced families  were also hit, reportedly causing deaths and injuries, while a new evacuation order issued on Sudan displaced 1,500 families from northern Gaza.  

    Living in terror

    Olga Cherevko, an official at the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), described conditions for families in Gaza as “living in terror.”

    “The only thing that is on their minds right now is a ceasefire and peace at last,” she said.  

    Ms. Cherevko called for Israel to open all border crossings and allow a steady and sufficient flow humanitarian aid.

    “The thing that needs to happen for us…to address the emergency on the ground, is to reopen additional crossings, to allow supplies to enter through multiple corridors and remove the constraints that are in place for us to deliver supplies to people in need,” she said.  

    She warned that unless conditions change quickly, essential services will continue to shut down — and the broader humanitarian response could stall entirely.

    “If the situation doesn’t change very, very urgently, more such services will continue shutting down,” Ms. Cherevko said.

    “And if the situation doesn’t change going forward, the entire humanitarian operation could grind to a halt.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: Access to key water facility in Khan Younis disrupted, UN reports

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israeli authorities issued displacement orders overnight for two neighbourhoods in Khan Younis, where up to 80,000 people had been living.

    The Al Satar reservoir – a critical hub for distributing piped water from Israel – has become inaccessible as a result.

    Grave warnings

    “Any damage to the reservoir could lead to a collapse of the city’s main distribution of the water system, with grave humanitarian consequences,” UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric told reporters at a daily news briefing in New York.

    Al Satar’s disruption comes as Gaza’s infrastructure buckles under relentless displacement, strained services and critical shortages of fuel and supplies.

    Approximately 85 per cent of Gaza’s territory is currently either under displacement orders or located within military zones – severely hampering people’s access to essential aid and the ability of humanitarians to reach those in need, OCHA reported.

    Displacement continues

    Since the collapse of a temporary ceasefire in March, nearly 714,000 Palestinians have been displaced again, including 29,000 in the 24 hours between Sunday and Monday. Existing shelters are overwhelmed, and aid partners report deteriorating health conditions driven by insufficient water, sanitation and hygiene services.

    Health teams report that rates of acute watery diarrhoea have reached 39 per cent among patients receiving health consultations. Khan Younis and Gaza governorates are hardest hit, with densely overcrowded shelters and little access to clean water exacerbating the spread of disease.

    Adding to the crisis, no shelter materials have entered Gaza in over four months, despite the hundreds of thousands of newly displaced people. UN partners reported that in 97 per cent of surveyed sites, displaced families are sleeping in the open, exposed to heat, disease and trauma.

    Fuel shortages

    Meanwhile, fuel shortages are jeopardising the humanitarian response. A shipment of diesel intended for northern Gaza was denied on Wednesday by Israeli authorities, just a day after a successful but limited delivery to Al Shifa Hospital in Gaza City.

    If the fuel crisis is not urgently addressed, Mr. Dujarric warned that relief efforts could grind to a halt.

    “If the fuel crisis isn’t addressed soon, humanitarian responders could be left without the systems and the tools that are necessary to operate safely, manage logistics and distribute humanitarian assistance,” he said.

    “This would obviously endanger aid workers and escalate an already dire humanitarian crisis.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN chief ‘appalled’ by worsening Gaza crisis as civilians face displacement, aid blockades

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Multiple attacks in recent days have killed and injured scores of Palestinians at sites hosting displaced people and others attempting to access essential supplies, according to a statement from UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Thursday.

    “The Secretary-General strongly condemns the loss of civilian life,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    On just one day this week, nearly 30,000 people were forced to flee under new Israeli relocation orders, with no safe place to go and clearly inadequate supplies of shelter, food, medicine or water, he added.

    Critical systems shutting down

    With no fuel having entered Gaza in over 17 weeks, the UN chief is also “gravely concerned that the last lifelines for survival are being cut off.”

    “Without an urgent influx of fuel, incubators will shut down, ambulances will be unable to reach the injured and sick, and water cannot be purified,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    “The delivery by the United Nations and partners of what little of our lifesaving humanitarian aid is left in Gaza will also grind to a halt.”

    The Secretary-General reiterated his call for safe and sustained humanitarian access so aid can reach people in desperate need.

    “The UN has a clear and proven plan, rooted in the humanitarian principles, to get vital assistance to civilians – safely and at scale, wherever they are,” Mr. Dujarric said.

    The Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. He reminded all parties that international humanitarian law must be upheld.

    Displacement continues

    Displacement remains relentless. On Wednesday, Israeli authorities issued a new evacuation order in parts of Gaza City, affecting some 40,000 people and including a displacement site, a medical point and one of the few neighbourhoods that had remained untouched by such orders since before the March ceasefire.

    Since that ceasefire collapsed, over 50 such orders have been issued, now covering 78 per cent of Gaza’s territory.

    “Add the Israeli-militarized zones and that percentage jumps to 85 – leaving just 15 per cent where civilians can actually stay,” Mr. Dujarric said, briefing reporters at the UN Headquarters, in New York.

    Those areas are overcrowded and severely lacking in services or proper infrastructure.

    “Imagine having just over two million people in Manhattan – which is actually slightly bigger – but instead of buildings, the area is strewn with the rubble of demolished and bombed-out structures, without infrastructure or basic support,” the UN Spokesperson said.

    “And in Gaza, these remaining areas are also fragmented and unsafe.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Libya’s fragile peace tested again as new clashes roil Tripoli

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Clashes broke out earlier in the week across several districts of the Libyan capital, reportedly triggered by the killing of a prominent militia leader.

    The fighting, which involved heavy weaponry in densely populated areas, forced hundreds of families to flee and placed severe strain on local hospitals.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres urged all parties to take urgent steps to consolidate the ceasefire announced on Wednesday.

    “The rapid nature of the escalation, which drew armed groups from outside the city and subjected heavily populated neighbourhoods to heavy artillery fire, was alarming,” his spokesperson said in a statement on Thursday.

    “The Secretary-General reminds all parties of their obligation to protect civilians and calls on them to engage in serious dialogue in good faith to address the root causes of the conflict.”

    Alarms raised

    The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) issued successive warnings throughout the week, calling the situation “deeply alarming” and urging an “immediate, unconditional ceasefire.”

    “Attacking and damaging civilian infrastructure, physically harming civilians, and jeopardizing the lives and safety of the population may constitute crimes under international law,” the mission said on Wednesday, praising mediation efforts by elders and civil society leaders.

    Years of fragmentation

    Nearly 15 years after the fall of Muammar Gaddafi and the emergence of rival administrations in 2014, the country remains divided, with the internationally recognised Government of National Unity (GNU) based in Tripoli in the northwest and the Government of National Stability (GNS) in Benghazi in the east.

    Competition over Libya’s vast oil wealth further complicates the situation. Though the country produces more than a million barrels a day, the living conditions of ordinary Libyans have seen little improvement.

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    Karim Khan (on screen), Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), briefs the Security Council on the situation in Libya.

    Accountability for atrocities

    In New York on Thursday the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced that its investigation into alleged war crimes in Libya has entered a new phase, following increased cooperation by authorities there.

    Briefing the UN Security Council from The Hague, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan described “an unprecedented six months of dynamism,” citing the January arrest of Osama Elmasry Najim, a commander in the now-dissolved Special Deterrence Force (RADA), and his controversial return to Libya.

    Mr. Khan briefed Ambassadors via videolink after the United States imposed punitive sanctions on the court including senior personnel, which threaten the prosecutor and others with arrest if they travel to the US. The US made the order in response to the ICC issuing arrest warrants for the Israeli Prime Minister and former defence minister, last November.

    Mr. Najim was arrested by Italian authorities based on an ICC warrant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to abuses at Metiga Prison.

    However, his return was a matter of deep concern, said Mr. Khan.

    New ‘rule of law’ promises accountability

    “There was real dismay and disappointment among victims that Mr. Njeem was returned to the scene of the alleged crimes,” Mr. Khan said.

    Despite that setback, he said that the arrest warrant had sent “shockwaves” through Libyan militias and alleged perpetrators in Libya, signalling a growing awareness that “the rule of law has entered the territory of Libya.”

    He confirmed that more arrest warrants are being pursued, and that the ICC has responded to a request for assistance from the National Crime Agency of the United Kingdom as part of its own investigation into Mr. Njeem.

    “There is a black box of suffering in Libya,” he told ambassadors. “We will manage to break it open.”

    The Security Council meeting on the situation in Libya.

    Libya grants ICC jurisdiction

    In another major development, Libya formally submitted a declaration to the ICC under Article 12(3) of the Rome Statute, granting the court jurisdiction over crimes committed on Libyan soil from 2011 to 2027.

    Mr. Khan described this as a “new chapter” in accountability efforts and confirmed that the investigation phase is expected to conclude by early 2026.

    About the ICC

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) is an independent judicial body established under the Rome Statute, adopted in 1998 and in force since 2002.

    Although not part of the United Nations, the ICC works closely with it under a cooperative framework. The situation in Libya was first referred to the ICC by the UN Security Council in 2011 through resolution 1970.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese Embassy in Japan warns Chinese citizens to stay vigilant against natural disasters

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

    The Chinese Embassy in Japan on Friday issued a notice to remind Chinese citizens in the country to be vigilant against natural disasters as earthquakes have frequently jolted southwestern Japan.

    The Tokara island chain region in the southwestern prefecture of Kagoshima has been hit by over 1,000 felt earthquakes since June 21, with a strong quake measuring in the lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of 7 logged on Thursday, according to a local meteorological observatory.

    Heightened seismic activities have prompted Japanese authorities to urge residents of Akusekijima, part of the Tokara island chain, to be prepared to evacuate at any time. On Friday, 13 residents evacuated the village of Toshima on Akusekijima and arrived at Kagoshima Port by ship, local media reported.

    The embassy also warns of Typhoon Mun, which is expected to move northward over the sea east of Japan, as well as scorching temperatures, which are expected to persist across Japan until September.

    The embassy reminds Chinese nationals residing in Japan and tourists visiting Japan to strengthen their awareness of natural disaster prevention, pay close attention to earthquake updates, weather warnings and disaster prevention information, and evacuate to safe areas as soon as possible when necessary. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: AI applications are producing cleaner cities, smarter homes and more efficient transit

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mohammadamin Ahmadfard, Postdoctoral Fellow, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is quietly transforming how cities generate, store and distribute energy, acting as the invisible conductor that orchestrates cleaner, smarter and more resilient cities.

    By integrating renewables — from solar panels and wind turbines to geothermal grids, hydrogen plants, electric vehicles and batteries — AI can enable cities to manage diverse energy sources as a single, intelligent system.

    One striking example is the Oya Hybrid Power Station in South Africa. Here, AI-driven controls seamlessly co-ordinate solar, wind and battery storage to deliver reliable power to up to 320,000 households. Using AI makes this kind of integration not only possible, but dramatically more efficient.

    Recent research shows AI can also optimize how batteries, solar and the grid interact in buildings. A 2023 study found that deep learning and real-time data helped a boarding school in Turin, Italy increase low-cost energy purchases and cut its electricity bill by more than half.

    Cleaner, smarter energy grids

    AI models are increasingly able to predict weather with greater precision. These predictions allow electric grid operators to plan hours ahead, storing excess energy in batteries or adjusting supply to meet demand before a storm or heatwave hits.

    Using AI to respond strategically to weather is a game-changer. In Cambridge, England, a system called Aardvark uses satellite and sensor data to generate rapid, accurate forecasts of sun and wind patterns.

    Unlike traditional supercomputer-driven weather models, Aardvark’s AI can deliver precise local forecasts in minutes on an ordinary computer. This makes advanced weather prediction more accessible and affordable for cities, utilities and even smaller organizations — potentially transforming how communities everywhere plan for and respond to changing weather.

    solar panels with a city skyline in the background.
    AI models are increasingly able to predict weather with greater precision, allowing electric grid operators to plan ahead, storing excess energy in batteries or adjusting supply to meet demand before a storm or heat wave hits.
    (Shutterstock)

    AI for smarter district heating and cooling

    In Munich, Germany, AI is improving geothermal district heating by using underground sensors to monitor temperature and moisture levels in the ground.

    The collected data feeds into a digital simulation model that helps optimize network operations. In more advanced versions, during winter cold snaps, such systems can suggest lowering flow to underused spaces like half-empty offices and boosting heat where demand is higher, such as in crowded apartments.

    This intelligent, self-optimizing approach extends the life of equipment and delivers more warmth with the same energy input.

    This is a breakthrough with enormous potential for cities in cold climates with established geothermal networks, such as Winnipeg in Canada and Iceland’s Reykjavik.

    Although these cities have not yet adopted AI-driven monitoring systems, they could benefit from AI’s real-time improvements in efficiency, comfort and energy savings during harsh winters — a principle that holds true wherever geothermal district heating and cooling exists.

    a person adjusting a digital thermostat
    Inside the home, AI-managed smart climate systems can factor in how many people are in each room, which appliances are in use, how much natural sunlight each space receives.
    (Shutterstock)

    Smart buildings

    Inside the home, AI-managed smart climate systems can factor in how many people are in each room, which appliances are in use, how much natural sunlight each space receives and how much electricity or heat a home’s solar panels generate throughout the day.

    Based on this, AI determines how to heat or cool rooms efficiently, and can transfer energy from one space to another, balancing comfort with minimal energy use.

    Coastal cities and those in wind-heavy regions are using AI in other creative ways. In Orkney, Scotland, excess wind and tidal energy are converted into green hydrogen. Instead of letting that surplus power go to waste, an AI system called HyAI controls when to generate hydrogen based on wind forecasts, electricity prices and how full the hydrogen storage tanks are.

    When winds are strong at night and electricity is cheap, the AI can divert surplus power to produce hydrogen and store it for later use. On calmer days, that stored hydrogen can power fuel cells or buses.

    Energy storage

    AI is transforming energy storage into a smart, revenue-generating force. In Finland, a startup called Capalo AI has developed Zeus VPP, an AI-powered virtual power plant that aggregates distributed batteries from homes, businesses and other sites.

    Zeus VPP uses advanced forecasting and AI algorithms to decide when batteries should charge or discharge, factoring in energy prices, local consumption and weather forecasts. This enables battery owners to earn revenue by participating in electricity markets, while also supporting grid stability and making better use of renewable energy.

    Utility companies are also using AI to monitor everything from high-voltage transmission lines to neighbourhood transformers, dramatically increasing reliability.

    AI-powered dynamic line rating adjusts how much electricity a line can carry in real time, boosting capacity by 15 to 30 per cent when conditions allow. This helps utilities maximize the use of existing infrastructure instead of relying on costly upgrades.

    At the local level, AI analyzes smart metre data to predict which transformers are overheating due to rising EV and heat pump use.

    By forecasting these stress points, utilities can proactively upgrade equipment before failures happen — a shift from reactive to predictive maintenance that makes the grid stronger and cities more resilient.

    AI-powered public transit and mobility

    Transportation innovation is becoming part of the energy solution, with AI at the centre of this transformation. In New York City, energy company Con Edison has installed major battery storage systems to help manage peak electricity demand and reduce reliance on polluting peaker plants, which supply energy only during high-demand periods.

    More broadly, Con Edison is deploying advanced AI-powered analytics software across its electric grid — optimizing voltage, enhancing reliability and enabling predictive maintenance. Together, these efforts show how combining energy storage and AI-driven analytics can make even the world’s busiest cities more resilient and efficient.

    AI is also powering “vehicle-to-grid” innovations in California, where an AI-driven platform manages electric school buses that can supply stored energy back to the grid during periods of high demand.

    By carefully managing when buses charge and discharge, these systems help keep the grid reliable and ensure vehicles are ready for their daily routes. As this technology expands, parked electric vehicles could serve as valuable backup resources for the electricity system.

    lights moving along a highway
    Transportation innovation is becoming part of the energy solution.
    (Shutterstock)

    AI for clean energy initiatives

    AI is rapidly transforming cities by revolutionizing how energy is used and managed. Google, for example, has slashed cooling energy at its data centres by up to 40 per cent using AI that fine-tunes fans, pumps and windows more efficiently than any human operator.

    Organizations like the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), in collaboration with NVIDIA, Microsoft and others, have launched the Open Power AI Consortium, which is creating open-source AI tools for utilities worldwide.

    These tools will enable even the most resource-constrained cities to deploy advanced AI capabilities, without having to start from scratch, helping to level the playing field and accelerate the global energy transition.

    The result is not just cleaner air and lower energy bills, but a path to fewer blackouts and more resilient homes.

    The Conversation

    Mohammadamin Ahmadfard receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Mitacs Inc. for his postdoctoral research at Toronto Metropolitan University.

    – ref. AI applications are producing cleaner cities, smarter homes and more efficient transit – https://theconversation.com/ai-applications-are-producing-cleaner-cities-smarter-homes-and-more-efficient-transit-256291

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Indigenous engagement is essential for small modular nuclear reactor projects

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Rhea Desai, Post Doctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, McMaster University

    Urban Indigenous gathering for community well-being, showing the importance of interconnectedness in Indigenous Communities in Hamilton, Ont. in August 2021. This way of being must be reflected in nuclear projects to better work alongside Indigenous Peoples. (Michelle Webb)

    With climate change-fuelled natural disasters becoming more frequent and devastating for communities around the world, the need for cleaner energy solutions is more urgent than ever.

    When it comes to transitioning away from fossil fuels, much of the focus tends to be on solar, wind or hydroelectricity. However, small modular reactors (SMRs) are an emerging technology showing promise globally.

    SMRs are a specific type of nuclear reactor that, as the name suggests, are small in energy output and modular in their manufacturing. Provinces like New Brunswick, Alberta and Saskatchewan have made progress on strategic plans to make SMRs part of their provincial climate action plans.

    Unlike traditional nuclear reactors that generally produce more than 1,000 megawatts of electricity, SMRs are designed to produce as low as five megawatts. The modularity of such reactors allows for manufacturing off-site and installation at the desired location. This can decrease construction time, manufacturing costs and certain environmental costs associated with building on site.

    This means SMRs are more feasible for many off-grid communities that lack reliable access to electricity, many of which are Indigenous. In 2023, the Canada Energy regulator said there were 178 remote Indigenous and northern communities not connected to the North American electricity grid and natural gas infrastructure.

    In an effort to shift reliability from carbon-emitting resources to nuclear power, SMRs provide an exciting alternative, but implementation needs effective engagement with Indigenous communities to flourish.

    a graphic outlining how many megawatts of power a large, small and micro nuclear reactor can generate.
    Small modular reactors (SMRs) could be relatively feasible way to generate power for many off-grid communities.
    (A. Vargas/IAEA)

    Engaging Indigenous communities

    Much of Canada’s electricity is already generated from low-carbon emission sources. However, there are still areas in northern Canada that are reliant on diesel, and therefore SMR plans are often aimed at providing electricity to these communities.

    While on paper, this might sound like the perfect solution, there’s a lot to consider about SMR siting from an environmental perspective in these remote communities. These considerations include but are not limited to potential locations, source term, refuelling and waste management.

    As research continues into the engineering and science behind SMR technology, meaningful community engagement with Indigenous communities is also required.

    Thoughtfully considered and integrated consultations are necessary to ensure projects respect treaties, land rights and the surrounding environment. Consultation is needed to understand the needs and goals of the community for creating an energy transition plan.

    In addition, incorporating traditional ecological knowledge in environmental risk assessments is vital. Ultimately, projects designed alongside Indigenous communities should strive for Indigenous sovereignty over growing infrastructure.

    Why community engagement is important

    Indigenous communities continue to face challenges as a result of colonization. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s (TRC) seventh Call to Action highlights the need to eliminate educational and employment disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians.

    A direct way to address in terms of Canada’s nuclear landscape is to train members of those communities in technical roles related to the planning, deployment and sustained use of a nuclear facility. Specifically, training today’s Indigenous youth so they can fulfil these roles in their future careers.

    The TRC’s Call to Action 92 calls on Canada’s corporate sector to engage in meaningful consultation, respectful relationship-building and equitable access to training and education opportunities that will contribute to long-term benefits from any economic development projects.

    Through understanding the need for this relationship-building, there is a lot that western practices can learn from adopting Indigenous ways of knowing. Indigenous people have a long history of sustainable practices in their culture and traditions, and although western science now consider sustainable practices, it is not deeply woven into community and industrial initiatives.

    As nuclear projects advance in Canada, it’s vital to respect Indigenous knowledge through weaving with western science. Projects can adopt a Two-Eyed seeing approach. This refers to viewing a problem with one eye using an Indigenous knowledge perspective and the other with a western knowledge lens. There is much to learn from understanding the philosophy behind Indigenous ways of knowing that can be applied to protect the environment.

    Indigenous knowledge varies across Canada and comes with different insights, but a commonality is the teaching that all living things are interconnected and must be respected and cared for. This perspective is necessary for the future of nuclear projects to ensure the environment is sustained to support the biodiversity of regions throughout Canada.

    This informed approach of protecting the environment, together with an ecosystem approach that considers the uniqueness and interconectedness of each organism, will ultimately lead to improved nuclear policies and safety.

    The actions that institutions and private industry take today to build strong relationships with Indigenous communities and work towards an increasingly sustainable future will support already resilient communities so they can see growth well beyond the deployment of SMRs. A path to a cleaner future is in reach, but only if we walk beside Indigenous leaders, knowledge holders, community members and, especially, youth.

    The Conversation

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

    – ref. Indigenous engagement is essential for small modular nuclear reactor projects – https://theconversation.com/indigenous-engagement-is-essential-for-small-modular-nuclear-reactor-projects-252134

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Indonesia’s BRICS agenda: 2 reasons Prabowo’s foreign policy contrasts with Jokowi’s

    Source: The Conversation – Indonesia – By Aswin Ariyanto Azis, Head of department of Politics, Government, and International Relations of Universitas Brawijaya, Universitas Brawijaya

    Ilustrasi-ilustrasi bendera negara anggota BRICS dan mitra. justit/Shutterstock

    Indonesia’s decision to pursue membership in BRICS – an emerging economy bloc comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa – signals that President Prabowo Subianto is steering foreign policy in a direction contrasting with his predecessors.

    During Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s two-term administration, then-former Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi led efforts to integrate Indonesia’s economy with Western institutions by working to secure membership with the OECD.

    Since BRICS is an alternative to Western-dominated organisations, many observers scrutinised and questioned Indonesia’s nonalignment commitment. However, Foreign Minister Sugiono argued that BRICS aligns with Indonesia’s ‘free and active’ foreign policy, allowing Indonesia to collaborate widely without aligning too closely with any single bloc.

    For Sugiono, joining BRICS means paving the way to advance the new government’s goals of food security, energy independence, poverty alleviation, and human capital development. The bloc offers access to funding, technology, and trade opportunities to tackle key challenges in those sectors. BRICS, with its emphasis on fairness and cooperation, supports Indonesia’s vision for a more inclusive and sustainable future.

    The shift from Retno’s OECD focus to Sugiono’s BRICS approach reflects at least two visions. First, Indonesia seeks to reassess its strategic position as the leading economy in Southeast Asia. Second, the country seeks to switch from its nonalignment stance to multi-alignment. The later will help navigate partnerships with both developed and emerging economies, balancing traditional alliances with new opportunities.

    Joining BRICS can amplify Indonesia’s influence in its already strong ties with each of the member countries and unlock opportunities beyond one-on-one partnerships.

    Fear of missing out

    Indonesia’s pivot to BRICS reflects both its relationship with major powers, such as China and the US, and regional pressures.

    Neighbouring countries Malaysia and Thailand have recently expressed interest in BRICS, creating a sense of competition within Southeast Asia. Both countries joining the bloc could erode Indonesia’s leadership and influence in the region, especially in affecting global affairs.

    Through ASEAN, Indonesia has sought to act as a regional stabiliser and mediator amid rising polarisation between the West and China.

    As its de facto leader, Indonesia has historically championed initiatives like the South China Sea Code of Conduct and Myanmar’s peace process. Its G20 presidency further underscored its role as a mediator between global powers.

    This ‘fear of missing out’ has spurred Indonesia’s interest in BRICS.

    Joining BRICS ahead of its regional peers ensures that Indonesia maintains its leadership position in ASEAN. For Prabowo’s administration, BRICS offers a platform to advance Indonesia’s interests in maritime security, economic growth, and global governance. It is a strategic move beyond an economic decision to amplify its voice on global issues and prevent fellow Southeast Asian countries from overtaking it in shaping the bloc’s agenda.

    Bold (but not one) direction

    Indonesia’s BRICS membership announcement highlights the new administration’s foreign policy ambitions, centred on two key shifts: adopting a multi-alignment strategy and strengthening its ‘good neighbour’ policy.

    Prabowo envisions engaging with all nations, fostering friendly relations while opposing oppression. This approach resonates with Indonesia’s historical commitment to sovereignty and equality in international relations.

    Indonesia has traditionally adhered to a nonalignment principle. This virtue has aided the country navigating major power blocs without binding itself to any single alliance. However, the current geopolitical climate – marked by intensifying tensions between global powers, regional conflicts, and intricate challenges – demands a more flexible and strategic approach.

    By joining BRICS, Indonesia avoids taking sides and instead diversifies its partnerships to maximise benefits. This multi-aligned approach enables active participation in BRICS discussions on multilateral reform.

    Prabowo’s ‘good neighbour policy’ further underscores the importance of maintaining positive relations with all countries. It empowers developing nations and advocates for a more equitable global order and economic system. This strategy also facilitates Indonesia’s resilience by fostering partnerships in food and energy security, poverty alleviation, and human capital development.

    Such collaborations reduce reliance on Western financial systems and enhance Indonesia’s autonomy. Ultimately, these strategic directions position Indonesia as a sovereign and dynamic player capable of balancing global relationships while advancing its own priorities.

    What about the OECD?

    This move does not mean the OECD is off the table for Indonesia. Instead, Prabowo’s approach reflects a dual-track strategy that values both alliances for their respective benefits.

    The OECD remains a long-term objective to enhance Indonesia’s economic governance and regulatory standards. It serves the goal of providing the country with stable relationships within the Western economic framework. Meanwhile, BRICS offers an immediate avenue for Indonesia to deepen ties with equivalent economies and actively shape policies that impact the Global South.

    Sugiono’s statement in Kazan emphasised Indonesia’s commitment to engaging in other forums, including the G20 and OECD discussions. It highlighted the country’s flexibility in international alliances.

    This dual-track strategy reinforces Indonesia’s role as a bridge between developed and developing nations, maximising the benefits of both alliances without sacrificing its autonomy.

    What’s next for Indonesia?

    Indonesia’s decision to join BRICS marks a significant evolution in its foreign policy. By participating in BRICS, Indonesia positions itself as a critical player in global discussions on economic reform and development, asserting its voice within a multi-polar world order.

    Indonesia is charting a path that balances traditional alliances with emerging opportunities, reinforcing its role as a dynamic, independent player on the world stage.

    The Conversation

    Aswin Ariyanto Azis tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham, atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi selain yang telah disebut di atas.

    – ref. Indonesia’s BRICS agenda: 2 reasons Prabowo’s foreign policy contrasts with Jokowi’s – https://theconversation.com/indonesias-brics-agenda-2-reasons-prabowos-foreign-policy-contrasts-with-jokowis-242920

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Acehnese women: Crucial role in peacebuilding overlooked, discriminated by local regulations

    Source: The Conversation – Indonesia – By Suraiya Kamaruzzaman, Dosen Fakultas Teknik / Kepala Pusat Riset Perubahan Iklim USK, Universitas Syiah Kuala

    Bithography/Shutterstock

    20 years have passed since the Aceh tsunami, leaving deep scars on Indonesia, especially for those directly affected. Aceh was also recovering from a three-decade armed conflict between the Free Aceh Movement and the national government

    Throughout December 2024, The Conversation Indonesia, in collaboration with academics, is publishing a special edition honouring the 20 years of efforts to rebuild Aceh. We hope this series of articles preserves our collective memory while inspiring reflection on the journey of recovery and peace in the land of ‘Serambi Makkah.’

    Acehnese women have long been integral to the history of their region, particularly after the 2004 tsunami, one of Indonesia’s deadliest natural disasters, and the Helsinki Peace Agreement, which ended years of conflict between the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM). Despite their crucial contributions to rebuilding and fostering peace, women in Aceh still face major challenges in ensuring that the peace achieved includes their needs and rights.

    Their efforts often go unrecognised, and the policies that shape their lives fail to address their realities. In some cases, these policies actively discriminate against women.

    Policies that marginalise women

    As the conflict in Aceh escalated into firefights, lasting over a decade of 1989-2005, many women became primary breadwinners, ensuring their children’s education and providing emotional support to their families. Around 2,000 women actively participated in the fight, picking up arms as combatants.

    In the years following the 2004 tsunami and the 2005 Helsinki Peace Agreement, some progress was made to include women in policy-making processes. However, the outcomes have been unremarkable. Policies implemented after the peace agreement rarely put women’s needs first or acknowledged their efforts.

    For instance, Aceh’s 2009 Qanun–a regulation unique to Aceh–aims to promote women’s empowerment and protection, but its implementation remains weak. Women have little say in decision-making, and their representation in province, district, and city-level leadership posts remains minimal.

    Here are some examples of how women in Aceh have been sidelined in decision-making, discriminated against in their daily lives and frequently harassed:

    • Absent in politics: In 2017, only one woman was elected deputy mayor among 23 district leaders. Similarly, just two out of 65 top provincial officials were women. These figures reflect a stark imbalance, especially when compared to the substantial roles women played during the conflict and its aftermath.

    • Clothing guideline: Regulations ostensibly implemented under Islamic law often restrict women’s freedoms. For example, West Aceh’s 2010 regulation requires women to wear skirts, prohibiting the use of trousers despite their roots in traditional Aceh’s attire. Women become subjects of public inspection, and violations ends with them not receiving public services that should be open for any citizens.

    • Discriminatory norms and limiting women’s freedom: In Lhokseumawe, a 2013 circular mandated women ride sidesaddle on motorcycles, even though such a position increases the risk of accidents. Similarly, a 2018 directive in Bireuen forbids women from being served in cafes after 9 PM without a male guardian and bans women from sitting with unrelated men.

    • Gender-based violence: Aceh also faces high rates of violence against women. Between 2019 and 2023, more than 5,000 cases of violence against women and children were reported. Shockingly, Aceh has the highest number of rape cases in Indonesia.

    • Insufficient support for victims: Despite the severity of the issue, support for survivors remains inadequate. From 2020 to 2024, only 0.12% of Aceh’s provincial budget was allocated to the Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Agency. While this allocation has increased slightly over time, it is still lacking to address the needs of women, particularly those who suffered from violence and the conflict.

    Young women as the agents of change

    The younger generation, particularly Gen Z, offers hope for a brighter future. Acehnese young women are increasingly leveraging digital platforms to advocate for their rights and challenge societal norms. Their ability to connect with global networks gives them tools to amplify their voices and demand equality.

    This new generation has the potential to drive meaningful change, but they face entrenched patriarchal norms that require dismantling. To achieve substantial peace and gender equality in Aceh, empowering young women as agents of change and supporting their initiatives to create a more inclusive society is essential.

    To ensure that Aceh achieves lasting peace that benefits everyone, several steps are necessary:

    • Inclusive policy-making: Women must be included in all decision-making processes, especially those related to peacebuilding and post-conflict recovery.

    • Reforming discriminatory policies: Laws restricting women’s rights must be repealed to create a more equitable environment.

    • Comprehensive support for survivors: Addressing the needs of survivors of violence through legal, medical, and psychological support is crucial.

    • Strengthening Legal Protections: Laws like Aceh’s Qanun Jinayah (Islamic Criminal Law) should be revised better to protect women, particularly victims of sexual violence.

    Acehnese women have demonstrated remarkable resilience and strength throughout the region’s history. By ensuring their voices are heard and their rights respected, Aceh can move closer to achieving true peace and equality for all its citizens.

    The Conversation

    Suraiya Kamaruzzaman tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham, atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi selain yang telah disebut di atas.

    – ref. Acehnese women: Crucial role in peacebuilding overlooked, discriminated by local regulations – https://theconversation.com/acehnese-women-crucial-role-in-peacebuilding-overlooked-discriminated-by-local-regulations-246240

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Cyberattacks: how companies can communicate effectively after being hit

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Paolo Antonetti, Professeur, EDHEC Business School

    In its latest annual publication, insurance group Hiscox surveyed more than 2,000 cybersecurity managers in eight countries including France. Two thirds of the companies in the survey reported having been the victim of a cyberattack between mid-August 2023 and September 2024, a 15% increase over the previous period. In terms of potential financial losses, Statista estimated that cyberattacks cost France up to €122 billion in 2024, compared to €89 in 2023 – a 37% rise.


    A weekly e-mail in English featuring expertise from scholars and researchers. It provides an introduction to the diversity of research coming out of the continent and considers some of the key issues facing European countries. Get the newsletter!

    The main forms of cyberattacks on French businesses, the recommendations for how companies can protect themselves, and the technical and legal responses they can adopt are well documented.

    However, much less is known about appropriate communications and public relations responses to cyberattacks. The issues at stake are critical. When a company is the target of a cyberattack, should it systematically accept responsibility, or can it instead claim to be a victim to protect its reputation? A wrong answer can aggravate the situation and undermine the confidence of customers and investors.

    Positioning as a victim

    Our recent research questions the assumption that accepting causal responsibility should be the norm after a cyberattack: we show that positioning oneself as a victim can be more effective in limiting damage to one’s image – provided claims of victimhood are deployed intelligently.

    There is evidence that firms need a strategy to present themselves effectively as victims of cybercriminals. Some firms, such as T-Mobile and Equifax, have in the past paid compensation to consumers while refusing to accept any responsibility, essentially presenting themselves as victims.

    Similarly, the large French telecommunications operator Free presented itself as a victim when communicating about the large-scale cyberattack that affected its operations last October, which may have had an impact on its image. The UK’s TalkTalk initially framed itself as a victim of a cybercrime but was later criticized for its inadequate security measures.

    Victimhood and sympathy

    Clumsily declaring itself as the sole entity to blame or the sole victim of a cyberattack – which is what interests us here – can be risky and backfire on a company, damaging its credibility rather than protecting its reputation.

    When companies present themselves as victims of cybercrime, they can elicit sympathy from stakeholders. People tend to be more compassionate toward businesses that depict themselves as wronged rather than those that deny responsibility or shift blame. In essence, this strategy frames the organization as a target of external forces beyond its control, rather than as negligent or incompetent. It leverages a fundamental social norm – people’s instinctive tendency to support those they see as victims.

    But claims of victimhood must align with public expectations and the specific context of the breach. They should not be about shirking responsibility, but about acknowledging harm in a way that fosters understanding and trust. The following approaches and choices can help.

    • align with public perception

    The reactions of stakeholders often depend on their understanding of the situation. If the attack is perceived as an external and malicious act, it is crucial for a company to adopt a consistent stance by emphasizing that it itself has been a victim. But if internal negligence is proven, claiming victim status could be counterproductive. The swiftness of a company’s response, the level of transparency and the relative stance taken are all part of a good strategy.

    • express support for stakeholders

    Adopting a position of victimhood does not mean denying all responsibility or minimizing the consequences of an attack. The company must show that it takes the situation seriously by expressing empathy and commitment to affected stakeholders. It must pay particular attention to those affected inside the organization: a claim of victimhood should be part of an apology or a message expressing concern. An effective message must be sincere and oriented toward concrete solutions.

    • consider reputation

    We find that it is easier for companies to claim victimhood persuasively if they are perceived as virtuous. This reputation can be due to a positive track record in terms of corporate social responsibility or because they are a not-for-profit institution (e.g. a library, a university or a hospital). Virtuous victims generate sympathy and empathy, and this is also reflected after a cyberattack.

    • highlight the harmfulness and sophistication of the attack

    The results of our study also show that public acceptance of victim status is more effective when the cyberattack is perceived to be the work of highly competent malicious actors. It is also important for a company to persuade the public that the attack harmed the company, while keeping the main focus of the response on the public.

    • don’t complain

    It is essential to distinguish between legitimate claims of victim status and communication that could be perceived as an attempt to exonerate oneself. An overly plaintive tone could undermine a company’s credibility. The approach should be factual and constructive, focusing on the measures taken to overcome the crisis.

    • test reactions before communicating widely

    Companies’ responses to a cyberattack can vary depending on the context and the public. It is best to assess different approaches before embarking on large-scale communication. This can be done through internal tests, focus groups or targeted surveys. Subtle differences in the situation can cause important shifts in how the public perceives the breach and what the best response might be.

    Our study sheds light on a shift in public expectations about crisis management: in the age of ubiquitous cybercrime, responsibilities are often shared. Poorly managed communication after a cyberattack can lead to a lasting loss of trust and expose a company to increased legal risks. Claiming victim status effectively, with an empathetic and transparent approach, can help mitigate the impact of the crisis and preserve the organization’s reputation.

    This article was written with Ilaria Baghi (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia).

    The Conversation

    Paolo Antonetti ne travaille pas, ne conseille pas, ne possède pas de parts, ne reçoit pas de fonds d’une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n’a déclaré aucune autre affiliation que son organisme de recherche.

    – ref. Cyberattacks: how companies can communicate effectively after being hit – https://theconversation.com/cyberattacks-how-companies-can-communicate-effectively-after-being-hit-255061

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: ‘Canada is not for sale’ — but new Ontario law prioritizes profits over environmental and Indigenous rights

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada

    Despite provincewide protests, Ontario’s Bill 5 officially became law on June 5. Critics warn of the loss of both environmental protections and Indigenous rights.

    The law empowers the province to create special economic zones where companies or projects don’t have to comply with provincial regulations or municipal bylaws.

    Bill 5, also known as the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, reduces the requirements for environmental assessment. By doing so, it weakens ecological protection laws that safeguard the rights of Indigenous Peoples and at-risk species.

    Indigenous rights and Indigenous knowledge are critical for planetary health. But the bill passed into law with no consultation with First Nations. Therefore, it undermines the duty to consult while seemingly favouring government-aligned industries.

    Indigenous Peoples have long stewarded the environment through sustainable practices that promote ecological and human health. Bill 5’s provisions to allow the bypassing of environmental regulations and shift from a consent-based model to one of consultation violate Aboriginal and Treaty rights. Métis lawyer Bruce McIvor has described the shift as a “policy of legalized lawlessness.”

    Compounding environmental threats

    Wildfires that are currently burning from British Columbia to northern Ontario are five times more likely to occur due to the effects of climate change caused by the burning of fossil fuels.

    On the federal level, Bill C-5, called the Building Canada Act, was introduced in the House of Commons on June 6 by Prime Minister Mark Carney. This bill further compounds the threat to environmental protections, species at risk and Indigenous rights across the country in favour of resource extraction projects.

    It removes the need for the assessment of the environmental impacts of projects considered to be of “national interest.”

    Ring of Fire — special economic zone?

    Ford and Carney want to fast-track the so-called Ring of Fire mineral deposit within Treaty 9 territory in northern Ontario by labelling it a “special economic zone” and of “national interest.” The proposed development is often described as a potential $90 billion opportunity.

    But scientists say there are no reliable estimates of the costs related to construction, extraction, benefit sharing and environmental impacts in the Ring of Fire.

    The mining development could devastate traditional First Nations livelihoods and rights. It could also worsen the effects of climate change in Ontario’s muskeg, the southernmost sea ice ecosystem in the world.

    Northern Ontario has the largest area of intact boreal forest in the world. Almost 90 per cent of the region’s 24,000 residents are Indigenous. The Mushkegowuk Anniwuk, the original people of the Hudson Bay lowlands, refer to this area as “the Breathing Lands” — Canada’s lungs. Cree nations have lived and stewarded these lands for thousands of years.

    Journalist Jessica Gamble of Canadian National Geographic says the James Bay Lowlands, part of the Hudson Bay Lowlands, are “traditional hunting grounds” and “the largest contiguous temperate wetland complex in the world.”

    This ecosystem is home to 200 different migratory bird species and plays a critical role in environmental health through carbon sequestration and water retention. The Wildlands League has described the area as “home to hundreds of plant, mammal and fish species, most in decline elsewhere.”

    Northern Ontario, meantime, is warming at four times the global average.

    Jeronimo Kataquapit is a filmmaker from Attawapiskat who is spearheading the “Here We Stand” campaign in opposition to Bill 5 with Attawapiskat residents and neighbouring Mushkegowuk Nations and Neskantaga First Nation. As the spokesperson for Here We Stand, he said: “Ontario’s Bill 5 and Canada’s proposed national interest legislation are going to destroy the land, pollute the water, stomp all over our treaty rights, our inherent rights, our laws and our ways of life.”

    Endangered species — polar bears

    An estimated 900 to 1,000 polar bears live in Ontario, mostly along the Hudson Bay and James Bay coasts.

    But there has been a 73 per cent decline in wildlife populations globally since the 1970s, according to the World Wildlife Fund. In Canada, species of global concern have declined by 42 per cent over the same time. Canada’s Arctic and boreal ecosystems, once symbols of the snow-capped “Great White North,” are now at risk.

    Polar bears, listed as threatened under the Ontario Endangered Species Act and of “special concern” nationally, are particularly sensitive to human activities and climate change. Polar bears and ringed seals are culturally significant and serve as ecological indicators for ecosystems.

    Melting sea ice has already altered their behaviour, forcing them to spend more time on land.

    Cree First Nations in Northern Ontario’s biodiverse Treaty 9 territory are collaborating with federal and provincial governments and conservationists to protect polar bears. Right now, there is recognition of the importance of Cree knowledge in planning and the management of polar bears.

    The new Ontario law removes safeguards protecting the province’s endangered species, such as the Endangered Species Act. It strips key protections for at-risk wildlife, such as habitat protections, environmental impact assessments and ecosystems conservation.

    Climate change and weaker environmental protections will lead to irreversible damage to our environment and biodiversity. The ecosystem services that each animal, insect and plant provides — like cleaning the air we breathe and water we drink — are essential for a healthy province.

    The impact of Bill 5 and C-5 on these species is likely to be severe.

    Short-term gains at the expense of long-term damage

    Ontario could benefit from improved infrastructure and economic growth, but development requires careful planning and collaboration. It should rely on innovative science-based solutions, especially Indigenous sciences. And it should never infringe on Indigenous rights, bypass environmental assessments or threaten endangered species.

    While Bill 5 commits to the duty to consult with First Nations, it falls short of the free, prior and informed consent required by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Since becoming Canadian law in June 2021, the federal government has been obligated to align its laws with UNDRIP.

    With Bill 5 in place, some of Ontario’s major projects may be fast-tracked with minimal safeguards. Both Bill 5 and the proposed C-5 prioritize short-term economic gains that will cause irreversible environmental damage and violate legal obligations under UNDRIP.

    Lawrence Martin, Director of Lands and Resources at the Mushkegowuk Council, contributed to this article.

    The Conversation

    Martina Jakubchik-Paloheimo works in the Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change (EUC) at York University as a Postdoctoral Fellow, facilitating a collaborative project on human-polar bear coexistence in Hudson Bay and James Bay.

    – ref. ‘Canada is not for sale’ — but new Ontario law prioritizes profits over environmental and Indigenous rights – https://theconversation.com/canada-is-not-for-sale-but-new-ontario-law-prioritizes-profits-over-environmental-and-indigenous-rights-258553

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why relying on technology to keep ASEAN’s coal plants running is risky

    Source: The Conversation – Indonesia – By Lay Monica, Researcher, Center of Economic and Law Studies (CELIOS)

    shutterstock

    A recent ASEAN Centre for Energy (ACE) report emphasised that to contribute in tackling climate change, ASEAN countries don’t need to immediately phase out all of their coal fleet.

    The report asserted that coal will continue to be an essential part of the energy transition. It also stated that by allowing ASEAN countries more time to improve electricity grids to accommodate more renewables could help smooth the transition to cleaner energy. Put the two together, and it strongly hinted that coal might be squeezed in to buy said time.

    In order to reduce damage from coal, ACE urged ASEAN member states to use clean coal technologies in coal-fired power plants. It also recommended to use carbon capture and storage (CCS) or carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) to replace “old, inefficient, and unabatable coal plants”.

    Interestingly, this is also a view promoted by the World Coal Association — now Future Coal – the international coal lobbying group.

    At first glance, this plan seems promising. However, relying heavily on technology oversimplifies potential risks and assumes full delivery of promises without thorough risk assessments. In this article, we provide evidence that ACE’s chosen pathway is not as good as it seems and could face significant problems in the future.

    False solution

    The first “clean coal technology” proposed by ACE – termed “high efficiency, low emissions (HELE)” – is mostly supercritical coal power plant. This means it uses less coal while producing more energy. This is why they’re claimed to be more environmentally friendly than sub-critical or “regular” coal power plants.

    But using supercritical technology doesn’t guarantee the emission problem is solved; it has varying degrees of success in reducing coal emissions.

    For example, a 2019 Australian paper found supercritical coal power plants underperformed against regular power plants with higher breakdown rates, leading to frequent electricity price spikes during 2018-2019. This was a decade after the technology was first launched in 2007.

    Failing to deliver steady electricity supplies would contradict ACE’s stated goal to prevent energy shortage and provide smoother transitions towards renewable energy.

    Risks of carbon capture

    Another technology that ACE advocates is carbon capture and storage (CCS), which captures carbon emissions from power plants and stores them underground.

    However, CCS appears to replicate past project failures. Opponents of CCS often suggest its success rate is relatively small.

    The industry claims the technology can capture 95% carbon from each project. Yet, the 2023 reports from the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA) found that no current project has consistently managed to capture more than 80% of carbon emissions. Some of them only succeeded in capturing 15% of carbon emissions.

    Leakage from captured carbon underground is the other risk we might bear. This will have tremendous consequences not only by netting off the so-called mitigated emissions but also by contaminating groundwater and risking communities nearby.

    According to carbon capture proponents, when done properly, the risk of leakage is minuscule. Even when it occurs, they claim it will not be catastrophic.

    However, a big enough leak is still possible. The margin of safety is very narrow: even a mere 1% leakage every ten years could pose serious consequences in the long-run, mainly rises in temperature. Keeping the “safe level of leakage rate” requires a rigorous monitoring and supervision. Therefore, the risks could be higher in developing countries like Indonesia, which has chronic problems with regulatory governance.

    Some other evidence suggests that CCS is not economically viable. One of the strongest arguments against CCS is probably the diminishing returns. As one of the leading experts in carbon capture claims:

    The closer a CCS system gets to 100% efficiency, the harder and more expensive it becomes to capture additional carbon dioxide.

    This implies potential future costs for bigger equipment, additional time, and additional energy for CCS to achieve that efficiency level.

    More importantly, chasing increasingly expensive CCS technology merely prolongs the life of coal-fired power plants, which pose significant environmental risks. The same money and effort could be used to build more renewable energy infrastructure such as wind turbines or solar panels.

    In addition to its potential high costs, captured carbon must be sold in the market – for various uses ranging for oil extraction to food preservation – to increase its economic viability.

    However, other than CO₂ conversion to fuels, there is a strictly limited usage of CO₂. Commercial use of CO₂ is less than 1% of the global CO₂ emmissions from energy usage. On the other hand, converting CO₂ back to fuels requires carbon-free energy sources.

    The conversion will also result in approximately 25-35% of energy losses. Although there have been more research on how to improve the efficiency of the process, CO₂ utilisation has yet to be scalable.

    Why the half measure?

    ACE must be wary of its reliance on technological solutions. Instead, the centre should consider a double-down on less-risky and less-capital-intensive solutions with many positive impacts, such as setting up community-based renewable energy, aggressive reforestation, or even better, significant halt of deforestation.

    Community-based renewable energy offers to help people in energy-poor areas to build their own energy sources. Moreover, people living in close geographical proximity can share costs and resources to install and maintain off grid renewables, encouraging more widespread adoption of cleaner energy sources with minimum problem of land use.

    On the other hand, in contrast to CCUS, aggressive reforestation does not require heavy machinery or specialised knowledge and skills to operate complex technology to achieve the same goals of storing emissions. Again, it is an established scientific fact that forests and soil currently store 30% of emissions. Unlike CCS that only stores emissions from sites where it is installed, forests and soil absorb atmospheric carbon emissions. Even well-planned city forests could have more capacity to effectively absorb CO2 than we thought.

    ACE can also reconsider replacing the “old, inefficient, and unabatable coal plants” with renewables, such as solar and wind, especially those for non-industrial electricity facilities. Those electricity generation costs have been falling rapidly for years.

    As most of the ASEAN member states are developing countries, they must carefully select the most suitable technologies to adopt. With limited fiscal capacity, rashly importing an advanced technology that will require substantial startup costs potentially becomes a costly effort, yielding limited benefits.

    It is puzzling why we should replace our old coal plants with new ones. It is like when we are replacing our old mobile phone with a slightly better mobile phone – instead of jumping straight to a smartphone. Why the half-measure?

    The Conversation

    Para penulis tidak bekerja, menjadi konsultan, memiliki saham atau menerima dana dari perusahaan atau organisasi mana pun yang akan mengambil untung dari artikel ini, dan telah mengungkapkan bahwa ia tidak memiliki afiliasi di luar afiliasi akademis yang telah disebut di atas.

    – ref. Why relying on technology to keep ASEAN’s coal plants running is risky – https://theconversation.com/why-relying-on-technology-to-keep-aseans-coal-plants-running-is-risky-234918

    MIL OSI Analysis –