NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Arrest of Boualem Sansal and the need to protect fundamental values in the EU-Algeria partnership – E-002821/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    Respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including freedom of expression, constitutes a key element of EU-Algeria relations, as enshrined in the Association Agreement[1] and reinforced in the Partnership Priorities[2].

    On this basis, the EU continues to follow developments and raise concerns on human rights issues with its Algerian counterparts, in line with commitments from both sides.

    In particular, the EU addresses human rights in the framework of the EU-Algeria Association Agreement, notably in the Political, Security and Human Rights Dialogue Sub-Committee, and through regular contacts with government officials at all levels, as well as with civil society representatives in Algiers and Brussels.

    These discussions include the case of the author Boualem Sansal that the EU continues to follow closely in full coordination with the French authorities as stated by the Commission on 27 November 2024 at the European Parliament[3].

    • [1] https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/ALL/?uri=CELEX%3A22005A1010%2801%29
    • [2] https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2017/03/13/eu-algeria/
    • [3] https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CRE-10-2024-11-27-ITM-016_EN.html
    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The detention of Temirlan Sultanbekov – E-002671/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU monitors the human rights situation in the Kyrgyz Republic very closely. The EU Delegation in Bishkek is in close contact with local civil society, human rights defenders and independent media, and regularly attends trials of journalists, human rights defenders and non-governmental organisations and cases where human rights are suspected of having been violated.

    Individual human rights cases and general concerns in relation to human rights are raised during meetings with the Kyrgyz authorities at every level, and most recently at the 14th Human Rights Dialogue held on 21 November 2024 in Bishkek.

    Throughout 2024, the High Representative/Vice-President issued statements on developments of concern, including on 2 April 2024 on the adoption of the ‘Foreign Representatives’ law[1].

    The case of Temirlan Sultanbekov has been raised by the EU Delegation with the Office of the General Prosecutor, and the authorities have been urged to ensure Mr Sultanbekov’s right to access to justice and to medical care.

    In early 2024, the EU Delegation — in response to shrinking space for civil society — published a call for proposals[2] specifically aimed at supporting civil society. Additionally, in 2024, the EU adopted a EUR 5 million programme in support of civil society organisations operating in the area of human rights, gender equality and youth empowerment.

    The EU-Kyrgyz Republic Enhanced Partnership and Cooperation Agreement[3], signed in June 2024, provides a strong framework to boost further political dialogue and closer engagement on fundamental freedoms, human rights and democratic values.

    • [1] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/kyrgyz-republic-statement-spokesperson-new-legislation-foreign-representatives_en
    • [2] Support to Civil Society initiatives in the Kyrgyz Republic, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/delegations/kyrgyz-republic/support-civil-society-initiatives-kyrgyz-republic_en?s=301
    • [3] https://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-10660-2022-INIT/en/pdf, https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/factsheet-enhanced-partnership-and-cooperation-agreement-between-eu-and-kyrgyz-republic_en
    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: B10-0061/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety
    Members responsible: Martin Häusling, Biljana Borzan, Anja Hazekamp

    B10‑0061/2025

    European Parliament resolution on the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D102174/03 – (2024/3010(RSP))

    The European Parliament,

    – having regard to the draft Commission implementing decision authorising the placing on the market of products containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council (D102174/03),

    – having regard to Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 September 2003 on genetically modified food and feed[1], and in particular Article 7(3) and Article 19(3) thereof,

    – having regard to the vote of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, on 22 November 2024, at which no opinion was delivered, and the vote of the Appeal Committee on 17 December 2024, at which again no opinion was delivered,

    – having regard to Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission’s exercise of implementing powers[2],

    – having regard to the opinion adopted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) on 19 June 2024, and published on 1 August 2024[3],

    – having regard to its previous resolutions objecting to the authorisation of genetically modified organisms (‘GMOs’)[4],

    – having regard to Rule 115(2) and (3) of its Rules of Procedure,

    – having regard to the motion for a resolution of the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety,

    A. whereas on 27 June 2022, Corteva Agriscience Belgium B.V., based in Belgium, on behalf of Corteva Agriscience LLC, based in the United States, submitted an application to the national competent authority of the Netherlands for the placing on the market of foods, food ingredients and feed containing, consisting of or produced from genetically modified maize DP910521 (the ‘GM maize’);

    B. whereas the GM maize produces the Cry1B.34 toxin and is resistant to the herbicide glufosinate;

    C. whereas glufosinate is classified as toxic to reproduction 1B and therefore meets the ‘cut-off criteria’ set out in Regulation (EC) No 1107/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council[5]; whereas the approval of glufosinate for use in the Union expired on 31 July 2018;

    D. whereas Cry1B.34 is a synthetic fusion protein combining Cry1B, Cry1Ca1 and Cry9Db1, engineered for insect resistance against lepidopteran pests, without demonstrated specificity to target species;

    E. whereas the genetic modification includes a two-step process using CRISPR/Cas9 to insert a ‘landing pad’, followed by microprojectile bombardment for gene expression cassette insertion;

    Lack of assessment of the complementary herbicide

    F. whereas Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013[6] requires an assessment of whether the expected agricultural practices influence the outcome of the studied endpoints; whereas, according to that Implementing Regulation, this is especially relevant for herbicide-tolerant plants;

    G. whereas the vast majority of GM crops have been genetically modified so that they are tolerant to one or more ‘complementary’ herbicides which can be used throughout the cultivation of the GM crop, without the crop dying, as would be the case for a non-herbicide tolerant crop; whereas a number of studies show that herbicide-tolerant GM crops result in a higher use of complementary herbicides, in large part because of the emergence of herbicide-tolerant weeds[7];

    H. whereas herbicide-tolerant GM crops lock farmers into a weed management system that is largely or wholly dependent on herbicides, and does so by charging a premium for GM seeds that can be justified only if farmers purchasing such seeds also spray the complementary herbicides; whereas heightened reliance on complementary herbicides on farms planting the GM crops accelerates the emergence and spread of weeds resistant to those herbicides, thereby triggering the need for even more herbicide use, a vicious circle known as ‘the herbicide treadmill’;

    I. whereas the adverse impacts stemming from excessive reliance on herbicides will worsen as regards soil health, water quality, and above and below ground biodiversity, and lead to increased human and animal exposure, potentially also via increased herbicide residues on food and feed;

    J. whereas assessment of herbicide residues and metabolites found on GM plants is considered outside the remit of the EFSA Panel on Genetically Modified Organisms (‘EFSA GMO Panel’) and is therefore not undertaken as part of the authorisation process for GMOs;

    Outstanding questions concerning Bt toxins

    K. whereas a number of studies show that side effects have been observed that may affect the immune system following exposure to Bt toxins and that some Bt toxins may have adjuvant properties[8], meaning that they can increase the allergenicity of other proteins with which they come into contact;

    L. whereas a scientific study found that the toxicity of Bt toxins may also be increased through interaction with residues from spraying with herbicides, and that further studies are needed on the combinatorial effects of ‘stacked’ events (GM crops which have been modified to be herbicide-tolerant and to produce insecticides in the form of Bt toxins)[9]; whereas assessment of the potential interaction of herbicide residues and their metabolites with Bt toxins is, however, considered to be outside the remit of the EFSA GMO Panel and is, therefore, not undertaken as part of the risk assessment;

    Bt crops: effects on non-target organisms

    M. whereas, unlike the use of insecticides, where exposure is at the time of spraying and for a limited period afterwards, the use of Bt GM crops leads to continuous exposure of the target and non-target organisms to Bt toxins;

    N. whereas the assumption that Bt toxins exhibit a single target-specific mode of action can no longer be considered correct and effects on non-target organisms cannot be excluded; whereas an increasing number of non-target organisms are reported to be affected in many ways;

    Member State and stakeholder comments

    O. whereas Member States submitted many critical comments to EFSA during the three-month consultation period[10], including that the list of relevant studies, identified in the literature review of the applicant, did not include studies on the fate of Bt proteins in the environment or on potential effects of Btcrop residues on non-target organisms even though such studies exist;

    P. whereas field trials conducted for compositional and phenotypic analysis of the GM maize failed to consider diverse environmental conditions and genetic backgrounds relevant to its cultivation, particularly in countries like Brazil;

    Q. whereas the toxicity assessment of Cry1B.34 does not account for combinatorial effects with plant constituents or residues from herbicide applications;

    R. whereas glufosinate, the complementary herbicide, is associated with significant risks to biodiversity, soil and water quality, and long-term ecosystem health;

    S. whereas the risk of gene flow to wild relatives such as teosinte, reported in Spain and France, raises concerns about transgene persistence and environmental impacts;

    T. whereas the monitoring requirements under Implementing Regulation (EU) No 503/2013 are inadequately addressed, with no independent verification of data provided;

    Ensuring a global level playing field and upholding the Union’s international obligations

    U. whereas the conclusions of the Strategic Dialogue on the Future of EU Agriculture[11] call on the Commission to reassess its approach on market access for agri-food imports and exports, given the challenge of diverging standards of the Union and its trading partners; whereas fairer trade relations, on a global level, coherent with goals for a healthy environment, were one of the main demands of farmers during the demonstrations of 2023 and 2024;

    V. whereas a 2017 report by the United Nations’ (UN) Special Rapporteur on the right to food found that, particularly in developing countries, hazardous pesticides have catastrophic impacts on health[12]; whereas the UN Sustainable Development Goal (‘UN SDG’) Target 3.9 aims by 2030 to substantially reduce the number of deaths and illnesses from hazardous chemicals and air, water and soil pollution and contamination[13];

    W. whereas the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, agreed at the COP15 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity (‘UN CBD’) in December 2022, includes a global target to reduce the risk of pesticides by at least 50 % by 2030[14];

    X. whereas Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 states that GM food or feed must not have adverse effects on human health, animal health or the environment, and requires the Commission to take into account any relevant provisions of Union law and other legitimate factors relevant to the matter under consideration when drafting its decision; whereas such legitimate factors should include the Union’s obligations under the UN SDGs and the UN CBD;

    Reducing dependency on imported feed

    Y. whereas one of the lessons from the COVID-19 crisis and the still ongoing war in Ukraine is the need for the Union to end the dependencies on some critical materials; whereas in the mission letter to Commissioner Christophe Hansen, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asks him to look at ways to reduce imports of critical commodities[15];

    Undemocratic decision-making

    Z. whereas, in its eighth term, Parliament adopted a total of 36 resolutions objecting to the placing on the market of GMOs for food and feed (33 resolutions) and to the cultivation of GMOs in the Union (three resolutions); whereas, in its ninth term, Parliament adopted 38 resolutions objecting to placing GMOs on the market and has adopted another 8 resolutions objecting to placing GMOs on the market already in the current 10th term ;

    AA. whereas despite its own acknowledgement of the democratic shortcomings, the lack of support from Member States and the objections of Parliament, the Commission continues to authorise GMOs;

    AB. whereas no change of law is required for the Commission to be able not to authorise GMOs when there is no qualified majority of Member States in favour in the Appeal Committee[16];

    AC. whereas the vote on 22 November 2024 of the Standing Committee on Plants, Animals, Food and Feed referred to in Article 35 of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003 delivered no opinion, meaning that the authorisation was not supported by a qualified majority of Member States; whereas the vote on 17 December 2024 of the Appeal Committee again delivered no opinion;

    1. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision exceeds the implementing powers provided for in Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003;

    2. Considers that the draft Commission implementing decision is not consistent with Union law, in that it is not compatible with the aim of Regulation (EC) No 1829/2003, which is, in accordance with the general principles laid down in Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 of the European Parliament and of the Council[17], to provide the basis for ensuring a high level of protection of human life and health, animal health and welfare, and environmental and consumer interests, in relation to GM food and feed, while ensuring the effective functioning of the internal market;

    3. Calls on the Commission to withdraw its draft implementing decision and to submit a new draft to the committee;

    4. Calls on the Commission to ensure convergence of standards between the Union and its partners in free trade agreement negotiations, in order to meet Union safety standards;

    5. Calls on the Commission not to authorise the GM maize due to the increased risks to biodiversity, food safety and workers’ health in line with the One Health approach;

    6. Expects the Commission, as matter of urgency, to deliver on its commitment[18] to come forward with a proposal to ensure that hazardous chemicals banned in the Union are not produced for export;

    7. Welcomes the fact that the Commission finally recognised, in a letter of 11 September 2020 to Members, the need to take sustainability into account when it comes to authorisation decisions on GMOs[19]; expresses its deep disappointment, however, that, since then the Commission has continued to authorise GMOs for import into the Union, despite ongoing objections by Parliament and a majority of Member States voting against;

    8. Urges the Commission, again, to take into account the Union’s obligations under international agreements, such as the Paris Climate Agreement, the UN CBD and the UN SDGs; reiterates its call for draft implementing acts to be accompanied by an explanatory memorandum explaining how they uphold the principle of ‘do no harm’[20];

    9. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and the Commission, and to the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – The continued imprisonment of a European advocate for human rights in Bahrain – E-002932/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The EU has consistently and actively raised the case of Abdulhadi Al-Khawaja, alongside other human rights defenders in Bahrain to demand their unconditional release.

    In May 2021, the former EU Special Representative for Human Rights addressed a letter to the Foreign Affairs Minister of Bahrain, urging the release of Mr Al-Khawaja and other political prisoners on humanitarian grounds.

    The EU has raised Mr Al-Khawaja’s and other cases in its annual EU-Bahrain Human Rights Dialogues, including the eighth dialogue held in Manama on 8 December 2024. The discussions covered critical issues such as freedom of expression and association, the rule of law, fair trial rights, and the death penalty.

    The EU welcomed the pardons of more than 2 500 prisoners in Bahrain in 2024. The EU encouraged Bahrain to further align its policies with international human rights law, particularly in the areas of the rule of law and civil and political rights with particular focus on freedom of expression, assembly and association.

    The EU remains committed to continued high-level engagement on this matter. The EU Special Representative for Human Rights has expressed interest in visiting Bahrain, referencing an invitation extended to his predecessor.

    The EU will continue to call for the release of Mr Al-Khawaja and other human rights defenders in Bahrain through available diplomatic channels.

    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Position of the Vice-President/High Representative on Madagascar’s interference regarding the Scattered Islands of the Indian Ocean – E-002354/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The Scattered Islands are part of the French Southern and Antarctic Territories, which are themselves associated with the EU through the status of Overseas Countries and Territories.

    The status of the Scattered Islands is being discussed between the French and Malagasy governments in the framework of a Joint Commission. This being a bilateral issue between a particular Member State and a third country, the EU has no competence to intervene.

    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Political and humanitarian situation in Mozambique – E-002782/2024(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Peace Facility (EPF) is a EUR 17 billion instrument to assist partners worldwide in military and defence matters. Although it is the successor instrument of the African Peace Facility, the EPF’s geographic scope was never limited to the African continent.

    Excluding aid to Ukraine, 80% of the value of all EPF assistance measures benefit African partners. Mozambique is one of the largest EPF beneficiaries, with EUR 89 million allocated to non-lethal equipment and training of its armed forces through the EU Training Mission in Mozambique.

    On 1 September 2024, the mission was renamed EU Military Assistance Mission Mozambique and got an additional allocation of EUR 14.1 million.

    In addition, the EPF is supporting the deployment of the Rwanda Defence Force to Mozambique with EUR 40 million and has supported the Southern African Development Community Mission in Mozambique with another EUR 15 million.

    The EPF is a needs-based and beneficiary-driven instrument. Priorities are proposed by the High Representative on an annual basis and agreed by Member States.

    The equipment to be provided to a given beneficiary corresponds to operational needs and is defined in close cooperation with the end-user units. EPF support to Ukraine is now financed through a dedicated EUR 5 billion Ukraine Assistance Fund and through extraordinary revenues stemming from immobilised Russian assets (windfall profits).

    As noted above, the EPF is a global instrument and support to Ukraine does not come at the expense of African, or other partners. The standards laid out in the EPF Council Decision[1] apply equally to all EPF beneficiaries.

    • [1] Council Decision (CFSP) 2021/509 of 22 March 2021 establishing a European Peace Facility, and repealing Decision (CFSP) 2015/528, https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dec/2021/509/oj/eng
    Last updated: 5 February 2025

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  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Strategic dependencies: Threats to EU sovereignty in communication infrastructure – 05-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Rising geopolitical tensions and dependencies on digital infrastructure belonging to foreign providers are triggering concerns that the European Union’s technological sovereignty might be under threat. Connectivity infrastructure such as submarine cables, mobile technologies and satellites underpin the digital services used by EU citizens, businesses and governments. Being dependent on foreign providers of such infrastructure calls for a strategic approach to balancing technological efficiency with the public interest and national security.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Study – Proposal for a Regulation on police cooperation to counter migrant smuggling and human trafficking: Targeted substitute impact assessment – 05-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    As part of a package to address migrant smuggling, on 28 November 2023 the European Commission proposed a regulation to strengthen police cooperation and Europol’s role in the fight against migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings (COM(2023) 754). The proposal was not supported by an impact assessment. Following a request by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), this study presents a targeted substitute impact assessment of the proposed regulation. It provides an analysis of the current legal and political framework, reviews the problem definition and drivers identified by the Commission and assesses the proposed measures. It concludes that, while the proposal seeks to address gaps in inter-agency cooperation and information sharing, it raises concerns about its alignment with existing frameworks, insufficient data protection safeguards, and risks of conflating criminal law with migration control. The study also examines the proportionality of the proposed measures and stresses the need for a more robust evaluation of fundamental rights impacts.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: At a Glance – Wider comprehensive EU Middle East strategy – 05-02-2025

    Source: European Parliament

    In her political guidelines for 2024 to 2029, the President of the European Commission announced the need for a wider comprehensive EU Middle East strategy. The High Representative/Vice-President of the Commission (HR/VP) is due to give a statement on the issue during Parliament’s February plenary session.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Deterioration of human rights in Cambodia and consequences on the tariff preferences under the EBA scheme – P-000436/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Priority question for written answer  P-000436/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Majdouline Sbai (Verts/ALE)

    In 2020, the Commission decided to withdraw part of Cambodia’s tariff preferences under the EU’s Everything but Arms (EBA) trade scheme, due to the deterioration of democracy, respect for human rights and the rule of law in the country.

    Since then, the situation has deteriorated further, notably when it comes to trade unions, as illustrated by Parliament’s resolution adopted on 28 November 2024[1]. It calls for the EU to send a clear message that improving human rights and safeguarding civil society freedoms are preconditions for economic cooperation, trade and investment.

    • 1.Will the Commission send without delay an observation mission to Cambodia to evaluate, on the ground, the various human rights abuses that have been reported by various civil society organisations?
    • 2.In light of its findings, will the Commission assess changes to tariff preferences (under the EBA scheme) based on the non-cooperation of the Cambodian Government in remedying and preventing human rights violations?
    • 3.What concrete measures is the Commission taking to exert pressure on the Cambodian Government, notably on the release of political prisoners? What concrete measures will the Commission take to increase support and provide protection for human rights defenders, civil society representatives and persecuted opposition members?

    Supporters[2]

    Submitted: 31.1.2025

    • [1] European Parliament resolution of 28 November 2024 on the shrinking space for civil society in Cambodia, in particular the case of the labour rights organisation CENTRAL (2024/2952(RSP)), https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/TA-10-2024-0053_EN.html.
    • [2] This question is supported by Members other than the author: Catarina Vieira (Verts/ALE), Mounir Satouri (Verts/ALE)
    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Unacceptable statements by Skopjan Prime Minister in the US – E-000305/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000305/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Emmanouil Kefalogiannis (PPE)

    In his recent statements in New Jersey in the United States, the Prime Minister of the government in Skopje referred to an unresolved and ongoing ‘Macedonian’ issue. These statements raise legitimate concerns in Greece, as they seem to violate the spirit and letter of international agreements that are a prerequisite for the government in Skopje’s EU path and support irredentist declarations and claims on neighbouring countries.

    Given that adherence to international treaties is essential for the government in Skopje to further progress in its EU accession process, can the Commission say:

    • 1.How does it assess the Prime Minister’s statements and their impact on good neighbourly relations and regional stability?
    • 2.What measures does it intend to take to ensure that the government in Skopje fully respects its obligations and avoids statements and actions that can negatively impact cooperation with EU Member States and stability in the Balkans?

    Submitted: 23.1.2025

    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Elections in the Republic of Moldova and Georgia – E-000292/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000292/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Siegbert Frank Droese (ESN)

    • 1.What specific knowledge does the Commission have regarding Moldovan President Sandu’s allegations of Russian financial interference in the elections?[1]
    • 2.What specific knowledge does the Commission have regarding allegations of irregularities in the Georgian elections?[2]

    Submitted: 23.1.2025

    • [1] https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/europa/moldau-wahl-referendum-102.html
    • [2] https://www.handelsblatt.com/politik/international/georgien-usa-und-eu-fordern-untersuchung-der-vorwuerfe-bei-georgien-wahl/100083732.html
    Last updated: 5 February 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: EIB Board approves €2.4 billion of financing for business innovation, energy grids, flood resilience and transport

    Source: European Investment Bank

    • Discussion of EIB Global strategic reorientation and support for European electricity grids
    • Energy-saving for businesses across Europe
    • Financing to expand hydrogen refuelling in Europe and rebuild damaged heating infrastructure in Ukraine

    The European Investment Bank (EIB) today approved €2.4 billion of new financing for business investment, clean energy, transport, telecommunications and flood protection in Europe.

    The EIB Board of Directors also discussed the strategic orientation of EIB Global. Reflecting the changing geopolitical context and even better aligning with EU external policy priorities, the Bank’s investments outside of the EU will continue contribute to a stronger Europe in a more stable, more prosperous and sustainable world.

    The Board examined ways to further increase support for electricity networks in Europe. In 2024, the Bank mobilised over €100 billion of additional investment for energy and financed a record high of €8.5 billion for electricity grids, which mobilised 40% of total EU investment in electricity grids.

    “We are ahead of the investment targets of the RePowerEU programme to bring cheaper and clean energy to European households and businesses. Last year the EIB marked a record in investment in energy grids and inter connectors, to bolster Europe’s competitiveness and security”, said EIB Group President Nadia Calviño.

    Energy networks, flood defences

    The first EIB Board of Directors of the year approved financing totalling €791 million to expand hydrogen production for transport, strengthen electricity distribution, and improve flood protection in Poland.

    This includes funding to boost research into and development of hydrogen and to increase the number of hydrogen refueling stations for cars and trucks.

    In support of Ukraine, the Board paved the way for financing of €100 million to repair damaged municipal heating infrastructure in the country.

    Outside the EU, the EIB agreed to provide financing to upgrade and extend electricity distribution in Panama. The goal is to increase renewable/energy use, bolster grids and expand power distribution to unserved communities in the country.

    Green innovation

    The Board also approved financing totalling €879 million for innovation and investment by businesses to improve energy efficiency and environmental sustainability.

    This includes backing automotive-component research and development at 15 manufacturing sites across Europe and low-carbon glass production in France and Spain.

    The EIB endorsed a new securitisation scheme to support Dutch business investment in climate action and environmental sustainability.

    Better connections

    The Board agreed €768 million in financing for transport and telecom networks in the EU and beyond.

    In Colombia, the Board approved EUR 418 million for construction of and the acquisition of trains for Metro Line 1 in the capital Bogota – a service expected to carry more than 1 million passengers a day when operational.

    The Board also gave the green light for financing of €350 million to expand mobile-phone networks across Italy.

    Background information  

    EIB 

    The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, high-impact investments outside the European Union, and the capital markets union.  

    The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.  

    All projects financed by the EIB Group are in line with the Paris Climate Agreement, as pledged in our Climate Bank Roadmap. Almost 60% of the EIB Group’s annual financing supports projects directly contributing to climate change mitigation, adaptation, and a healthier environment.  

    Fostering market integration and mobilising investment, the Group supported a record of over €100 billion in new investment for Europe’s energy security in 2024 and mobilised €110 billion in growth capital for startups, scale-ups and European pioneers

    Approximately half of the EIB’s financing within the European Union is directed towards cohesion regions, where per capita income is lower than the EU average.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Philip R. Lane: A middle path for ECB monetary policy

    Source: European Central Bank

    Speech by Philip R. Lane, Member of the Executive Board of the ECB, at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE)

    Washington, D.C., 5 February 2025

    It is a pleasure to be here at the Peterson Institute for International Economics (PIIE): your impressive research on a wide range of topics is extremely valuable for policymakers.[1]

    At last week’s monetary policy meeting, the ECB’s Governing Council decided to lower the deposit facility rate – the rate through which we steer the monetary policy stance – by 25 basis points from 3.0 per cent to 2.75 per cent. In cumulative terms, the deposit facility rate has declined by 125 basis points since last June. The decision reflected our updated assessment of the inflation outlook, the dynamics of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary policy transmission.

    In what follows, I will explain in more detail the basis for this decision. I will review inflation developments, economic developments, our risk assessment, and financial and monetary conditions. Finally, I explain why pursuing a middle path for monetary policy is best suited to the current environment.

    Inflation developments

    The disinflation process remains well on track. Inflation has continued to develop broadly in line with the staff projections and is set to return to our two per cent medium-term target in the course of this year. Most measures of underlying inflation suggest that inflation will settle at around our target on a sustained basis. The Persistent and Common Component of Inflation (PCCI), which has the best predictive power among underlying inflation indicators for future headline inflation, continued to hover around two per cent in the December data, indicating that headline inflation is set to stabilise around our target.

    Domestic inflation, at 4.2 per cent, stayed well above all the other indicators in December mostly because wages and prices in certain sectors are still adjusting to the past inflation surge with a substantial delay. However, the PCCI for services, which should act as an underlying attractor for services inflation and domestic inflation, fell to 2.3 per cent.

    The anticipation of a downward shift in services inflation in the coming months also relates to the expected deceleration in wage growth in the course of 2025. Wages have been adjusting to the past inflation surges with a substantial delay, but the ECB wage tracker and the latest surveys point to a significant moderation in wage pressures this year. According to the latest results of the Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises (SAFE), firms expect wages to grow by 3.3 per cent on average over the next twelve months, down from 4.5 per cent this time last year. Similarly, the latest Corporate Telephone Survey indicates that wage growth should decelerate from 4.6 per cent in 2024 to 3.3 per cent in 2025 and 2.9 per cent in 2026. This assessment is shared broadly among forecasters. Consensus Economics, for example, foresees a decline in wage growth by about one percentage point between 2024 and 2025.

    Most measures of longer-term inflation expectations continue to stand at around two per cent, despite an uptick at shorter horizons that may reflect the recent rise in energy prices. While the inflation expectations of firms have stabilised at three per cent across horizons, according to the SAFE, larger firms that are aware of the ECB’s inflation target show convergence towards two per cent. Consumer inflation expectations have edged up recently, especially for the near term, which can at least be partly explained by their higher sensitivity to the recent uptick in realised inflation. Inflation expectations of professionals – as captured by the latest vintages of the Survey of Professional Forecasters and Survey of Monetary Analysts – as well as market-based measures of inflation compensation have ticked up for the near term but, over longer horizons, remain stable at levels consistent with our medium-term target of two per cent.

    Economic developments

    On a fourth-quarter-to-fourth-quarter basis, the 2024 growth rate came in at 0.9 per cent, constituting a material improvement in momentum relative to the 2023 growth rate of 0.1 per cent. While 2024 saw a modest recovery in consumption, investment remained weak and exporters continued to suffer competitiveness challenges. In terms of the quarterly profile, growth stagnated in the final quarter following a comparatively robust third quarter.

    The incoming survey indicators suggest that the euro area economy is set to remain subdued in the near term. While unemployment remained low at 6.3 per cent in December, there has been some softening in labour demand, as reflected in lower vacancies and lower employment growth.

    At the same time, our baseline assessment is that the conditions for a recovery remain in place. Higher incomes, lower interest rates and stronger household balance sheets should allow a faster pick-up in consumption. More affordable credit should also boost housing and business investment over time. Exports should also support the recovery as global demand rises, although this is highly conditional on developments in international trade policies.

    Financial and monetary conditions

    Global and euro area bond yields have increased significantly since our last meeting. Amongst other factors, the spillover impact of the rise in US and global longer-term rates has contributed to the steepening of the euro area yield curve.

    Our past interest rate cuts are gradually making it less expensive for firms and households to borrow. The cost of borrowing for firms has declined by 92 basis points and mortgage rates have declined by 62 basis points since their peaks in autumn 2023. However, the interest rates on existing corporate and household loan books remain high, especially in real terms, with pre-2022 debt still re-pricing at higher rates as fixation periods expire.

    In overall terms, financing conditions remain tight. While credit is expanding, lending to firms and households remains subdued relative to historical norms. Growth in bank lending to firms rose to 1.5 per cent in December. In part, the pick-up in December reflects firms substituting market-based long-term financing for bank-based borrowing amidst tightening market conditions and increasing upcoming redemptions of long-term corporate bonds. Overall external debt financing of firms increased by 1.9 per cent in December, but remained well below the historical average of 4.9 per cent.[2] Loans to households continued to rise gradually, driven by mortgages, but remained muted overall, with an annual growth rate of 1.1 per cent in December, notably below the long-term average of 4.2 per cent.

    According to the latest bank lending survey, the demand for loans by firms increased slightly in the fourth quarter. At the same time, credit standards for loans to firms have tightened again, after having broadly stabilised over the previous four quarters. The renewed tightening of credit standards for firms was driven by the fact that banks see higher risks to the economic outlook and have lower tolerance for taking on credit risk. This finding is consistent with the results from the SAFE, in which firms reported a small decline in the availability of bank loans and more demanding non-rate lending conditions. In terms of households, the demand for mortgages increased strongly, mostly on the back of more attractive interest rates and better prospects for the property market. Credit standards for housing loans remained unchanged overall.

    Risk assessment

    Risks to economic growth remain tilted to the downside. In addition to trade policy uncertainty, lower confidence could prevent consumption and investment from recovering as fast as expected. This could be amplified by geopolitical risks, such as Russia’s unjustified war against Ukraine and the tragic conflict in the Middle East, which could disrupt energy supplies and further weigh on global trade. Growth could also be lower if the lagged effects of monetary policy tightening last longer than expected. In the other direction, growth could be higher if easier financing conditions and falling inflation allow domestic consumption and investment to rebound faster.

    We take a two-sided approach to assessing inflation risk. Inflation could turn out higher if wages or profits increase by more than expected. Upside risks to inflation also stem from the heightened geopolitical tensions, which could push energy prices and freight costs higher in the near term and disrupt global trade. Moreover, extreme weather events, and the unfolding climate crisis more broadly, could drive up food prices by more than expected. By contrast, inflation may surprise on the downside if low confidence and concerns about geopolitical events prevent consumption and investment from recovering as fast as expected, if monetary policy dampens demand by more than expected, or if the economic environment in the rest of the world worsens unexpectedly. Greater friction in global trade would make the euro area inflation outlook more uncertain.

    A middle path for monetary policy

    Taken together, the incoming data since our previous meeting meant that it was clear that we should take a further step in monetary easing by lowering the deposit facility rate to 2.75 per cent. By excessively dampening demand, the alternative of holding the deposit facility rate at the level of 3.0 per cent would not have been consistent with the set of rate paths that would best ensure that inflation stabilises sustainably at our two per cent medium-term target. At the same time, the new level for the deposit facility rate at 2.75 per cent preserves considerable optionality in responding to shocks. In particular, the rate path can adjust as appropriate in the event of material upside or downside shocks to the inflation outlook and/or to economic momentum.

    While our baseline is that inflation should decline from 2.5 per cent in January to around our target in the coming months, it is still important to take into account that this deceleration might take longer than expected and that new upside risks to inflation could emerge, including due to external developments. These considerations explain why we have taken a step-by-step approach to rate cutting since last June.

    At the same time, an excessive abundance of caution in monetary easing could threaten the recovery in domestic demand that is needed to support the pricing environment compatible with our medium-term two per cent target. Under this too-cautious path, a below-target inflation dynamic could take hold, which would then require a more sizeable policy response to ensure inflation returns to our symmetric two per cent medium-term target.

    Balancing these considerations suggest a middle path is appropriate, which neither over-weighs upside risk nor over-weighs downside risk. That is, a robust monetary policy approach should balance the risks of moving too slowly against the risks of moving too quickly. Accordingly, it is prudent to maintain agility in adjusting the stance as appropriate on a data-dependent and meeting-by-meeting basis and to not pre-commit to any particular rate path.

    In closing, let me comment on two much-discussed concepts: restrictiveness and neutrality.

    When inflation is materially above target and requires a monetary response to ensure that it returns to target in a timely manner and that inflation expectations remain anchored, the monetary stance must be clearly restrictive. As inflation returns close to target, policymakers need to shift their focus to adjusting monetary policy in line with the incoming economic and financial data and the evolving risk assessment to deliver the two per cent target over the medium term. In other words, policymakers should deliver the monetary stance that is appropriate to the situation.

    In exiting a restrictive phase, much energy could be diverted towards creating a summary “restrictiveness” index. Any such index would have to incorporate at least nine factors: (i) the still-important rolling off of super-cheap debt that was taken out in the “low for long” era that is now being re-financed at higher rates; (ii) in the other direction, the transmission of the easing since the peak of the hiking cycle; (iii) the impact of the anticipation of future rate cuts on current financing conditions; (iv) the evolving contribution of quasi-exogenous influences on financing conditions (such as global upward pressure on term premia); (v) the dynamics of bond and equity risk premia; (vi) the evolution of credit standards in bank lending; (vii) the different timelines for market-based and bank-based transmission; (viii) the responsiveness of consumption and investment to shifting monetary conditions; and (ix) the responsiveness of price setting to shifting monetary conditions.

    All of these factors enter our calibration of monetary policy (our assessment of the strength of monetary policy transmission has been highlighted as central to our reaction function) and cannot be summarised by a single indicator such as comparing the prevailing policy rate to a highly-uncertain estimate of the so-called neutral rate.[3]

    In terms of policy making, uncertainty about the level of the neutral rate and, more generally, about the strength of monetary transmission inescapably sits alongside uncertainty about the inflation outlook and uncertainty about the economic outlook.

    This is why our 2021 monetary policy strategy statement highlights that our decisions are based on an integrated assessment of all relevant factors. Over the last two years, we have emphasised in particular the importance of underlying inflation and the strength of monetary transmission as particularly relevant in complementing our analysis of the inflation outlook. More generally, it is essential that all relevant risks are incorporated in monetary policy decisions.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Egypt: Immediately release Badr Mohamed who has served his unjust protest-related sentence

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Ahead of an appeal hearing at the Court of Cassation against Badr Mohamed’s unjust conviction and five-year prison sentence in connection to the Ramsis Square protests on 16 August 2013, when he was 17 years old, Amnesty International’s Egypt Campaigner, Souleimene Benghazi, said:

    “Amnesty International has long called on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release Badr Mohamed and quash his unjust conviction and five-year prison sentence, which was handed down following a grossly unfair mass trial in which he was denied the right to an adequate defence. By 11 February, Badr Mohamed would have already spent a total of five years behind bars. It is high time for the Egyptian authorities to end this injustice and allow him to reunite with his family, including his wife Elena, an Austrian national, and his four-year-old daughter, Amina, whose birth he missed.

    “Conditions in Badr 1 prison where Badr Mohamed is being held are notoriously inhumane. Not only is he held with other prisoners in a small, cramped cell but he also has no bed, heating or access to clean water or adequate healthcare.

    “His ordeal is emblematic of the Egyptian authorities’ unrelenting reprisals against actual or perceived government critics, and their vicious crackdown on any form of dissent” – Amnesty International’s Egypt Campaigner, Souleimene Benghazi

    “Badr Mohamed was a 17-year-old child when he was swept up in mass arrests of protesters and bystanders over a decade ago. His ordeal is emblematic of the Egyptian authorities’ unrelenting reprisals against actual or perceived government critics, and their vicious crackdown on any form of dissent. As well as releasing Badr Mohamed, Egyptian authorities must also release thousands of other individuals including peaceful protesters, opposition politicians, journalists and human rights defenders who have been arbitrarily detained solely for exercising their human rights or following grossly unfair trials.”

    Background

    Badr Mohamed was released on bail three months after his initial arrest on 16 August 2013 in connection to the Ramsis Square protests. Amnesty International documented the unlawful force used by security forces against protesters and bystanders during the protests, resulting in the death of 97 protesters. Badr Mohamed was later convicted and sentenced to five years’ imprisonment in absentia in a grossly unfair mass trial in August 2017 on charges of participation in an illegal gathering and engaging in violence.

    He was re-arrested in May 2020, and retried on the same charges as per Egyptian law for those tried in their absence. On 12 January 2023, Badr Mohamed was convicted and sentenced to five years in prison following a grossly unfair retrial in front of a terrorism circuit of the Cairo Criminal Court.

    On 28 January 2025, the United Nation’s Human Rights Council carried out its Universal Periodic Review of Egypt’s human rights record. Several states such as Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have called on the Egyptian authorities to release all those arbitrarily detained for exercising their human rights or for politically motivated reasons.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/OPT: Trump’s claim that US will take over Gaza and forcibly deport Palestinians ‘outrageous and shameful’

    Source: Amnesty International –

    In response to President Trump’s comments that the USA will “take over the Gaza Strip”, advocating again for the forcible transfer of around two million Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries, Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General, said:

    “President Trump’s remarks calling for the forcible transfer of Palestinians from the occupied Gaza Strip must be unequivocally and widely condemned. His language is inflammatory, outrageous and shameful, and his proposal amounts to a flagrant violation of international law. 

    “Any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime, and when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population, it would constitute a crime against humanity.

    “President Trump’s comments dangerously dehumanises Palestinians, who for the last 16-months have been victims of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and for decades have been living under illegal occupation and apartheid. Most of Gaza’s Palestinians are descendants and survivors of the 1948 Nakba, they have already been repeatedly uprooted and dispossessed by Israel and denied their right of return yet have continued to struggle to remain on their lands and defend their human rights.

    “Israel’s genocide in Gaza, including through unlawful killings, injuries and the deliberate infliction of conditions of life that are calculated to bring about their physical destruction, has been accompanied by an alarming rise in unlawful killings in the occupied West Bank, state-backed settler violence, mass land confiscation and arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinians across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.

    “President Trump repeatedly referenced the destruction, killing and unlivable conditions in Gaza calling it a ‘demolition site’ while seated next to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, yet he completely failed to mention the Israeli government’s responsibility for causing this devastation. Nor did he acknowledge the US government’s role in providing arms that have repeatedly been used to carry out deadly, unlawful attacks in Gaza.

    “In the face of President Trump’s dangerous threats, it’s more important than ever for the rest of the international community to categorically reject these proposals and expedite diplomatic efforts, in line with international law, to end Israel’s unlawful occupation, dismantle apartheid and uphold human rights for Palestinians and Israelis. History has abundantly demonstrated that sidelining international law for political expediency is a recipe for the perpetuation of violations.

    “Amnesty International also warns against the misuse of desperately needed humanitarian aid and reconstruction as a bargaining chip or as a means to coerce Palestinians in Gaza into leaving. No state is entitled to treat a protected population living under occupation as pawns in a geopolitical chess game.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Israel/ OPT: President Trump’s claim that US will take over Gaza and forcibly deport Palestinians appalling and unlawful

    Source: Amnesty International –

    Reacting to President Donald Trump’s comments that the USA will “take over the Gaza Strip”, advocating again for the forcible transfer of around 2 million Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries, Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard said:

    “President Trump’s remarks calling for the forcible transfer of Palestinians from the occupied Gaza Strip must be unequivocally and widely condemned. His language is inflammatory, outrageous and shameful, and his proposal amounts to a flagrant violation of international law. 

    “Any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime, and when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population, it would constitute a crime against humanity.

    “Any plan to forcibly deport Palestinians outside the occupied territory against their will is a war crime, and when committed as part of a widespread or systematic attack on the civilian population, it would constitute a crime against humanity” – Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard

    “President Trump’s comments dangerously dehumanizes Palestinians, who for the last 16-months have been victims of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and for decades have been living under illegal occupation and apartheid. Most of Gaza’s Palestinians are descendants and survivors of the 1948 Nakba, they have already been repeatedly uprooted and dispossessed by Israel and denied their right of return yet have continued to struggle to remain on their lands and defend their human rights.

    “Israel’s genocide in Gaza, including through unlawful killings, injuries and the deliberate infliction of conditions of life that are calculated to bring about their physical destruction, has been accompanied by an alarming rise in unlawful killings in the occupied West Bank, state-backed settler violence, mass land confiscation and arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture and other ill-treatment of Palestinians across the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel.

    “President Trump’s comments dangerously dehumanizes Palestinians, who for the last 16-months have been victims of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, and for decades have been living under illegal occupation and apartheid” – Agnès Callamard

    “President Trump repeatedly referenced the destruction, killing and unlivable conditions in Gaza calling it a ‘demolition site’ while seated next to Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, yet he completely failed to mention the Israeli government’s responsibility for causing this devastation. Nor did he acknowledge the US government’s role in providing arms that have repeatedly been used to carry out deadly, unlawful attacks in Gaza.

    “In the face of President Trump’s dangerous threats, it’s more important than ever for the rest of the international community to categorically reject these proposals and expedite diplomatic efforts, in line with international law, to end Israel’s unlawful occupation, dismantle apartheid and uphold human rights for Palestinians and Israelis. History has abundantly demonstrated that sidelining international law for political expediency is a recipe for the perpetuation of violations.

    “Amnesty International also warns against the misuse of desperately needed humanitarian aid and reconstruction as a bargaining chip or as a means to coerce Palestinians in Gaza into leaving. No state is entitled to treat a protected population living under occupation as pawns in a geopolitical chess game.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: ‘No Appetite for Another Extension’ of South Sudan Peace Agreement, Mission Head Tells Security Council, Urging Leaders Focus on Benchmarks without Delay

    Source: United Nations 4

    The Revitalized Peace Agreement in South Sudan is facing challenges due to low political will, trust deficit among the parties to the accord and lack of predictable funding, the Security Council heard today from senior officials assisting peacebuilding in that country.

    Charles Tai Gituai, Interim Chairperson of the Reconstituted Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission — the official oversight body responsible for monitoring and evaluating the status of implementation of the 2018 Revitalized Peace Agreement — said that the parties in September 2024 agreed to extend the transitional period from 22 February 2025 to 22 February 2027, with elections rescheduled to December 2026.  While the National Election Commission has completed its plans and has opened offices in the 10 states, financial constraints remain a hindrance in election preparations.

    Further, election laws stipulate that parties with armed forces cannot be registered until they relinquish their forces — this includes the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition and others within the South Sudan Opposition Alliance, he said.  This underscores the need to hasten the unification of forces so that these parties can participate in the elections.  Also expressing concern about persistent levels of intercommunal violence in some parts of the country, he noted that the Sudan conflict exacerbates the humanitarian situation and has caused a huge influx of returnees and refugees in South Sudan.  Further, oil production — the country’s main source of foreign earnings — was disrupted in the second quarter of 2024 because of that conflict.

    Welcoming the work of the National Constitutional Amendment Committee and the Judicial Reform Committee, he said “the success of these institutions demonstrates that with funding availability, the Peace Agreement institutions and mechanisms can fully discharge their mandates”.  The permanent ceasefire continues to hold, though recent skirmishes in Western Equatoria State are concerning.  Commending the mediation talks ongoing in Nairobi, he said:  “The people of South Sudan are looking forward to a positive outcome for these talks and hoping that it will bring practical and enhanced transformative approaches in addressing the root causes of conflict.”  The Council must consider a visit to South Sudan to mobilize resources and political support to help South Sudan achieve its first democratic elections in December 2026, he added.

    Also addressing the Council was Nicholas Haysom, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), who noted that this month marks the beginning of the fourth extension of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.  “There is no appetite for another extension,” he stressed.  Rather, “there is strong desire for the leaders to focus on the benchmarks set out in the Peace Agreement without further delay”.  Urging parties to engage constructively, he acknowledged progress in some areas and welcomed the declarations of Governors to expand the civic and political space in their states.  Also noting expanded access to justice, including through mobile courts, he pointed to the adoption of a national community violence reduction strategy.  The National Elections Commission has launched its website and is rolling out a voter education strategy.

    However, none of these achievements “are sufficient to significantly move the needle” on the critical conditions required for holding elections and adopting a new constitution, he added.  Stressing the importance of “low-hanging fruit” measures such as voter registration, he reiterated that “the clock is already ticking on the extended transitional period”.  Noting that constitution and census timelines do not fit into the framework for a December 2026 election, he added:  “we have not yet seen the previously promised harmonized work plan with an operational timetable for elections.”  The lack of Government funding is slowing down these processes, he said, underscoring that “neither UNMISS nor the international community or the electoral management bodies can provide the full measure of support if these critical decisions are not taken.”

    “My country is struggling to transition from instability to stability through implementation of the R-ARCSS [Revitalised Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan],” observed Edmund Yakani, Executive Director of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization. Noting that the Tumani Initiative under Kenya’s co-mediation provides an opportunity for transitioning the country from violence to peace, he added:  “We are impressed by the process of embracing inclusive Government”.  The only option for a peaceful transition is through elections, he said, pointing to the citizens’ disappointment over the last elections postponement.  Noting that deadly intercommunal violence poses a challenge for the country’s transition, he said that elections will be credible if the Government creates conditions for holding them.

    For her part, the representative of South Sudan acknowledged the concerns about delays in the transition process and assured the Council that “every effort is being made to accelerate key milestones, particularly the preparations for free, fair and credible elections”.  Her Government is committed to providing the necessary funding and institutional support to advance the electoral process and has taken significant steps to draft a permanent constitution “that will reflect the aspirations of the South Sudanese people”, she pledged.  The deployment of the Necessary Unified Forces remains a priority, and South Sudan is working to overcome logistical and financial challenges to complete Phase II of training and deployment, she added.

    Urging all parties, including opposition groups, to negotiate in good faith within the framework of the Revitalized Agreement rather than seeking a parallel process that could complicate the peace road map, she expressed concern about the deteriorating situation in Sudan.  Recalling her country’s appeals to Sudan to cease harbouring rebels who actively destabilize its security efforts, she said this plea has gone unanswered.  “The people of South Sudan have been deeply affected by videos depicting heartless killings” of their nationals, she said, adding that these are believed to be incited by General Yassir Al-Atta, Assistant to the Commander in Chief, who claimed that 65 per cent of the Rapid Support Forces are South Sudanese.  Despite the anger provoked by this, her Government continues to call for restraint from its people, she said.

    As Council members weighed in, they stressed the need to advance progress towards elections.  The representative of Sierra Leone, also speaking for Algeria, Guyana and Somalia, highlighted the need for a credible and inclusive electoral process.  For that, security sector reform and disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of armed groups remains crucial.  He also called for urgent action to finalize transitional security arrangements and establish a middle command structure for the Necessary Unified Forces.  While the electoral road map’s implementation is critical for elections, consideration should be given to the participation of internally displaced people and returnees, he pointed out.

    Pakistan’s delegate, noting that elections have been rescheduled to take place in 2026, encouraged South Sudan to use the two-year extension to move towards a credible path to elections.  “This extension must not become a missed opportunity”, Greece’s delegate said, while Slovenia’s delegate urged the Government to secure the necessary funding for timely implementation of the Revitalized Peace Agreement.  “Promises must be turned into reality,” said Denmark’s representative, also calling for a clear elections plan and resources for election-related bodies.

    The representative of the United States said the transitional Government failed to conclude the transitional period and use public revenue transparently for public needs.  Despite significant international support, South Sudan’s President and other political leaders “have not demonstrated political will to seriously move towards elections”, he observed, adding:  “In fact, they have made efforts worse.”  While the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement was a “pivotal moment in South Sudan’s history that brought hope to a people long ravaged by war and oppression”, two decades later, that country’s leaders failed to meet their people’s expectations.  He called on the transitional Government to start using public revenues for appropriate public purposes rather than to benefit the “small corrupt elite”.

    Panama’s delegate was one among several Council members who expressed concern over persisting sexual and gender-based violence, noting that women and girls, as young as 11, have fallen victims to this crime.  Hence, the Mission’ work is crucial, he stressed, highlighting the need for the equitable participation of women, young people and communities in peacebuilding.  The representatives of the Republic of Korea and France also expressed support for UNMISS, highlighting its many crucial roles, which range from enabling humanitarian assistance to assisting with election preparations.

    China’s delegate, Council President for February, speaking in his national capacity, said that, prior to the meeting, his country, using virtual technologies, conducted an underground inspection of the Mission’s work.  A new “batch” of Chinese peacekeepers have recently completed their rotation and handover, he reported.  He welcomed South Sudan’s steps towards elections and called on the international community to respect its sovereignty and ownership.  Further, “sanctions, such as arms embargo, are constraining security capacity building in South Sudan and should be adjusted or lifted”, he stressed.

    Along similar lines, the Russian Federation’s delegate said that sanctions make it difficult to strengthen South Sudan’s security and called for a review of the parameters of the arms embargo.  Voting issues are South Sudan’s internal affairs, he observed, adding that the country’s leadership has managed to establish relative stability and attain progress in State-building and resolving security issues.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, expresses his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Ji for allocating ₹17,155 crore for railways in Gujarat in Budget 2025

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, expresses his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Ji for allocating ₹17,155 crore for railways in Gujarat in Budget 2025

    Under the Modi government, there has been a 29-fold increase in the railway budget for Gujarat

    In comparison to ₹589 crore during 2009-14, the railway budget for Gujarat has increased to ₹17,155 crore in the year 2025-26

    In the past decade, the electrification of railway tracks in Gujarat increased 22 times, and now 97 per cent of the railway tracks in Gujarat have been electrified

    As the Member of Parliament for Gandhinagar, I am delighted to share that station redevelopment works are being carried out at a cost of ₹799 crore

    This will further boost trade, industry, transportation, and employment in Gujarat

    Posted On: 05 FEB 2025 9:56PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah, expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji and Finance Minister Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman Ji for allocating ₹17,155 crore for railways in Gujarat in Budget 2025.

    In a post on X platform, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Shri Amit Shah said under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the railway network of Gujarat, along with the entire country, is witnessing a golden period of development and expansion and the Union Budget2025-26 will further accelerate this journey of progress.

    Shri Amit Shah said, during 2009- 14  under the opposition Government, only ₹589 crore was allocated for railways in Gujarat during 2009 to 2014, while the Modi government has made a historic announcement to increase that amount by 29 times, to ₹17,155 crore in the year 2025-26. In the past decade, the electrification of railway tracks in Gujarat has increased by 22 times, and now 97 per cent of the railway tracks in Gujarat have been electrified, he added.

    He said, in the coming days, 87 stations in the state will be developed as Amrit Stations at a cost of ₹6,303 crore. Among these, the key stations include Ahmedabad, Anand, Ankleshwar, Jamnagar, Junagadh Junction, Mehsana Junction, Navsari, Porbandar, Rajkot Junction, Vadodara, and Vapi.Top of Form The redevelopment of 7 major stations is also under progress at a cost of ₹5,572 crore which include Gandhinagar Capital, Sabarmati, Somnath, Udhna, Surat, New Bhuj, and Ahmedabad.

    Being the Member of Parliament from Gandhinagar, he expressed delight that ₹799 crore is being invested for the redevelopment of the Gandhinagar. He said that this transformation of the railway network in the state will further boost trade, industry, transportation, and employment in Gujarat.

    ****

    Raj Kumar/ Vivek/ Ashutosh/ Pankaj

    (Release ID: 2100150) Visitor Counter : 43

    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s reply to the Motion of Thanks on the President’s Address in Lok Sabha

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 04 FEB 2025 8:57PM by PIB Delhi

    Respected Chairman,

    I am present here to express my gratitude to the address of the honourable President. Yesterday and today till late at night, all the honourable MPs enriched this motion of thanks with their views. Many honourable experienced MPs also expressed their views, and naturally, as is the tradition of democracy, where there was need, there was praise, where there was a problem, there were some negative things, but this is very natural! Mr. Speaker, it is a great fortune for me that the people of the country have given me the opportunity to sit at this place for the 14th time and express my gratitude to the address of the President, and therefore, today I want to express my gratitude to the people with great respect, and I also express my gratitude to all those who participated in the discussion in the House and enriched the discussion.

    Respected Chairman,

    We are in 2025, in a way 25% of the 21st century has already passed. Time will decide what happened in the 20th century after independence and in the first 25 years of the 21st century, and how it happened, but if we study this President’s address closely, it is clearly visible that the President has told the country about the next 25 years and a new confidence-building speech for a developed India. In a way, this speech of the respected President is going to strengthen the resolve for a developed India, create new confidence and inspire the general public.

    Respected Chairman,

    All the studies have repeatedly said that in the last 10 years, the people of the country have given us a chance to serve them. 25 crore countrymen have come out of poverty by defeating the poverty.

    Respected Chairman,

    For five decades you have heard slogans of eradicating poverty and now 25 crore poor people have come out after defeating poverty. It does not happen just like that. It happens when one spend one’s life for the poor in a planned manner with full sensitivity and dedication.

    Respected Chairman,

    When people connected to the land spend their lives on the land while knowing the truth about the land, then change on the land is certain.

    Respected Chairman,

    We have not given false slogans to the poor, we have given them true development. The pain of the poor, the suffering of the common man, the dreams of the middle class are not understood just like that. Respected Chairman, this requires passion and I have to say with sadness that some people do not have it.

    Respected Chairman,

    How difficult it is to live under a thatched roof with plastic sheets during the rainy season. There are moments when dreams are crushed every moment. Not everyone can understand this.

    Respected Chairman,

    Till now the poor have got 4 crore houses. Those who have lived that life do not understand what it means to get a house with a concrete roof.

    Respected Chairman,

    When a woman is forced to defecate in the open, she can either go out before sunrise or after sunset after facing a lot of difficulties to do this small daily ritual, such people cannot understand what trouble she has to go through, respected chairman.

    Respected Chairman,

    We have solved the problems of our sisters and daughters by building more than 12 crore toilets. Respected Chairman, these days there is a lot of discussion in the media. It is happening more on social media. Some leaders are focusing on Jacuzzi and stylish showers in homes, but our focus is on providing water to every home. After 75 years of independence, 70-75% of the country’s population, i.e. more than 16 crore households, did not have tap water connection. Our government has provided tap water to 12 crore families in 5 years and that work is progressing rapidly.

    Respected Chairman,

    We have done so much work for the poor and because of this, the honourable President has described it in detail in his speech. Those who keep themselves entertained by having photo sessions in the huts of the poor will find it boring to talk about the poor in the Parliament.

    Respected Chairman,

    I can understand their anger. Respected Chairman, identifying the problem is one thing but if there is a responsibility then you cannot leave it after identifying the problem, you have to make dedicated efforts to solve it. We have seen, and you must have seen our work of the last 10 years and also in the President’s address, our effort is to solve the problem and we make dedicated efforts.

    Respected Chairman,

    There used to be a Prime Minister in our country, it had become a fashion to call him Mr. Clean. It had become fashionable to call the Prime Minister Mr. Clean. He had identified a problem and he had said that if 1 rupee comes out from Delhi, then only 15 paise reaches the village. Now at that time, from the Panchayat to the Parliament, there was rule of one party, from the Panchayat to the Parliament, there was rule of one party and at that time he had publicly said that 1 rupee comes out and 15 paise reaches. It was an amazing kind of sleight of hand. Even a common man of the country can easily understand to whom the 15 paise used to go.

    Respected Chairman,

    The country gave us an opportunity, we tried to find solutions. Our model is savings as well as development, public money for the public. We created the Gem Trinity of Jan Dhan, Aadhar and Mobile and started giving direct benefit, direct benefit transfer through DBT.

    Respected Chairman,

    During our tenure, we deposited Rs 40 lakh crore directly into the accounts of the people.

    Respected Chairman,

    Look at the misfortune of this country, how the governments were run and for whom they were run.

    Respected Chairman,

    When the fever rises, people say anything, but when along with it, frustration and despair spreads, even then they say a lot.

    Respected Chairman,

    10 crore such fake people who were not born, who had not appeared on this land of India, were taking benefit of various schemes from the government treasury.

    Respected Chairman,

    So that the right does not face injustice, without worrying about political gain or loss, we removed these 10 crore fake names and launched a campaign to find the real beneficiaries and provide help to them.

    Respected Chairman,

    When these 10 crore fake people are removed and the accounts of various schemes are calculated, then almost 3 lakh crore rupees were saved from going into wrong hands. I am not saying whose hands were involved, it was from the wrong hands.

    Respected Chairman,

    We have also made full use of technology in government procurement, brought transparency and today even state governments are using the Gem portal. The purchases made through the Gem portal cost less than what is usually made and the government has saved Rs 1,15,000 crore.

    Respected Chairman,

    Our Swachh Bharat Abhiyan was ridiculed a lot, as if we had committed a sin, a mistake. I don’t know what all was said, but today I can say with satisfaction that due to this cleanliness drive, the government has earned 2300 crore rupees in recent years from the junk sold from government offices alone. Mahatma Gandhi used to talk about the principle of trusteeship. He used to say that we are trustees, this property belongs to the people and therefore we try to save every penny on the basis of this principle of trusteeship and use it at the right place and only then 2300 crore rupees are coming into the government treasury by selling junk from the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.

    Respected Chairman,

    We made an important decision of ethanol blending. We know that we are not energy independent and we have to import it from outside. When ethanol blending was done and our income from petrol and diesel decreased, that one decision made a difference of Rs 100000 crore and this money of almost Rs 100000 crore has gone into the pockets of farmers.

    Respected Chairman,

    I am talking about saving, but earlier the headlines of newspapers used to be, scams worth so many lakhs. Scams worth so many lakhs, scams worth so many lakhs, it has been 10 years since these scams were not committed. By not having scams, lakhs and crores of rupees of the country have been saved, which are being used in the service of the people.

    Respected Chairman,

    The various steps we have taken have saved lakhs of crores of rupees, but we have not used that money to build a palace for mirrors. We have used it to build the country. The infrastructure budget was Rs 180000 crore 10 years ago, before we came. Respected Chairman, today the infrastructure budget is Rs 11 lakh crore and that is why the President has described how the foundation of India is getting stronger. Be it roads, highways, railways or village roads, a strong foundation of development has been laid for all these works.

    Respected Chairman,

    Savings in the government treasury is one thing and that should be done as I said about trusteeship, but we have also kept in mind that the general public should also get the benefit of these savings. The schemes should be such that the public also saves and you must have seen the expenses incurred by the common man due to illness under the Ayushman Bharat Yojana. On the basis of the people who have taken its benefit till now, I would say that due to taking benefit of Ayushman Yojana, the expenses that the countrymen would have to bear from their own pockets, like this, Rs 120000 crore has been saved for the public. It is necessary that now like Jan Aushadhi Kendra, today in the middle class families, all the gentlemen are of 60-70 years of age, so it is natural that some disease or the other comes, there is also the cost of medicines, medicines are also expensive, since we have opened Jan Aushadhi Kendras, there is 80% discount and because of that, the families who have taken medicines from these Jan Aushadhi Kendras have saved nearly Rs 30000 crore on the cost of medicines.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    UNICEF also estimates that they have done a big survey of the families whose homes have sanitation and toilets, that family has saved about Rs. 70,000 in a year. Be it the Swachhata Abhiyan, the work of building toilets, the work of providing pure water, our common families are getting  huge benefits.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    I mentioned tap water in the beginning. There is a report from WHO, WHO says that because of getting pure tap water, the average family has saved Rs. 40000 on expenses incurred on other diseases. I am not counting much, but there are many such schemes which have saved the expenses of the common man.

    Respected Chairman,

    Free food grains are given to crores of countrymen, and the family saves thousands of rupees. PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme: Wherever this scheme has been implemented, those families are saving on an average 25 to 30 thousand rupees on electricity every year, there is saving in expenses and if there is more electricity, then they are earning money by selling it. That is, there is also saving for the common man. We had run a campaign for LED bulbs. You know that before we came, LED bulbs were sold for Rs. 400 each. We ran such a campaign that its price came down to ₹40 and because of LED bulbs there was saving of electricity and more light was also available and about 20,000 crore rupees of the countrymen were saved in this.

    Respected Chairman,

    Farmers who have used Soil Health Cards scientifically have benefited greatly and such farmers have saved Rs 30,000 per acre.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    In the last 10 years, by reducing the income tax, we have also worked to increase the savings of the middle class.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Before 2014, such bombs were hurled, such bullets were fired that the lives of the countrymen were shattered. We gradually moved ahead by filling up those wounds. 200000 rupees, in 2013-14, ₹200000, only ₹200000, there was income tax exemption on that and today 12 lakh rupees are completely exempted from income tax and in the intervening period also in 2014, in 2017, in 2019, in 2023, we have been doing this continuously, healing the wounds and today the bandage that was left has also been done. If we add 75000 standard deduction to it, then after 1st April, the salaried class of the country will not have to pay any income tax up to 12.75 lakh rupees.

    Respected Chairman,

    When you were working in Yuva Morcha, you must have heard and read about a Prime Minister who used to say 21st century, 21st century almost every day. In a way, it had become a memorized phrase, it had become a catchphrase. He used to say 21st century, 21st century. When it was said so often, R K Laxman had made a great cartoon in Times of India. That cartoon was very interesting. In that cartoon, there is an airplane and a pilot. I don’t know why he liked the pilot. Some passengers were sitting and the airplane was placed on a cart and workers were pushing the cart and 21st century was written on it. That cartoon seemed like a joke at that time, but later on it proved to be true.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    This was a sarcasm; it was a cartoon that demonstrated how disconnected from ground reality the then Prime Minister was that he was engaged in baseless talk.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Those who then talked about the 21st century were not even able to fulfill the needs of the 20th century.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Today when I see that I have got the opportunity to look closely at all the things that happened in the last 10 years, I feel very sad. We are 40-50 years late, the work which should have been done 40-50 years ago, and hence this year when the people of the country gave us the opportunity to serve from 2014, we focused more and more on the youth. We emphasized on the aspirations of the youth, we created more opportunities for the youth, we opened many sectors and due to which we are seeing that the youth of the country are waving the flag of their capabilities. We opened the space sector in the country, opened the defense sector, brought the semiconductor mission, we gave shape to many new schemes to promote innovation, completely developed the Startup India ecosystem and in this budget also, respected Chairman ji, a very important decision has been taken. Income tax exemption on income of Rs 12 lakh, this news became so big that many important things have still not been noticed by some people. That important decision has been taken; we have opened up the nuclear energy sector and the country is going to see its far-reaching positive impacts and results.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    We are also among those who are making efforts to discuss AI, 3D printing, robotics, virtual reality and what is the significance of gaming. I have told the youth of the country that why should India not become the gaming capital of the world and the creativity capital of the world and I see that our people are working very fast. Some people use this word when it is in fashion, but for me there is no single AI, there is double AI, India has double strength, one AI is Artificial Intelligence and the other is AI Aspirational India. We started 10000 tinkering labs in schools and today the children coming out of those tinkering labs are surprising people by making robotics and in this budget, provision has been made for 50000 new tinkering labs. India is a country about whose India AI mission the whole world is very optimistic and India’s presence has gained an important place in the world’s AI platform.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    In this year’s budget, we have talked about investment in the domain of deep tech and I believe that in order to move ahead at a fast pace in deep tech and the 21st century being a completely technology driven century, it is necessary for us that India moves ahead very fast in the field of deep tech.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    We are constantly working keeping the youth’s future in mind, but there are some parties that are constantly cheating the youth. These parties will give this allowance or that allowance during elections, they make promises but do not fulfill them.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    These parties have become a disaster for the future of the youth. 

    Respected Chairman,

    The country has just seen in Haryana how we work. We had promised jobs without any expenditure and without any slips. As soon as the government was formed, the youth got jobs. This is the result of what we say.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Grand victory for the third time in Haryana and victory for the third time in the history of Haryana, this is a historic event in itself.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Historical result in Maharashtra too, blessings of the people, for the first time in the history of Maharashtra the ruling party has so many seats, we have achieved this with the blessings of the people.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    In his address, the Honourable President has also discussed in detail the completion of 75 years of our Constitution.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Apart from the clauses in the constitution, there is also a spirit of the constitution and to strengthen the constitution, the spirit of the constitution has to be lived and today I want to explain this with examples. We are the people who live the constitution.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    It is true that in our country, when the President addresses the House, he gives details of the government’s tenure for that year. Similarly, in the state, when the Governor addresses the House, he gives details of the activities of that state. What is the spirit of the Constitution and democracy? When Gujarat completed 50 years, we were celebrating its Golden Jubilee Year and luckily I was serving as the Chief Minister at that time, we took an important decision. We decided that in this Golden Jubilee Year, all the speeches of the Governors in the House in the last 50 years, that is, the governments of that time are praised in it. We said that all the speeches of the Governors in those 50 years should be prepared in the form of a book, a treatise should be made and today that treatise is available in all the libraries. I was from BJP, in Gujarat, there were mostly Congress governments. There were speeches of the governors of those governments, but the job of making them famous was being done by the BJP, this Chief Minister from the BJP, why? We know how to live the Constitution. We are dedicated to the Constitution. We understand the spirit of the Constitution.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    You know that when we came in 2014, there was no honourable opposition. There was no Recognised Opposition Party. No one had come with even that many marks. There were many laws in India that had complete freedom to work according to those laws, there were many committees in which it was written that the Leader of the Opposition would be in them. But there was no opposition, there was no Recognised Opposition. This was our nature of living the Constitution, this was the spirit of our Constitution, this was our intention to follow the limits of democracy, we decided that even though there would not be an honourable opposition, there would not be a Recognised Opposition, but the leader of the largest party would be called in the meetings. This is the spirit of democracy, it happens then. Committees of the Election Commission, respected Mr Chairman,earlier the Prime Minister used to file it and issue it, it is we who have included the Leader of Opposition in it and we have also made a law for it and today when the Election Commission will be formally formed, the Opposition Leader will also be a part of its decision making process, we do this work. And I have already done this, we do it because we live the Constitution.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    You will find many places in Delhi where some families have built their own museums. The work is being done with the money of the people, what is the spirit of democracy, what is it called living the Constitution, we built the PM Museum and the life and work of all the Prime Ministers of the country from the first to my predecessors have been made in that PM Museum and I would like that the families of the great men who are in this PM Museum should take out time to see that museum and if they feel like adding something to it, then they should draw the attention of the government so that the museum is enriched and inspires the new children of the country, this is the spirit of the Constitution! Everyone does everything for themselves, the group of people who live for themselves is not very small, people who live for the Constitution are sitting here.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    When power becomes service, nation building happens. When power is made a legacy, democracy ends.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    We follow the spirit of the Constitution. We don’t do politics of poison. We give utmost importance to the unity of the country and that is why we build the world’s tallest statue of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and we remember the great man who worked to unite the country with the Statue of Unity and he was not from the BJP, he was not from the Jan Sangh. We live the Constitution, that is why we move forward with this thinking.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    It is the misfortune of the country that these days some people are openly speaking the language of urban Naxals and the things that urban Naxals say, like taking on the Indian State, these people who speak the language of urban Naxals and declare war against the Indian State can neither understand the Constitution nor the unity of the country.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    For seven decades, Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh were deprived of the rights of the Constitution. This was injustice to the Constitution and also injustice to the people of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. We broke the wall of Article 370, now the citizens of those states of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh are getting the rights that the countrymen have and we know the importance of the Constitution, we live by the spirit of the Constitution, that is why we take such strong decisions.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Our Constitution does not give us the right to discriminate. Those who live with the Constitution in their pockets do not know what kind of problems you forced Muslim women to live in. We have worked to give rights to Muslim daughters in accordance with the spirit of the Constitution by abolishing triple talaq, and have given them the right to equality. Whenever there has been an NDA government in the country, we have worked with a long vision. I don’t know what kind of language is being used to divide the country, I don’t know how far frustration and disappointment will take them, but what is our thinking, in which direction do the NDA partners think, for us, we pay more attention to what is behind, what is last and what Mahatma Gandhi had said and the result of that is that even if we create ministries, then which ministry do we create, we create a separate ministry for the North-East. We have been in the country for so many years, till Atal ji came, no one understood, he kept giving speeches, NDA created a separate ministry for the tribals.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Our southern states are connected to the sea coast. Many states in our east are connected to the sea coast. Fisheries work and fishermen are a very large part of the society there. They should also be taken care of and in the areas where there is a small amount of water inside the land, there are fishermen from the last section of the society too. It is our government which has created a separate ministry for fisheries.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    The downtrodden and deprived people of the society have a potential within them, if emphasis is laid on skill development, new opportunities can be created for them. Their hopes and aspirations can create a new life and hence we created a separate Skill Ministry.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    The first duty of democracy in the country is that we should give power to the common man and keeping this in mind, there is an opportunity to connect crores of people of the country to make the cooperative sector of India more prosperous and healthy. The cooperative movement can be increased in many areas and keeping this in mind, we have created a separate cooperative ministry. What is the vision is known here.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Talking about caste has become a fashion for some people. For the last 30 years, the MPs from the OBC community who have been coming to the House for the last 30 years, have been demanding for the last 30-35 years that the OBC Commission be given constitutional status by rising above party differences. Those who see profit in casteism today, did not remember the OBC community at that time, it is us who gave constitutional status to the OBC community. The Backward Classes Commission is included in the constitutional system today.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    We have worked very strongly in the direction of providing maximum opportunities to SC, ST and OBC in every sector. Today, through this House, I want to put forth an important question before the countrymen and Mr. Speaker, the countrymen will surely ponder over this question of mine and will also discuss it at crossroads. Someone please tell me, has there ever been three SC MPs from the same family in the Parliament at the same time? Have there ever been three SC MPs from the same family? I want to ask another question, can someone please tell me whether there have ever been three ST MPs from the same family in the Parliament at the same time and in the same period?

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    I got the answer to one of my questions about the difference between the speech and behavior of some people. The difference is like the difference between the earth and the sky, the difference is like the difference between night and day.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    How are we empowering SC ST society? Respected Chairman, I will give you an example of how the welfare of the deprived society is done while maintaining the spirit of unity without creating tension in the society. Before 2014, the number of medical colleges in our country was 387. Today there are 780 medical colleges. Now that the number of medical colleges has increased, the seats have also increased. This is a very important angle, Respected Chairman, and hence the colleges have increased and the seats have also increased. Before 2014, the MBBS seats for SC students in our country were 7700. Before we came, there was a possibility of 7700 youth from Dalit society becoming doctors. We worked for 10 years, today the number has increased and arrangements have been made for 17000 MBBS doctors of SC society. Where is 7700 and where is 17000, if there is any welfare of Dalit society and if there is no tension in the society while increasing the respect of each other.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Before 2014, there were 3800 MBBS seats for ST students. Today this number has increased to around 9000. Before 2014, there were less than 14000 MBBS seats for OBC students. Today their number has increased to around 32000. 32000 MBBS doctors will be made from OBC community.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    In the last 10 years a new university has been established every week, a new ITI has been built every day, a new college has opened every 2 days, just imagine how much growth has taken place for our SC, ST, OBC young men and women.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    We are behind every scheme- 100% saturation, implement it 100%, the beneficiaries should not be left out, we are working in that direction. First of all, we want that the one who is entitled to it should get it, if there is a scheme, then it should reach him, the game of 1 rupee 15 paise cannot work. But what some people did is that they made a model that gave to only a few people and torment others and did the politics of appeasement. To make the country a developed India, we will have to get rid of appeasement. We have chosen the path of satisfaction, not appeasement, and we are walking on that path. Every society, every class of people should get what is their right without any discrimination, this is satisfaction and according to me when I talk about 100% saturation, it means that it is actually social justice. This is actually secularism and in fact it is respect for the constitution.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    The spirit of the Constitution is that everyone should get better health and today is also Cancer Day. Today, a lot of discussions are going on about health in the country and the world. But there are some people who are creating obstacles in providing health services to the poor and the elderly and that too due to their political interests. Today, 30,000 hospitals in the country and good specialized private hospitals are associated with Ayushman. Where Ayushman card holders get free treatment. But some political parties, due to their narrow mindset, due to bad policies, have kept the doors of these hospitals closed for the poor and cancer patients have suffered the loss. Recently, a study by the public health journal Lancet has come out, which says that cancer treatment is starting on time with the Ayushman scheme. The government is very serious about cancer detection. Because the sooner the detection is done, the sooner the treatment starts, we can save the cancer patient and Lancet has given credit to the Ayushman scheme and said that a lot of work has been done in this direction in India.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    In this budget too, we have taken a very important step towards making cancer medicines cheaper. Not only this, an important decision has been taken in the coming days and since today is Cancer Day, I would definitely like to say that all the honourable MPs can take advantage of this for such patients in their area, and that is the patients, you know that due to lack of enough hospitals, patients coming from outside face a lot of problems, a decision has been taken in this budget to build 200 day care centers. These day care centers will provide great relief to the patient as well as his family.

    Respected Mr President,

    While discussing the speech of the President, foreign policy was also discussed and some people feel that unless they talk about foreign policy, they do not look mature, so they feel that foreign policy should be talked about even if it causes loss to the country. I want to tell such people, if they are really interested in foreign policy subject and want to understand foreign policy and want to do something in future, I am not saying this for Shashi ji, so I would tell such people to definitely read a book, maybe they will understand what to say where, the name of that book is JFK’s forgotten crisis. It is about JF Kennedy. It is a book named JFK’s forgotten crisis. This book has been written by a famous foreign policy scholar and important events are mentioned in it. This book also mentions the first Prime Minister of India and he also led the foreign policy. This book also describes in detail the discussions and decisions taken between Pandit Nehru and the then President of America, John F. Kane. When the country was facing a lot of challenges, what game was going on in the name of foreign policy then, is now coming to light through that book and so now I would say that please read this book.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    After the President’s speech, it is your wish if a woman President, daughter of a poor family, could not be respected, but she is being insulted by all sorts of things being said. I can understand political frustration and disappointment, but what is the reason against a President, what is the reason.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Today India is moving ahead by leaving this kind of distorted mentality and thinking behind and following the mantra of women led development. If half of the population gets full opportunity, then India can progress at twice the speed and this is my belief, after working in this field for 25 years my belief has become stronger.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    In the last 10 years, 10 crore new women have joined Self Help Groups (SHGs), and these women are from underprivileged families, from rural backgrounds. The strength of these women sitting at the bottom of the society has increased, their social status has also improved and the government has increased their assistance to Rs 20 lakh, so that they can take this work forward. We are making efforts in this direction to increase their work capacity, increase its scale and today it is having a very positive impact on the rural economy.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    The President has discussed the Lakhpati Didi Abhiyan in his speech. According to the information registered so far after the formation of our new government for the third time, we have received information about more than 50 lakh Lakhpati Didis and since I have taken this scheme forward, till now about 1.25 crore women have become Lakhpati Didis and our target is to make three crore women Lakhpati Didis and for this, emphasis will be laid on economic programs.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Today, Drone Didi is being discussed in many villages of the country, a psychological change has come in the village, seeing a woman flying a drone in her hand, the villagers’ view of women is changing and today Namo Drone Didi has started earning lakhs of rupees by working in the fields. Mudra Yojana is also playing a very important role in the empowerment of women. Crores of women have stepped into the industry for the first time with the help of Mudra Yojana and have come into the role of industrialists.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Out of the houses given to 4 crore families, approximately 75 percent of the houses are owned by women.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    This change is laying the foundation of a strong India of the 21st century. Respected Speaker, the goal of developed India is the rural economy, without strengthening it we cannot build a developed India and therefore we have tried to touch every sector of the rural economy and we know that agriculture is very important in the rural economy. Our farmers are a strong pillar among the four pillars of developed India. In the last decade, the budget for agriculture has been increased 10 times. Let me tell you about the period after 2014 and this is a very big jump.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Those who talk about farmers here today, before 2014, they used to be beaten up for asking for urea. They had to stand in queues all night and that was the time when fertilizers were issued in the name of farmers, but did not reach the fields, somewhere else in black millet and the game of sleight of hand of 1 rupee and 15 paise was going on. Today farmers are getting enough fertilizers. The great crisis of Covid came, the entire supply chain got disturbed, the prices in the world increased unreasonably and the result was that because we are dependent on urea, we have to import it from outside, today for the Indian government  a bag of urea costs ₹ 3000, the government has borne the burden and has given it to the farmer at a price less than 300, less than 300 rupees. We are continuously working to ensure that the farmer gets maximum benefit.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    In the last 10 years, 12 lakh crore rupees have been spent to ensure that farmers get cheap fertilizers. Around 3.5 lakh crore rupees have been transferred directly to farmers’ accounts through PM Kisan Samman Nidhi. We have also increased the MSP on a record basis and have procured three times more in the last decade than before. Farmers should get loans, easy loans, cheap loans, and that too has increased three times. Earlier, farmers were left to fend for themselves during natural calamities. During our tenure, farmers have received 2 lakh crore rupees under PM Fasal Bima.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Unprecedented steps have been taken for irrigation in the last decade and it is unfortunate that those who talk about the Constitution do not have much knowledge. Very few people would know that in our country, Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s vision regarding water schemes was so clear, so comprehensive and so inclusive that it inspires us even today. We launched a campaign to complete more than 100 irrigation projects that were pending for decades, so that water reaches the farmers’ fields. Babasaheb’s vision was to link rivers, Babasaheb Ambedkar advocated linking of rivers. But for years, decades passed, nothing happened. Today we have started work on the Ken-Betwa Link Project and the Parvati-Kalisindh-Chambal Link Project and I have also had a successful experience of working to revive extinct rivers by linking many rivers in Gujarat in this way.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    This should be the dream of every citizen of the country. It should be the dream of all of us that there should be Made in India food packets on every dining table in the world. Today I feel happy when along with Indian tea, our coffee is also spreading its fragrance in the world. It is making a splash in the markets. Even our turmeric has seen the highest demand after Covid.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    You will definitely see that in the coming times, our processed seafood and the Makhana of Bihar, which some people are worried about and don’t know when and why, is going to reach the world. Our coarse grain i.e. Shri Anna, will also increase the prestige of India in the world markets.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Future Ready cities are also very important for a developed India. Our country is rapidly moving towards urbanisation and this should not be considered a challenge or a crisis. It should be considered an opportunity and we should work in that direction. Expansion of infrastructure leads to expansion of opportunities. Where connectivity increases, possibilities also increase. The first Namo Rail connecting Delhi-UP was inaugurated and I also got the opportunity to travel in it. Such connectivity, such infrastructure should reach all the major cities of India, this is our need in the coming days and our direction.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    Delhi’s network has doubled and today the metro network is reaching tier-2 and tier-3 cities as well. Today we can all be proud that India’s metro network has crossed 1000 km and not only this, work is currently underway on another 1000 km. That means we are progressing so fast.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    The Government of India has taken many initiatives to reduce pollution. We have started running 12 thousand electric buses in the country and have also done a great service to Delhi. We have given this to Delhi as well.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    A new economy has always been expanding from time to time in our country. Today, the Gig Economy is developing as an important area in big cities. Lakhs of youth are joining it. We have said in this budget that labour! Such Gig workers should register themselves on the e-Shram portal and after verification, how can we help them in this new age service economy and they should get an ID card after coming on the e-Shram portal and we have said that these Gig workers will also be given the benefit of Ayushman Yojana so that Gig workers will  move in the right direction and it is estimated that today there are about one crore Gig workers in the country and we are also working in that direction.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    The MSME sector brings a huge number of job opportunities and this is a sector that has immense employment potential. These small industries are a symbol of self-reliant India. Our MSME sector is making a huge contribution to the country’s economy. Our policy is clear, simplicity, convenience and support to MSMEs is a sector that has employment potential and this time we have emphasized on Mission Manufacturing and in a Mission Mode, we are moving forward by giving emphasis to the entire ecosystem of manufacturing sector i.e. giving strength to MSMEs and giving employment to many youth through MSMEs and preparing youth for employment through skill development. We have started working on many aspects to improve the MSMEs sector. The criteria for MSMEs was made in 2006, it was not updated. In the last 10 years, we have tried to upgrade this criteria twice and this time we have taken a very big jump. For the first time in 2020, for the second time in this budget, we have tried to promote MSMEs. They are being given financial assistance everywhere.

    The challenge before MSMEs has been the lack of formal financial resources. During the Covid crisis, MSMEs were given a special emphasis. We have given special emphasis to the toy industry. We gave special emphasis to the textile industry, did not let them face cash-flow shortage and gave loans without any guarantee. Possibilities of lakhs of jobs were created in thousands of industries and jobs were also secured. 

    For small industries, we took steps in the direction of Customised Credit Card, Credit Guarantee Coverage, due to which their Ease of Doing Business also got a boost and by reducing unnecessary rules, their administrative burden, they had to pay one or two people for work, that too was stopped. You will be happy to know that we have made new policies to promote MSMEs, there was a time before 2014, we used to import things like toys, today I can proudly say that the small toy-making industries of my country are exporting toys to the world today and there has been a huge decline in imports. There has been an increase of about 239 percent in exports. There are many sectors run by MSMEs that are making their mark across the world. Made in India clothes, electronics, electrical scouts’ goods are today becoming a part of the lives of other countries.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    The country is moving ahead to fulfill the dream of a developed India and is moving ahead with great confidence. The dream of a developed India is not a government dream. It is the dream of 140 crore countrymen and now everyone has to give as much energy as they can to this dream and there are examples in the world, in a period of 20-25 years many countries of the world have shown that they have become developed, so India has immense potential. We have demography, democracy, demand, why can’t we do it? We have to move ahead with this confidence and we are also moving ahead with the dream that by 2047, when the country will become independent, it will be 100 years of independence and by then we will become a developed India.

    And Honorable Chairman,

    I say with confidence that we have to achieve bigger goals and we will achieve them and Honorable Speaker, this is only our third term. As per the requirement of the country, we are going to remain dedicated for many years to come to build a modern India, a capable India and to realize the resolution of a developed India.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    I appeal to all the parties, I appeal to all the leaders, I appeal to the countrymen, everyone has their own political ideologies, their own political programs, but nothing can be bigger than the country. The country is paramount for all of us and together we will fulfill the dream of a developed India, the dream of 140 crore countrymen is also our dream where every sitting MP is working to fulfill the dream of a developed India.

    Respected Mr Chairman,

    While expressing my gratitude for the President’s speech, I also express my gratitude to you and the House. Thank you!

     

    DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses distribution program of over 2800 appointment letters in Tripura Govt through Video Conference

    Source: Government of India

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addresses distribution program of over 2800 appointment letters in Tripura Govt through Video Conference

    Earlier, only the cadres of one party used to get jobs in Tripura, today, the Tripura government is providing jobs with complete transparency, without any discrimination, recommendation, or corruption

    Under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the entire Northeast is now on the path of development

    Tripura has moved ahead on the path of participation instead of distraction, speed instead of obstruction, and welfare instead of delay

    The policies of the Modi government have transformed Tripura from a landlocked state to a land-linked state

    In last 10 years, Modi Govt. has made three agreements in Tripura to bring peace to the state

    Armed groups in Tripura have been eliminated, surrendered and joined the mainstream
    The Modi government has brought a positive change in the lives of the Bru-Reang brothers and sisters by providing them with permanent residency, education, healthcare, and job opportunities

    Posted On: 05 FEB 2025 7:43PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Shri Amit Shah addressed the distribution program of over 2800 appointment letters in Tripura Govt through Video Conference.

    In his address, Union Home Minister Shri Amit Shah said, earlier, only the cadres of one party used to get jobs in Tripura, today, the Tripura government is providing jobs with complete transparency, without any discrimination, recommendation, or corruption. He said that the present Chief Minister of Tripura, Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha has provided a new beginning in the lives of 2807 youths of the state by offering them government jobs today, without any discrimination, favoritism, or corruption, and with full transparency. This opportunity has connected them to the development of Tripura. Shri Shah mentioned that today, with the appointments to 2437 Multi-Tasking Staff positions and 370 positions in the Health Department, these individuals have started a new chapter in their lives. He further mentioned that with the receipt of their appointment letters, these 2807 individuals have now become a part of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s campaign for a developed Tripura and a developed India.

    Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, the entire Northeast is now on the path of development. He mentioned that in the last 10 years, Union ministers’ have visited the Northeast over 700 times, and many positive initiatives have been taken for the region’s development. Shri Shah noted that Northeast which was once known for insurgency, infiltration, blockades, drugs, arms smuggling, corruption, and ethnic tensions is now known for development, connectivity, infrastructure, education, investment, and the growth of agricultural activities, under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi.

    Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation said that the Modi government has made three agreements in the last 10 years to bring permanent peace to Tripura. He highlighted the Modi government has brought a positive change in the lives of the Bru-Reang brothers and sisters by providing them with permanent residency, education, healthcare, and job opportunities. He added that all the insurgent groups in Tripura have been eliminated, surrendered and joined the mainstream. Shri Shah said that under the leadership of Chief Minister, Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha today Tripura has moved ahead on the path of participation instead of distraction, speed instead of obstruction, and welfare instead of delay.

    Shri Amit Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi, former Chief Minister Biplab Deb and now Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha have worked extensively for the all-around development of Tripura. He said that in these seven years of his party’s government, there has been more development than in the seven years of previous governments. He pointed out that policies of the Modi government have transformed Tripura from a landlocked state to a land-linked state. He said that many works like airport, roads, water harvesting and irrigation have been done by the Government of India and Tripura for the all-round development of the state. Union Home Minister added that the biggest achievement of their government has been freeing Tripura from corruption and unrest. He emphasized that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and the Government of India are fully dedicated to the development of Tripura.

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    Raj Kumar/ Vivek/ Ashutosh/ Pankaj  

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    Read this release in: Hindi

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “Nuclear Mission” announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 will mark a transformative shift in India’s energy landscape and will enable Nuclear Power to emerge as a major source of energy in India.: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

    Source: Government of India (2)

    “Nuclear Mission” announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 will mark a transformative shift in India’s energy landscape and will enable Nuclear Power to emerge as a major source of energy in India.: Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh

    ₹20,000 crore for R&D in Small Modular Reactors, targeting at least five indigenously designed operational SMRs by 2033: Dr. Singh

    Posted On: 05 FEB 2025 7:21PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, in an exclusive media interview, said here today that the “Nuclear Mission” announced in the Union Budget 2025-26 will mark a transformative shift in India’s energy landscape and will enable Nuclear Power to emerge as a major source of energy in India.

    Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Earth Sciences, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Department of Atomic Energy, Department of Space, and Personnel, Public Grievances, and Pensions, Dr. Jitendra Singh, underscored the crucial role of nuclear power in ensuring India’s energy security. He emphasized the government’s futuristic roadmap for the nuclear energy sector, which will significantly contribute to achieving self-sufficiency in energy production.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh hailed the revolutionary decision to provide tax relief on income up to ₹12 lakh, noting that this initiative will bring satisfaction to a large section of the population and have a multiplier effect on the economy.

    In a landmark move, Dr Jitendra Singh hailed the announcement that India’s nuclear energy sector has been opened for private sector participation. Calling this step “revolutionary,” he noted that for 60-70 years, the sector operated under secrecy. Now, with greater openness and collaboration, India can accelerate growth and innovation in nuclear energy, aligning with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh recalled how Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s decision to open the Space sector for private players transformed the industry. He expressed confidence that the nuclear sector will experience similar growth and innovation, leading to a major shift in energy security.

    Highlighting India’s reliance on petroleum imports, Dr. Jitendra Singh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to clean and sustainable energy solutions. And categorically mentioned that nuclear energy will be a major source of India’s energy security.

    Recognizing nuclear power as a cornerstone for energy security, the government has introduced the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat, aiming to enhance domestic nuclear capabilities, promote private sector participation, and deploy advanced nuclear technologies.

    The Union Budget 2025-26 has allocated ₹20,000 crore for R&D in Small Modular Reactors, targeting at least five indigenously designed operational SMRs by 2033. This aligns with India’s target of 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047, a major step toward reducing carbon emissions and ensuring energy sustainability.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh informed that India’s nuclear power capacity, currently at 8,180 MW, is set to expand to 22,480 MW by 2031-32, with ten reactors under construction across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh. Additionally, plans for ten more reactors are in progress, with a major 6 x 1208 MW nuclear power plant in collaboration with the USA at Kovvada, Andhra Pradesh.

    He shared that a significant milestone was achieved on September 19, 2024, when the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project’s Unit-7 (RAPP-7) reached criticality, marking the beginning of a controlled fission chain reaction—an achievement highlighting India’s growing nuclear prowess.

    Dr. Singh reaffirmed India’s commitment to achieving 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy generation by 2030, in line with its COP26 pledge, and PM Modi’s vision for net-zero emissions by 2070 he remarked that it was Prime Minister Modi who initiated the Mission LiFE. He emphasized that India’s approach to nuclear and biotech advancements follows a whole-of-government and whole-of-science model, ensuring integrated progress.

    Dr. Singh also introduced the recently announced BIOe3 Policy, India’s first-of-its-kind initiative to foster a biotechnology-driven industrial revolution. He emphasized the creation of BIRAC, a platform to support biotech startups and facilitate collaborations with the Department of Biotechnology. India has already seen success in biotechnology, with achievements such as the development of its first antibiotic Nafithromycin and the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine.

    The BIOe3 Policy will drive advancements in bio-manufacturing, bio-foundries, and circular economy models, promoting recyclable and reusable products under the “Wealth from Waste” concept. This initiative is expected to spur economic growth, generate employment, and foster environmental sustainability.

    Towards the conclusion Dr. Jitendra Singh reiterated that provisions for nuclear power in Union Budget 2025-26 mark a transformative shift in India’s energy landscape. By expanding nuclear energy as a sustainable, scalable, and secure power source, the government aims to bolster energy security and meet the nation’s long-term economic and environmental goals. Dr. Singh reaffirmed that the Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat is poised to accelerate nuclear power development, positioning India as a global leader in advanced nuclear technology by 2047.

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    NKR/PSM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches a national level mass outreach campaign “Watershed Yatra”

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan launches a national level mass outreach campaign “Watershed Yatra”

    Shri Chouhan emphasizes the importance of soil and water conservation for the present & future needs of the people and community participation in the effective & successful implementation of WDC PMKSY Projects

    Union Minister Shri Chouhan urges the people to participate in the yatra whole heartedly and ensure success of WDC-PMKSY

    Shri Chouhan announces ‘Watershed – Janbhagidari Pratiyogita’ under WDC-PMKSY 2.0 for the years 2025 & 2026

    Posted On: 05 FEB 2025 6:50PM by PIB Delhi

     Union Minister of Rural Development Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has today launched a national level mass outreach campaign “Watershed Yatra”, in Hybrid mode to generate people’s participation and create awareness about the Watershed Development activities carried out under Watershed Development Component of Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (WDC-PMKSY 2.0) in project areas. Union  Ministers of State,  Rural Development,  Dr. Chandra Sekhar Pemmasani and Shri Kamlesh Paswan were also present and addressed the gathering in the launch event of Watershed Yatra. Concerned Ministers of State/UT Governments, senior officials and officials associated with implementation of WDC-PMKSY participated in physical mode in their respective States and launched the Yatra simultaneously in their States/UTs. A total of about 800 Gram Panchayats and more than one lakh people participated in the Watershed Yatra launch program.

    Union Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized the importance of soil and water conservation for the present & future needs of the people and community participation in the effective & successful implementation of WDC PMKSY Projects across the country. Accordingly, he urged the people to participate in the yatra whole heartedly and ensure success of WDC-PMKSY. He also opined that the Yatra will provide a platform for achieving “Community Driven Approach”, galvanise the implementation machinery at field level and highlights the importance of sustainable management of natural resources for improving agriculture productivity, livelihoods, and the environment. He also mentioned that the activities to be undertaken during the Watershed Yatra like Bhoomi Poojan of New Works, Lokarpan of Completed works, Watershed Mahotsav, Watershed ki Panchayat, Awards and recognitions to the Watershed Margdarshaks in project areas, Bhumi-Jal Pitch and Shramdan  etc., will drive the message of sustainable resource management to the common people.

    On this occasion of launch of the Yatra, Shri Chouhan also announced ‘Watershed – Janbhagidari Pratiyogita’ under WDC-PMKSY 2.0 for the years 2025 & 2026. He also stated that it is a unique model based on the principles of community-led watershed management, incorporating ‘Public-Private-People Partnership (4Ps)’. Under this, the works done in the project areas through government funding and public participation will be evaluated at the state level and the projects doing excellent and remarkable work will be given an additional reward of Rs. 20 lakh per project. A total provision of Rs 70.80 crore has been made for this, which will benefit 177 projects every year. The evaluation of projects for this year’s competition will be done in the month of April.

    Union Minister also mentioned that the competition will not only speed up the departmental work but the general public will also contribute to the construction and maintenance of water harvesting structures by through Shramdaan etc. as per their capacity. The main objective of this competition is to create Healthy competition, public awareness, public participation and a sense of belongingness among the general public for soil and water conservation, so that in future also the villagers take care of these structures and manage them properly.

    The Watershed Yatra will consist of Van movement for around 60-90 days across 805  projects, which cover 6673 GPs (13587 villages) in 26 States and 2 UTs. Under the activity of Watershed ki Panchayat, talk by experts about sustainable soil and water management practices will be organized and around 8,000 individuals having contributed in implementation of WDC-PMKSY works in different Project Areas will be honoured, which will further motivate watershed communities.

    The Department has developed a Learning Management System (LMS) on Watershed Development and hosted  on DoLR’s website, which has also been linked to MY Bharat portal for further engagement of youth. A certificate will be issued to participating youths, which will motivate them to participate in Shramdaan activities.

    A mega event for “Watershed Yatra” has been created on ‘MY Bharat portal’ to connect with and involve Youths across the country. This will help in mobilizing youth volunteers for activities like Shramdan, strengthening community participation in watershed projects and will help in better implementation of WDC-PMKSY 2.0 scheme. This will also help in creating a community cadre of watershed workers and leaders.

     

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    MG/KSR

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Palestinians, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Gaza & other topics – Daily Press Briefing

    Source: United Nations (Video News)

    Noon Briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.

    – Palestinians
    – Occupied Palestinian Territory
    – Gaza
    – Democratic Republic of the Congo
    – Sudan
    – South Sudan
    – Sweden
    – Aga Khan
    – Iraq
    – Senior Appointment
    – Financial Contribution
    – Guest

    PALESTINIANS
    This afternoon, the Secretary-General has a scheduled appearance at the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People. In his remarks, he will tell the committee, following the agreement that has been in effect, that we must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and the release of all hostages without delay. We cannot go back to more death and destruction.
    In speaking to the broader situation, the Secretary-General will say that in the search for solutions we must not make the problems worse. It is vital to stay true to the bedrock of international law. It is essential to avoid any form of ethnic cleansing and, of course, he will reaffirm the two-state solution. And you can follow those remarks on UN WebTV starting at 3 p.m.

    OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORY
    Our Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, is continuing his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory. On the political level, Mr. Fletcher held discussions over the past two days with Israeli authorities, including President Isaac Herzog, as well as officials from the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
    Mr. Fletcher described these engagements as practical, emphasizing the need to build on the progress since the ceasefire and sustain the large-scale delivery of UN aid into Gaza. On the ground, Mr. Fletcher visited today different areas of the West Bank.
    In East Jerusalem, he visited Silwan neighbourhood where he met with residents facing home demolitions and the threat of forcible eviction by Israeli authorities.
    Mr. Fletcher also toured what is known as Area C of the Ramallah governorate, where he heard and saw the humanitarian impact of access restrictions on the livelihoods of Palestinian and their daily lives. These restrictions include Israeli checkpoints and of course the 712-kilometre-long barrier.
    And just a short while ago in Ramallah, Mr. Fletcher held discussions with national Palestinian NGOs, who are at the heart of humanitarian response efforts across the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    GAZA
    In Gaza, our humanitarian colleagues report that our aid operations – together with our partners – continue to scale up across the Gaza Strip. We are also carrying out assessments to determine the needs of impacted and displaced families, particularly the most vulnerable.
    Across Gaza, 22 bakeries supported by the World Food Programme are now operational. And our health partners continue to provide health services as well. We and our partners estimate that more than half a million displaced Palestinians have now returned to the governorates of both Gaza and North Gaza, where there is an urgent need for tents and shelter materials. Our partners say they’ve transported 22 truckloads of tents from southern to northern Gaza yesterday to address these needs but we need to get more tents in.
    For its part, UNICEF continues to distribute nutrition support for infants. Across Gaza, the World Food Programme has provided lipid-based nutrient supplements to more than 80,000 children and pregnant or breastfeeding women since the ceasefire took effect. Humanitarian partners have screened more than 30,000 children under the age of five for malnutrition since the ceasefire took effect. Of those children under five screened, over 1,000 cases of acute malnutrition have been identified, including 230 cases of severe acute malnutrition.
    And to sustain learning activities across the Gaza Strip, education partners established three new temporary learning spaces yesterday in Gaza, Rafah, and Khan Younis governorates, benefiting some 200 children.

    Full Highlights: https://www.un.org/sg/en/content/noon-briefing-highlight?date%5Bvalue%5D%5Bdate%5D=05%20February%202025

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

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland’s first draft Promise Plan welcomed.

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    A draft plan which sets out Highland’s commitment to achieve the aspirations of “The Promise” for care experienced children and families across the region has been scrutinised by Members of the Health Social Care and Wellbeing Committee.

    Chair of the Committee, Cllr David Fraser said: “As corporate parents – along with local partners and service providers – we have a duty to prepare, keep under review, and publish a corporate parenting plan.

    “I am therefore very pleased that Members have welcomed our first Promise Plan and have agreed that an annual report of the progress of the Plan will be submitted to committee for future scrutiny and assurance of Highland’s progress in achieving the aspirations of The Promise.”

    The Promise is that Scotland’s children and young people will grow up loved, safe and respected. #KeepThePromise is a Scottish Government commitment that received support of all political parties in 2020. Organisations, institutions, bodies, communities, and groups across Scotland pledged to #KeepThePromise, including The Highland Council.

    The Highland Promise Plan (2025-2028) was commissioned by the Promise Board, which is a multi-agency partnership of corporate parenting leaders.

    The draft Promise Plan will also be presented to the Integrated Children’s Services Board (which is the key statutory partnership for Children’s Services across Highland) on 28 February.

    Feedback from the Health Social Care and Wellbeing Committee and the Integrated Children’s Services Board will be incorporated into the final version of the Promise Plan.

    Once agreed, the final version of the Promise Plan will be implemented through corporate parenting partner delivery groups which will be monitored and evaluate by The Promise Board.

    The draft Promise Plan can be viewed on the Council’s website at this link.

    5 Feb 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Response to first ministers’ meeting: Premier Smith

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bowman, Bank Regulation in 2025 and Beyond

    Source: US State of New York Federal Reserve

    Thank you for the invitation to speak to you today.1 It is a pleasure to be with you. I always enjoy the opportunity to meet bankers from across the country to learn about the issues that are important to you. Recently, I have observed a shift in tone when I talk to bankers about the bank regulatory environment. Bankers are cautiously optimistic that we will see meaningful reform that right-sizes regulation and supervisory approach, reforms that—if executed appropriately—should help the banking system promote economic growth in a safe and sound manner. Today, I will share my views on a number of issues related to banking regulation and supervision, including the importance of tailoring, having a problem-focused approach to bank regulation and supervision, and the imperative of innovation in the banking system.
    One of the unique characteristics of the U.S. banking system is the broad scope of institutions it includes and the wide range of customers and communities it serves. Given this wide variety of institutions, regulators must strive to foster a financial system that enables each and every bank, no matter its size, to thrive, supporting a vibrant economy and financial system. We must also be sensitive to emerging issues and trends that require attention, whether that be unintended consequences from capital requirements, the incentives created by our approach to regulatory applications, and to ensure legal compliance.
    TailoringThe approach to regulation and supervision should promote a healthy and vibrant banking system. One key element of a regulatory approach that does so, and one that I often highlight, is the use of “tailoring” in the regulatory framework. For those familiar with my philosophy on bank regulation and supervision, my interest and focus on tailoring will come as no surprise.2 In its most basic form, it is difficult to disagree with the virtue of regulatory and supervisory tailoring—calibrating the requirements and expectations imposed on a firm based on its size, business model, risk profile, and complexity—as a reasonable, appropriate, and responsible approach for bank regulation and supervision. In fact, tailoring is embedded in the statutory fabric of the Federal Reserve’s bank regulatory responsibilities.3
    The bank regulatory framework inherently includes significant costs—both the cost of operating the banking agencies and the cost to the banking industry of complying with regulations, the examination process, and supplying information to regulators both through formal information collections and through one-off requests. In the aggregate, these costs can ultimately affect the price and availability of credit, geographic access to banking services, and the broader economy. The cost of this framework—both to regulators and to the industry—reflects layers of policy decisions over many years. But this framework could be more effective in balancing the mandate to promote safety and soundness with the need to have a banking system that promotes economic growth.
    Let’s consider costs. As regulatory and supervisory demands grow, there is often parallel growth in the staff and budgets of the banking agencies. We should not only be cognizant of these costs, but we should act in a way that requires efficiency while ensuring safety and soundness. Some degree of elasticity in regulator capacity is necessary to respond to evolving economic and banking conditions, as well as emerging risks, but there must be reasonable constraints on banking agency growth. Expansion of the regulatory framework is not a cost-free endeavor. These costs are shouldered by taxpayers, banks, and, ultimately, bank customers.
    The bank regulatory framework has great potential to provide significant benefits, including supporting an innovative banking system that enhances trust and confidence in our institutions and promotes safety and soundness. When we consider the benefits and the costs, we can institute greater efficiencies in both banking regulation and in the banking industry itself. The framework is complex, and the various elements of this framework are intended to work in a complementary way. As banks evolve—by growing larger or by engaging in new activities—tailoring can help us to quickly recalibrate requirements in light of the new risks posed by the firm.
    But the regulatory framework, especially how supervisors prioritize its application to the banking industry, can pose a serious threat to a bank’s viability. For example, imposing the same regulatory requirements on banks with assets of $2 billion to $2 trillion under the new rules implementing the Community Reinvestment Act demonstrated a missed opportunity to promote greater effectiveness and efficiency.4 I question the wisdom of applying the same evaluation standards to banks within such a broad range.
    Likewise, supervisory guidance can provide fertile ground to differentiate supervisory expectations under a more tailored approach. While supervisory guidance is not binding on banks as a legal matter, it can signal how regulators think about particular risks and activities, and often drives community banks to reallocate resources in a way that may not be necessary or appropriate. The Fed’s guidance on third-party risk management is an example of this. Originally, this guidance was published in a way that applied to all banks, including community banks. Yet it was acknowledged even at the time of publication that it had known shortcomings, particularly in terms of its administration and lack of clarity for community banks.5
    Tailoring is important for all banks, but it is particularly important for community banks. There are real costs not only to banks, but to communities, when the framework is insufficiently tailored, as community banks faced with excessive regulatory burdens may be forced to raise prices or seek to merge or be acquired. These banks often reach unbanked or underbanked corners of the U.S. economy, not only in terms of the customers they serve but also in terms of their geographic footprint. We are all familiar with banking deserts and the challenges many legitimate and law-abiding businesses and consumers have in accessing basic banking services and credit. It is difficult to imagine that a system with far fewer banks would as effectively serve U.S. banking and credit needs and sufficiently support economic growth.
    It is imperative that we keep the benefits of tailoring in focus as the bank regulatory framework evolves. A tailored regulatory and supervisory approach can help inform our policies on a wide range of industry issues that are likely to emerge in the coming years.
    Problem-Based SolutionsOne of the most difficult challenges on the regulatory front is prioritization, both for banks managing their businesses and for regulators deciding how to fulfill their responsibilities. At a basic level, the role of regulators is dictated by statute. Congress granted the Federal Reserve and other banking agencies broad statutory powers but has constrained how those powers may be directed through the use of statutory mandates, including to promote a safe and sound banking system, and broader U.S. financial stability. In the execution of these responsibilities, the Federal Reserve must also balance the need to act in a way that enables the banking system to serve the U.S. economy and promote economic growth. While these objectives are not incompatible, they do require us to consider tradeoffs when establishing policy.
    How can regulators best meet these responsibilities? As many of you may already know, I strongly believe in a pragmatic approach to policymaking.6 This requires us to identify the problem we are trying to solve, determine whether we are the appropriate regulator to address the problem based on our statutory mandates and authorities, and explore options for addressing the identified issue.
    This approach of pragmatic problem-solving also applies to supervision, where process improvements could improve functioning. The Federal Reserve exercises its supervisory responsibilities by supervisory portfolio, with each portfolio relying on a combination of Board and Reserve Bank staff.7 It is important that responsibility for supervisory decisions be paired with accountability for such decisions, which can be complicated depending on the different roles played by Board and Reserve Bank staffs, and as institutions change supervisory portfolios. The misalignment of responsibility and accountability detracts from effective supervision.
    Our supervisory program should require strong examiner training, rely on examiner expertise in the conduct of examinations, and work in partnership with state bank supervisors. Doing so will allow us to leverage the practical experience and judgment of examination staff—characteristics that are necessary for effective supervision—while preserving the role of the Board to delegate and provide Reserve Bank oversight. Examinations cannot be just a box-checking exercise. We must rely on well-trained and experienced examiners empowered to exercise independent judgment and ask questions, which leads to stronger and more effective supervision.
    As we look at the banking system, including the regulatory framework, we must focus on those issues that are most important to advancing statutory priorities. There is always the risk of misidentification and mis-prioritization, and that we fail to take appropriately robust action on key issues or focus on issues that are less material to a bank’s safety and soundness. Our goal should be to develop a better filter to promote appropriate and effective prioritization.
    Treasury market functioningWhere regulation may create or exacerbate financial stability risks, we need to take a close look at whether those risks are justified by the safety and soundness benefits of the regulation. The erosion of liquidity in U.S. Treasury markets provides a good example of unintended consequences and the need to evaluate tradeoffs in regulation. This issue is a byproduct of several important dynamics: (1) the role of large banks in the intermediation of U.S. Treasury markets, (2) the growth of “safe” assets in the banking system, and (3) the increase in leverage-based capital requirements becoming the binding capital constraint on some large banks. While regulators may not have tools to address all of these dynamics, clearly the adverse impact of leverage-based capital requirements falls within the banking regulators’ scope of responsibility.
    Issues with Treasury market functioning have been known for quite some time. We have seen a persistent trend of low liquidity in U.S. Treasury markets for several years, which has been noted in the Board’s semiannual Financial Stability Report.8 Low liquidity can create more volatility in prices, exacerbate the effects of market shocks, and can threaten market functioning. Treasury market functioning and liquidity will likely be affected by the Securities and Exchange Commission’s central clearing requirement for U.S. Treasuries, which may improve market functioning. In addition, the Federal Reserve’s Standing Repo Facility may also help to promote smooth functioning in the Treasury market. But there is uncertainty regarding how the volume of Treasury securities issued and outstanding, and changes to the Fed’s balance sheet over time, may affect this.
    We have seen Treasury markets experience stress events as recently as the September 2019 repo market stress, and the so-called “dash for cash” in March of 2020. Both of these events raised concerns about the resiliency of U.S. Treasury markets. Therefore, we should continue to actively monitor indicators of market function, particularly whether Treasury market functioning improves over time, thereby enabling it to withstand future shocks.
    The banking regulators are uniquely positioned to not only analyze but also remediate components of the bank regulatory framework that may exacerbate Treasury market illiquidity. Large bank-affiliated primary dealers play an important role in the intermediation of U.S. Treasury markets. These dealers are not immune or insulated from the effect of banking regulation. While many factors can affect market liquidity, including interest rate volatility and Treasury market saturation, we must consider whether some of the pressure is a byproduct of bank regulation.
    The Federal Reserve has previously intervened to address market stress and support Treasury market functioning, for example, by temporarily excluding Fed reserves and Treasuries from the denominator of the supplemental leverage ratio (SLR).9 Treasury markets play a critical role in the U.S. and global financial systems, and we should take action to address the unintended consequences of bank regulation, while ensuring the framework continues to promote safety, soundness, and financial stability.10
    Leverage ratios do not differentiate between the risk of certain asset classes or exposures, and therefore appropriately operate as a backstop to risk-based capital requirements. However, in periods of banks’ balance sheet expansion—as during COVID-19 when we saw significant deposit inflows—leverage ratios can become the binding constraint on banks and their affiliates, increasing the amount of required capital based on increased balance sheet size regardless of risk. When constrained in this way, bank-affiliated primary dealers may pull back on market intermediation activities.
    Where we can take proactive regulatory measures to ensure that primary dealers have adequate balance sheet capacity to intermediate Treasury markets, we should do so. This could include amending the leverage ratio and G-SIB surcharge regulations for the largest U.S. banks. Adopting regulatory changes to mitigate these concerns may not be sufficient to ensure market liquidity, but it would be an important step toward building resiliency in advance of future stress events. In my view, it would be better to fix the roof now, while the sun is shining, by addressing over-calibrated leverage ratio requirements, and considering the unintended consequences of any future capital reforms.
    Stress testingI will now turn to another area that the Board has already identified as a priority for review—stress testing. Stress testing can be an important supervisory tool, but its implementation, outcomes and process have raised significant questions and concerns about whether it is useful in identifying systemic weaknesses. In its current structure, it is an opaque test hidden from public scrutiny that is used to establish variable binding capital requirements on large banks. Our review should consider whether it is transparent and fair, and whether there are technical improvements that could enhance the reliability and credibility of the test and its results.11
    In its current form, stress testing is likely deficient on each of these fronts. Transparency promotes fairness, as regulated entities and the public can better understand why and how our actions further our goals. When we identify areas that suffer from a lack of transparency, we should act promptly to address those concerns. On December 23 of last year, the Fed announced that it would soon seek public comment on “significant changes” to the stress testing process designed to improve transparency of the tests and reduce volatility of the resulting stress capital buffers that apply to large financial institutions.12 Given my longstanding support for revisiting the stress testing framework to promote transparency and reduce volatility, I am pleased with this development.13
    FraudFinally, I would like to address the problem of fraud, particularly check fraud, which has grown in frequency and impact over the past several years. Fraud continues to harm banks, damaging the perceived safety of the banking system, and importantly hurting consumers who are the victims of fraudulent activity. Sometimes fraudsters target vulnerable populations, like the elderly, who are particularly susceptible to certain forms of fraud.
    As I have noted in the past, efforts by regulators have been frustratingly slow to advance, and seem to have done little to address the underlying root causes of this increase in fraud. Why has this important issue failed to garner greater attention from all of the appropriate regulatory and law enforcement bodies? Different governmental agencies may share an important role in addressing this problem, but the need for a joint and coordinated solution does not excuse collective inaction.
    Fraud is perhaps the most consistent issue raised when I speak with bankers. Often the concerns note frustrations with the tools available to fight fraud and frictions dealing with counterparties in investigating and addressing fraud. The costs of prevention, detection, and remediation can also be substantial, but so can the costs of navigating these issues dealing with affected bank customers. We are overdue for more assertive action to protect bank customers and the financial system.
    The Innovation ImperativeInnovation has always been a priority for banks of all sizes and business models. Banks in the U.S. have a long history of developing and implementing new technologies, and innovation has the potential to make the banking and payment systems faster and more efficient, to bring new products and services to customers, and even to enhance safety and soundness.
    Regulators must be open to innovation in the banking system. Our goal should be to build and support a clear and sensible regulatory framework that anticipates ongoing and evolving innovation—one that allows the private sector to innovate while also maintaining appropriate safeguards. We must promote innovation through transparency and open communication, including demonstrating a willingness to engage during the development process. Financial institutions should know what activities are permitted, and the supervisory and regulatory expectations that will accompany their activities. By providing clarity and consistency, we can encourage long-term business investment, while also continuing to support today’s products and services. A clear regulatory framework would also empower supervisors to focus on safety and soundness, ensuring a safe and efficient banking and payment system.
    Absent clearer rules of the road, we run the risk of reducing the availability of banking services. Bank regulatory policy should address the needs of the unbanked and expand the availability of banking services. It should not be used to limit or exclude access to banking services for legitimate customers and businesses in a way that is meant to further unrelated policy goals, sometimes referred to as “de-banking” or bank “de-risking.” Credit decisions should not be dictated by banking regulations or supervisory messages. Ultimately, bankers are and should be responsible for their own credit allocation decisions.
    Regulators must change approaches that have resulted in credit allocation decisions, research how banks are making decisions related to which customers they serve, and promote an environment that allows legitimate bank customers to obtain banking services.
    New technologies and services often require novel regulatory and supervisory approaches, and we recognize that past approaches will likely not be effective. Often regulators take a “more is better” approach to regulation and guidance. Over the past several years, the banking industry has faced an onslaught of proposed and final regulations and guidance, materials that require a significant time commitment to review, to comment on, and to implement. Many times, these require changes to policies and procedures or risk-management practices.
    Fundamentally though, this “more is better” approach fails to address the core criticisms, including both an overall lack of transparency, and the perception (and perhaps reality?) that regulators have been overly hostile to innovation, including banks’ involvement in any capacity with digital assets, the use of artificial intelligence, and the availability of new technologies and providers to access the payment system.
    As a banker, state bank commissioner, and as a Board member, I have made the case for a more open-minded approach to innovation, including by co-hosting an informational event for bankers together with three other bank commissioners on distributed ledger technology and banking innovation just prior to joining the Board.14 We must prioritize understanding the risks and benefits of new technologies before developing a supervisory posture, especially when applying rules and using the “soft” power of supervision to discourage its use. Instead, we must create a supervisory and regulatory environment that facilitates reasonable and supportive approaches. The natural posture of a regulator may be to emphasize safety and soundness above all other objectives, but doing so will ultimately stifle innovation and threaten the long-term health and utility of the banking system.
    Closing ThoughtsThank you for the opportunity to speak with you today. The financial system is constantly evolving, and our regulatory approach must anticipate this evolution. We must return to a regulatory approach that emphasizes appropriate tailoring of regulatory requirements and supervisory expectations and take a pragmatic approach in identifying and remediating the most pressing issues. And we must encourage ongoing innovation in the banking and financial systems.

    1. The views expressed here are my own and are not necessarily those of my colleagues on the Federal Reserve Board or the Federal Open Market Committee. Return to text
    2. See, e.g., Michelle W. Bowman, “Tailoring, Fidelity to the Rule of Law, and Unintended Consequences (PDF)” (speech at the Harvard Law School Faculty Club, Cambridge, MA, March 5, 2024). Return to text
    3. See, Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, Pub. L. No. 115-174, § 401(a)(1) (amending 12 U.S.C. § 5365), 132 Stat. 1296 (2018). Return to text
    4. See dissenting statement, “Statement on the Community Reinvestment Act Final Rule by Governor Michelle W. Bowman,” news release, October 24, 2023. Return to text
    5. See “Statement on Third Party Risk Management Guidance by Governor Michelle W. Bowman,” news release, June 6, 2023. Return to text
    6. Michelle W. Bowman, “Approaching Policymaking Pragmatically (PDF)” (remarks to the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, West Palm Beach, FL, November 20, 2024). Return to text
    7. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, “Understanding Federal Reserve Supervision” (“What is the difference between what examiners do at Reserve Banks and staff do at the Board? Supervision is a function of the Board, with Reserve Banks conducting supervision under the Board’s delegated authority. The Board and Reserve Bank staff both play a critical role in carrying out the function of supervision, but the role varies by the supervisory group in which a bank is designated. LISCC supervision is run by the Board, with examiners employed by the Board and the Reserve Banks. For all other programs, examinations are conducted by Reserve Bank staff, with involvement of Board staff on horizontal exercises and key decisions. For banks in supervisory groups other than LISCC, Board staff set expectations for how Reserve Bank staff conduct examinations and, in turn, conduct oversight of Reserve Bank supervision to determine how well supervision is executed.”). Return to text
    8. See Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Financial Stability Report (PDF) (Washington, DC, November 2024), 10-11. Return to text
    9. See, e.g., Temporary Exclusion of U.S. Treasury Securities and Deposits at Federal Reserve Banks from the Supplementary Leverage Ratio (PDF), 85 Fed. Reg. 20,578, 20,579 (April 14, 2020). Return to text
    10. See Financial Stability Report, 10–11. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, “Federal Reserve Board Announces that the Temporary Change to Its Supplementary Leverage Ratio (SLR) for Bank Holding Companies Will Expire as Scheduled on March 31,” news release, March 19, 2021, (noting that the Board would seek comment on changes to the SLR). Return to text
    11. Michelle W. Bowman, “The Future of Stress Testing and the Stress Capital Buffer Framework (PDF)” (speech at the Executive Council of the Banking Law Section of the Federal Bar Association, Washington, DC, September 10, 2024). Return to text
    12. Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, “Due to Evolving Legal Landscape & Changes in the Framework of Administrative Law, Federal Reserve Board Will Soon Seek Public Comment on Significant Changes to Improve Transparency of Bank Stress Tests & Reduce Volatility of Resulting Capital Requirements,” news release, December 23, 2024. Return to text
    13. Bowman, “The Future of Stress Testing.” Return to text
    14. See, e.g., Michelle W. Bowman, “Innovation and the Evolving Financial Landscape (PDF)” (remarks at the Digital Chamber DC Blockchain Summit 2024, Washington, DC, May 15, 2024). Return to text

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Army Major Sentenced to 70 Months for Smuggling Firearms to Ghana

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    RALEIGH, N.C. – Kojo Owuso Dartey, age 42, of Fort Liberty, was sentenced to 70 months  in prison and three years of supervised release for false statements made to an agency of the United States, false declarations before the court, conspiracy, dealing in firearms without a license, delivering firearms without notice to the carrier, smuggling goods from the United States, and illegally exporting firearms without a license.  On April 23, 2024, Dartey was found guilty by a jury after trial.

    According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kojo Owusu Dartey, 42, provided a tip that resulted in a 16-defendant marriage fraud scheme between soldiers on Fort Liberty and foreign nationals from Ghana.  In preparation for and at the trial of U.S. v. Agyapong held between June 28 and July 2, 2021, Dartey lied to federal law enforcement about his sexual relationship with a defense witness and lied on the stand and under oath about the relationship.  During that trial, Dartey purchased seven firearms in the Fort Liberty area and tasked a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, to purchase three firearms there and send them to Dartey in North Carolina.  Dartey then hid all the firearms inside blue barrels underneath rice and household goods and with assistance from an Army Chief Warrant Officer smuggled the barrels out of the Port of Baltimore, Maryland, on a container ship to the Port of Tema in Ghana.  The Ghana Revenue Authority recovered the firearms and reported the seizure to the DEA attaché in Ghana and the ATF Baltimore Field Division.

    Daniel Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The Bureau of Tobacco, Alcohol and Firearms (ATF), Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabriel J. Diaz prosecuted the case.

    Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:23-cr-00165-M-RJ-1.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Merkley Demand Answers and Actions from Feds as Many Head Start Programs in Oregon and Nationwide Still Face Funding Disruptions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)
    February 05, 2025
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley said today they are joining colleagues to demand answers and action from the Trump administration about the acute financial impacts and lingering uncertainty faced by Head Start programs in Oregon and nationwide following the Office of Management and Budget’s memo that froze funding government-wide, and as many Head Start programs continue to be locked out of their funding.
    The letter signed by Wyden, ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, and Merkley, ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, went to Acting Secretary of Health and Human Services Dorothy A. Fink, M.D. and Acting Director of the Office of Head Start Captain Tala Hooban.
    “Head Start programs cannot pay their teachers and staff and continue normal operations without the assurances of payment processing and notices of grant renewals and awards,” wrote the senators. “This will impact children, families, and communities across the country, particularly the rural communities where these programs represent a large share of the child care options.”
    While the White House later clarified that Head Start would not be targeted by the funding freeze and the OMB later rescinded its memo, Head Start programs temporarily could not access the Payment Management System to use their allocated federal funds, with many still facing disruptions. As a result, Head Start programs nationwide have not had funding disbursed in a timely manner – imperiling their ability to pay staff and keep educational and child care programs up and running.
    “Even if this issue extends beyond the Office of Head Start, we urge you to do everything in your power to ensure these programs receive transparent and frequent communication on the progress of their funds being released. Head Start programs operate on razor-thin margins and cannot survive without timely intervention. Children, families, employees, and educators all depend on these critical federal funds,” the senators continued.
    In addition to Wyden and Merkley, Senator Tim Kaine, D-Va., led lawmakers in the letter, which was signed by U.S. Senators Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Mark R. Warner, D-Va., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Charles E. Schumer, D-N.Y., Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Catherine Cortez Masto D-Nev., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Peter Welch, D-V.t., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Jeanne Shaheen, D-N.H., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawai’i., Angela Alsobrooks, D-M.d., and Andy Kim, D-N.J.
    The letter text is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: After he reached the Super Bowl, Colin Kaepernick’s racial justice protests helped expose US views toward sports activism

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Betina Cutaia Wilkinson, Associate Professor & Associate Chair of Political Science, Wake Forest University

    San Francisco 49ers players Eric Reid, left, and Colin Kaepernick take a knee during the national anthem before a game against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 12, 2016. Daniel Gluskoter/AP Images for Panini

    Back in 2012, quarterback Colin Kaepernick was one of the NFL’s most popular stars. He led the San Francisco 49ers to the Super Bowl and was just a few plays away from winning the title and lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

    But America’s focus on Kaepernick’s athletic success waned in 2016. That’s when he began to kneel before games during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to protest the deaths of young Black men at the hands of white police officers.

    They included Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, two unarmed Black men killed by police in the summer of 2016.

    “To me, this is bigger than football, and it would be selfish on my part to look the other way,” Kaepernick said in The Guardian newspaper. “There are bodies in the street and people getting paid leave and getting away with murder.”

    Kaepernick’s activism, coinciding with the reemergence of the Black Lives Matter movement, received varied responses.

    Some NFL players, like Kaepernick’s then-teammate Eric Reid, imitated Kaepernick’s actions, generating a wave of anti-racist activism – not just in football but in other sports, too, like women’s basketball. Others, including several NFL executives, responded with vitriol and hate.

    A recent study I conducted with colleagues Lisa Kiang and Elizabeth Seagroves examines American attitudes toward sports activism, providing insight into the stark responses to Kaepernick’s advocacy and those of other athletes.

    Making sense of the varied responses

    We surveyed 207 college students and 33 residents in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where I teach, to examine their views on racial justice activism among professional athletes.

    We found there were three general perspectives.

    One group supported the sports activism and tied it to changing the status quo. People in this group back athletes’ ability to serve as activists and role models, and they hope the protests generate meaningful sociopolitical change.

    “I thought it was very necessary and good,” said one participant in the study, referring to athletes’ activism. “I think that if they can use their platform for something good, they should.”

    When we asked about Kaepernick’s activism in 2016, these participants lauded him for his courage.

    They felt Kaepernick’s protests, along with the Black Lives Matter movement, helped raise awareness of racial injustices in the United States.

    Activists supporting players’ right to protest appear outside a hotel where NFL meetings were being held on Oct. 17, 2017, in New York.
    Spencer Platt/Getty Images

    Participants reject racial justice advocacy

    Other participants in our study expressed support for athletes’ right to protest, but they rejected their racial justice advocacy.

    They said athletes have the freedom to say what they think. And they tied the protests to the United States’ commitment to freedom of speech. But they disapproved of kneeling during the playing of the national anthem, labeling it as disrespectful.

    “I think most of it is good. If you have a platform, you should use it,” one participant told us. “However, when misinformation is spread, it becomes bad.”

    Several participants felt the conflation of the national anthem with protesting racial injustices was misleading and wrong, and this participant considered Kaepernick’s protest “misinformation.”

    Kaepernick’s activism elicited similarly mixed feelings at the time. A majority of the public viewed Kaepernick’s refusal to stand as unpatriotic. Most, however, also supported his right to free speech.

    In May 2018, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell barred athletes from protesting on the sidelines during the national anthem, but he gave them the option to remain in the locker room during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” if they preferred. The move came after players had protested racial inequality and police brutality for two seasons.

    “We want people to be respectful of the national anthem,” Goodell said, according to ESPN. “We want people to stand – that’s all personnel – and make sure they treat this moment in a respectful fashion. That’s something we think we owe. But we were also very sensitive to give players choices.”

    In June 2020, in the wake of George Floyd’s death and years into Kaepernick’s activism, Goodell apologized to players and reversed the policy, saying, “We were wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier.”

    Dontari Poe of the Dallas Cowboys kneels during the playing of the national anthem on Sept. 13, 2020, in Inglewood, Calif.
    AP Photo/Ashley Landis

    But team protests varied throughout the league.

    Some teams such as the Green Bay Packers and Jacksonville Jaguars, at least on one occasion, remained in their locker rooms during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

    Some teams acted uniformly with the exception of one or two players. Dallas Cowboys player Dontari Poe was the only person on his team to kneel during the playing of the national anthem.

    The fact that not all players protested, and that teams had distinct approaches to protesting, is not surprising given the public’s varied responses to athlete activism.

    Complete disapproval

    A third group of participants in our study disapproved of sports activism entirely. And these participants often accompanied their criticism by saying that athletes strayed from their role as entertainers.

    “I don’t think it’s good because it’s giving people a reason not to like a professional athlete when their job is to play a sport. They are not politicians and haven’t been able to prove they can make a change,” said one participant.

    For example, when responding to WNBA player Skylar Diggins-Smith’s call for the imprisonment of the police officers in Louisville, Kentucky, involved in the 2020 shooting death of Breonna Taylor during a nighttime apartment raid, one participant said: “It’s not for the average citizen to call for police officers to be investigated. It’s just not OK for a professional athlete to push their agenda like that.”

    Our study, much like other studies, found that people who are white, older and politically conservative are more opposed to racial justice activism in sports than their counterparts.

    What does this mean?

    As seen in our study, U.S. views toward sports protests are tied to the role people believe athletes should play in society.

    For some, athletes can and should be role models; that includes by raising awareness of racial injustices. For others, athletes should only express their perspectives under certain conditions.

    And yet other Americans believe athletes are performers whose only role should be to entertain.

    Still, there’s no doubt Kaepernick’s activism changed the playing field, even if his NFL career suffered. After the 2016 season, he was never picked up by another team.

    Kaepernick’s activism inspired people to attend protests and donate to political causes.

    The NAACP has asked college athletes to avoid attending schools that are dismantling their diversity, equity and inclusion, or DEI, initiatives.

    Coach Steve Kerr and All- Star Steph Curry of the Golden State Warriors regularly voice their political views and draw attention to injustices.

    Several sports associations – the NFL, NBA, WNBA and NWSL – have implemented social justice initiatives and councils that strive to mobilize voters and educate the electorate on political issues.

    Colin Kaepernick’s activism may have ended his Super Bowl dreams, but his legacy extends far beyond the game of football.

    Betina Cutaia Wilkinson previously received funding from the Latino Center for Leadership Development.
    Lisa Kiang works with Betina Wilkinson at Wake Forest University. Elizabeth Seagroves was Betina Wilkinson’s student during her time at Wake Forest University

    – ref. After he reached the Super Bowl, Colin Kaepernick’s racial justice protests helped expose US views toward sports activism – https://theconversation.com/after-he-reached-the-super-bowl-colin-kaepernicks-racial-justice-protests-helped-expose-us-views-toward-sports-activism-242672

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –