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  • MIL-OSI Security: Iranian Cyber Actors’ Brute Force and Credential Access Activity Compromises Critical Infrastructure Organizations

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    Summary

    The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), the Communications Security Establishment Canada (CSE), the Australian Federal Police (AFP), and Australian Signals Directorate’s Australian Cyber Security Centre (ASD’s ACSC) are releasing this joint Cybersecurity Advisory to warn network defenders of Iranian cyber actors’ use of brute force and other techniques to compromise organizations across multiple critical infrastructure sectors, including the healthcare and public health (HPH), government, information technology, engineering, and energy sectors. The actors likely aim to obtain credentials and information describing the victim’s network that can then be sold to enable access to cybercriminals.

    Since October 2023, Iranian actors have used brute force, such as password spraying, and multifactor authentication (MFA) ‘push bombing’ to compromise user accounts and obtain access to organizations. The actors frequently modified MFA registrations, enabling persistent access. The actors performed discovery on the compromised networks to obtain additional credentials and identify other information that could be used to gain additional points of access. The authoring agencies assess the Iranian actors sell this information on cybercriminal forums to actors who may use the information to conduct additional malicious activity.

    This advisory provides the actors’ tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) and indicators of compromise (IOCs). The information is derived from FBI engagements with entities impacted by this malicious activity.

    The authoring agencies recommend critical infrastructure organizations follow the guidance provided in the Mitigations section. At a minimum, organizations should ensure all accounts use strong passwords and register a second form of authentication.

    Download the PDF version of this report:

    For a downloadable list of IOCs, see:

    Technical Details

    Note: This advisory uses the MITRE ATT&CK® for Enterprise framework, version 15. See the MITRE ATT&CK Tactics and Techniques section in Appendix A for a table of the actors’ activity mapped to MITRE ATT&CK tactics and techniques.

    Overview of Activity

    The actors likely conduct reconnaissance operations to gather victim identity [T1589] information. Once obtained, the actors gain persistent access to victim networks frequently via brute force [T1110]. After gaining access, the actors use a variety of techniques to further gather credentials, escalate privileges, and gain information about the entity’s systems and network. The actors also move laterally and download information that could assist other actors with access and exploitation.

    Initial Access and Persistence

    The actors use valid user and group email accounts [T1078], frequently obtained via brute force such as password spraying [T1110.003] although other times via unknown methods, to obtain initial access to Microsoft 365, Azure [T1078.004], and Citrix systems [T1133]. In some cases where push notification-based MFA was enabled, the actors send MFA requests to legitimate users seeking acceptance of the request. This technique—bombarding users with mobile phone push notifications until the user either approves the request by accident or stops the notifications— is known as “MFA fatigue” or “push bombing” [T1621].

    Once the threat actors gain access to an account, they frequently register their devices with MFA to protect their access to the environment via the valid account:

    • In two confirmed compromises, the actors leveraged a compromised user’s open registration for MFA [T1556.006] to register the actor’s own device [T1098.005] to access the environment.
    • In another confirmed compromise, the actors used a self-service password reset (SSPR) tool associated with a public facing Active Directory Federation Service (ADFS) to reset the accounts with expired passwords [T1484.002] and then registered MFA through Okta for compromised accounts without MFA already enabled [T1556] [T1556.006].

    The actors frequently conduct their activity using a virtual private network (VPN) service [T1572]. Several of the IP addresses in the actors’ malicious activity originate from exit nodes tied to the Private Internet Access VPN service.

    Lateral Movement

    The actors use Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) for lateral movement [T1021.001]. In one instance, the actors used Microsoft Word to open PowerShell to launch the RDP binary mstsc.exe [T1202].

    Credential Access

    The actors likely use open-source tools and methodologies to gather more credentials. The actors performed Kerberos Service Principal Name (SPN) enumeration of several service accounts and received Kerberos tickets [T1558.003]. In one instance, the actors used the Active Directory (AD) Microsoft Graph Application Program Interface (API) PowerShell application likely to perform a directory dump of all AD accounts. Also, the actors imported the tool [T1105] DomainPasswordSpray.ps1, which is openly available on GitHub [T1588.002], likely to conduct password spraying. The actors also used the command Cmdkey /list, likely to display usernames and credentials [T1555].

    Privilege Escalation

    In one instance, the actors attempted impersonation of the domain controller, likely by exploiting Microsoft’s Netlogon (also known as ”Zerologon”) privilege escalation vulnerability (CVE-2020-1472) [T1068].

    Discovery

    The actors leverage living off the land (LOTL) to gain knowledge about the target systems and internal networks. The actors used the following Windows command-line tools to gather information about domain controllers [T1018], trusted domains [T1482], lists of domain administrators, and enterprise administrators [T1087.002] [T1069.002] [T1069.003]:

    • Nltest /dclist
    • Nltest /domain_trusts
    • Nltest /domain_trusts/all_trusts
    • Net group “Enterprise admins” /domain
    • Net group “Domain admins” /domain

    Next, the actors used the following Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) query in PowerShell [T1059.001]to search the AD for computer display names, operating systems, descriptions, and distinguished names [T1082].

                                               $i=0
                                               $D= [System.DirectoryServices.ActiveDirectory.Domain]::GetCurrentDomain()
                                               $L='LDAP://' . $D
                                               $D = [ADSI]$L
                                               $Date = $((Get-Date).AddDays(-90).ToFileTime())
                                               $str = '(&(objectcategory=computer)(operatingSystem=*serv*)(|(lastlogon>='+$Date+')(lastlogontimestamp>='+$Date+')))'
                                               $s = [adsisearcher]$str
                                               $s.searchRoot = $L.$D.distinguishedName
                                               $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('cn') > $Null
                                               $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('operatingsystem') > $Null
                                               $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('description') > $Null
                                               $s.PropertiesToLoad.Add('distinguishedName') > $Null
                                               Foreach ($CA in $s.FindAll()) {
                                                             Write-Host $CA.Properties.Item('cn')
                                                             $CA.Properties.Item('operatingsystem')
                                                             $CA. Properties.Item('description')
                                                             $CA.Properties.Item('distinguishedName')
                                                             $i++
                                               }
                                               Write-host Total servers: $i

    Command and Control

    On one occasion, using msedge.exe, the actors likely made outbound connections to Cobalt Strike Beacon command and control (C2) infrastructure [T1071.001].

    Exfiltration and Collection

    In a couple instances, while logged in to victim accounts, the actors downloaded files related to gaining remote access to the organization and to the organization’s inventory [T1005], likely exfiltrating the files to further persist in the victim network or to sell the information online.

    Detection

    To detect brute force activity, the authoring agencies recommend reviewing authentication logs for system and application login failures of valid accounts and looking for multiple, failed authentication attempts across all accounts.

    To detect the use of compromised credentials in combination with virtual infrastructure, the authoring agencies recommend the following steps:

    • Look for “impossible logins,” such as suspicious logins with changing usernames, user agent strings, and IP address combinations or logins where IP addresses do not align to the user’s expected geographic location.
    • Look for one IP used for multiple accounts, excluding expected logins.
    • Look for “impossible travel.” Impossible travel occurs when a user logs in from multiple IP addresses with significant geographic distance (i.e., a person could not realistically travel between the geographic locations of the two IP addresses during the period between the logins). Note: Implementing this detection opportunity can result in false positives if legitimate users apply VPN solutions before connecting into networks.
    • Look for MFA registrations with MFA in unexpected locales or from unfamiliar devices.
    • Look for processes and program execution command-line arguments that may indicate credential dumping, especially attempts to access or copy the ntds.dit file from a domain controller.
    • Look for suspicious privileged account use after resetting passwords or applying user account mitigations.
    • Look for unusual activity in typically dormant accounts.
    • Look for unusual user agent strings, such as strings not typically associated with normal user activity, which may indicate bot activity.

    Mitigations

    The authoring agencies recommend organizations implement the mitigations below to improve organizations’ cybersecurity posture based on the actors’ TTPs described in this advisory. These mitigations align with the Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals (CPGs) developed by CISA. The CPGs, which are organized to align to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework, are a subset of cybersecurity practices, aimed at meaningfully reducing risks to both critical infrastructure operations and the American people. These voluntary CPGs strive to help small- and medium-sized organizations kick-start their cybersecurity efforts by prioritizing investment in a limited number of essential actions with high-impact security outcomes. Visit CISA’s Cross-Sector Cybersecurity Performance Goals for more information on the CPGs, including additional recommended baseline protections.

    • Review IT helpdesk password management related to initial passwords, password resets for user lockouts, and shared accounts. IT helpdesk password procedures may not align to company policy for user verification or password strength, creating a security gap. Avoid common passwords (e.g. “Spring2024” or “Password123!”).
    • Disable user accounts and access to organizational resources for departing staff [CPG 2.D]. Disabling accounts can minimize system exposure, removing options actors can leverage for entry into the system. Similarly, create new user accounts as close as possible to an employee’s start date.
    • Implement phishing-resistant MFA [CPG 2.H]. See CISA’s resources Phishing-Resistant Multifactor Authentication and More than a Password for additional information on strengthening user credentials.
    • Continuously review MFA settings to ensure coverage over all active, internet-facing protocols to ensure no exploitable services are exposed [CPG 2.W].
    • Provide basic cybersecurity training to users [CPG 2.I] covering concepts such as:
      • Detecting unsuccessful login attempts [CPG 2.G].
      • Having users deny MFA requests they have not generated.
      • Ensuring users with MFA-enabled accounts have MFA set up appropriately.
    • Ensure password policies align with the latest NIST Digital Identity Guidelines.
      • Meeting the minimum password strength [CPG 2.B] by creating a password using 8-64 nonstandard characters and long passphrases, when possible.
    • Disable the use of RC4 for Kerberos authentication.

    These mitigations apply to critical infrastructure entities across sectors.

    The authoring agencies also recommend software manufacturers incorporate secure by design principles and tactics into their software development practices to protect their customers against actors using compromised credentials, thereby strengthening the security posture of their customers.  For more information on secure by design, see CISA’s Secure by Design webpage and joint guide.

    Validate Security Controls

    In addition to applying mitigations, the authoring agencies recommend exercising, testing, and validating organization security programs against the threat behaviors mapped to the MITRE ATT&CK for Enterprise framework in this advisory. The authoring agencies recommend testing your existing security controls inventory to assess how they perform against the ATT&CK techniques described in this advisory.

    To get started:

    1. Select an ATT&CK technique described in this advisory (see Table 1 to Table 12).
    2. Align your security technologies against the technique.
    3. Test your technologies against the technique.
    4. Analyze your detection and prevention technologies’ performance.
    5. Repeat the process for all security technologies to obtain a set of comprehensive performance data.
    6. Tune your security program, including people, processes, and technologies, based on the data generated by this process.

    The authoring agencies recommend continually testing your security program, at scale, in a production environment to ensure optimal performance against the MITRE ATT&CK techniques identified in this advisory.

    Contact Information

    Organizations are encouraged to report suspicious or criminal activity related to information in this advisory to:

    • CISA via CISA’s 24/7 Operations Center [report@cisa.gov or 1-844-Say-CISA (1-844-729-2472)] or your local FBI field office. When available, please include the following information regarding the incident: date, time, and location of the incident; type of activity; number of people affected; type of equipment used for the activity; the name of the submitting company or organization; and a designated point of contact.
    • For NSA cybersecurity guidance inquiries, contact CybersecurityReports@nsa.gov.

    Disclaimer

    The information in this report is being provided “as is” for informational purposes only. The authoring agencies do not endorse any commercial entity, product, company, or service, including any entities, products, or services linked within this document. Any reference to specific commercial entities, products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the authoring agencies.

    Intrusion events connected to this Iranian group may also include a different set of cyber actors–likely the third-party actors who purchased access from the Iranian group via cybercriminal forums or other channels. As a result, some TTPs and IOCs noted in this advisory may be tied to these third-party actors, not the Iranian actors. The TTPs and IOCs are in the advisory to provide recipients the most complete picture of malicious activity that may be observed on compromised networks. However, exercise caution if formulating attribution assessments based solely on matching TTPs and IOCs.

    Version History

    October 2, 2024: Initial version.

    Appendix A: MITRE ATT&CK Tactics and Techniques

    See Tables 1–12 for all referenced actors’ tactics and techniques in this advisory. For assistance with mapping malicious cyber activity to the MITRE ATT&CK framework, see CISA and MITRE ATT&CK’s Best Practices for MITRE ATT&CK Mapping and CISA’s Decider Tool.

    Table 1: Reconnaissance
    Technique Title  ID Use
    Gather Victim Identity Information T1589 The actors likely gathered victim information.
    Table 2: Resource Development
    Technique Title  ID Use
    Obtain Capabilities: Tool T1588.002 The actors obtained a password spray tool through an open-source repository.
    Table 3: Initial Access
    Technique Title ID Use
    Valid Accounts T1078 The actors used password spraying to obtain valid user and group email account credentials, allowing them access to the network.
    Valid Accounts: Cloud Accounts T1078.004 The actors used accounts hosted on Microsoft 365, Azure, and Okta cloud environments as additional methods for initial access.
    External Remote Services T1133 The actors exploited Citrix systems’ external-facing remote services as another method for gaining initial access to the system.
    Table 4: Execution
    Technique Title  ID Use
    Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell T1059.001 The actors used PowerShell commands to maintain and expand access.
    Table 5: Persistence
    Technique Title ID Use
    Account Manipulation: Device Registration T1098.005 The actors used PowerShell commands to maintain and expand access.
    Modify Authentication Process T1556 The actors used a public facing Active Directory Federation Service (ADFS) domain to reset the passwords of expired accounts.
    Modify Authentication Process: Multi-Factor Authentication T1556.006 The actors used an MFA bypass method, such as Multi-Factor Authentication Request Generation, providing the ability to modify or completely disable MFA defenses.
    Table 6: Privilege Escalation
    Technique Title ID Use
    Exploitation for Privilege Escalation T1068 The actors attempted impersonation of the domain controller likely by exploiting CVE-2020-1472, Microsoft’s Netlogon Privilege Escalation vulnerability.
    Domain or Tenant Policy Modification: Trust Modification T1484.002 The actors leveraged a public-facing ADFS password reset tool to reactivate inactive accounts, allowing the actor to authenticate and enroll their devices as any user in the AD managed by the victim tenant.
    Table 7: Defense Evasion
    Technique Title ID Use
    Indirect Command Execution T1202 The actors attempted impersonation of the Domain Controller likely by exploiting CVE-2020-1472, Microsoft’s Netlogon Privilege Escalation vulnerability.
    Table 8: Credential Access
    Technique Title ID Use
    Brute Force: Password Spraying T1110.003 The actors targeted applications, including Single Sign-on (SSO) Microsoft Office 365, using brute force password sprays and imported the tool DomainPasswordSpray.ps1.
    Credentials from Password Stores T1555 The actors used the command Cmdkey /list likely to display usernames and credentials.
    Steal or Forge Kerberos Tickets: Kerberoasting T1558.003 The actors performed Kerberos Service Principal Name (SPN) enumeration of several service accounts and received Rivest Cipher 4 (RC4) tickets.
    Multi-Factor Authentication Request Generation T1621 The actors sent MFA requests to legitimate users.
    Table 9: Discovery
    Technique Title ID Use
    Remote System Discovery T1018 The actors used LOTL to return information about domain controllers.
    Permission Groups Discovery: Domain Groups T1069.002 The actors used LOTL to return lists of domain administrators and enterprise administrators.
    Permission Groups Discovery: Cloud Groups T1069.003 The actors used LOTL to return lists of domain administrators and enterprise administrators.
    System Information Discovery  T1082 The actors were able to query the AD to discover display names, operating systems, descriptions, and distinguished names from the computer.
    Account Discovery: Domain Account T1087.002 The actors used LOTL to return lists of domain administrators and enterprise administrators.
    Domain Trust Discovery T1482 The actors used LOTL to return information about trusted domains.
    Table 10: Lateral Movement
    Technique Title  ID Use
    Remote Services: Remote Desktop Protocol T1021.001 The actors used Microsoft Word to open PowerShell to launch RDP binary mstsc.exe.
    Table 11: Collection
    Technique Title ID Use
    Data from Local System T1005 The actors downloaded files related to remote access methods and the organization’s inventory.
    Table 12: Command and Control
    Technique Title ID Use
    Application Layer Protocol: Web Protocols T1071.001 The actors used msedge.exe to make outbound connections likely to Cobalt Strike Beacon C2 infrastructure.
    Ingress Tool Transfer T1105 The actors imported a tool from GitHub and used it to conduct password spraying.
    Protocol Tunneling T1572 The actors frequently conduct targeting using a virtual private network (VPN).

    Appendix B: Indicators of Compromise

    See Tables 13 to 15 for IOCs obtained from FBI investigations.

    Table 13: Malicious Files Associated with Iranian Cyber Actors
    Hash Description
    1F96D15B26416B2C7043EE7172357AF3AFBB002A Associated with malicious activity.
    3D3CDF7CFC881678FEBCAFB26AE423FE5AA4EFEC Associated with malicious activity.

    Disclaimer: The authoring organizations recommend network defenders investigate or vet IP addresses prior to taking action, such as blocking, as many cyber actors are known to change IP addresses, sometimes daily, and some IP addresses may host valid domains. Many of the IP addresses provided below are assessed VPN nodes and as such are not exclusive to the Iranian actors’ use. The authoring organizations do not recommend blocking these IP addresses based solely on their inclusion in this JCSA. The authoring organizations recommend using the below IP addresses to search for previous activity the actors may have conducted against networks. If positive hits for these IP addresses are identified, the authoring organizations recommend making an independent determination if the observed activity aligns with the TTPs outlined in the JCSA. The timeframes included in the table reflect the timeframe the actors likely used the IPs.

    Table 14: Network Indicators
    IP Address Date Range
    95.181.234.12 01/30/2024 to 02/07/2024
    95.181.234.25 01/30/2024 to 02/07/2024
    173.239.232.20 10/06/2023 to 12/19/2023
    172.98.71.191 10/15/2023 to 11/27/2023
    102.129.235.127 10/21/2023 to 10/22/2023
    188.126.94.60 10/22/2023 to 01/12/2024
    149.40.50.45 10/26/2023
    181.214.166.59 10/26/2023
    212.102.39.212 10/26/2023
    149.57.16.134 10/26/2023 to 10/27/2023
    149.57.16.137 10/26/2023 to 10/27/2023
    102.129.235.186 10/29/2023 to 11/08/2023
    46.246.8.138 10/31/2023 to 01/26/2024
    149.57.16.160 11/08/2023
    149.57.16.37 11/08/2023
    46.246.8.137 11/17/2023 to 01/25/2024
    212.102.57.29 11/19/2023 to 01/17/2024
    46.246.8.82 11/22/2023 to 01/28/2024
    95.181.234.15 11/26/2023 to 02/07/2024
    45.88.97.225 11/27/2023 to 02/11/2024
    84.239.45.17 12/04/2023 to 12/07/2023
    46.246.8.104 12/07/2023 to 02/07/2024
    37.46.113.206 12/07/2023
    46.246.3.186 12/07/2023 to 12/09/2023
    46.246.8.141 12/07/2023 to 02/10/2024
    46.246.8.17 12/09/2023 to 01/09/2024
    37.19.197.182 12/15/2023
    154.16.192.38 12/25/2023 to 01/24/2024
    102.165.16.127 12/27/2023 to 01/28/2024
    46.246.8.47 12/29/2023 to 01/29/2024
    46.246.3.225 12/30/2023 to 02/06/2024
    46.246.3.226 12/31/2023 to 02/03/2024
    46.246.3.240 12/31/2023 to 02/06/2024
    191.101.217.10 01/05/2024
    102.129.153.182 01/08/2024
    46.246.3.196 01/08/2024
    102.129.152.60 01/09/2024
    156.146.60.74 01/10/2024
    191.96.227.113 01/10/2024
    191.96.227.122 01/10/2024
    181.214.166.132 01/11/2024
    188.126.94.57 01/11/2024 to 01/13/2024
    154.6.13.144 01/13/2024 to 01/24/2024
    154.6.13.151 01/13/2024 to 01/28/2024
    188.126.94.166 01/15/2024
    89.149.38.204 01/18/2024
    46.246.8.67 01/20/2024
    46.246.8.53 01/22/2024
    154.16.192.37 01/24/2024
    191.96.150.14 01/24/2024
    191.96.150.96 01/24/2024
    46.246.8.10 01/24/2024
    84.239.25.13 01/24/2024
    154.6.13.139 01/26/2024
    191.96.106.33 01/26/2024
    191.96.227.159 01/26/2024
    149.57.16.150 01/27/2024
    191.96.150.21 01/27/2024
    46.246.8.84 01/27/2024
    95.181.235.8 01/27/2024
    191.96.227.102 01/27/2024 to 01/28/2024
    46.246.122.185 01/28/2024
    146.70.102.3 01/29/2024 to 01/30/2024
    46.246.3.233 01/30/2024 to 02/15/2024
    46.246.3.239 01/30/2024 to 02/15/2024
    188.126.89.35 02/03/2024
    46.246.3.223 02/03/2024
    46.246.3.245 02/05/2024 to 02/06/2024
    191.96.150.50 02/09/2024
    Table 15: Devices
    Device Type Description
    Samsung Galaxy A71 (SM-A715F) Registered with MFA
    Samsung SM-G998B Registered with MFA
    Samsung SM-M205F Registered with MFA

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Inflation, trade uncertainty and labour gaps cloud business outlook, says new global survey of chambers

    Source: International Chamber of Commerce

    Headline: Inflation, trade uncertainty and labour gaps cloud business outlook, says new global survey of chambers

    The findings of the ICC World Chambers Federation (WCF) 2024 Global Economic Survey capture perspectives from businesses on key economic and sustainability issues across economies that collectively account for 90% of global GDP.    

    Commenting at the launch of the survey results in Istanbul, ICC Secretary General John W.H Denton AO said: 

    “As the voice of the real economy worldwide, ICC has leveraged its unique institutional reach to provide a comprehensive global picture of the realities of doing business in today’s increasingly complex environment. We hope this real-time data will help shape the strategic response of governments to the key challenges faced by MSMEs.”  

    Global business environment  

    Rising prices and labour costs were cited as a significant challenge in the majority of countries surveyed, with more than 80% of respondents expressing concern that cost pressures will persist into 2025 — casting doubt on recent claims from prominent economists that inflation is “no longer a thing”.  

    Inflation has translated into significantly higher staffing costs for businesses in some 44 countries— a trend exacerbated in several regions by skills shortages in the local workforce, most notably North America and Europe.   

    The economic environment and tight financial conditions have hindered access to finance where findings show that high interest rates are limiting access to credit particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa (80%), Latin America and the Caribbean (63%) and South Asia (60%). 

    Trade uncertainty was cited as a challenge by 50% of chamber respondents — with concerns highest in East Asia and Pacific (69%) the Middle East and North Africa (60%) and Latin America and the Caribbean (50%).   

    Despite these challenges, the respondents in more than 50% of countries covered by the survey expressed cautious optimism for the outlook for business in their respective economies — suggesting a large degree of resilience in the face of economic and operational risk.  

    Mr Denton added:

    “Though headline rates of inflation have generally receded in recent months, the impact of the price surge seen from 2022 is clearly having a sustained impact on the private sector in many countries. We need policymakers to be sensitive to the disconnect between macroeconomic data and the day-to-day experience of local businesses.” 

    Outlook on climate action  

    One month before the United Nations climate summit COP29, the survey also looked at the experience of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in transitioning to climate-friendly business models.  

    In developing economies, chambers pointed to difficulties SMEs face in accessing clean sources of energy — both from national grids or decentralised generation.   

    In advanced economies, SMEs are held back by a perceived lack of access to cutting-edge green technologies and limited in-house capacity to implement emissions reductions programmes.   

    In both developed and developing economies, access to cost-effective finance to enable investments in decarbonisation was cited as a major challenge — pointing to the need for enhanced public support to enable SMEs to adopt green technologies and upgrade existing facilities.  

    Rifat Hisarcıklıoğlu, Chair of the ICC World Chambers Federation added:

    “This survey highlights the crucial role chambers of commerce worldwide play as private sector champions. They are deeply in touch with the grassroots realities of doing business while maintaining a global perspective and remaining connected through our ICC World Chambers Federation.”   

    Read more and download the full report. 

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Weeks Later: Action Needed from Governor Whitmer Following CCP Spying

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman John Moolenaar (4th District of Michigan)

    Headline: Two Weeks Later: Action Needed from Governor Whitmer Following CCP Spying

    Two weeks after five Chinese nationals who were studying at the University of Michigan were charged with spying on Michigan National Guard (MNG) assets at Camp Grayling more action is needed from Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the commander-in-chief of the MNG, to secure Camp Grayling and prevent espionage in Michigan.   

    Governor Whitmer needs to:

    • Cancel the millions of dollars in state funding for CCP-affiliated Gotion to bring 20-50 Chinese nationals to build and operate a battery component facility that is less than 100 miles from Camp Grayling. 
    • Issue a statement regarding the CCP espionage incident at Michigan’s largest military base.
    • Answer questions about why the Michigan National Guard failed to stop the espionage from occurring.
    • Call on the University of Michigan to end its partnership with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU). The U-M students charged with spying were studying at U-M as part of U-M’s partnership with SJTU. SJTU is linked to the cyber-spying unit of China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
    • Call on the legislature to bar U-M from using state funding to support its joint institute with Shanghai Jiao Tong University.

    After federal charges were announced against the U-M students on October 2, Congressman John Moolenaar again called on Whitmer to end state funding for Gotion. He also called for the University of Michigan to shut down its joint institute with SJTU. 

    This is the second time during Whitmer’s governorship that Chinese nationals at U-M have been caught spying on U.S. military installations.  

    Last year, the Wall Street Journal reported the FBI is aware of over 100 incidents of Chinese nationals gate crashing at sensitive sites across the US in the past three years. When asked if the CCP would utilize the Gotion plant for this kind of espionage, Bill Evanina, the former director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center responded, “100%.” 

    Additionally, earlier this year, Obama Defense Secretary Leon Panetta testified to Congress that the planned Gotion site would be used for espionage by the CCP. He said, “I don’t think there’s any question that they are going to take advantage of that situation and I think we have to be very vigilant about what the hell is going on.” 

    In January 2024, FBI Director Christopher Wray testified to Congress that allowing CCP-affiliated businesses to operate in the United States “can still raise national security concerns because it provides a vehicle for [the CCP] to, if they want to leverage that access, to conduct surveillance or other operations that undermine our national security, and we’ve seen time and time again, where they have used that access, leveraged that access, to do that.”

    Finally, the Department of Defense is prohibited from purchasing products from Gotion because of Gotion High-Tech’s partnerships with China’s People’s Liberation Army.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont and Secretary Thomas Remind Connecticut Voters That 14 Days of Early Voting Begins Monday, October 21

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont and Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas today are reminding voters in Connecticut that a 14-day period of early voting for the 2024 general election is set to begin on Monday, October 21, 2024.

    Early voting provides all voters with the opportunity to cast their ballots in-person on a day of their choosing in advance of Election Day – including on two separate weekends – creating more convenience for voters and encouraging greater participation in elections.

    This is the first time in history that early voting is being offered in Connecticut for a general election, making the state one of the last in the nation to enact a system of early voting. Connecticut was the 47th state to adopt early voting.

    “Connecticut is finally joining the rest of the nation by having a system of early voting, and our hope is that the convenience this creates will encourage more people to vote,” Governor Lamont said. “Early voting is nearly identical to voting on Election Day with two main differences. First, instead of going to your normal polling place, every town has at least one designated location where all early voting for that town is held. Most towns are choosing to do their early voting at their town hall, however it may vary, so check for your town’s early voting location before you go. Second, all ballots cast during the early voting period will remain secured and unopened until Election Day, when election officials begin the counting process.”

    “After years of waiting, voters will no longer need to worry that an emergency or unexpected event could prevent them from casting their vote,” Secretary Thomas said. “Early voting provides every type of Connecticut voter, from seniors, parents, and students, to commuters, those who work long hours, and anyone with an unreliable schedule. Together with our office, registrars of voters and town clerks have worked diligently and collaboratively on a nonpartisan basis all year on the roll out of early voting in order to ensure a safe, secure election for all.”

    “Early voting offers convenience and flexibility in voting, ensuring that your voice is heard without the constraints of a single Election Day,” Lt. Governor Susan Bysiewicz said. “Many people do not have the privilege of flexible work hours, reliable childcare options, or circumstances that allow them to cast their vote on Election Day. That’s why almost every other state in the country offers an early voting option, and now Connecticut residents have the choice too. So, whether you’re busy on Election Day or just prefer to vote at your own pace, early voting empowers you to participate in shaping the future of our democracy.”

    A list containing each town’s designated early voting location can be found online at myvote.ct.gov. Voters can also check the website of their town’s registrar of voters for location information. Voters can only vote in the town in which they are registered.

    The 14 days of early voting and their hours of operation for the 2024 general election are as follows:

    1. Monday, October 21, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    2. Tuesday, October 22, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    3. Wednesday, October 23, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    4. Thursday, October 24, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    5. Friday, October 25, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    6. Saturday, October 26, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    7. Sunday, October 27, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    8. Monday, October 28, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    9. Tuesday, October 29, 2024 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    10. Wednesday, October 30, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    11. Thursday, October 31, 2024 – 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
    12. Friday, November 1, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    13. Saturday, November 2, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
    14. Sunday, November 3, 2024 – 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

    Election Day is on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, and all polling places in Connecticut will be open like normal from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

    Election officials in every town keep a record of every voter who has voted early, preventing them from voting early at any other location, submitting an absentee ballot, or voting on Election Day.

    For more information about voting in Connecticut, visit myvote.ct.gov.

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government Co-Hosts Business and Housing Summit

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 8, 2024

    Manitoba Government Co-Hosts Business and Housing Summit

    – – –
    Summit will Create Solutions for Homelessness Through Strategic Partnerships and Investments: Premier

    The Manitoba government is co-hosting a business and housing summit to build relationships between sectors to create affordable housing options and reduce chronic homelessness in the province, Premier Wab Kinew announced today. 

    “To end chronic homelessness in Manitoba, we need to work together as governments, as community and as business leaders,” said Kinew. “This summit is one part of our plan to instill hope and improve the lives of thousands of Manitobans through the safety and dignity of housing. These are important conversations where we come together and build solutions.” 

    “To end homelessness, we need to move beyond isolated efforts and build one unified strategy,” said Mayor Scott Gillingham, City of Winnipeg. “This summit is about breaking down silos and driving collaboration – across government, business and community – so we can create lasting, co-ordinated solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.” 

    Today, the business and housing summit will bring together community leaders from across Manitoba to discuss the resources and tools available for the business sector to create affordable housing solutions. Summit participants include representatives from Indigenous leadership and organizations, business sectors, governments, community organizations and other agencies. 

    “The Business Council of Manitoba believes our community is strongest when we work together,” said Mike Pyle, board chair, Business Council of Manitoba. “By collaborating across industries, we can share knowledge and lead in our areas of expertise. We all have a role to play in providing safe, affordable housing for Manitobans and the business community is no exception. Collaborative initiatives like the business and housing summit allow us to ensure all voices are heard and all needs are met in our collective effort to make Manitoba a preferred place to live, work and invest.”  

    The summit takes place today, Oct. 8 at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights. It is co-hosted by the Manitoba government, the City of Winnipeg and the Business Council of Manitoba and supported by End Homelessness Winnipeg. Other sessions include:

    • an overview of federal, provincial and municipal programs related to housing and homelessness;
    • a panel presenting case studies describing recent partnerships between non-profit housing providers and private sector developers; and
    • an interactive session with business leaders to inform the response to housing and homelessness issues from all levels of government. 

    To learn more about the Manitoba government’s work related to housing and ending homelessness, visit http://www.gov.mb.ca/housing/index.html. 

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Manitoba Government is Prepared for Respiratory Virus Season

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    October 16, 2024

    Manitoba Government is Prepared for Respiratory Virus Season

    The Manitoba Government is prepared for the respiratory virus season with a comprehensive strategy designed to reduce the strain on the health-care system and keep Manitobans healthy, safe and informed, Health Seniors and Long-Term Care Minister Uzoma Asagwara announced today.

    “I encourage every Manitoban to get vaccinated and keep yourself, your loved ones and your broader community safe,” said Asagwara. “The previous government failed to prepare for respiratory virus season, they made cuts to health care and refused to listen to front-line workers. We’ve made significant progress in one year and the system is prepared to meet an increased need for care during this difficult season.”

    Preparation includes:

    • building up intensive care unit (ICU) and acute care beds so that everyone gets the care they need:
    • the Manitoba government has newly funded 18 ICU beds, for a total of 110 adult ICU beds, and eight pediatric ICU (PICU) beds, plus four step-down beds, for a total of 21 PICU beds; and
    • the Manitoba government has opened 112 acute care beds with a plan to open 70 more, 43 transitional care unit beds and 27 more opening in the coming months.  
    • vaccines to protect Manitobans and their loved ones:
    • influenza (flu) and COVID-19 vaccines are available at medical clinics, ACCESS centres, vaccine clinics, pharmacies, nursing stations and through public health;
    • the Manitoba government is providing the RSV vaccine free of charge to seniors over the age of 60, living in a long-term care home, and encouraging residents to get vaccinated through their long-term care facility; and
    • the Manitoba government launched a provincewide ad campaign to inform Manitobans about respiratory virus season and encourage everyone to get vaccinated as soon as they are able.

    The minister noted the government knows staffing is critical when it comes to beds and the Manitoba government hired 873 net new health-care workers to the system in six months, marking over halfway to its goal of hiring 1,000 healthcare workers this year.

    “Considerable planning has occurred within the health system in an effort to mitigate or minimize service disruptions during respiratory virus season,” said Dr. Jose Francois, chief medical officer, Shared Health. “This planning has been strongly supported by our partners in government, who have worked in collaboration with clinical leaders to ensure Manitoba’s health system is as fully prepared as it possibly can be for the coming respiratory virus season.”

    Information and resources regarding the vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases, including resources for prevention, treatment and care of affected individuals in Manitoba, is provided at http://www.manitoba.ca/vaccine.

    – 30 –

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Sudds highlights 9 federal properties in the National Capital Region available for housing development

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    October 16, 2024             Ottawa, Ontario                              ESDC

    Everyone deserves a place to call home. However, for many across the country, home ownership and renting is out of reach due to the unprecedented housing crisis Canada is facing. We need to build more homes, faster, to get Canadians into homes that meet their needs, at prices they can afford. That’s why in Budget 2024 and Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    As part of this plan, the Government of Canada is identifying properties within its portfolio that have the potential for housing, and is actively adding them to the Canada Public Land Bank. Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public.

    Today, the Honourable Jenna Sudds, Minister for Families, Children and Social Development, with Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West—Nepean and Yasir Naqvi, Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, highlighted a property located at Baseline Road at Cedarview Road south-east corner that is now available for housing development through the Canada Public Land Bank. This property will help create up to 200 units and is one of 9 new properties in the National Capital Region that was added to the land bank last week.

    Other properties in the NCR include:

    • Hurdman North, a parcel west of Riverside Drive and south of Highway 417, Ottawa (4,000 units)
    • 315 Terminal Ave., Ottawa (300 units)
    • 1460 Riverside Dr., Ottawa (500 units)
    • 1250 Ledbury Ave., Ottawa (up to 200 units)
    • Southern Corridor, Woodroffe Avenue at Norice Street South, Corner to Merivale Road at Colonnade Road West Side, Ottawa (up to 1,000 units)
    • 1730 Robertson Rd., Ottawa (up to 500 units)
    • 1055 Aylmer, Gatineau (up to 200 units)
    • 210 Laurier, Gatineau (up to 400 units)

    A total of 70 federal properties have now been identified as being suitable to support housing. This list will continue to grow in the coming months, with further details on listed properties available soon.

    As part of the initial launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, the Canada Lands Company, in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, issued a call for proposals for 5 properties located in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal. The call for proposals for the properties in Toronto and Montréal closed on October 1, 2024, and evaluations have begun. The call for proposals for the Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa properties will close on November 1, 2024.

    To provide feedback on the land bank and its properties, the Government of Canada launched a call for housing solutions for communities: a secure online platform.

    To date, the Government of Canada has already received interest and feedback from provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as developers, housing advocates and Indigenous groups. This information will be used to develop and bring more properties to market starting this fall.

    To solve Canada’s housing crisis, the federal government is using every tool at its disposal. The Government of Canada is accelerating its real property disposal process to match the speed of builders and the urgency of getting affordable homes built for Canada. 

    Quotes

    “Safe, accessible and affordable housing options are out of reach for far too many Canadians. The launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024 laid the foundation for our efforts to unlock public lands for housing at a pace and scale not seen in generations. We are delivering on our promise to continue to add more properties to the land bank and meet the deliverables outlined in Budget 2024 to support a new, ambitious Public Lands for Homes Plan. In doing so, we can build strong communities and more affordable housing across the country.”

    The Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos

    Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant

    “We need to build more homes in Canada, and one of the largest costs in building is land. With 14 more properties being added to the land bank, we’re growing the list of potential public lands where new homes can be built.”

    The Honourable Sean Fraser,

    Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

    “In Ottawa, we have the land we need to build more homes, and we’re going to put it to use. By getting more homes built on federal land, we’re going to give families in our communities a place to call home at prices they can afford. This brings us one step closer to solving the housing crisis here in Ottawa and across the country.”

     

    The Honourable Jenna Sudds

    Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

    “Canada’s Housing Plan marks a pivotal change in how all levels of government and community partners collaborate to address the urgent affordable housing challenges in cities like Ottawa. We are eager to seize the opportunities this plan creates—transforming vacant spaces, significantly increasing affordable housing, and revitalizing our city.”

     

    Yasir Naqvi

    Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre

    “Building homes on public land is a vital initiative that directly addresses the pressing needs of Ottawa residents, providing a tangible solution to the housing crisis and improving access to affordable housing for all.”

     

    Anita Vandenbeld

    Member of Parliament for Ottawa West—Nepean

    Quick facts

    • In Budget 2024 and Solving the Housing Crisis: Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced an ambitious whole-of-government approach to addressing the housing crisis by building more homes, making it easier to rent or own a home, and helping Canadians who cannot afford a home. 

    • A key component of Canada’s Housing Plan is the new Public Lands for Homes Plan. This plan aims to partner with all levels of government, homebuilders and housing providers to build homes, faster, on surplus and underused public lands across the country. 

    • The Public Lands for Homes Plan supports the government’s goal of unlocking 250,000 new homes by 2031.

    • Budget 2024 also provided $500 million, on a cash basis, to launch the new Public Lands Acquisition Fund. This fund will buy land from other orders of government to allow the federal government to acquire more land for housing to help build middle-class homes. Work on the fund is already underway, and more details will be released in the coming weeks.  

    • In August 2024, a new tool for builders called the Canada Public Land Bank was launched with an initial 56 properties under the Public Lands for Homes Plan. 

    • As of October 8, 2024, there are 70 properties listed in the Canada Public Land Bank, representing a total of 385 hectares of land, which is the size of approximately 2,500 hockey rinks or almost 750 Canadian Football League football fields.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Geneviève Lemaire
    Press Secretary and Communications Advisor
    Office of the Minister of Families, Children and Social Development
    Genevieve.lemaire@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    Media Relations Office
    Employment and Social Development Canada
    819-994-5559
    media@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly on the Proposed Programme Budget for 2025

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Excellencies, Distinguished delegates,

    I welcome this opportunity to introduce the proposed programme budget for 2025.

    I do so in a context of a multiplicity of challenges and with a strong sense of urgency.

    In a context of major global shocks, the United Nations is more needed than ever — with our unmatched convening power.

    The Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations represent a commitment towards updating and reforming international cooperation to make it more networked, effective, fair and inclusive.

    The 2025 programme budget proposal reflects in many ways, the priorities set out in these landmark agreements.

    The proposal renews our commitment to deliver on our mandates to advance peace, sustainable development, and human rights.

    At the same time, we will continue to work to cement our reforms, fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

    In the new digital age, the United Nations has an essential part to play.

    We reached a milestone with the Global Digital Compact which includes the first truly universal agreement on the international governance of Artificial Intelligence with the UN at its centre. 

    Madam Chair, distinguished delegates,

    In December 2022, the General Assembly lifted the trial period and formalized the change to an annual budget period.

    The format of the programme budget has stabilized. The programme plans reflect our increased results-orientation.
    Our 350 results frameworks continue to move further towards demonstrating the impact and positive change of our work on the ground. 

    The planned targets have become more ambitious.

    More than 65 percent of quantitative planned targets are now aiming to achieve a 10 percent or more increase in performance. This is an increase from less than 30 percent in the 2018-19 biennium, 45 percent for 2023, and 60 percent for 2024.

    We have reduced duplication in the strategies and deliverables, while maintaining the same level of programmatic information. 

    Every programme manager is expected to scrutinize every dollar spent and planned to be spent.

    And they must constantly review and adjust programmatic activities to achieve planned results.

    This will allow us to optimize resources for mandate delivery and focus even more effectively on results.

    Let me now turn to the overall resource requirements.

    To fully implement our mandates, we will require a total of $3.6 billion in 2025.

    Excluding Special Political Missions, this includes a total of 10,494 posts, representing a net increase of 115 posts required to implement new or strengthen existing mandates.

    The proposed budget also includes $711 million for the continuation of 36 Special Political Missions for 2025. 

    This reflects a decrease of $31 million from last year primarily because of the discontinuation of the field mission in Sudan (UNITAMS), and our investigative team to promote accountability for the crimes committed in Iraq by Da’esh/ISIL (UNITAD). 

    In line with the usual practice, you will consider later in the session additional proposals for construction, revised estimates and programme budget implications resulting from new or revised mandates. These include revised estimates in support of the implementation of the Pact of the Future, and for UNRWA.

    We continue to make every effort to find efficiencies while also recognizing that any further cuts to support departments risk jeopardizing policy, operational, or communication support to our programmatic work.

    Allow me to highlight five specific elements of our 2025 programme budget proposals:

    First, we propose to continue our investment in sustainable development.

    We propose an increase of approximately $4.5 million, the sixth consecutive annual increase for the development pillar.

    The Regular Programme of Technical Cooperation – or RPTC — will be a key recipient. 

    The increases will further strengthen the direct support provided to governments to help advance their development efforts.

    With the proposed increase of $2 million, resources for the RPTC will have grown by more than 45% since 2019.

    The proposed increase in the RPTC will be split evenly between all entities. 

    However, we propose an additional $0.5 million for the Economic Commission for Africa for technical assistance and advice to Member States on the 2030 Agenda and the African Union’s Agenda 2063.

    Our proposal also includes an increase of $1 million for the Development Account to enhance and expand targeted, country-level capacity development support and to broaden the dissemination of the projects’ results to more countries.

    We also seek increases of $0.6 million for the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa and $0.75 million for the Office of the High Representative for Least Developed Countries, Landlocked Developing Countries, and Small Island Developing States.

    Further, we want to strengthen the UN development system through structural changes to help ensure sufficient and predictable funding — and enhanced accountability.

    The Resident Coordinator system has faced a chronic funding shortfall since day one.

    A sustainable and predictable funding mechanism, through partial financing from the regular budget, is essential. 

    My proposal for assessed funding is under review by this Committee.

    It is important to reach a decision on this topic.

    Member States’ expectations of the RC system are growing.

    The effects of the funding gap are felt every day.  For example, the recruitment for 78 posts across 52 countries has been suspended.

    We also seek to put the small System-Wide Evaluation Office on a firmer footing with regular budget funding.

    This will further enhance transparency and ensure effective, independent evaluation of the UN development system at the country level – the raison d’etre of the UNSDG System-Wide Evaluation Office.

    Second, human rights.

    The proposal includes an additional $8.3 million to support the work of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic and ensure its functioning at full capacity in 2025. 

    We are also seeking an increase of $8 million for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights for more effective implementation of mandates, especially at the regional level.

    Additionally, based on the recommendation of the ACABQ and the guidance from the General Assembly, we have included resource requirements that will arise from anticipated mandate renewals by the Human Rights Council later in the year.  

    By presenting these resource requirements now rather than separately later in the session, Member States have a more complete picture of the resources being sought for the Office. This will also reduce fragmentation and increase transparency. 

    Let me emphasize that this consolidation, which amounts to $28.8 million, does not represent an increase in resources – only a change in presentation.

    Third, boosting support for the unprecedented humanitarian challenges in Gaza, with approximately $3.5 million in additional resources.

    This includes an increase of nearly $2.5 million for UNRWA which complements the additional $30 million approved for 2024.

    UNRWA is a lifeline for Palestine refugees, and a crucial factor for regional stability.

    Fourth, advancing peace and security. 

    This includes an increase of $2.5 million for disarmament, including the establishment of 9 posts to implement activities requested by the General Assembly.

    We are also seeking an increase of $1 million for the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East peace process to intensify its vital work.

    Following the landmark decision of the General Assembly, we will address persistent funding challenges of the Peacebuilding Fund due to its exclusive reliance on voluntary contributions — by approving a $50 million dollar grant for the Peacebuilding and Recovery Facility of the Peacebuilding Fund starting in 2025.

    And fifth, strengthening our capacities in investigation and ethics. 
    We are seeking an approximately $2 million increase, for the creation of three temporary positions for the Ethics Office and ten for the Office of Internal Oversight Services.

    Madam Chair, distinguished delegates,

    With the structural aspects of the reforms now well consolidated, it is imperative to keep working together to achieve the cultural change for results.

    Our 2025 budget continues to strive towards our shared vision for UN 2.0, through a forward-thinking workforce culture, empowered by cutting-edge skills.

    Gender equality and geographical representation remain priorities.

    We are working nonstop to ensure that our workforce reflects the membership of the United Nations.

    The General Assembly decision to increase the number of geographical posts has enabled us to reduce the total countries that were un- or under-represented and over-represented. 120 countries are now within range compared to 103 in December 2023.  

    We are revising our strategy for equitable geographical distribution to focus on attracting more staff from countries that are un-or under-represented.  

    Through our RC system and UN Information Centres, we have launched targeted outreach strategies in those countries, namely in many of the developing countries that are under-represented. 

    In the same vein, we strive to expand opportunities for recruitment from as wide a geographical basis as possible for all posts.

    All these efforts are yielding results.  For example, at the start of the UN development system reform, 41% of Resident Coordinators were from the global South.  Today, this number has increased to 57%.

    We have successfully maintained gender parity at senior levels and, based on current projections, we will be able to reach parity at an Organizational level before 2028.

    But we must do more to achieve parity at every entity and every level.

    We are also working on the next phase of our system-wide disability inclusion strategy and making progress in our efforts to combat racism and racial discrimination at work.

    Madam Chair, distinguished delegates,

    The proposal before you reflects our ambition to respond to new threats and opportunities.

    For us to deliver on our promises, Member States must also honour their commitments to this Organization.

    Ultimately, the effectiveness of programme delivery and use of financial resources in 2025 will depend on the availability of cash.

    I hope that we can end the current trend of declining liquidity.

    The Organization started this year with only about $67 million in cash, compared to $700 million last year, making it extremely vulnerable to adverse changes in payment patterns of assessed contributions.

    On top of that, the Organization had to return $114 million as credits to Member States as part of the 2024 assessments, which meant that we would collect less than the budget approved for 2024, even if all Member States pay in full in 2024.

    The depletion of the regular budget liquidity reserves at the end of 2023 therefore necessitated imposing stringent cash-conservation measures from the very beginning of 2024. 

    Unless the liquidity reserves are replenished fully at the end of this year, cash conservation measures are again likely to constrain budget implementation in 2025. 

    This is why I have proposed that the General Assembly temporarily suspend the return of credits for 2023 against the 2025 assessment. 

    The credits will be held in a reserve and released to Member States as soon as conditions improve.  

    This is critical to both minimize the risk of negative impact on programme delivery and the ability to fulfill even non-discretionary commitments to personnel and third-party partners in 2025. 

    I once again urge Member States to meet their financial obligations in full and on time.

    I thank Member States that have paid in advance or earlier than before, and have made adjustments to their internal processes to continue to pay earlier.

    We will keep monitoring the situation and reach out to Member States to pay in full and inform us of their plans so we can adapt our spending based as needed.

    However, when programme delivery is repeatedly constrained by liquidity, past spending patterns become less reliable indicators of the real needs of the Organization.

    Madam Chair, distinguished delegates,

    The outcome of the Summit of the Future has opened pathways to new possibilities and opportunities towards securing a peaceful and livable future for everyone on our planet.

    Against this backdrop, I look forward to your support for my 2025 programme budget proposal.

    I welcome this opportunity to engage with you today and assure you that my senior managers will continue to support your deliberations on these proposals.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Making a splash: Historic Hilsea Lido seeks tenant amid transformation

    Source: City of Portsmouth

    Global real estate firm, Avison Young, is working with Portsmouth City Council to bring to market Hilsea Lido whilst it undergoes a transformational renovation project. The lido is set to reopen in summer 2025, which is the same year it will celebrate its 90th anniversary.

    The 1930s open-air swimming pool is part of Portsmouth City Council’s Hilsea Lines project to improve the area, which was awarded funding from the UK government.

    The renovation of this much-loved community asset includes a total refurbishment of the 67m long pool and surroundings, with new outdoor changing facilities and showers, and extensive landscaping, allowing it to be enjoyed once again for many years to come.

    The original lido changing rooms, splash pool and the former Blue Lagoon café offer the opportunity for future transformation by a tenant to create complementary facilities to enhance the wider offer and development of a destination landmark facility for the community, residents of Portsmouth and the public alike.

    The restoration and reopening of the Lido comes as Swim England recently launched their ‘Don’t Cap Swimming’ campaign, which found that over 1,500 pools in England are over 40 years of age and in need of funding for renovation.

    Richard Baldwin, Director at Avison Young UK said:

    “We’re delighted to be working with the Council on this important historical leisure project. It’s rewarding to see such an important community asset being brought back to life. We’re now seeking all expressions of interest for a long-term tenant operator who shares the Council’s vision to promote Hilsea Lido’s use as a hub for the people of Portsmouth, encouraging people to swim, children to learn and families to play.

    The lido will be transformed into a much needed and loved asset for the people of Portsmouth, and we’re delighted to play a part in its reopening.”

    Cllr Steve Pitt, Leader of Portsmouth City Council added:

     “Hilsea Lido is an iconic Portsmouth attraction, which is now receiving some much-needed TLC to get it open so it can be enjoyed by residents and visitors alike. Our work will ensure the pool will open next year with modern changing facilities ready for the 90th anniversary of the lido.

    “We’ll work closely the appointed operator to enable future phases of renovation work at the lido, so we can create a real ‘jewel in the crown’ of the wider Hilsea Lines project. We’re committed to sport in this city, so we see this a real opportunity to offer open air swimming and other water-based activities in a safe and unique environment.”

    £20m was awarded to Portsmouth City Council from the UK government for the ‘Transforming the Visitor Economy’ project, which the Hilsea Lines scheme is part of. £11.25m of the funding went to the now completed terminal transformation project at Portsmouth international Port which opened in August 2023.

    Expressions of interest for Hilsea Lido can be directed to: https://www.avisonyoung.co.uk/

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Gaetz Exposes Biden-Harris Administration “Border Czar” Cover-up to Help Harris Presidential Campaign

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Matt Gaetz (1st District of Florida)

    Washington, D.C. — This week, U.S. Congressman Matt Gaetz (FL-01) sent a letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas exposing a White House cover-up related to Vice President Kamala Harris working as the “border czar,” which was done deliberately to assist candidate Harris in her presidential campaign. 

    Last month, following Vice President Harris’ denial of her involvement with the border crisis, Rep. Gaetz sent a letter to Secretary Mayorkas demanding all correspondence from DHS that refers to Harris as the “border czar” by August 30th. According to documents obtained by a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request from the Heritage’s Oversight Project, the White House’s Ian Sams got involved and apparently blocked the response. At the time he was doing this, Sams knew that within days, he would be moving to the Harris 2024 presidential campaign as a top spokesman. Sams’ actions may have been violations of the Hatch Act, agency ethics rules, and campaign finance laws. Therefore, Rep. Gaetz’s follow-up letter requests unredacted copies of the Sams’ correspondence on this matter.

    Full text of Congressman Gaetz’s letter to Secretary Mayorkas can be found HERE. Additionally, exclusive coverage of the letter by Fox News can be found HERE.

    LETTER TEXT

    Secretary Mayorkas:

    I am concerned that the good government work of your career employees—to respond in a timely fashion to a small but important request of a Member of Congress—was scuttled by a White House cover-up to assist candidate Kamala Harris in her campaign. The very staffer, Ian Sams, who blocked my oversight request is now a senior spokesman for the Harris campaign. At the time he was engaged in a cover-up for her using government resources, he already had lined up his job on her campaign, which he officially started less than two weeks later. This is shady.

    On August 7, 2024, I sent you an oversight request, and that week, House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Comer apparently sent you a similar oversight request, requesting similar sets of information in your possession, which are required by law to be released. My letter requested a very simple production of, firstly, “communications Office of the Vice President and any employee (including detailees) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), between March 24, 2021 and March 24, 2022, using the term ‘czar,’ ‘border,’ ‘migration,’ or ‘immigration.’” An IT employee of DHS could collate and produce these documents in a matter of hours, if not minutes, and yet the August 30, 2024, deadline has come and gone without response. I, therefore, reiterate my document request. The American people know that Vice President Harris was appointed the “border czar” and bragged about her role, and I am confident that you have records that would again prove this.

    More troubling, however, is the FOIA response that the Heritage Foundation Oversight Project has provided my office (attached as “Exhibit A” and available at https://oversight.heritage.org/GaetzLetterBorderCzar.pdf). This FOIA production proves that DHS front-office career employees did their job. They forwarded my request and actively worked to get a response out to me on time. In fact, the day before the due date, on August 29, 2024, they raised the issue again to political appointees. Kudos to them. But the reason they did not respond to my request, apparently, is that the White House got involved. Ian Sams was forwarded the oversight request, and his directives to your subordinates are redacted, but he stopped the oversight in its tracks, to protect his boss, possibly in violation of the Hatch Act, agency ethics rules, and campaign finance laws.

    In addition to my outstanding request, please provide my office with unredacted copies of the Ian Sams correspondence on this matter to my office by October 25, 2024. Surely, you can produce one or two emails in two weeks.

    Sincerely,

    Matt Gaetz
    Member of Congress

    ###

    For updates, subscribe to Congressman Gaetz’s newsletter here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: World Food Day (October 16, 2024)

    Source: Republic of France in English
    The Republic of France has issued the following statement:

    On this World Food Day, France reaffirms its commitment to the fight against every form of food insecurity and malnutrition.

    In 2023, 281.6 million people faced high levels of food insecurity, 24 million more than in 2022. One hundred fifty million children under the age of five are suffering from delayed growth and 37 million are underweight.

    France is fully engaged in the fight against malnutrition, which affects health and education systems and economies worldwide.

    On March 27 and 28, 2025, Paris will host the Nutrition for Growth (N4G) summit, which will bring together members of the entire international nutrition community (governments, international organizations, civil society, companies, scientists) to undertake concrete, ambitious commitments to help combat all forms of malnutrition.

    In light of worsening food crises in conflict zones, particularly in Gaza and Sudan, France remains fully mobilized through financial support for international organizations and food aid projects. France is also the leading funder of the Grain from Ukraine program, which was launched in 2022 as a response to the impact of the Russian aggression on global food insecurity in seven countries : Somalia, Yemen, Sudan, Palestine, Djibouti, Malawi and Zambia.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Canada strengthens protection of freshwater with launch of standalone Canada Water Agency

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    October 16, 2024 – Winnipeg, Manitoba

    Fresh water is our most precious natural resource, needed for drinking, cleaning and sanitation, recreation, industry, agriculture, and ecosystem health. Water is also sacred to many Indigenous peoples and honoured as a giver of life. Yet, fresh water in Canada is under increasing pressure from climate change, pollution, and other threats. Canadians recognize the importance of fresh water and have called for action.

    Today, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, officially announced the establishment of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone federal entity headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Previously within Environment and Climate Change Canada for an interim period, the new independent Agency will strengthen freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership and improved coordination and collaboration federally and with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples. As a standalone entity, the Canada Water Agency will work closely with partners to deliver major elements of the Freshwater Action Plan, build a strong approach to freshwater protection, and help address transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.

    The Agency also will provide freshwater policy expertise and lead the development of a national freshwater data strategy, which will make it easier for Canadians to make informed decisions impacting their environment, economy, health, and safety. It will also work closely with Environment and Climate Change Canada and other federal departments and agencies to support and leverage freshwater science.

    The Canada Water Agency will administer freshwater funding programs in eight waterbodies of national significance: the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, Lake Simcoe, the St. Lawrence River, the Mackenzie River, the Fraser River, and the Wolastoq/Saint John River. Over the coming years, the Canada Water Agency will provide grants and contributions to hundreds of projects supporting the restoration and protection of fresh water in Canada funded by the historic $650 million investment outlined in Budget 2023.

    The Agency will be based in Winnipeg, a historical gathering place for Indigenous peoples and home to Lake Winnipeg—one of the world’s largest freshwater lakes and a priority Canada Water Agency waterbody. The Agency will also have five regional offices across Canada to ensure responsiveness to local freshwater issues. It is clear that the creation of the Canada Water Agency as a standalone marks an important step for Canada in protecting and restoring freshwater resources. Through its efforts, the Agency will help safeguard freshwater for generations of Canadians, which in turn improves upon the environment, economy, health, and safety of Canada.

    Quotes

    “Canadians value fresh water and understand its importance for health, prosperity, and cultural practices. Given pollution, land-use, and other stressors, we must take action now to safeguard fresh water. The creation of the Canada Water Agency is a key step in strengthening freshwater management, protection, and stewardship in Canada.”

    – The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change

    “Tackling today’s freshwater challenges will require strong collaboration among governments, Indigenous partners, non-government organizations, academia, industry, and others. The Canada Water Agency will provide the leadership to foster the partnerships that we need to protect fresh water. I think that it is fitting that Winnipeg, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers which flow into Lake Winnipeg, is home to this important federal agency.”

    – Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Prime Minister and Special Advisor for Water

    “Manitoba is so proud to be the home of the new Canada Water Agency. With over 100,000 lakes, Manitobans value our fresh water and care deeply about the health of our waterways. Our government is proud to have recently established Manitoba’s first-ever formal Nutrient Targets Regulation for Lake Winnipeg and its tributaries to reduce nutrient loading and restore the health of this important lake. We look forward to the increased opportunities for collaboration that will come from having the Canada Water Agency here in Manitoba, and our government is pleased to work together with the federal government, Indigenous communities, other freshwater experts, and all stakeholders to ensure the health of our waterways for generations to come.”

    – The Honourable Tracy Schmidt, Manitoba Minister of Environment and Climate Change

    Quick facts

    • In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada provided $650 million over ten years for the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives, as well as $85.1 million over five years (and $21 million ongoing thereafter), for the creation of the Canada Water Agency. It also committed to introducing legislation to fully establish the Agency as a standalone entity.

    • Working with Indigenous peoples to seek their perspectives and support their participation is a central part of the mandate of the Canada Water Agency.

    • The Canada Water Agency was first established as a branch of Environment and Climate Change Canada in June 2023.

    • On June 20, 2024, Bill C-59 (which included the Canada Water Agency Act), received Royal Assent, paving the way for the creation of the standalone Canada Water Agency.

    Related products

    Associated links

    Contacts

    Hermine Landry
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Environment and Climate Change
    873-455-3714
    Hermine.Landry@ec.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Environment and Climate Change Canada
    819-938-3338 or 1-844-836-7799 (toll-free)
    media@ec.gc.ca

    Canada Water Agency’s X (Twitter) page

    Canada Water Agency’s LinkedIn page

    Environment and Natural Resources in Canada Facebook page

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Standalone Canada Water Agency launches

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Canada Water Agency is a Government of Canada agency under the Minister of Environment and Climate Change portfolio.

    The Canada Water Agency is a Government of Canada agency under the Minister of Environment and Climate Change portfolio. Its mandate is to improve freshwater management in Canada by providing leadership, effective collaboration federally, and improved coordination and collaboration with provinces, territories, and Indigenous peoples to address transboundary freshwater challenges and opportunities.

    The Canada Water Agency (the Agency) is headquartered in Winnipeg and has five regional offices across Canada to ensure responsiveness to regional freshwater issues. Once fully staffed, the Agency will have approximately 220 employees nationwide.

    Creation of the Canada Water Agency

    In 2019, the Prime Minister directed the Minister of Environment and Climate Change to “Create a new Canada Water Agency to work together with the provinces, territories, Indigenous communities, local authorities, scientists, and others to find the best ways to keep our water safe, clean, and well-managed.” Over the following three years, Environment and Climate Change Canada engaged with partners and stakeholders to shape the mandate, activities, and structure of the Agency.

    In Budget 2023, the Government of Canada announced funding for the Canada Water Agency and committed to introducing legislation to make the Agency a standalone entity reporting directly to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Soon thereafter, in June 2023, the Canada Water Agency launched as a branch within Environment and Climate Change Canada, delivering key elements of the Freshwater Action Plan and advancing efforts to establish the standalone entity. Starting in 2024, the Canada Water Agency has committed to providing more than $90 million in grants and contributions to 175 different projects across the country to strengthen freshwater management in Canada. Lastly, several other key accomplishments of the past year have included launching pre-engagement with First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and provincial and territorial governments on the review of the Canada Water Act, convening partners from across Canada to support development of a National Freshwater Data Strategy, and supporting partners to advance protection in several freshwater ecosystems across Canada.

    Later in 2023, the legislation to create the standalone Canada Water Agency (the Canada Water Agency Act) was introduced in Parliament as part of Bill C-59. The legislation received Royal Assent on June 20, 2024, and came into force on October 15, 2024.

    The Canada Water Agency’s current initiatives

    Freshwater ecosystem initiatives

    The Canada Water Agency leads the delivery of Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives in eight waterbodies of national significance across Canada: the Great Lakes, Lake Winnipeg, Lake of the Woods, the St. Lawrence River, the Wolastoq/Saint John River, the Fraser River, the Mackenzie River, and Lake Simcoe.  

    The goals of the Freshwater Ecosystem Initiatives are to:

    • take action to restore and protect water quality and aquatic ecosystem health
    • advance science, monitoring (including community-based monitoring) and the application of Indigenous knowledge in cooperation with Indigenous peoples to support decision-making and effective action 
    • enhance governance to improve collaboration with Indigenous partners, provinces and territories, and stakeholders 
    • mobilize knowledge and reporting to measure progress towards results 
    • improve climate change resiliency through on the-ground-action

    Review of the Canada Water Act

    Proclaimed in 1970, the Canada Water Act is federal legislation administered by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. It provides a legal framework for cooperation among federal, provincial, and territorial governments in the conservation, development, and use of water resources.

    In his 2021 mandate letter, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change was directed to advance the modernization of the Canada Water Act to reflect Canada’s freshwater reality, including climate change and Indigenous rights. This commitment was reaffirmed in the 2023–2028 Action Plan for implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.

    As an initial step, the Canada Water Agency led pre-engagement with partners to understand how they would like to be involved in the review of the Canada Water Act. The Canada Water Agency will use this information to develop engagement plans for the subsequent engagement phase, which is expected to begin in 2025.

    National freshwater data strategy

    The Canada Water Agency is developing a National Freshwater Data Strategy with partners and stakeholders. The Strategy will establish guidelines and principles for how freshwater information should be organized, stored, and shared in Canada. The Canada Water Agency published a discussion paper on the creation of a National Freshwater Data Strategy on July 26, 2024, and accepted comments until September 15, 2024. It also hosted a workshop on September 25–26, 2024, to develop an outline and path forward for the Strategy.

    Once implemented, the Strategy will make it easier for Canadians to find and access freshwater data and use and combine data from various sources. This, in turn, will support more informed decision-making and will help keep fresh water safe, clean, and well-managed.

    The Strategy will build on existing data systems, data science, and analytics expertise. It will also align with broader federal data efforts, including the Government of Canada’s Digital Ambition and the 2023–2026 Data Strategy for the Federal Public Service.

    Supporting freshwater science

    Freshwater science is critical to freshwater management and protection.

    For these reasons, Canada’s strengthened Freshwater Action Plan includes significant funding to support freshwater science. Environment and Climate Change Canada will continue to lead on freshwater science, including the National Freshwater Science Agenda, as well as freshwater monitoring. The Canada Water Agency will support and leverage science efforts to inform the Freshwater Ecosystems Initiatives and promote coordination among government and non-government freshwater science partners.

    Partnering with Indigenous peoples

    • The Canada Water Agency Act underscores the centrality of respectful and trusting partnerships with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit and strengthens their role in the development and implementation of the Canada Water Agency’s freshwater programs. The Act says that the Canada Water Agency will:
      • respect the rights of Indigenous people and support implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People Act
      • honour existing treaties and agreements
      • recognize Indigenous knowledge systems and data sovereignty
      • work to advance reconciliation

    As part of the pre-engagement phase of the Canada Water Act review, the Canada Water Agency spoke with and supported First Nations, Métis, and Inuit partners to facilitate effective, meaningful and relevant dialogues from the start. As part of the review, the Canada Water Agency piloted an Indigenous Grassroots Water Circle to create an accessible, safe, Indigenous-centered space to engage directly with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit grassroots individuals (for example, Elders, youth, women as water carriers, parents, academics, people with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+).

    Lastly, the Canada Water Agency is working to develop a deeper understanding of the various freshwater data interests of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis to better inform the Canada Water Agency’s work while advancing the conversation to strengthen relationships; honour agreements; and respect Indigenous rights, interests, cultures, and Indigenous knowledge systems.   

    Collaboration with provinces, territories, partners and stakeholders

    The Government of Canada has more than 20 departments and agencies with freshwater-related responsibilities. The Canada Water Agency promotes coordination, collaboration, and information exchange among these entities. In addition, central to its mandate, the Canada Water Agency is committed to working with provinces, territories, and stakeholders to improve freshwater management, protection, and stewardship in Canada.

    The Canada Water Agency is collaborating closely with stakeholders, including non-governmental organizations and academia, to implement the Government of Canada’s freshwater agenda. The Canada Water Agency has also held information sessions with stakeholders in French and English to provide updates on the Canada Water Agency Act and continues to value their input and involvement in the review of the Act.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement from Minister Champagne and Minister Holland on the release of the engagement report on modernizing Canada’s research support system

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Statement

    October 16, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

    Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, made the following statement:

    “As scientists and researchers work to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges, their work becomes increasingly complex and interdisciplinary. To keep pace with this evolution, Canada must ensure its research support system also evolves and becomes more collaborative to best meet the needs of our diverse science and research communities. That is why in Budget 2024, our government announced that it will establish a new capstone research funding organization, within which the granting councils—the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research—will continue to exist and support excellence in investigator-driven research, including a clear and direct linkage with the Health Portfolio. This new organization will allow Canada to leverage the best parts of the current system, while also modernizing it to bring more coordination, cohesion and agility.

    “In June 2024, we asked the federal granting councils to jointly undertake engagement with the research community to help inform the government’s ongoing work to create the new capstone organization. We would like to thank the granting councils and all who participated in the engagement for their valuable input that will help shape the future of the Canadian science and research support system.

    “The granting councils have jointly submitted to us their summary report: What We Heard: Tri-agency engagement with the research community on modernization of the federal research support system. The government has reviewed the report and is taking it under consideration to advance the design and implementation of the capstone organization and a truly modernized, collaborative, inclusive and responsive research support system. We will continue to seek the perspectives of the science and research community, including Indigenous partners, researchers and communities, to ensure the strength of the new organization.

    Quick facts

    • Since 2016, including initiatives proposed in Budget 2024, the federal government has invested over $22 billion in science and research initiatives, including infrastructure and emerging talent, as well as other science and technology support measures.
    • Budget 2024’s investments include providing $825 million over five years, and $199.8 million per year ongoing, to increase support for master’s and doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows, as well as $1.8 billion over five years, and $748.3 million per year ongoing, to the federal granting councils to increase core research grant funding and support Canadian researchers.
    • The government’s work to modernize the research ecosystem is informed by the findings of the independent Advisory Panel on the Federal Research Support System.

    Contacts

    Audrey Milette
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
    audrey.milette@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada 
    media@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Matthew Kronberg
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Health
    343-552-5654

    Media Relations
    Health Canada
    613-957-2983
    media@hc-sc.gc.ca

    Stay connected

    Find more services and information on the Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada website.

    Follow Canadian Science on social media.
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    Follow the department on social media.
    X (Twitter): @ISED_CA | LinkedIn: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Duclos highlights 3 new federal properties in Québec available to build more housing, faster

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The federal government announces the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    October 16, 2024 – Québec, Quebec – Public Services and Procurement Canada

    Everyone deserves a place to call home. However, for many across the country, home ownership and renting is out of reach due to the unprecedented housing crisis Canada is facing. We need to build more homes, faster, to get Canadians into homes that meet their needs, at prices they can afford. That’s why in Budget 2024 and Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    As part of this plan, the Government of Canada is identifying properties within its portfolio that have the potential for housing, and is actively adding them to the Canada Public Land Bank. Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public.

    Today, the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Public Services and Procurement and Quebec Lieutenant, highlighted that properties located at 94, 104 and 112 Dalhousie in Québec, Quebec, are now available for housing development through the Canada Public Land Bank. These properties are part of the list of 14 new properties added to the land bank last week.

    A total of 70 federal properties have now been identified as being suitable to support housing. This list will continue to grow in the coming months, with further details on listed properties available soon.

    As part of the initial launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, the Canada Lands Company, in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, issued a call for proposals for 5 properties located in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal. The call for proposals for the properties in Toronto and Montréal closed on October 1, 2024, and evaluations have begun. The call for proposals for the Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa properties will close on November 1, 2024.

    To provide feedback on the land bank and its properties, the Government of Canada launched a call for housing solutions for communities: a secure online platform.

    To date, the Government of Canada has already received interest and feedback from provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as developers, housing advocates and Indigenous groups. This information will be used to develop and bring more properties to market starting this fall.

    To solve Canada’s housing crisis, the federal government is using every tool at its disposal. The Government of Canada is accelerating its real property disposal process to match the speed of builders and the urgency of getting affordable homes built for Canada.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lord Mayor of Oxford continues 600-year-old tradition by inspecting city’s historic walls

    Source: City of Oxford

    Wednesday, 16 October 2024

    The Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Mike Rowley, will uphold a 600 year old tradition by inspecting the city’s historic walls on 23 October; a responsibility dating back to the reign of Richard II.

    This unique ceremony honours a centuries-old agreement between Oxford and New College, which has been preserved since 30 June 1379. 

    The tradition began when King Richard II granted the land for the founding of New College on the condition that the college maintains the city’s defensive walls. To ensure that the walls were kept in good repair, a contract was established, and every three years since then, the Lord Mayor of Oxford has inspected them. 

    This year the Lord Mayor, accompanied by fellow city councillors, will once again undertake the ceremonial walk from Oxford Town Hall to New College. The procession will be led by the City Mace, and as custom dictates, they will stop at New College’s gate on New College Lane. There, the Mace Bearer will knock three times, symbolically requesting permission for the Lord Mayor and councillors to enter. 

    Upon receiving permission, the Warden and Fellows of New College will lead the group through the college garden to inspect the ancient walls that still stand as part of Oxford’s rich history. 

    In accordance with the 14th-century contract, New College features gates on either side of the city walls. These gates were not only constructed to facilitate the Lord Mayor’s inspections but also to provide a passage for the defence of Oxford in times of war. 

    Comments 

    “It is a privilege to continue this long-standing tradition, which connects our modern city to its medieval roots. The walls are a testament to the strength and resilience of Oxford, and it is an honour to carry out this duty on behalf of the city and its people.” 
    The Lord Mayor of Oxford, Councillor Mike Rowley 

    “We are proud to uphold the agreement made over six centuries ago. This tradition is a reflection of our commitment to Oxford and its heritage, and we look forward to welcoming the Lord Mayor and the councillors for this important inspection.” 
    Miles Young, Warden, New College 

    The event is a reminder of Oxford’s deep historical ties and its commitment to preserving the city’s heritage for future generations. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement by ministers Joly and Hussen on recent events in Middle East

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development today issued the following statement following recent events in the Middle East.

    October 16, 2024 – Ottawa (Ontario) – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, and the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development today issued the following statement following recent events in the Middle East: 

    “Canada is deeply disturbed by the recent events in the Middle East. The violence must stop, and a diplomatic solution must be found before further human tragedy ensues.

    “We urgently call for a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages.  

    “Canada condemns the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) increasing attacks on civilian infrastructure in northern Gaza as well as its attacks on the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon [UNIFIL] positions along the Blue line. These are unacceptable and must immediately stop. 

    “The latest attacks on Al-Aqsa Hospital, the school in the Nuseirat camp and a food distribution centre have caused the deaths of dozens of civilians seeking refuge, including women and children.

    “The increasingly dire humanitarian situation is unacceptable and continues to deteriorate due to a significant decrease of aid allowed into Gaza. An increase in humanitarian aid is desperately needed to end this suffering.

    “The Palestinian civilian population has been displaced countless times, with nowhere safe to go and is unable to meet its most basic needs. As this conflict escalates, it is civilians who continue to bear the brunt of the violence and suffer through its lasting consequences.

    “We reiterate our call for an immediate ceasefire which is desperately needed to end this suffering in Gaza. We continue to strongly condemn Hamas’ terrorist attacks against Israel.

    “Canada also condemns Hezbollah’s continued attacks on Israel. Hezbollah’s ongoing and unprovoked attacks on Israel serve only to further destabilize the region.

    “Canada calls for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon. We condemn the killing of civilians in Lebanon, Gaza, the West Bank and Israel. We continue to insist that civilians be protected and not be inflicted with damage.

    “We call on all parties to the conflict to uphold their obligations under international law to ensure the safety and security of civilians, as well as the protection of first responders and UNIFIL personnel, at all times. 

    “Canada continues to support calls for a ceasefire and for a political solution to be found through diplomatic efforts.

    “We need a comprehensive, just and lasting peace for the Israeli, Lebanese and Palestinian peoples.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: New Employment Law Review Group

    Source: Government of Ireland – Department of Jobs Enterprise and Innovation

    16th October 2024

    Minister seeks expressions of interest and nominees from representative bodies

    The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment is seeking nominees as representatives of expert, technical, legal, government and regulatory bodies. Also sought are expressions of interest from suitably qualified candidates for appointment to one of the six Ministerial nominations to the Employment Law Review Group (ELRG). 

    Ministerial nominees to the ELRG will be appointed by the Minister arising from a call for expressions of interest which is open to all interested parties.  It is proposed to have a maximum of six such nominees on the ELRG. The deadline for receipt of expressions of interest is 3pm 8 November 2024. 

    Members of the ELRG will give their services voluntarily. All members will be appointed for a four-year term and can be re-appointed for up to two terms.  The Chairperson can serve up to ten years in total. 

    The Programme for Government contains a commitment to “review whether the legal provisions surrounding collective redundancies and the liquidation of companies effectively protect the rights of workers”. Following discussions with the Social Partners, the ‘Plan for Action on Collective Redundancies following Insolvency’ was published on 9 June 2021. This set out several commitments to further safeguard the rights of workers including the setting up on a statutory basis of an Employment Law Review Group.

    The ELRG has been established on a statutory basis by the enactment of the Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2024, which was commenced on 1 July 2024. 

    The ELRG’s function will be to monitor, review, and advise on all aspects of employment and redundancy law, with a specific focus on promoting good workplace relations in the State, simplifying the operation of employment and redundancy law in the State, and ensuring that the State’s suite of employment rights and redundancy legislation remains relevant and fit for purpose and is updated to reflect international developments. 

    The ELRG will comprise of members who have expertise and an interest in the development of employment and redundancy law, including practitioners (the legal profession and accountants/liquidators), users (business and unions), regulators (implementation and enforcement bodies) and representatives from government departments.  

    The ELRG’s focus will be more expert, technical, and legal rather than representative of stakeholders’ interests. Members will engage with the work programme of the ELRG and contribute to ELRG reports. 

    The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Peter Burke TD said: 

    “The ELRG will provide a valuable resource in conducting ongoing assessments of employment law to ensure our legal framework is fit for purpose. Emerging trends will be examined to ensure that our employment legislation adapts to changes in the evolving contemporary workplace.” 

    Membership of the ELRG will consist of representatives of the bodies and agencies listed in Appendix 1 below.  

    Welcoming the call for nominees and expressions of interest, Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail, Emer Higgins TD said: 

    “The ELRG will be comprised of members with an interest and expertise in the development of employment and redundancy law. This will include members from the legal, accountancy and insolvency professions; representatives from business, unions and regulators; as well as Ministerial nominees.” 

    The legislative enactments that will be kept under review by the ELRG are listed in Appendix 2 below. 

    See: Call for Expressions of Interest – Appointment as Ministerial Nominees to the Employment Law Review Group

    APPENDIX 1 

    Nominating Body 

    1. Chairperson – a member of ELRG who is appointed by Minister to be Chairperson
    2. The Irish Business and Employers Confederation (IBEC)
    3. The Irish Small and Medium Enterprises Association (ISME)
    4. Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU)
    5. The Law Society of Ireland
    6. The Employment Bar Association
    7. Restructuring and Insolvency Ireland
    8. Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment
    9. Department of Social Protection
    10. Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
    11. Workplace Relations Commission
    12. Labour Court
    13. The Courts Service
    14. Office of the Attorney General
    15. Chief State Solicitor’s Office
    16. Ministerial Nominees

    APPENDIX 2

    List of relevant employment and redundancy enactments 

    1. Redundancy Payments Acts 1967–2014
    2. Protection of Employment Act 1977
    3. Payment of Wages Act 1991
    4. Unfair Dismissals Acts 1977–2015
    5. Organisation of Working Time Act 1997
    6. European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003
    7. Minimum Notice and Terms of Employment Acts 1973–2005
    8. National Minimum Wage Act 2000
    9. European Communities (Protection of Employment) Regulations 2000
    10. Protection of Young Persons (Employment) Act 1996
    11. Terms of Employment (Information) Acts 1994–2014
    12. Protection of Employees (Part-Time Work) Act 2001
    13. European Communities (Protection of Employees on Transfer of Undertakings) Regulations 2003
    14. Protection of Employees (Fixed Term Work) Act 2003
    15. Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Act 2006 (Section 21)
    16. Protection of Employment (Exceptional Collective Redundancies and Related Matters) Act 2007 (other than section 9(1) and 9(2))
    17. Protection of Employment (Temporary Agency Work) Act 2012
    18. Employment (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2018
    19. Industrial Relations (Amendment) Act 2015
    20. Workplace Relations Act 2015
    21. European Union (Posting of Workers) Regulations 2016
    22. Registered Employment Agreements (REAs) and Sectoral Employment Orders (SEOs)
    23. Sick Pay Act 2022
    24. Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022
    25. Part 3 of the Work Life Balance and Miscellaneous Provisions Act 2023
    26. Part 2 of Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Act 2024

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    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Results of the Canadian Grain Commission’s 2024 fee review

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Fees for grain inspected and weighed at export are the main source of revenue for the Canadian Grain Commission. These revenues have been lower than expected since the fees were last updated in 2021, as grain export volumes have been lower than expected. At the same time, the Canadian Grain Commission has experienced rising operating costs related to its program delivery.

    Funding structure

    The Canadian Grain Commission operates as a revolving fund, charging service fees to fund most of its operations. The Canadian Grain Commission funds approximately 90% of its operating budget through service and licence fees, with the balance coming from parliamentary appropriation. The majority of Canadian Grain Commission fee revenues come from official inspection and official weighing of grain exports. The costs of delivering these services includes both direct and supporting work. Most of these costs are fixed and must be recovered even when grain exports are lower than usual.

    Through the Canada Grain Regulations, the Canadian Grain Commission adjusts fees automatically for inflation on April 1 each year in line with the Consumer Price Index. These automatic adjustments are meant to keep fees in pace with inflation, not to cover new or significantly increased costs, or compensate for lower-than-expected grain export volumes.

    Fee review

    In 2024, the Canadian Grain Commission completed a review of its revenues, costs, grain volume forecasting model and service standards. The review found that service fees do not reflect the costs of providing the organization’s services and licences. This is due to a combination of lower-than-expected grain volume exports, outdated service fee alignment, and rising costs for labour and digital service development.

    The review found that in order to be cost recovered, the Canadian Grain Commission would have to reduce its forecasted grain volumes and adjust its fees. It also showed that the existing cost framework (originally set in 2013) is less than required to sustain the Canadian Grain Commission’s current operations, modernize its services, and position the Canadian Grain Commission as a global leader in grain science. Instead of changing its fee formula to increase fees, the Canadian Grain Commission will use its accumulated surplus to cover anticipated shortfalls this year and for the next two fiscal years.

    Grain volume forecasting

    Following a record high of more than 50 million metric tonnes inspected and weighed in the 2020-21 fiscal year, the CGC projected grain volumes of 48.1 million metric tonnes for calculating its fees starting in 2021. This amount was based on an assumption that major infrastructure investments in the grain sector would increase the overall amount of grain that the Canadian Grain Commission would inspect and weigh. However, these investments have not contributed to increased grain exports as expected. At the same time, crop production was also lower due to drought conditions in Western Canada. Together this resulted in an average grain volume of 36.48 million metric tonnes inspected and weighed for fiscal years 2021-22 to 2023-24, falling well short of the projection used for the fee calculations.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Parliamentary Secretary Sousa highlights new federal property in Mississauga available for housing development

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Parliamentary Secretary Sousa highlights new federal property in Mississauga available for housing development.

    October 16, 2024 – Mississauga, Ontario – Public Services and Procurement Canada

    Everyone deserves a place to call home. However, for many across the country, home ownership and renting is out of reach due to the unprecedented housing crisis Canada is facing. We need to build more homes, faster, to get Canadians into homes that meet their needs, at prices they can afford. That’s why in Budget 2024 and Canada’s Housing Plan, the federal government announced the most ambitious housing plan in Canadian history: a plan to build 4 million more homes.

    As part of this plan, the Government of Canada is identifying properties within its portfolio that have the potential for housing, and is actively adding them to the Canada Public Land Bank. Wherever possible, the government will turn these properties into housing through a long-term lease, not a one-time sale, to support affordable housing and ensure public land stays public.

    Today, Charles Sousa, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Services and Procurement, highlighted a property located at 1 Front Street East in Mississauga, Ontario, that is now available for housing development through the Canada Public Land Bank. This property is one of 14 new properties added to the land bank last week.

    A total of 70 federal properties have now been identified as being suitable to support housing. This list will continue to grow in the coming months, with further details on listed properties available soon.

    As part of the initial launch of the Canada Public Land Bank in August 2024, the Canada Lands Company, in partnership with the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, issued a call for proposals for 5 properties located in Toronto, Edmonton, Calgary, Ottawa and Montréal. The call for proposals for the properties in Toronto and Montréal closed on October 1, 2024, and evaluations have begun. The call for proposals for the Edmonton, Calgary and Ottawa properties will close on November 1, 2024.

    To provide feedback on the land bank and its properties, the Government of Canada launched a call for housing solutions for communities: a secure online platform.

    To date, the Government of Canada has already received interest and feedback from provinces, territories and municipalities, as well as developers, housing advocates and Indigenous groups. This information will be used to develop and bring more properties to market starting this fall.

    To solve Canada’s housing crisis, the federal government is using every tool at its disposal. The Government of Canada is accelerating its real property disposal process to match the speed of builders and the urgency of getting affordable homes built for Canada. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Turning industrial waste into energy

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    [embedded content]

    Around the world, demand for industrial and manufacturing products is rising rapidly. Companies are looking for more ways to repurpose waste, decrease costs and increase operational efficiency while reducing emissions, but these improvements can be expensive and complex.

    Alberta’s government and industry are stepping up and setting an example for the world, investing in two new programs to help more industrial and manufacturing companies reduce emissions, re-use waste and keep powering the world. In partnership with Lafarge Canada, the province will launch a program to expand the use of recycled spare tires and will invest $10 million in a second program to help industry save on their energy bills.

    “We are investing in lower-emission fuels and facility upgrades to set our energy sector up for continued success. These new initiatives will keep our province at the forefront of technological advancement and ensure Alberta continues to lead the way to reduce emissions and turn waste into energy.”

    Rebecca Schulz, Minister of Environment and Protected Areas

    New Tire-Derived Fuel Pilot Project

    Alberta is launching a Tire-Derived Fuel pilot to test the effectiveness of turning old, worn-out tires into energy to power industrial facilities. Led by the Alberta Recycling Management Authority (ARMA), the pilot will turn up to 1.5 million used tires into up to 15,750 tonnes of chips that will become tire-derived fuel in the coming months.

    Lafarge Canada’s new Low-Carbon Fuel Facility will participate in the pilot project. They have the equipment needed to burn waste-derived fuels, reducing their use of natural gas. Results from the pilot will be used to help determine whether tire-derived fuel should be permanently added to the province’s existing Tire Recycling Program.

    New Strategic Energy Management for Industry Program

    Alberta’s government is also investing $10 million from the industry-funded Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction (TIER) fund to help launch the new Strategic Energy Management for Industry program, open for applications on Oct. 17.

    Delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta, the program will cover the cost of energy assessments and capital retrofits to save Alberta-based industrial and manufacturing facilities money on their energy bills. It will also provide energy management training, knowledge sharing and technical support.

    Agriculture, forestry, fishing, hunting, mining, oil and gas, and cement companies will all be eligible for funding. Additional funding will also be provided by the Government of Canada and announced soon. More information will be shared on Emissions Reduction Alberta’s website.

    New Low-Carbon Fuel Facility

    Thanks in part to $10 million in TIER funding delivered through Emissions Reduction Alberta, Lafarge Canada has opened a cutting-edge Low-Carbon Fuel Facility that will replace up to 50 per cent of the natural gas it uses with low-carbon fuel from construction demolition waste. This will keep up to 120,000 tonnes of construction and demolition materials out of landfills and produce up to 30,000 fewer tonnes of emissions.

    “The Tire-Derived Fuel Pilot program is another step in resource recovery. We appreciate the support from the Government of Alberta and industry partners like Lafarge Canada, enabling us to explore innovative recycling technologies to assess its viability. This pilot initiative not only addresses near-term tire stockpile reduction needs from our Tire Recycling Program, but also brings the potential to further boost economic opportunities across the province.”

    Ed Gugenheimer, president and CEO, Alberta Recycling Management Authority

    “Improving the efficiency of industrial and manufacturing processes and facilities is the quickest, most cost-effective way to lower energy bills and stay competitive. But it takes knowledge, expertise, training and capital. With SEMI, Alberta companies will soon have even more opportunity to invest in energy and cost-saving technologies.”

    Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta

    “We’re pleased to see the Government of Alberta’s continued commitment to technology and innovation funding, which plays a crucial role in driving innovation and sustainability across all industries. Lafarge Canada has directly benefited from past support, helping us advance our low-carbon solutions. These funding opportunities empower us to accelerate our efforts to reduce emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future for Alberta.”

    Brad Kohl, president and CEO, Lafarge Canada (West)

    Quick facts

    • Albertans have recycled more than 149.5 million tires and diverted hundreds of thousands of tonnes of tires from landfills since 1992 through ARMA’s existing Tire Recycling Program.
    • Scrap tires are currently processed under ARMA’s Tire Recycling Program and turned into drainage material in municipal landfills, playground surfaces, sidewalk blocks, roofing tiles and landscaping mulch, but with markets for recycled tire products declining, alternative outlets are needed to avoid tire stockpiles.
    • To date, Emissions Reduction Alberta has invested $960 million from the industrial carbon price toward more than 290 projects worth over $8.6 billion, estimated to reduce 40 million tonnes of emissions by 2030.

    Related information

    • Emissions Reduction Alberta
    • ARMA: Tire Recycling Program
    • Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction System

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Langworthy Announces $2 Million in Federal Funding for Workforce Development Programs at Alfred State

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) announced that Alfred State is receiving a federal grant of $1,998,370 for training programs to bolster the workforce for the heavy equipment and trucking industries. 

    “Businesses in the Southern Tier face a shortage of skilled workers, and this program can create new opportunities for local students and workers to gain the skills necessary to meet the growing demands of these industries,” said Congressman Langworthy. “This investment will ensure that our region has a steady pipeline of talent for the heavy equipment and trucking sectors, paving the way for new economic growth. I will always be a voice in Washington for workforce development and I’m proud to support schools like Alfred State, who do great work in preparing students for successful careers.”

    This funding comes from the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) and will allow 180 students will enroll in Alfred State’s heavy equipment operation or trucking and diesel Associate of Occupational Studies program. It will also provide for hands-on learning experiences for 338 middle and high school students, and allow 300 workers will enroll in a heavy equipment operation or trucking and diesel micro-credential program.

    The Appalachian Regional Commission is an economic development agency of the federal government and 13 state governments focusing on 423 counties across the Appalachian region. Its mission is to innovate, partner, and invest to build community capacity and strengthen economic growth in the Appalachian region.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration

    Source: US Department of Veterans Affairs

    Monica Rivera, thanks very much for that kind introduction.

    Katherine Martinez, it’s great to see you again. You are certainly a Veteran “worth knowing,” and I’m glad you could join us today. And thanks very much for your powerful remarks, especially about how VA can fit into Veterans lives, rather than Veterans trying to fit their lives into VA.

    Jaime Areizaga-Soto and our panel members—thank you for the great conversation this morning.

    And thank you, Nathan Maenle and team, for putting together the program today.

    I don’t have to look far to see Hispanic Americans making an impact at VA—serving Vets as well as they’ve served all of us.

    To close today’s program, I’d like to tell you about a few extraordinary VA teammates. One demonstrating leadership in a moment of crisis. Another, an example of a Veteran dedicating his life to serving other Vets. A third, a young cemetery director committed to honoring our fallen Vets and preserving their stories. And finally, an emerging leader dedicated to healing human suffering wherever he finds it.

    First, Fernando Rivera. Fernando’s the Executive Director of the Southeast Louisiana Health Care system and was born in Cuba. His mother was a government public relations professional. His father was a military officer. Both were disillusioned—to put it mildly—with the oppression of Castro’s communist regime, and secretly participated in the movement to overthrow the government. In 1961, Fernando’s father was imprisoned in Havana and paid the ultimate price for his efforts to ensure his family and country could live in freedom. He was executed.

    Fernando immigrated to the United States—New Orleans—in 1969 as a political refugee. He was nine years old. His mother worked three jobs to support him and his grandparents. As a young man he started at VA as a GS-5 Project Engineer—and advanced to roles including Medical Center Director, Network Director, and Acting Deputy Under Secretary. He’s been with VA for 39 years and counting. Along the way, in 1992, he met the love of his life—his wife Stacie—at VA. That’s part of the reason Fernando calls VA his family.

    Ten years ago, he went home—so to speak—when he helped bring VA healthcare back to New Orleans nearly a decade after the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina. Fernando’s leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic set national standards, caring for over 1,600 infected patients, and coordinating responses across VA and private-sector healthcare systems. Just last month, Fernando’s steady leadership guided the Veterans, staff, and volunteers at VA when Hurricane Francine made landfall in Louisiana. Fernando’s team responded quickly. They kept in close contact with the most vulnerable patients. When the storm had passed, Fernando had the medical center and 6 of 7 community-based outpatient clinics up and running within 24 hours and the final, most impacted clinic, up within 48 hours.

    Every day when Fernando goes to work, he reads a sign at the front of the hospital in New Orleans. It says, “The price of freedom can be seen within these walls.” Fernando says that he can never take for granted those who have served in uniform because they are the reason he and his family are free. Perhaps few can appreciate that freedom more profoundly than Fernando.

    Next, I’d like to talk about Francisco Vazquez. Francisco is the Medical Center Director at the Houston VA. His story of service starts with his beloved father, also named Francisco. His father grew up an orphan in Puerto Rico and saw the Army as a way out of the cycle of poverty and hopelessness he experienced. He joined the famous 65th Infantry Regiment shortly after his 18th birthday in 1951. Within a year, he found himself landing on the shores of Inchon, Korea. He stayed in the Army and Francisco, the younger, was born in Fort Chafee, Arkansas. When Francisco was eight, his father retired from the Army and moved the family back to Puerto Rico where he experienced firsthand the richness and warmth of the family-centered culture there.

    Francisco is very proud of his Puerto Rican heritage—where, as he says, “the island is beautiful … the food is amazing … and the people are welcoming, valiant, and determined.” After graduating from college, Francisco attended Navy Officer Candidate School, following his father in service to the nation. He served on the USS Okinawa for four years. His VA journey began in 1995 at the Central Texas Healthcare System. Since then, Francisco has served in seven VA hospitals. “We have the best mission in the world,” Francisco says. “We help our nation pay back part of the debt of gratitude we owe our Veterans for their service and sacrifice through the delivery of world-class care.”

    And for Francisco, it all goes back to the values his father modeled for him and his siblings during his Army career: honesty, hard work, humility, and putting the needs of others above your own. It was these values that inspired Francisco’s oldest son, Armando, to join the Army. And though Francisco’s father and son are no longer with us, their memory inspires and motivates him every single day to fulfill the second part of what President Biden calls our one truly sacred obligation as Americans, to prepare and equip the troops we send into harm’s way, and then care for them and their families when they come home. Three generations of Hispanic Americans who have put service and love of country at the forefront of their lives and are an example for us all.

    Next, I’d like to tell you about Marcos De Jesus. Marcos is the Director of the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth, Florida. He was born in the Dominican Republic. When he was four, his mother—Maria—and he immigrated to Puerto Rico where he says he truly found his home. Marcos’ commitment to service started with the values taught by his mother—the belief that even if you don’t have much, you should still strive to give back to the world. By the time Marcos left for college it was only natural that he should join the ROTC program there, where the Air Force’s core value of “Service Before Self” resonated with him. Marcos served five years as an Air Force officer, deploying to Colombia and Abu Dhabi. He was impressed with the fact that in the Air Force he met people from all walks of life who were dedicated to one thing: serving their country.

    Like many Vets, when Marcos left the military, he searched for a similar sense of purpose and service. He found that purpose in the National Cemetery Administration in 2021.  His life came full circle when he returned to Puerto Rico for NCA’s Cemetery Director’s Development Program. Marcos takes pride in learning and sharing Veteran stories preserved in our National Cemeteries, especially through the Veterans Legacy Memorial site. Along the way, he met and married his wife, Barbara, from Caracas, Venezuela. Being a part of a Venezuelan family now, Marcos sees similarities in the values he witnessed growing up in Puerto Rico: courage, determination, and perseverance. Marcos jokes that he knows he and his wife will have debates about which heritage their children will claim. But they are certain of one thing—their children will inherit their shared values of hard work and service.

    Finally, I’d like to tell you about Dr. Alexander Tenorio. Alexander is a White House Fellow—one of America’s most prestigious programs for emerging leaders—serving with us here at VACO. Hispanic alumni of this program include the Honorable Carlos Del Toro, Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Jaime Areizaga-Soto, our Chairman of the Board of Veterans Appeals, and Alberto Ramos, my Chief Speechwriter. Alexander and his family immigrated to the United States from Mexico in the 1980s, fleeing violence in their hometown. Alexander grew up poor in South Los Angeles, selling clothing on the streets to help his family make ends meet. It was on those streets that he saw drug use, gang violence, and the healthcare challenges the people in his community faced.

    So, he decided to go to medical school and become a neurosurgeon, one of the most under-represented specialties. During his residency in San Diego, Alexander came face-to-face with the horrific reality that is all too common along our southern border—individuals sustaining life changing wounds like Traumatic Brain Injury—T.B.I.—and spinal cord damage after falling from the 30-foot border wall—fleeing the same violence his parents did in the ‘80s. He’s dedicated his life to raising awareness of these tragic and preventable accidents, advocating for increased access to care for Hispanic and non-citizen populations. Alexander says that some of the most grateful patients he cared for as a resident in San Diego were our Vets. And that’s part of his motivation to serve his fellowship here at VA. His parents, who sacrificed so much to help him become a neurosurgeon, instilled in him the core value he lives by today: to help the helpless, and to heal human suffering wherever he finds it.

    So, why did I tell you about these extraordinary individuals this morning? Well, because frankly, these folks—Katherine, Francisco, Fernando, Marcos, and Alexander—know better than most what America is all about. And we need more leaders like them at VA. Because a diverse VA is a stronger VA. We all travel our unique journeys in life. Whether from Cuba, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, or Minnesota. And the convergence of those varied paths is what makes us stronger. We all cherish our freedoms as Americans. That’s why—you and I—are here to fight like hell for those who raise their hands to defend those freedoms. I thank you all for allowing me to join you this morning. God bless you all. And God bless our Veterans, their families, caregivers, and survivors.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Matsinhe, Losophone Research Specialist/Adjunct Professor in African Studies, Carleton University

    The incoming president of Mozambique faces an array of interconnected problems deeply rooted in historical, socioeconomic and political dynamics. He must balance meeting immediate needs with long-term structural change.

    The 9 October 2024 general election was Mozambique’s seventh since multiparty elections were introduced in 1994. The results are expected to be announced within two weeks from the poll date. International media reports indicate that the ruling Frelimo and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo are poised for a landslide victory.

    This is likely to be confirmed by the electoral commission even though local media have pointed to widespread and brazen ballot stuffing and fake observers, among other irregularities, in favour of Frelimo.

    Frelimo has been in power since independence in 1975.

    Can the resource-rich but impoverished nation of 35 million expect a redirection of policies and strategies under Chapo to address its multifaceted crises?

    Chapo (47) was born after independence and promises to act with integrity. But the old guard placed him in power to protect and promote their interests.

    Mozambique’s crises stem largely from systemic corruption under Frelimo. It has prioritised political elites over national welfare. Its decades of mismanagement, embezzlement and patronage have left institutions weak and unable to address pressing social and economic issues.

    The country is fragmented. The government has neglected the development of inclusive, accountable governance and equitable infrastructure. Regional disparities are the result. This is especially so in Cabo Delgado province, where disenfranchised citizens have become vulnerable to extremist groups.

    This lack of unity and long-term planning has created a fragile state unable to withstand mounting internal and external pressures.

    As a Mozambican social scientist and human rights specialist, I have spent my adult life wrestling with my country’s complex economic, social, cultural and political dynamics.



    Read more:
    9 million Mozambicans live below the poverty line – what’s wrong with the national budget and how to fix it

    Mozambique stands at a critical point. The new president must confront the deep-rooted challenges with determination and comprehensive reforms.

    In my view, the new leader faces nine key challenges. These are a deep economic crisis, an Islamic insurgency in the north, climate change, drug trafficking, unemployment, corruption, poor infrastructure, kidnappings and unpaid public sector salaries.

    Economic crisis

    Mozambique’s economy has deteriorated, primarily because of structural imbalances and a dependence on extractive industries. GDP growth has declined sharply, from 7% in 2014 to 1.8% in 2023.

    Slower growth has resulted in over 62% of Mozambicans living in poverty.

    A public debt crisis was worsened by the “hidden debt scandal”: the discovery in 2016 of US$2 billion in previously undisclosed debts the government had guaranteed without the knowledge of parliament.

    This has limited the state’s capacity to invest in education, health and sanitation.

    Economic revival must be accompanied by targeted interventions to promote inclusive growth. All Mozambicans must benefit from economic activities to alleviate poverty.

    Insurgency

    Since 2017, extremist groups have used local grievances and regional disenfranchisement to destabilise northern Mozambique. Over 4,000 people have died. Nearly a million have been displaced.

    The conflict is rooted in socio-economic inequalities, made worse by the extraction of natural gas and rubies. Global and local actors compete for control.

    The new president’s role in mediating this crisis requires nuance. He must address the historical marginalisation of Cabo Delgado while balancing military and developmental responses.



    Read more:
    Between state and mosque: new book explores the turbulent history of Islamic politics in Mozambique

    He must also write a new chapter in the country’s deplorable human rights record. This is marked by widespread violations of the right to life, physical integrity, freedom from arbitrary detention, and freedoms of expression, assembly and the press.

    Climate change crisis

    Climate change intersects with Mozambique’s vulnerabilities. The country has been repeatedly struck by increasingly devastating severe cyclones, such as Idai and Kenneth in 2019.

    Deforestation has made it more fragile, reducing its capacity to mitigate flood and erosion risks.

    The new president will need to put in place policies that incorporate mitigation and adaptation strategies. He will also need to secure multilateral cooperation.

    Drug trafficking

    Drug trafficking networks have entrenched themselves. Porous borders, weak governance structures and endemic corruption have made Mozambique a corridor for heroin and cocaine trafficking.

    The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that US$100 million worth of heroin passes through Mozambique annually. This fuels informal economies that sustain political patronage networks.

    Tackling the problem requires stronger state institutions. It also requires regional and global collaboration to disrupt the transnational flow of narcotics.

    Unemployment

    Joblessness stands at over 70%, affecting youth in particular. Youth disenfranchisement risks perpetuating cycles of poverty, social instability and potential radicalisation.

    Policies promoting vocational training and entrepreneurship are essential. So is investment in labour-intensive sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing.

    Corruption

    Pervasive corruption erodes public trust and stifles economic innovation. New efforts to combat corruption must go beyond superficial reforms. They must uproot the power structures that sustain these systems.

    Poor infrastructure

    Infrastructure is in disrepair. Urban roads are crumbling, public services are inadequate and electricity blackouts are frequent. Rural regions lack basic services such as clean water and healthcare.

    The next president will need to launch an ambitious infrastructure overhaul to improve living conditions and stimulate economic growth.

    Kidnappings

    Kidnappings, especially targeting the wealthy and business people, have created widespread fear and instability. The crime disrupts business operations and deters foreign investment, further harming economic growth.

    The high-profile nature of kidnappings suggests collusion between criminal networks and law enforcement as well as inefficiencies in the justice system.

    The persistence of kidnappings reflects broader governance issues. These include limited state capacity to respond effectively to organised crime.

    Unpaid public servants

    Delays in salary payments for public servants have worsened economic and social problems. The delays reduce public workers’ purchasing power. This has affected household consumption and local economies.

    Morale among employees is sapped, harming productivity and eroding trust in government institutions.



    Read more:
    Mozambique’s transgender history is on display in a powerful photo exhibition

    The new president must make public sector reforms. This includes auditing finances, improving revenue collection, enforcing fiscal discipline, promoting merit-based appointments, implementing probity laws, strengthening anti-corruption bodies, and diversifying the economy.

    The future of Mozambique rests on the ability of its next leader to address these profound and intertwined crises. It’s a huge task.

    Whoever it is will have to break from the Frelimo mould, reverse the damage done and set the country on a new path of clean governance, peace and inclusive economic growth.

    David Matsinhe does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president – https://theconversation.com/mozambiques-2024-elections-9-major-challenges-that-will-face-the-next-president-240923

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What is Temporary Protected Status? A global migration expert explains why the US offers some foreign nationals temporary protection

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Karen Jacobsen, Henry J. Leir Chair in Global Migration, Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy, Tufts University

    Haitian students use mobile phones to record an exercise during an English class in Springfield, Ohio, on Sept. 13, 2024. Roberto Schmidt/AFP via Getty Images

    Former President Donald Trump and his running mate, U.S. Sen. JD Vance, have criticized the Biden administration’s decision to allow Haitian nationals who are in the U.S. to apply for permission to stay under a legal classification called Temporary Protected Status. Here is what this designation means and how it’s made:

    TPS permits foreign nationals who are already in the United States – even if they did not enter the country through an official or legal means – to remain for six, 12 or 18 months at a time if the situation in their home country is deemed too dangerous for them to return. Threats that prompt TPS designations include ongoing armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics and other extraordinary and temporary conditions.

    The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security designates a foreign country for TPS when conditions there meet requirements spelled out in federal law. Once the secretary determines that the foreign country is safe for its nationals to return, their protected status expires and people who have been granted it are expected to return to their home country.

    Congress created TPS as part of the Immigration Act of 1990. Since then, administrations have used it to protect thousands of people from dozens of countries. The first nations to be designated, in March 1991, were Kuwait, Lebanon and Liberia.

    As of March 2024, there were 863,880 people from 16 countries under Temporary Protected Status in the U.S. Another 486,418 people had initial or renewal applications pending. An estimated 316,000 people may also be eligible under two new extensions since that date.

    TPS beneficiaries may not be detained by federal officials over their immigration status or deported from the United States. They can obtain work permits and apply for authorization to travel outside the U.S. and return to it.

    People who receive TPS don’t automatically become legal permanent residents. But they can petition for an adjustment of their immigration status, such as applying for permanent residency, a student visa or asylum. Applying for a change of immigration status does not necessarily mean their application will be approved.

    Humanitarian measures

    TPS is not the only tool administrations can use to protect people from countries facing disaster or conflict.

    For example, a Haitian person currently living in the U.S. is eligible for TPS under a designation that lasts through Feb. 3, 2026. In contrast, a Haitian who travels through Mexico and applies for entry to the U.S. at the border is not likely to be admitted.

    However, there is a third possibility for Haitians, known as parole. The federal government can give certain groups permission to enter or remain in the U.S. if it finds “urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons” for doing so.

    People who enter through parole programs must have an approved financial supporter in the U.S., undergo a robust security vetting and meet other eligibility criteria. They typically can stay for one to two years, and may apply for authorization to work.

    One current parole program is for people from Latin American countries that are TPS designates. The U.S. government can grant advance permission to enter the U.S. to up to 30,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans and Venezuelans each month. People fleeing these countries – all of which have been designated for Temporary Protected Status – can seek authorization to travel from their homes to the U.S. for urgent humanitarian reasons, and then stay for a temporary period of parole for up to two years.

    Immigrant rights groups rally at the U.S. Capitol following a federal court ruling that threatened the legal standing of thousands with Temporary Protected Status, Sept. 15, 2020.
    Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

    I’ve studied global migration and asylum policy for 25 years. I see both TPS and parole as legal and carefully considered ways to support people from countries experiencing wrenching conflict, disorder and disaster who are seeking safety in the U.S. Doing away with these programs, as Trump sought to do during his term in office, would make it extremely difficult for people in great danger to escape.

    Neither TPS nor parole programs are automatic roads to citizenship or permanent residence. They are ways to provide humanitarian assistance to people in appalling circumstances, such as rampant gang violence in Haiti and economic hardship and political repression in Venezuela and Nicaragua.

    Certainly, cities need more resources to support large numbers of immigrants. But offering temporary protection to people whose home countries are not safe places to live is a long-standing – and, in my view, crucial – element of U.S. immigration policy.

    Karen Jacobsen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. What is Temporary Protected Status? A global migration expert explains why the US offers some foreign nationals temporary protection – https://theconversation.com/what-is-temporary-protected-status-a-global-migration-expert-explains-why-the-us-offers-some-foreign-nationals-temporary-protection-240525

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jacob Lewis, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Washington State University

    Nigerians took to the streets in August 2024 to voice their frustration at a series of government policies. These policies had been ostensibly designed to make Nigeria more attractive for outside investment.

    The removal of fuel subsidies and the removal of the economic peg between the Nigerian naira and the US dollar have sent the Nigerian economy into a tailspin.

    Many Nigerians rely on government subsidies to make ends meet. The economic policy changes have resulted in a big rise in inflation, adding to the challenges for ordinary Nigerians.

    As economic conditions have worsened, the prominence of government corruption has risen. Protests and riots have exploded in the streets across the country in the form of #EndBadGovernance protests that call out government graft and poor governance.

    Does government corruption drive protests and social movements? While some scholars have argued that it does, others have argued that corruption is often a catch-all term for frustration over broad economic and democratic grievances. Others have noted that in some cases, increased perceptions of corruption correlate with less protest.

    These contradictory results reveal an important puzzle: why does corruption only sometimes seem to generate mass uprisings? If, for example, corruption is enough to generate citizen uprisings, then why do we only rarely see unified anti-police protests in countries like Nigeria, where police corruption is rampant?

    I argue that one key to this puzzle is the way different types of corruption are associated with increased or decreased protest mobilisation.

    I am a political scientist whose work focuses in part on African social movements and issues of corruption. I approach this by merging large statistical models with political psychological approaches.

    I conducted research in 2021 on different types of corruption shaping protests. I found that elite corruption had the power to mobilise protest. But that other forms of corruption – such as corruption in the police force – were less likely to lead people to take protest action.

    The implication of my findings is that anti-corruption protests are an imperfect signal for understanding everyday corruption experiences. The fact that people aren’t protesting doesn’t mean there’s nothing to complain about.

    Why elite corruption sparks protest

    To explain why corruption sometimes corresponds with protest movements and other times does not, I think it is useful to consider two types of corruption. Elite corruption refers to forms of graft and venality performed by political elites who seek to either enrich themselves or reshape the political system to their advantage.

    Police corruption refers to acts of self-enrichment or abuse perpetrated by police officers, often during traffic stops or in the process of police procedure.

    My findings show that citizens are generally more likely to mobilise in response to elite corruption than police corruption. Why?

    First, elite corruption tends to be intertwined with macro-level economic crises and scandals.

    Second, elite corruption provides a universal point of focus for protesters across an entire nation, rather than the highly localised experiences of police and bureaucratic graft.

    Finally, anger over police corruption may be suppressed by the safety concerns associated with demonstrating against armed security forces.

    I tested this argument using two methods. First, drawing from a 2017 household survey experiment that I conducted in five Nigerian states, I examined whether exposure to vignettes describing either elite corruption or police corruption shaped a respondent’s self-reported willingness to participate in a protest.

    The elite corruption vignettes included self-dealing and system-changing forms of corruption perpetrated by political elites. The police corruption vignette focused on the solicitation of bribes and unfair detention of citizens by the police. I then asked respondents:

    Many Nigerians join groups that engage in protests, strikes, or demonstrations. Now I would like to ask you about how willing you would be to join a protest or demonstration.

    Respondents were able to select a response between 1 (“not at all willing”) to 5 (“very willing / I already do”).

    I found that individuals who received the elite corruption vignette were statistically more likely to state that they would join a protest or demonstration.

    I then expanded this analysis via a statistical regression that measured whether perceptions of elite and police corruption (sourced from the Afrobarometer dataset) correlated with different levels of observed conflict (sourced from the Social Conflict Analysis Database).

    I thought it was best to test whether the results of my survey experiment, which capture a moment in time, reflected a broader reality, or whether it was just a fluke.

    Using the Afrobarometer data, I identified regions where citizens expressed particularly high or low perceptions of elite and police corruption. Then, using the social conflict analysis data, I measured the number of protest events in those regions.

    I found that while elite corruption perceptions were positively correlated with an increased number of observed protest events, police corruption perceptions were not.

    Together, these methods suggest that it is not enough to argue that citizens will rise up against corrupt governments. Rather, the ways in which a government is corrupt matter.

    Turning back to the August 2024 protests, one might ask: why now? Why did Nigerians spend ten days protesting against corruption when there had been rampant corruption for so long?

    My research suggests that the nature of the corruption claims – specifically, anger over large-scale government graft – is what counts.

    Recent developments seem to support this.

    What’s changed

    First, corruption perceptions have spiked. In 2021, Afrobarometer polled 1,600 Nigerians, asking them whether levels of corruption had risen, stayed the same, or decreased in the past year. At the time, just over 35% stated that corruption had “increased a lot”. One year later, that number had nearly doubled, jumping to just under 65%.

    This drastic increase in perceived corruption reveals a broader lack of faith in the government and concern over the future of the country.

    Second, tipping points help with mobilisation. The protests in early August arose as the financial crisis crystallised and as a series of economic policies brought into sharp relief the economic disparities between the rich and the poor.

    The removal of fuel subsidies is a particularly touchy subject in Nigerian politics. In 2012, Nigerians took to the streets over the same issue, leading to a week-long “occupation” of major Nigerian cities by protesters.

    Implications

    Protests are a highly visible signal that citizens are frustrated; however, it is easy to overlook the possibility that citizens may be widely upset about a broad array of issues, but only willing to speak out in response to some of those issues.

    There is a knock-on consequence to this; namely, that police corruption has a more direct effect on the lives of Nigerians than elite corruption, but often goes unaddressed.

    Jacob Lewis receives funding from the Department of Defense, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the Anti-Defamation League, and the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He consults with the Anti-Defamation League on survey-based research.

    – ref. Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t – https://theconversation.com/elite-corruption-has-the-power-to-ignite-mass-protests-in-nigeria-why-police-corruption-doesnt-239760

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Gangs’stories : A glimpse of hard lives around the world

    Source: The Conversation – France – By Dennis Rodgers, Research Professor, Anthropology and Sociology, Graduate Institute – Institut de hautes études internationales et du développement (IHEID)

    Gangs and gang members arguably constitute fundamental lenses through which to think about and consider the world we live in. They need to be understood in a balanced and nuanced manner, however, that goes beyond stereotyping and vilification. For the past five years, the GANGS project, a European Research Council-funded project led by Dennis Rodgers, has been studying global gang dynamics.

    Among the project’s various activities, researchers collected 31 gang member life histories from 23 countries around the world, to help us better understand the motivations, drivers, and events that can shape gang members’ choices and trajectories. Taken together, the stories offer a panorama of triumph and defeat, of ruin and redemption, of discrimination and emancipation, and highlight the frequent persistence of human beings, even in the most difficult of circumstances. The 31 stories will be published in different forms – including as an Open Access edited volume with Bloomsbury Press, and in two journal special issues – over the coming years. In the meantime, this special series for The Conversation offers a preliminary selection, each illustrating a key issue that has emerged from GANGS project research.

    Kieran Mitton tells us about the life of Gaz, a former Sierra Leonean gang member who became a poet and then a farmer. His remarkable trajectory is a testament to the way that gangster lives are by no means deterministic and that opportunities to leave the gang and change can present themselves in all sorts of ways at different moments in time.

    Ellen Van Damme offers us a portrait of Jennifer, the first female Honduran gang leader. Her story illustrates the frequently gendered nature of gangs, and the way that machismo and patriarchy constrain Jennifer’s life, even as a gang leader, highlighting the frequently fundamentally masculine essence of street gangs.

    Sally Atkinson-Sheppard worked closely with Sharif, who 10 years ago was her research assistant, to write the story of his journey from gang member in war-torn Bangladesh to human rights worker and advocate for street children’s rights today. His story is one of overcoming exceptional adversity and drawing on his past experiences to do good in the world today.

    Steffen Jensen recounts the story of Marwan, whose life is in many ways a reflection of contemporary South African history, as he has had to navigate the violence of apartheid, prison, the Cape Flat drug wars, and more. Central to his narrative are the binary notions of damnation and redemption, with gangs frequently the sources of both at different points in his life, highlighting the different ways in which they can influence life trajectories.

    Alistair Fraser and Angela Bartie present a portrait of 70-year-old Danny, a retired Glaswegian businessman who was a gang member in his youth, and that is based, uniquely, on interviews carried out over a 50-year period, in 1969, 2011, and 2022. They trace his changing self-reflexion about his past, highlighting how this mirrors the broader transformation of Glasgow from a “Mean City” in the 1950s to a thriving metropolis that was Europe’s Capital of Culture in 1990.

    From a very young age, Soraya was involved in drug trafficking in the barrio Luis Fanor Hernández, a poor neighbourhood in Managua, the capital of Nicaragua, where Dennis Rodgers has worked for over 20 years. Known locally as “la Reina del Sur” (“the Queen of the South”), her story shows how rather than being empowering, her participation in the drugs trade reinforced forms of macho violence and patriarchal dynamics of domination.

    Dennis Rodgers received an Advanced Grant (no. 787935) from the European Research Council (https://erc.europa.eu) for a project on “Gangs, Gangsters, and Ganglands: Towards a Global Comparative Ethnography” (GANGS).

    – ref. Gangs’stories : A glimpse of hard lives around the world – https://theconversation.com/gangsstories-a-glimpse-of-hard-lives-around-the-world-227166

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By David Matsinhe, Losophone Research Specialist/Adjunct Professor in African Studies, Carleton University

    The incoming president of Mozambique faces an array of interconnected problems deeply rooted in historical, socioeconomic and political dynamics. He must balance meeting immediate needs with long-term structural change.

    The 9 October 2024 general election was Mozambique’s seventh since multiparty elections were introduced in 1994. The results are expected to be announced within two weeks from the poll date. International media reports indicate that the ruling Frelimo and its presidential candidate Daniel Chapo are poised for a landslide victory.

    This is likely to be confirmed by the electoral commission even though local media have pointed to widespread and brazen ballot stuffing and fake observers, among other irregularities, in favour of Frelimo.

    Frelimo has been in power since independence in 1975.

    Can the resource-rich but impoverished nation of 35 million expect a redirection of policies and strategies under Chapo to address its multifaceted crises?

    Chapo (47) was born after independence and promises to act with integrity. But the old guard placed him in power to protect and promote their interests.

    Mozambique’s crises stem largely from systemic corruption under Frelimo. It has prioritised political elites over national welfare. Its decades of mismanagement, embezzlement and patronage have left institutions weak and unable to address pressing social and economic issues.

    The country is fragmented. The government has neglected the development of inclusive, accountable governance and equitable infrastructure. Regional disparities are the result. This is especially so in Cabo Delgado province, where disenfranchised citizens have become vulnerable to extremist groups.

    This lack of unity and long-term planning has created a fragile state unable to withstand mounting internal and external pressures.

    As a Mozambican social scientist and human rights specialist, I have spent my adult life wrestling with my country’s complex economic, social, cultural and political dynamics.

    Read more: 9 million Mozambicans live below the poverty line – what’s wrong with the national budget and how to fix it

    Mozambique stands at a critical point. The new president must confront the deep-rooted challenges with determination and comprehensive reforms.

    In my view, the new leader faces nine key challenges. These are a deep economic crisis, an Islamic insurgency in the north, climate change, drug trafficking, unemployment, corruption, poor infrastructure, kidnappings and unpaid public sector salaries.

    Economic crisis

    Mozambique’s economy has deteriorated, primarily because of structural imbalances and a dependence on extractive industries. GDP growth has declined sharply, from 7% in 2014 to 1.8% in 2023.

    Slower growth has resulted in over 62% of Mozambicans living in poverty.

    A public debt crisis was worsened by the “hidden debt scandal”: the discovery in 2016 of US$2 billion in previously undisclosed debts the government had guaranteed without the knowledge of parliament.

    This has limited the state’s capacity to invest in education, health and sanitation.

    Economic revival must be accompanied by targeted interventions to promote inclusive growth. All Mozambicans must benefit from economic activities to alleviate poverty.

    Insurgency

    Since 2017, extremist groups have used local grievances and regional disenfranchisement to destabilise northern Mozambique. Over 4,000 people have died. Nearly a million have been displaced.

    The conflict is rooted in socio-economic inequalities, made worse by the extraction of natural gas and rubies. Global and local actors compete for control.

    The new president’s role in mediating this crisis requires nuance. He must address the historical marginalisation of Cabo Delgado while balancing military and developmental responses.

    Read more: Between state and mosque: new book explores the turbulent history of Islamic politics in Mozambique

    He must also write a new chapter in the country’s deplorable human rights record. This is marked by widespread violations of the right to life, physical integrity, freedom from arbitrary detention, and freedoms of expression, assembly and the press.

    Climate change crisis

    Climate change intersects with Mozambique’s vulnerabilities. The country has been repeatedly struck by increasingly devastating severe cyclones, such as Idai and Kenneth in 2019.

    Deforestation has made it more fragile, reducing its capacity to mitigate flood and erosion risks.

    The new president will need to put in place policies that incorporate mitigation and adaptation strategies. He will also need to secure multilateral cooperation.

    Drug trafficking

    Drug trafficking networks have entrenched themselves. Porous borders, weak governance structures and endemic corruption have made Mozambique a corridor for heroin and cocaine trafficking.

    The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimates that US$100 million worth of heroin passes through Mozambique annually. This fuels informal economies that sustain political patronage networks.

    Tackling the problem requires stronger state institutions. It also requires regional and global collaboration to disrupt the transnational flow of narcotics.

    Unemployment

    Joblessness stands at over 70%, affecting youth in particular. Youth disenfranchisement risks perpetuating cycles of poverty, social instability and potential radicalisation.

    Policies promoting vocational training and entrepreneurship are essential. So is investment in labour-intensive sectors, such as agriculture and manufacturing.

    Corruption

    Pervasive corruption erodes public trust and stifles economic innovation. New efforts to combat corruption must go beyond superficial reforms. They must uproot the power structures that sustain these systems.

    Poor infrastructure

    Infrastructure is in disrepair. Urban roads are crumbling, public services are inadequate and electricity blackouts are frequent. Rural regions lack basic services such as clean water and healthcare.

    The next president will need to launch an ambitious infrastructure overhaul to improve living conditions and stimulate economic growth.

    Kidnappings

    Kidnappings, especially targeting the wealthy and business people, have created widespread fear and instability. The crime disrupts business operations and deters foreign investment, further harming economic growth.

    The high-profile nature of kidnappings suggests collusion between criminal networks and law enforcement as well as inefficiencies in the justice system.

    The persistence of kidnappings reflects broader governance issues. These include limited state capacity to respond effectively to organised crime.

    Unpaid public servants

    Delays in salary payments for public servants have worsened economic and social problems. The delays reduce public workers’ purchasing power. This has affected household consumption and local economies.

    Morale among employees is sapped, harming productivity and eroding trust in government institutions.

    Read more: Mozambique’s transgender history is on display in a powerful photo exhibition

    The new president must make public sector reforms. This includes auditing finances, improving revenue collection, enforcing fiscal discipline, promoting merit-based appointments, implementing probity laws, strengthening anti-corruption bodies, and diversifying the economy.

    The future of Mozambique rests on the ability of its next leader to address these profound and intertwined crises. It’s a huge task.

    Whoever it is will have to break from the Frelimo mould, reverse the damage done and set the country on a new path of clean governance, peace and inclusive economic growth.

    – Mozambique’s 2024 elections: 9 major challenges that will face the next president
    – https://theconversation.com/mozambiques-2024-elections-9-major-challenges-that-will-face-the-next-president-240923

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jacob Lewis, Assistant Professor, School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Washington State University

    Nigerians took to the streets in August 2024 to voice their frustration at a series of government policies. These policies had been ostensibly designed to make Nigeria more attractive for outside investment.

    The removal of fuel subsidies and the removal of the economic peg between the Nigerian naira and the US dollar have sent the Nigerian economy into a tailspin.

    Many Nigerians rely on government subsidies to make ends meet. The economic policy changes have resulted in a big rise in inflation, adding to the challenges for ordinary Nigerians.

    As economic conditions have worsened, the prominence of government corruption has risen. Protests and riots have exploded in the streets across the country in the form of #EndBadGovernance protests that call out government graft and poor governance.

    Does government corruption drive protests and social movements? While some scholars have argued that it does, others have argued that corruption is often a catch-all term for frustration over broad economic and democratic grievances. Others have noted that in some cases, increased perceptions of corruption correlate with less protest.

    These contradictory results reveal an important puzzle: why does corruption only sometimes seem to generate mass uprisings? If, for example, corruption is enough to generate citizen uprisings, then why do we only rarely see unified anti-police protests in countries like Nigeria, where police corruption is rampant?

    I argue that one key to this puzzle is the way different types of corruption are associated with increased or decreased protest mobilisation.

    I am a political scientist whose work focuses in part on African social movements and issues of corruption. I approach this by merging large statistical models with political psychological approaches.

    I conducted research in 2021 on different types of corruption shaping protests. I found that elite corruption had the power to mobilise protest. But that other forms of corruption – such as corruption in the police force – were less likely to lead people to take protest action.

    The implication of my findings is that anti-corruption protests are an imperfect signal for understanding everyday corruption experiences. The fact that people aren’t protesting doesn’t mean there’s nothing to complain about.

    Why elite corruption sparks protest

    To explain why corruption sometimes corresponds with protest movements and other times does not, I think it is useful to consider two types of corruption. Elite corruption refers to forms of graft and venality performed by political elites who seek to either enrich themselves or reshape the political system to their advantage.

    Police corruption refers to acts of self-enrichment or abuse perpetrated by police officers, often during traffic stops or in the process of police procedure.

    My findings show that citizens are generally more likely to mobilise in response to elite corruption than police corruption. Why?

    First, elite corruption tends to be intertwined with macro-level economic crises and scandals.

    Second, elite corruption provides a universal point of focus for protesters across an entire nation, rather than the highly localised experiences of police and bureaucratic graft.

    Finally, anger over police corruption may be suppressed by the safety concerns associated with demonstrating against armed security forces.

    I tested this argument using two methods. First, drawing from a 2017 household survey experiment that I conducted in five Nigerian states, I examined whether exposure to vignettes describing either elite corruption or police corruption shaped a respondent’s self-reported willingness to participate in a protest.

    The elite corruption vignettes included self-dealing and system-changing forms of corruption perpetrated by political elites. The police corruption vignette focused on the solicitation of bribes and unfair detention of citizens by the police. I then asked respondents:

    Many Nigerians join groups that engage in protests, strikes, or demonstrations. Now I would like to ask you about how willing you would be to join a protest or demonstration.

    Respondents were able to select a response between 1 (“not at all willing”) to 5 (“very willing / I already do”).

    I found that individuals who received the elite corruption vignette were statistically more likely to state that they would join a protest or demonstration.

    I then expanded this analysis via a statistical regression that measured whether perceptions of elite and police corruption (sourced from the Afrobarometer dataset) correlated with different levels of observed conflict (sourced from the Social Conflict Analysis Database).

    I thought it was best to test whether the results of my survey experiment, which capture a moment in time, reflected a broader reality, or whether it was just a fluke.

    Using the Afrobarometer data, I identified regions where citizens expressed particularly high or low perceptions of elite and police corruption. Then, using the social conflict analysis data, I measured the number of protest events in those regions.

    I found that while elite corruption perceptions were positively correlated with an increased number of observed protest events, police corruption perceptions were not.

    Together, these methods suggest that it is not enough to argue that citizens will rise up against corrupt governments. Rather, the ways in which a government is corrupt matter.

    Turning back to the August 2024 protests, one might ask: why now? Why did Nigerians spend ten days protesting against corruption when there had been rampant corruption for so long?

    My research suggests that the nature of the corruption claims – specifically, anger over large-scale government graft – is what counts.

    Recent developments seem to support this.

    What’s changed

    First, corruption perceptions have spiked. In 2021, Afrobarometer polled 1,600 Nigerians, asking them whether levels of corruption had risen, stayed the same, or decreased in the past year. At the time, just over 35% stated that corruption had “increased a lot”. One year later, that number had nearly doubled, jumping to just under 65%.

    This drastic increase in perceived corruption reveals a broader lack of faith in the government and concern over the future of the country.

    Second, tipping points help with mobilisation. The protests in early August arose as the financial crisis crystallised and as a series of economic policies brought into sharp relief the economic disparities between the rich and the poor.

    The removal of fuel subsidies is a particularly touchy subject in Nigerian politics. In 2012, Nigerians took to the streets over the same issue, leading to a week-long “occupation” of major Nigerian cities by protesters.

    Implications

    Protests are a highly visible signal that citizens are frustrated; however, it is easy to overlook the possibility that citizens may be widely upset about a broad array of issues, but only willing to speak out in response to some of those issues.

    There is a knock-on consequence to this; namely, that police corruption has a more direct effect on the lives of Nigerians than elite corruption, but often goes unaddressed.

    – Elite corruption has the power to ignite mass protests in Nigeria – why police corruption doesn’t
    – https://theconversation.com/elite-corruption-has-the-power-to-ignite-mass-protests-in-nigeria-why-police-corruption-doesnt-239760

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Staff Reaches Staff-Level Agreement with Serbia on the Fourth Review under the Stand-By Arrangement and on a 36-Month Policy Coordination Instrument Request

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    October 16, 2024

    End-of-Mission press releases include statements of IMF staff teams that convey preliminary findings after a visit to a country. The views expressed in this statement are those of the IMF staff and do not necessarily represent the views of the IMF’s Executive Board. Based on the preliminary findings of this mission, staff will prepare a report that, subject to management approval, will be presented to the IMF’s Executive Board for discussion and decision.

    • The Serbian authorities and IMF staff reached staff-level agreement on the fourth and final review under the Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and on a successor 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) request. The PCI is a non-financing instrument designed to support strong economic policies. The agreement is subject to approval by the IMF Executive Board and is expected to be considered by the Board in December 2024.
    • Macroeconomic outcomes in Serbia remain strong. Growth and the labor market are robust, and inflation has fallen. Foreign exchange reserves are at a record high, and the public debt burden continues to decline.
    • Under the PCI, Serbia commits to fiscal deficits not exceeding 3.0 percent of GDP over 2025-27, to further prioritize spending in case of fiscal shocks, and to keep public wage and pension increases aligned with its fiscal rules. The PCI will balance Serbia’s public investment and social expenditure needs with continued fiscal discipline to support sustainable growth while keeping public debt on a downward path.

    Washington, DC: An International Monetary Fund (IMF) mission, led by Donal McGettigan, met with the Serbian authorities during October 3-15, 2024, to discuss performance under Serbia’s Stand-By Arrangement (SBA) and the authorities’ request for a successor 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) that will run from December 2024 to December 2027. The PCI is a non-financing instrument designed to support strong economic policies. At the conclusion of the mission, Mr. McGettigan issued the following statement:

    “I am pleased to announce that the Serbian authorities and the IMF team have reached staff-level agreement on the conclusion of the fourth and final review under the SBA and on a successor 36-month PCI.

    “The two-year SBA was approved by the IMF Executive Board in December 2022. It supported Serbia in navigating a period of major economic uncertainty and energy price volatility. Under the SBA, Serbia successfully implemented macroeconomic policies that underpinned external and fiscal sustainability and that rebuilt buffers to deal with future shocks. Serbia has increased and modernized its energy tariffs and has initiated corporate restructuring at the electricity provider EPS to improve the financial sustainability and efficiency of the energy sector. Serbia also made good progress on important fiscal structural reforms and advanced efforts to improve state-owned enterprise (SOE) governance.

    “Reflecting the success of the economic program supported by the SBA, and in view of Serbia’s commitment to continued strong economic policies, Serbia was awarded an investment grade credit rating for the first time, by S&P Global Ratings, in October 2024.

     “Serbia’s macroeconomic outcomes in 2024 are impressive. We project growth to reach 3.9 percent in 2024 and to increase to around 4¼ percent over the coming years. Headline inflation has returned to the National Bank of Serbia’s target band, supported by tighter monetary policy and easing energy and food prices, but core inflation remains elevated.

    “The fiscal deficit is set to increase to 2.7 percent of GDP in 2024, to help fund additional infrastructure, social, and defense spending needs.  Based on strong fiscal revenue performance, robust economic growth, and a recent upward GDP revision, public debt is expected to fall to about 48 percent of GDP by end-2024.

    “As domestic demand picks up, and Serbia’s public investment drive continues, the current account deficit is projected to widen in 2024 and to increase further over the medium term. Continued strong FDI inflows are, however, expected to more than offset the current account deficit over the coming years and to allow for ongoing reserve accumulation. The financial sector is well-capitalized and liquid.

    “Key risks to Serbia’s economic outlook include: foreign demand, FDI and commodity price outlooks that are subject to uncertainty and risks, deepening geoeconomic fragmentation, and the exposure of agricultural output and economic activity to climate change and extreme weather events.

    “Serbia therefore needs ample buffers against uncertainties and risks. Encouragingly, foreign exchange reserves and government deposits are high, public debt and external debt are sustainable, and the banking system is strong. Continued prudent polices provide an additional important buffer. 

    “Serbia’s program performance under the SBA remains strong. All relevant quantitative and standard continuous performance criteria have been met, as have most indicative targets and structural benchmarks. Thanks to progress made under the SBA, Serbia intends to continue to treat the SBA, set to expire in December 2024, as precautionary.

    “To continue leveraging IMF support for Serbia’s economic policies, the Serbian authorities and IMF staff also reached an agreement on medium-term macroeconomic and financial policies under a successor 36-month Policy Coordination Instrument (PCI) that will run from December 2024 to December 2027. The PCI will support Serbia in credibly maintaining fiscal discipline while making room for spending on public investment and other essential items. The PCI will also help Serbia advance its ongoing ambitious structural reform agenda, focused on fiscal, SOE, and energy reforms.

    “Under the PCI, the Serbian authorities commit to keeping the annual overall fiscal deficit at no more than 3.0 percent of GDP over 2025-27. Absent large adverse shocks, this would be consistent with an ongoing decline in the public debt burden. To achieve this core macroeconomic objective, the authorities commit to adhere to their special fiscal rules on public wages and pensions which they adopted in 2022, and to review options for rationalizing and monitoring expenditure items that grew rapidly in 2024. In the event of additional fiscal spending pressures, the authorities commit to further prioritizing public spending.

    “The PCI will help the authorities improve public financial management, public investment management, fiscal risk management, fiscal transparency, and public workforce and pension planning. It will also leverage extensive IMF technical assistance to resolve staffing challenges in the tax administration, an urgent and macro-critical priority. It will assist the authorities in refining and operationalizing the energy investment plan, improving the financial sustainability of energy SOEs, and preparing Serbia for the introduction of the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM). Finally, the PCI will aid the authorities with important and complex SOE governance reforms, including in the energy sector.

    “The IMF team would like to thank all their counterparts for the open and constructive discussions.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Camila Perez

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/10/15/pr-24371-serbia-imf-agreement-4th-rev-arrangement-36mo-policy-coordination-instrument

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –