NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI China: Generous childcare subsidies rolled out across China

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Generous childcare subsidies have been reported across China as part of the country’s holistic efforts to boost birth rates, making news headlines and sparking heated discussions.
    The latest news came from Hohhot, capital of north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The city announced this week that it will offer a one-time subsidy of 10,000 yuan (about 1,394 U.S. dollars) to couples having their first child. A second child will receive 10,000 yuan per year until he/she reaches five years old.
    For the third child or more, the annual subsidy is 10,000 yuan until the child turns 10, with the total amount reaching 100,000 yuan, a relatively high amount compared with other cities and roughly twice the annual income of local citizens.
    Official statistics show that the per capita disposable income in Hohhot stood at 49,200 yuan in 2024. The generous cash reward is believed to become a relief for couples who are hesitant to have children due to financial concerns.
    “The policy made us more assured in making our mind to having a second child. The subsidies can reduce the financial costs, especially for maternity and childcare,” said Yang Lixin, 30, who works at a private firm in Hohhot and already has a five-year-old.
    The policy came on the heels of the recent conclusion of the annual national legislative session, during which the government work report was adopted and, for the first time, vowed to “provide childcare subsidies.”
    “We will formulate policies on boosting birth rates, provide childcare subsidies, vigorously develop integrated nursery and childcare services, and increase public-interest childcare services,” the report reads.
    Also during the legislative session, Director of the National Health Commission (NHC) Lei Haichao said that the commission was working with relevant departments to draft a childcare subsidy operational plan, and the public would see direct, beneficiary measures and corresponding policy arrangements in due course.
    The inclusion of childcare subsidies in the government work report signals China’s commitment to supporting fertility intentions with tangible financial assistance, said political advisor Ni Bangwen. He called for further efforts to issue comprehensive measures to support childbearing families.
    Local governments have put into action. More than 20 provincial-level regions in China had explored offering childcare subsidies at different levels, according to earlier data from the NHC.
    For instance, Shenyang, the capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, provided a monthly subsidy of 500 yuan to local families for their third child until the child turns three, according to a document issued in 2023.
    Many Chinese people have expressed their expectation for such policies to be expanded to their hometowns. “Hope it can be spread across the country as soon as possible,” a netizen from south China’s Guangdong Province commented.
    The birth incentives have proved feasible and effective in Tianmen, a fifth-tier city with a population of 1.6 million in Hubei Province. Since the city implemented birth-boosting measures, which include childbirth and childcare subsidies, housing rewards as well as maternal leave allowances, the number of newborns rose by 17 percent last year after declining for eight consecutive years.
    As one of the world’s most populous countries, China faces profound demographic challenges due to a dwindling number of newborns and a growing aging population. The country’s birth rate and number of newborns both dropped for seven consecutive years before reporting rises in 2024, while the population aged 60 and above reached 310 million last year.
    To boost its birth rate, China has implemented a slew of supportive policies in recent years. It phased out its one-child policy by allowing married couples to have two children in 2016 and announced support for couples looking to have a third child in 2021.
    In addition to financial support, other incentive measures include increased childcare services, extended maternity leave, and strengthened support in education, housing and employment, all aimed at fostering a birth-friendly society.
    Childcare services have been improved nationwide to create better situations for parents. In Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, community-based childcare centers launched full-day care, half-day care, temporary care, and hourly care for infants and children, providing convenient and reliable childcare options for residents.
    Moreover, maternity leave in China has been generally extended to over 158 days, along with spousal paternity leave and parental leave, making new mothers feel increasingly supported.
    Longer maternity leave as well as additional spousal leave and parental leave could enhance family cohesion and alleviate caregiving burdens. Meanwhile, economic subsidies eased the financial pressure on families raising children, thereby boosting their willingness to have more children, said Mi Hong, director of the Institute for Population and Development Studies at Zhejiang University.
    Providing childcare subsidies is also relevant to enterprises. “A significant portion of our key employees are of childbearing age. Childcare subsidies will help retain talent and enable the company’s sustainable development,” said Sheng Jing, the human resources chief of a data-tech company in north China’s Tianjin Municipality.
    “Enterprises should provide heartfelt support to employees who raise children and explore a new way to balance working and child-rearing,” said Wang Zhen, a lawmaker and entrepreneur of Inner Mongolia.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: At least 13 killed in US airstrikes on Houthi sites in Yemen, Houthis vow revenge

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The U.S. warplanes on Saturday night launched airstrikes on several Houthi sites in Yemen’s capital Sanna and the northern province of Saada, killing at least 13, Houthi-run al-Masirah TV reported.

    “This is an initial toll as the number of death could increase,” the TV cited the Houthi-run health ministry as saying, adding that at least nine others were injured.

    The Houthi TV reported four airstrikes in the Al-Jarraf residential neighborhood in northern Sanaa and several other airstrikes on the Shoab residential neighborhood in eastern Sanaa.

    Later in the evening, fresh strikes hit sites in the northern part of the province’s namesake central city Saada, the group’s northern main stronghold. No further details were provided by the television.

    According to local residents, the strikes in Sanna targeted ammunition and rocket depots near the Houthi-controlled state television station in the Al-Jarraf neighborhood. White smoke plume could be seen rising from the neighborhood, and a series of explosions were triggered following the airstrikes, witnesses added.

    Osama Sari, a Houthi official, wrote on X that the strikes on Al-Jarraf neighborhood also damaged parts of the Specialized Modern University near the Airport Road.

    Another Houthi source told Xinhua that the airstrikes also targeted two houses of key Houthi leaders.

    This is the first military operation conducted by the U.S. military against the Houthi sites since U.S. President Donald Trump assumed power in January and redesigned the group as a “foreign terrorist organization.”

    Trump posted on social media Truth Social that the aerial attacks on the “terrorists’ bases, leaders, and missile defenses were to protect American shipping, air, and naval assets, and to restore navigational freedom.”

    He also warned Houthis that if they do not stop their attacks “starting today… Hell will rain down upon you like nothing you have ever seen before.”

    In the meantime, the U.S. Central Command posted footage on X showing warplanes taking off a U.S. aircraft carrier in the Red Sea, saying that it “initiated a series of operations consisting of precision strikes against Iran-backed Houthi targets across Yemen to defend American interests, deter enemies, and restore freedom of navigation.”

    Following the U.S. airstrikes, the Houthis vowed to launch retaliatory attacks, saying “this aggression will not pass without a response,” and that the group is “fully prepared to confront escalation with escalation,” the Houthis’ political bureau said in a statement aired by al-Masirah TV.

    On Tuesday, the Houthi group announced that it would resume launching attacks against any Israeli ship in the Red Sea, Arabian Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Bab al-Mandab Strait until the crossings of Gaza Strip are reopened and aid allowed in.

    From November 2023 to Jan. 19, the Houthi group, which currently controls much of northern Yemen including the capital Sanaa, had launched dozens of drone and rocket attacks against Israel-linked ships and the Israeli cities to show solidarity with Palestinians amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The Houthis stopped their attacks on Jan. 19, when the Gaza ceasefire deal took effect. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Why Global Civilization Initiative matters to human progress

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Chinese president, attends the CPC in Dialogue with World Political Parties High-Level Meeting via video link and delivers a keynote address in Beijing, capital of China, March 15, 2023. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

    In the book-lined office of Professor Stelios Virvidakis at the University of Athens, Greece’s oldest and most esteemed academic institution, a letter is carefully preserved like a precious, delicate bridge model.

    It came from Chinese President Xi Jinping, delivered to congratulate the inauguration of the Center of Chinese and Greek Ancient Civilizations in the time-honored university in February 2023.

    “It was a delightful surprise to us all,” said Virvidakis, his philosopher’s gaze softening at the memory.

    In the letter, Xi noted that over 2,000 years ago, China and Greece, two civilizations glittering at each end of the Eurasian continent, made groundbreaking contributions to the evolution of human civilization.

    Now, he pointed out, it is of profound historical and contemporary significance for them to work together to promote exchanges and mutual learning and enhance the development of all civilizations.

    The well-preserved letter reflects Xi’s broader vision of fostering cross-cultural dialogue and mutual learning as a catalyst for global peace and development, a vision that has been driving his diplomatic action worldwide.

    That aspiration is best embodied in his Global Civilization Initiative (GCI), launched at a conference between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and global political parties in 2023, where he stressed that tolerance, coexistence, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations play an irreplaceable role in advancing humanity’s modernization process when the future of all countries are closely connected.

    With the GCI marking its second anniversary on Saturday, Xi’s vision — to build a world where civilizations don’t collide but converse — has become ever more relevant, standing both as a nod to ancient ties and as a bold stitch in a fraying global tapestry.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping and foreign leaders arrive to attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

    In recent years, some scholars and politicians in the West have been peddling once again the clash of civilizations theory, first proposed by American political scientist Samuel Huntington in 1993. They portray some civilizations as superior to others and seek to divide countries through ideological and racial lines.

    On the background of the resurgence of such sentiments is a world undergoing unprecedented transformations rarely seen in a century. Global South countries, on a collective rise, are demanding their legitimate right to modernization in louder voices, while the global deficits in peace, security, development and governance are growing ever larger.

    In Xi’s eyes, no civilization in the world is superior to others, and every civilization is equal and unique. “Civilizations have come in different colors, and such diversity renders exchanges and mutual learning among civilizations relevant and valuable,” he said in a speech at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris in 2014.

    Months after he put forward the GCI in 2023, Xi explained at an event in San Francisco that the initiative is meant “to urge the international community to address the imbalance between material and cultural advancement and jointly promote continued progress of human civilization.”

    China’s global initiatives, including the GCI, advocate for an egalitarian and inclusive order in pursuit of just and coherent global governance, said Ong Tee Keat, president of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific and a former transport minister of Malaysia.

    In the meantime, he said, “the GCI has driven home a clear message that all nations have the right to choose their own development paths in their pursuit of modernization, which is not necessarily synonymous with Westernization.”

    In September 2024, at the opening ceremony of the summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation, Xi put forward 10 partnership actions for modernization, with the first being “Partnership Action for Mutual Learning among Civilizations.”

    “China will enhance people-to-people and cultural exchanges with Africa, champion mutual respect, inclusiveness and coexistence of different civilizations on our way to modernization, and strive together for more fruitful outcomes under the GCI,” Xi said.

    As the world order designed to serve the interests of Western powers no longer meets the evolving needs and aspirations of Global South countries, a call for change is a natural response, said Ong, the Malaysian expert.

    “This must occur … free from any mental subordination. Only then can an environment conducive to a nation’s modernization and development be established,” he said. “In this respect, the GCI undoubtedly serves as a potent enabler.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Presidential Message on the Birthday of President Andrew Jackson, 2025

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today, we celebrate the birthday of our seventh Commander-in-Chief, Andrew Jackson, “the People’s President.”

    Throughout his life, Andrew Jackson was a steadfast patriot.  Raised on the battlefield of the Revolutionary War, he was just 13 years old when he left home with his two older brothers to fight for Independence.  At 14, he was the only surviving member of his immediate family.  During the War of 1812, he went on to lead a ragtag militia to a resounding victory over the British in the epic Battle of New Orleans.  As a fierce defender of democracy and a warrior for the people, he ran for President in 1828, shocking the establishment class when he won the popular vote in a landslide.

    To return power to the people, President Jackson cut ten percent of the Federal workforce and fearlessly combatted forces of corruption in our Nation’s Capital.  He imposed tariffs on foreign nations to safeguard American workers and pay off our national debt.  Through it all, he defied relentless slanders and smears—including the infamous “corrupt bargain” of the 1824 election—in defense of our Country.

    My Administration is proudly upholding the vision of President Jackson’s historic movement by reining in unwieldy government spending, advancing a strong manufacturing base, and restoring a Government that answers to the American People.  Every day, we are dismantling bloated bureaucracy, cutting wasteful programs, slashing excess regulations, bringing back fair trade, restoring our manufacturing base, and ensuring that not a single American tax dollar goes to waste.

    President Jackson is an American icon, a military hero, and a gallant guardian of democracy.  As we commemorate his 258th birthday, we commit to furthering his legacy, expanding his vision, honoring his memory, and restoring the full might of American democracy for many years to come.  Today, I am once again proud to hang his portrait in the Oval Office of the People’s House.

    As our Nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence next year, President Jackson’s birthday is a particularly meaningful opportunity to remember the heroes who embody the best of the American Spirit—and whose legacy continues to inspire us and lead our Nation to a future of greatness.

    Happy birthday, President Jackson!

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Voice of Radical America

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    President Donald J. Trump’s executive order on Friday will ensure that taxpayers are no longer on the hook for radical propaganda.
    Dan Robinson, a 34-year veteran of Voice of America and its former White House correspondent, wrote last year: “I have monitored the agency’s bureaucracy along with many of its reporters and concluded that it has essentially become a hubris-filled rogue operation often reflecting a leftist bias aligned with partisan national media. It has sought to avoid accountability for violations of journalistic standards and mismanagement.”
    Voice of America’s management told staff not to call Hamas and its members terrorists, “except when quoting statements.”
    Daily Caller: “Multiple Voice Of America Reporters Have Posted Anti-Trump Content On Social Media”
    “Multiple Voice of America (VOA) reporters have repeatedly posted anti-Trump comments on their professional Twitter accounts, despite a social media policy requiring employee impartiality on social media platforms.”

    Rep. Scott Perry wrote in a 2022 letter that Voice of America has “grown exceedingly partisan over the past several years.”
    A 2016 report from Office of Personnel Management cited by Rep. Perry revealed that Voice of America Persian employees said that outlet tolerated “coercion for partisan political purposes.”
    The Washington Free Beacon: “VOA Misallocates Funds and Suppresses Negative Stories About Iran. This Lawmaker Wants To Investigate.”

    Voice of America: “What Is ‘White Privilege’ and Whom Does It Help?”
    “Today, the phrase is used passionately and widely in the context of racial profiling — police treatment of people as criminal suspects based on their race.”

    A 2022 lawsuit claimed Voice of America has “been infiltrated by anti-American, pro-Islamic state interests, and that the message of VOA had been compromised in a manner that was biased toward the Islamic state factions in Iran.”
    In October 2020, Voice of America wrote that the “allegations that Russia played a role in perpetuating the scandal to benefit Trump could undermine the emails’ credibility” downplaying the validity of the Hunter Biden laptop story.
    In July 2020, Voice of America faced criticism for “sharing a story and video appearing too favorable to presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden.”
    In September 2019, the Daily Caller reported that Voice of America employed a Russian anti-U.S. propagandist.
    In May 2019, Voice of America fired reporters for their roles in canceling a broadcast midstream after pressure from the Chinese government.
    In March 2019, Voice of America ran a segment about transgender migrants seeking asylum in the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall to CMS Administrator Nominee Dr. Oz: We’re Not Going to Save Medicare and Medicaid Unless We Make America Healthy Again

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall
    Washington – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) participated in the confirmation hearing today for President Donald Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator nominee, Dr. Mehmet Oz, in the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance. 
    Dr. Mehmet Oz is a world-class heart surgeon and would be the first doctor at the helm of CMS in more than a decade. He knows the health care system inside and out, as he’s lived it throughout his career, starting with a joint M.D.-MBA education. Having invented life-saving devices, hosted a successful TV show, and touched the lives of millions of patients across the nation, Dr. Oz brings a much-needed perspective to Make America Healthy Again.
    [embedded content]
    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full line of questioning.
    Highlights from Dr. Oz’s confirmation hearing include: 
    On Dr. Oz’s background: 
    Senator Marshall: “Why did you go into medicine? And what are some of the highlights or the most rewarding parts of your career?”
    Dr. Oz: “I don’t think there’s a joy greater than looking a patient in the eyes and recognizing that you’re there for each other, that nothing will get in the way of you providing the best care possible. It’s not that there won’t ever be problems, but you’ll be there emotionally supporting them.
    “And if you’ve been gifted with teachers, as I was, that could educate me about how to take care of patients, you get to watch them get better and feel a joy inside your heart that can’t be matched in another field…
    “I think it’s why I went into medicine, because I saw my father go into the hospital and do things like putting needles in people, which looks painful, but the patients would smile and thank him for it, paradoxically. 
    “And that’s why I think it’s also appropriate for physicians, as you have.. and other physicians on this committee, Dr. Cassidy, to enter government, because we’re trained to tell people things that they need to hear but aren’t pleasant, but that’s how you get the system to work better.” 
    On Dr. Oz’s prescription to Make America Healthy Again: 
    Senator Marshall: “My grandma always said, if you have your health, you have everything. And America doesn’t have her health right now. 60% of us have a chronic disease. Several people pointed out this country is spending multiples more than other countries do to take care of our sick.
    “There’s not enough sick care out there to save Medicare and Medicaid.
    “You and I came here to save Medicare and Medicaid, but part of that is making America healthy again, so that we don’t have to do as many heart bypasses and give as much insulin and diabetic drugs. 
    “What is your prescription for America? How do you work with Medicare and Medicaid patients to help America become healthy again?”
    Dr. Oz: “The deeper promise that we should all be making to America is we’re going to make it easy for America to do the right thing when it comes to their health. Some of these decisions are not difficult. Some of them need to be simplified, and some of them need to be reminded frequently.
    “Senator Wyden and I had spoken about this a little bit, the idea of giving incentives to patients is an idea that I think is a worthy one, especially for Medicaid beneficiaries. If people don’t feel like it matters what they do, if they don’t think they have agency over their future… then they’re not going to take proactive steps to reduce their diabetes or another action that would dramatically reduce their life expectancy and their cost to the health care system. 
    “There’s a lot of opportunity for us to do this, and we should be innovative and explore ideas. And I think there’s an ecosystem we can build together to engender that kind of enthusiasm from people on the outside of medicine who want to make it better. We have got to challenge the incumbents and the system to have new ideas bubble to the top so we can pick the winners based on competition.”
    Senator Marshall: “We’re not going to save Medicare and Medicaid unless we Make America Healthy Again.”
    On maternal care, how to save Medicare and Medicaid:
    Senator Marshall: “I’m going to talk just a second about maternal care. I came to this body, the other side of the Capitol, and people were talking about maternal mortality then. We were seeing a big spike in it. And I asked people, “Why? What? How come?” And we didn’t have an answer.
    “… And not surprising to me, the number one killer of pregnant women that delivered that year after is actually suicide and fentanyl poisoning, overdose. We don’t need to study it more. We need action, early access to prenatal care to be the other action point as well…
    “Half of our patients, half the patients I delivered, were Medicaid patients. They need access to care, and we also need to stop the flow of fentanyl.
    “My last question though, speak briefly to how price tags and health care savings accounts turn patients into consumers again, and how that might actually help save Medicare and Medicaid?”
    Dr. Oz: “There’s a lot we can do with health savings accounts. We could even investigate new ways of using them. Maybe they should be part of your estate and passed on to your children, because so many families don’t really have anything to pass on. 
    “It would incentivize behaviors even at the end of life. But I think there’s an opportunity for us to give consumerism, give the power of the purse back to the American people, especially if they’re beneficiaries on Medicare, and let them make the wisest decisions they can.
    “They got to that age by making some good decisions, and so we might as well let them keep going.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar, Cramer, Aderholt, Davis, Grassley, Colleagues Urge Administration to Work on Behalf of Families Adopting Children from China

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Representatives Robert Aderholt (R-AL) and Danny Davis (D-IL) led a bipartisan group of members of Congress in calling on President Trump and the Administration to work on behalf of families devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program.
    “We write to you on behalf of hundreds of children and American families who have been devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption Program,” wrote the Senators. “We request that you act in the best interest of these children and engage the Chinese government to finalize these pending adoption cases.”
    “The sudden termination of China’s adoption program in August 2024 only exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being,” the Senators continued. “Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. … We urge you to elevate this engagement and press the Chinese government to finalize pending adoption cases so these children may finally be united with their adoptive families in the United States.”
    The letter was also signed by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Katie Britt (R-AL), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Bill Cassidy (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), Ted Cruz (R-TX),  John Curtis (R-UT), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hoeven (R-ND), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Angus King (I-ME), James Lankford (R-OK), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernie Moreno (R-OH), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Patty Murray (D-WA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tina Smith (D-MN), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), John Thune (R-SD), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Mark Warner (D-VA), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Todd Young (R-IN), and Representatives Brian Babin (R-TX), Don Bacon (R-NE), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Tim Burchett (R-TN), Kat Cammack (R-FL), Mike Carey (R-OH), Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Julie Fedorchak (R-ND), Randy Feenstra (R-IA), Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Charles Fleischmann (R-TN), Tony Gonzales (R-TX), Sam Graves (R-MO), Mark Green (R-TN), H. Morgan Griffith (R-VA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Abraham Hamadeh (R-AZ), Diana Harshbarger (R-TN), Ashley Hinson (R-IA), Erin Houchin (R-IN), Julie Johnson (D-TX), Thomas Kean (R-NJ), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Darin LaHood (R-IL), Julia Letlow (R-LA), Barry Loudermilk (R-GA), Richard McCormick (R-GA), Morgan McGarvey (D-KY), Mark Messmer (R-IN), Carol Miller (R-WV), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Zachary Nunn (R-IA), Andrew Ogles (R-TN), Bob Onder (R-MO), Gary Palmer (R-AL), Brittany Pettersen (D-CO), August Pfluger (R-TX), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), John Rutherford (R-FL), Hillary Scholten (D-MI), Keith Self (R-TX), Jefferson Shreve (IN), Adam Smith (D-WA), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Eric Sorensen (D-IL), Greg Stanton (D-AZ), Pete Stauber (R-MN), Haley Stevens (D-WI), Eric Swalwell (D-CA), William Timmons (R-SC), Jill Tokuda (D-HI), Paul Tonko (D-NY), and Daniel Webster (R-FL).
    The full text of the letter is available here and below.
    Dear President Trump:
    We write to you on behalf of hundreds of children and American families who have been devastated by the People’s Republic of China’s decision to halt its intercountry adoption program. We request that you act in the best interest of these children and engage the Chinese government to finalize these pending adoption cases.
    As members of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption and other Members of Congress who share these concerns, the safety of adopted children and hundreds of would-be adoptees is our top priority. The sudden termination of China’s adoption program in August 2024 only exacerbated our concern for these children’s well-being. Many of these children have special health care needs, and some will soon age out of care systems without the support of a permanent family. It is particularly critical that these children have access to the care and support that they need — which hundreds of American families approved for adoption are willing to provide. 
    We understand that the State Department is working on behalf of these families and seeking clarity on the Chinese government’s decision. We urge you to elevate this engagement and press the Chinese government to finalize pending adoption cases so these children may finally be united with their adoptive families in the United States.
    Thank you for your attention to this important matter. We are prepared to work closely with you to ensure these children are welcomed into safe and stable homes. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 Launches to International Space Station

    Source: NASA

    Four crew members of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission launched at 7:03 p.m. EDT Friday from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida for a science expedition aboard the International Space Station.
    A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket propelled the Dragon spacecraft into orbit carrying NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov. The spacecraft will dock autonomously to the forward-facing port of the station’s Harmony module at approximately 11:30 p.m. on Saturday, March 15. Shortly after docking, the crew will join Expedition 72/73 for a long-duration stay aboard the orbiting laboratory.
    “Congratulations to our NASA and SpaceX teams on the 10th crew rotation mission under our commercial crew partnership. This milestone demonstrates NASA’s continued commitment to advancing American leadership in space and driving growth in our national space economy,” said NASA acting Administrator Janet Petro. “Through these missions, we are laying the foundation for future exploration, from low Earth orbit to the Moon and Mars. Our international crew will contribute to innovative science research and technology development, delivering benefits to all humanity.”
    During Dragon’s flight, SpaceX will monitor a series of automatic spacecraft maneuvers from its mission control center in Hawthorne, California. NASA will monitor space station operations throughout the flight from the Mission Control Center at the agency’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.
    NASA’s live coverage resumes at 9:45 p.m., March 15, on NASA+ with rendezvous, docking, and hatching opening. After docking, the crew will change out of their spacesuits and prepare cargo for offload before opening the hatch between Dragon and the space station’s Harmony module around 1:05 a.m., Sunday, March 16. Once the new crew is aboard the orbital outpost, NASA will broadcast welcome remarks from Crew-10 and farewell remarks from the agency’s SpaceX Crew-9 crew, beginning at about 1:40 a.m.
    Learn how to watch NASA content through a variety of platforms, including social media.
    The number of crew aboard the space station will increase to 11 for a short time as Crew-10 joins NASA astronauts Nick Hague, Suni Williams, Butch Wilmore, and Don Pettit, as well as Roscosmos cosmonauts Aleksandr Gorbunov, Alexey Ovchinin, and Ivan Vagner. Following a brief handover period, Hague, Williams, Wilmore, and Gorbunov will return to Earth no earlier than Wednesday, March 19.Ahead of Crew-9’s departure from station, mission teams will review weather conditions at the splashdown sites off the coast of Florida. 
    During their mission, Crew-10 is scheduled to conduct material flammability tests to contribute to future spacecraft and facility designs. The crew will engage with students worldwide via the ISS Ham Radio program and use the program’s existing hardware to test a backup lunar navigation solution. The astronauts also will serve as test subjects, with one crew member conducting an integrated study to better understand physiological and psychological changes to the human body to provide valuable insights for future deep space missions.
    With this mission, NASA continues to maximize the use of the orbiting laboratory, where people have lived and worked continuously for more than 24 years, testing technologies, performing science, and developing the skills needed to operate future commercial destinations in low Earth orbit and explore farther from our home planet. Research conducted at the space station benefits people on Earth and paves the way for future long-duration missions to the Moon under NASA’s Artemis campaign and beyond.
    More about Crew-10McClain is the commander of Crew-10 and is making her second trip to the orbital outpost since her selection as an astronaut in 2013. She will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73 aboard the space station. Follow McClain on X.
    Ayers is the pilot of Crew-10 and is flying her first mission. Selected as an astronaut in 2021, Ayers will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73. Follow Ayers on X and Instagram.
    Onishi is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his second flight to the space station. He will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73. Follow Onishi on X.
    Peskov is a mission specialist for Crew-10 and is making his first flight to the space station. Peskov will serve as a flight engineer during Expeditions 72/73.
    Learn more about NASA’s SpaceX Crew-10 mission and the agency’s Commercial Crew Program at:
    https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew
    -end-
    Josh Finch / Jimi RussellHeadquarters, Washington202-358-1100joshua.a.finch@nasa.gov / james.j.russell@nasa.gov
    Steven Siceloff / Stephanie PlucinskyKennedy Space Center, Florida321-867-2468steven.p.siceloff@nasa.gov / stephanie.n.plucinsky@nasa.gov
    Kenna Pell / Sandra JonesJohnson Space Center, Houston281-483-5111kenna.m.pell@nasa.gov / sandra.p.jones@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Finalists Selected in NASA Aeronautics Agriculture-Themed Competition 

    Source: NASA

    Eight finalist teams participating in the 2025 NASA Gateways to Blue Skies Competition have been selected to present to a panel of judges their design concepts for aviation solutions that can help the agriculture industry. 
    Sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate, this year’s competition asked teams of university students to research new or improved aviation solutions to support agriculture. The goal of the competition, titled AgAir: Aviation Solutions for Agriculture, is to enhance production, efficiency, sustainability, and resilience to extreme weather. Participants submitted proposals and accompanying videos summarizing their AgAir concepts and describing how they could demonstrate benefits by 2035 or sooner.  
    “We continue to see a growing interest in our competition with a tremendous response to this year’s agricultural theme – so many great ideas fueled by the passion of our future workforce,” said Steven Holz, NASA Aeronautics University Innovation assistant project manager and co-chair of the Gateways to Blue Skies judging panel. “We are excited to see how each finalist team fleshes out their original concept in their final papers, infographics, and presentations.” 
    The eight finalist teams will each receive stipends to facilitate their participation in the culminating Gateways to Blue Skies Forum, which will be held near NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Palmdale, California, May 20-21 and livestreamed globally. Finalists will present to a panel of NASA and industry experts, and the winning team will have the opportunity to intern at one of NASA’s aeronautics centers during the coming academic year. 

    steven holz
    NASA Aeronautics University Innovation Assistant Project Manager

    The finalists’ projects and their universities are: 
    Proactive Resource Efficiency via Coordinated Imaging and Sprayer ExecutionAuburn University, in Alabama
    Precision Land Analysis and Aerial Nitrogen TreatmentBoston University
    Pheromonal Localization Overpopulation Regulation AircraftColumbia University, in New York
    Sky Shepherd: Autonomous Aerial Cattle MonitoringEmbry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, Florida
    Hog Aerial Mitigation SystemHouston Community College, in Texas
    Soil Testing and Plant Leaf Extraction DroneSouth Dakota State University, in Brookings
    RoboBeesUniversity of California, Davis
    CattleLog Cattle Management SystemUniversity of Tulsa, in Oklahoma
    The agriculture industry is essential for providing food, fuel, and fiber to the global population. However, it faces significant challenges. NASA Aeronautics is committed to supporting commercial, industrial, and governmental partners in advancing aviation systems to modernize agricultural capabilities.  
    The Gateways to Blue Skies competition is sponsored by NASA’s Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate’s University Innovation Project and is managed by the National Institute of Aerospace. 
    More information on the competition is available on the  AgAir: Aviation Solutions for Agriculture competition website. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Source: US State of Hawaii

    2025-43 AG LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

    Posted on Mar 14, 2025 in Latest Department News, Newsroom

     

    STATE OF HAWAIʻI

    KA MOKU ʻĀINA O HAWAIʻI

     

    DEPARTMENT OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL

    KA ʻOIHANA O KA LOIO KUHINA

     

    JOSH GREEN, M.D.
     GOVERNOR

    KE KIAʻĀINA

     

    ANNE LOPEZ

    ATTORNEY GENERAL

    LOIO KUHINA

     

     

    ATTORNEY GENERAL ANNE LOPEZ WINS TEMPORARY BLOCK ON MASS FIRINGS OF FEDERAL PROBATIONARY EMPLOYEES; FIRED EMPLOYEES GET THEIR JOBS BACK

     

     

    News Release 2025-43

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                       

    March 14, 2025

     

    HONOLULU – Attorney General Anne Lopez issued the following statement after a federal judge in the United States District Court for Maryland issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) for 18 federal agencies, ordering them to stop the illegal mass layoffs of federal probationary employees and to reinstate fired employees by 1:00pm (ET) on Monday, March 17, 2025. 

     

    “President Trump blindsided the states when he fired thousands of federal probationary employees without giving them the 60-day notice required by law. He jeopardized these employees’ financial security and risked overwhelming the states’ ability to help those who were out of work.

     

    “This ruling not only requires the Trump administration to stop these indiscriminate and unlawful layoffs but also orders it to undo the harm inflicted across the country by restoring the jobs of hardworking federal employees.  

     

    “These mass firings reflect a disregard for both the law and the essential role of the civil service in maintaining government stability. Our office is committed to upholding the rule of law and will take every necessary legal step to ensure compliance with this court order.” 

     

    The TRO comes seven days after Attorney General Lopez joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general in suing numerous federal agencies for causing irreparable injuries to the plaintiff states. The TRO stops the unlawful mass firings, orders the agencies to give those employees their jobs back, and applies to the following 18 federal agencies:

     

     

    The state of Hawaiʻi is represented in this matter by Solicitor General Kalikoʻonālani Fernandes and Special Assistant to the Attorney General Dave Day.

     

    Information on the original lawsuit can be found here.

     

    Attorney General Lopez was joined by the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont and Wisconsin.

     

    # # #

     

    Media contacts:

    Dave Day

    Special Assistant to the Attorney General

    Office: 808-586-1284                                                  

    Email: [email protected]        

    Web: http://ag.hawaii.gov

     

    Toni Schwartz
    Public Information Officer
    Hawai‘i Department of the Attorney General
    Office: 808-586-1252
    Cell: 808-379-9249
    Email:     [email protected] 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: In the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the transfer of Assam Rifles Battalion land to the Government of Mizoram and the formal exchange of maps takes place in Aizawl, Mizoram

    Source: Government of India (2)

    In the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the transfer of Assam Rifles Battalion land to the Government of Mizoram and the formal exchange of maps takes place in Aizawl, Mizoram

    Due to an important decision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, a three decade-old demand of the people of Mizoram is being fulfilled today

    PM Modi’s visionary decision will make a large area of land available in a key region of Mizoram, giving a new direction to the state’s development

    This decision stands as a testament to Modi government’s responsibility towards the people of Mizoram and its commitment to the state’s progress

    The Modi government is fully dedicated to building a developed, peaceful, secure, and beautiful Mizoram

    Since the establishment of the first army camp in Aizawl in 1890, this marks the most significant decision for the region

    From tourism to technology, sports to space, and agriculture to entrepreneurship, Modi government is shaping new dimensions of development in the North-East

    Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 6:10PM by PIB Delhi

    In the presence of Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah, the transfer of Assam Rifles Battalion land to the Government of Mizoram and the formal exchange of maps took place today in Aizawl, Mizoram. The event was attended by several dignitaries, including Mizoram Chief Minister Shri Lalduhoma, the Union Home Secretary, the Director of the Intelligence Bureau, and the Director General of Assam Rifles.

    On this occasion, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, described the event as a significant milestone in Mizoram’s development. He noted that for nearly 35 years a long-standing demand was there to relocate Assam Rifles to interior areas due to space constraints caused by topography and facilitate overall development of Mizoram, including Aizawl. He highlighted the acute shortage of space in Aizawl is stifling its modernisation and increase of public facilities. Shri Shah credited Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s crucial decision for fulfilling this decades-old demand today.

    Shri Amit Shah said that this decision is not merely an administrative move but is a testament to Modi government’s responsibility towards the people of Mizoram and its commitment to the state’s progress. He said Prime Minister Modi’s visionary decision will make a large area of land available in a key region of Mizoram, giving a new direction to the state’s development. Shri Shah also noted that this will be regarded as the most significant decision in the history since the establishment of the first army camp in Aizawl in 1890.

    Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the Government of India has been actively working for the past 10 years to strengthen and integrate the entire North-East. He highlighted that the Modi government is driving unprecedented development in the region, spanning sectors from tourism to technology, sports to space, and agriculture to entrepreneurship. Shri Shah pointed out that from independence until 2014, all previous Prime Ministers collectively visited the North-East 21 times, whereas since 2014, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi alone has made 78 visits. Additionally, he noted that before 2014, Union Ministers, apart from those from the North-East, had visited the region only 71 times, whereas in the past decade, the number of visits by Union Ministers has exceeded 700.

    Shri Amit Shah stated that under Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s leadership, the North-East is not only witnessing rapid development but also experiencing unprecedented peace. He highlighted major infrastructure projects in Mizoram, including the initiation of Package-1 and Package-3 on National Highway 502-A at a cost of ₹2,500 crore. Additionally, a four-lane road on National Highway 6 in Aizawl and Kolasib districts is being developed for ₹1,742 crore, while the double-laning of the Aizawl-Tuipam section of National Highway 54 is underway at a cost of ₹1,006 crore. Further, bamboo link roads are being constructed across Mizoram at an investment of ₹100 crore. Shri Shah emphasized that the Modi government has undertaken road construction projects worth ₹5,000 crore in Mizoram over the last decade. He noted that 10 helipads have been built for ₹2 crore, and the Bairabi-Sairang Railway project has been launched at an investment of ₹5,000 crore. Moreover, a 164-bed super-specialty research center is being constructed at a cost of ₹600 crore, while the ₹1,300 crore Tuirial Hydro Power Project has also been initiated. To enhance connectivity, 314 mobile towers have been installed across the state. Union Home Minister reaffirmed the Government of India’s unwavering commitment to building a developed, peaceful, secure, and beautiful Mizoram.

    *****

    RK/VV/PR/PS

    (Release ID: 2111509) Visitor Counter : 57

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, Assam

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah inaugurates Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, Assam

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Assam is now progressing on the path of development

    The seed planted today in the form of Lachit Barphukan Police Academy will one day grow into a banyan tree, and will serve the cause of policing in the entire country

    The saga of great warrior Lachit Barphukan was once limited to Assam, but under the Modi government, his biography is now available in 23 languages in libraries across the country

    In Assam, once known for movements, insurgency, and gunfights, efforts are underway to establish a semiconductor industry worth ₹27,000 crore

    The double-engine government has increased the conviction rate in Assam from 5 per cent to 25 per cent
    In Assam, the police, which were once limited to fighting terrorism, are now working to protect the rights of citizens

    Earlier, Assam was plunged into the flames of riots, keeping the region in a state of unrest, however, under the Modi government, peace has been established here, and with world-class infrastructure, large industries are now being set up

    Posted On: 15 MAR 2025 5:15PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, today inaugurated the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy in Dergaon, Assam. On this occasion, Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, Union Minister Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, and many other dignitaries were present.

    In his address, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah said that in the next 5 years, the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy will be ranked first among all police academies across the country. He mentioned that Assam’s brave warrior and legendary, Lachit Barphukan, had led Assam to victory against the Mughals. He further stated that saga of bravery of Lachit Barphukan was once kept limited to Assam, but due to the efforts of the Modi Government, today his biography has been translated into 23 languages and is available in libraries across the country for children. Shri Shah praised the Assam government for ensuring that the entire nation learns about and draws inspiration from this great son of Assam. He added that the seed planted today in the form of the Lachit Barphukan Police Academy would one day grow into a banyan tree, and will serve the cause of policing in the entire country. It will be an apex police academy not only for Assam but for entire Northeast, similar to Kashi among pilgrimage sites; the site will be a new beginning for peace in the region

    Shri Amit Shah said that the first phase of the Lachit Barphukan Academy has been completed at a cost of ₹167 crore, and a total of ₹1050 crore will be spent on all three phases. He mentioned that the academy is equipped with several state-of-the-art facilities and will become the best police academy in the entire country. He further highlighted that earlier, Assam’s police had to go to other states for training, but in the last 8 years, under the state’s governance, such a transformation has taken place that now, 2,000 police personnel from Goa and Manipur have received training at this police academy.

    Union Home Minister said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Assam is now progressing on the path of development. He mentioned that in the last 10 years, under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, several peace agreements have been signed: the Assam-Bodoland Agreement in 2020, the Karbi Anglong Agreement in 2021, the Tribal Peace Agreement in 2022, and the ULFA, Assam-Meghalaya, and Assam-Arunachal Agreements in the year 2023. Shri Shah stated that as a result of these peace agreements made by the Modi government, more than 10,000 youths have laid down their weapons and joined the mainstream. He added that in Assam, once known for movements, insurgency, and gunfights, efforts are underway to establish a semiconductor industry worth ₹27,000 crore.

    Shri Amit Shah said that a recent investment and infrastructure conference named Advantage Assam 2.0 was held in Assam, where MoUs worth ₹5.18 lakh crore were signed, and most of these MoUs will be implemented on the ground. He further mentioned that the Modi government is bringing infrastructure projects worth ₹3 lakh crore for the development of Assam. He emphasized that these projects, totaling ₹8 lakh crore, will create a large number of employment opportunities for the youth of Assam.

    Union Home and Cooperation Minister said that during the 10 years of the previous government’s rule, Assam received a devolution grant and grant-in-aid of ₹1.27 lakh crore, which has been increased fourfold to₹4.95 lakh crore in Prime Minister Modi’s 10 years. He further stated that the previous governments had pushed Assam into the fire of riots for many years, did not provide grants, failed to set up proper education systems, did not build infrastructure, and did not allow peace to prevail.Shri Shah said that during Prime Minister Modi’s 10-year tenure, infrastructure has been developed, peace has prevailed, and various industries have been established. He mentioned several projects undertaken by the Modi government, including the Bharat Mala project, which is more than 200 kilometers long and worth ₹10,000 crore, the Dhubri-Phulwari bridge worth ₹3,000 crore, rural roads spanning 3,700 kilometers at a cost of ₹3,400 crore, and the four-laning of the Silchar-Churaibari corridor. Additionally, he highlighted the work being done on a new embankment and road on Majuli Island worth ₹1,000 crore. He further stated that a six-lane bridge over the Brahmaputra River is under construction, and at a cost of ₹382 crore, National Highway 715-K is connecting Majuli and Jorhat. He also mentioned the expansion of an airport named after Gopinath Ji at a cost of ₹1,100 crore, the inauguration of ₹9,000 crore worth of railway projects, a ₹1,000 crore AIIMS project, and the establishment of medical colleges in Tamulpur, Kokrajhar, Nalbari, and Dhubri, along with many other infrastructure projects under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership.

    Shri Amit Shah said that the Modi government and the Assam government have carried out several welfare programs for the poor. He mentioned that for the first time, tap water was provided to 58 lakh homes, free treatment up to ₹5 lakh was provided to 1.8 crore people, toilets were built in 43 lakh homes, 2.32 crore poor people were given 5 kilograms of free rice per person every month, and the Modi government and Assam government also provided 51 lakh gas cylinders and 21 lakh houses.

    Union Home Minister said that the Modi government has not only made efforts to bring peace to Assam but has successfully established it. He mentioned that the Modi government has built infrastructure, and now, under the leadership of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma, an investment of ₹5 lakh crore is coming into the state, which will lay the foundation for a golden future for the youth of Assam. He further stated that the conviction ratio in Assam has increased from 5 per cent to 25 per cent. He highlighted that earlier, people did not want to file FIRs because the police were only seen as fighting against terrorists, but today, the police are focused on protecting the rights of citizens and effectively implementing the three new criminal laws introduced by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

     

    ****

    RK/VV/ASH/PS

    (Release ID: 2111498) Visitor Counter : 65

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: “I will not stop asking until I know the whereabouts of my husband”

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Itai Dzamara is a journalist and pro-democracy activist who was forcibly disappeared ten years ago on 9 March 2015 after he criticized the Zimbabwean government about the deteriorating economic conditions in the country. He has not been seen or heard from since and his fate and whereabouts remain unknown. Ten years on, Itai’s wife, Sheffra, has shared her story with Amnesty International

    Everyone knew Itai Dzamara as a journalist and pro-democracy activist who was forcibly disappeared on 9 March 2015 after he criticised the Zimbabwean government.

    Itai was my husband and best friend. He was a great father to our two children Nokutenda and Nenyasha. He was always there for us making sure that we are happy.

    Itai was amazing. He loved to eat sadza (staple food made from white corn) and fish, and would cook it for us on Sundays after church. He used to play soccer on weekends, and he was a big fan of Manchester United. Itai would always wear his Man U jersey whenever they played matches.

    My husband was a kind man. He had people at heart, and that is what led him to write a petition to Zimbabwe’s then-president Robert Mugabe on 17 October 2014, demanding he step down. Following this petition, police arrested Itai and fellow activists and interrogated them for eight hours at Harare Central police station. Itai was fighting for every Zimbabwean regardless of political parties.

    The man who stood against former President Mugabe

    The Constitution of Zimbabwe and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights to which the country is a state party guarantee the right to peaceful assembly. When Itai started these peaceful protests, the Zimbabwe Republic Police would beat and arrest him and his colleagues.

    Their group, Occupy Africa Unity Square, would hold peaceful protests at a public park opposite Zimbabwe’s parliament building. At one protest in November 2014, police beat Itai until he collapsed. Then they kept on beating him while he was unconscious. He was admitted for treatment for his injuries for two weeks.

    9 March 2015, the day Itai was abducted, was a normal day.

    He went to the barbershop at 9am wearing black shorts and his Manchester United jersey. Looking back at that morning, there are so many things I wish I had said to him. As I was preparing his breakfast for when he returned, my brother came running in, and told me that my husband was taken from the barbershop, by men driving a white Isuzu with no registration number.  

    When I heard this, fear engulfed me. I knew that it was an abduction. It was bad, I started shaking and crying. I did not know what to do or who to call, but I wanted to hear the facts directly from the people who witnessed the abduction. I took my daughter and put her on my back – she was two years old then – and went straight to the barbershop. When I arrived, I was still shaking. Even the barber and his colleague were shaking too as they told me what happened.

    “They told me the whole thing was like a movie.”

    It was very fast. Five men walked in and said they were looking for a cattle thief. While Itai was perplexed, the men grabbed him and said they were taking him to the police to be questioned. Itai has not  been seen since then.

    I walked back from the barber like a zombie. I felt the whole world falling down on me. My head was spinning. I was not myself; I was confused and did not know what to do. I was shattered. I wanted to scream and cry but when I looked at my daughter and son, I knew I had to control myself.

    I got home and changed my clothes, not realizing that I was wearing my skirt inside out. That’s how confused I was. I left my kids with my sister, and went with Itai’s brother Patson, and our lawyer to report the case to the police, who promised to investigate.

    When I returned home around 6pm, I was afraid to go through the gate thinking maybe the abductors would come back and abduct  us as well.  I had to be strong for my kids. I did not sleep that night. My heart was pounding so hard. At 4am, I left the house and went to the barbershop hoping, praying that maybe, they would have brought him back, but he was not there.

    The next day, my kids and I were taken to an organization where we stayed for a month for our safety. I lost weight from fasting and praying for my husband to be released from his abductors. I could not eat or sleep. My heart was always beating fast. I would cry at night so that my kids didn’t t see me.

    10 years later and everyone is still asking ‘where is Itai?’

    Life has not been the same since Itai was abducted. The last 10 years have been hard. I am reminded of him every time I look at my kids because both look like their dad. It hurts not to have Itai in my life and to see my kids missing him and growing up without a father who loved them so dearly. I don’t have any answers, but I feel blessed to have my two kids. When I look at them l feel God’s grace.

    The police never came back to give any update. As far as I know, they never even investigated the case. They were not interested in finding Itai. Even the Zimbabwe High Court order could not get the police find my husband or tell us what happened to him.

    As a family we did everything to get answers. For the past 10 years the government of Zimbabwe has ignored my requests and turned a blind eye to the demand for answers by everyone including friends, activists, civil society organizations, media and the international community.

    I will not stop asking until I know the fate and whereabouts of my husband.

    I wish for Itai to one day walk through the front door and hug me and the kids or to wake up to find that this was all a bad dream. If I must live without him, then I need answers, I need to know where he is.

    Amnesty International has made multiple recommendations to the government of Zimbabwe to uphold human rights and enable a safe environment for human rights defenders, activists and civil society to do their work without fear of reprisals. In the past decade, Amnesty International has campaigned and called for an independent  commission of inquiry to thoroughly, impartially, transparently and effectively  investigate the alleged enforced disappearance of Itai Dzamara, establish his fate or whereabouts and bring to justice those suspected of criminal responsibility in fair trials.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Philippines: Duterte’s appearance at ICC a symbolic moment for ‘war on drugs’ victims

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Responding to former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte’s scheduled first appearance at the International Criminal Court, Amnesty International’s Southeast Asia Researcher Rachel Chhoa-Howard said:

    “Rodrigo Duterte’s appearance at the International Criminal Court is a sight families of the thousands of victims of the ‘war on drugs’ in the Philippines feared they would never see. Today shows that those accused of committing the worst crimes may one day face their day in court, regardless of their position.

    “The very institution that former President Duterte mocked will now try him for murder as a crime against humanity. This is a symbolic moment and a day of hope for families of victims and human rights defenders who have for years fought tirelessly for justice despite grave risks to their lives and safety.

    “The Court must ensure that this process plays out with full transparency, including for people following it in the Philippines. It must also ensure that victims, witnesses and their relatives and representatives are fully supported and protected and can effectively participate in the proceedings.

    “Accountability must not stop here – the Philippines government must rejoin the ICC and cooperate fully with the court in this case. It must also initiate long overdue investigations of its own and, where there is evidence, ensure fair trials and prosecutions for all those suspected to be responsible for violations, regardless of their rank or status.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Unlawful detention and sham trials of Armenian hostages, including high-ranking political representatives from Nagorno-Karabakh, by Azerbaijan – P10_TA(2025)0038 – Thursday, 13 March 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Armenia and Azerbaijan,

    –  having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas 23 Armenian hostages are being detained in Azerbaijan, including former de facto Nagorno-Karabakh officials and prisoners of war from the 2020 war and the ethnic cleansing that followed; whereas they are undergoing sham trials and facing serious charges that could result in illegal life imprisonment sentences;

    B.  whereas these hostages are being subjected to inhumane and degrading treatment, including through banned psychoactive methods; whereas their rights are not respected, including access to independent attorneys and interpreters and the possibility to appeal, receive family visits and be granted suspensions on health grounds; whereas this constitutes a systematic violation by Azerbaijan of international obligations regarding the treatment of prisoners;

    1.  Condemns the unjust detention of the Armenian hostages; demands their immediate and unconditional release;

    2.  Strongly denounces the ongoing sham trials and systematic violations of the fundamental rights of Armenian hostages, and calls on Azerbaijan to fully respect their right to a fair trial and to have access to medical doctors in compliance with international standards; expects an independent investigation into their ill-treatment;

    3.  Expresses deep concern at the order by the authorities in Baku to close the offices of the ICRC and UN agencies, hindering both support for the Armenian prisoners and humanitarian oversight, and calls on the authorities to review their position;

    4.  Calls for the EU and Member States’ embassies in Azerbaijan to observe the trials and regularly visit all Armenian hostages; calls on the VP/HR and the EU Special Representative for Human Rights to visit them;

    5.  Calls for sanctions under the Global Human Rights Sanctions Regime against all Azerbaijani leaders and officials committing human rights violations, in particular prosecutors and judges Jamal Ramazanov, Anar Rzayev and Zeynal Agayev;

    6.  Calls on the International Criminal Court to investigate cases of the forced displacement, persecution and ethnic cleansing of the Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh; calls for the full implementation of all orders issued by the International Court of Justice, including Azerbaijan’s obligation to protect from violence and bodily harm all persons captured in relation to the 2020 war;

    7.  Reiterates its strong call to suspend the 2022 EU-Azerbaijan memorandum of understanding on a strategic partnership in the field of energy; insists that any future partnership agreement between the EU and Azerbaijan be conditional on the release of all political prisoners, the improvement of the human rights situation in the country and on Azerbaijan not unduly delaying the signing of a peace agreement with Armenia and its respecting the rights of Nagorno-Karabakh Armenians, including the right to return;

    8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the VP/HR, the Member States and the Presidents, Governments and parliaments of Armenia and Azerbaijan.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – Democracy and human rights in Thailand, notably the lese-majesty law and the deportation of Uyghur refugees – P10_TA(2025)0036 – Thursday, 13 March 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to Rules 150(5) and 136(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

    A.  whereas on 27 February 2025, the Thai authorities violated international law by deporting at least 40 Uyghur refugees to China, where they risk arbitrary detention, torture and serious human rights violations; whereas other safe countries had offered to resettle the Uyghur refugees;

    B.  whereas prior to their deportation, these individuals were detained in Thai immigration centres for over a decade, where at least five Uyghurs, including minors, reportedly died due to inhumane conditions;

    C.  whereas Thailand’s lese-majesty provisions, under Article 112 of its Criminal Code, are among the strictest in the world and are not in line with Thailand’s obligations under the ICCPR;

    D.  whereas, since 2020, over 1 960 pro-democracy activists, human rights defenders and journalists, including over 280 minors, have been indicted or condemned for their opinions under repressive laws that curb freedom of expression, including the lese-majesty law, the Sedition Act, the Public Assembly Act and the Computer Crimes Act; whereas prominent activists, including Arnon Nampa, Mongkhon Thirakhot and Anchan Preelert, were sentenced to disproportionately long prison terms for peacefully criticising the monarchy, with some facing up to 50 years’ imprisonment;

    E.  whereas the Constitutional Court has dissolved the largest party and 44 of its MPs have been indicted for proposing amendments to the lese-majesty law, facing potential lifetime bans from politics; whereas several MPs, including Piyarat Chongthep, Rakchanok Srinok and Chonthicha Jangrew, are being prosecuted for their political activities and statements;

    1.  Condemns the deportation of Uyghur refugees to China; calls on the Thai authorities to immediately halt any further forced returns of refugees, asylum seekers and political dissidents to countries where their lives are at risk;

    2.  Urges the Thai Government to grant the UNHCR unrestricted access to all detained Uyghur asylum seekers and provide transparent information on their status;

    3.  Calls on China to respect the fundamental rights of the deported Uyghurs, ensure transparency about their whereabouts, grant the UNHCR access to them and release those detained;

    4.  Calls on Thailand to ratify the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol thereto and to implement a transparent, fair and humane asylum system;

    5.  Stresses that Thailand is an important EU partner; encourages Thailand to strengthen its institutions in line with democratic principles and international human rights standards; calls on the government to amend or repeal Article 112 and other repressive laws to guarantee the right to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and political participation;

    6.  Demands that amnesty be granted to all MPs and activists prosecuted or imprisoned under lese-majesty provisions and other repressive laws;

    7.  Calls on the Commission to leverage FTA negotiations to press Thailand to reform repressive laws, particularly the lese-majesty law, release political prisoners, halt the deportation of Uyghur refugees and ratify all core ILO conventions; calls on the Member States to suspend extradition treaties with the PRC;

    8.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the Thai and Chinese authorities.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Climate Change Performance Index

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    The Climate Change Performance Index (CCPI), published annually since 2005, is an independent monitoring tool for tracking countries’ climate mitigation performance. It increases transparency in national and international climate policy and enables comparison of individual countries’ climate action efforts and progress.

    The CCPI indicates the climate mitigation efforts of 63 countries and the EU, which collectively account for over 90% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Results are compiled with the aid of 450 national experts evaluating their countries’ most recent national and international climate policies.

    The CCPI is distributed to key media worldwide (e.g. The Guardian, China Daily, The Times of India) and frequently triggers debates in national parliaments and governments.
    The Paris Agreement is now entering a crucial phase of national and regional implementation. The CCPI provides long-standing and reliable analysis conducted on the leaders and laggards in climate protection. This makes it usable as a powerful instrument to hold governments accountable for their responsibility to act on the climate crisis, to inform the process of raising climate ambition, and to stimulate a race to the top in climate action.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Commend Palau on Project for Accessible Homes, Raise Questions on Accessible Public Transport and Persons with Disabilities in Emergency Situations

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities today concluded its review of the initial report of Palau, with Committee Experts commending the State on a project focused on making homes for the elderly more accessible, while raising questions on the accessibility of public transport, and how persons with disabilities were included in the response to emergency situations.

    A Committee Expert welcomed the financial measures and information provided on the project which aimed to make homes for the elderly accessible in Palau. 

    Another Committee Expert congratulated Palau for its commitment to the area of accessibility and desire to create a more inclusive society.  However, concerns persisted, including the lack of accessible public transport. What measures had been taken to ensure free access to information for different types of disability?  An Expert asked what steps were being taken to facilitate the transportation and movement of persons with disabilities?  Another Expert asked if accessibility requirements were included throughout the purchase of public infrastructure? 

    Gerel Dondovdorj, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if the State party had reviewed national legislation related to the situation of risk and humanitarian emergency, including the national disaster risk framework, to include the safety and protection of persons with disabilities?  Could information on mechanisms of early warning for persons with disabilities be provided?  Did the State party have existing mechanisms to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in the planning, designing and implementation of activities relating to emergency situations? 

    The delegation said unfortunately, public transport in general was underdeveloped in Palau, and had only begun around two years ago, with a small number of buses with a limited route. Unfortunately, the buses being used were currently not accessible to persons with disabilities, and it was up to the families to take care of the transport of their family members and children with special needs.  The State had purchased vehicles, including a van that was disability equipped, which currently was only available by request.  The question was whether all public transport needed to be accessible, or due to numbers should it just be a specific programme with enough equipment catered to the needs of the population? 

    The delegation said at this time, the Government had not currently conducted a review of the national disaster risk framework legislation.  However, there were regular reviews, post-disaster, to determine gaps in emergency preparedness and disaster reduction.  Palau had the National Emergency Management Office, governed by the National Emergency Committee, comprised of all government agencies and civil society, including the Palau Red Cross.  All emergency preparedness and disaster response were coordinated through the Committee. 

    Being a small community, Palau could identify people individually and had a database on people’s specific needs. This knowledge was incorporated into exercises and drills.  Community health workers assisted during disasters to ensure everyone had equal access to shelters. 

    Introducing the report, Jeffrey Antol, Director, Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of State of Palau and head of the delegation, said while Palau faced unique challenges, from geographical and resource limitations to the increasing impact of climate change, these only reinforced the determination to advance the rights of persons with disabilities and build a more inclusive society.  One of Palau’s most significant milestones was the enactment of RPPL 11-36 in September 2024, a landmark piece of legislation that established a Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities and an Office of Persons with Disabilities. 

    In closing remarks, Mr. Antol extended appreciation to the Committee and all those who had contributed to the dialogue. Palau firmly believed that inclusion was not merely a policy goal, but a fundamental human right.  The enactment of the persons with disabilities act and the development of the national disability inclusive policy marked significant milestones in the journey towards full alignment with the Convention. 

    Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, thanked the members of the delegation of Palau for their presence and the open dialogue with the Committee. The State was commended for its commitment in working towards the implementation of the Convention.  From the goodwill expressed by the delegation, it was expected that the State would proactively ensure the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations.   

    The delegation of Palau was comprised of representatives from the Ministry of State; the Ministry of Health and Human Services; the Office of the President; and the Permanent Mission of Palau to the United Nations Office at Geneva. 

    Summaries of the public meetings of the Committee can be found here, while webcasts of the public meetings can be found here. The programme of work of the Committee’s thirty-second session and other documents related to the session can be found here.

    The Committee will next meet in public at 10. a.m. on Thursday, 20 March, to hold a day of general discussion on article 29 of the Convention on participation in political and public life. 

    Report

    The Committee has before it the initial report of Palau (CRPD/C/PLW/1).

    Presentation of Report

    GAAFAR J. UHERBELAU, Special Advisor to the President of Palau, introduced the delegation of Palau. 

     

    JEFFREY ANTOL, Director, Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of State of Palau and head of the delegation, said while Palau faced unique challenges, from geographical and resource limitations to the increasing impact of climate change, these only reinforced the determination to advance the rights of persons with disabilities and build a more inclusive society. 

    One of Palau’s most significant milestones was the enactment of RPPL 11-36 in September 2024, a landmark piece of legislation that established a Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities and an Office of Persons with Disabilities.  This legislation addressed critical gaps in disability governance, with key provisions that included the development of a new national policy on persons with disabilities; the establishment of sustainable funding mechanisms through the allocation of annual tax revenues from alcohol, cigarettes, and tobacco products to support disability programmes and services; and a multi-stakeholder governance structure, ensuring the active participation of government agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector, and persons with disabilities. 

    Palau had taken major steps towards accessibility in recent years, including conducting access audits for schools, public buildings, and parks, leading to infrastructure improvements, including accessible ramps and parking.  The Ngermalk Accessibility Ramp and Airai Accessibility Ramp project set new standards for inclusive design, enabling inclusive access to the sea waters and leisure. RPPL No. 11-11, enacted in September 2021, established the Palau severely disabled assistance fund and child raising subsidy, now supporting 186 children and elderly persons with disabilities. The child raising subsidy provided financial assistance to parents and legal guardians for the costs of raising a Palauan citizen child under the age of 18 who resided full-time with the applicant in Palau.  The meal programme provided nutritious meals to support Palauan citizens aged 55 and older, homebound individuals, and adults with special healthcare needs residing in Palau. 

    To enhance inclusive education, 22 teachers had been trained in assistive technologies to support students with disabilities.  Access to individualised education programmes was expanded to provide tailored learning support. 

    However, the State needed to do more to bridge the gap in specialised learning resources, inclusive curricula, and teacher training.  Palau’s workforce innovation and opportunity act trained persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities, and empowered them to access the job market. Entrepreneurship programmes were being expanded to provide persons with disabilities with opportunities to create and manage their businesses.

    Women and girls with disabilities experienced two to three times the level of gender-based violence compared to those without disabilities.  To address this, the revised national gender mainstreaming policy would integrate disability-specific protections, including targeted legal amendments, training law enforcement and service providers, and expanding access to shelters and psychosocial support services.  Palau’s national gender mainstreaming policy was undergoing revision to fully integrate disability perspectives. 

    As a climate-vulnerable nation, Palau understood the critical importance of disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction.  In September 2024, the guidelines on disability inclusive disaster risk reduction were launched, ensuring accessible emergency shelters with ramps, assistive devices, and trained staff; early warning systems adapted for persons with sensory disabilities; and community engagement programmes to ensure that persons with disabilities were active participants in disaster preparedness planning.

    While Palau had made significant progress, challenges remained.  Data collection efforts were being expanded to disaggregate statistics by gender and disability, ensuring targeted interventions that addressed the unique vulnerabilities of women, girls, and children with disabilities.  Palau was also working towards accessible voting procedures, ensuring that persons with disabilities could exercise their right to vote independently.  It was also promoting representation in Government advisory bodies.  Mr. Antol reaffirmed Palau’s commitment to working closely with development partners, United Nations agencies, civil society organizations, the private sector, and persons with disabilities and their representative organizations, to address these challenges head-on.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, thanked the State party for the comprehensive initial report.  Ms. Dondovdorj appreciated the quality of alternative reports of organizations of persons with disabilities provided to the Committee.  Palau had made some progress in implementing the Convention, which would be addressed later in the dialogue.  Although some legislative measures had been taken by the State party, some of these were not fully compliant with the Convention, including the disabled persons anti-discrimination act, which could not fully respond to the challenges faced by women with disabilities. 

    Concerns persisted about the lack of progress made to abolish the guardianship regime and implement the supported decision-making system in Palau.  It was essential to ensure the meaningful participation of women with disabilities in decision-making.  The Government of Palau was encouraged to pay attention to this issue. 

    GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, said the enactment of RPPL 11-36 outlined the State’s commitment to advancing the rights of persons with disabilities.  What steps were being taken for the State to appeal and amend legislation which was not in line with the Convention?  What would be the process and timeline for harmonising definitions?  What steps were in place to address the lack of timelines of the implementation of the decisions of the Coordinating Committee of the Office of Persons with Disabilities?  How were organizations of persons with disabilities being involved in the formulation of programmes and policies? 

    Currently Palau did not have a law on reasonable accommodation.  What specific steps were being taken to amend relevant legislation to include disability as a prohibited ground of discrimination?  What were the timelines to ensure the disabled person anti-discrimination act encompassed all forms of disability-based discrimination, including the denial of reasonable accommodation?  What mechanism would be put in place to track the progress of the anti-discrimination policies under discussion?  How would it be ensured they were well implemented and monitored? What was in place to eliminate multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination? 

    How did Palau plan to strengthen gender mainstreaming to ensure women and girls with disabilities were included in all relevant policies and programmes?  Did it include amending the family protection act?  What steps were being taken to ensure the voices of women and girls with disabilities were heard?  What steps were being taken to ensure their participation?   How was the participation of children being monitored? What measures was the State taking to prevent negative stereotypes of persons with disabilities, particularly in rural communities?  What plans were in place to ensure training and awareness raising about persons with disabilities at all levels?

    What steps was the Government taking to identify existing barriers to accessibility in the public and private sector, and provide the necessary resources to remove these barriers?  What measures would be taken to bridge the digital divide? 

    It was commendable that the Washington Group’s short questions on disability had been used and integrated into the census.  What steps was the State adopting to promote inclusivity and improve disability data collection?  What processes were in place to collect the issues around access to justice? 

    Could more information be provided about the newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities, including its members, mandate and budget?  How were representatives of persons with disabilities represented on this Committee?  What steps were taken to involve persons with disabilities into international cooperation?

    There was no national human rights institution established in line with the Paris Principles in Palau.  Had there been any progress on this?  Was there a mechanism to oversee the implementation and monitoring of the Convention? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said harmonising legislation had been a challenge in Palau.  Through the new legislative process, one of the first tasks would be to have a full assessment and legislative review of relevant laws which needed to be revised, to ensure no discrimination was implied by language used in legislation moving forward.  It was expected that Palau could work with lawmakers and the National Congress to undertake a comprehensive legal review and carry out the changes.  It was hoped this could be achieved within 12 to 24 months. 

    The Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities was working on a disability policy with representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities.  There were practices at the national level to provide reasonable accommodation in employment, as well as access to voting.  Palau understood there was a need to improve measures in this regard.

    The State was excited about the new legislation, which would create a new body with the task to mainstream any data, enabling the State to look at specific needs.  The Government would ensure the new body was sufficiently resourced to undertake its tasks.  It would examine Convention articles and look at how Palau could do better in this regard.

    There were currently gaps in the implementation of the family act, including a lack of training of law enforcement officials on the act itself.  The State would examine the gaps in the next six to 12 months. 

    Palau had a gender office within the Ministry of State.  Many programmes required the representation of women and the parents of children with disabilities.  Aside from the Ministries and civil society organizations for women and children with disabilities, a lot of data was non-existent outside of those agencies. Palau had made efforts to reorganise ministries to ensure the family protection act was housed in the department of health and public services.  Data collection methods and tools would be streamlined to ensure a more comprehensive data set, used to assist women and girls with disabilities. 

    There was currently no strategy for awareness raising.  The State had an upcoming project which would train Government stakeholders on disabilities and persons with disabilities.  There was a need for a legislative review in this regard. 

    Persons with disabilities in Palau accounted for between three to four per cent of the population, meaning it was easy for the general public to ignore, such as in the case of disability parking spots.  The Government needed to change the culture and attitude, including towards the overall concept of disability.  The newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities would ensure that every programme planned would welcome the input of women and children with disabilities. 

    There were many gaps in data collection in Palau with regards to persons with disabilities, and this varied between sectors.  The State was in the process of consolidating data sets, streamlining collection and ensuring information was credible, relevant and secure for sharing.  The work of the new established committee would supplement and enhance this work. 

    Regarding the newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities, the members included several Ministers, including the Minister of Justice, Finance and Health.  There would also be representatives from an organization representing persons with disabilities, governors, and a religious and state-based organization.  The Committee was the first time that Palau was forced by law to have representation. The work of the Committee would also reach policy makers directly, which often did not happen.  It held the State accountable to ensure specific resources would be directly available to the Committee.  Currently, only one organization of persons with disabilities was represented on the Committee, as well as a civil society organization. The Committee and the policy were under a strict timeline to be developed by the end of June. 

    Persons with disabilities had been represented in different committees, subcommittees and bodies.  Palau worked collaboratively with the Government of Australia and representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities were consulted in the process across certain projects. 

    Funding constraints were the number one barrier to establishing a national human rights institution in Palau. The State understood the value and purpose, but funding was the constraining factor.  Palau recognised the need for a robust data system, which could be used as a tool to guide policy development.  Palau would rely on the newly established Coordinating Committee on Persons with Disabilities to monitor all aspects of the implementation of the Convention. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert congratulated Palau for its commitment to the area of accessibility and desire to create a more inclusive society.  However, concerns persisted, including the lack of accessible public transport. What measures had been taken to ensure free access to information for different types of disability?

    Another Expert asked how many girls and women with disabilities had been provided with training on small and medium sized enterprises.  The Committee was delighted to hear that the State was analysing the many limitations faced by women with disabilities, particularly those facing violence.  The Committee would like to ensure that the State was addressing the correct data in this regard.

    An Expert asked what steps were being taken to facilitate the access of persons with disabilities to technologies? What steps were being taken to facilitate the transportation and movement of persons with disabilities? How could organizations representing children with disabilities be supported? 

    Another Committee Expert asked if accessibility requirements were included throughout the purchase of public infrastructure?  It was very good that there was good access to the internet for persons with disabilities. Were accessibility standards being taken into account when web content was created?

    An Expert asked about the political environment when discussing issues related to persons with disabilities? Was the Congress willing to make important changes in legislation and approve specific legislation to incorporate Convention principles?  How could the international community support Palau to bring about these changes sooner rather than later?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said unfortunately, public transport in general was underdeveloped in Palau, and had only begun around two years ago, with a small number of buses with a limited route. Unfortunately, the buses being used were currently not accessible to persons with disabilities, and it was up to the families to take care of the transport of their family members and children with special needs.  The State had purchased vehicles, including a van that was disability equipped, which currently was only available by request.  Being an island, it was also important for the State to purchase boats which were disability accessible.  Palau’s citizens had access to relatively cheap internet, but the issue was devices.  The State had not taken further steps to identify specific technologies that persons with disabilities might need.  Therefore, those with visual impairments would have to source their digital devices out of Palau.  The State would look at the data and determine if this was something which required additional investment. 

    A majority of those who had received training were women, and some percentage would be women with disabilities. Data specific to violence against women and girls with disabilities needed to be disaggregated in the State’s data set. 

    The question was whether all public transport needed to be accessible, or due to numbers should it just be a specific programme with enough equipment catered to the needs of the population? There were one or two vans which could respond to requests currently.  Would this be enough, or would there be a growing need for accessibility vehicles?  Currently, more equipment was required.  It would make sense that all equipment should be accessible, but that had more costs. The State was looking at this with a phased approach.  For small countries like Palau, things were only addressed when there was a visible need, as opposed to putting in place standards to address things beforehand, and this applied to access to information. However, it did not take away from the need for the State to think holistically. 

    The political will to ratify the treaties was there, but there were challenges when it came to prioritising budget allocation.  The onus was on the delegation to return to Palau and continue raising awareness. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if the State party had reviewed national legislation related to the situation of risk and humanitarian emergency, including the national disaster risk framework, to include the safety and protection of persons with disabilities?  If not, what were the plans to review and amend the legislation?  Could information on mechanisms of early warning for persons with disabilities be provided?  How accessible were these systems to persons with diverse disabilities, including those who were blind and deaf?  Did the State party have existing mechanisms to ensure the participation of persons with disabilities in the planning, designing and implementation of activities relating to emergency situations?  What measures had the State party taken to ensure adequate budget allocation for this purpose? 

    Palau still promoted the guardianship regime, which meant a person’s legal capacity could be restricted, based on a court declaration.  Were there specific plans to end the guardianship regime, and implement supported decision-making for persons with disabilities?  Could data on the number of persons with disabilities under guardianship be provided?  How many people had repealed these decisions?

    GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, said information had been received about barriers in accessing justice for persons with disabilities, due to a lack of reasonable accommodation, particularly those with psychosocial disabilities.  What measures would be taken to review all legislation, including criminal laws, to ensure compliance with the Convention?  What measures were being taken to ensure age appropriate and gender sensitive accommodation in judicial and administrative proceedings for all persons with disabilities?  Was information provided in an accessible format, and how was the accessibility of court buildings ensured?  How was information communicated, for example through sign language? 

    Had regular monitoring been conducted to ensure persons with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities were not subjected to arbitrary or forced treatment, including confinement? What was the most recent monitoring result, and efforts taken to improve the situation?  Was there disaggregated data on persons with disabilities deprived of their liberty in Palau? 

    GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked about services provided by the Victims of Crime Office, reopened in 2022, including access to shelters? Was sign-language interpretation provided and reasonable accommodation ensured?  Was information about existing services disseminated to persons with disabilities through accessible formats?  Did the State party have any targeted measures to ensure all persons with disabilities, including women with disabilities, were free from all types of violation and exploitation?  Were there any specific targeted policies and strategies targeting women with disabilities? 

    Information had been received on the tragic case of a blind woman who was sterilised without consent, but with the consent of her family members.  What legislation was in place to protect persons with disabilities from being subjected to treatment without their free and informed consent, including forced sterilisation and abortion?  Did a monitoring mechanism exist in this regard?

    How many persons with disabilities had been placed in institutions, including mental health hospitals?  Were there any plans or strategies to promote the independence of persons with disabilities at the community level? What were the plans to implement the deinstitutionalisation plan, to ensure everyone was given the opportunity to live in the community?

    What measures were in place to ensure that persons with disabilities in Palau could access high-quality and affordable assistive devices?  Were these exempt from import taxes?  What measures were being taken to eliminate physical restraints in all settings, including prisons and institutions?  Did Palau have any plans to ratify the Convention against Torture?  Had any monitoring of cases of torture being undertaken?  Could information be provided about the State’s existing complaints mechanism? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said at this time, the Government had not currently conducted a review of the national disaster risk framework legislation.  However, there were regular reviews, post-disaster, to determine gaps in emergency preparedness and disaster reduction.  Based on existing legislation, there was no need to change too much.  Palau had the National Emergency Management Office, governed by the National Emergency Committee, comprised of all government agencies and civil society, including the Palau Red Cross.  All emergency preparedness and disaster response were coordinated through the Committee.  Once the President declared a national emergency, this gave the Government access to all resources and the authority to commandeer accommodation such as shelters for the response.  The Government would conduct a legislative review to see if there was anything missing in the law which should be amended in relation to persons with disabilities. 

    The State had working relationships with civil society, including the Red Cross, which was actively involved in drills and exercises in response to disasters.  Being a small community, Palau could identify people individually and had a database on people’s specific needs.  This knowledge was incorporated into exercises and drills. Community health workers assisted during disasters to ensure everyone had equal access to shelters. 

    A health care coalition, enacted through an executive order of the President, represented persons with disabilities and parents’ organizations, bringing them together to plan activities. A month was dedicated to preparedness awareness each year, during which simulation exercises were held, as they were last year.  At this point, Palau did not see the need to have too many members, including from the Government, in the National Emergency Committee during an emergency.  It was more important to capture feedback, participation and input from non-governmental organizations during the planning, training and exercises phases, to execute the best response. The delegation would investigate if there was a need to expand the Committee to include persons with disabilities.  At this point, the State prioritised local revenue for the response; there were no external funding sources. 

    The State party understood the guardianship act was not in line with the Convention.  However, efforts were being made to consult persons with disabilities before they were held in institutions.  The various ministries coordinated together to ensure the Convention was not being violated.  The guardianship act would be considered for the upcoming legislative review.  The delegation would also debrief on this upon their return.  At present, data on those under the guardianship law was not available.  This was noted as a priority task and this data would be collected in the future. 

    The full and systematic review of legislation to ensure compliance with the Convention was long overdue.  This would be conducted once the delegation returned to Palau.  It was expected the review would take 12 to 24 months; draft amendments would then be proposed for enactment. 

    The family protection act was a landmark milestone for Palau, allowing for a more uniform and standardised procedure for all people who experienced gender-based or domestic violence, while also allowing the State to assess the gaps in the process.  There were currently no courtrooms in Palau which were accessible.  This needed to be changed immediately and would be enacted when the delegation returned to Palau.  The recommendation would also focus on better equipping the courtrooms with audio visual aids.     

    In Palau, if persons with psychosocial conditions in prison were required to be confined, this would take place after an assessment with a psychiatrist, and they would be held outside of the general prison.  This would also be reviewed to ensure the protocols were being adhered to.  Every case received was monitored; however, monitoring ceased once the individual left the facility.  This was something that should be tracked and that was something the State planned to accomplish. 

    Palau maintained a strong belief in cultural values, which was a source of solutions and issues.  Often families were still expected to care for the elderly and family members with disabilities.  The line was often blurred on where the Government should step in. A transition centre had been built for those who did not have accommodation to return to.  It had taken years to build as many community members felt that under Palau culture, family members had the obligation to care for their family members. 

    The Victims of Crime Office provided services, including counselling and temporary housing for victims, in partnership with non-governmental organizations.  The State aimed to introduce training programmes with neighbouring jurisdictions, but this was dependent on costs.  In the few cases received where victims required sign-language communication, this had been done virtually with ad-hoc partners.  But there was a need to formalise a mechanism for whenever that was needed. 

    A member of the delegation said she had been a victim of exploitation, and this had been a call for the ministries to come together and strengthen the family protection act, and to take account for specific provisions for protecting women and girls with disabilities. This act would also be reviewed during the legislative review. 

    The number of cases of forced sterilisation was extremely low, but these situations did happen. There was no legislation which specifically addressed this.  The State was cautious to enact legislation which contradicted and caused tension between culture, and the more Western doctrine of rights and laws. Abortion was mostly illegal in Palau, unless the physician determined there was a threat to the life of the mother or the child.  Forced treatment and sterilisation was something consulted with the patient, their family and the healthcare provider.  It needed to be determined if legislation was really the avenue to address this, or if was more important to have more clarity on those blurred lines between cultural expectation and family consent and the healthcare needs of the patient.  This would be added to the list for the legislative review. 

    A project had been launched during the COVID-19 pandemic to assess certain households for accessibility, to be redesigned for independent living.  The findings of the project would be utilised this year to promote more independent living.  There was only one mental health facility in Palau, and confinement was only for mental health issues.  There had been no cases where persons with other types of disabilities had been confined or admitted without any mental health issues.  The plan would be rolled out nationwide and expanded in the future to ensure persons with disabilities could independently live in their own homes, rather than be confined to an institution. 

    At present, due to cost, Palau dealt with needs for assistive technologies on a case-by-case basis.  At present, there was no tax exemption for such equipment unless it was donated.  Maintenance and a lack of parts were an ongoing issue.  The newly created Office on Persons with Disabilities would undertake a review in this regard. 

    Palau did not have the need to develop specific measures for the protection of persons with disabilities from ill-treatment.  Palau’s culture did not require laws in this regard.  Tomorrow, the delegation of Palau would meet with relevant United Nations representatives to further discuss the process of the ratification of the Convention against Torture.  There was no active monitoring of case reviews, but the State party undertook case reviews to determine if there were instances of torture.  The State had a school health screening programme, where the provider looked for indications of ill-treatment, as well as the victims of crimes assistance programme.  Part of the awareness strategy included promoting reporting within the community, which was currently a challenge.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked if there were any plans to strengthen the mechanisms and legal safeguards for persons with disabilities, including those with psychosocial disabilities and migrants with disabilities, to ensure they were provided with reasonable accommodation under the 72-hour detention act?  What measures were taken to ensure stateless children, including those with disabilities, were granted citizenship?  Was there a plan to amend legislation to allow stateless individuals, including those raised in Palau, to apply for citizenship? 

    Another Expert welcomed the financial measures and information provided on the project which aimed to make homes for the elderly accessible.  What measures were being undertaken to improve the disability inclusiveness of mainstream services, such as retail, health, education and housing?   

    One Expert asked who had trained prison officers in appropriate care?  What evaluation had there been for this training?  Had the State party implemented the guidelines on deinstitutionalisation?

    A Committee Expert asked if there was any follow-up strategy in relation to article 19, enabling persons with disabilities to manage themselves? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the 72 hours was not always adhered to exactly, despite legislation, and was typically handled on a case-by-case basis.  This would be included in the legislative review to see if this timeline was still applicable. 

    A bill had been introduced in the National Congress to examine the possibility of issuing stateless persons with a national identification.  While this did not guarantee citizenship, it would enable them to have an identity and hopefully be expanded to include means to travel.  Migrants were afforded access to public services like citizens; it was a matter of different costs.  The population of Palau was 18,000, and therefore transport could be provided by the Government for those who requested it.  This allowed persons with disabilities to access mainstream services.  There were ongoing efforts to work with the national health insurance to see if beneficiary coverage could be expanded to include the cost of assistive technologies. 

    At present, there was no training for law enforcement in mental health first aid.  The Government was working to ensure the relevant training was provided. Currently, the Government would call in specialised professionals, including psychiatrists, but it was important to train first responders as they were typically the first to arrive on the scene.  Palau was so small they could assign a specific health care professional to assist persons with disabilities when they came in for medical services.  The transition centre was intended only to be a temporary situation, while the State looked at longer term solutions for independent living.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    CHRISTOPHER NWANORO, Committee Vice-Chairperson and Taskforce Member for Palau, said persons with disabilities in Palau faced major barriers in accessing information.  How was the Government ensuring that freedom of speech and access to information, including the mass media, was available to persons with disabilities in Palau?  What efforts was the Government making to enable deaf persons to access information in the State party?

    Persons with disabilities in Palau did not have equal access to education; what was the Government doing to provide an enabling environment for education for persons with disabilities, including for deaf and blind persons?  The Government should provide an enabling environment for everyone to enjoy education equally. 

    How accessible was the medical environment for persons with disabilities?  Could blind people communicate with medical staff via braille? How was it ensured that all persons with disabilities could enjoy medical facilities in the hospitals?

    What efforts was the Government of Palau making to ensure equal opportunities were provided when it came to employment for persons with disabilities?  For those working, what was being done to provide them with an enabling environment?  Were ramps and elevators available to allow them to navigate their workplaces?  What training was given to employers in this regard? 

    Palau’s law said persons with mental and intellectual disabilities were not allowed to participate in elections, including voting.  Was there any percentage within the law mandating persons with disabilities to be elected to government positions?  If persons with disabilities wanted to vote, how accessible was the environment?  Were there ramps and sign language?  What was the Government doing to ensure that persons with disabilities were given a fair chance to participate in politics? 

    What was Palau doing to ensure people with disabilities could access cultural life and leisure, including sports? Were people with disabilities in Palau participating in sports?  What efforts was the Government making to encourage their participation?

    GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, asked how information on medical records, such as from institutions and mental health systems, was protected? How would data protection for persons with disabilities be strengthened, particularly for those with psychosocial or intellectual disabilities?

    What specific initiatives were in place to strengthen awareness raising regarding persons with disabilities, particularly regarding the rights to family and parenthood?  How would it be ensured that persons with disabilities could start their own families or adopt children if they chose?

    GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if there were plans to undertake an analysis of rehabilitation services, and ensure they were in line with the Convention?  Were there plans to develop a comprehensive strategy and policy around assistive devices and technologies? 

    GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, said the majority of social protection actions in Palau happened at home.  What mechanisms were in place to support social protection and families and the disability-related expenses of individuals?  How would the Government address the lower level of disability pensions? What was being done to raise the disability pension?  Did persons with disabilities who worked in Palau still receive the disability allowance? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said sign language and audio-visual equipment in schools and classrooms were among the State’s weak points.  Palau did provide equal opportunities for persons with disabilities to express themselves through the media, but the lack of sign language was an issue.  Work was being done with the Ministry of Education to equip teachers and schools, and then this would be branched out to the media. There had been two cases in Palau where youth with disabilities had graduated from high school and college through vocational studies.  Palau’s Ministry of Education received some funding from the United States Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which was a starting point to train teachers. 

    At present, Palau did not have training for doctors and teachers, but this was something the State was working on. Most clinics in the hospitals were designed to be accessible, but the main challenge was sign language.  Women and children with disabilities had free access to information, and a healthcare provider was assigned to every person with disability who came in.  The State recognised there was more to be done and was working to enhance this area. 

    Legislation obligated the Government to ensure persons with disabilities had ramps in the places where they were hired and working.  This legislation just covered the public sector currently and was yet to cover the private sector, which was a shortfall.  There were around 33 persons with disabilities working in Palau’s Government, which was an impressive number considering the country’s population. Due to cultural beliefs in Palau, families of persons with disabilities sometimes did not encourage them to work due to fear of stigma and bullying, which was a challenge. 

    Palau election personnel were not equipped to provide braille. Currently, if a person with a disability wished to vote, an election official had to vote for them which meant the voting was no longer private; the State was working to address this.  Palau would work to change the law on voting for persons with intellectual disabilities, as this was an outdated law.  Nothing barred persons with disabilities for running for public office.  There were no quotas in place for persons with disabilities to run for office in Palau. There were no political parties in Palau, everyone ran individually.  No one was barred from running for Government.

    Discussions had been underway to join the Paralympics.  Palau would be hosting Pacific mini games, and there would be considerations for persons with disabilities to join such events.  Family members presented a challenge; they sometimes felt their family members with disabilities would be a source of shame to the family and prohibited them from participating publicly, particularly when it came to sports. The Government was working to help families feel confident in allowing their family members with disabilities to participate in the public view. 

    Patient records and confidential information was closely safeguarded in the Ministry of Health and in clinics. This applied to all patient records, including for persons with disabilities.  It was expected the medical privacy act would be enacted in one to two years. 

    Palau had an inclusive culture; there were no cultural barriers preventing persons with disabilities from getting married or raising children.  There were persons with disabilities in Palau who had birthed and raised children and enjoyed the fruits of a full family life, with community support. 

    There were efforts to create an appropriate list of assistive products from the World Health Organization list, to ensure they were appropriate for the Pacific region.  Rehabilitation was still regarded as a medical or clinical service, which was a challenge.  A rehabilitation department was now going out to the community to train caregivers and family members to assist those with specific needs. 

    Palau had the Severely Disabled Assistance Fund which had been increased in the past year, to ensure persons with disabilities could afford the cost of living.  There was a newly established child raising subsidy, provided to all Palau children under the age of 18.  The pension and social security amounts were always a hotly debated issue in Palau’s Congress.  The State would continue to push for an increase in funds for beneficiaries.  The Assistance Fund did not include deaf people, which was something which needed to be amended.  Palau was looking to increase the minimum wage this year, which would benefit persons with disabilities who were employed. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert asked how many persons with disabilities participated in tertiary education in Palau?  What kind of reasonable accommodations were provided to these students?  The Committee frowned upon the continued use of sheltered workshops to stimulate employment of persons with disabilities.  What was the extent of sheltered workshops in Palau and what was being done to remove them from the labour market?

    Another Expert asked about the Government actions to ensure access to education for persons with disabilities. How were these being implemented? Were there any incentives for persons with disabilities to run for public office?  The Expert congratulated Palau’s involvement in the Paralympics. It was hoped this would be the first of many. 

    An Expert asked if persons with disabilities were given the same wages as the rest of the population? 

    One Committee Expert asked what Palau was doing to raise awareness in the population, so no one was left behind or neglected?  What was being done to put an end to discrimination against persons with disabilities? 

    A Committee Expert asked if Palau had any experiences with accessible tourism, and if it was using this as a tool for economic growth?  Had Palau requested technical cooperation to increase the flow of tourists with disabilities?  Was Palau considering job creation and entrepreneurship for persons with disabilities? Had the State thought about establishing a national centre for arts and crafts which could showcase the products made by persons with disabilities? 

    GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, asked if people working in Palau still received the disability allowance? 

    GEREL DONDOVDORJ, Committee Expert and Coordinator of the Taskforce for Palau, asked if there were any plans to address policy areas regarding the right to vote for persons with intellectual disabilities? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said Palau only had one community college which provided a two-year associate degree.  However, persons with disabilities did attend college, including one individual who graduated from a mechanics course.  The college was not entirely equipped, but did make accommodation for the specific needs of students. 

    There were no agencies, companies or businesses which only employed persons with disabilities in Palau. Palau had a law which required all students to attend kindergarten to grade 12, including children with disabilities. Minimum wage laws in Palau applied to everyone, including persons with disabilities who received the same wage and tax refund benefits which applied to a certain band of salary earners. Overall, Palauan culture was very accepting.  Non-governmental organizations in Palau helped the Government to raise awareness in the community, ensuring inclusiveness in all events and policies. There was no specific budget for sports activities for persons with disabilities, but this was something the Government would look into.

    Palau was regarded as a good tourism destination.  However, it was expensive to get there, and there were rarely tourists who were persons with disabilities.  The Government aimed to ensure their own citizens with disabilities were taken care of before tourists.  There were workshops with local crafts and a giftshop, where persons with disabilities could sell their artwork.  There was also a national museum and it could be a good idea to hold a special exhibition there for persons with disabilities. 

    The Palau Severely Disabled Fund was for those who had no employment, and if they were gainfully employed, they lost this eligibility.  There were only two main non-governmental organizations in Palau working to represent persons with disabilities, but the population was small.  They were given the right to decide who they employed and who they allowed to represent them.  The Government did not want to overstep and dictate in this regard. 

    Closing Remarks

    JEFFREY ANTOL, Director, Bureau of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Ministry of State of Palau and head of the delegation, extended appreciation to the Committee and all those who had contributed to the dialogue.  Palau firmly believed that inclusion was not merely a policy goal, but a fundamental human right.  The enactment of the persons with disabilities act and the development of the national disability inclusive policy marked significant milestones in the journey towards full alignment with the Convention.  Palau was more convinced than ever of the urgent need to undertake legislative review and the importance of data and reporting, and would take steps to facilitate these actions.  The country remained steadfast in ensuring that no one was left behind.

    GERTRUDE OFORIWA FEFOAME, Committee Expert and Taskforce Member for Palau, thanked the members of the delegation of Palau for their presence and the open dialogue with the Committee.  The State was commended for its commitment in working towards the implementation of the Convention.  The Committee acknowledged with interest the establishment of the Committee of Persons with Disabilities and looked forward to its action as planned.  There was a need for the State to strengthen systems and ensure effective and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities. The absence of a national human rights institution was a concern; the Committee urged Palau to consider its establishment in line with the Paris Principles.  From the goodwill expressed by the delegation, it was expected that the State would proactively ensure the implementation of the Committee’s recommendations.

     

     

     

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CRPD25.007E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Prime Minister Carney to strengthen ties with France and the United Kingdom and reaffirm Canada’s sovereignty

    Source: Government of Canada – Prime Minister

    The Prime Minister and Canada’s new government are focused on what matters most right now: creating more higher-paying jobs, building new trade relationships with reliable partners, and making Canada more secure. 

    To that end, the Prime Minister announced today that he will travel to Paris, France, London, United Kingdom, and Iqaluit, Nunavut, from March 16 to 18, 2025, to strengthen two of our closest and longest-standing economic and security partnerships, and to reaffirm Canada’s Arctic security and sovereignty.

    In Paris, Prime Minister Carney will meet with the President of France, Emmanuel Macron. With the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement as the foundation, the leaders will focus on their shared commitment to build stronger economic, commercial, and defence ties. Prime Minister Carney will also emphasize Canada’s work to unleash the innovative and economic potential of artificial intelligence (AI) safely and responsibly. 

    In London, Prime Minister Carney will meet with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Sir Keir Starmer. Their discussions will focus on strengthening transatlantic security, growing the AI sector, and the strong commercial relationship between Canada and the United Kingdom. The prime ministers will explore ways to deepen bilateral trade through the Canada-United Kingdom Trade Continuity Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. Prime Minister Carney will also have an audience with His Majesty King Charles III.

    The Prime Minister will then travel to Iqaluit, Nunavut, on March 18 to reassert Canada’s sovereignty in the Arctic. He will meet with members of the Iqaluit Patrol of 1 Canadian Rangers Patrol Group – a group critical to Arctic stability and security. 

    Prime Minister Carney will also meet with the Premier of Nunavut, P.J. Akeeagok, to learn more about the evolving needs and priorities of Arctic and Northern communities. He will reaffirm the new government’s support for growing a stronger economy across the North, reinforcing its sovereignty and security, and emphasizing our continued commitment to advancing reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis throughout the country.

    Quote

    “Canada was built upon a union of peoples – Indigenous, French, and British. My visit to France and the United Kingdom will strengthen trade, commercial, and defence ties with two of our strongest and most reliable partners, and my visit to Nunavut will be an opportunity to bolster Canada’s Arctic sovereignty and security, and our plan to unlock the North’s full economic potential.”

    Quick Facts

    • This is Prime Minister Carney’s first trip abroad since becoming Prime Minister of Canada.
    • France and the United Kingdom are key allies for Canada on the international stage. They are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the G7, and the G20, as well as permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. France is a founding member of the European Union (EU) and a leading partner in La Francophonie. The United Kingdom is a key partner to Canada in the Commonwealth.
    • In 2024, France was Canada’s third-largest merchandise trading partner in the EU and its 11th-largest trading partner globally, with two-way merchandise trade totalling $14.2 billion.
    • The Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) was signed in 2016 and has been provisionally applied since 2017. Since then, bilateral merchandise trade between Canada and the EU has grown by more than 60 per cent.
    • Canada and the UK share a sovereign, His Majesty King Charles III, and are among the oldest parliamentary democracies in the world.
    • The United Kingdom was Canada’s third-largest single-country trading partner for goods and services in 2024, with trade valued at $61 billion. Around 3,500 Canadian companies, 93 per cent of which are small and medium-sized enterprises, export goods to the United Kingdom.
    • In July 2023, Canada and 10 other members of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) signed the United Kingdom Accession Protocol, welcoming the United Kingdom as the 12th member of the Agreement and the first successful accession candidate.
    • The Arctic region is central to Canada’s national identity, prosperity, and security. The Canadian Arctic covers 40 per cent of Canada’s territory and more than 70 per cent of its coastline. It is home to many Canadians, including Indigenous Peoples who have inhabited this land since time immemorial.

    Associated Links

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Craig Statement on Senate Continuing Resolution Vote, Opposing Harmful and Radical Funding Proposal

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02)

    EAGAN, MN – Today, U.S. Representative Angie Craig released the following statement ahead of the Senate vote on the continuing resolution to fund the government.  

    “Senate Democrats have a responsibility to stand up against their Republican colleagues and block this harmful and radical funding proposal that betrays our commitments to our communities. Instead of a short-term extension that would give Members a chance to continue to work on a bipartisan budget, the Republicans proposed a partisan six-month temporary funding bill that essentially shuts down those negotiations.  

    “The Republicans’ partisan continuing resolution cuts funding for our veterans and seniors and fails to fund community projects we already negotiated – including efforts to make health care affordable, modernize critical infrastructure and keep our communities safe. 

    “I will work with anyone to cut wasteful government spending and lower costs for everyday Minnesotans. And I also will stand up to anyone who tries to take money from the middle class – so they can line the pockets of billionaires and the special interests. 

    “This week, I voted against this bill in order to defend Minnesotans against reckless funding cuts that would jeopardize their access to the critical services, community projects and public safety initiatives they rely on. I seriously hope my colleagues in the Senate will do the same.  

    “We’ve got to reject this dangerous proposal and instead fight for a short-term funding bill so that we can finish our job and pass a real budget.”

    Earlier this week, Rep. Craig voted against the continuing resolution when it was brought to the House floor. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scanlon, Raskin, Jayapal Mobilize House Dems to Demand Answers in Trump Administration Attack on Free Speech

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon(PA-5)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, today joined Reps. Jamie Raskin (MD-08), Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee, and Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Immigration Integrity, Security, and Enforcement, in leading 103 Members of Congress in demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Department of State Secretary Marco Rubio regarding the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil and attempt to revoke his Green Card.

    Khalil is a lawful permanent resident of the United States. The administration does not allege that he has committed any crime nor that he has ever been charged with a crime. Instead, the administration has invoked an obscure clause in the Immigration and Nationality Act as justification for arresting and attempting to deport him. 

    “This maneuver evokes the Alien and Sedition Acts and McCarthyism. It is the playbook of authoritarians, not of elected officials in a democratic society who claim to be champions of free speech,” the members wrote. 

    The members continued, “The Constitution guarantees everyone in our country, including lawful permanent residents, the right to speak freely without fear of retribution from the government. (…) Weaponizing the immigration system to crush and chill protected free speech puts our nation on the side of authoritarian leaders like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping.”

    “While there may be disagreement with Mr. Khalil’s speech, it is his Constitutional right in our democracy to express his political views. That is why every American should be outraged by this brazen attempt to use the power of the United States government to silence and punish people who do not agree with the sitting President. President Trump has said Mr. Khalil’s arrest and attempted removal is the ‘first of many.’ Silencing dissent is the work of despots, not democracies,” the members concluded.

    U.S. District Judge Jesse Furman issued an order temporarily preventing the government from removing Mr. Khalil while the court considers the legality of the arrest and detention. 

    The Members are requesting a response from Noem and Rubio by March 27th, 2025.

    Find the full letter here. 

    Find the full list of the 103 Members of Congress who signed onto the letter here. 

    The letter was endorsed by 18 Million Rising; A New Policy; Action Corps; Adalah Justice Project; Alliance of Baptists; America’s Voice; American Civil Liberties Union; American Friends of Combatants for Peace; American Friends Service Committee; American Humanist Association; American Immigration Council; American Immigration Lawyers Association; American Muslims for Palestine (AMP); Americans for Justice in Palestine Action (AJP Action); Amnesty International USA; Arab American Institute (AAI); Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | AAJC; Asian and Pacific Islander American Vote (APIAVote); Bend the Arc: Jewish Action; CASA; Center for Constitutional Rights; Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law; Center for Jewish Nonviolence; Center for Victims of Torture; Christians for a Free Palestine; Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA); CODEPINK; Communities United for Status & Protection (CUSP); Comunidad Maya Pixan Ixim; Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR); DAWN; Defending Rights & Dissent; Detention Watch Network; Emgage Action; Franciscan Action Network ; Freedom Forward; Friends Committee on National Legislation; Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA); Hindus for Human Rights; Human Rights First; IfNotNow Movement; IMEU Policy Project; Immigrant Defense Project; Immigrant Justice Network ; Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC); Immigration Equality; Indivisible; International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN); International Refugee Assistance Project; J Street; Jewish Voice for Peace Action; Justice Democrats; MADRE; MoveOn; MPower Change Action Fund; Muslim Advocates; Muslim Legal Fund of America; Muslims for Just Futures; National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum; National Immigrant Justice Center; National Immigration Law Center; National Immigration Project; National Iranian American Council; NETWORK Lobby for Catholic Social Justice; New Israel Fund; New Jewish Narrative; Nonviolent Peaceforce; P Street; Partners for Progressive Israel; Pax Christi Young Adult Caucus; Peace Action; Prayers for Peace Alliance; Presente.org; Project South; Rabbis for Ceasefire; ReThinking Foreign Policy; Right to the City Alliance; Rising Majority; RootsAction.org; Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team; Southeast Asia Resource Action Center (SEARAC); Sunrise Movement; T’ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights; The Nexus Project; The Southern Poverty Law Center; Unitarian Universalist Association; United Church of Christ; United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR); United We Dream Network; US Campaign for Palestinian Rights Action; USAHello; Win Without War; Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation ; Arlington For Palestine; Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta; Asian Americans Advancing Justice | Chicago; Borderlands for Equity; CAIR- Philadelphia; CAIR-WA; Dignidad/The Right to Immigration Institute; Elmahaba Center; Estrella del Paso; Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef); Jews For Racial & Economic Justice; Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition; Mennonite Action Philadelphia; Miami Valley Immigration Coalition; New York Immigration Coalition; North Carolina Muslim Bar Association; OneAmerica; Partnership for the Advancement of New Americans – PANA; Pax Christi New Jersey ; Peace Action Montgomery; Prayers for Peace Alliance; Saratoga Black Lives Matter; Showing Up For Racial Justice Bay Area; SURJ Northern Virginia; West Philadelphia Mennonite Fellowship; Wind of the Spirit Immigrant Resource Center; Woori Juntos.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Roy, McBath, Biggs, and Cohen Lead Bipartisan Effort to Simplify Federal Criminal Code

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Chip Roy (R-TX)

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Representatives Chip Roy (TX-21), Lucy McBath (GA-06), Andy Biggs (AZ-05), and Steve Cohen (TN-09) re-introduced the “Count the Crimes to Cut Act of 2025” that would require the Department of Justice and federal agency heads to compile a comprehensive report detailing all federal criminal statutes and regulations entailing criminal penalties.

    Congressman Roy, Chairman on the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government, said:“Freedom is just an illusion when the government buries its own citizens under ridiculous and never-ending criminal laws. Almost any adult in this country could be indicted for some kind of infraction at any given time, whether or not they were even aware they were in violation. This needs to change; getting a proper accounting is a necessary first step to fixing this problem and ensuring Americans are not in the crosshairs of overcriminalization.”

    Congresswoman McBath, Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, said:“My first priority in Congress has always been maintaining the safety and well-being of my constituents. With the Count the Crimes to Cut Act, Americans will no longer have to fear being excessively punished and criminal justice professionals can better protect the public. I’m proud to take up this bill, and I thank my colleagues for their collaboration as we seek to expand safety and justice for the American people.”

    Congressman Biggs, Chairman on the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance, said: “An estimated 4,000 federal criminal offenses is dwarfed by an estimated 300,000 federal regulatory offenses, but no government agency can even provide an official count. We have a duty to protect Americans’ right to liberty, and this begins with scaling down the massive overreach in federal criminal offenses.”

    Congressman Cohen, a senior member of the Judiciary Committee, said: “Apparently no one knows how many federal crimes there are. Our founders warned of laws being too ‘voluminous’ or ‘incoherent’ that they could not be understood. The Count the Crimes Act simply seeks to request that information from the Department of Justice as a starting point for future reform. I am pleased to work with Congressman Roy and others on both sides of the aisle to pass this necessary legislation.”

    The Count The Crimes to Cut Act of 2025 would:
    Require the Attorney General, in cooperation with the agency heads, to produce a full report of all federal criminal statutes and federal regulations with criminal penalties.  For each offense, the report is required to provide the following details:

    • The elements of each offense.
    • The potential penalties for each offense.
    • The number of prosecutions brought in the last 15 years for each offense.
    • The mens rea required for each offense.

    The legislation is endorsed by Families Against Mandatory Minimums, the Due Process Institute, the National District Attorneys Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the R Street Institute, and Right on Crime. 

    Read the full legislation here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Winchester to consider next step for Local Government Reorganisation

    Source: City of Winchester

    The interim proposal which has been developed by the 15 councils in Hampshire and the Solent region outlines guiding principles that should be followed when developing plans for local government reorganisation across the Hampshire and Solent area of councils. It outlines how the councils are working together and seeks clarity and assurance from government on five specific challenges.

    The interim proposal does not contain proposals for what the new unitary councils will look like or what geography they will cover at this stage. However, it does state that analysis will consider existing economic geographies, principally those around Basingstoke, Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth. Further detailed work is needed before this can happen and importantly, the opportunity for the public to have their say before final plans are submitted. 

    As well as the interim report to government, the report also sets out the council’s commitment to its council plan and ensuring staff, policies, services and assets that would be transferred are in the best possible position for integration to a new authority. Alongside the priorities in the Council Plan, key highlights include delivering Central Winchester Regeneration, adopting the Local Plan, ensuring council homes are well managed and securing Winchester City status alongside protecting the historic position of the Mayor of Winchester. 

    Leader of the Council, Cllr Martin Tod says: 

    ‘It’s a real strength that we have got all 15 councils working together across Hampshire and the Solent and have come to a common set of principles to work against. 

    Agreeing these principles early puts the focus on the needs of our local communities and recognises the importance of using a sense of place and identity to set boundaries. Importantly for us, they recognise the importance of Winchester and its economic geography.

    But this is going to be a hugely challenging project.  We have highlighted five barriers that we need absolute clarity and assurance from government on if reorganisation across Hampshire and the Solent is to succeed.’   

    From my perspective, the first thing we need clarity on is the Isle of Wight.  Can they be a council on their own?  Local council leaders all agree on this. It’s an island.  It makes no sense for them to be in a council with someone else.  If the Government can’t reassure us on that, the next stage of the process becomes almost impossible.

    The second problem is the money.  Hampshire is broke.  Reorganising councils won’t stop them being broke.  And there’s no point in creating new unitary councils if they immediately go bust.  

    The third problem is pressure on services.  The rapid increase in adults needing care, children needing special educational support and the travel to get to it, and people becoming homeless and needing somewhere to live means councils’ costs are going up much faster than the money coming in. We need an answer from the Government on that too.   

    The fourth problem is the size of councils and whether we have to use boundaries of the districts created in 1974.  Some of these are out of date and don’t reflect where and how people live now – and the communities they identify with. We need to know whether and how we can change them.

    And finally, there’s timing.  We did this initial work in a month.  We need the time to properly design new services and consult those local communities that will be most affected.  Not loads of time! But even moving from September to November will help.

    The City Council will be deciding next week whether this direction of travel makes sense. And whether the work we’re doing as a council makes sense. If we have assurances from the Government on the five challenges, and we can keep working together productively as 15 councils, I believe we can find a way to better, stronger plans that will better service people in Hampshire and the Solent – and here in the Winchester District.’

    The paper will be debated at full council on 19 March, before being referred to Cabinet for a decision on 20 March 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s joint press encounter with H.E. Mr. Md. Towhid Hossain, Foreign Adviser of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Good morning. 

    I want to thank Chief Adviser Yunus, Foreign Adviser Hossain, the interim government and the people of Bangladesh for your warm welcome. 

    And I want to send my heartfelt greetings to Muslims across Bangladesh and around the world observing the Holy Month of Ramadan.

    Ramadan is a time of reflection, spiritual renewal, and unity.

    Every year, I undertake a solidarity visit and spend time with Muslim communities living in difficult circumstances, to observe the fast with them, and to help shine a global spotlight on their plight. 

    This year, I decided to come to Bangladesh to express my solidarity with Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi people that host them.

    Fasting and having an Iftar together with the Bangladesh communities and Rohingya communities are the proof of my deep respect for the religion and the culture they represent.

    And I had an extremely moving visit to Cox’s Bazar yesterday.

    Ramadan reminds us of the universal values that connect humanity: compassion, empathy, and generosity.

    Bangladesh is a living symbol of these values through your commitment to peace, development, and humanitarian relief.

    Bangladesh is among the largest contributors to United Nations peacekeeping.

    I want to pay tribute to the sacrifices and dedication of Bangladeshi peacekeepers, who serve in some of the most difficult and dangerous environments in the world.

    I am particularly pleased to be in Bangladesh at this important moment in your national journey.

    As the country undergoes a significant transition under the leadership of Chief Adviser Yunus, I recognize the people’s hopes for a future of greater democracy, justice, and prosperity.

    This is a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, and the international community must play its part in supporting your efforts towards a just, inclusive, and prosperous future.

    As the country undergoes important reforms and transitions, I want to assure you that the UN stands ready to assist in fostering peace, national dialogue, trust and healing.

    You can count on the UN to be your steadfast partner, working alongside the Government and the people of Bangladesh to help build a sustainable and equitable future for all.

    Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

    I want to underscore Bangladesh’s extraordinary generosity in responding to the Rohingya crisis.

    It is a testament to your enduring humanitarian spirit.

    For years, the people of this nation, especially the communities in Cox’s Bazar, have hosted over a million refugees fleeing violence and persecution.

    By offering Rohingya refugees sanctuary, Bangladesh has demonstrated solidarity and human dignity, often at significant social, environmental and economic cost.

    The world must not take this generosity for granted.

    I will continue to urge the international community to take greater responsibility and provide the necessary financial and political support for both the refugees and their host communities.

    But as I mentioned yesterday in Cox’s Bazaar, we are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis.

    With the announced cuts in financial assistance, we are facing the dramatic risk of having only 40 per cent in 2025 of the resources available for humanitarian aid in 2024. This would have terrible consequences, starting with the drastic reduction of food rations.

    That would be an unmitigated disaster. People would suffer and people would die.

    I strongly appeal to the international community to allow us to avoid this tragedy.

    More funding is absolutely essential to guarantee the minimum support to the Rohingya population in Bangladesh.

    The United Nations is fully committed to working with Bangladesh and others in finding a lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis that enables their safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return to Myanmar as all the Rohingyas I met yesterday expressed to me.

    I know that planning is also underway by UN Member States for a High-Level Conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. 

    We know the situation there continues to deteriorate. The escalation of violence and human rights violations across Myanmar, including in Rakhine State, are causing civilian casualties and driving displacement internally and across borders. 

    I call on all parties in Myanmar to exercise maximum restraint, prioritize the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and prevent further incitement of communal tension and violence – paving the way for democracy to take root and creation of conditions for the dignified return of the Rohingya community.

    Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

    As we come together in this sacred month of Ramadan, it is more important than ever to focus on solidarity and shared humanity.
     
    In this spirit, we will continue standing with the people of Bangladesh as you navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.

    Once again, I am deeply honoured to share this moment with you.

    May this Ramadan bring peace, blessings, and renewed hope to all.

    And I thank you. 

    ***

    Question: My question is for you Excellency, the UN Secretary-General. As you mentioned, there is an escalation of violence in Myanmar, particularly in Rakhine, and our Foreign Advisor also have mentioned […] But my question is that how do you address a famine-like situation in Rakhine. Do you think this instability in Rakhine, by any way, will affect respectful, peaceful and dignified repatriation of Rohingyas?  What is your take on the issue?

    Secretary-General: The present situation is a situation in which there is heavy fighting between the Myanmar army and the Arakan army, and obviously in these circumstances it would be extremely difficult to have an immediate, dignified return of the Rohingya refugees.  It is absolutely essential to mobilize the whole international community, all the neighbours of Bangladesh, all the neighbours of Myanmar, to put pressure to make things move in relation to the need to find a solution, starting by ceasing the violence and at the same time, creating the mechanisms of dialogue leading to a true democratic solution in Myanmar that would naturally facilitate the return of the Rohingya refugees. At the same time, we need to intensify the humanitarian aid inside Myanmar to create the conditions for that return to be successful. And that is the reason why one of the discussions we had was about the possibility, if the circumstances allow, to have also humanitarian aid channeled from Bangladesh. But that is, obviously, a matter that would require the authorization and the cooperation of the parties to the conflict.

    Question: I’m from the Financial Express. My question is that the UN envoys who visited Dhaka recently, they told us that they’re in touch with all the stakeholders of the crisis. I mean including the Arakan army. So, do you think that the Arakan army is more favourable in resolving the Rohingya crisis repatriation? And my second question is, when you talk about the international pressure on Myanmar, do you suggest more vigorous sanctions like the Europeans do against Russia or elsewhere, against Myanmar? Thank you.

    Secretary-General: First of all, the Arakan army is an entity with which, I believe, a necessary dialogue must take place. We know that in the past, the relations between the Rakhine and the Rohingya communities were not easy, and so, I think it’s important to engage the Arakan army in order for the full respect of the rights of the Rohingya population in Rakhine. In relation to, the second question was?

    Question: On sanctions against Myanmar.

    Secretary-General: I believe that sanctions are one possible instrument. Of course we would need, and it is difficult to obtain, a Security Council approval for sanctions in relation to Myanmar, but those sanctions not being possible, I think it’s essential to increase the pressure of all the neighbours in relation to Myanmar, in order to guarantee that the fighting ends and that a way towards democracy is finally established.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘Time for bold moves’: UN urges inclusive transition as Syria marks 14 years of conflict

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    Marking 14 years since the start of the Syrian conflict, top UN officials raised alarm over renewed violence and growing instability, warning that without urgent action, Syria’s fragile transition could be at risk.

    UN Special Envoy for Syria, Geir Pedersen called for an immediate end to hostilities and urged all parties to protect civilians in accordance with international law.

    “What began as a plea for reform was met with staggering brutality, leading to one of the most harrowing conflicts of our time,” he said in a statement on Friday, recalling the peaceful pro-democracy protests that started on 15 March 2011 and were met with brutal repression.

    “Families continue to mourn the loss of loved ones, communities remain fractured, millions remain uprooted from their homes, and far too many persist in their search for the missing. The pain and sacrifices of the Syrian people must never be forgotten.”

    Brutal conflict

    In the initial months of the crisis, as many as 2,000 civilians were killed, with thousands more suffering enforced disappearances, torture, deprivation of liberty and persecution. Navi Pillay, the then UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, described the pattern of violations as “widespread and systematic” against the civilian population, “which may amount to crimes against humanity.”

    Since 2011, Syria spiraled into a brutal conflict, with civilians subjected to medieval sieges,  chemical weapon attacks and barrel bombs.

    Over the years, hundreds of thousands of civilians were killed and more than 12 million forced to flee their homes, including over six million who fled as refugees to neighbouring countries.

    Syria at crossroads

    The Assad regime fell in December 2024, but Syria remains at a crossroads, with fighting erupting between Syrian Caretaker Authority forces and soldiers loyal to the former regime, and a pressing humanitarian crisis.

    “More than three months since the fall of the Assad regime, Syria now stands at a pivotal moment,” Mr. Pedersen said.

    “Syrians have experienced emotions of great hopes in these times – but also of deep fears,” he added, expressing deep concern over violence against civilians.

    The Special Envoy emphasised that building trust is essential to a successful transition, warning that “a climate of distrust and fear could endanger the entire process.”

    Time for bold moves

    Mr. Pedersen called for inclusive governance, citing the National Dialogue as a foundation and urging concrete follow-up actions. He also took note of the caretaker authorities’ newly issued Constitutional Declaration, expressing hope that it would lay the groundwork for restoring the rule of law and ensuring a stable transition.

    “Now is the time for bold moves to create a genuinely credible and inclusive transitional government and legislative body, a constitutional framework and process to draft a new constitution for the long term that is credible and inclusive, and genuine transitional justice,” he said.

    He reiterated the need for full political inclusion of Syrian women in shaping the country’s future.

    “The United Nations stands ready to support this process in line with Security Council resolution 2254,” Mr. Pedersen said.

    UN Photo/Manuel Elías

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres. (file)

    Standing with the people: UN chief

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres also underscored the urgent need for “bold and decisive measures” to ensure safety, dignity and inclusion for all Syrians.

    “Since 8 December [2024], there is renewed hope that Syrians can chart a different course and the chance to rebuild, reconcile, and create a nation where all can live peacefully and in dignity,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

    “Now is the time for action. Bold and decisive measures are urgently needed to ensure that every Syrian – regardless of ethnicity, religion, political affiliation, or gender – can live in safety, dignity, and without fear.”

    He reiterated UN’s commitment to supporting an inclusive political transition that ensures accountability, fosters national healing, and lays the foundation for Syria’s long-term recovery and reintegration into the international community.

    “We stand with the Syrian people towards the promise of a better Syria – for all Syrians. Together, we must ensure that Syria emerges from the shadows of war into a future defined by dignity and the rule of law – where all voices are heard, and no community is left behind,” Mr. Guterres said.

    Protect all civilians: Security Council

    Also on Friday, the UN Security Council called for the implementation of an inclusive, Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, facilitated by the United Nations and based on the key principles listed in resolution 2254 (2015).

    “This includes safeguarding the rights of all Syrians, regardless of ethnicity and religion. This political process should meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrians, protect all of them and enable them to peacefully, independently and democratically determine their futures,” read a statement by the President of the Security Council.

    The Council also condemned the widespread violence in Latakia and Tartus provinces since 6 March, including mass killings of civilians among the Alawite community, underlining the urgency of inclusive, transparent justice and reconciliation in Syria.

    Presidential statements are issued by the President of the Security Council on behalf of its members. The statements are adopted at a formal meeting and issued as an official document of the UN’s primary body on international peace and security.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM statement at press conference on the Coalition of the Willing: 15 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    PM statement at press conference on the Coalition of the Willing: 15 March 2025

    The Prime Minister’s statement at a press conference on the Coalition of the Willing.

    Good afternoon.

    This morning I convened the largest, strongest group of countries yet behind a just and lasting peace in Ukraine. 

    Now a huge amount has happened since I brought leaders together at Lancaster House here in London, just two weeks ago. 

    President Zelenskyy has shown once again, and beyond any doubt, that Ukraine is the party of peace.

    Volodymyr has committed to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.

    But Putin is trying to delay – saying there must be a painstaking study before a ceasefire can take place. 

    Well, the world needs action. Not a study, not empty words and conditions.

    So my message is very clear.

    Sooner or later, Putin will have to come to the table. 

    So, this is the moment, let the guns fall silent, let the barbaric attacks on Ukraine, once and for all, stop and agree to a ceasefire now.

    And let’s be clear why this is so important – Russia’s appetite for conflict and chaos undermines our security back here at home.

    It drives up the cost of living. It drives up energy costs.

    So this matters deeply to the United Kingdom. 

    That is why now is the time to engage in discussions on a mechanism to manage and monitor a full ceasefire and agree to serious negotiations towards not just a pause but a lasting peace, backed by strong security arrangements through our Coalition of the Willing.  

    And we won’t sit back and wait for Putin to act. 

    Instead we will keep pushing forward. 

    So the group I convened today is more important than ever.

    It brings together partners from across Europe as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with backing from others too – including Japan. 

    We agreed we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia, keep the military aid flowing to Ukraine and keep tightening the restrictions on Russia’s economy to weaken Putin’s war machine and bring him to the table. 

    And we agreed to accelerate our practical work to support a potential deal. 

    So we will now move into an operational phase.

    Our militaries will meet on Thursday this week here in the UK to put strong and robust plans in place to swing in behind a peace deal and guarantee Ukraine’s future security.

    President Trump has offered Putin the way forward to a lasting peace.

    Now we must make this a reality.

    So this is the moment to keep driving towards the outcome we want to see, to end the killing. 

    A just and lasting peace in Ukraine and lasting security for all of us. 

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Video: 3 Barriers for Women in Business & How Peace Talks Work | WEF | Top Stories Week

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    This week’s top stories of the week include:

    0:15 Factory helps staff develop digital skills – Chicago’s Kilbourn facility is the largest Unilever condiments factory in the world and today, more than 200 people operate the lines 6 days a week. But 3 years ago, Kilbourn had reached a crisis point. To fix it, Kilbourn worked alongside its labour union to help staff develop their digital skills.

    3:18 3 barriers for women in business – Cherie Blair, a lawyer and advocate for women entrepreneurs, highlights three major obstacles women face in business: gender stereotyping, access to finance, and unpaid care duties.

    7:30 Work-life balance a top priority – A job that fits their lives is now the top motivator for employees worldwide. In Randstad’s Workmonitor annual survey of more than 26,000 global workers, work-life balance outranks pay for the first time in 22 years.

    9:11 Expert explains how peace talks work – Comfort Ero is head of the think tank International Crisis Group. The organization is working on more than 70 current and potential conflicts worldwide, promoting peace through research, dialogue and policy advice.
    _____________________________________________

    The World Economic Forum is the International Organization for Public-Private Cooperation. The Forum engages the foremost political, business, cultural and other leaders of society to shape global, regional and industry agendas. We believe that progress happens by bringing together people from all walks of life who have the drive and the influence to make positive change.

    World Economic Forum Website ► http://www.weforum.org/
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/worldeconomicforum/
    YouTube ► https://www.youtube.com/wef
    Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/worldeconomicforum/ 
    Twitter ► https://twitter.com/wef
    LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/world-economic-forum
    TikTok ► https://www.tiktok.com/@worldeconomicforum
    Flipboard ► https://flipboard.com/@WEF

    #WorldEconomicForum

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jU6Ia7gVyG4

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dan McGarry: Marc Neil-Jones is dead. His legacy lives on.

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    In Bislama, they say, “Wan nambanga i foldaon“.

    A great tree has fallen.

    The nambanga, or banyan tree, is the centrepiece of many a Vanuatu village. Its massive network of boughs provides shade, shelter and strength. I’ve only ever seen one knocked down, and that was in the wake of category 5 cyclone Pam in 2015, whose 250 kph winds had never been seen before or since in Vanuatu.

    The blow on hearing of Marc’s passing this week feels the same.

    In fairness, Marc Neil-Jones was often more like the wind than the tree. He’s knocked a lot of stuff over since he arrived in Vanuatu in 1989 with a few thousand bucks in his pocket, a Mac and a laser printer.

    He also built the nation’s newspaper of record, and a tradition of fairness and truth in the media.

    One of my first tasks as Marc’s successor as editor-in-chief at the Vanuatu Daily Post was overseeing coverage of the 2015 bribery trial that saw more than half of the MPs in Sato Kilman’s government convicted and sentenced. The saga had started with a front page photo, showing a hand-high stack of money — a bribe offered to an MP in exchange for his vote to oust the current PM and install Moana Carcasses.

    On the witness stand, former Speaker Philip Boedoro was asked, “Why did you send the photo to the Daily Post? Why didn’t you just report it to the police?”

    “Because I knew if people saw it in the Daily Post, they would know it was true,” he replied.

    That’s a hell of a thing to say on the stand, and the fact that he could say it is indelible evidence of Neil-Jones’ legacy.

    Marc was fearless, a swashbuckler in the truest sense. If he smelt a story, he’d swoop in on it, and the devil take the hindmost. His friends are fond of recalling how he broke up an international drug smuggling operation, exposing more than 500 kg of heroin buried in a local beach, and still made it to the kava bar on time.

    Marc’s impact on the political scene was undeniable. But far too often, he paid for his courage with blood. He’s been assaulted with fists and furniture, attacked incessantly in the courts and even briefly deported.

    In 2011, he was brutally assaulted by then-Minister Harry Iauko and a truckload of henchmen, including current MP Jay Ngwele. I went to check on Marc two days later. He related how it had all played out with trademark bravado, then he chuckled as he turned to go, and said, ‘I’m getting too old for this.’

    He tried to laugh it off, but I could see in his eyes that this time was different. Eyewitnesses told me they felt that if Ngwele hadn’t convinced Iauko to relent, he might have killed him then and there.

    Trauma, age and hard living took their toll. In 2015, he announced he was going to retire from the newsroom. Marc had struggled to cope with type 1 diabetes throughout his life, and the daily stress of running the paper was affecting both body and mind.

    Marc Neil-Jones and Dan McGarry in Port Vila’s Secret Garden in 2016. Image: Del Abcede/Asia Pacific Report

    I took over the newsroom in interesting times. The pressure was intense and immediate, but Marc’s staff were more than equal to the challenge, and made my life far easier than it might have been. Due to the paper’s reputation as a bastion of fairness and honest reporting, it attracted the best that Vanuatu had to offer.

    When I joined it, there was well over a century and a half of experience in the room.

    Personally and professionally, Marc was not the easiest person to deal with. He was driven by passion, and impulse often preceded insight. More than one editorial meeting ended in fury.

    A close friend of his described him as “a unique combination of complete arsehole and loyal mate all wrapped up in a British accent and long hair”.

    That was Marc. He made you love him or hate him. Those who knew him best did both, and measure for measure, matched his fierce devotion.

    I choose to remember Marc as a giant. His shadow still looms across the Pacific, causing corrupt politicians to cast a nervous glance over their shoulder, emboldening those of us who still carry his passion for the truth.

    But today, his loss feels like a gaping hole, an absence where once a mighty nambanga stood.

    Republished from Dan McGarry’s Village Explainer with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chair’s Statement: Leaders call on Ukraine, 15 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Chair’s Statement: Leaders call on Ukraine, 15 March 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s statement as Chair for the Leaders call on Ukraine in London on 15 March 2025.

    Today, I hosted a call with counterparts from across Europe, as well as the NATO Secretary General and the leaders of the EU Commission, EU Council, Canada, Australia and New Zealand to discuss our support for Ukraine.

    We underlined our unwavering commitment to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Ukraine, both now and long into the future.

    We welcomed the efforts of President Trump, President Zelenskyy and their negotiating teams to secure the remarkable breakthrough on the peace agreement in Jeddah this week, and President Zelenskyy’s commitment to the US proposal for an immediate and unconditional 30-day ceasefire, subject to agreement by Russia. 

    We agreed that now the ball was in Russia’s court, and President Putin must prove he is serious about peace and sign up to a ceasefire on equal terms. The Kremlin’s dithering and delay over President Trump’s ceasefire proposal, and Russia’s continued barbaric attacks on Ukraine, run entirely counter to President Putin’s stated desire for peace. 

    We reaffirmed our commitment to Ukraine’s long-term security, and agreed that Ukraine must be able to defend itself and deter future Russian aggression.

    Robust and credible security arrangements are the best way to ensure that any deal ends in a lasting peace. We agreed military planners would convene again in the UK this week to progress practical plans for how our militaries can support Ukraine’s future security. We will build up Ukraine’s own defences and armed forces, and be ready to deploy as a ‘Coalition of the Willing’ in the event of a peace deal, to help secure Ukraine on the land, at sea, and in the sky. 

    In the event of a ceasefire, we emphasised the need for strong monitoring arrangements, to ensure that any violations of a deal are identified and called out.  

    We agreed that in the case that President Putin refused to agree to an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, we would need to increase our efforts to strengthen Ukraine, weaken Russia’s war machine, and ratchet up pressure on President Putin to convince him to come to the negotiating table. To deliver this, we will accelerate our military support, tighten our sanctions on Russia’s revenues, and continue to explore all lawful routes to ensure that Russia pays for the damage it has done to Ukraine.

    We agreed to continue these discussions as a group in the coming days to ensure a just and lasting peace in Ukraine.

    Updates to this page

    Published 15 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s joint press encounter with Foreign Adviser of Bangladesh

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    [Opening remarks below; full transcript to follow shortly]

    Good morning. 

    I want to thank Chief Adviser Yunus, Foreign Adviser Hossain, the interim government and the people of Bangladesh for your warm welcome. 

    And I want to send my heartfelt greetings to Muslims across Bangladesh and around the world observing the Holy Month of Ramadan.

    Ramadan is a time of reflection, spiritual renewal, and unity.

    Every year, I undertake a solidarity visit and spend time with Muslim communities living in difficult circumstances, to observe the fast with them, and to help shine a global spotlight on their plight. 

    This year, I decided to come to Bangladesh to express my solidarity with Rohingya refugees and the Bangladeshi people that host them.

    Fasting and having an Iftar together with the Bangladesh communities and Rohingya communities are the proof of my deep respect for the religion and the culture they represent.

    And I had an extremely moving visit to Cox’s Bazar yesterday.

    Ramadan reminds us of the universal values that connect humanity: compassion, empathy, and generosity.

    Bangladesh is a living symbol of these values through your commitment to peace, development, and humanitarian relief.

    Bangladesh is among the largest contributors to United Nations peacekeeping.

    I want to pay tribute to the sacrifices and dedication of Bangladeshi peacekeepers, who serve in some of the most difficult and dangerous environments in the world.

    I am particularly pleased to be in Bangladesh at this important moment in your national journey.

    As the country undergoes a significant transition under the leadership of Chief Adviser Yunus, I recognize the people’s hopes for a future of greater democracy, justice, and prosperity.

    This is a pivotal moment for Bangladesh, and the international community must play its part in supporting your efforts towards a just, inclusive, and prosperous future.

    As the country undergoes important reforms and transitions, I want to assure you that the UN stands ready to assist in fostering peace, national dialogue, trust and healing.

    You can count on the UN to be your steadfast partner, working alongside the Government and the people of Bangladesh to help build a sustainable and equitable future for all.

    Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

    I want to underscore Bangladesh’s extraordinary generosity in responding to the Rohingya crisis.

    It is a testament to your enduring humanitarian spirit.

    For years, the people of this nation, especially the communities in Cox’s Bazar, have hosted over a million refugees fleeing violence and persecution.

    By offering Rohingya refugees sanctuary, Bangladesh has demonstrated solidarity and human dignity, often at significant social, environmental and economic cost.

    The world must not take this generosity for granted.

    I will continue to urge the international community to take greater responsibility and provide the necessary financial and political support for both the refugees and their host communities.

    But as I mentioned yesterday in Cox’s Bazaar, we are on the verge of a deep humanitarian crisis.

    With the announced cuts in financial assistance, we are facing the dramatic risk of having only 40 per cent in 2025 of the resources available for humanitarian aid in 2024. This would have terrible consequences, starting with the drastic reduction of food rations.

    That would be an unmitigated disaster. People would suffer and people would die.

    I strongly appeal to the international community to allow us to avoid this tragedy.

    More funding is absolutely essential to guarantee the minimum support to the Rohingya population in Bangladesh.

    The United Nations is fully committed to working with Bangladesh and others in finding a lasting solution to the Rohingya crisis that enables their safe, voluntary, dignified, and sustainable return to Myanmar as all the Rohingyas I met yesterday expressed to me.

    I know that planning is also underway by UN Member States for a High-Level Conference on the situation of Rohingya Muslims and other minorities in Myanmar. 

    We know the situation there continues to deteriorate. The escalation of violence and human rights violations across Myanmar, including in Rakhine State, are causing civilian casualties and driving displacement internally and across borders. 

    I call on all parties in Myanmar to exercise maximum restraint, prioritize the protection of civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law, and prevent further incitement of communal tension and violence – paving the way for democracy to take root and creation of conditions for the dignified return of the Rohingya community.

    Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

    As we come together in this sacred month of Ramadan, it is more important than ever to focus on solidarity and shared humanity.
     
    In this spirit, we will continue standing with the people of Bangladesh as you navigate the challenges and opportunities ahead.

    Once again, I am deeply honoured to share this moment with you.

    May this Ramadan bring peace, blessings, and renewed hope to all.

    And I thank you. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –