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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Largest amphibious exercise on Braunton Burrows since WW2

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Largest amphibious exercise on Braunton Burrows since WW2

    Exercise Catamaran brought together more than 3,000 personnel from several NATO allies to carry out training on the North Devon coast.

    Personnel from several NATO allies took part in the exercise. Copyright: MOD Crown Copyright.

    The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) has enabled a major multi-national training exercise alongside NATO allies on Braunton Burrows Training Area, demonstrating its crucial role in supporting military capability.  

    Exercise Catamaran ran between 30 May and 7 June, bringing together military personnel from France, the UK, Brazil, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and the US. Royal Marines from 40 and 47 Commando led British involvement in the exercise.  

    It is the largest amphibious exercise of this scale to have been conducted on the training area since it was used by US troops in 1943 to rehearse for the D-Day landings on Utah and Omaha beaches.  

    Ex Catamaran formed part of the wider French-led POLARIS 25 exercise, a month-long training exercise which sees more than 3,000 military personnel from allied nations working on warfighting skills together. The amphibious exercise involved more than 20 surface ships and 40 aircraft in the Atlantic and the Channel and included landing exercises taking place on the beach at Braunton Burrows. 

    Braunton Burrows Training Area is home to one of the largest sand dune systems in the UK and offers a unique place to train.  

    DIO’s Overseas and Training team played an important part in planning and facilitating the exercise. The Foreign Forces team acted as the liaison between the French exercise planners and the Ministry of Defence. They provided expert advice on how the training area could be best utilised to meet training objectives, ensuring that all partners were informed and engaged. 

    Alongside that, Braunton Burrows’ Deputy Training Safety Officer led safety briefings for military personnel, flexibly supported training requirements and ensured a safe place to train was maintained, carefully managing the balance between military training and public access on the area. This technical guidance proved crucial in developing realistic training scenarios that couldn’t be replicated elsewhere in the UK.  

    Braunton Burrows: Enabling Exercise Catamaran

    Brigadier Gavin Hatcher CBE, DIO’s Head of Overseas and Training Region, said:  

    As custodians of the Defence Training Estate, DIO proudly provides a safe and high-quality environment for our Armed Forces and allies to train. While we enable and support important military training year-round, the scale and complexity of Exercise Catamaran has really showcased the versatility and diversity of what we can facilitate.  

    My team has been working closely with the French military for some time to meticulously plan this phase of the exercise on Braunton Burrows Training Area. It has been great to see this collaboration brought to fruition this week with UK military personnel training alongside our allies as they prepare for potential deployments.

    Major Martyn Heenan, Royal Marines, said:  

    Braunton Burrows and the amphibious training it allows is so important as it is one of the most complex operations you can carry out and there’s very few places you can do it. It allows the allied nations involved in this exercise to get onto the same space in a challenging area and work together, which is very difficult to do anywhere else in the world.  

    It’s been a long planning process but DIO have been there all the way through, be it the Foreign Forces team, the Training Safety Officers or the regional commanders, they have really helped with the planning and delivering everything to make this a success.

    Braunton Burrows has to remain accessible to the public at all times, and the site’s Deputy Training Safety Officer conducts careful planning and continuous monitoring alongside colleagues from our industry partner, Landmarc, to ensure military activities can go ahead safely without endangering personnel or members of the public.  

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Polar safety code updated to protect people and the environment

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Polar safety code updated to protect people and the environment

    A consultation has been launched on measures by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to ensure safety and protect maritime environments in polar waters.

    A consultation launches today (Thursday 12 June) on further measures by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency to uphold the safety of vessels, crew and passengers within polar waters and to protect some of the world’s most pristine environments, based on changes made by the International Maritime Organization to its Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) convention.

    Changes are proposed within the Merchant Shipping (Polar Code) (Safety) Regulations 2025 to apply the existing special requirements for such extreme conditions to a wider range of vessels.

    They will ensure more vessels working in or transiting polar regions are designed, built and operated to a higher safety standard.

    Additions to the code are: 

    • fishing vessels of 24 metres in length overall and above
    • pleasure yachts of 300 gross tonnage (GT) and upwards not engaged in trade
    • and cargo ships of at least 300GT but less than 500GT

    The aim is to widen the protection of crew and passengers within the particularly harsh conditions that confront vessels within the north and south polar regions.

    The regulations will also defend the sensitive habitats, flora and fauna by strengthening safeguards against incidents that could result in pollution and damage.

    Ship Construction and Equipment Lead Pete Rollason said: 

    Extreme environments like the north and south polar regions require special safety considerations. Our proposed requirements are practical, common-sense measures that many vessels already operate under. 

    Expanding some elements of the code’s scope to more vessels sailing within the polar regions will add another layer of protection for seafarers and some of planet Earth’s last great wilderness.

    Further information

    The consultation will run for six weeks from Thursday 12 June to Thursday 24 July 2025.

    To take part in the consultation, please visit Consultation on the Merchant Shipping (Polar Code)(Safety) Regulations.

    Press office

    Email public.relations@mcga.gov.uk

    Press enquiries (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm) 0203 817 2222

    Outside these hours or on bank holidays and weekends, for media enquiries ONLY, please send an email outlining your query and putting #Urgent in the subject title.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US May Extend Trade Talks – D. Trump

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    NEW YORK, June 12 (Xinhua) — The United States may extend a government-set deadline for trade talks with more partners, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.

    The current deadline for concluding trade agreements is July 8. D. Trump expressed a willingness to push it back, but added that he did not consider it necessary.

    According to the president, trade negotiations are underway with about 15 partners, including the Republic of Korea, Japan and the EU.

    Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told lawmakers Wednesday that Trump would “highly likely” push back the deadline to continue trade talks and reach deals with major trading partners. There are 18 major trading partners in talks with the United States, he said.

    The Trump administration is intensively negotiating trade with dozens of partners at once. In May, only a deal was announced with the UK.

    The White House has decided to delay the imposition of “equivalent” tariffs on more than 60 trading partners for 90 days, until July 8. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Reform-driven Shenzhen powers China’s innovation engine

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

    .

    Driven by deepening reforms, Shenzhen is powering China’s innovation engine, with its GDP growing 5.5% annually from 2020 to 2024 and R&D spending surging 48% from 2020 to 2023. The city has also led the nation in industrial output and value added for three consecutive years, said its mayor at a Thursday press conference.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Russia’s victimhood narrative is inconsistent with the facts: UK statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Russia’s victimhood narrative is inconsistent with the facts: UK statement to the OSCE

    Ambassador Holland calls out Russia’s victimhood narrative, which is inconsistent with the facts. The UK stands firmly and unapologetically with Ukraine in the face of Russia’s aggression.

    Thank you, Madam Chair.  We listened carefully to the statements made by the Russian Federation at last week’s Permanent Council.  The esteemed Russian representative noted then the OSCE “remains almost the only forum in the pan-European space where an equal and inclusive exchange of views is still possible.”

    The United Kingdom also values this forum for that reason. If we are willing to use it, the OSCE provides a platform for risk reduction, cooperation and confidence-building. And using these capacities to the maximum extent possible would fulfil the shared responsibility we took on for the security of the OSCE region that we took on in Helsinki in 1975.

    The signing of the Helsinki Final Act marked a pivotal moment when all participating States agreed to move beyond zero-sum security, which bred so many conflicts of the past. Reflecting this sentiment, Leonid Brezhnev told the 1975 Helsinki conference that the OSCE could “strengthen European and international security and develop mutually advantageous co-operation”.

    A lot has been said in recent weeks about trust, which is essential for such advantageous cooperation.  As we look ahead to Helsinki in late July, we must recognise that we build trust in this place when we speak truthfully and uphold the OSCE’s founding documents, including the Helsinki Final Act. However, trust is eroded by unfounded assertions and the selective reinterpretation of the commitments in those documents.

    Last week, the Russian Federation made several unsubstantiated claims about the United Kingdom in this Council. So, let me deal with these assertions and ask a couple of questions of my own in the hope of some direct answers.

    The UK does not seek military tension and regional instability to further our economic objectives. In fact, I think most economists would argue that conflict is bad for economies overall.  The UK’s aims for Ukraine are guided by our desire to achieve peace. We believe in upholding the fundamental norms that underpin our shared security, including the sovereign equality of states. We do so through our actions as well as our words.  The Russian Federation regularly reference the concepts of non-interference and inviolability of borders. The question I would put to them is how invading their peaceful neighbour lives up to these concepts.

    The Russian Federation also accused the UK of using their war of aggression to militarise its economy and prepare for war. Now it is true that the UK plans to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027, and to 3% in the next Parliament. But I would have thought the reasons for doing so were obvious.  We are increasing defence spending to deter war in the face of Russia’s increasing belligerence – not to provoke it. And we are taking on more responsibility for security in Europe, which faces a more serious and less predictable future because of the Kremlin’s actions. The hypocrisy of this allegation is of course that Russia’s military spending now exceeds 32% of their national budget. It is truly a war economy. My request to the Russian delegation is that they explain what response they expected from the European countries in the face of such rapid militarisation in a country that so regularly threatens its neighbours and whose recent history is one of breaching Helsinki commitments on borders and sovereignty?

    Madam Chair, the assertions made about my country reflect a broader narrative of Russian state victimhood that is inconsistent with the facts. The full-scale invasion of another country, illegal annexations, the targeting of civilians and the persistent obstruction of peace are not the actions of a victim – they are the actions of an aggressor. Our support for Ukraine, like our support for the OSCE’s mandate and principles, comes from our interest in upholding mutually agreed rules, including rules Russia has agreed to uphold. This is why the UK stands firmly and unapologetically with Ukraine in the face of this aggression.

    Thank you, Madam Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    Invasion of Ukraine

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • London-bound Air India flight crashes near Ahmedabad airport

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    An Air India plane crashed near Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Thursday,  airline and police officials said. 

    According to Gujarat State Police Control Room, the Air India Flight AI 171 was bound for London.

    The plane was headed to London’s Gatwick airport in the UK, Air India said. 

    “At this moment, we are ascertaining the details and will share further updates,” Air India said on X.

    Thick plumes of smoke were visible at the crash site, and fire tenders were rushed to the spot immediately after the incident.

    Union Home Minister Amit Shah spoke with Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, state Home Minister, and Ahmedabad Police Commissioner regarding the crash. According to ANI, Shah assured full support and assistance from the central government.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • Indian startups, emerging entities attract over $150 billion funding in a decade: Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    There has been a surge in private investments in the last 11 years, with Indian startups and emerging entities attracting significant private funding to the tune of over $150 billion in the past decade, Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal said on Thursday.

    More than Rs 22,900 crore have been invested in over 1,270 startups via the government’s Fund of Funds for Startups scheme.

    “India is embracing technology like no other! This digital transformation is the outcome of the forward-looking vision and timely policy interventions under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Every section of society and every aspect of life has been positively impacted by 11 years of Digital India,” Goyal said in a post on social media platform X.

    IP filings by the domestic startups surged from 2017 to 2024, with over 355 per cent growth in patents and more than 543 per cent growth in trademarks.

    India now ranks 39th globally on the ‘Global Innovation Index 2024’.

    Goyal said he is proud to witness the profound impact of PM Narendra Modi’s revolutionary initiative ‘Startup India’ on boosting innovation and enterprise in the country.

    “The remarkable talent of our youth and women is powering this revolution and driving India’s economic growth with unparalleled vigour,” he mentioned.

    India has become the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world, with more than 1.5 lakh startups and over 100 unicorns.

    “11 years of Digital India has empowered every citizen with seamless services, financial access, and last-mile connectivity,” said Minister of State for Commerce and Electronics and IT, Jitin Prasada.

    The digital revolution, which began 11 years ago, is entrenched in almost every policy-making and public welfare scheme delivery with elaborate plans on how to bring benefits to the poor, downtrodden and marginalised sections.

    Prime Minister Modi took to X on Thursday and wrote about “leveraging the power of technology in bringing innumerable benefits for people”.

    “Service delivery and transparency have been greatly boosted. Technology has become a means of empowering the lives of the poorest of the poor,” he further said.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Statement on referendum campaign venue booking cancellation

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Plymouth City Council has taken the decision to cancel a venue booking made by a campaign group advocating for a Directly Elected Mayor, which was intended for a public information meeting.

    It is important to note that the legislation for referendums is very different to an election. The decision to cancel the booking was made in accordance with the legal obligations placed on the Council under the Local Authorities (Conduct of Referendums) (England) Regulations 2012 and the Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity (2011). These regulations strictly limit the role of the Council in the period leading up to a referendum, particularly in relation to the use of Council resources.

    Under Regulation 4 of the Referendum Regulations, the Council must not support or appear to support any campaign or position. The Code of Practice further advises that local authorities should not issue or facilitate any publicity that could be seen as seeking to influence voters, this includes suspending the hosting of material produced by third parties, or closing public forums. This means that Council owned and controlled premises must not be used for Campaign meetings of any kind.

    While we fully support open democratic debate, the use of Council venues for campaign-related events—particularly those promoting a specific outcome—could be perceived as a breach of these impartiality requirements. Bookings for closed, private meetings or office based meetings are not impacted by the legislation.

    To maintain the integrity of the referendum process and ensure a level playing field for all parties, the Council must act with strict neutrality. We appreciate the understanding of all campaign groups and members of the public as we uphold these important legal and ethical standards.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £2.5 billion for world-first prototype fusion energy plant

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 2

    News story

    £2.5 billion for world-first prototype fusion energy plant

    The record funding announced this week shows the UK government’s firm commitment to clean, sustainable energy in Nottinghamshire.

    STEP Tokamak with burning plasma, front view. Image credit: UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd.

    A record £2.5 billion of additional funding has been announced this week by the Rt Hon Rachel Reeves, Chancellor of the Exchequer, to support the development of the world’s first fusion power plant.

    The new prototype plant, known as STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) will be built at the site of the former West Burton A coal power station near Retford and Gainsborough. The site was chosen by the government in 2022 as the location for the project, with the project’s delivery expected to create over 10,000 jobs ranging from construction to operations. The announcement shows the government’s firm commitment to becoming a “clean energy superpower” by turbocharging innovation in an area that’s produced conventional power for generations.

    A groundbreaking and world-first scientific endeavour, STEP works by combining hydrogen gases, deuterium and tritium, which are heated to over 150 million degrees Celsius and confined within a powerful magnetic field. The energy produced can then be used to create steam, to turn a turbine, generating electricity – just like in any conventional power plant.

    Paul Methven CB, CEO of UK Industrial Fusion Solutions, the body responsible for delivering the STEP prototype fusion energy power plant, warmly welcomed the additional funding and said:

    The UK is the world leader in fusion energy research today, and STEP is the beacon programme that aims to take fusion from research to commercial success, generating high quality jobs, multiple spin offs and boosting the economy nationally and in the East Midlands where we will build the first plant.

    Securing a global lead in such a vital new technology requires bold action; the government has rightly been bold today and we look forward to delivering the practical steps that will realise the vision of the UK leading in this exciting new sector.

    The end of coal power in Nottinghamshire was marked by the closure of Ratcliffe-on-Soar Power Station in late 2024. With the creation of STEP in West Burton, Nottinghamshire’s “Megawatt Valley” will continue to be at the heart of the UK’s energy production – whilst leading the world in creating the green, sustainable energy of the future.

    The record-breaking £2.5 billion of additional funding announced this week shows the government’s firm commitment to fusion as a core part of our future energy mix, and to this significant investment in the economy in Nottinghamshire and the East Midlands.

    During a recent visit to the UK’s Fusion Research Campus at Culham, Energy Secretary Ed Miliband commented:

    After scientists first theorised over 70 years ago that it could be possible, we are now within grasping distance of unlocking the power of the sun and providing families with secure, clean, unlimited energy.

    Notes to Editors

    UK Industrial Fusion Solutions Ltd (UKIFS) is a wholly owned subsidiary of the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) Group, responsible for the STEP (Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production) programme to deliver the UK’s prototype fusion energy plant.  

    Targeting first operations in 2040, UKIFS will lead STEP’s integrated delivery team to design and build the prototype fusion energy plant at West Burton, a former coal-fired power station site in Nottinghamshire.

    To sign-up for updates about STEP, visit: step.ukaea.uk or follow our social channels @STEPtoFusion.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NPT Safeguards Agreement with Iran: Resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors, June 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    Speech

    NPT Safeguards Agreement with Iran: Resolution to the IAEA Board of Governors, June 2025

    France, Germany, the UK and United States (the Quad) delivered a joint statement to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board meeting introducing a resolution on Iran’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Safeguards Agreement.

    Thank you, Chair.

    On behalf of France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States, we express our sincere gratitude to Director General Grossi and to his team for their patient and exhaustive efforts to verify Iran’s implementation of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement required under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), and to clarify the critical safeguards issues that have been outstanding for more than six years. Unfortunately, as a result of Iran’s long-time failure to cooperate in resolving these issues, the Agency is not able to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful.

    Since 2019, Iran has had every opportunity to provide the required, technically credible explanations in response to the IAEA’s questions, which relate to Iran’s core legal obligations under its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. Regrettably, though, Iran has again refused to engage constructively with the IAEA to provide such explanations, despite multiple requests by the Board to do so since 2020.

    Now, at this Board’s request, Director General Grossi has produced a comprehensive and updated assessment of the possible presence or use of undeclared nuclear material in connection with past and present outstanding issues regarding Iran’s nuclear program, addressing the Agency’s ability to verify Iran’s implementation of its safeguards obligations.

    The Director General’s report speaks for itself in describing the full extent of the outstanding safeguards issues in Iran, their connection with Iran’s past nuclear activities, and Iran’s extensive record of obstruction, concealment, deception, and obfuscation in its approach to the work of the IAEA and the implementation of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement.

    The report makes clear that:

    Iran has refused to declare nuclear material and nuclear-related activities at three undeclared locations in Iran.

    Until the early 2000s, those locations and possibly others formed part of Iran’s undeclared structured nuclear program.

    Iran retained, at Turquzabad, up until 2018, unknown nuclear material and/or heavily contaminated equipment and other assets arising from various locations, the whereabouts of which remain unknown to the Agency.

    These locations, as well as several others, were sanitized through various means, including the wholesale demolition of buildings, at key times in the IAEA’s investigation and despite direct requests by the Agency to preserve them.

    In addition, the Director General’s report underscores that:

    Iran is the only country that is not meeting its obligations related to the implementation of the modified Code 3.1, which it accepted in 2003, even as Iran talks openly about constructing new nuclear facilities. As the Agency has recalled multiple times, the modified Code 3.1 is a legal obligation for Iran under the Subsidiary Arrangements to its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. Iran cannot unilaterally modify or suspend implementation of these Subsidiary Arrangements.

    Iran is the only State in the world without nuclear weapons that is producing and accumulating uranium enriched to 60%, which has potential proliferation implications.

    There have been repeated statements by former high-level officials in Iran related to Iran having the capability to manufacture nuclear weapons, which continue to provide concerns.

    The report’s overall assessment is alarming: as a result of Iran’s failure to cooperate with the IAEA, the Director General cannot rule out that nuclear material remains unaccounted for and outside of safeguards in Iran today and he cannot provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear program is exclusively peaceful. These serious findings should give all of us pause.

    Chair,

    Given the issues reported by the Director General and Iran’s ongoing failure to cooperate with the IAEA, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, and United States are bringing forward a resolution for the Board’s consideration finding Iran in noncompliance with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement. Our resolution contains the following main points:

    First, it expresses continued, strong support for the Agency’s professional and impartial efforts in carrying out its mandate to verify the implementation of Iran’s safeguards obligations.

    Second, it deeply regrets that Iran has failed to co-operate fully with the Agency, as required by its safeguards agreement.

    Third, it finds Iran in non-compliance with its obligations under its Safeguards Agreement with the Agency in the context of Article XII.C of the Agency’s Statute.

    Fourth, it also finds that the Director General’s inability to provide assurance that Iran’s nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful gives rise to questions that are within the competence of the United Nations Security Council, as the organ bearing the main responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security, consistent with Article III.B.4 of the Agency’s Statute.

    Fifth, it calls upon Iran to urgently remedy its non-compliance with its Safeguards Agreement by taking all steps deemed necessary by the Agency and the Board, and reaffirms its decision that Iran must urgently act to ensure verification of the non-diversion of nuclear material and abide by its legal obligation to implement modified Code 3.1.

    Chair,

    The resolution defers the timing and content of the report that the Board is required to take pursuant to the IAEA Statute. We hope that Iran takes this final opportunity to provide full and immediate cooperation with the IAEA so that the Director General can report that these matters have been clarified and resolved, and so that the Board can swiftly consider action to find that Iran’s non-compliance has been remedied.

    We do not take this step lightly. The Board of Governors has given Iran every opportunity over the past six years to resolve questions related to undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran. We firmly believe that all IAEA Member States must work together to uphold the integrity of the IAEA safeguards system and the broader nuclear nonproliferation regime, and this shared responsibility includes holding states accountable to their obligations under their NPT-required safeguards agreements. Simply put: the facts are clear, the legal basis is ironclad, and the action is long overdue. That is why we strongly urge all Board members to support this important resolution.

    We understand there are questions about how this resolution may impact separate, ongoing diplomatic efforts with Iran. The IAEA Statute is clear on the Board’s authority to act and find non-compliance when a state is not complying with its obligations under its safeguards agreement. Iran’s legally binding obligation to implement its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement cannot be subject to separate political considerations. This resolution will not undermine diplomatic efforts with Iran – it will only strengthen them. It underscores the importance of Iran’s full cooperation with the IAEA, and its full implementation of its legal safeguards obligations, as the necessary foundation for any enduring agreement that addresses international concerns related to Iran’s nuclear activities. The Director General’s comprehensive report echoes this essential point.

    We also regret that Iran, instead of providing the full cooperation required by its safeguards agreement, has continued to threaten escalation and confrontation. However, let us be clear: this resolution is not an act of escalation by the Board; it is an acknowledgement of the legal and factual reality of Iran’s noncompliance with its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement after many years of concerted effort by the Director General and the Secretariat to resolve fundamental questions related to undeclared nuclear materials and activities in Iran. It is not the Board that is forcing this step on Iran, but Iran who is forcing this step on the Board.

    Chair,

    The Board cannot be intimidated into inaction by Iran’s threats. A failure to act would only embolden Iran’s continued non-cooperation and escalation. Iran has an opportunity it can and should seize – an opportunity to cooperate meaningfully with the IAEA to finally answer the serious and longstanding questions raised by the Director General.

    With these thoughts, we encourage all members of this Board to join us today in upholding the nonproliferation regime.

    Thank you, Chair.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Environment Secretary leads a new push with business to restore nature

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Environment Secretary leads a new push with business to restore nature

    • Environment Secretary Steve Reed has brought business leaders and investors together to scale up private investment in nature

    Woods and fields

    • Government launches Call for Evidence on boosting private sector investment in nature recovery, delivering a key recommendation of the Corry Review. 

    • Action supports the Government’s aims to secure long-term economic growth and environmental health as part of the Plan for Change. 

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed champions private investment in nature recovery as the government launches a new call for evidence (12 June).

    Speaking to leading figures from financial institutions, property, retail and sustainability sectors at a roundtable event in London, the Environment Secretary emphasised the importance of fostering partnerships between the public and private sectors to support economic growth while powering nature recovery. 

    Businesses across the UK, whether in food and agriculture, construction, finance, or retail, rely on a healthy natural environment to operate, grow and innovate.

    Whether powering our industries, safeguarding our food security or protecting public health, over half of global GDP is highly or moderately dependent upon nature. England’s natural capital is valued at £1.4 trillion and generates over £35 billion worth of economic benefits annually excluding oil and gas, more than any single manufacturing sector.  

    That is why more private sector investment in nature recovery is vital. To help deliver that increased investment a new government Call for Evidence has launched today seeking ideas from business and investors – delivering a key recommendation of the Corry Review and the commitments made in the Land Use Framework consultation.

    Environment Secretary Steve Reed said: 

    “Nature is essential to strong and sustained economic growth, which is this Government’s highest priority. 

    “Private investment will help us to protect and restore our natural environment while creating new economic opportunities as part of the Plan for Change.

    “This is an exciting opportunity to hear from businesses, investors, and other stakeholders on how we can work together to increase investment in nature.”

    Dr Rhian-Mari Thomas, OBE, CEO of the Green Finance Institute, said:

    “Unlocking the billions needed for UK nature restoration hinges on effective revenue models. UK businesses, as buyers of environmental outcomes, are crucial in creating those revenue models, and we’re looking forward to supporting Defra in better understanding how we can encourage and support business engagement.”

    Andrew Walton, Chief Sustainability Officer, Lloyds Banking Group said:

    “As the UK’s largest infrastructure finance provider, we know how blended finance can help deliver a step change in private investment to drive sustainable growth. We welcome the Government’s ambition on nature markets and the opportunity to establish the UK as a global leader in this important area. Robust standards, reliable data and long-term policy direction are key to building confidence in the investment case for nature and can place it at the heart of UK growth.”

    The roundtable, hosted by Lloyds Banking Group and led in partnership with the Green Finance Institute (GFI), brought together leaders from across finance and business, including leaders from Aviva Investors, Barclays, Barratt Homes and more. 

    Defra will partner with the GFI to engage businesses on the call for evidence and wider nature finance priorities –alongside ongoing work with UK businesses to implement the recommendations of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD).

    Promoting investment opportunities in nature creates opportunities for business growth across multiple sectors, including farmers looking to diversify their revenues, agri-food businesses securing supply chain resilience, insurers and water companies reducing costs from floods, droughts, and pollution, developers managing climate and environmental risks to new homes and infrastructure, as well as growth in the tourism and recreational sectors.

    The meeting also discussed the next steps for the Big Nature Impact Fund, the Defra-backed public-private blended impact fund for nature. Finance Earth will act as sole fund manager and will begin fund-raising soon. The Fund will invest in woodland creation, peatland restoration and other habitat creation projects that aim to maximise social and environmental impact by funding the right activity in the right place.

    The Call for Evidence will be open for responses until 10 August 2025.  

    ENDS 

    Notes to Editors: 

    ·         For more information on the Call for Evidence, visit:  

    ·         In March, The British Standards Institution launched the Government-backed Nature Investment Standards, which will help nature-friendly investments across the UK to grow by building confidence among investors: New world-leading nature finance standards launched to encourage green investment – GOV.UK 

    ·         In April, the Government launched a consultation on how to raise the integrity of Voluntary Carbon and Nature Markets, which is open for responses until 10th July: Voluntary carbon and nature markets: raising integrity – consultation document (accessible webpage) – GOV.UK

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Activism Huge protest artwork appears by Trump’s Scottish golf course     Campaigners create sand art with Trump’s face and ‘Fight the billionaire takeover’ on Turnberry Beach  Wednesday 30th April, 2025. To mark the first 100 days of Trump’s second term,… by Graham Thompson April 30, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Wednesday 30th April, 2025. To mark the first 100 days of Trump’s second term, Greenpeace UK revealed a 55m by 40m artwork on the beach outside Trump’s golf course in Scotland, ‘Trump Turnberry’, showing a giant portrait of the US President raked into the sand with the message: “Time to resist – fight the billionaire takeover”.

    Pictures and drone footage of the artwork can be found here

    Areeba Hamid, co-executive director of Greenpeace UK, said:

    “During his first 100 days President Trump has been actively working to dismantle and weaken environmental protections and attack those who fight to protect nature and our shared climate, putting the corporate profits of his billionaire friends ahead of people and the planet. It’s time to resist the billionaire takeover of our rights and freedoms.”

    The artwork took several hours to draw out in the sand overnight, by a team from arts organisation ‘Sand in Your Eye’ and Greenpeace UK.

    During the Trump administration’s first 100 days the president has not only left the Paris Climate agreement and offered Alaskan wilderness to oil drilling. He has also opened up pristine marine ecosystems in the Pacific to industrial fishing and wants to launch deep sea mining in US and International waters. And he has ended investments in clean energy and instead boosted coal, oil and fossil gas by weakening regulations and removing obstacles for the fossil fuel industry. 

    Areeba continued:
    “Trump’s biggest allies are a group of unelected billionaires, including the fossil fuel company CEOs who are knowingly burning the planet, polluting our waters, and hurting communities around the world. No one voted for these corporate bullies to end free speech, but they will stop at nothing to keep their oil and gas empire alive – even weaponising the legal system to crush dissent and silence environmental activism.”

    A key weapon being used by the oligarchy against those advocating for a green, just future is SLAPP lawsuits, like the one waged against Greenpeace in the US and Greenpeace International by the fossil fuel pipeline giant Energy Transfer. In a recent verdict, a US jury found Greenpeace International and Greenpeace in the US liable for over $660 million to Energy Transfer — a company headed by billionaire and Trump donor Kelcy Warren.

    Areeba added:
    “For the billionaires and big oil companies this is not just another source of money. They want to silence all critics and any protests against the core issue with their business: fossil fuels that are causing the climate crisis and environmental destruction.”

    Greenpeace UK activists have also been subvertising bus stops around the US embassy in Nine Elms, London, with posters carrying the same messaging. 

    ENDS

    Contact
    Greenpeace UK Press Office: press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

    Notes
    Pictures and drone footage of the artwork in Scotland, and pictures and video of the subvertising in London, will be uploaded through the morning: https://media.greenpeace.org/Detail/27MZIFJVLMGCJ 

    Greenpeace UK’s previous protest at Turnberry, during Trump’s visit to the UK in 2018: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2018/jul/14/well-below-par-protesting-paraglider-flies-over-trumps-scotland-resort-video

    Today’s protests are part of a global campaign, ‘Time to Resist’. Pictures and footage from other ‘Time to Resist’ protests in other countries will be posted here as they become available: https://media.greenpeace.org/Detail/27MZIFJVLHH00

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Climate change A polluter tax on Big Oil’s billions to help climate-hit communities Commenting on Shell’s Q1 profits, Charlie Kronick, senior climate adviser for Greenpeace UK, said:  “Shell is reporting billions in profits in the same week as the Climate Change Committee has warned the… by Stefano Gelmini May 2, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Commenting on Shell’s Q1 profits, Charlie Kronick, senior climate adviser for Greenpeace UK, said:  

    “Shell is reporting billions in profits in the same week as the Climate Change Committee has warned the UK government isn’t adequately dealing with massively costly floods, wildfires and heatwaves. It’s simply not fair to leave households and businesses to pay for flood damage and taxpayers to foot the bill for emergency response while oil giants are making a fortune. It’s their mess, and they should pay to clean it up. Ministers should bring in new taxes on big polluters and use the funds to help communities recover from extreme weather, boost emergency services and make Britain more resilient against the climate crisis Shell is fuelling.” 

    ENDS

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Oil and gas Unions and climate groups demand £1.9 billion of emergency funding for North Sea workers ahead of Spending Review Pictures of the Westminster rally can be found here  Today (Wednesday), a coalition of trade unions and climate groups are rallying outside Parliament to ask the Chancellor for… by Florri Burton May 14, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Pictures of the Westminster rally can be found here 

    Today (Wednesday), a coalition of trade unions and climate groups are rallying outside Parliament to ask the Chancellor for an emergency funding package of £1.9 billion per year for North Sea workers ahead of the Spending Review. A funding package on this scale is urgently needed for oil and gas and supply chain workers to make the transition into renewable energy jobs, ensuring that workers and communities benefit, says the coalition. The group is also joined at the rally by politicians from Labour, SNP and the Green Party.

    The call is endorsed by the largest union representing UK offshore workers, Unite the Union, as well as the National Union of Rail and Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT), the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), and Aberdeen’s Trades Union Councils. 65 climate groups including Greenpeace UK, Uplift, Friends of the Earth Scotland, Oil Change International, Global Justice Now, Extinction Rebellion and Platform are also part of the coalition. 

    The £1.9 billion emergency funding package to create permanent, unionised renewable energy jobs and support the country’s oil and gas workers to transition into them is comprised of:

    • £1.1 billion per year to develop permanent, local jobs in public and community-owned wind manufacturing.
    • £440 million of further investment each year for ports, on top of the £1.8 billion already committed through the National Wealth Fund.
    • £355 million per year to develop a dedicated training fund for offshore oil and gas workers, with match-funding from industry.

    As the North Sea basin’s reserves decline, the wider oil and gas sector has lost 227,000 jobs in the past 10 years. This is despite the UK government issuing roughly 400 new drilling licences over the same period, and energy companies making record-breaking profits. 

    The coalition outlines that oil and gas companies consistently fail to invest in renewable energy jobs and retraining for their workers, whilst prioritising shareholder profits and cutting or offshoring jobs that should stay here in the UK. Just last week, Harbour Energy, which has handed £1 billion to its shareholders in the past three years, announced it would cut a further 250 jobs from its offshore workforce, and two weeks ago, multinational Petroineos ceased operations at Grangemouth oil refinery without a transition plan for the workforce. 

    Commenting, Mel Evans, climate team leader at Greenpeace UK, said: 

    “It’s vital that we don’t leave oil and gas workers’ future in the hands of private companies who put their profits above workers’ security and the climate time and time again. 

    “That’s why Rachel Reeves must commit to this emergency package of funding to protect workers and their communities. If she fails to act, she leaves their livelihoods at the mercy of greedy oil bosses and will undermine community confidence in the transition to renewable energy. 

    “We urgently need a renewable energy system fit for the twenty-first century that can bring down bills, helping our energy security and the climate at the same time. But we must bring workers and communities along and ensure that wind manufacturing and renewable energy jobs stay here in the UK, rather than leaving other countries to benefit from the booming green economy.”

    Claire Peden, Unite for a Workers’ Economy team lead, said: 

    “The UK government must deliver a real, robust plan that guarantees good, secure jobs for oil and gas workers as part of the energy transition. So far, that promise hasn’t materialised—yet 30,000 jobs are at risk by 2030. Climate change is an urgent crisis, but it must not be working people who bear the brunt. A just transition needs to be a workers’ transition: no one must be left behind.”

    Ruby Earle, Worker Transition Lead at Platform, said: 

    “No worker should have to wait until crisis point before they get support, like we’ve seen in Scunthorpe. Today, unions and climate campaigners are sending a clear message to the Chancellor. We need urgent public investment that creates permanent, unionised renewable energy jobs and supports the country’s oil and gas workers to move into them. Multinationals have held us to ransom for too long. It’s time we give workers and communities a real stake in our energy industry.”

    Offshore wind energy capacity has the potential to grow by as much as six times in the next 15 years. The groups state that public investment now and on this scale would create thousands of long-term, good quality and unionised manufacturing jobs, which oil and gas and supply chain workers could transition into. 

    The coalition points to huge job losses at Grangemouth and Port Talbot as examples of what happens when the Government leaves the transition entirely in the hands of private companies. Rachel Reeves must step in to provide North Sea workers with the support they need to prevent the repetition of past mistakes.

    Ends 

    Notes to Editors

    1. Contact: Greenpeace UK press office  press.uk@greenpeace.org / Florri Burton on 07971177378 
    2. The coalition has submitted their demands in advance of the forthcoming Comprehensive Spending Review, their submission can be found here. A full list of signatories to the call for emergency funding can be found here
    3. The rally is currently taking place at Abingdon Street Gardens, 5 Great College St, London SW1P 3SE
    4. Speakers at the rally include Rosie Hampton, Just Transition Campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland; Amy Cameron, Greenpeace Programme Director; Ruby Earle, Just Transition Campaigner at Platform; Chris Hamilton, Unite the Union convenor at Grangemouth oil refinery; Claire Peden, team lead in Unite the Union’s Organising and Leverage department; Darren Procter, RMT National Secretary; John Moloney, Assistant General Secretary of PCS Union; Steven Gray, Aberdeen Trade’s Council Delegate; Kirsty Blackman, SNP Member of Parliament for Aberdeen North; Carla Denyer, Green Member of Parliament for Bristol Central; Brian Leishman, Member of Parliament for Alloa and Grangemouth
    5. Last month, a petition was delivered to the UK Government, signed by more than 1 million people, calling on the UK government to deliver a fair transition to renewable energy. 
    6. North Sea oil and gas firms in the UK are failing to switch their investments to renewable energy, with three-quarters planning to invest solely in continued fossil fuel production between now and 2030. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Oceans 28 states have signed the Global Ocean Treaty into law while the UK is failing to get onboard The European Commission and six EU countries, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia, have today submitted their ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty at the United Nations headquarters. Despite… by Alexandra Sedgwick May 28, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    The European Commission and six EU countries, Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia, have today submitted their ratification of the Global Ocean Treaty at the United Nations headquarters. Despite repeated promises to sign the Treaty into UK law, the UK government is failing to get onboard. 

    Greenpeace is warning that, while the progress from other European countries is welcome, it is nowhere near enough to ensure the treaty enters into force in 2025, and in time to meet the goal of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030 – agreed by all governments in 2022[1]. 

    The UK was among the first countries to sign the Global Ocean Treaty on 20 September 2023, indicating its intention to pass the Treaty into UK law. The current Labour government has repeatedly said it intends to ratify the Treaty, but has so far failed to introduce the necessary primary legislation to do so or to commit to a timeline. This has prompted calls from the International Development Committee and environmental groups to begin the legislative process urgently. Responsibility for this process lies with Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

    Chris Thorne, Greenpeace UK senior ocean campaigner, said:

    “David Lammy wants the UK to be a leader on climate and nature, so he can’t afford to miss the boat on signing the Global Ocean Treaty into UK law. The Treaty can help to protect a third of our blue planet from threats like industrial fishing. As international action on ocean protection accelerates, the UK risks turning up empty handed at a key UN conference next month. Lammy must stop failing the ocean which all life on Earth depends on, prioritise ocean protection and urgently secure parliamentary time for the UK to join other European countries in signing the Treaty into law. We hear legislation has been drafted and is ready to go, it just needs pushing over the line.”

    The Global Ocean Treaty requires ratification by 60 states to enter into force. Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia have joined the 22 other states that have already deposited their ratification at the UN, making a total of 28 so far, nearly half of the 60 required. Governments had aimed to ratify the Treaty by June’s UN Ocean Conference to ensure that it enters into force quickly enough to protect 30% of the oceans by 2030. This Treaty is the only legal tool which can deliver this target on the high seas[2].

    Lukas Meus, Greenpeace Central and Eastern Europe ocean campaigner, said:
    “It gives us hope to see such a large group of European countries ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty, but it’s still not enough. Governments had targeted the UN Ocean Conference as their deadline to ratify the Treaty, but even with this group of countries, that target is set to be missed. More countries must ratify the Treaty at the UN Ocean Conference, and should also confirm their support for a global moratorium on deep sea mining. Only then could we call this conference a success.”

    The UN Ocean Conference is the first high-level meeting after a deep sea mining company submitted the first-ever application to mine the deep sea to the US Government, bypassing the International Seabed Authority (ISA), the regulatory body set up by the United Nations to protect the deep sea as the common heritage of humankind and decide whether deep sea mining can start in the international seabed[3].

    With this new looming threat of exploitation, countries must make it clear that deep sea mining must not be allowed to start in 2025 and actively work towards securing a moratorium at the upcoming meeting of the International Seabed Authority in July, just weeks after the UN Ocean Conference (UNOC). 

    Greenpeace UK is calling on the UK government to:

    • Prioritise ratifying the Global Ocean Treaty by making time in the parliamentary schedule ahead of UNOC
    • Speak out in favour of a global moratorium on deep sea mining and use diplomatic influence to build support for this and the multilateral system
    • Implement a full ban on all forms of destructive fishing, including bottom trawling, in all UK marine protected areas
    • Work with the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda and other nations to champion one of the world’s first high seas sanctuaries in the Sargasso Sea. This stunning ecosystem supports a plethora of iconic wildlife including humpback whales, dolphins and sea turtles

    Ends

    Contact

    Alexandra Sedgwick, Greenpeace UK press officer, alexandra.sedgwick@greenpeace.org, 07739 963 301

    Notes to editors

    [1] Cyprus, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Slovenia have joined Palau, Chile, Belize, Seychelles, Monaco, Mauritius, Federated States of Micronesia, Cuba, Maldives, Singapore, Bangladesh, Barbados, Timor Leste, Panama, St. Lucia, Spain, France, Malawi, Marshall Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, Republic of Korea and Costa Rica.

    [2] In 2022, during the UN Biodiversity COP15, states agreed on a target of protecting at least 30% of the ocean by 2030, a figure supported by scientists for several years. 2.7% of the global ocean is currently fully or highly protected from human activities, and the figure is just 0.9% for areas of the high seas, which are beyond national jurisdiction. Greenpeace calculates that at the current rate of protection, the 30% target will not be reached until 2107.

    [3] In a media statement, the European Commission has said that it “deeply regrets” the US president’s Executive Order that “circumvents” the negotiations in the ISA, and that “it is crucial to recall that its provisions reflect customary international law and are thus binding on all states irrespective of whether they have acceded to the Convention or not.”

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Nature and wildlife Water firms panicking over disposal of millions of tonnes of contaminated sewage sludge Water companies are panicking they will be left unable to dispose of millions of tonnes of sewage sludge due to tougher pollution rules, and rising concern over the contaminants sludge… by Graham Thompson June 10, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Water companies are panicking they will be left unable to dispose of millions of tonnes of sewage sludge due to tougher pollution rules, and rising concern over the contaminants sludge contains.

    Read the full investigation with supporting documents from Unearthed, here.

    Sewage sludge is the human faeces and other solids left behind when wastewater is cleaned. Around 90% of the UK’s sludge is treated and spread on farmland as a source of nutrients to fertilise crops. However, concern is rising in the UK that this could be introducing damaging levels of contamination to agricultural land.

    An analysis for trade association Water UK last year found that in a “worst-case” scenario the industry could be left with “3.4 million wet tonnes” of sludge with nowhere to go, documents obtained by Unearthed under freedom of information laws show. 

    The key documents not already in the public domain (available via the Unearthed website) include:

    • National Plan B: water industry analysis of sludge disposal crisis
    • The National Landbank Assessment Report 2024: water industry capacity modelling
    • EA CEO internal briefing: prepared by the Environment Agency 

    Earlier this year, environmental regulators in the United States warned that toxic PFAS ‘forever chemicals’ in sewage sludge spread on American pastures were posing a cancer risk to people who regularly ate meat or dairy from those farms. This came after investigations by Unearthed and others found that sludge destined for British farmland also contained a range of harmful contaminants, including microplastics and forever chemicals.

    The water companies fear increased scrutiny of sludge-spreading in the UK could trigger a ‘backlash’ akin to the public outrage they have faced over sewage released into rivers and seas, Unearthed has learned. 

    Reshima Sharma, political campaigner for Greenpeace UK, said:

    “This investigation is yet more proof that we can’t trust the privatised water companies to deal with waste responsibly. So long as they can get away with it, they will just pass any problems on to our countryside and pocket the money they should be investing in solutions.

    “In addition to the national scandal of river pollution, their negligence has led to a cocktail of toxic contaminants being spread on the soil that grows our food. The government must stop toxic sludge from being spread on farmland immediately and water companies must be made to pay for disposing of it safely, without passing the buck to bill payers.”

    Documents obtained by Unearthed show the Environment Agency (EA) has warned internally that British farmers could stop accepting sludge onto their land. A briefing prepared for the EA’s chief executive warned that if farmers or retailers were to lose confidence in the use of sludge there could be “very serious consequences, as the sludge would have nowhere to go”.

    The briefing added that the water industry has “no immediate ‘Plan B’” for the sludge it generates.

    But the industry’s most pressing concern is that the government will tighten controls on the amount of fertiliser farmers can use. The EA and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) are under pressure to clamp down on excessive muck spreading, which is the country’s leading cause of river pollution.

    Water companies say this would leave them without enough farmland available to get rid of all their sludge.

    Defra has been reviewing its guidance on protecting water from agricultural pollution, and water companies believe reform of the agricultural pollution rules could result in an outright ban on manure spreading in the autumn, when there is less need for nutrients from crops. 

    According to Water UK, however, around 70% of sewage sludge is spread in the autumn, and “prohibiting or further constraining that practice would introduce very large and unquantified costs” for the water companies.

    Companies are uncertain how much it would cost to deal with a sudden shortfall of this kind, but they estimate it would run to hundreds of millions of pounds. Some have suggested that it could reach billions, potentially resulting in an unplanned increase in household water bills.

    ENDS

    Notes

    Read the full investigation with references, links and supporting documents on Unearthed here.

    Contact

    Greenpeace UK Press Office – press.uk@greenpeace.org or 020 7865 8255

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace and Raja Ampat youth confront nickel industry during conference

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Banners unfurled at Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference demand accountability: What is the True Cost of Your Nickel?

    Greenpeace Indonesia activists, alongside four young West Papuans from the Raja Ampat archipelago, staged a peaceful protest about the impacts of nickel mining while Indonesia’s Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs addressed the Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference in Jakarta © Dhemas Reviyanto / Greenpeace

    Jakarta, June 3, 2025 – Greenpeace Indonesia activists, alongside four young West Papuans from the Raja Ampat archipelago, staged a peaceful protest today to expose the devastating environmental and social consequences of nickel mining and smelting. While Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Arief Havas Oegroseno, addressed the Indonesia Critical Minerals Conference in Jakarta, the activists deployed a banner reading, “What’s the True Cost of Your Nickel?” and unfurled others with messages: “Nickel Mines Destroy Lives” and “Save Raja Ampat from Nickel Mining.”

    Through this direct action, Greenpeace aims to deliver an urgent message to the Indonesian government, nickel industry executives gathered at the event, and the wider public: nickel mining and processing are inflicting profound suffering on affected communities across Eastern Indonesia. The industry is razing forests, polluting vital water sources, rivers, seas, and air, and is exacerbating the climate crisis through its reliance on captive coal-fired power plants for processing.

    “While the government and mining oligarchs discuss expanding the nickel industry at this conference, communities and our planet are already paying an unbearable price,” said Iqbal Damanik, Greenpeace Indonesia Forest Campaigner. “The relentless industrialization of nickel – accelerated by soaring demand for electric cars – has destroyed forestlands, rivers, and seas from Morowali, Konawe Utara, Kabaena, and Wawonii, to Halmahera and Obi. Now, nickel mining even threatens Raja Ampat in West Papua, a globally renowned biodiversity hotspot often called the last paradise on Earth.”

    Following an investigative journey through West Papua, Greenpeace exposed mining activities on several islands within the Raja Ampat archipelago, including Gag Island, Kawe Island, and Manuran Island. These three are classified as small islands and, under the law concerning the management of coastal areas and small islands, should be off-limits to mining.

    Greenpeace analysis reveals that nickel exploitation on these three islands has already led to the destruction of over 500 hectares of forest and specialised native vegetation. Extensive documentation shows soil runoff causing turbidity and sedimentation in coastal waters – a direct threat to Raja Ampat’s delicate coral reefs and marine ecosystems – as a result of deforestation and excavation.

    Beyond Gag, Kawe, and Manuran, other small islands in Raja Ampat such as Batang Pele and Manyaifun are also under imminent threat from nickel mining. These two adjacent islands are situated approximately 30 kilometers from Piaynemo, the iconic karst island formation pictured on Indonesia’s Rp100,000 banknote.

    Raja Ampat is celebrated for its extraordinary terrestrial and marine biodiversity. Its waters are home to 75 percent of the world’s coral species and over 2,500 species of fish. The islands themselves support 47 mammal species and 274 bird species. UNESCO has designated the Raja Ampat region as a global geopark.

    Ronisel Mambrasar, a West Papuan youth from the Raja Ampat Nature Guardians (Aliansi Jaga Alam Raja Ampat), said, “Raja Ampat is in grave danger due to the presence of nickel mines on several islands, including my own home in Manyaifun and Batang Pele Islands. Nickel mining threatens our very existence. It will not only destroy the sea that has sustained our livelihoods for generations but is also fracturing the harmony of our communities, sowing conflict where there was once harmony.”

    Greenpeace Indonesia urgently calls on the government to fundamentally reassess its nickel industrialization policies, which have already triggered a cascade of problems. The hollow boasts about the benefits of downstreaming, championed by the previous administration and now perpetuated during the presidency of Prabowo Subianto, must end. The nickel industrialization drive has proven to be a tragic irony: instead of delivering a just energy transition, it is systematically destroying the environment, violating the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and deepening the damage to an Earth already buckling under the weight of the climate crisis.

    ENDS

    Photos and videos are available in the Greenpeace Media Library.

    Contacts:

    Iqbal Damanik, Greenpeace Indonesia Forest Campaigner +62-811-4445-026

    Igor O’Neill, Greenpeace Indonesia, [email protected] +61-414-288-424

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace investigation reveals extent of nickel mining plans in Raja Ampat, Indonesia’s ‘Last Paradise’

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Jakarta, 12 June 2025 – A Greenpeace Indonesia investigation released today reveals the full scale of the threat nickel mining poses across Raja Ampat, Indonesia, an area referred to as ‘The Last Paradise on Earth’ and featuring in prominent lists of top travel destinations for 2025.[1] 

    Nickel mining operations on Kawe Island, part of the Raja Ampat archipelago, West Papua. © Greenpeace

    The ‘Paradise Lost?’ report finds:

    • A total of 16 nickel mining licences issued across the Raja Ampat archipelago, comprising 5 active licences and 11 previously issued but having been cancelled or expired.
    • Two previously cancelled/expired licences were re-issued in 2025. 
    • Three other previously cancelled/expired licenses that are subject to company legal action to reactivate them.
    • A previously issued licence for nickel mining on Fam Islands, including the famous tourist destination Piaynemo/Jokowi steps.
    • Plans for nickel and steel smelters with links to nickel mining in Raja Ampat, to be built at Sorong. Sorong sits at the tip of New Guinea’s Bird’s Head Peninsula, itself a biodiversity hotspot, and the arrival point for tourists visiting Raja Ampat.[2]

    Of the 16 nickel mining licences, 12 are located within the boundaries of the UNESCO-listed Raja Ampat Global Geopark, whilst 4 of the active licenses are on ‘small islands’ as designated by the Indonesian Government, which should mean that no mining can take place. 

    On 10th June the Indonesian Government announced it would revoke 4 active licences covering 3 of these small islands and one additional licence on Waigeo.[3] However, a number of cancelled licences have previously been reactivated in Raja Ampat.[4] Furthermore, the permit for the largest mine, operated by PT Gag Nikel, was not revoked. 

    Commenting on the investigation findings Kiki Taufik, head of Greenpeace’s global Indonesia forest campaign, said: “Raja Ampat is Indonesia’s last paradise. But instead of protecting it for Indigenous and local communities and the diving and  tourism that have helped make this archipelago famous around the world, the government has left the door open to polluting nickel mining. 

    “Raja Ampat is incredible and unique, recognised as a Global Geopark by UNESCO and theoretically protected. The news this week that the Government will cancel four mining licenses is a step forward, but it’s not enough. The President must protect all of Raja Ampat and stop all plans for nickel mining and the plans for nickel and steel smelters in Sorong.“

    Until this week two mines were commercially operating: PT Gag Nikel, a state owned mining company, and PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining. Both of these mines ship nickel ore to Indonesia Weda Bay Industrial Park for processing/smelting. PT Tsinghshan, a major shareholder in the industrial park that processes the ore from Raja Ampat, has established a joint venture company, Youshan Nickel Indonesia together with Huayou group. Youshan Nickel makes battery components for electric vehicles in Indonesia. PT Huayou supplies nickel to battery supply chains linked to a number of major EV makers including Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Hyundai, BMW, Mercedes, Tesla and BYD. It is therefore possible that any of these vehicle supply chains could be linked to nickel ore coming from Raja Ampat, though a lack of supply chain transparency makes this impossible to confirm at this time.

    [ENDS]

    Download the ‘Paradise Lost?’ report.

    Images and videos available for media use.

    Notes

    [1] See for example travel articles in National Geographic, The New York Times and CNN.

    [2] Smelters for nickel and steel are planned for Sorong and the project was planned to break ground in 2024, although to date no work has started.

    [3] The cancelled licenses are PT Kawei Sejahtera Mining (Pulau Kawe), PT Anugerah Surya Pratama (Pulau Manuran), PT Mulia Raymond Perkasa (Pulau Manyaifun and Batang Pele), dan PT Nurham (Pulau Waigeo).

    [4] The two licences reactivated this year (PT MRP and PT Nurham) have both followed legal action by the companies to reactivate previously cancelled licences.

    Contact

    Igor O’Neill, Greenpeace Indonesia, [email protected] +61-414-288-424

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace Indonesia calls for stronger civil collaborations as government ratifies Global Ocean Treaty

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Nice/Jakarta, June 11, 2025 – Greenpeace Indonesia welcomes the Indonesian government decision to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty, also known as Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ). The decision was announced by Indonesian Minister of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Sakti Wahyu Trenggono in Nice, France, on June 10, during the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) [1].

    Moving forward, Greenpeace Indonesia urges the government to strengthen its leadership to increasingly mainstream a human rights-based approach in all protection and management efforts for the sustainable future of the ocean, both within and outside the national territory, in line win line with the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), including the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF).

    Greenpeace Indonesia also encourages the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other relevant institutions to be more proactive in ensuring Indonesia’s readiness for the implementation–especially once the Global Ocean Treaty will be in force within 120 days after at least 60 countries have ratified it.

    Afdillah, Greenpeace Indonesia Ocean Campaign Team Lead:

    “This is a momentum to ensure that the 5 Priority Blue Economy Programs initiated by the Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries are implemented effectively by ensuring meaningful multi-stakeholder participation, transparency, stronggenuine sustainability and fairness.”

    Arifsyah Nasution, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Ocean Campaigner and Global Lead for Beyond Seafood Campaign:

    “Congratulations to Indonesia for becoming the 50th country globally and the 4th in the Southeast Asia region, after Singapore, Timor Leste and Vietnam, to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty. We really look forward to welcoming more countries in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region to follow suit.”

    “Aside from the BBNJ, a number of civil society elements and labor movements have also been urging the government to immediately ratify ILO Convention 188 on Work in Fishing [3]. Ratification of C-188 is urgent so that decent working conditions and the rights of Indonesian fishing crews, both those working on Indonesian-flagged fishing vessels and on foreign-flagged fishing vessels outside the Indonesian fisheries management area, can be increasingly protected. This is also a form of commitment and effort to implement effective and progressive policies, a real manifestation of Indonesia’s exemplary diplomacy in the international arena.”

    Notes for Editors:

    [1] Indonesia’s Declaration at UNOC3 on June 10, 2025, by the Minister of Marine Affairs and Fisheries

    Contact Person:

    Vela Andapita, Global Communications Coordinator for Beyond Seafood Campaign at Greenpeace Southeast Asia, +62-817-5759-449, [email protected]

    Afdillah, Greenpeace Indonesia Ocean Campaign Team Lead, +62-811-4704-730, [email protected]

    Arifsyah Nasution, Greenpeace Southeast Asia Ocean Campaigner and Global Lead for Beyond Seafood Campaign, +62-811-400-350, [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Greenpeace Thailand Statement Thai Oil Public Company Limited must be held accountable for oil spill and take immediate action on environmental restoration and compensation measures.

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Bangkok, 6 June 2025 – Following the crude oil spill at SBM-2 (Single Buoy Mooring No. 2), operated by Thai Oil Public Company Limited, which occurred at approximately 11:54 p.m. on 5 June 2025 in the open sea off Si Racha, near its refinery in Chonburi Province [1], Greenpeace Thailand considers this incident yet another in a series of toxic leaks from the oil industry that have harmed Thailand’s seas, coastal communities, and marine ecosystems.

    Greenpeace Thailand calls on Thai Oil Public Company Limited, the project owner, to take full responsibility for the spill by immediately implementing the following actions:

    • Thai Oil Public Company Limited must take full responsibility for all consequences arising from the incident, following the “Polluter Pays Principle”. This includes bearing the full cost of environmental restoration, compensation, and remediation for affected communities in a comprehensive and just manner. Responsibility must align with the 1992 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC 1992). Furthermore, the company must implement long-term rehabilitation plans for marine and coastal ecosystems, with clearly defined goals and an appropriate timeframe for restoration to their original state.
    • Thai Oil Public Company Limited must urgently develop a concrete and transparent remediation plan to compensate for the damage caused by this incident. The plan must comprehensively address the impacts on marine ecosystems, coastal communities, and public health. It should be carried out in collaboration with representatives from civil society, community members, government agencies, and academic experts to ensure that the damage assessment and compensation process is fair, inclusive, and accountable. Additionally, the company must continuously disclose information to the public throughout the entire process, in line with its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) strategy framework.

    Greenpeace Thailand urges the Thai government to take the following actions:

    • Establish an independent commission to investigate the oil spill disaster at SBM-2. The investigation must be transparent and inclusive, engaging civil society, academic experts, and independent organisations, to identify the causes and ensure accountability. The commission should also develop long-term solutions to prevent similar incidents in the future.
    • Strictly enforce environmental laws and conduct thorough inspections, ensuring that polluters, especially in cases involving hazardous substance spills into marine environments, face appropriate legal consequences. In addition, the government must implement continuous and systematic safety monitoring of oil transport and transfer operations to prevent future incidents.
    • Urgently review the national energy plan to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and establish a long-term goal to phase out oil and fossil gas. The government must actively support a transition to a clean, just, and renewable energy system that aligns with Thailand’s commitment to achieving Net-Zero Emissions. This includes halting all plans for the expansion and extraction of fossil fuels, especially in ecologically sensitive and biodiversity-rich areas.
    • Establish a Marine Environmental Disaster Relief Fund, firmly based on the “Polluter Pays Principle,” to ensure Thailand has a strong financial mechanism for rapid and effective response to environmental emergencies, including oil spills, chemical leaks, and hazardous waste incidents.

    As global temperatures continue to rise and the climate crisis intensifies, continued reliance on and investment in fossil fuels not only accelerates environmental degradation, health impacts, and human rights violations but also shifts the burden of risk onto the public, especially vulnerable communities, while allowing industry actors to evade accountability.

    To address this crisis, we must start by protecting fragile ecosystems—particularly biodiversity-rich marine environments—from high-risk industrial activities. The Thai government should establish new shipping routes for transporting hazardous materials, such as oil and liquefied fossil gas, that avoid marine conservation areas and vital fishing grounds. Strengthening protections for ecologically significant areas, both on land and at sea, must be treated as an urgent national priority. In the face of a rapidly escalating climate emergency, delay is no longer an option.

    Greenpeace supports the public’s right to access clean, affordable, and equitable renewable energy, and advocates for meaningful public participation in both energy production and policy-making alongside the government.

    The transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy is not just a choice—it is essential to slowing global warming and building a sustainable, just, and resilient response to the climate crisis.

    Note:

    [1] Statement from Thai Oil Public Company Limited

    For more information, please contact:

    Manun Wongmasoh, Climate Campaign Communications Officer, Greenpeace Thailand

    Email: [email protected] Tel 091 745 0099

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Worker groups demand polluters pay for lost income, amid deadly South Asia heatwave

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    New Delhi, 01 May 2025 –  As a life-threatening heat wave unravels in South Asia,  more than 10 groups representing at lakhs of workers across Indian, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and Nepal have signed a Polluters Pay Pact, calling on governments to introduce new taxes on oil, coal and gas corporations to fund solutions and help communities worldwide. 

    A Greenpeace India’s qualitative research report titled “Ground Zero: Climate Experiences among Informal Workers in Delhi,” released on this occasion found that street vendors suffer from immense productivity loss and health risks during peak summer months. The study noted that for every 1°C rise in temperature, informal workers’ earnings can fall by up to 19%, with income losses reaching up to 40% due to unbearable midday heat and reduced business. Simultaneously, medical expenses increase by around 14%—illustrating the devastating climate-health-economic nexus. The report mentions that street vendor’s daily earnings, once averaging Rs. 1000, now fluctuate between Rs 300-1200 due to climate disruption and market instability. 

    Workers across South Asia observed the International Workers’ Day, in a series of simultaneous events where they wrote messages about the impacts of extreme weather and their demands on sarees, a six-yard-long unstitched cloth draped by women in South Asia. The initiative, titled ‘Sarees for Solidarity’, carries messages of workers union leaders addressing the role of oil and gas corporations and their responsibility for the climate crisis which will be taken to the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP30), scheduled to be held in Balem, Brazil. 

    An event held today in New Delhi also marked the launch of the Workers’ Collective for Climate Justice – South Asia, which emerged as the key outcome of the discussions by worker groups and civil society organisations on growing threats to workers from extreme weather events, fuelled by the oil and gas industry. Participants included the Youth Organization for Democratic Development and Help in Action (YODDHA) and Joint Hawker Action Committee for street vendors, the Basti Suraksha Manch union for waste pickers, the Telengana Gig and Platform Workers Union, Amazon Workers’ Union,  domestic workers, construction workers and indoor-based factory workers. 

    “As temperatures rise, we must do the same. City infrastructure needs to match the adaptation needs of everyone. Vendors, who work outside through the heatwave, are in urgent need of cooling centers, shaded areas, water, and medical care to survive this heatwave season,” said Sandeep Verma of the Youth Organisation for Democratic and Help in Action (YODDHA). “In the scorching heat, Indian workers have nowhere to hide, while the oil executives fueling this crisis are safely seated in air conditioned offices. This injustice must end by applying the polluter pays principle to those responsible for the climate crisis we’re in.”

    “When the heat rises, it’s not the CEOs of oil and gas companies who suffer—it’s the informal workers out on the streets, with little infrastructure and safety net for adaptation. Our Ground Zero report shows just how devastating this is: income drops, health risks soar, and yet no one’s held accountable. That’s why we’re backing the Polluters Pay Pact, said Amruta S. Nair, Climate and Energy campaigner at Greenpeace India. “Governments must impose taxes on Big Oil, the proceeds of which should be redirected for inclusive adaptation measures for vulnerable communities. Climate justice must begin by protecting those who are least responsible for this crisis, but who pay the heaviest price every day.”

    ”As momentum builds up to make oil and gas corporations pay for a crisis fuelled by their emissions, the industry responds with attacks against those calling them out. Emblematic of this assault on free speech is a multi-millions US$ meritless lawsuit by U.S. company Energy Transfer against Greenpeace U.S. and Greenpeace International. The Polluters Pay Pact shows that while polluters engage in intimidation, the climate movement can’t be silenced. Greenpeace organisations worldwide are committed as ever to resist the corporate polluters and the billionaire takeover of democracy.

    Read Report Here

    Notes:

    Find more about the workers group and unions here

    [1] “Weather Status” – India Meteorological Department, Ministry of Earth Sciences. https://internal.imd.gov.in/section/nhac/dynamic/extended.pdf .  

    [2] “Climate change made the deadly heatwaves that hit millions of highly vulnerable people across Asia more frequent and extreme” – World Weather Attribution https://www.worldweatherattribution.org/climate-change-made-the-deadly-heatwaves-that-hit-millions-of-highly-vulnerable-people-across-asia-more-frequent-and-extreme/ 

    Contacts:

    Nibedita Saha,
    Media Officer, Greenpeace India  ,
    [email protected] 

    Tal Harris,
    Greenpeace International,
    Global Media Lead – Stop Drilling Start Paying campaign,
    +41-782530550,
    [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Metro Now Costs More Than a Meal for Many! Bengaluru Metro Protest Demands Reversal of Fares

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Bengaluru, India. 9th March 2025 – A month after the metro hike on 9th February, commuters and citizens in Bengaluru came together, inside the city’s metro today, calling for an immediate rollback of the recent fare hike. The demonstration highlighted growing public concern over affordable and accessible public transport, urging authorities to take action. Bengaluru Metro ridership dropped 13% overall post fare hike, with a sharp  20% drop in February alone, signalling affordability concerns.

    A recent survey conducted by Greenpeace India after the metro fare hike in February 2025, highlights that Bengaluru Metro fare hike has significantly burdened low and middle income groups, students and working professionals as 72.9% of respondents said that their transport costs now exceeds or equal their one-time meal expense. Additionally, women, who depend on public transport more than men, have been disproportionately affected, further limiting their mobility and safety. The fare hike makes daily travel a financial burden for students and working professionals who rely on public transport.

    Key finding of the survey: 

    • 40.4% of respondents use the metro as their primary mode of transport.
    • 62.9% rely on Public transport (metro & buses combined) 
    • 73.4% spent 50-150 Rs daily on transport. 
    • 68% of respondents stated that the fare hike made metro travel expensive.
    • 75.4% cut down on non-essential travel due to rising costs.
    • 38.2% women have reduced their non essential travel due to metro fare hike in Bangalore
    • A majority believe the fare hike is unjust and harms urban mobility.
    • Many commuters demand a rollback of the fare hike to restore affordability.

    Click the link to find the detailed survey report.  

    Greenpeace India urged BMRCL to roll back the Namma Metro fare hike in a letter and called on the government to prioritize affordable, gender-sensitive and disability-friendly public transport over shifting costs onto commuters. The fare hike has led to several changes in the lives of people, with parents looking to shift schools and  people across income groups shifting to other modes of transport. 

    Bengaluru, already battling severe climate impacts like air pollution and heat waves and is vulnerable to high degree of climate change, needs greater investment in efficient public transit to tackle congestion and build climate resilience. Instead of fare hikes, measures like congestion charges and stricter parking policies can help generate revenue while curbing excessive car use. The car centric infrastructure such as the proposed ₹19,000 crore tunnel project will only offer a temporary fix and divert critical funds from sustainable transport solutions.

    Aakiz Farooq, Campaigner, Greenpeace India: “Public transport should serve the people, not profit-driven motives. Bengaluru’s metro fare hike further burdens commuters already struggling with affordability and accessibility. With our cities facing severe environmental crises, investing in affordable and efficient mass transit is essential. There is a need for a dedicated public transport budget and both state and central governments must step up to strengthen the mass transit system.  The Government should  introduce Climate Tickets to incentivise public transport for commuters ”

    Individuals with bold protest messages – Un-Fare Hike, Unfair Cities, gathered at Kengeri metro station in the morning, where they boarded a metro train bound for MG Road while carrying placards and banners advocating for fair fares. Their silent yet powerful visual demonstration represented the burden that fare hikes place on ordinary citizens, amplifying the public outcry and reinforcing the need for affordable, accessible, and sustainable urban mobility.

    With each fare increase, Bengaluru’s metro—once envisioned as an affordable and inclusive public service—has become a system of exclusion, disproportionately affecting students, IT workers, informal workers, women, and lower-income groups,  office-goers among others. Many commuters are now forced to switch to costlier, more polluting alternatives, increasing road congestion and air pollution. Vehicular pollution ranks as the second largest and a highly consistent source of PM10 and PM2.5 particulate matter. This pollution poses a serious threat to citizen health and is a key driver of climate change.

    Irene Ann Kuttichira,  Metro Commuter “As a daily commuter, I feel every fare hike hits hard. Many depend on the metro for work or college, and higher fares make commuting unaffordable and leave us with tough choices. We are demanding a transport system that serves everyone—not just those who can afford to pay more.”

    About Greenpeace India

    Greenpeace India is an independent environmental organization that campaigns for sustainable and equitable solutions to climate change, air pollution, and urban mobility issues. Through grassroots activism and policy advocacy, Greenpeace India seeks to make cities more liveable, breathable, and accessible for all.

    For more photos and videos click here

    For media inquiries, please contact:

    Aakiz Farooq: [email protected]

    Nibedita Saha: [email protected]

    Nimisha Agarwal: [email protected]

    Website: www.greenpeace.org/india

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Citizen Groups Urge 16th Finance Commission to Prioritize Climate Adaptation

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    New Delhi, February 18, 2025:  In response to the sixteenth Finance Commission, headed by Arvind Panagariya, inviting public suggestions on its mandate set for it by the Central Government, a coalition of 12 citizen groups, led by Greenpeace India, has urged the commission to prioritize climate adaptation in India’s financial policies, focusing on climate impacted communities. The commission, constituted in December of last year, is expected to submit its recommendations by October 2025, which will be valid for five years starting April 1, 2026.  These recommendations from the coalition, agreed upon through multiple stakeholder consultations, represent a comprehensive civil society input at this crucial time. 

    The groups sounded an urgent alarm about the escalating climate crisis, revealing that extreme weather events claimed 3,238 lives in the first nine months of 2024 alone—an alarming 18% increase compared to 2022. Data from previous years (2015–2022) also highlights a consistent rise in climate-related human and economic losses, reinforcing the urgent need for climate adaptation. Heat-related productivity losses alone could slash India’s GDP by up to 4.5% by 2030, while inadequate adaptation measures over the years have compounded economic vulnerability.

    Beyond the direct loss of lives and economic damage, the crisis has also led to missed opportunities for climate-sensitive communities. Many who depend on agriculture, fisheries, and informal labor could have experienced greater economic security and resilience if proactive adaptation investments had been made earlier. The lack of preparedness has not only intensified the immediate impact of extreme weather events but has also limited the long-term livelihood potential of millions, highlighting the need for urgent, forward-looking climate action. 

    Ahead of the union budget, India’s Economic Survey(IES) for 2024-25 points out a growing problem: we’re not spending enough to adapt to climate change.  Although spending on adaptation has increased from 3.7% of our GDP in the 2015-16 financial year to 5.6% in 2021-22, it’s still not enough.  India is the seventh most vulnerable country to the effects of climate change, this poses a significant risk.The survey emphasized that effective adaptation strategies require a multi-faceted approach, including policy initiatives, sector-specific strategies, resilient infrastructure, research and development, and securing financial resources. These measures should also be tailored to India’s diverse geographic and agro-climatic conditions.

    “Despite the IES recommendation, the 2025 Budget doesn’t include specific funding for adaptation.  While we appreciate the focus on reducing emissions (mitigation),the urgency of need for climate adaptation cannot be ignored.  This lack of budgetary support for adaptation puts climate impacted communities at a much higher risk, threatening lives, livelihoods, and the economy”, says Selomi Garnaik, Climate Justice Campaigner, Greenpeace India, who led the stakeholder consultations.

    Key Recommendations:

    The coalition’s demands include

    1. The 16th Finance Commission must urge the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) to officially recognize heatwaves as a national disaster.
    2. Establish a Dedicated Climate Adaptation and Resilience Fund for Marginalized and Vulnerable Communities:
    3. Devolve funds to state governments for managing extreme weather events, with allocations based on updated epistemological evidence such as the Climate Vulnerability Mapping Atlas. 
    4. Recommend the Center to create provision for Climate Damage Tax (CDT),in order to hold the big polluters accountable. 
    5. India should adopt a national framework aligned with loss and damage principle and provide Adequate compensation for losses and damages due to climate change should be provided to impacted states, with special focus on marginalized and impacted communities.

    A Call for Climate Justice

    The coalition emphasized that these recommendations are not just policy changes but steps toward achieving climate justice for the most vulnerable populations. They urged the Finance Commission to take immediate action to build a sustainable and equitable future.

    The recommendations letter  is prepared by diverse coalition of 12 citizen groups, led by Greenpeace including Poovulagin Nanbargal, RIGHTS, Basti Suraksha Manch, VAN Gujjar Tribal Yuva Sangathan Uttarakhand, Justice in Mining Network, Mukti, Youth For Climate India, Heatwave Action Coalition India, Janpahal, HeatWatch, People for Himalayan Development, and Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union. Together, they represent a wide range of stakeholders committed to advancing climate resilience and justice.

    For more information please free to reach out to

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Pre-Budget Push: Greenpeace India Proposes Climate Tickets in New Urban Mobility Draft Policy

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    New Delhi  – 22 January 2025 

    Greenpeace India along with the Public Transport Forum today launched a Citizen’s Draft Policy for Affordable Public Transport in India. This draft policy, developed through extensive consultations with experts and citizens, aims to transform urban mobility in India. Recognizing the critical role of public transport in the lives of millions of Indians, the draft policy emphasizes the urgent need to overhaul the current system, which is plagued by underfunding and inefficient prioritization of private vehicles. 

    The draft policy outlines a comprehensive vision for a more just, sustainable, and equitable public transport system. Key policy recommendations include the introduction of “Climate Tickets,” encompassing fare-free and subsidized public transport options, to make public transport more affordable and accessible for all citizens. The policy also calls for a significant increase in central government funding specifically allocated to improving public transport infrastructure and services.

    The draft policy outlines a comprehensive approach to public transport, focusing on fairness, environmental responsibility, and operational efficiency. Built on citizen recommendations, this policy aims to transform the public transport system into one that is inclusive, sustainable, and efficient for all Indians.

    “This union budget can be an opportunity for the central government to exhibit their commitment towards achieving India’s climate goals by investing more into making public transport accessible, affordable and efficient in India. The policy draft provides a roadmap for creating a more sustainable, equitable, and efficient and more importantly affordable public transportation system for India. For an environmentally friendly, cleaner and sustainable India, the central government needs to adopt policy and financial measures which will make public transport efficient  and affordable in India.” – Aakiz Farooq, Campaigner at Greenpeace India

    Further speaking Aakiz Farooq elaborates “For a country like ours which has immense potential for sustainable growth we need equity in access to opportunities for jobs, healthcare, leisure etc and an accessible public transport for all is a key component of this. This is not about distributing free tickets but about the state’s responsibility towards citizens- especially groups like women, elderly, children who are key to any nation building exercise”.

    The draft policy outlines the challenges faced by current public transport systems in India. These include an overemphasis on road infrastructure, with excessive resources directed towards road expansion, flyovers, and tunnels, while public transport infrastructure remains neglected. Additionally, public bus services are inadequate, with insufficient bus fleets, high fares, safety concerns, and limited accessibility for marginalized groups. Furthermore, there is a lack of dedicated funding for public transport, with operations and maintenance often underfunded. 

    As part of the citizen draft policy for affordable public transport in India, Greenpeace India along with Public Transport Forum propose these solutions:

    • Universal Fare-Free Public Transport: The policy proposes a phased implementation of fare-free public transport through “Climate Tickets” for women, children, elderly, transgender people, and persons with disabilities, eventually extending to all citizens.
    • Resource Reallocation: Shift investments from road, metro, and fossil fuel subsidies to expanding and improving public transport systems.
    • Improving Infrastructure and Services: Double bus fleets in cities, create dedicated bus lanes, modernize bus depots, improve bus stops with accessible amenities, and enhance first/last-mile connectivity.
    • Protecting Workers’ Rights: Ensure fair wages, safe working conditions, and gender inclusivity in the workforce. Recognize public transport jobs as green jobs, fostering workforce participation in decision-making.
    • State-Level Public Transport Fund: Create dedicated funding mechanisms through central, state, and municipal contributions. Abolish taxes on public transport to reduce operational costs and reinvest savings into service improvements.
    • Climate Funding Integration: Position public transport as a key climate action tool, leveraging domestic and international climate finance to enhance affordability, operational efficiency, and emission reductions.
    • Citizen Participation and Multi-Tier Governance: Advocate for coordinated efforts between central, state, and local governments, with State Planning Boards managing implementation. Establish citizen user unions and conduct annual reviews for inclusive policymaking.
    • Public Awareness Campaigns: Address stigma around free public transport, particularly for women, and promote the right to affordable, accessible, and reliable mobility through education and advocacy initiatives.

    “Free public transport has recently become a key focus in elections and political discussions, with many states considering ways to introduce such schemes. However, there is currently no clear policy to guide these efforts. Our draft policy is designed to serve as a flexible framework that Governments can adapt to their needs while ensuring a consistent approach across the country. It also highlights how the central government can support this shift, making public transport accessible, safe, and reliable for everyone.” explains Nishant, coordinator of the Public Transport Forum.

    About Greenpeace India:

    Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. It comprises 26 independent national/regional Greenpeace organisations with presence in over 55 countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Pacific, as well as a coordinating and supporting organisation, Greenpeace International.

    About Public Transport Forum

    The Public Transport Forum is a collective of civil society organizations, transport experts, and citizen advocates working towards ensuring that public transport in India is accessible, affordable, and sustainable. The forum strives for comprehensive policy reforms and greater public participation in transport planning.

    To read the report – scan here

    Contact:

    Aakiz Farooq : Campaigner, Greenpeace India
    [email protected]

    As Ra : Digital Campaigner, Greenpeace India
    [email protected]

    Nimisha Agarwal: Communication and Media Manager
    [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Bengaluru’s Air Quality Woes: Over 80% of Days Hit High NO₂ Pollution at City Railway Station

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Bengaluru, India –December 4, 2024: A latest report by Greenpeace India, “Beyond North India: NO₂ Pollution and Health Risks in Seven Major Indian Cities”, reveals alarming levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) pollution in Bengaluru. 

    Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) is a near-invisible toxic gas closely linked to traffic and fuel burning, common in urban areas. That means vehicles and energy generation from fossil fuel are important sources of NO₂.

    The WHO recommends an annual NO2 concentration of no more than 10 µg/m³, while the NAAQS limit is 40 µg/m³. In 2023, Bengaluru’s 13 Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring (CAAQM) stations recorded varying levels of air quality. The highest NO2 levels were measured at City Railway Station, which exceeded WHO guidelines for over 80% of the year. Additionally, BTM Layout and Silk Road air quality monitoring stations were among the city’s most polluted. Exposure to NO2 poses a serious health risk to residents, especially with such frequently high concentrations in public spaces.

    Annual average NO2 concentrations for all CAAQM monitors in Bengaluru, 2023. Monitoring stations we classified as roadside are shown in dark blue (Column values are rounded).

    Overwhelming scientific evidence links NO₂ exposure to adverse health impacts such as risk of asthma, airway inflammation, respiratory irritation, and the worsening of existing respiratory conditions. It can impair lung development, intensify allergies and increase susceptibility to respiratory mortality and death from circulatory diseases, ischemic heart disease, and even lung cancer. The report highlights that NO₂ pollution in 2019 could have been responsible for as many as 2,730 cases of paediatric asthma in Bengaluru.

    “This report underscores a crucial truth: air pollution is not limited to Delhi or North India. The transportation sector is the largest contributor to high NO₂ levels across cities in India. As cities grow, the rise in private vehicles worsens air quality and jeopardizes public health. To tackle this, we need a fundamental shift towards a sustainable, efficient public transportation system. Investing in cleaner, more accessible transport options is not just an environmental necessity—it’s an urgent public health imperative. The government must prioritize cleaner mobility solutions to ensure a healthier future, said Selomi Garniak, Climate Justice Campaigner at Greenpeace India. 

    India’s response to the air pollution crisis, particularly NO2 pollution, falls woefully short of global health standards. India’s Air pollution Standards (NAAQS) are far less stringent than WHO guidelines. Despite significant advancements in understanding the health risks posed by air pollution, especially at low exposure levels, India has not updated its NAAQS since 15 years . This outdated regulatory framework fails to protect public health adequately, leaving millions vulnerable to the severe consequences of air pollution.

    Air pollution is a growing public health threat in India, requiring bold, innovative solutions. One such solution is an affordable ‘Clean Air Concession’ for public transportation. By making mass transit more accessible, this policy can encourage people to leave their cars behind, reducing congestion and harmful emissions. This simple measure can significantly improve air quality, public health, and create more inclusive, healthier cities. said Aakiz Farooq, Mobility Campaigner at Greenpeace India. 

    Poor air quality in major Indian cities is a serious public health concern. To address this, Greenpeace India recommends a region-specific approach for cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata, and Pune. In addition to revising NAAQS, the focus should be on strengthening healthcare services to diagnose air pollution-related conditions and implementing a comprehensive health advisory system with public education and timely alerts during high pollution periods. Vulnerable groups, including children, the elderly, pregnant women, outdoor workers, and those with pre-existing conditions, should receive prioritized health interventions.

    Local governments should focus on reducing vehicular emissions by enhancing public transport, including fare-free schemes for women. Increased investment is needed in hybrid air quality monitoring networks that combine low-cost sensors, existing systems, and satellite data. This data-driven approach will help track progress and guide effective interventions to reduce pollution levels.

    Read Report Here

    For More details please contact-
    Selomi Garnaik- Greenpeace Campaigner
    Contact – ph- +91-9691330473
    Mail- [email protected]

    Annexure 1

    Key Highlights  

    • In 2023, annual NO₂ concentrations exceeded the WHO health-based guideline at all 13 government monitored Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring stations (CAAQM) .
    • The highest concentrations were recorded at the City Railway Station monitoring station.
    • Monitoring stations that exceeded the WHO health guidelines in 2023 were located near five schools.
    • In 2023, daily average NO₂ concentrations were higher than the WHO daily guideline at the City Railway Station for 80% of days in the year.
    • Over the last five years, trends in NO₂ concentrations from ground-level monitors show no significant improvement in air quality. In fact, satellite observations suggest that pollution across the city is worsening.
    • Road transport is the second-largest source of NOx emissions in Bengaluru, accounting for 20% of emissions in the EDGAR emission inventory.

    Annexure 2- 

    About Greenpeace 

    Greenpeace India is a part of the global environmental organisation, dedicated to tackling pressing environmental challenges through advocacy, campaigns, and public engagement. Greenpeace India’s Climate Justice Campaign advocates for accountability, equitable policy changes, and climate finance to address the rising climate impacts felt by communities in South Asia.

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: France spent €90,000 to discredit the impact of Pacific nuclear testing – Greenpeace response

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Paris, France – New documents obtained by investigative outlet Disclose suggests that France spent €90,000 to discredit research into the impacts of its nuclear testing in the Pacific. In response: 

    Shiva Gounden, Head of Pacific at Greenpeace Australia Pacific said:

    “This act by France is not just a denial of truth — it is an insult to generations who continue to live with the radioactive legacy of these experiments. From the scarred atolls of the Marshall Islands to the irradiated lands of Maohi Nui (French Polynesia), our people carry the enduring fallout of nuclear colonialism – cancers, displacement, environmental devastation, deaths, and loss of generations. Instead of reckoning with its past, France chooses to fund distraction over accountability, image over integrity. This is not the act of a nation seeking justice — it is the act of a nation running from it. The Pacific does not forget and our people will not be silenced. No amount of money can erase the truth written into our Pacific families’ bodies, our lands, and our histories.”

    Pauline Boyer, energy campaigner and nuclear expert at Greenpeace France said: 

    “This is a shamelessly ramped up disinformation campaign by the CEA [France’s Atomic Energy Commission]. Nuclear proponents continue to defend the law of silence at all costs when it comes to the victims of civilian and military nuclear industries. It’s high time the CEA, as well as the French government, acknowledged the facts with transparency and honesty: they deliberately chose to expose populations and their land to radioactive fallout and contamination from French nuclear bomb explosions. Underestimating the number of victims and the extent of the devastating impact on the health of civilian and military populations, in order to reduce the number of compensation claims and minimize this dark chapter in history, is utterly indecent. All the more that France’s choice of the Pacific islands for these nuclear explosions clearly follows a colonialist logic”.

    Last month, a new study by the Institute for Energy and Environmental Research (IEER) and commissioned by Greenpeace Germany, revealed that US nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands from 1946-1958 had impacted all atolls, but only three of the 24 atolls, all northern and inhabited at the time of radioactive fallout, received medical cancer screening.

    In July, Greenpeace and the Rainbow Warrior will mark the 40 year anniversary of the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior I by the French secret service, who were attempting to halt Greenpeace’s campaign against nuclear testing in French Polynesia (Maohi Nui) at the time.  

    ENDS

    A collection of archival images of the Rainbow Warrior bombing can be found in the Greenpeace Media Library. Other archival images of Greenpeace protests against French nuclear testing can also be found in the Library.

    Contacts:

    Mary Chevallier, energy and nuclear comms, Greenpeace France, +33(0)614739229, [email protected]

    Shuk-Wah Chung, Communications Lead – Marshall Islands project, Greenpeace International, (+852) 5420 4186, [email protected]

    Greenpeace International Press Desk, +31 (0)20 718 2470 (available 24 hours), [email protected]

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Greenpeace activists aboard Rainbow Warrior disrupt Pacific industrial fishing operation

    By Emma Page

    Greenpeace activists on board the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior disrupted an industrial longlining fishing operation in the South Pacific, seizing almost 20 km of fishing gear and freeing nine sharks — including an endangered mako — near Australia and New Zealand.

    Crew retrieved the entire longline and more than 210 baited hooks from a European Union-flagged industrial fishing vessel, including an endangered longfin mako shark, eight near-threatened blue sharks and four swordfish.

    The crew also documented the vessel catching endangered sharks during its longlining operation.

    The at-sea action followed new Greenpeace Australia Pacific analysis exposing the extent of shark catch from industrial longlining in parts of the Pacific Ocean.

    Latest fisheries data showed that almost 70 percent of EU vessels’ catch was blue shark in 2023 alone.

    The operation came ahead of this week’s UN Ocean Conference in Nice, France, where world leaders are discussing ocean protection and the Global Ocean Treaty.

    On board the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace Australia Pacific campaigner Georgia Whitaker said: “These longliners are industrial killing machines. Greenpeace Australia Pacific took peaceful and direct action to disrupt this attack on marine life.

    “We saved important species that would otherwise have been killed or left to die on hooks.

    “The scale of industrial fishing — still legal on the high seas — is astronomical. These vessels claim to be targeting swordfish or tuna, but we witnessed shark after shark being hauled up by these industrial fleets, including three endangered sharks in just half an hour.


    Rainbow Warrior crew disrupt longline fishing in the Pacific.  Video: Greenpeace

    “Greenpeace is calling on world leaders at the UN Ocean Conference to protect 30 percent of the world’s oceans by 2030 from this wanton destruction.”

    Stingray caught as bycatch is hauled onboard the Lu Rong Yuan Lu 212 longliner vessel in the Tasman Sea.

    The Rainbow Warrior is in the South Pacific ocean to expose longline fishing and call on governments to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and create a network of protected areas in the high seas.

    A Greenpeace activist frees a blue shark caught on a longline in the Pacific . . . the blue shark is currently listed as “Near Threatened” globally by the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Image: Greenpeace Pacific

    Greenpeace Aotearoa is calling on the New Zealand government to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty and help create global ocean sanctuaries, including in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand.

    New Zealand signed the agreement in 2023.

    More than two-thirds of sharks worldwide are endangered, and a third of those are at risk of extinction from overfishing.

    Over the last three weeks, the Rainbow Warrior has been documenting longlining vessels and practices off Australia’s east coast, including from Spain and China.

    Emma Page is Greenpeace Aotearoa’s communications lead, oceans and fisheries. Republished with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Deputy President to respond to oral questions

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Thursday, June 12, 2025

    Deputy President Paul Mashatile will this afternoon respond to questions for oral reply in the National Assembly. 

    At Thursday’s session, which will take place at 2pm, the country’s second-in-command will touch on a wide range of issues from agricultural support, water shortages and intensified efforts in the country’s comprehensive HIV and AIDS response.

    As Chairperson of the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Agriculture and Land Reform, the Deputy President will inform Members of Parliament (MPs) on government efforts towards improving access to funding and resource support for small-scale and smallholder farmers, as well as supporting infrastructure development in rural areas.

    Following the withdrawal of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funding by the United States Government, the Deputy President will reassure MPs that government has the capacity to fund its HIV/AIDS programme. 

    “The withdrawal will not have a dire impact in the purchasing and the distribution of the antiretrovirals,” the Deputy President Office’s statement read. 

    The Deputy President is also expected to emphasise the need to enhance municipal service management and financial stability in the water sector to address water shortages in the country.

    “In light of the persistent and evolving threat posed by gang-related violence in both urban and peri-urban areas, the Deputy President will brief Parliament on the comprehensive strategy the Justice, Crime-Prevention and Security Cabinet Committee has implemented to dismantle organised criminal networks,” the statement read. 

    He will further reiterate South Africa’s commitment to the rule of law, which his Office said is a cornerstone of South Africa’s democratic constitutional order. – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Clothing and textile sector is crucial to SA’s economic recovery

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    The clothing and textile sector has a critical role to play in South Africa’s economic recovery and re-industrialisation efforts, says Trade, Industry and Competition Deputy Minister Andrew Whitfield.

    He was addressing the Annual General Meeting and 20-year anniversary of the Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster held at UVU Africa in Cape Town. 

    Whitfield highlighted some key targets of the government which are aimed at revitalising the South African economy. Among these is the creation of 100 000 new direct jobs in manufacturing, a 4.1% growth in manufacturing exports and a 3% average annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth during the current term of government. 

    He said that under the Government of National Unity, the Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (dtic) is advancing a bold, coordinated industrial strategy – one the builds real momentum behind inclusive economic growth and job creation. 

    However, government alone cannot achieve sector revitalisation. 

    This, according to Whitfield, requires collaboration with key stakeholders, through platforms such as clusters, on factory floors, in skills development hubs, and within local ecosystems that are solving problems and scaling practical solutions every day. 

    “The Cape Clothing and Textile Cluster (CCTC) is not just a regional initiative; it is a catalyst. Through shared services, coordinated skills training, and supplier development, this cluster is helping to build a stronger, more competitive, and more sustainable industry from the ground up.

    “It is strengthening local supply chains, enhancing productivity, and enabling firms, large and small, to respond to global market demands with agility and innovation,” he said.

    He said that working with all its key partners through the Retail–Clothing Textile Footwear Leather Master Plan, government is committed to doing the work necessary to deal with the trade imbalance that has resulted in the staggering 223% rise of imports within the sector. 

    “We must boost export capacity, focusing on quality, reliability, and compliance, to reach key global markets with premium finished goods. We need to be ready, on standards, on delivery, on traceability.
    “And we must shift from being exporters of raw input to suppliers of premium, finished product. The road ahead is clear, and the groundwork is already in place. 

    “Through collaboration, innovation, and continued investment in people and partnerships, we can ensure that this sector not only survives but thrives.” – SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Over 1 700 suspects nabbed in Vala Umgodi operations

    Source: South Africa News Agency

    Thursday, June 12, 2025

    A total of 1 775 suspects of different nationalities were arrested in May during nationwide Vala Umgodi operations aimed at combating and preventing illegal mining.

    These suspects were arrested for illegal mining related offences and various other serious crimes such as murder, attempted murder, unlawful possession of explosives and possession of suspected stolen property. 

    Moreover, SAPS members deployed in the provinces as part of Operation Vala Umgodi also help to prevent and combat crime, which is not necessarily related to illicit mining activities.

    Some of the items seized during Vala Umgodi operations in May include 27 unlicensed firearms, 827 rounds of ammunition, 51 vehicles (including sedans, bakkies, trucks, trailers and excavators) and 380 pendukas (a hand-powered cylindrical device used in informal mining operations).

    Vala Umgodi successes for the month of May 2025 include:

    • Free State: On 14 May 2025, police officers attached to Vala Umgodi conducted operations at the Kudu Old Mine area, which resulted in the arrest of two foreign nationals, aged between 33 and 51 years. During the arrest, police seized 59.40 kilograms of suspected gold bearing material. In a separate incident, the team also arrested two foreign nationals, aged between 36 and 42 years, at Merriespruit Crusher Plant and seized gold bearing material weighing at 56.80 kilograms.
       
    • Police in Gauteng conducted an intelligence-driven Vala Umgodi operation, which led to the arrest of 102 suspects at Shaft 9, Mogale Crusher mine, West village in Krugersdorp, on Thursday, 8 May 2025. The suspects were arrested for illegal mining, illegal immigration, and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. The team also seized pendukas, steel balls, firearms and ammunition.
       
    • KwaZulu-Natal: Two suspected cash-in-transit (CIT) robbers were fatally wounded in a shootout with the Vala Umgodi team in KZN at Wasbank, near Ladysmith, on 22 May 2025. Police operationalised intelligence about the whereabouts of the suspects wanted for CIT robbery incidents, which happened in KZN between June 2022 and March 2025. 
       
    • Limpopo: Last month alone,  Operation Vala Umgodi task teams deployed in the five districts of Limpopo arrested 230 suspects, including 30 individuals directly linked to illegal mining operations. Of those detained, 51 were South Africans, while 179 were illegal immigrants. Two hundred and five suspects were deported to their countries of origin.
    • Mpumalanga: On 3 May 2025, Operation Vala Umgodi members found four minors, aged between 12 and 16 years, underground during an operation targeting illegal mining activities at the Dukes old mineshaft in Pilgrim’s Rest. The 12-year-boy was taken to a place of safety. Fourteen adult suspects, aged between 18 and 47 years, were also arrested. One suspect was charged for possession of explosives, possession of dagga, and possession of illegal mining equipment.
       
    • Northern Cape: Members of Vala Umgodi arrested two male suspects, aged between 29 and 35, for the possession of unpolished diamonds in Port Nolloth on Tuesday, 13 May 2025. The team intercepted a Ford bakkie allegedly transporting illegal miners, en-route to Port Nolloth and discovered a significant quantity of unpolished diamonds.
       
    • North West: In the Bojanala district, 91 suspects of different nationalities were arrested for contravention of the Immigration Act and illegal mining. Police also seized diesel generators, hammers and jackhammers, shovels, electric extension cords, grease pumps, pendukas and steel balls.

    To date, a total of 27 275 suspects have been arrested, while 697 firearms, including imitation firearms and 16 247 rounds of ammunition, have been seized through Operation Vala Umgodi since December 2023.

    “Operation Vala Umgodi is government’s initiative to combat and prevent illegal mining activities, as well as to safeguard economic growth by addressing the root causes of illegal mining and enforcing the law,” said the South African Police Service in a statement. – SAnews.gov.za 

    MIL OSI Africa –