NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI USA: April 29th, 2025 Heinrich Statement Slamming Trump’s First 100 Days

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Mexico Martin Heinrich
    Heinrich: “Donald Trump and Elon Musk are tanking our economy, pushing us into a recession, and throwing working families under the bus”
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement slamming Donald Trump’s first 100 days in office:
    “In his first 100 days, Donald Trump has raised the cost of YOUR health care, groceries, and utilities; slapped a $4,000 tax on YOUR family with his chaotic tariffs; attacked Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare; delayed veteran benefits; undermined our children’s public education; schemed to sell off YOUR public lands; fired wildland firefighters who protect our communities from dangerous wildfires; and unlawfully blocked hundreds of millions of dollars I helped pass into law for working families. Trump is doing all of this to bankroll massive tax handouts for himself, Elon Musk, and billionaire donors.
    “Instead of putting New Mexico families first, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are tanking our economy, pushing us into a recession, and throwing working families under the bus. As New Mexico’s senior senator, I will fight like hell to hold Trump accountable and uplift the voices of New Mexicans harmed by Trump’s chaos. I’ll always put New Mexico families first — that’s who I’m fighting for.”
    Heinrich has amplified New Mexicans concerned about President Trump’s harmful actions and unqualified nominees.
    In January, Heinrich delivered the longest speech of his career, where he slammed President Trump’s unlawful unilateral blockade of all federal grant funding. In his remarks, Heinrich uplifted stories from New Mexicans on how Trump’s federal funding freeze endangered New Mexicans and threatened communities across the state. Find the video of Heinrich sharing letters from New Mexicans on the Senate floor here.
    In February, Heinrich delivered remarks on the Senate floor amplifying the voices of New Mexicans opposing the nomination of Russell Vought to lead the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Mr. Vought is the lead architect of Project 2025, the policy blueprint for Donald Trump’s harmful agenda to throw the government into chaos and harm working families.
    Heinrich also uplifted the voices of New Mexicans opposing the nomination of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to be the U.S. Secretary for Health and Human Services (HHS). In his remarks, Heinrich condemned Mr. Kennedy’s long track record of spreading fear, peddling misinformation, and promoting conspiracy theories. Heinrich recounted how Mr. Kennedy’s 2019 trip to the Pacific island of Samoaintensified vaccine skepticism and contributed to a deadly measles outbreak that killed 83 people, mostly children under five.
    Additionally, Heinrich raised New Mexicans’ concerns over Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for the Director of National Intelligence. In his remarks on the Senate floor, Heinrich emphasized the risk Gabbard’s nomination poses to our national security and discussed Ms. Gabbard’s lack of qualifications and judgment, particularly relating to her 2017 trip to Bashar al-Assad’s Syria. Heinrich zeroed in on Ms. Gabbard’s false denial during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee about meeting with Ahmad Badreddin Hassoun, Syria’s most senior Sunni Muslim cleric during the Assad regime who made threats to conduct suicide bomb attacks in the United States.
    Heinrich has led Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s destructive actions, which are weakening our economy and threatening the livelihoods of New Mexicans.
    In an interview with Jim Sciutto on CNN’s The Situation Room, Heinrich vocalized the concerns of his constituents, who continue to write-in and call his office opposing Trump’s harmful actions, which are impacting New Mexico families and their financial security.Watch the full video of that interview here.
    Since Trump took office in 2025, Heinrich:
    Introduced a resolution condemning Trump’s pardons of people found guilty of assaulting police officers on January 6.
    Led Senate Democrats in sounding the alarm on Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s destructive actions that are wreaking havoc on Americans, weakening our economy, and threatening the livelihoods of New Mexicans.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amid Trump Administration’s Threats To Defund Public Broadcasting, Durbin Meets With CEO Of Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    April 29, 2025
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the CEO of the Greater Washington Educational Telecommunications Association (WETA), Sharon Percy Rockefeller, to discuss the need to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). During the meeting, they also discussed the Trump Administration’s threats to defund National Public Radio (NPR) and Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).
    “The ruthless cuts and attacks on our federal government was not enough for the Trump Administration—now they want to go after public broadcasting, which has been providing unbiased, informative, and breaking news for years, especially for our nation’s rural communities,” said Durbin. “During today’s meeting, we discussed the vital need for public broadcasting. Congress must act to stop these cuts on public broadcasting—our democracy depends on it.” 
    A photo of the meeting is available here.
    Through the government funding bill passed earlier this year, CPB will receive $535 million for Fiscal Year 2027.  However, the Trump Administration plans to formally request that Congress rescind all of the funds for FY26 and FY27—which amounts to $1.1 billion in previously approved funding for public broadcasting. If the recission is passed, this would eliminate all federal funding for CPB, PBS, and NPR.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Durbin, Duckworth, Colleagues Blast Trump Administration’s Attacks On Head Start, Demand RFK Jr. Immediately Release Funding And Reverse Firings

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Dick Durbin
    April 29, 2025
    42 lawmakers write to RFK Jr. demanding answers on Trump admin’s actions undermining Head Start as Trump reportedly plans to eliminate the program
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) joined U.S. Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) in sending a letter to Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. calling out the Trump administration’s direct attacks on Head Start, reminding him of his legal obligation to administer the program, and demanding the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) immediately release Head Start funding and reverse the mass firing of Head Start staff and gutting of the offices that help ensure high-quality services are available for thousands of children and families across the country.
    “We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year,” write the lawmakers. “It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.”
    The lawmakers detail how the program plays an instrumental role in supporting kids and families across the country, writing: “Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care forworking families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. Head Start programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.”
    “You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center,” the lawmakers write, contrasting that statement of support with the Trump Administration’s actions. “However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.”
    “Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack,” the lawmakers write, detailing office closures and funds that were frozen for Head Start grants across the country. “At one point, the National Head Start Association reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff.”
    The lawmakers underscore how the gutting of Head Start offices and the firing of staff who keep the federal program running puts the entire program in jeopardy: “On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised ‘radical transparency’ as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.”
    Importantly, the lawmakers note that without funding that has so far not gone out the door, many more programs could be forced to close.
    “Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals,” the lawmakers continue to detail how local Head Start programs are receiving no notice for the path forward for grant funding. “Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.”
    “The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country,” the lawmakers write. “There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation.”
    The lawmakers conclude by warning that eliminating the program would be devastating, demanding answers on the administration’s actions, and demanding the reversal of them: “[W]e urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of Head Start, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start programs across this country.”
    This letter follows up Durbin and Duckworth’s letter to Secretary Kennedy demanding answers about the closure of five regional Head Start offices across the country, including the Region 5 office in Chicago.  Despite a deadline to respond by April 22, HHS has yet to reply to the Senators’ questions.
    In addition to Durbin, Duckworth, Murray, Sanders, and Baldwin, the letter was signed by 37 colleagues, including U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Peter Welch (D-VT), Gary Peters (D-MI), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Tina Smith (D-MN), John Fetterman (D-PA), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), Christopher S. Murphy (D-CT), Jeffrey A. Merkley (D-OR), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tim Kaine (D-MN), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Edward Markey (D-MA), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD), and Mark R. Warner (D-VA).
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below:
    April 24, 2025
    Dear Secretary Kennedy:
    We write to express our strong opposition to the actions you have taken to directly attack and undermine the federal Head Start program. Since day one, this Administration has taken unacceptable actions to withhold and delay funding, fire Head Start staff, and gut high-quality services for children. Already this year, this Administration has withheld almost $1 billion in federal grant funding from Head Start programs, a 37 percent decrease compared to the amount of funding awarded during the same period last year. It is abundantly clear that these actions are part of a broader effort to ultimately eliminate the program altogether, as the Administration reportedly plans to do in its fiscal year 2026 budget proposal.
    Head Start provides early childhood education and comprehensive health and social services to nearly 800,000 young children every year in communities across this country, and employs about 250,000 dedicated staff. Head Start is a critical source of child care for working families, particularly in rural and Tribal communities, where Head Start programs are often the only option for high-quality child care services. Head Start programs ensure children receive appropriate health and dental care, nutrition support, and referrals to other critical services for parents, such as job training, adult education, nutrition services, and housing support.
    You even acknowledged the value of Head Start following a recent visit to a Virginia Head Start center, where you said, “I had a very inspiring tour. I saw a devoted staff and a lot of happy children. They are getting the kind of education and socialization they need, and they are also getting a couple of meals a day.”
    However, as a result of your actions to withhold and delay funding and undermine the administration of this vital program, Head Start centers are in serious jeopardy and have already had their day to day operations impacted. Programs are increasingly worried that they will not be able to make payroll, pay rent, and remain open to serve the hundreds of thousands of children and families who depend on their services in communities across the nation.
    Since the very start of this Administration, Head Start programs have been under attack. On January 27th, 2025, the Office of Management and Budget issued a memo (M-25-13) that suddenly froze the disbursement of grant funding for federal programs and services government-wide, including Head Start. Despite the Administration’s clarification that Head Start programs would not be the target of the funding freeze, many Head Start programs across the country were unable to draw down their grant funds through the Payment Management System (PMS) for weeks. At one point, the National Head Start Association reported 37 programs serving nearly 15,000 children across the country could not access their federal funding. Head Start programs operate with thin margins and on short-term budgets from HHS, and without any communication from the Administration about the status of funding, programs were forced to temporarily close or to lay off staff. In Wisconsin, the National Centers for Learning Excellence, which serves more than 200 children and their families, shut down for a week and laid off staff due to the funding freeze.
    On April 1st, you abruptly closed five of the ten regional offices that help local grantees administer Head Start programs in 22 states. This left hundreds of programs without dedicated points of contact to address mission critical issues like approving grant renewals and modifications, investigating child health and safety incidents, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure high-quality services for children. While some grantees were assigned a new program specialist, we understand many have not been receiving responses to their inquiries. This is on top of the estimated 97 Office of Head Start central office staff that were terminated due to their probationary status and the recent reduction in force. You promised “radical transparency” as Secretary, yet it is unclear how these actions will improve Head Start programs, and you and your staff refuse to respond to basic inquiries and requests for information.
    On March 14th, 2025, the Office of Head Start (OHS) notified all Head Start programs that “the use of federal funding for any training and technical assistance or other program expenditures that promote or take part in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives” will not be approved and that any questions should be directed to regional offices. Programs have not received any guidance for what would be considered “DEI” but this policy is potentially in direct conflict with statutory and regulatory program requirements, such as providing culturally and linguistically appropriate instructional services forEnglish learners. Many programs cannot direct questions to regional staff, as half of regional offices were abruptly closed, and as unprecedented actions are being taken to delay and withhold funding, Head Start programs have been intentionally left with little to no guidance.
    Head Start programs are now arbitrarily required to provide justifications for each draw down of funds that is necessary to operate their programs, despite already receiving a federal grant award for these purposes. As of April 14th, Head Start programs have reportedly received correspondence from an email address “defendthespend@hhs.gov” requiring programs to submit a “specific description of why the funds are necessary and why they are aligned to the award” before programs can have funding disbursed. It has been reported that political appointees must sign off on every draw down of funds. This creates an illusion of improving oversight but only serves to add unnecessary red tape by requiring the manual sign off on hundreds of thousands of individual actions annually across the Department based on two to three sentence justifications. Already some grantees have reported delays in receiving funds, and have reported that furloughs or closures are imminent if funds are not released. For an administration that purports to value local autonomy and efficiency in federally funded programs, your actions have achieved the exact opposite.
    Finally, Head Start grantees are still waiting on payments and grant renewals from the Office of Head Start, including programs whose grants end on April 30th, 2025. These notices should have gone out by now, yet we are concerned to hear programs report they have received little to no correspondence regarding their grant renewals. Additionally, because we started fiscal year 2025 under a short-term continuing resolution, as is usual, some grantees have only received partial funding for the first few months of the year. But with a full year funding bill in place, these grantees should have received full funding by now, yet some are reporting that they have not received the full amount of their grants and will run out of funds this month or next. On Wednesday, April 16th, the delays in Head Start funding led to the closure of Head Start centers serving more than 400 children in Sunnyside, Washington.
    The Administration has a legal and moral obligation to disburse Head Start funds to programs and to uphold the program’s promise to provide high-quality early education services to low income children and families across this country. The fiscal year 2025 appropriations act provided $12.3 billion for Head Start, the same as the fiscal year 2024 level. The Head Start Act includes an explicit formula for how appropriated funds should be allocated. There is no justifiable reason for the delay in funding we have seen over the last two months, and you have refused to offer any kind of explanation. However, this week leaked fiscal year 2026 budget documents indicated the Office of Management and Budget was directing the Department, consistent with the Administration’s proposal to eliminate Head Start in fiscal year 2026, to “ensure to the extent allowable FY2025 funds are available to close out the program.” If this explains any of the delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 funding, we want to be clear, no funds were provided in fiscal year 2025 to “close out the program,” and it would be wholly unacceptable and likely illegal if the Department tries to carry out this directive.
    Finally, the leaked budget documents provided a justification, albeit brief, for eliminating Head Start in fiscal year 2026 that makes this Administration’s priorities clear and puts the Department’s actions over the last several months in context. The Administration argues that eliminating Head Start, “is consistent with the Administration’s goals of returning education to the States and increasing parental choice.” It is shocking to see an argument that eliminating a program that provides comprehensive early childhood care and education to 800,000 children and their families would increase parental choice. It is particularly concerning to see that argument in the context of the significant delay in awarding fiscal year 2025 appropriated funds and what that indicates about the intent behind the Department’s actions. We believe it is obvious that eliminating Head Start would be detrimental to hundreds of thousands of children and families. Similarly, we believe it is obvious that delaying funding like we have seen over the last two months, forcing Head Start programs to close, and leaving families to scramble to find quality, affordable alternatives puts the education and well-being of some of the most vulnerable young children in America at risk. In our view, that is unacceptable.
    Therefore, we urge you to immediately reinstate fired staff across all Offices of Head Start, and cease all actions to delay the awarding and disbursement of funding to Head Start programs across this country.
    Please provide us with a written response to the questions below no later than 10 days from receipt:
    1. Will you reinstate the staff who administer Head Start programs and reopen the closed regional offices responsible for overseeing Head Start programs in 22 states?
    a) When is HHS going to share information on the reorganization plan for the consolidation of the regional offices?
    b) Please provide the contact information for each program specialist designated to the 22 states who lost their regional office.
    c) Who is responsible for ensuring there are no delays or lapses in funding, nor any disruptions to Head Start program operations now that these states do not have a regional office?
    2. How many employees at the Offices of Head Start have been terminated, including the five regional offices and the central office?
    a) Which officials at HHS were involved in the staffing reduction decisions for OHS and what planning, if any, was undertaken prior to these reductions? Please describe the events that unfolded and name each office that was involved in the decision. Further, please name the official(s) who approved the staffing reductions.
    3. Can you confirm that the Administration will distribute all Head Start funds appropriated by Congress to Head Start programs in FY 25, as required by the Head Start Act?
    4. Please provide a list of all grantees with 5-year Head Start grant renewals that start between now and the end of the fiscal year: May 1st, June 1st, July 1st, August 1st, and September 1st.
    a) Will any funding be delayed for grantees that are due to receive their annual funding on May 1st or beyond?
    5. Why are funding awards delayed for grantees that received partial awards during the first continuing resolution for FY25?
    a) When can HHS guarantee that all funds will be awarded for partially funded Head Start programs?
    6. What is the “Tier 2” department for review that is delaying drawn down for Head Start programs in the Payment Management System?
    a) When should programs expect to receive their funds?
    b) Please provide all communication that went to Head Start grantees on the new review process.
    7. What guidance and clarifications have been provided to Head Start grantees on DEI expenditures?
    a) How is HHS evaluating Head Start programs’ expenditures and grant awards for DEI?
    b) What justifications are being used to prohibit DEI?
    Sincerely,
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: The UK is committed to doing all we can to protect information integrity with a human rights-based approach: UK statement at the UN

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    The UK is committed to doing all we can to protect information integrity with a human rights-based approach: UK statement at the UN

    Statement by UK Spokesperson to the UN Letisha Lunin at the UN Committee on Information General Debate.

    Thank you Chair, let me begin by congratulating you and the members of the Bureau on your election.

    I would also like to thank the Secretariat and Under-Secretary-General Fleming and the Department of Global Communications for its work, including on the UN’s Global Principles for Information Integrity, which we are proud to support.

    The UN’s footage and testimony from war zones shines a light on humanitarian crises. Its news and campaign services raise awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals, and equip us with accurate information on the climate and nature crisis. 

    As we mark the UN’s 80th anniversary, the Department’s work has never been more important.

    It is vital audiences understand the nature and magnitude of the current global challenges we face, and how the UN has made a difference, maintaining international peace and security, in accordance with the UN charter.

    Chair, I will make three points:

    First, the UK is extremely concerned at the rapidly growing threats to information integrity, fueled by artificial intelligence.

    Mis and disinformation operations are being used to exacerbate tensions and conflicts, and compromise the integrity of elections, undermining trust in democratic institutions. 

    The recent World Economic Forum Global Risks Report for 2025 lists mis and disinformation as the most severe global risks over the next two years.

    Mis and disinformation is being weaponised by state and non-state actors to deceive populations at scale.  

    Since Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, Russia has been using disinformation to undermine global support for Ukraine. The UK has been proactive in identifying and acting against these malign information operations. This includes exposing and sanctioning the Russian state-funded Social Design Agency, whose sole purpose is to weaken international support for Ukraine by spreading false social media content.

    Recently, the UK shared information that Proxies, directed by the Russian state, have plans to interfere with elections in the Central African Republic, including through suppressing political voices and conducting disinformation campaigns to interfere in political debate. 

    Russia has also been exploiting the Security Council as a platform for disinformation. Russia has invited dozens of individuals as briefers to spread conspiracy theories about what has happened in Ukraine.

    Member States all have a responsibility to protect the integrity of the UN as a trusted source of information.

    The UK condemns disinformation about UN Peacekeeping operations. The spread of false allegations not only erodes trust between the Blue Helmets and the communities they serve, it is also damaging their ability to implement their mandate, and it is putting peacekeepers’ lives at risk.  

    We are proud to support the UN’s Mis and Disinformation in Peacekeeping Settings Project.

    Second, independent journalism reported freely, without fear, is essential in a democratic society.

    But in many parts of the world, the freedom of the media is under threat. 

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) reports that more journalists were killed in 2024 than in any other year since it began collecting data over three decades ago.  

    The conflict in Gaza has become the deadliest ever recorded for media and journalist workers. 

    In Sudan, reporters are also taking significant risks to document the horrors of war.

    Journalists should be able to carry out their work safely and free from censorship and harassment. 

    The UK is proud to have co-founded the Media Freedom Coalition, with 51 countries as members, advocating for the safety of journalists. 

    And we also thank the Department of Global Communications for its work supporting journalists.

    This brings me to my third point, Chair. The UK is committed to doing all we can to protect information integrity with a human rights-based approach.  

    That is why we are proud to support the Global Digital Compact.

    The UK’s Online Safety Act ensures platforms tackle harmful content by requiring companies to take steps to remove illegal content, including illegal mis and disinformation.

    Finally, the UK supports multilingualism. 

    And while a third of the world’s population remains offline, the UK supports collective efforts to close the digital divide and ensure those who come online have access to accurate and reliable information.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s Conservatives, with an assist from Donald Trump, are down — but they’re far from out

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Sam Routley, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Western University

    Canada’s Liberals have, once again, risen from the dead. Their re-election with Mark Carney at the helm is a remarkable development in Canadian federal politics — the party not only managed to reverse the dire predictions of its demise but also, despite voters expressing a desire for change, retained its control of government for a rare fourth consecutive term.

    This is a crushing disappointment for the Conservative Party of Canada. Although they have so far held the Liberals to a minority government — votes are still being counted in some ridings — their continuing role as the lead opposition, albeit a bigger one, pales in comparison to the large majority government they’d been projected to form.

    Leader Pierre Poilievre even lost his own Ottawa-area seat.

    But for all this dejection, Conservatives still had a solid and promising performance. Rather than constituting a total failure, their standing is better regarded as an inability to fully close the deal.

    The Trump factor

    Conservatives won the greatest share of the national vote by any federal centre-right party since 1988, and the popular vote remains close to a virtual tie.

    The narrow margins of many Liberal gains also suggests that a Conservative minority was within the realm of possibility. For all his success, a politically inexperienced Carney so far appears to have failed to win a majority government, and may have inherited yet another fractious and unstable minority that will probably not last long.

    While it’s still too early to get a full grasp of how voters made their decisions, it appears that the nearly 25-point swing in the polls was largely due to United States President Donald Trump’s tariffs and threats against Canada.

    From the moment he came to office for a second term, Trump’s constant threats transformed the election from a fairly routine matter of anti-incumbent backlash to one focused on leadership, national unity and crisis management. Overnight, Canadian sovereignty became the top issue, and the NDP vote collapsed as most voters decided that their choice was really been two leaders.

    Divided electorate

    Carney was able to leverage his background as governor of both the Bank of Canada and the Bank of England, and his short initial tenure as prime minister, to not only depict a steady hand, but to generate a rally-around-the-flag effect.

    Poilievre, in contrast, was unable to continue with the disruptive, anti-establishment tone of much of his previous rhetoric.



    Read more:
    From dog whistles to blaring horns, Poilievre makes his case

    But even while Carney, from the moment campaign started, performed better on the Trump issue than Poilievre, it was far from the only issue that mattered to voters.

    What ultimately drove voters back to the Liberals seems to be confined to largely one aspect of the population — older and more economically established Canadians.

    Many voters still prioritized domestic issues — such as the cost of living crisis, housing affordability and economic stagnation — that had once characterized the campaign. Conservatives seemed to gain support throughout the campaign from young adults, newer Canadians, blue-collar workers and some NDP defectors.

    Rather than providing Carney with a clear mandate, the results suggest Canada continues to grow increasingly divided along the lines of age, class and region. The Liberals have been able to hold onto power with the support of Canadians wanting to defend what they have, but Conservatives are gaining ground among voters who feel increasingly disenchanted with and locked out of the Canadian project they’re now being told to embrace.

    Poilievre’s future

    Poilievre has signalled his intention to stay on as Conservative leader. In the months ahead, he’ll not only need to find a way to return to Parliament via a byelection — he’ll also need to convince his party and caucus he should remain leader.

    While the party doesn’t have an automatic leadership review following elections, there are several mechanisms to challenge Poilievre’s leadership.

    There are certainly several areas where Poilievre and his team can be faulted by Conservative party members. A loss is a loss, and there have been well-publicized reports of internal discord and frustration about his campaign strategy.

    Ultimately, however, a sustained movement to push out Poilievre seems unlikely. For all his drawbacks, Poilievre has not only brought the party its greatest electoral performance in decades, but he’s generated a unique degree of energy and enthusiasm among supporters that no obvious successor seems capable of maintaining.

    The challenge now is about determining what the Conservative party, having received just above 41 per cent of the vote, needs to do in order to gain a few more percentage points.

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

    – ref. Canada’s Conservatives, with an assist from Donald Trump, are down — but they’re far from out – https://theconversation.com/canadas-conservatives-with-an-assist-from-donald-trump-are-down-but-theyre-far-from-out-255396

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Aguilar: America is less safe and more expensive than it was 100 days ago

    Source: US House of Representatives – Democratic Caucus

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI – April 29, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu were joined by Representatives John Mannion and April McClain Delaney for a press conference on the disastrous first 100 days of the Trump Administration that has made America less safe and more expensive. 

    CHAIRMAN AGUILAR: Good morning. So thankful to be joined by two members in addition to our Vice Chair. Appreciate John Mannion and April McClain Delaney joining us.

    America is less safe and more expensive than it was 100 days ago. Trump’s reckless tariffs are going to make the high price of groceries, gas, housing, utilities, clothing, electronics and other essential goods even worse. Companies are laying off hard-working Americans, and we are staring down an impending supply chain crisis in a few weeks. Our national security is threatened by amateur individuals sharing classified war plans in group chats. Our communities are threatened because Trump released hundreds of criminals back onto the street. Our freedoms are threatened because the Trump Administration abandons the rule of law and due process by deporting an innocent man and even American children.

    By every metric, Donald Trump has failed. But instead of trying to put out the fire that he’s caused, he’s pouring gasoline on by cutting $880 billion from Medicaid, that will make healthcare more expensive and less affordable. He wants to take food off of the tables of American families, children and veterans. And he’s doing this all for one simple purpose: to put into place massive tax breaks for his billionaire donor friends. The Speaker went to the White House yesterday to get his marching orders, but if House Republicans want to avoid tying themselves to this sinking ship, they need to vote against the Republican Budget Bill. You’ll see House Democrats fighting back every step of the way this week and next week as Republicans try to pass through a dangerous and extreme budget.

    It’s my privilege to introduce Vice Chair of the Democratic Caucus, Ted Lieu. 

    VICE CHAIR LIEU: Thank you, Chairman Aguilar, and honored to be here with Representatives Mannion and Delaney. Donald Trump’s first 100 days and one of the worst first 100 days of any U.S. President in history. That’s because his policies are harming America, and the American people have noticed. Multiple polls show Trump’s approval ratings plummeting. An Associated Press poll showed him at only 39% approval, 59% disapproval. And a recent Washington Post poll also shows him at only 39% approval, the lowest of any U.S. President in 80 years. One reason is because of tariffs. His indiscriminate tariffs have increased prices. I urge all of you to look at a statement from the International Longshore and Warehouse Union. They put out a statement saying that the tariffs are crushing the working class with higher prices. And what’s even worse is we don’t even understand the rationale for these tariffs, because the White House has put out two completely different rationales. One of them is, we’re imposing these indiscriminate tariffs to try to strike deals, to go to a zero-tariff situation with other countries and have more free trade, reduce trade barriers. And then you have Donald Trump saying over the weekend, I’m doing these tariffs to create an external revenue service, to use this as a permanent revenue source to take the money that consumers are paying and inject that into the federal government. Those are completely opposite rationales and the White House can’t even figure out why it’s doing these tariffs.

    And then let me just conclude now about Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. I note that he has recently spent taxpayer funds for a makeup studio. I hope it’s going well and makes him look better on TV. But in terms of his policies, they are completely awful. Especially his operational ability to handle sensitive information. You may have seen recent reporting showing that his phone number has now been all over the internet, and if hackers have your phone number, there are a number of ways to surveil your phone. I asked reporters to look into whether he used his personal phone overseas. There is a hack called the SS7 Attack, stands for Signaling System No. 7. I was part of an investigation a few years ago. It doesn’t matter how great your phone is, it’s because of the telecommunications providers you use, there’s a flaw in there that they can surveil your phone, and they can do that in the U.S., it’s even worse overseas. So, you all should check out whether Secretary Hegseth compromised his phone if you use it overseas. With that, it is my honor now to invite Representative Mannion to come speak to you. Before being in Congress, he was a public school teacher and a State Senator from the great state of New York.

    REP. MANNION: Thank you, Vice Chair. Good morning, everybody. I’m John Manion from Syracuse, New York. I’m a member of the Agriculture and Education and Workforce committees, and I represent NY-22, central New York, in the Mohawk Valley. We’re at 100 days into this second Trump Administration, and what we’ve seen is chaos, confusion, confrontation and fear. We’re witnessing an extraordinary assault on our Constitution, on our norms and our values, on our democracy, unlike what we’ve ever seen before, as we’re watching in real time, the dismantling of governmental guardrails.

    One place where the damage is particularly clear is as it relates to our trade policy. Tariffs should be used with precision and purpose, but not as blunt political instruments. I believe now is the time for Congress to reassert the constitutional authority it continues to cede to the executive branch, and tariff policy is a good place for that to start. NY-22 has a long history of manufacturing, of innovation. We have a vibrant agricultural sector and world-class research institutions. We’re home to the largest private investment in the history of this country, with Micron’s historic $100 billion project to onshore semiconductor chip manufacturing in my district in Clay, New York. It’s a transformative project that will create thousands of jobs and solidify our region’s role in the global economy and the global tech economy. 

    But just as importantly, it is about making sure that our national security and the resources that we use to preserve our national security is happening right here in our country. My district is a down-the-middle district. We have representatives at the state legislature and the counties that are both Republicans and Democrats. CHIPS and Science was a piece of legislation that required all levels of government, from both parties, and stakeholders and experts in the field, to negotiate it, get it right, so that we can make sure that we put our national security at a premium and the emerging threats as it relates to supply chains, we had to address that. We did address it. It was done in the last Congress, and as a result, that project is moving forward. 

    When it comes to tariffs, you know, I looked at maps with arrows that show the negative impact, and no arrow is bigger than the state of New York. I live less than 100 miles from the Canadian border. My mother grew up in a town called Chateaugay, New York, which is five miles from the Canadian border. But you don’t have to be five miles from the border to see the impact that already exists. Tariffs are necessary tools that can be used for national security, for protecting hardworking Americans and their jobs and to grow that, but the current Administration’s approach lacks strategy and nuance, fails to recognize beneficial relationships between our friends, our allies and our business partners, like Canada.

    In Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, we rely heavily on trade with Canada for both imports and exports. Sometimes a product’s production crosses the border multiple times, sometimes within the same company, and still, tariffs would be imposed on those pre-manufactured products. Materials come from Canada, and our products go to Canada. We have multiple industries that are being impacted in agriculture, lumber, metal production, as I mentioned, our building materials for an important plant that is coming into my district. There are double and triple tariffs that are hurting the bottom line. They’re hurting jobs. Contracts are being canceled. Contracts are not moving forward in the negotiation process. Costs are being driven up. It makes absolutely zero sense. So, we have to get this right. The relationship between my district and Canada is so intricate, and it goes beyond just commerce. Canadians are our friends. They are often our family members. As I said, they’re our business partners. And what newly elected Canadian Prime Minister Carney made remarks last night, and he called this “the American betrayal”. To hear stories of Canadians taking American products and turning them over so as to easily identify that product as American-made is unbelievable. Something that I would not imagine in our lifetime, and it is an unnecessary act because of the unnecessary acts that have come out of this Administration. The Prime Minister pledged to find new relationships and new agreements with reliable trade partners outside of the United States of America. And I do agree that describing this situation as a tragedy is accurate. 

    My conversations with New York farmers, including dairy producers, owners of apple orchards, maple syrup producers and other industries like lumber, the interconnectedness between New York State’s economy and Canada is vital to our collective success. Items like fertilizer, potash, these come from Canada. 90% of our potassium, not just in Central New York, but all across this country, comes from Canada. So, we must use precision when it comes to our trade policy. Tariffs are basically a tax on American consumers and businesses, continues to drive up costs for essential items like groceries, fuel, agricultural supplies. Where I’m from, in Central New York, we want policies that reflect the realities of our interconnected economy with our friend and ally, Canada. 

    America, the people of NY-22, our farmers—we all need policies that make sense, not a whipsaw on again, off again, tariff game that this current Administration is playing. It’s reckless. The impact will be massive. There will be waves of negative impact on multiple sectors of our economy, and that means it’s going to hurt hardworking Americans. It’s going to hurt small businesses. We must restore our standing as a reliable trade partner, not just with Canada, but with our other allies and trade partners around the world. 

    Simply, we are hurting consumers. We’re hurting Americans. We’re hurting businesses because of a lack of a cohesive strategy. We need to be more thoughtful. We need to be more targeted. We need to strengthen our economy without placing undue burdens on hardworking Americans. So, I ask that we have sanity to our trade policy, and that we restore our country’s standing around the world, not just as a reliable trade partner, but as the beacon of democracy around the world. Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to speak, and with that, I will pass along the microphone to my colleague, Representative April McClain Delaney.

    REP. MCCLAIN DELANEY: Good morning. I represent the Sixth District of Maryland, and when elected, I made a commitment to my constituents to seek common-sense, common-ground solutions. Sadly, the past 100 days, I’ve desperately been trying to find either common sense or common ground, and in fact, the chaos that has ensued has hurt everyone within my district. My district is as economically diverse as any district in the country. It starts not far from here in Montgomery County, where NIH researchers are curing cancer and NIST employees are establishing parameters for AI innovation. And it goes all the way to beautiful Mountain and Western Maryland, where family farms are providing their bounty to our community, and it borders West Virginia and Pennsylvania. 

    In my district, no one has escaped the harmful impact of Trump tariffs and isolation policy or his indiscriminate cuts to federal workers. I represent over 35,000 federal workers at agencies such as NIH, the National Institute of Cancer, NIST, our Fire Academy and Fort Detrick. Farmers are very concerned about selling their crops because of tariff impacts, but also because of markets drying up, markets they normally sold into, like through USAID or through SNAP programs. And cancer and innovation researchers and the surrounding biotech and tech private markets have been dealt a devastating blow from government cuts to both agencies and research and innovation engines. Small businesses and consultants are cratering because of lack of business, and this, in turn, is hurting every day, smaller businesses, markets, salons, sole proprietorships, who depend on spending in their community. And this includes tourism and business linked to our seven national parks in this district. We are home to the C&O Canal, which gets as many visitors per year as Yellowstone. 

    With respect to specific examples, last week, I toured the Volvo factory in Hagerstown, Maryland, where they make Mack Trucks. I was privileged to even get to drive one. They produce the engines and the axles for these vehicles and are pioneering some EV technology. But in the short term, they told me they have 1,700 workers. But instead of reshoring and bringing innovation and investment into the United States, Volvo is projected to cut 50 to 100 workers due to tariffs and economic insecurity. They do not know how the market will react, and more cuts might come later. Moreover, I have met with each of my five County Farm Bureaus, Montgomery County, Frederick, Allegheny, Washington County, Garrett, and they’re all concerned about crop market prices, SNAP and reimbursement for investments they made into their farms which have not been reimbursed by government programs for which they were promised. It is a tsunami hitting them from every angle and toppled with that, are threatened cuts to Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. And, of course, rural health clinics are really at risk in my district because of their dependence on Medicaid.

    These self-inflicted, nonsensical, penny-foolish and pound-foolish policies are impacting our economic security, our U.S. competitiveness and our national security. Much more to say innovation and our trust internationally in the U.S. and the U.S. economy and our U.S. dollar. Having said the above, I stand ready to work on common-sense, common-ground solutions and across the aisle to make a reality the things we all care about, including focusing on inflation, innovation, affordability and fortifying our U.S. resilience, our U.S. competitiveness and our national security. 

    Video of the full press conference and Q&A can be viewed here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Invest in African Energy 2026 Forum Confirmed for May 11–12 in Paris

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    PARIS, France, April 29, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Energy Capital & Power (ECP) (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com) is pleased to announce that the fourth edition of the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum will return to Paris on May 11–12, 2026, with a sharpened focus on frontier exploration, early-stage project development and upstream investment opportunities. Building on three highly successful editions, IAE continues to serve as the premier platform for global explorers, investors and African energy leaders to connect, collaborate and catalyze the next wave of discoveries. 

    Held in Europe’s leading financial and diplomatic center, IAE 2026 will convene energy ministers, national oil companies, utilities, regulators and global investors for two days of strategic dialogue and high-level engagement. This edition will introduce an enhanced focus on the exploration community and its broader ecosystem – from geologists and service companies, to governments and capital providers. With over 150 oil and gas blocks available for bidding across more than 10 African markets in 2025, the continent is experiencing an exploration resurgence, presenting opportunities in both mature and frontier regions. IAE will serve as the premier platform for accessing these opportunities, exploring the latest data rooms, showcasing seismic and subsurface innovation and fostering early-stage collaboration among IOCs and NOCs.  

    Several high-impact licensing rounds are already lined up for 2026, signaling new momentum across Africa’s exploration landscape. Equatorial Guinea has relaunched its open-door licensing process, paving the way for a major licensing round by late 2025 or early 2026. Angola is planning to repeat its multi-year licensing round for oil and gas acreage starting in 2026, while Namibia is lining up new offshore licensing opportunities from 2025 that are expected to continue into the following year. Uganda also plans to issue new exploration licenses in the 2025/2026 fiscal year. In addition, several licensing rounds launched in 2025 will carry over into 2026, offering continued momentum and opportunity for exploration-focused stakeholders. 

    More than just a development-focused event, IAE 2026 is setting the stage for the next era of African oil and gas exploration. With operators and developers expected to invest $43 billion in Africa’s oil and gas sector in 2025 — and capital expenditure projected to reach a decade-high of $54 billion by 2030 — Africa’s role in the global energy landscape is only set to grow. IAE responds directly to this momentum, serving as a launchpad for cross-border investment, strategic partnerships and early-stage project financing. The forum is purpose-built to engage geologists, upstream strategists, service providers and capital partners looking to unlock the continent’s vast untapped hydrocarbon potential. 

    “IAE has become the definitive meeting point for Africa’s energy stakeholders and global capital markets. We’re especially focused on amplifying exploration in 2026 – shining a spotlight on frontier plays, licensing opportunities and early-stage assets ready for partnerships. With preparations underway, we are committed to sustaining this platform’s growth and delivering another high-impact edition in 2026,” said Sandra Jeque, Events & Project Director at ECP. 

    In previous editions, the forum has welcomed official delegations from over 20 African countries, hosted exclusive ministerial panels and investor roundtables, and featured hundreds of B2B meetings that have laid the foundation for tangible, cross-border cooperation. By spotlighting Africa’s exploration resurgence — from untapped basins and high-impact drilling campaigns to recent regulatory shifts — the forum will offer clear value to IOCs evaluating global priorities, while outlining what the exploration landscape looks like and what investors need to know to engage effectively. 

    More information on the 2026 program, speaker lineup and sponsorship opportunities will be announced in the coming months. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) to Spotlight African Energy Opportunities, U.S.-Africa Collaboration

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    HOUSTON, United States of America, April 29, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The U.S.-Africa Energy Forum (USAEF) returns to Houston with a bold agenda focused on catalyzing American investment and innovation across Africa’s most dynamic energy markets. Designed as a high-impact platform for government and private sector dialogue, USAEF brings together African energy stakeholders and leading U.S. companies to accelerate project development, capital deployment and technology transfer across the continent.

    The forum is set to open with a High-Level U.S.-Africa Energy Dialogue, bringing together senior policymakers, energy ministers and private sector leaders to set the tone for deeper cooperation and alignment on mutual priorities. This flagship session will be followed by a forward-looking panel discussion on Private Equity Driving a New Wave of African Business, exploring how U.S.-based investment firms are shaping Africa’s next chapter of energy growth. The agenda will also spotlight frontier opportunities; overlooked plays across the Middle East, North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa; and bold strategies to grow the U.S. footprint in Africa’s critical minerals and energy assets.

    Libya, the Republic of Congo, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) will take center stage during a series of Country-Focused Sessions highlighting strategic priorities, reform agendas and concrete investment opportunities. African governments and national oil companies will present their latest projects and policy frameworks, while American firms such as Chevron, ExxonMobil, SLB and ConocoPhillips will explore avenues to deepen partnerships in established markets like Nigeria and Libya, and tap into emerging opportunities in the Republic of Congo and the DRC.

    With major reforms and investment drives underway, these markets are fast becoming focal points for American engagement. Libya, North Africa’s powerhouse, has launched a 22-block licensing round as it works to revitalize its upstream sector and reach a production target of 1.6 million barrels per day (bpd), alongside multi-billion-dollar gas monetization and export projects. 

    The Republic of Congo is aiming to scale production to 500,000 bpd, while advancing gas monetization under a new Gas Master Plan that invites international collaboration. In the DRC, reforms to the hydrocarbons code and a potential minerals-for-security agreement with the U.S. signal new entry points for American firms. Nigeria continues to stand out as a top-tier investment destination, targeting $10 billion in deepwater gas projects through new tax incentives and a planned auction of undeveloped blocks to boost exploration and production.

    With participation from key industry players and high-level delegations, USAEF affirms a shared commitment by African stakeholders to attract American capital and technology to bolster their respective energy markets. U.S. companies, in turn, are ready to expand their footprint, forge new alliances and unlock the full potential of Africa’s energy future.

    For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com. Join us in Houston this August to connect with the leaders shaping Africa’s energy landscape and experience the momentum that drives ECP’s events worldwide.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks to the Security Council – on the Middle East [as delivered; scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    onsieur le Président, Excellences,

    Je remercie la présidence française d’organiser cette réunion au niveau ministériel sur le Moyen-Orient, y compris la question palestinienne.

    La région traverse des bouleversements fondamentaux, marqués par la violence et la volatilité, mais également porteurs d’opportunités et de potentiel.

    Au Liban, le cessez-le-feu et l’intégrité territoriale doivent être respectés et tous les engagements doivent être mis en œuvre.

    En Syrie, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts pour accompagner le pays sur la voie d’une transition politique inclusive de toutes les composantes de la population syrienne – une transition qui garantisse la reddition de comptes, favorise la réconciliation nationale, et jette les bases du redressement à long terme de la Syrie ainsi que de son intégration future au sein de la communauté internationale. 

    Cela inclut la situation dans le Golan syrien occupé, qui demeure précaire en raison de violations majeures de l’Accord de désengagement des forces de 1974 – notamment la présence continue des Forces de défense israéliennes dans la zone de séparation, ainsi que leurs multiples frappes contre des sites au-delà de la ligne de cessez-le-feu.

    À travers le Moyen-Orient, les populations réclament et méritent un avenir meilleur – et non des conflits et des souffrances sans fin.

    Nous devons agir ensemble pour faire en sorte que cette période de turbulences et de transition réponde à ces aspirations – et qu’elle apporte justice, dignité, droits, sécurité, et une paix durable.

    Cela commence par la reconnaissance de deux faits fondamentaux : 

    Premièrement, la région se trouve à un moment charnière de son histoire. 

    Et, deuxièmement, que toute paix vraiment durable au Moyen-Orient dépend d’une question centrale.

    Un élément essentiel que ce Conseil de sécurité a affirmé et réaffirmé, année après année, décennie après décennie : une solution à deux États, Israël et la Palestine, vivant côte-à-côte dans la paix et la sécurité, avec Jérusalem comme capitale des deux États.

    Mr. President,

    Today, the promise of a two-State solution is at risk of dwindling to the point of disappearance. 

    The political commitment to this long-standing goal is farther than it has ever been.

    As a result, the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live and peace and security have been undermined – and the legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinians have been denied – while they endure Israel’s continued presence that the International Court of Justice has found unlawful. 

    And since the horrific 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, it has gotten worse on every front.

    First, the unrelenting conflict and devastation in Gaza – including the utterly inhumane conditions of life imposed on its people who are repeatedly coming under attack, confined to smaller and smaller spaces, and deprived of lifesaving relief. 

    In line with international law, the Security Council has rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce its territory. 

    Gaza is — and must remain — an integral part of a future Palestinian state.

    Second, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations and the use of heavy weaponry in residential areas, forcible displacement, demolitions, movement restrictions, and settlement expansion are dramatically altering demographic and geographic realities. 

    Palestinians are being contained and coerced.  Contained in areas that are subject to increasing military operations and where the Palestinian Authority is under growing pressure – and coerced out of areas where settlements are expanding. 

    Third, settler violence continues at alarmingly high levels in a climate of impunity, with entire Palestinian communities facing repeated assaults and destruction, sometimes abetted by Israeli soldiers.

    Palestinian attacks against Israelis in both Israel and the occupied West Bank also continue.

    Mr. President,

    The world cannot afford to watch the two-State solution disappear. 

    Political leaders face clear choices — the choice to be silent, the choice to acquiesce, or the choice to act.

    Mr. President,

    In Gaza, there is no end in sight to the killing and misery.

    The ceasefire had brought a glimmer of hope – the long-sought release of hostages and delivery of lifesaving humanitarian relief.

    But those embers of opportunity were cruelly extinguished with the shattering of the ceasefire on 18 March. 

    Since then, almost 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes and military operations – including women, children, journalists, and humanitarians.

    Hamas also continues to fire rockets towards Israel indiscriminately – while the hostages continue to be held in appalling conditions. 

    The humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip has gone from bad … to worse … to beyond imagination.   

    For nearly two full months, Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine and commercial supplies, depriving more than two million people of lifesaving relief. 

    All while the world watches.

    I am alarmed by statements by Israeli government officials about the use of humanitarian aid as a tool for military pressure.

    Aid is non-negotiable. 

    Israel must protect civilians and must agree to relief schemes and facilitate them.

    I salute the women and men of the United Nations and all other humanitarian workers – especially our Palestinian colleagues — who continue to work under fire and in incomprehensibly difficult conditions.

    And I mourn all of the women and men of the United Nations who were killed – including some with their families.

    The entry of assistance must be restored immediately — the safety of UN personnel and humanitarian partners must be guaranteed – and UN agencies must be allowed to work in full respect of humanitarian principles:  humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

    There must be no hindrance in humanitarian aid – including through the vital work of UNRWA.

    We need the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

    And we need a permanent ceasefire.

    It’s time to stop the repeated displacement of the Gaza population – along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza.

    And the trampling of international law must end.

    I call on Member States to use their leverage to ensure that international law is respected and impunity does not prevail.

    This includes for the 19 March incident for which Israel has now acknowledged responsibility in firing on a UN guesthouse, killing one colleague and injuring six others … the 23 March killing of paramedics and other rescue workers in Rafah … as well as many other cases.

    There must be accountability across the board.

    Mr. President,

    Advisory proceedings are ongoing at the International Court of Justice on the obligations of Israel, as an occupying Power and a Member of the United Nations, in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    In February, the United Nations Legal Counsel submitted a written statement to the Court – and yesterday, she made an oral statement before the Court – both of which on my behalf.

    The statement to the Court includes points that I have made on a number of occasions.

    Specifically, that all parties to conflict must comply with all their obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

    That Israel, as an occupying Power, is under an obligation to ensure food and medical supplies of the population.

    That Israel has an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    That humanitarian, medical and United Nations personnel must be respected and protected.

    And I emphasize the obligation under international law to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel, including the absolute inviolability of United Nations premises, property and assets – and the immunity from legal process of the United Nations. 

    Such immunity applies to all UN entities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – including UNRWA – a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.
    I call on Member States to fully support all of these efforts. 

    Mr. President,

    In this period of turmoil and transition for the region, Member States must spell out how they will realize the commitment and promise of a two-State solution.

    This is not a time for ritualistically expressing support, ticking a box, and moving on.

    We are past the stage of ticking boxes – the clock is ticking.

    The two-State solution is near a point of no return. 

    The international community has a responsibility to prevent perpetual occupation and violence.

    My call to Member States is clear and urgent:

    Take irreversible action towards implementing a two-State solution.

    Do not let extremists on any side undermine what remains of the peace process.

    The High-Level Conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an important opportunity to revitalize international support.

    I encourage Member States to go beyond affirmations, and to think creatively about the concrete steps they will take to support a viable two-State solution before it is too late.

    At the same time, the Palestinian Authority needs stepped-up and sustained support – politically and financially.  This is crucial to ensure the continued viability of Palestinian institutions, consolidate ongoing reforms, and enable the PA to resume its full responsibilities in Gaza.

    Mr. President,

    At this hinge point of history for the people of the Middle East – and on this issue on which so much hinges – leaders must stand and deliver. 

    Show the political courage and exercise the political will to make good on this central question for peace for Palestinians, Israelis, the region and humanity.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    Mr. President, Excellencies,

    I thank the French presidency for convening this ministerial-level meeting on the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

    The region is undergoing fundamental shifts, marked by violence and volatility but also opportunity and potential.

    In Lebanon, the ceasefire and territorial integrity must be respected and all commitments implemented.

    In Syria, we must keep working to support the country’s path towards a political transition that is inclusive of all segments of the Syrian population – one that ensures accountability, fosters national healing, and lays the foundation for Syria’s long-term recovery and further integration into the international community. 

    This includes the situation in the occupied Syrian Golan — which remains precarious with significant violations of the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement, with the continued presence of the Israel Defense Forces into the area of separation and their several strikes targeting locations across the ceasefire line.

    Across the Middle East, people demand and deserve a better future, not endless conflict and suffering.

    We must collectively work to ensure that this turbulent and transitional period meets those aspirations — and delivers justice, dignity, rights, security and lasting peace.

    It starts by recognizing two fundamental facts: 

    First, that the region is at a hinge-point in history. 

    And, second, that truly sustainable Middle East peace hinges on one central question.

    On a core issue that this Security Council has affirmed and re-affirmed decade after decade, year after year:  a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine, living side-by-side in peace and security, with Jerusalem as the capital of both states.

    Mr. President,

    Today, the promise of a two-State solution is at risk of dwindling to the point of disappearance. 

    The political commitment to this long-standing goal is farther than it has ever been.

    As a result, the rights of both Israelis and Palestinians to live and peace and security have been undermined – and the legitimate national aspirations of the Palestinians have been denied – while they endure Israel’s continued presence that the International Court of Justice has found unlawful. 

    And since the horrific 7 October terror attacks by Hamas, it has gotten worse on every front.

    First, the unrelenting conflict and devastation in Gaza – including the utterly inhumane conditions of life imposed on its people who are repeatedly coming under attack, confined to smaller and smaller spaces, and deprived of lifesaving relief. 

    In line with international law, the Security Council has rejected any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce its territory. 

    Gaza is — and must remain — an integral part of a future Palestinian state.

    Second, in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Israeli military operations and the use of heavy weaponry in residential areas, forcible displacement, demolitions, movement restrictions, and settlement expansion are dramatically altering demographic and geographic realities. 

    Palestinians are being contained and coerced.  Contained in areas that are subject to increasing military operations and where the Palestinian Authority is under growing pressure – and coerced out of areas where settlements are expanding. 

    Third, settler violence continues at alarmingly high levels in a climate of impunity, with entire Palestinian communities facing repeated assaults and destruction, sometimes abetted by Israeli soldiers.

    Palestinian attacks against Israelis in both Israel and the occupied West Bank also continue.

    Mr. President,

    The world cannot afford to watch the two-State solution disappear. 

    Political leaders face clear choices — the choice to be silent, the choice to acquiesce, or the choice to act.

    Mr. President,

    In Gaza, there is no end in sight to the killing and misery.

    The ceasefire had brought a glimmer of hope – the long-sought release of hostages and delivery of lifesaving humanitarian relief.

    But those embers of opportunity were cruelly extinguished with the shattering of the ceasefire on 18 March. 

    Since then, almost 2,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza by Israeli strikes and military operations – including women, children, journalists, and humanitarians.

    Hamas also continues to fire rockets towards Israel indiscriminately – while the hostages continue to be held in appalling conditions. 

    The humanitarian situation throughout the Gaza Strip has gone from bad … to worse … to beyond imagination.   

    For nearly two full months, Israel has blocked food, fuel, medicine and commercial supplies, depriving more than two million people of lifesaving relief. 

    All while the world watches.

    I am alarmed by statements by Israeli government officials about the use of humanitarian aid as a tool for military pressure.

    Aid is non-negotiable. 

    Israel must protect civilians and must agree to relief schemes and facilitate them.

    I salute the women and men of the United Nations and all other humanitarian workers – especially our Palestinian colleagues — who continue to work under fire and in incomprehensibly difficult conditions.

    And I mourn all of the women and men of the United Nations who were killed – including some with their families.

    The entry of assistance must be restored immediately — the safety of UN personnel and humanitarian partners must be guaranteed – and UN agencies must be allowed to work in full respect of humanitarian principles:  humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

    There must be no hindrance in humanitarian aid – including through the vital work of UNRWA.

    We need the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

    And we need a permanent ceasefire.

    It’s time to stop the repeated displacement of the Gaza population – along with any question of forced displacement outside of Gaza.

    And the trampling of international law must end.

    I call on Member States to use their leverage to ensure that international law is respected and impunity does not prevail.

    This includes for the 19 March incident for which Israel has now acknowledged responsibility in firing on a UN guesthouse, killing one colleague and injuring six others … the 23 March killing of paramedics and other rescue workers in Rafah … as well as many other cases.

    There must be accountability across the board.

    Mr. President,

    Advisory proceedings are ongoing at the International Court of Justice on the obligations of Israel, as an occupying Power and a Member of the United Nations, in relation to the presence and activities of the United Nations in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    In February, the United Nations Legal Counsel submitted a written statement to the Court – and yesterday, she made an oral statement before the Court – both of which on my behalf.

    The statement to the Court includes points that I have made on a number of occasions.

    Specifically, that all parties to conflict must comply with all their obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

    That Israel, as an occupying Power, is under an obligation to ensure food and medical supplies of the population.

    That Israel has an obligation to agree to and facilitate relief schemes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

    That humanitarian, medical and United Nations personnel must be respected and protected.

    And I emphasize the obligation under international law to respect the privileges and immunities of the United Nations and its personnel, including the absolute inviolability of United Nations premises, property and assets – and the immunity from legal process of the United Nations. 

    Such immunity applies to all UN entities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – including UNRWA – a subsidiary organ of the General Assembly.

    I call on Member States to fully support all of these efforts. 

    Mr. President,

    In this period of turmoil and transition for the region, Member States must spell out how they will realize the commitment and promise of a two-State solution.

    This is not a time for ritualistically expressing support, ticking a box, and moving on.

    We are past the stage of ticking boxes – the clock is ticking.

    The two-State solution is near a point of no return. 

    The international community has a responsibility to prevent perpetual occupation and violence.

    My call to Member States is clear and urgent:

    Take irreversible action towards implementing a two-State solution.

    Do not let extremists on any side undermine what remains of the peace process.

    The High-Level Conference in June, co-chaired by France and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, is an important opportunity to revitalize international support.

    I encourage Member States to go beyond affirmations, and to think creatively about the concrete steps they will take to support a viable two-State solution before it is too late.

    At the same time, the Palestinian Authority needs stepped-up and sustained support – politically and financially.  This is crucial to ensure the continued viability of Palestinian institutions, consolidate ongoing reforms, and enable the PA to resume its full responsibilities in Gaza.

    Mr. President,

    At this hinge point of history for the people of the Middle East – and on this issue on which so much hinges – leaders must stand and deliver. 

    Show the political courage and exercise the political will to make good on this central question for peace for Palestinians, Israelis, the region and humanity.

    Thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Monsieur le Président, Excellences,

    Je remercie la présidence française d’organiser cette réunion au niveau ministériel sur le Moyen-Orient, y compris la question palestinienne.

    La région traverse des bouleversements fondamentaux, marqués par la violence et la volatilité, mais également porteurs d’opportunités et de potentiel.

    Au Liban, le cessez-le-feu et l’intégrité territoriale doivent être respectés et tous les engagements doivent être mis en œuvre.

    En Syrie, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts pour accompagner le pays sur la voie d’une transition politique inclusive de toutes les composantes de la population syrienne – une transition qui garantisse la reddition de comptes, favorise la réconciliation nationale, et jette les bases du redressement à long terme de la Syrie ainsi que de son intégration future au sein de la communauté internationale. 

    Cela inclut la situation dans le Golan syrien occupé, qui demeure précaire en raison de violations majeures de l’Accord de désengagement des forces de 1974 – notamment la présence continue des Forces de défense israéliennes dans la zone de séparation, ainsi que leurs multiples frappes contre des sites au-delà de la ligne de cessez-le-feu.

    À travers le Moyen-Orient, les populations réclament et méritent un avenir meilleur – et non des conflits et des souffrances sans fin.

    Nous devons agir ensemble pour faire en sorte que cette période de turbulences et de transition réponde à ces aspirations – et qu’elle apporte justice, dignité, droits, sécurité, et une paix durable.

    Cela commence par la reconnaissance de deux faits fondamentaux : 

    Premièrement, la région se trouve à un moment charnière de son histoire. 
    Et, deuxièmement, que toute paix vraiment durable au Moyen-Orient dépend d’une question centrale.

    Un élément essentiel que ce Conseil de sécurité a affirmé et réaffirmé, année après année, décennie après décennie : une solution à deux États, Israël et la Palestine, vivant côte-à-côte dans la paix et la sécurité, avec Jérusalem comme capitale des deux États.

    Monsieur le Président,

    Aujourd’hui, la promesse de la solution des deux États court le risque de s’effilocher au point de disparaître.

    L’engagement politique en faveur de cet objectif de longue date n’a jamais été aussi ténu.

    De ce fait, les droits des Israéliens et des Palestiniens de vivre en paix et sécurité ont été mis à mal – et les aspirations nationales légitimes des Palestiniens ont été niées – alors qu’ils continuent de subir une présence israélienne que la Cour internationale de justice a jugée illicite.

    Depuis les effroyables attaques terroristes perpétrées par le Hamas le 7 octobre, la situation s’est aggravée sur tous les fronts.

    Premièrement, avec le conflit incessant et la dévastation que subit la bande de Gaza : les conditions de vie sont absolument inhumaines, les habitants sont la cible d’attaques à répétition et sont confinés dans des espaces de plus en plus réduits et privés d’une aide vitale.

    S’appuyant sur le droit international, le Conseil de sécurité a rejeté toute tentative de changement démographique ou territorial dans la bande de Gaza, y compris tout acte visant à réduire le territoire.

    Gaza fait partie intégrante d’un futur État palestinien et doit le rester.

    Deuxièmement, en Cisjordanie occupée, y compris Jérusalem-Est, les opérations militaires israéliennes et l’emploi d’armes lourdes dans des zones résidentielles, les déplacements forcés, les démolitions, les restrictions de circulation et l’expansion des colonies transforment radicalement les réalités démographiques et géographiques.

    Les Palestiniens sont cantonnés dans certains endroits et contraints d’en quitter d’autres. Ils sont cantonnés dans des zones où les opérations militaires se multiplient et où l’Autorité palestinienne est soumise à des pressions croissantes, et contraints de quitter les zones où les colons étendent leur emprise.

    Troisièmement, la violence exercée par les colons se poursuit dans un climat d’impunité, parfois avec la complicité de soldats israéliens, et atteint des niveaux alarmants : des communautés palestiniennes tout entières sont agressées et victimes de destructions à répétition.

    Les attaques menées par des Palestiniens contre des Israéliens en Israël et en Cisjordanie occupée se poursuivent également.

    Monsieur le Président,

    Le monde ne peut pas se permettre de voir la solution des deux États s’évanouir.

    Les dirigeants politiques ont le choix : se taire, acquiescer ou agir.

    Monsieur le Président,

    À Gaza, rien ne laisse entrevoir la fin de la tuerie et des souffrances.

    Le cessez-le-feu avait apporté une lueur d’espoir : la libération des otages, tant attendue, et l’acheminement d’une aide humanitaire vitale.
    Hélas, cette lueur d’espoir s’est éteinte avec la rupture du cessez-le-feu le 18 mars.

    Depuis, les frappes et les opérations militaires israéliennes ont fait près de 2000 morts parmi les Palestiniens dans la bande de Gaza, y compris des femmes, des enfants, des journalistes et du personnel humanitaire.

    Le Hamas continue également de tirer des roquettes sur Israël sans discernement – tandis que les otages sont toujours détenus dans des conditions épouvantables.

    Déjà mauvaise, la situation humanitaire dans la bande de Gaza n’a fait qu’empirer et dépasse aujourd’hui l’entendement.

    Depuis près de deux mois, Israël bloque les livraisons de nourriture, de carburant, de médicaments et de marchandises, privant ainsi plus de deux millions de personnes d’une aide vitale.

    Et ce, au vu et au su du monde entier.

    Je suis alarmé par les déclarations de représentants d’Israël concernant l’utilisation de l’aide humanitaire comme moyen de pression militaire.

    L’aide humanitaire n’est pas négociable.

    Israël est tenu de protéger les civils ; il doit accepter les programmes d’aide et en faciliter l’exécution.

    Je rends hommage au personnel des Nations Unies, femmes et hommes, ainsi qu’à tous les autres agents humanitaires, en particulier à nos collègues palestiniens, qui continuent à travailler malgré les frappes et dans des conditions inouïes.

    Et je pleure toutes les femmes et tous les hommes des Nations Unies qui ont été tués – y compris certains avec leurs familles.

    L’acheminement de l’aide doit être rétabli immédiatement, la sécurité du personnel des Nations Unies et des partenaires humanitaires doit être garantie et les entités des Nations Unies doivent pouvoir travailler dans le plein respect des principes humanitaires : humanité, impartialité, neutralité et indépendance.

    Il ne doit y avoir aucune entrave à l’aide humanitaire, notamment au travail vital que fait l’UNRWA.

    Il faut que tous les otages soient libérés immédiatement et sans conditions.

    Et il faut un cessez-le-feu permanent.

    Il est temps de mettre un terme aux déplacements répétés de la population de Gaza, ainsi qu’à la question des déplacements forcés en dehors de Gaza.

    Et il faut cesser de bafouer le droit international.

    J’engage tous les États Membres à user de leur influence pour que le droit international soit respecté et que l’impunité ne l’emporte pas.

    Je veux parler notamment de la frappe du 19 mars contre une résidence des Nations Unies, qui a fait un mort et six blessés parmi nos collègues et pour laquelle Israël a désormais reconnu sa responsabilité … de l’attaque du 23 mars, dans laquelle du personnel paramédical et d’autres secouristes ont trouvé la mort à Rafah … et de bien d’autres encore.

    Aucun acte ne saurait rester impuni.

    Monsieur le Président,

    Une procédure consultative a été engagée à la Cour internationale de Justice sur les obligations d’Israël, Puissance occupante et membre de l’ONU, en ce qui concerne la présence et les activités des entités des Nations Unies dans le Territoire palestinien occupé et en lien avec celui-ci.

    En février, la Conseillère juridique de l’ONU a soumis en mon nom une déclaration écrite à la Cour, et hier, elle a fait une déclaration orale devant la Cour, également en mon nom.

    Cette déclaration reprend des points que j’ai soulevés à plusieurs reprises.

    En particulier, le fait que toutes les parties au conflit sont tenues de s’acquitter des obligations que leur impose le droit international, y compris le droit international humanitaire et le droit international des droits humains.

    Qu’Israël, Puissance occupante, est tenu d’assurer l’approvisionnement de la population en produits alimentaires et fournitures médicales.

    Qu’il est tenu d’accepter les programmes d’aide et d’en faciliter l’exécution dans le Territoire palestinien occupé.

    Que le personnel humanitaire et médical, ainsi que le personnel des Nations Unies, doit être respecté et protégé.

    Je tiens à insister sur l’obligation faite en droit international de respecter les privilèges et immunités des Nations Unies et de leur personnel, y compris l’inviolabilité absolue des locaux, des biens et des avoirs des Nations Unies, ainsi que l’immunité de juridiction des Nations Unies.

    Cette immunité s’applique à toutes les entités des Nations Unies dans le Territoire palestinien occupé, y compris l’UNRWA, organe subsidiaire de l’Assemblée générale.

    J’engage les États Membres à soutenir tous ces efforts.

    Monsieur le Président,

    En cette période de tourmente et de transition pour la région, les États Membres doivent énoncer clairement comment ils concrétiseront l’engagement qu’ils ont pris et la promesse qu’ils ont faite quant à la solution des deux États.

    Ce n’est pas le moment d’exprimer rituellement son soutien, de cocher une case et de passer à autre chose.

    Nous avons dépassé le stade des cases à cocher : le temps presse.

    Pour la solution des deux États, le glas a presque sonné.

    La communauté internationale a la responsabilité d’empêcher l’occupation et la violence perpétuelles.

    L’appel que je leur lance est urgent et sans équivoque :

    Prenez des mesures irréversibles pour concrétiser la solution des deux États.

    Ne laissez pas les extrémistes de tout bord saper ce qu’il reste du processus de paix.

    La Conférence de haut niveau qui se tiendra en juin, co-présidée par la France et le Royaume d’Arabie saoudite, est une véritable occasion de revitaliser le soutien international.

    J’encourage les États membres à aller au-delà des affirmations et à réfléchir de manière créative aux mesures concrètes qu’ils prendront pour soutenir une solution viable à deux États avant qu’il ne soit trop tard.

    J’encourage les États Membres à traduire les paroles en actes et à réfléchir de manière créative pour déterminer les mesures concrètes qu’ils prendront pour soutenir une solution viable de deux États – avant qu’il ne soit trop tard.

    Parallèlement, l’Autorité palestinienne a besoin d’un soutien accru et durable, tant sur le plan politique que financièrement parlant. C’est une condition essentielle pour garantir la viabilité des institutions palestiniennes, asseoir les réformes engagées et permettre à l’Autorité palestinienne d’exercer de nouveau toutes ses responsabilités dans la bande de Gaza.

    Monsieur le Président,

    À ce moment charnière de l’histoire pour les peuples du Moyen-Orient – et vis-à-vis de cette question dont dépendent tant de choses – les dirigeants doivent concrétiser leur promesse.

    Faites preuve de courage et de volonté politiques, tenez vos engagements vis-à-vis de cette question centrale pour la paix : pour les Palestiniens, les Israéliens, la région et l’humanité tout entière.

    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks at the 2025 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development [Bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for All-English and All-French versions]

    Source: United Nations – English

    r. President of the General Assembly, Mr. President of ECOSOC,

    Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

    This year’s ECOSOC Forum comes at a pivotal time.

    We are in the final stretch of preparations for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla.

    And we face some harsh truths. 

    The harsh truth of donors pulling the plug on aid commitments and delivery at historic speed and scale.

    The harsh truth of trade barriers being erected at a dizzying pace.

    The harsh truth that the Sustainable Development Goals are dramatically off track, exacerbated by an annual financing gap of an estimated $4 trillion.

    And the harsh truth of prohibitively high borrowing costs that are draining away public investments in everything from education and health systems, to social protection, infrastructure and the energy transition.

    But there’s another, much larger — and more dangerous — truth underlying all these challenges:  
    The harsh truth that global collaboration is being actively questioned.

    Look no further than trade wars. 

    Trade — fair trade — is a prime example of the benefits of international cooperation.

    And trade barriers are a clear and present danger to the global economy and sustainable development – as demonstrated in recent sharply lower forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, UNCTAD, the World Trade Organization and many others.

    In a trade war, everybody loses — especially the most vulnerable countries and people, who are hit the hardest.

    Excellencies,

    Against this turbulent background, we cannot let our financing for development ambitions get swept away.

    With just five years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to shift into overdrive.  

    That includes making good on the commitments countries made in the Pact for the Future in September:

    From an SDG stimulus to help countries invest in their people…

    To vital and long-awaited reforms to the global financial architecture…

    To the Pact’s clear commitments to open, fair and rules-based trade…

    To its call for an analysis of the impact of military expenditures on the achievement of the SDGs, with a final report out by September…

    To the Pact’s urging for an ambitious outcome to July’s Conference on Financing for Development.

    As you continue negotiations on the draft outcome document for Sevilla, I push for action in three key areas.

    First — on debt.

    When applied smartly and fairly, debt can be an ally of development.

    Instead, it has become a villain.

    In many developing countries, gains are getting crushed under the weight of debt service, siphoning away investments in education, health and infrastructure.

    And the problem is getting worse.

    Debt service for developing economies has soared past $1.4 trillion a year.

    Debt service now exceeds 10 per cent of government revenue in more than 50 developing countries — and more than 20 per cent in 17 countries — a clear warning sign of default.

    The Sevilla Conference should emerge with a commitment by Member States to lower the cost of borrowing, improve debt restructuring, and prevent crises from taking hold.

    This includes establishing a dedicated facility to help developing countries manage their liabilities and enhance liquidity in times of crisis.

    The G20 must also continue its work to speed up the Common Framework for Debt Treatments and expand support for countries that are currently ineligible — including middle-income countries in difficulties.

    And credit ratings agencies need to rethink ratings methodologies that drive up borrowing costs for developing countries.

    At the same time, the IMF and World Bank should push forward on reforming debt assessments to account for sustainable development investments and climate risks.

    These proposals and the many others contained in the draft outcome document provide an ambitious roadmap to help developing countries use debt in a constructive and sustainable way.

    Second — we need to unlock the full potential of our international financial institutions.

    If finance is the fuel of development, Multilateral Development Banks are its engine.

    And this engine needs revving up. 

    We will keep pushing to triple the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, making them bigger and bolder, as called for in the draft outcome document.

    This includes recapitalization, stretching their balance sheets and substantially increasing their capacity to mobilize private finance at reasonable costs for developing countries.

    We must ensure that concessional finance is deployed where it is most needed.

    And we need to see that developing countries are represented fairly — and have a voice — in the governance of these institutions they depend on.

    Troisièmement, nous devons prendre des mesures concrètes pour augmenter tous les flux de financement.

    Oui, les temps sont durs.

    Mais c’est d’autant plus dans les périodes difficiles qu’un investissement responsable et durable s’impose.

    Au niveau national, les gouvernements doivent mobiliser davantage de ressources internes et les diriger vers des systèmes essentiels tels que l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures…

    Ils doivent collaborer avec des partenaires privés pour multiplier les options de financement mixte…

    Et intensifier la lutte contre la corruption et les flux financiers illicites.

    Au niveau mondial, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts en vue d’établir un régime fiscal mondial inclusif et efficace, et veiller à ce que les règles fiscales internationales soient effectivement et équitablement appliquées.

    Les donateurs doivent tenir leurs promesses en matière d’aide publique au développement et s’assurer que ces précieuses ressources parviennent aux pays en développement.

    Pour notre part, nous donnerons aux équipes de pays des Nations Unies tous les moyens pour collaborer avec les gouvernements hôtes, afin qu’un maximum de ressources soit affecté au développement durable aux niveaux national et régional.

    Et nous saisirons toutes les occasions, y compris la COP30 au Brésil, pour demander aux dirigeants de trouver des sources innovantes de financement de l’action climatique dans les pays en développement – afin de mobiliser 1 300 milliards de dollars par an d’ici à 2035.

    Tout cela exige des efforts particuliers en terme de sources innovantes de financement.

    Excellences,

    À bien des égards, l’avenir du système multilatéral dépend du financement du développement.

    Il en va de notre conviction que le règlement des problèmes mondiaux – tels que la pauvreté, la faim et la crise climatique – demande des solutions mondiales.

    Tirons le meilleur parti de ce moment charnière, alors que nous nous préparons pour la conférence de Séville.

    Maintenons nos ambitions à la hauteur des enjeux, et agissons pour les populations et pour la planète.

    Et je vous remercie.

    ***
    [All-English]

    Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. President of ECOSOC,

    Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

    This year’s ECOSOC Forum comes at a pivotal time.

    We are in the final stretch of preparations for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla.

    And we face some harsh truths. 

    The harsh truth of donors pulling the plug on aid commitments and delivery at historic speed and scale.

    The harsh truth of trade barriers being erected at a dizzying pace.

    The harsh truth that the Sustainable Development Goals are dramatically off track, exacerbated by an annual financing gap of an estimated $4 trillion.

    And the harsh truth of prohibitively high borrowing costs that are draining away public investments in everything from education and health systems, to social protection, infrastructure and the energy transition.

    But there’s another, much larger — and more dangerous — truth underlying all these challenges:

    The harsh truth that global collaboration is being actively questioned.

    Look no further than trade wars. 

    Trade — fair trade — is a prime example of the benefits of international cooperation.

    And trade barriers are a clear and present danger to the global economy and sustainable development – as demonstrated in recent sharply lower forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, UNCTAD, the World Trade Organization and many others.

    In a trade war, everybody loses — especially the most vulnerable countries and people, who are hit the hardest.

    Excellencies,

    Against this turbulent background, we cannot let our financing for development ambitions get swept away.

    With just five years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to shift into overdrive.  

    That includes making good on the commitments countries made in the Pact for the Future in September:

    From an SDG stimulus to help countries invest in their people…

    To vital and long-awaited reforms to the global financial architecture…

    To the Pact’s clear commitments to open, fair and rules-based trade…

    To its call for an analysis of the impact of military expenditures on the achievement of the SDGs, with a final report out by September…

    To the Pact’s urging for an ambitious outcome to July’s Conference on Financing for Development.

    As you continue negotiations on the draft outcome document for Sevilla, I push for action in three key areas.

    First — on debt.

    When applied smartly and fairly, debt can be an ally of development.

    Instead, it has become a villain.

    In many developing countries, gains are getting crushed under the weight of debt service, siphoning away investments in education, health and infrastructure.

    And the problem is getting worse.

    Debt service for developing economies has soared past $1.4 trillion a year.

    Debt service now exceeds 10 per cent of government revenue in more than 50 developing countries — and more than 20 per cent in 17 countries — a clear warning sign of default.

    The Sevilla Conference should emerge with a commitment by Member States to lower the cost of borrowing, improve debt restructuring, and prevent crises from taking hold.

    This includes establishing a dedicated facility to help developing countries manage their liabilities and enhance liquidity in times of crisis.

    The G20 must also continue its work to speed up the Common Framework for Debt Treatments and expand support for countries that are currently ineligible — including middle-income countries in difficulties.

    And credit ratings agencies need to rethink ratings methodologies that drive up borrowing costs for developing countries.

    At the same time, the IMF and World Bank should push forward on reforming debt assessments to account for sustainable development investments and climate risks.

    These proposals and the many others contained in the draft outcome document provide an ambitious roadmap to help developing countries use debt in a constructive and sustainable way.

    Second — we need to unlock the full potential of our international financial institutions.

    If finance is the fuel of development, Multilateral Development Banks are its engine.

    And this engine needs revving up. 

    We will keep pushing to triple the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, making them bigger and bolder, as called for in the draft outcome document.

    This includes recapitalization, stretching their balance sheets and substantially increasing their capacity to mobilize private finance at reasonable costs for developing countries.

    We must ensure that concessional finance is deployed where it is most needed.

    And we need to see that developing countries are represented fairly — and have a voice — in the governance of these institutions they depend on.

    And third — we need concrete action to increase all streams of finance.

    Yes, these are tough times.

    But it is in difficult periods that the imperative for responsible, sustainable investment is even more critical. 

    At the country level, governments need to strengthen the mobilization of domestic resources and channel them towards critical systems like education, health and infrastructure…

    To work with private sector partners to increase blended finance options…

    And to scale-up the fight against corruption and illicit financial flows.

    At the global level, we must keep working to shape an inclusive and effective global tax regime, and ensure that international taxation rules are applied fairly and effectively.

    Donors must keep their promises on official development assistance, and ensure those precious resources reach developing countries.  

    For our part, we will fully deploy our UN Country Teams to work with host governments to channel the maximum amount of resources towards sustainable development at the national and regional levels.
     
    And we will use every opportunity — including COP30 in Brazil — to call on leaders to identify innovative sources of climate finance for developing countries leading to the mobilization of $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. 

    All this requires a focus on innovative sources of finance.  

    Excellencies,

    In many ways, financing for development is integral to the future of the multilateral system.

    It’s about our conviction in the power of global solutions to global problems like poverty, hunger and the climate crisis.

    Let’s make the most of this critical moment as we prepare for Sevilla.

    Let’s keep our ambitions high and deliver for people and planet.

    And I thank you.

    ***
    [All-French]

    Monsieur le Président de l’Assemblée générale, Monsieur le Président de l’ECOSOC,

    Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,

    Le Forum du Conseil économique et social de cette année tombe à un moment charnière.

    Les préparatifs de la quatrième Conférence internationale sur le financement du développement, qui se tiendra à Séville, entrent dans leur dernière ligne droite.

    Parallèlement, nous nous heurtons à de dures réalités :

    Des donateurs qui reviennent sur leurs engagements et renoncent à verser l’aide promise à une vitesse et à une ampleur sans précédent ;

    Des barrières commerciales qui sont érigées à un rythme effréné ;

    Des objectifs de développement durable qui sont encore bien loin d’être atteints et qui pâtissent d’un déficit de financement annuel estimé à 4 000 milliards de dollars ;

    Ou encore des coûts d’emprunt prohibitifs qui tarissent les investissements publics dans tous les domaines, de l’éducation et des systèmes de santé à la protection sociale, en passant par les infrastructures et la transition énergétique.

    Mais il y a une autre réalité – bien plus importante et bien plus dangereuse – qui est à la base de tous ces problèmes.

    Cette réalité, c’est la remise en question de la collaboration internationale.

    Inutile de chercher un exemple bien loin : prenons les guerres commerciales.

    Le commerce – un commerce équitable – illustre parfaitement les avantages de la coopération internationale.

    Les barrières commerciales constituent un danger réel et immédiat pour l’économie mondiale et le développement durable – comme le montrent les récentes prévisions en forte baisse du Fonds monétaire international, de la CNUCED, de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce et de bien d’autres organismes.

    L’Organisation mondiale du commerce prévoit déjà que le commerce international de marchandises se contractera de 0,2 % cette année – un revirement brutal par rapport à la hausse de 2,9 % enregistrée l’année dernière.

    Dans une guerre commerciale, tout le monde est perdant, en particulier les pays et les populations les plus vulnérables, qui sont les plus durement touchés.

    Excellences,

    Dans ce contexte mouvementé, nous ne pouvons laisser s’envoler nos ambitions en matière de financement du développement.

    Il ne reste que cinq ans pour atteindre les objectifs de développement durable ; il nous faut donc passer à la vitesse supérieure.

    Il faut notamment honorer les engagements pris par les pays dans le cadre du Pacte pour l’avenir en septembre :

    Du plan de relance des objectifs de développement durable, qui vise à aider les pays à investir dans leurs populations…

    Aux réformes vitales et longuement attendues de l’architecture financière mondiale…

    Aux engagements clairs pris dans le Pacte en faveur d’un commerce ouvert, équitable et régi par des règles…

    À l’analyse qui y est préconisée de l’impact des dépenses militaires sur la réalisation des objectifs de développement durable, qui fera l’objet d’un rapport final publié d’ici à septembre…

    Et au résultat ambitieux qui y est fixé pour la Conférence internationale sur le financement du développement de juillet.

    Alors que les négociations sur le projet de document final de Séville se poursuivent, j’insiste pour que des mesures soient prises dans trois domaines clés.

    Premièrement, la dette.

    Lorsqu’elle est exploitée de manière intelligente et équitable, la dette peut être une alliée du développement.

    Or, elle est devenue une ennemie.

    Dans bon nombre de pays en développement, les acquis obtenus dans le domaine du développement croulent sous le poids du service de la dette, qui ponctionne les investissements dans l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures.

    Et le problème ne fait qu’empirer.

    Le service de la dette des économies en développement s’est envolé à plus de 1 400 milliards de dollars par an.

    Il dépasse aujourd’hui de 10 % les recettes publiques dans plus de 50 pays en développement – et plus de 20 % dans 17 pays – un signe évident de défaillance.

    À l’issue de la conférence de Séville, les États Membres devraient s’engager à réduire le coût des emprunts, à mieux restructurer la dette et à empêcher les crises de perdurer.

    Pour ce faire, il faudra notamment mettre en place un dispositif pour aider les pays en développement à gérer leurs dettes et à améliorer leur situation de trésorerie en temps de crise.

    Le G20 doit également poursuivre ses travaux afin d’accélérer la mise en œuvre du Cadre commun pour le traitement de la dette et d’apporter un plus grand appui aux pays qui ne remplissent pas les conditions requises pour bénéficier de l’Initiative de suspension du service de la dette, notamment les pays à revenu intermédiaire.

    En outre, les agences de notation doivent revoir leurs méthodes, qui font grimper les coûts d’emprunt pour les pays en développement.

    Dans le même temps, le FMI et la Banque mondiale devraient faire avancer la réforme de l’évaluation de la dette de sorte que les investissements dans le développement durable et les risques climatiques soient pris en compte.

    Ces propositions, comme les nombreuses autres propositions faites dans le projet de document final, constituent un plan d’action ambitieux devant aider les pays en développement à utiliser la dette de manière constructive et durable.

    Deuxièmement, nos institutions financières internationales doivent pouvoir exploiter tout leur potentiel.

    Si le financement est le carburant du développement, les banques multilatérales de développement en sont le moteur.

    Et ce moteur doit être rendu plus performant.

    Nous continuerons à faire pression pour tripler la capacité de prêt des banques multilatérales de développement, en les agrandissant et en les rendant plus audacieuses, comme le prévoit le projet de document final.

    Il s’agit notamment d’augmenter leur capital, d’étendre leurs bilans et d’accroître considérablement leur capacité à mobiliser des financements privés à des coûts raisonnables pour les pays en développement.

    Il faudra également veiller à ce que des financements à des conditions favorables soient accordés là où ils sont le plus nécessaires.

    Et il faudra que les pays en développement soient représentés équitablement – et aient voix au chapitre – dans la gouvernance de ces institutions, dont ils dépendent.

    Troisièmement, nous devons prendre des mesures concrètes pour augmenter tous les flux de financement.

    Oui, les temps sont durs.

    Mais c’est d’autant plus dans les périodes difficiles qu’un investissement responsable et durable s’impose.

    Au niveau national, les gouvernements doivent mobiliser davantage de ressources internes et les diriger vers des systèmes essentiels tels que l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures…

    Ils doivent collaborer avec des partenaires privés pour multiplier les options de financement mixte…

    Et intensifier la lutte contre la corruption et les flux financiers illicites.

    Au niveau mondial, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts en vue d’établir un régime fiscal mondial inclusif et efficace, et veiller à ce que les règles fiscales internationales soient effectivement et équitablement appliquées.
    Les donateurs doivent tenir leurs promesses en matière d’aide publique au développement et s’assurer que ces précieuses ressources parviennent aux pays en développement.

    Pour notre part, nous donnerons aux équipes de pays des Nations Unies tous les moyens pour collaborer avec les gouvernements hôtes, afin qu’un maximum de ressources soit affecté au développement durable aux niveaux national et régional.

    Et nous saisirons toutes les occasions, y compris la COP30 au Brésil, pour demander aux dirigeants de trouver des sources innovantes de financement de l’action climatique dans les pays en développement – afin de mobiliser 1 300 milliards de dollars par an d’ici à 2035.

    Tout cela exige des efforts particuliers en terme de sources innovantes de financement.

    Excellences,

    À bien des égards, l’avenir du système multilatéral dépend du financement du développement.

    Il en va de notre conviction que le règlement des problèmes mondiaux – tels que la pauvreté, la faim et la crise climatique – demande des solutions mondiales.

    Tirons le meilleur parti de ce moment charnière, alors que nous nous préparons pour la conférence de Séville.

    Maintenons nos ambitions à la hauteur des enjeux, et agissons pour les populations et pour la planète.

    Et je vous remercie.
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: We welcome progress in Syria’s political transition since the fall of the Assad regime: UK Statement at the UN General Assembly

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    We welcome progress in Syria’s political transition since the fall of the Assad regime: UK Statement at the UN General Assembly

    Statement by Lord Collins of Highbury, Minister for Africa and the UN, at the UN General Assembly debate on the International Impartial and Independent Mechanism in Syria.

    Thank you Assistant Secretary-General Robert Petit for the briefing and the debate today.

    Let me also welcome Foreign Minister Al Shaibani to the Assembly. Your presence here today is a powerful signal of the opportunities that lie ahead for Syria to carve out a more secure, peaceful and prosperous future.

    I will make three points today.

    First, we welcome progress in Syria’s political transition since the fall of the Assad regime. 

    This includes the formation of a new Syrian Government and their commitment to hold free and fair elections in Syria.

    We also welcome the important steps taken since December towards social cohesion amongst the Syrian people.

    This includes the first-ever consensus on the Human Rights Council resolution supported by the Syrian Government, and commitments by the Syrian Government to establish national committees to address transitional justice, missing persons and chemical weapons.

    However, as the horrific events in the coastal areas in March remind us, significant challenges remain to address the legacy of 14 years of war and brutality, and to begin the process to provide closure to all those affected.

    Second, we commend the IIIM for the valuable progress it has made since December on the international pursuit for accountability. 

    The volume of documentation and witness interviews that the IIIM team have collated is a testament to your tireless dedication to provide a credible evidence base for future prosecutions. 

    The appointment of an IIIM Liaison Officer in Damascus is also a promising example of UN-Syria cooperation, and we urge all parties to work collaboratively to ensure that survivors receive the justice that they demand, and that they deserve.

    Third, the UK had a leading role in supporting international and civil society accountability efforts during the Assad regime. 

    And we remain committed to pursuing accountability for victims, survivors and families in Syria, and for that reason, we continue to see the IIIM as a crucial component for the future Syrian-led Transitional Justice processes.

    We were proud to have co-sponsored the UNGA resolution which established this mechanism in 2016 and remain committed to ensuring that it has the political backing and operational remit it requires to succeed.

    And this year, the United Kingdom has allocated a further $940,000 in funding to our partners in support of this effective evidence collection and preservation.

    We thank IIIM for your contribution to the fight against impunity and for amplifying the voices of survivors throughout your work. 

    The UK will continue to support the Syrian Government and its people in their efforts on reconciliation and accountability to ensure a stable and prosperous future for the people of Syria.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the 2025 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development [Bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for All-English and All-French versions]

    Source: United Nations

    Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. President of ECOSOC,

    Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

    This year’s ECOSOC Forum comes at a pivotal time.

    We are in the final stretch of preparations for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla.

    And we face some harsh truths. 

    The harsh truth of donors pulling the plug on aid commitments and delivery at historic speed and scale.

    The harsh truth of trade barriers being erected at a dizzying pace.

    The harsh truth that the Sustainable Development Goals are dramatically off track, exacerbated by an annual financing gap of an estimated $4 trillion.

    And the harsh truth of prohibitively high borrowing costs that are draining away public investments in everything from education and health systems, to social protection, infrastructure and the energy transition.

    But there’s another, much larger — and more dangerous — truth underlying all these challenges:  
    The harsh truth that global collaboration is being actively questioned.

    Look no further than trade wars. 

    Trade — fair trade — is a prime example of the benefits of international cooperation.

    And trade barriers are a clear and present danger to the global economy and sustainable development – as demonstrated in recent sharply lower forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, UNCTAD, the World Trade Organization and many others.

    In a trade war, everybody loses — especially the most vulnerable countries and people, who are hit the hardest.

    Excellencies,

    Against this turbulent background, we cannot let our financing for development ambitions get swept away.

    With just five years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to shift into overdrive.  

    That includes making good on the commitments countries made in the Pact for the Future in September:

    From an SDG stimulus to help countries invest in their people…

    To vital and long-awaited reforms to the global financial architecture…

    To the Pact’s clear commitments to open, fair and rules-based trade…

    To its call for an analysis of the impact of military expenditures on the achievement of the SDGs, with a final report out by September…

    To the Pact’s urging for an ambitious outcome to July’s Conference on Financing for Development.

    As you continue negotiations on the draft outcome document for Sevilla, I push for action in three key areas.

    First — on debt.

    When applied smartly and fairly, debt can be an ally of development.

    Instead, it has become a villain.

    In many developing countries, gains are getting crushed under the weight of debt service, siphoning away investments in education, health and infrastructure.

    And the problem is getting worse.

    Debt service for developing economies has soared past $1.4 trillion a year.

    Debt service now exceeds 10 per cent of government revenue in more than 50 developing countries — and more than 20 per cent in 17 countries — a clear warning sign of default.

    The Sevilla Conference should emerge with a commitment by Member States to lower the cost of borrowing, improve debt restructuring, and prevent crises from taking hold.

    This includes establishing a dedicated facility to help developing countries manage their liabilities and enhance liquidity in times of crisis.

    The G20 must also continue its work to speed up the Common Framework for Debt Treatments and expand support for countries that are currently ineligible — including middle-income countries in difficulties.

    And credit ratings agencies need to rethink ratings methodologies that drive up borrowing costs for developing countries.

    At the same time, the IMF and World Bank should push forward on reforming debt assessments to account for sustainable development investments and climate risks.

    These proposals and the many others contained in the draft outcome document provide an ambitious roadmap to help developing countries use debt in a constructive and sustainable way.

    Second — we need to unlock the full potential of our international financial institutions.

    If finance is the fuel of development, Multilateral Development Banks are its engine.

    And this engine needs revving up. 

    We will keep pushing to triple the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, making them bigger and bolder, as called for in the draft outcome document.

    This includes recapitalization, stretching their balance sheets and substantially increasing their capacity to mobilize private finance at reasonable costs for developing countries.

    We must ensure that concessional finance is deployed where it is most needed.

    And we need to see that developing countries are represented fairly — and have a voice — in the governance of these institutions they depend on.

    Troisièmement, nous devons prendre des mesures concrètes pour augmenter tous les flux de financement.

    Oui, les temps sont durs.

    Mais c’est d’autant plus dans les périodes difficiles qu’un investissement responsable et durable s’impose.

    Au niveau national, les gouvernements doivent mobiliser davantage de ressources internes et les diriger vers des systèmes essentiels tels que l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures…

    Ils doivent collaborer avec des partenaires privés pour multiplier les options de financement mixte…

    Et intensifier la lutte contre la corruption et les flux financiers illicites.

    Au niveau mondial, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts en vue d’établir un régime fiscal mondial inclusif et efficace, et veiller à ce que les règles fiscales internationales soient effectivement et équitablement appliquées.

    Les donateurs doivent tenir leurs promesses en matière d’aide publique au développement et s’assurer que ces précieuses ressources parviennent aux pays en développement.

    Pour notre part, nous donnerons aux équipes de pays des Nations Unies tous les moyens pour collaborer avec les gouvernements hôtes, afin qu’un maximum de ressources soit affecté au développement durable aux niveaux national et régional.

    Et nous saisirons toutes les occasions, y compris la COP30 au Brésil, pour demander aux dirigeants de trouver des sources innovantes de financement de l’action climatique dans les pays en développement – afin de mobiliser 1 300 milliards de dollars par an d’ici à 2035.

    Tout cela exige des efforts particuliers en terme de sources innovantes de financement.

    Excellences,

    À bien des égards, l’avenir du système multilatéral dépend du financement du développement.

    Il en va de notre conviction que le règlement des problèmes mondiaux – tels que la pauvreté, la faim et la crise climatique – demande des solutions mondiales.

    Tirons le meilleur parti de ce moment charnière, alors que nous nous préparons pour la conférence de Séville.

    Maintenons nos ambitions à la hauteur des enjeux, et agissons pour les populations et pour la planète.

    Et je vous remercie.

    ***
    [All-English]

    Mr. President of the General Assembly, Mr. President of ECOSOC,

    Excellencies, ladies and gentlemen,

    This year’s ECOSOC Forum comes at a pivotal time.

    We are in the final stretch of preparations for the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Sevilla.

    And we face some harsh truths. 

    The harsh truth of donors pulling the plug on aid commitments and delivery at historic speed and scale.

    The harsh truth of trade barriers being erected at a dizzying pace.

    The harsh truth that the Sustainable Development Goals are dramatically off track, exacerbated by an annual financing gap of an estimated $4 trillion.

    And the harsh truth of prohibitively high borrowing costs that are draining away public investments in everything from education and health systems, to social protection, infrastructure and the energy transition.

    But there’s another, much larger — and more dangerous — truth underlying all these challenges:

    The harsh truth that global collaboration is being actively questioned.

    Look no further than trade wars. 

    Trade — fair trade — is a prime example of the benefits of international cooperation.

    And trade barriers are a clear and present danger to the global economy and sustainable development – as demonstrated in recent sharply lower forecasts by the International Monetary Fund, UNCTAD, the World Trade Organization and many others.

    In a trade war, everybody loses — especially the most vulnerable countries and people, who are hit the hardest.

    Excellencies,

    Against this turbulent background, we cannot let our financing for development ambitions get swept away.

    With just five years to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, we need to shift into overdrive.  

    That includes making good on the commitments countries made in the Pact for the Future in September:

    From an SDG stimulus to help countries invest in their people…

    To vital and long-awaited reforms to the global financial architecture…

    To the Pact’s clear commitments to open, fair and rules-based trade…

    To its call for an analysis of the impact of military expenditures on the achievement of the SDGs, with a final report out by September…

    To the Pact’s urging for an ambitious outcome to July’s Conference on Financing for Development.

    As you continue negotiations on the draft outcome document for Sevilla, I push for action in three key areas.

    First — on debt.

    When applied smartly and fairly, debt can be an ally of development.

    Instead, it has become a villain.

    In many developing countries, gains are getting crushed under the weight of debt service, siphoning away investments in education, health and infrastructure.

    And the problem is getting worse.

    Debt service for developing economies has soared past $1.4 trillion a year.

    Debt service now exceeds 10 per cent of government revenue in more than 50 developing countries — and more than 20 per cent in 17 countries — a clear warning sign of default.

    The Sevilla Conference should emerge with a commitment by Member States to lower the cost of borrowing, improve debt restructuring, and prevent crises from taking hold.

    This includes establishing a dedicated facility to help developing countries manage their liabilities and enhance liquidity in times of crisis.

    The G20 must also continue its work to speed up the Common Framework for Debt Treatments and expand support for countries that are currently ineligible — including middle-income countries in difficulties.

    And credit ratings agencies need to rethink ratings methodologies that drive up borrowing costs for developing countries.

    At the same time, the IMF and World Bank should push forward on reforming debt assessments to account for sustainable development investments and climate risks.

    These proposals and the many others contained in the draft outcome document provide an ambitious roadmap to help developing countries use debt in a constructive and sustainable way.

    Second — we need to unlock the full potential of our international financial institutions.

    If finance is the fuel of development, Multilateral Development Banks are its engine.

    And this engine needs revving up. 

    We will keep pushing to triple the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks, making them bigger and bolder, as called for in the draft outcome document.

    This includes recapitalization, stretching their balance sheets and substantially increasing their capacity to mobilize private finance at reasonable costs for developing countries.

    We must ensure that concessional finance is deployed where it is most needed.

    And we need to see that developing countries are represented fairly — and have a voice — in the governance of these institutions they depend on.

    And third — we need concrete action to increase all streams of finance.

    Yes, these are tough times.

    But it is in difficult periods that the imperative for responsible, sustainable investment is even more critical. 

    At the country level, governments need to strengthen the mobilization of domestic resources and channel them towards critical systems like education, health and infrastructure…

    To work with private sector partners to increase blended finance options…

    And to scale-up the fight against corruption and illicit financial flows.

    At the global level, we must keep working to shape an inclusive and effective global tax regime, and ensure that international taxation rules are applied fairly and effectively.

    Donors must keep their promises on official development assistance, and ensure those precious resources reach developing countries.  

    For our part, we will fully deploy our UN Country Teams to work with host governments to channel the maximum amount of resources towards sustainable development at the national and regional levels.
     
    And we will use every opportunity — including COP30 in Brazil — to call on leaders to identify innovative sources of climate finance for developing countries leading to the mobilization of $1.3 trillion annually by 2035. 

    All this requires a focus on innovative sources of finance.  

    Excellencies,

    In many ways, financing for development is integral to the future of the multilateral system.

    It’s about our conviction in the power of global solutions to global problems like poverty, hunger and the climate crisis.

    Let’s make the most of this critical moment as we prepare for Sevilla.

    Let’s keep our ambitions high and deliver for people and planet.

    And I thank you.

    ***
    [All-French]

    Monsieur le Président de l’Assemblée générale, Monsieur le Président de l’ECOSOC,

    Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,

    Le Forum du Conseil économique et social de cette année tombe à un moment charnière.

    Les préparatifs de la quatrième Conférence internationale sur le financement du développement, qui se tiendra à Séville, entrent dans leur dernière ligne droite.

    Parallèlement, nous nous heurtons à de dures réalités :

    Des donateurs qui reviennent sur leurs engagements et renoncent à verser l’aide promise à une vitesse et à une ampleur sans précédent ;

    Des barrières commerciales qui sont érigées à un rythme effréné ;

    Des objectifs de développement durable qui sont encore bien loin d’être atteints et qui pâtissent d’un déficit de financement annuel estimé à 4 000 milliards de dollars ;

    Ou encore des coûts d’emprunt prohibitifs qui tarissent les investissements publics dans tous les domaines, de l’éducation et des systèmes de santé à la protection sociale, en passant par les infrastructures et la transition énergétique.

    Mais il y a une autre réalité – bien plus importante et bien plus dangereuse – qui est à la base de tous ces problèmes.

    Cette réalité, c’est la remise en question de la collaboration internationale.

    Inutile de chercher un exemple bien loin : prenons les guerres commerciales.

    Le commerce – un commerce équitable – illustre parfaitement les avantages de la coopération internationale.

    Les barrières commerciales constituent un danger réel et immédiat pour l’économie mondiale et le développement durable – comme le montrent les récentes prévisions en forte baisse du Fonds monétaire international, de la CNUCED, de l’Organisation mondiale du commerce et de bien d’autres organismes.

    L’Organisation mondiale du commerce prévoit déjà que le commerce international de marchandises se contractera de 0,2 % cette année – un revirement brutal par rapport à la hausse de 2,9 % enregistrée l’année dernière.

    Dans une guerre commerciale, tout le monde est perdant, en particulier les pays et les populations les plus vulnérables, qui sont les plus durement touchés.

    Excellences,

    Dans ce contexte mouvementé, nous ne pouvons laisser s’envoler nos ambitions en matière de financement du développement.

    Il ne reste que cinq ans pour atteindre les objectifs de développement durable ; il nous faut donc passer à la vitesse supérieure.

    Il faut notamment honorer les engagements pris par les pays dans le cadre du Pacte pour l’avenir en septembre :

    Du plan de relance des objectifs de développement durable, qui vise à aider les pays à investir dans leurs populations…

    Aux réformes vitales et longuement attendues de l’architecture financière mondiale…

    Aux engagements clairs pris dans le Pacte en faveur d’un commerce ouvert, équitable et régi par des règles…

    À l’analyse qui y est préconisée de l’impact des dépenses militaires sur la réalisation des objectifs de développement durable, qui fera l’objet d’un rapport final publié d’ici à septembre…

    Et au résultat ambitieux qui y est fixé pour la Conférence internationale sur le financement du développement de juillet.

    Alors que les négociations sur le projet de document final de Séville se poursuivent, j’insiste pour que des mesures soient prises dans trois domaines clés.

    Premièrement, la dette.

    Lorsqu’elle est exploitée de manière intelligente et équitable, la dette peut être une alliée du développement.

    Or, elle est devenue une ennemie.

    Dans bon nombre de pays en développement, les acquis obtenus dans le domaine du développement croulent sous le poids du service de la dette, qui ponctionne les investissements dans l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures.

    Et le problème ne fait qu’empirer.

    Le service de la dette des économies en développement s’est envolé à plus de 1 400 milliards de dollars par an.

    Il dépasse aujourd’hui de 10 % les recettes publiques dans plus de 50 pays en développement – et plus de 20 % dans 17 pays – un signe évident de défaillance.

    À l’issue de la conférence de Séville, les États Membres devraient s’engager à réduire le coût des emprunts, à mieux restructurer la dette et à empêcher les crises de perdurer.

    Pour ce faire, il faudra notamment mettre en place un dispositif pour aider les pays en développement à gérer leurs dettes et à améliorer leur situation de trésorerie en temps de crise.

    Le G20 doit également poursuivre ses travaux afin d’accélérer la mise en œuvre du Cadre commun pour le traitement de la dette et d’apporter un plus grand appui aux pays qui ne remplissent pas les conditions requises pour bénéficier de l’Initiative de suspension du service de la dette, notamment les pays à revenu intermédiaire.

    En outre, les agences de notation doivent revoir leurs méthodes, qui font grimper les coûts d’emprunt pour les pays en développement.

    Dans le même temps, le FMI et la Banque mondiale devraient faire avancer la réforme de l’évaluation de la dette de sorte que les investissements dans le développement durable et les risques climatiques soient pris en compte.

    Ces propositions, comme les nombreuses autres propositions faites dans le projet de document final, constituent un plan d’action ambitieux devant aider les pays en développement à utiliser la dette de manière constructive et durable.

    Deuxièmement, nos institutions financières internationales doivent pouvoir exploiter tout leur potentiel.

    Si le financement est le carburant du développement, les banques multilatérales de développement en sont le moteur.

    Et ce moteur doit être rendu plus performant.

    Nous continuerons à faire pression pour tripler la capacité de prêt des banques multilatérales de développement, en les agrandissant et en les rendant plus audacieuses, comme le prévoit le projet de document final.

    Il s’agit notamment d’augmenter leur capital, d’étendre leurs bilans et d’accroître considérablement leur capacité à mobiliser des financements privés à des coûts raisonnables pour les pays en développement.

    Il faudra également veiller à ce que des financements à des conditions favorables soient accordés là où ils sont le plus nécessaires.

    Et il faudra que les pays en développement soient représentés équitablement – et aient voix au chapitre – dans la gouvernance de ces institutions, dont ils dépendent.

    Troisièmement, nous devons prendre des mesures concrètes pour augmenter tous les flux de financement.

    Oui, les temps sont durs.

    Mais c’est d’autant plus dans les périodes difficiles qu’un investissement responsable et durable s’impose.

    Au niveau national, les gouvernements doivent mobiliser davantage de ressources internes et les diriger vers des systèmes essentiels tels que l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures…

    Ils doivent collaborer avec des partenaires privés pour multiplier les options de financement mixte…

    Et intensifier la lutte contre la corruption et les flux financiers illicites.

    Au niveau mondial, nous devons poursuivre nos efforts en vue d’établir un régime fiscal mondial inclusif et efficace, et veiller à ce que les règles fiscales internationales soient effectivement et équitablement appliquées.
    Les donateurs doivent tenir leurs promesses en matière d’aide publique au développement et s’assurer que ces précieuses ressources parviennent aux pays en développement.

    Pour notre part, nous donnerons aux équipes de pays des Nations Unies tous les moyens pour collaborer avec les gouvernements hôtes, afin qu’un maximum de ressources soit affecté au développement durable aux niveaux national et régional.

    Et nous saisirons toutes les occasions, y compris la COP30 au Brésil, pour demander aux dirigeants de trouver des sources innovantes de financement de l’action climatique dans les pays en développement – afin de mobiliser 1 300 milliards de dollars par an d’ici à 2035.

    Tout cela exige des efforts particuliers en terme de sources innovantes de financement.

    Excellences,

    À bien des égards, l’avenir du système multilatéral dépend du financement du développement.

    Il en va de notre conviction que le règlement des problèmes mondiaux – tels que la pauvreté, la faim et la crise climatique – demande des solutions mondiales.

    Tirons le meilleur parti de ce moment charnière, alors que nous nous préparons pour la conférence de Séville.

    Maintenons nos ambitions à la hauteur des enjeux, et agissons pour les populations et pour la planète.

    Et je vous remercie.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New York Man Sentenced for Role in Drug Trafficking Operation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jose Rivera, 37, of Queens, New York, was sentenced to 70 months for his role in a drug trafficking organization in Berkeley County.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Rivera was one of the conspirators of the drug trafficking operation selling large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Rivera supplied nearly three kilograms of cocaine to another defendant, who then drove it to West Virginia to sell.

    Rivera will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    The FBI; the U.S. Marshals Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; the West Virginia Air National Guard; the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative (agencies included are the West Virginia State Police, Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department, Jefferson County Sherriff’s Department, Ranson Police Department, Charles Town Police Department, and Martinsburg City Police Department); West Virginia State Police; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the Hagerstown Police Department; the National Resources Police Department; FBI-New York Safe Streets Task Force; the New York Police Department; the New Jersey State Police; the Washington County (Maryland) Drug Task Force; the Maryland State Police; the  U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland;  and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania investigated.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former Monmouth County Resident Sentenced to 16 Years in Prison for Role in Fraudulently Obtaining Over $3.7 Million in Cares Act Loans

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – A former resident of Monmouth County was sentenced to prison for his role in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds, U.S. Attorney Alina Habba announced.

    Kevin Aguilar, age 54, previously of Farmingdale, New Jersey, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court following Aguilar’s guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud; seven counts of bank fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; three counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering; one count of money laundering; and one count of aggravated identity theft. Aguilar was sentenced to 192 months in prison.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    From April 2020 to April 2021, Aguilar conspired with others to submit seven fraudulent PPP loan applications and three fraudulent EIDL applications on behalf of four businesses. Based on the fraudulent applications, Aguilar received a total of approximately $3.3 million in PPP loan funds and approximately $450,000 in EIDL funds. After receiving the PPP and EIDL funds, Aguilar caused those funds to be transferred to other businesses that he created to give the false appearance that the PPP and EIDL funds were being used for legitimate purposes. Aguilar then used the PPP and EIDL funds to purchase residential properties in Sherman, Texas, a new truck for approximately $100,000, and to pay for other personal expenses.

    In addition to the 192-month prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Aguilar to 5 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $3,772,567 in restitution, as well as a forfeiture money judgment of $3,772,567.  Judge Shipp also ordered the forfeiture of approximately $1,511,221.62 that law enforcement seized from twelve bank accounts, as well as the three real properties in Sherman, Texas. 

    U.S. Attorney Habba credited special agents of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patricia Tarasca in New York; IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly; postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen; special agents of the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Robert Manchak; and special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney.

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney David V. Simunovich of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud Unit, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Kozar, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Economic Crimes United in Newark, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter Laserna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit.

    The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

                                                                           ###

    Defense counsel:         Alyssa Cimino, Esq., Fairfield, New Jersey; Robert Brady, Esq., Newton, New Jersey

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Cleveland Man Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Antonio D. Moncrief, 35, of Cleveland, Ohio, was sentenced to 71 months in prison for selling fentanyl in Ohio County.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, Moncrief, also known as “Tone,” was selling fentanyl on Wheeling Island. Investigators seized methamphetamine, cocaine, and 107 fentanyl pills at an apartment on North Front Street associated with Moncrief.

    Moncrief will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. 

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.

    The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.

    U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Record Attendance at 30th Annual NREL Industry Growth Forum as Innovation Soars

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    [embedded content]

    Text version

    History was made this year at the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Industry Growth Forum (IGF), and not only because it celebrated the 30th anniversary of the event. The IGF also reached a record high number for attendance: more than 1,000 people

    “Thank you all for being here for this milestone anniversary,” NREL Director Martin Keller said during his welcoming remarks. “For 30 years, this forum has brought together the energy ecosystem. You help NREL understand industry challenges, refine our research priorities to address real-world needs, and accelerate market adoption of new technologies. NREL benefits from your market insights and challenges, and you benefit from our technical expertise and research capabilities. This two-way exchange is why the IGF has thrived for 30 years.”

    Held March 26–28, 2025, at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Denver, Colorado, the event featured several new opportunities for investors, startups, and other industry professionals. The theme of the event was unlocking value, inspiring the creation of original programming aimed at leveraging the power of the IGF.

    More than 1,000 people attended the 2025 NREL Industry Growth Forum. Photo by Kira Vos

    Attendees focused on bringing innovative energy solutions to the market, including battery construction, novel ways to power buildings, and maximizing energy efficiency to lower costs. The event included new programs such as a reverse pitch session, a spotlight of companies that are part of NREL’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center (IEC) portfolio, Growth Stage dialogues, resource roundtables, and more.

    “What a difference 30 years makes,” IEC Director Trish Cozart said during her opening remarks. “Since the first NREL Industry Growth Forum, we’ve increased the size of the event by tenfold, and while our computers are eight orders of magnitude more powerful than they were 30 years ago, one thing that has not changed is that the key to unlocking value in this business is people. No matter how much compute power we build, I believe 30 years from now, we will still be sitting across the table talking to each other.”

    Networking has always been at the core of IGF, and this year was no different with nearly 3,000 meetings held. The marquee event for many attendees was the one-on-one meetings between startups and investors. During this 3.5-hour session, each startup and investor had 10 minutes to talk during each prescheduled meeting before moving on to the next.

    The IGF also featured a competition where 52 different presenters pitched in front of panels of investor judges and then received questions and scores from the judges. The pitch competition awarded top ventures across several stages: Growth, Commercialization, Pre-Commercialization, and Early. Other categories awarded included Best International Venture (for the first time), People’s Choice, and Best Overall Venture.

    First-Time Attending Startup Seeks Connections

    One of those participating in the Early-Stage pitch competition was first-time IGF attendee Michael Solomentsev, co-founder and CEO of Palanquin Power. Solomentsev is also in NREL’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, West Gate. Palanquin helps make data centers more efficient using advanced power electronics, and Solomentsev often describes the technology by pointing to a laptop charger.

    Michael Solomentsev, co-founder and CEO of Palanquin Power, delivers his pitch during his session at the IGF. Solomentsev is also in NREL’s Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program, West Gate. Photo from Kira Vos

    “With that type of device, you don’t really care if it’s 80% or 90% efficient,” Solomentsev said. “But a data center has the same need for power conversion, and each percentage point means much more power on that scale, so they have a huge premium for efficiency. Our approach enables efficiencies that no one else can achieve.”

    West Gate provides participants technical support via a two-year program at NREL, working with experts to help further develop technology. Solomentsev has about 18 months left in the program, and leading up to the IGF, he was very excited about the one-on-one meetings.

    “Meeting that many investors and who are in the particular niche I inhabit, it’s worth its weight in gold,” Solomentsev said.

    Long-Time Investor Advises Multiple Entrepreneurs

    Tim Woodward, managing director of Prelude Ventures, began coming to the IGF just after its creation in the 1990s. His firm typically funds companies before first revenue with a Seed or Series A check and continues the relationship through commercialization to scaling.

    “There really isn’t another event that happens at this scale that brings this many investors and companies together,” he said. “There isn’t an equivalent.”

    Over the years, Woodward has acted multiple times as a member of the selection committee that chooses the startups to present at the event).

    “I’ve been coming to this for almost all 30 years,” Woodward said. “From a gathering of 50 to 100 investors and startups to more than 1,000 people today, it’s really become the place to be for industry investors and startups.”

    Accelerator Looks for Technologies To Take Home

    Suzanna Caldwell, tech deployment track manager for Launch Alaska, came to the IGF seeking to expand her program’s reach. Launch Alaska, based in Anchorage, is an eight-month accelerator program for companies to develop technologies in the Alaska environment.

    “It’s always great when you find a technology and the innovators are interested in Alaska,” Caldwell said. “It’s amazing to make those connections in a place like this far from home. It’s inspiring. At the end of it, I walk away saying: ‘Wow, this is such a cool space.’”

    Several companies in the Launch Alaska portfolio came to this year’s IGF, which Caldwell thinks is an invaluable experience for both her accelerator and the innovators.

    “I don’t know of other conferences that are like this,” she said, “that bring together so much diversity in the marketplace. I’m really impressed by NREL’s ability to bring this together.”

    Bob O’Connor, a partner in the Wilson Sonsini law firm, gave the keynote speech at the closing session. Photo from Kira Vos

    Startup Service Provider Keeps Coming Back Each Year

    Law firm Wilson Sonsini began sponsoring the IGF several years ago. Bob O’Connor, a partner in the law firm, said the relationship dates back to 2003, when one of the first innovative energy technology companies he represented also happened to be a spinoff that was commercializing NREL-created technology.

    “People come to the IGF in order to ascertain what’s next,” O’Connor said. “It is a bit like coming home in many respects. It’s always a great opportunity to see all the key players in the industry catching up and sharing stories, vulnerabilities, and accomplishments. I’ve always thought of NREL as quite literally the most optimistic place on earth. If you aren’t sure we as a community, or as an industry, can meet the challenges ahead of us, come to IGF. The answers are probably here!”

    O’Connor gave a keynote address on Friday, March 28, where he focused on what NREL means to the community.

    “NREL brings us optimism, and optimism requires resilience. Optimism doesn’t come cheap,” O’Connor said. “Yet, resilience is an opportunity, and that is why the community is rallying around NREL. To me, NREL is resilience.”

    Resource Roundtables were among the several new programs offered at the 2025 IGF. Photo from Kira Vos

    New Programs Offer New Opportunities

    Solomentsev took part in several of the new programs at this year’s IGF, including the IEC Spotlight session. This invite-only event brought together investors and industry professionals for special pitches from 10 startups that came from IEC programs such as the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2), the Shell GameChanger Powered by NREL (GCxN), West Gate, and Chevron Studio.

    The spotlight was just one of several new programs. The others included:

    • Industry Reverse Pitches: In addition to the regular pitch competition, the IGF hosted a reverse pitch session during the event. Executives with Wells Fargo, Shell, Fortescue, National Grid, Halliburton Labs, and Chevron gave short presentations about what they are looking for from startups to advance their businesses and when considering what to invest in.
    • Resource Roundtables: Hosted by service providers, these sessions included advice from lawyers, accountants, and technical analysis companies. Advisors chose topics and answered questions from startups based on their areas of expertise.
    • Growth Stage Dialogues: Companies pitching in the Growth Stage met with investors and other stakeholders for 25-minute sessions outside of the pitch competition. The conversations delved into legal issues, insurance questions, and how to bring in partners.
    • International Competition: Earlier in 2025, NREL held, a virtual competition for organizations headquartered outside of the United States, Canada, and Europe. The winner, Ampersand, based out of Kigali, Rwanda, was invited to pitch at the in-person IGF, where the company also earned the award for Best Growth Venture.
    • Developer University: As a customized offering for the IGF, project development and project finance experts from CREO, Spring Lane Capital, and Wilson Sonsini delivered a snapshot of their Developer University curriculum. The morning session provided attendees with a crash course on the practical tools and strategies used for project development and the finance and legal structures that enable first-of-a-kind energy deployments. 
    • NREL Tech Talks: Startups and investors alike benefited from discussions with NREL researchers who shared the state of innovation in 30-minute talks spanning across advanced solar manufacturing, built environment, the grid, critical materials and batteries.
    Attendees at the Industry Growth Forum participated in nearly 3,000 meetings over the course of the event. Photo by Kira Vos

    Face-to-Face Meetings Encourage Innovation

    Nearly 3,000 meetings were held at this year’s IGF, many of them during the must-attend one-on-one sessions. A longtime IGF attendee, Woodward treats the one-on-one sessions like office hours.

    “In a perfect world, you come across a company that’s interesting and that you want to continue to do due diligence on, and that ultimately leads to an investment,” he said.

    Two of the companies Woodward met with early on are from the West Gate portfolio. He asked pointed questions, tracking responses to challenges and opportunities. His advice for innovators remained consistent.

    “Control what you can control, keep your head down, plug away, and build a good team,” he said.

    Solomentsev met with 15 to 20 investors during the IGF, many of them during the one-on-one session.

    Palanquin Power CEO Michael Solomentsev (left) met with 15 to 20 investors, many during the one-on-one meeting session. Photo by Kira Vos

    “It was really high value,” he said. “I loved the one-on-ones; I loved meeting a lot of people. I like learning about what other people are doing, and some of my most pleasant conversations are the ones with zero stakes where you’re just talking to another startup and then maybe there’s an introduction or a lead that comes out of that.”

    The meetings at the IGF saved him months of work, by bringing everyone together as only NREL can.

    “The reputation of the event, of NREL and the IEC, and their ability to attract great people and get them to come to Denver for this is unparalleled,” Solomentsev said.

    The Incubator/Accelerator Open House took place at the same time as the one-on-one meetings. The open house provided an opportunity for incubators and accelerators to set up tables in the expo hall and connect with startups, investors, and other IGF attendees to share information about their organizations and services.

    “That was so great for me,” Caldwell said. “If I wasn’t able to schedule time with folks, I could at least connect with them then, make eye contact, and say hello because everyone is friendly and willing to support you. Even if you meet someone that’s outside of the sphere you’re working in, there’s probably connections to be made.”

    Six startups won awards at the 2025 IGF. Photo from Kira Vos

    Award Winners and Beyond

    Before the closing remarks of the conference, Cozart announced the winners of the pitch competition awards. Solomentsev was among the winners, earning the Best Early Venture award for Palanquin Power.

    “I’m very excited—I’m very happy to have won the award,” Solomentsev said. “It is very nice to get some sort of validation that people think the core business is a big enough opportunity.”

    Learn more about the winners.

    “I hope this forum has brought you promising new connections and opportunities,” Cozart said during the closing remarks. “Startups out there, you see things that other people can’t see. Investors, you are bold because you believe in a future that only innovators can see. I look around this room and I see the future. I can’t wait to see the value that’s unlocked from the last couple of days.”

    To learn more about the IGF, visit www.nrelforum.com.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Washington State Challenges Trump Administration’s Dismantling of AmeriCorps

    Source: Washington State News

    SEATTLE — Washington state Attorney General Nick Brown today joined a multistate lawsuit challenging an illegal executive order that terminated AmeriCorps grants and reduced the agency’s workforce by 85 percent. The order effectively ended the program that provides opportunities to more than 200,000 Americans to serve their communities. The coalition includes 23 attorneys general and the states of Kentucky and Pennsylvania.

    AmeriCorps is an independent federal agency tasked with engaging Americans in meaningful public service that directly addresses educational, public safety, and environmental needs in local communities. AmeriCorps members and volunteers connect veterans to essential services, fight the opioid epidemic, help older adults age with dignity, rebuild communities after disasters, and improve the physical and mental well-being of millions of Americans. 

    “AmeriCorps provides hope and belonging in American communities nationwide. It gives inspiration and purpose to the young people who join its ranks annually,” Brown said. “But the president thinks public programs and public dollars are his to do with what he will, snatching them up through the same scheming that federal courts have already said is likely illegal.”

    In early February, the Trump Administration issued an executive order directing every federal agency to plan to reduce the size of its workforce and prepare to initiate in large-scale reductions in force. Since then, AmeriCorps has placed at least 85% of its workforce on administrative leave and notified employees that they would be terminated by June 24.

    On April 25, the federal government notified Washington state that it terminated its AmeriCorps grant programs, which support volunteer and service efforts.

    In the complaint, Attorney General Brown and the multistate coalition argue that by abruptly canceling critical grants and gutting AmeriCorps’ workforce, the Trump Administration is effectively shuttering the national volunteer agency and ending the states’ abilities to support AmeriCorps programs.

    The coalition asserts that the Trump Administration acted illegally in its gutting of AmeriCorps, violating both the Administrative Procedures Act and the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution. Congress created AmeriCorps and the programs it administers, and the President cannot incapacitate the agency’s ability to administer appropriated grants or carry out statutorily assigned duties. Further, by dismantling AmeriCorps and its programs, which are creatures of Congress, the Trump Administration has violated the Executive Branch’s obligation to take care that the law is faithfully executed. 

    In joining today’s lawsuit Attorney General Brown joins the attorneys general of Maryland, Delaware, California, Colorado, Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia and the states of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. 

    -30-

    Washington’s Attorney General serves the people and the state of Washington. As the state’s largest law firm, the Attorney General’s Office provides legal representation to every state agency, board, and commission in Washington. Additionally, the Office serves the people directly by enforcing consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental protection laws. The Office also prosecutes elder abuse, Medicaid fraud, and handles sexually violent predator cases in 38 of Washington’s 39 counties. Visit www.atg.wa.gov to learn more.

    Media Contact:

    Email: press@atg.wa.gov

    Phone: (360) 753-2727

    General contacts: Click here

    Media Resource Guide & Attorney General’s Office FAQ

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Stein Proclaims April as World Autism Month

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Stein Proclaims April as World Autism Month

    Governor Stein Proclaims April as World Autism Month
    lsaito

    Raleigh, NC

    Governor Josh Stein has proclaimed April as World Autism Month in North Carolina to raise awareness and recognize individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), their families, and organizations working to support them.

    “I am proud to recognize North Carolinians with autism, their families, and organizations across the state that educate us about the unique challenges people with autism face from early childhood,” said Governor Josh Stein. “To help people with autism thrive, schools, families, and organizations need resources to ensure that the students reach their full potential.”

    Autism spectrum disorder is a neurological and developmental disorder that begins early in childhood and consists of a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that ASD affects approximately 1 in 36 children.  

    North Carolina is at the forefront of innovative workforce programs for individuals with autism. In 2018, the North Carolina Business Committee for Education (NCBCE), a work-based learning and education focused nonprofit housed in the Office of the Governor, helped to launch the LiNC-IT Collaborative. LiNC-IT was created to facilitate paid employment experiences for students and professionals with autism, as well as to provide employers with a pipeline of excellent talent often missed during conventional recruitment processes. You can hear from LiNC-IT employers and participants in this video. The successful LiNC-IT model will be expanded on through NC Career Launch.  

    March 2025 marked the sixth anniversary of Executive Order 92: Employment First for North Carolinians with Disabilities. The executive order charged state agencies with facilitating welcoming environments across state government where individuals with disabilities could successfully participate in competitive, integrated employment. State employees have credited the designation of North Carolina as an Employment First state with creating a more supportive environment for state employees with disabilities.  

    Governor Stein’s proposed budget recommends investments to help with autism thrive, including increased funding for vocational rehabilitation, recruiting and retaining direct support professionals, education for children with disabilities, and additional slots for the Medicaid Innovations Waiver.

    To learn more about Autism Spectrum Disorder, visit the UNC TEACCH Autism Center, the Autism Society of North Carolina and the Duke Center for Autism and Brain Development. For more information on LiNC-IT or to get involved, visit the LiNC-IT website or email NCBCEadmin@nc.gov.

    Read Governor Stein’s full proclamation. 

    Apr 29, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Co-Leads Lawsuit Challenging Trump Administration’s Dismantling of National Volunteer Public Service Agency, AmeriCorps

    Source: US State of California

    AmeriCorps volunteers address critical local needs, create public good, foster belonging

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today co-led 23 attorneys general and two states in filing a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s termination of AmeriCorps grants and the dismantling of the agency though a 85% reduction of its workforce, effectively ending the agency’s ability to continue administering the programs, operations, and funding that make its important work possible. AmeriCorps is an independent federal agency tasked with engaging Americans in meaningful community-based service that directly address the country’s educational, public safety, and environmental needs — every year, the agency provides opportunities for more than 200,000 Americans to serve their communities.

    “AmeriCorps volunteers bring out the best in America and in our communities. By abruptly canceling critical grants and gutting AmeriCorps’ workforce and volunteers, DOGE is dismantling AmeriCorps without any concern for the thousands of people who are ready and eager to serve their country — or for those whose communities are stronger because of this public service,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “In California, AmeriCorps volunteers build affordable housing, clean up our environment, and address food insecurity in communities across our state. California has repeatedly taken action to hold the Trump Administration and DOGE accountable to the law — and we stand prepared to do it again to protect AmeriCorps and the vital services it provides.”

    “Service sits at the very core of who we are as Americans,” said Governor Gavin Newsom. “California is suing the Trump administration to defend thousands of hardworking service members and the communities they serve. These actions by President Trump and Elon Musk not only threaten our funding – they vandalize our values. We’re going to fight to stop them.” 

    BACKGROUND 

    AmeriCorps supports national and state community service programs by providing opportunities for Americans to serve their communities and by awarding grants to local and national organizations and agencies which use funding to address critical community needs. These organizations and agencies use AmeriCorps funding to recruit, place, and supervise AmeriCorps members nationwide. AmeriCorps members and volunteers have connected veterans to essential services, fought the opioid epidemic, helped older adults age with dignity, rebuilt communities after disasters, and improved the physical and mental well-being of millions of Americans. 

    In early February, the Trump Administration issued an executive order directing every federal agency to plan to reduce the size of its workforce and prepare to initiate in large-scale reductions in force. Since then, AmeriCorps has placed at least 85% of its workforce on administrative leave immediately and notified employees that they would be terminated effective June 24, 2025. 

    On April 25, California received notice from the federal government of termination of its AmeriCorps grant programs which support volunteer and service efforts. Grant cancellations and program termination notices were sent to approximately 1,031 programs nationwide.

    LAWSUIT 

    In the complaint today, the Attorney General Bonta and a multistate coalition argue that by abruptly canceling critical grants and gutting AmeriCorps’ workforce, the Trump Administration is effectively shuttering the national volunteer agency and ending states’ abilities to support AmeriCorps programs within their borders. 

    The coalition establishes that the Trump Administration has acted unlawfully in its gutting of AmeriCorps, violating both the Administrative Procedures Act and the separation of powers under the U.S. Constitution. Congress has created AmeriCorps and the programs it administers, and the President cannot incapacitate the agency’s ability to administer appropriated grants or carry out statutorily assigned duties. Further, by dismantling AmeriCorps and its programs, which are creations of Congress, The Trump Administration’s has violated the Executive Branch’s obligation to take care that the law is faithfully executed. 

    CALIFORNIA IMPACTS

    AmeriCorps funds support California public agencies and nonprofits that provide critical services to low-income communities.  

    In 2024, at least 6,150 California members served at at least 1,200 locations, including schools, food banks, homeless shelters, health clinics, youth centers, veterans’ facilities, and other nonprofit and faith-based organizations. AmeriCorps invested more than $133 million in federal funding to California last year to support cost-effective community solutions, working with local partners on the ground to help communities, who most intimately understand their needs, tackle their toughest challenges. When the Los Angeles fires devastated millions earlier this year, AmeriCorps members showed up to distribute supplies and support families — until the Trump Administration ended the program and sent them home on hours’ notice.

    In bringing today’s lawsuit Attorney General Bonta and the attorneys general of Maryland, Delaware, and Colorado lead the attorneys general of Arizona, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia and the states of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. 

    A copy of the complaint will become available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Sherrill Demands Transparency by Protecting Inspectors General at the Department of Defense

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) spoke out today against Donald Trump firing at least 17 Inspector Generals. These independent watchdogs serve within federal agencies and are tasked with investigating allegations of fraud, waste, and abuse. Despite being protected under federal law, the President failed to provide Congress a 30-day notice before any dismissal. The amendment would protect the Inspector General oversight at the Department of Defense.

    This effort comes after Rep. Sherrill wrote to inspectors general at eight federal agencies demanding investigations into Elon Musk’s conflicts of interest and potential self-dealing.

    Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks. 

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    The Trump’s administration’s immediate firings of Inspectors General — particularly within the DoD — is not only illegal but is also a blatant attempt to silence independent oversight. By removing the IG’s, the administration is ensuring that there is no one left to hold Hegseth and the Department accountable for fraud, waste, and abuse. 

    This is not about improving government, this is about eroding transparency and giving Musk and Hegseth free passes to do whatever they want. It’s dangerous for our national security, and it’s dangerous for our service members.

    And sadly, this is a pattern across the Trump Administration — reducing oversight so that Trump can line the pockets of his billionaire buddies. We’ve seen it time and again: Trump rigs the system — he installs his campaign donors, like Elon Musk, in top roles; they manufacture a problem; remove IGs and other career officials who may hold them accountable; and then award government contracts to businesses where they have a financial interest. 

    It’s self dealing; it’s inappropriate; and it’s illegal. 

    That’s why earlier this year, I called on inspectors general at eight federal agencies to investigate Elon Musk and DOGE’s actions, identify his conflicts of interest, and ensure that an unelected billionaire isn’t stealing New Jersey families’ hard earned tax dollars to further enrich himself and his companies. 

    For Donald Trump, Elon Musk, and Pete Hegseth, it’s never been about combatting waste, fraud, and abuse. And it’s never been about service to country. Which is why I strongly support this amendment to protect inspector general oversight at the Department of Defense.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Rep. Sherrill Stands In The Breach Against Trump and Secretary Hegseth’s Effort To Erase History

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11)

    WASHINGTON, DC — As Secretary Hegseth and the Trump Administration bend and erase history to push their divisive agenda, Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11) is standing in the breach. During the House Armed Services Committee markup, Rep. Sherrill rose in support of an amendment that would prevent Hegseth from recklessly destroying or censoring any historical artifacts, books, papers or records at the Department of Defense without proper oversight. 

    Click here to listen to Sherrill’s full remarks. 

    Full remarks, as delivered:

    “I’m a Naval Academy graduate. I’m deeply proud of my alma mater, and I am even more proud that some of my children went to step up and serve as well. It’s where I learned leadership, and it’s where I swore my first oath to the Constitution of the United States. But, right now, I’m disgusted. 

    I’m disgusted by how Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth are using our service academies and the department of defense to push their white christian nationalist agenda. He’s taken Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou off of the library shelves, but left two copies of Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf in the library.

    Just consider that for a minute: midshipmen can now read the antisemitic manifesto of one of history’s most evil men but god forbid they read the autobiography of a Black woman recounting her lived experience.

    Hegseth’s orders forced the Academy to remove a display highlighting the service of Jewish women before he came to visit. But Hegseth and Trump’s censorship reaches far beyond the Naval Academy. Over the past few months, they’ve deleted thousands of pages off of the DoD’s website. These pages have taught the history of trailblazing service members like the Tuskegee Airmen, the Navajo Code Talkers, Jackie Robinson, Maj. Gen. Jeannie Leavitt, our first female fighter pilot, and thousands more.

    Let me be clear: these are Americans who signed up to give their lives for this country, even when this country did not give them the rights and freedoms that they deserved. Diversity and inclusion have never been a detriment to our military, our government, or our society — but policies of uniformity and exclusion certainly have. 

    Black history is American history. Women’s history is American history. Native American history is American history. And erasing stories like this is not only a disgrace to the service of many people, but it will make our fighting forces and our nation weaker as a whole.

    That’s why I am supporting this Amendment to prevent Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump from bending and erasing history to push their white christian nationalist agenda.

    I will tell you why the caged bird sings, it sings for freedom.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: San Jose Engineer Pleads Guilty to Bombings of PG&E Transformers, Causing Property Damage and Widespread Power Outages

    Source: US State of Vermont

    Peter Karasev, 38, a U.S. citizen residing in San Jose, pleaded guilty in the Northern District of California today to federal charges related to two separate bombings of PG&E electrical transformers in late 2022 and early 2023.

    Karasev was indicted on Oct. 19, 2023, and pleaded guilty today to two counts of willful destruction of an energy facility. According to the plea agreement, Karasev admitted that on Dec. 8, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, he willfully damaged energy facilities involved in the production, storage, transmission, and distribution of electricity. In both attacks, Karasev used homemade explosive devices to cause significant destruction and widespread power outages in the San Jose area.

    “Attacks on America’s critical infrastructure are attacks targeting the heart of our nation’s security. They will be treated like the grave threat they are to our country,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s guilty plea, the defendant admitted to putting thousands of lives and businesses at risk and endangering essential services for countless more. The Justice Department will not rest until we disrupt and hold accountable those participating in these dangerous attacks.”

    “The defendant admitted to using homemade explosives to intentionally damage two electrical transformers and cause significant disruptions to more than 1,500 residences and businesses in San Jose. The search of his home following his arrest uncovered a staggering trove of explosive devices and hazardous chemicals. There can be no mistake as to the extent of destruction that could have resulted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California. “We applaud the swift work of law enforcement officers to investigate these threats to critical infrastructure, bring the defendant to justice, and prevent further harm to the residents of San Jose.”

    “With today’s guilty plea, Karasev admits to using explosives to attack two electrical facilities which resulted in power outages to numerous homes and businesses in the San Jose area,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Americans rely on essential infrastructure as they go about their daily lives. The FBI works with our partners to protect that infrastructure, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to damage it.”

    The first attack, which occurred near the Westfield Oakridge Mall, resulted in the destruction of a PG&E transformer and left more than 1,450 customers without power for nearly 16 hours. The second attack, carried out near Plaza Del Rey shopping center, caused further destruction, damaging a transformer and adjacent building, and interrupted power to dozens more residents and businesses.

    In connection with his plea, Karasev admitted that the attacks were premeditated and deliberate. He conducted extensive internet searches regarding explosive materials, infrastructure attacks, and geopolitical conflicts. Upon his arrest on March 1, 2023, law enforcement agents discovered multiple homemade explosive devices, over 300 pounds of explosive precursor materials, hazardous chemicals, firearms, and remote detonation devices in his home, vehicle, and office.

    Under the terms of the plea agreement, Karasev faces a stipulated sentence of between 102 and 126 months (approximately 8.5 to 10.5 years) in federal prison. He also agreed to pay restitution of no less than $104,076.26 for the damages caused. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19.

    The FBI and the San Jose Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh for the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Britt Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Make Breast Cancer Diagnostic Tests More Affordable and Accessible

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Katie Britt (R-AL) are introducing the bipartisan Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis (ABCD) Act to make breast cancer diagnostic tests more affordable and accessible by eliminating copays and other out-of-pocket expenses for these tests, which are often necessary to receive a formal diagnosis. The bipartisan ABCD Act is also backed by U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV). 
    “Receiving a breast cancer diagnosis is difficult enough – families across the country shouldn’t have to also worry about whether they can even afford the tests necessary to reach such a diagnosis, which can sometimes be the difference between life and death,” said Senator Shaheen. “Breast cancer—and the countless challenges that come with it—knows no geographic borders nor political affiliation. Let’s put politics aside and pass our bipartisan bill that could help save so many lives.” 
    “The ABCD Act would provide greater access to mammography so women can be diagnosed as soon as possible, giving them the widest variety of treatment options and the best chance to defeat this disease,” said Senator Britt. “Mammograms are a crucial, potentially lifesaving tool to detect breast cancer, and this commonsense, bipartisan legislation would ensure that a warranted follow-up diagnostic examination is also covered by health insurers at no out-of-pocket cost to the patient. I’m proud to reintroduce this legislation along with Senator Shaheen.” 
    “For far too many, needed breast imaging and access to a timely diagnosis are still out of reach due to high out-of-pocket expenses, leaving patients forced to decide between their health and their finances,” said Molly Guthrie, Vice President of Policy and Advocacy at Susan G. Komen. “The Access to Breast Cancer Diagnosis Act will remove the financial barrier to diagnostic and supplemental breast imaging so that individuals can get the care they need without having to endure undue financial burden. We grateful to Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Katie Britt and Representatives Debbie Dingell and Brian Fitzpatrick for their leadership on this vital legislation.” 
    Current law requires insurance companies to provide no-copay coverage for breast cancer screenings, but that does not extend to the diagnostic testing including mammograms, MRIs, and ultrasounds, that are necessary in many cases as an estimated ten percent of screening mammograms require follow-up diagnostic testing. 
    The costs of those tests discourage many women from getting them, risking cancer progression that increases both the severity of the disease and the financial toll for treatment. A staggering 40.6 percent of women said the possibility of paying a deductible could lead them to skip additional, often necessary imaging.   
    The standard out-of-pocket cost of a diagnostic mammogram is estimated to be $234, while breast MRIs run patients an average of $1,021. Medical debt is associated with the majority of personal bankruptcies in the United States and even higher for cancer patients.  
    Shaheen and Britt’s bipartisan bill would eliminate financial barriers to ensure women who are recommended for additional imaging can do so without fear of going into debt. The bill is endorsed by the Susan G. Komen Foundation. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy, Collins, Colleagues Reintroduce Legislation to Help Americans Better Plan for Retirement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Susan Collins (R-ME), and colleagues reintroduced legislation to help Americans better plan for retirement and enhance retirement security by ensuring they have the information they need to make more informed decisions regarding when to claim Social Security benefits. 
    “Americans have earned their benefits. When planning for retirement, let’s make sure they have the best information available and receive what they deserve,” said Dr. Cassidy.
    Cassidy was joined by U.S. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Chris Coons (D-DE) in reintroducing the legislation.
    One of the key financial decisions facing older Americans is when to claim Social Security retirement benefits. Social Security benefits are available to Americans who are as young as age 62, but those who choose to claim their benefits later receive higher monthly payments, with the maximum benefits available to those who claim at age 70 or older.
    Most people do not claim benefits at the age that would maximize their income in retirement. By doing so, they forgo a significant amount of retirement income. To provide additional clarity for Americans deciding when to claim their benefits, this legislation changes the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) terminology from “early eligibility age,” “full retirement age,” and “delayed retirement credits” to “minimum monthly benefit age,” “standard monthly benefit age,” and “maximum monthly benefit age” to better reflect Social Security’s claiming design and how the program works.
    The legislation would also help Americans better plan for retirement by requiring the SSA to mail social security statements—which detail how much a person has paid into Social Security and Medicare—every five years to individuals with Social Security accounts between the ages of 25 and 54, every two years for those between the ages of 55 and 59, and annually for those 60 and above.
    Click here for bill text on nomenclature. Click here for bill text on regular statements for beneficiaries. 
    Background
    Cassidy is a leading advocate for Social Security beneficiaries and recently announced over 73,000 Louisianans have already received a total of $585,586,698.41 in retroactive payments after the repeal of the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO). This comes after Cassidy successfully secured a vote in the U.S. Senate to pass the Social Security Fairness Act which fully repealed WEP and GPO. After the bill was passed, Cassidy urged SAA to implement the new law as quickly as possible. Louisiana has now received the seventh most of any state in retroactive payments.
    SSA began depositing retroactive payments into bank accounts in late February and completed nearly all retroactive payments by the end of March. Adjustments to ongoing monthly benefits will begin in April.
    Before the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, around 94,000 Louisianans were unfairly penalized by WEP and GPO. WEP was enacted in 1983 and reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government for employment not covered by Social Security. GPO was enacted in 1977 and reduces Social Security spousal benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers whose spouses receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Introduction of miscellaneous statutes amendment act, 2025

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Government introduced the miscellaneous statutes amendment act, 2025, to the legislative assembly on Tuesday, April 29, 2025.

    If passed by the legislature, the amendments will affect the following provincial statutes:

    Wildfire Act:

    Amendments to the Wildfire Act are proposed to change the limitation period for orders the minister can make against parties who started or contributed to the spread of a wildfire or who contravened the act or wildfire regulation. The amendments will provide more time for an alleged party to understand the evidence against them and a meaningful opportunity to respond. They will also provide additional time for investigations and calculating costs and damages, and for decision-makers to assess the facts before making a determination order (e.g., for parties to pay government’s fire-control costs, the value of damaged or destroyed Crown resources or an administrative penalty).

    The amendments will align the limitation period with those in other natural resource statutes, such as the Forest and Range Practices Act.

    Local Government Act and An Act to Incorporate the Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District:

    Amendments are proposed to temporarily extend instream protections for development charges from 12 to 24 months for Metro Vancouver Regional District and its Greater Boards (Greater Vancouver Water District and Greater Vancouver Sewerage and Drainage District) for developers that have submitted completed applications prior to March 22, 2024. This is applied retroactively so that the homebuilders who have met the application date above will continue to have access to the lower rates of development charges for an additional year until March 22, 2026.

    Housing Supply Act:

    Amendments to the Housing Supply Act are proposed to ensure consistency of provincial authority to undertake compliance measures with the City of Vancouver, conforming with all other prescribed municipalities subject to a housing target order.

    Local Government Act – Elections amendments:

    Amendments to the Local Government Act, Local Elections Campaign Financing Act, School Act and Vancouver Charter are proposed to clarify for local election officials and others the rules concerning elections administration and address barriers to participation by electors and candidates in local elections.  

    Local elections include elections for municipal councils, regional district electoral areas, boards of education, specified parks boards, local community commissions and the Islands Trust.

    Local Government Act – Service Establishment Bylaw exemptions:

    An amendment to the Local Government Act is proposed to add an exception to regional district service establishment rules to allow regional districts to establish the service of designating fire inspectors and investigators as required under the new Fire Safety Act.

    Local Government Act and Vancouver Charter (clauses 45, 46, 65 and 66):

    Amendments are proposed to provide clarity that instream protections extend to site-specific density benefit provisions, and exempt any site-specific density benefits bylaw passed prior to April 25, 2024, from having to comply with the new density benefit bylaw provisions.

    Vancouver Charter – City of Vancouver Regulatory Authorities:

    Amendments are proposed to clarify that the City of Vancouver can regulate in areas also governed by the Province in the same manner as other municipalities under the Community Charter.

    Professional Governance Act:

    Amendments are being proposed to clarify a regulation-making power under the Professional Governance Act. The goal is to clarify that the cabinet can make regulations related to job titles.

    The act already provides regulation-making power to specify which professional titles are reserved for use by certain professionals. This change would provide clear authority to specify which job titles are not reserved exclusively for certain professionals. A regulation made under this clarified power would ensure that professional regulatory bodies cannot prevent people from using certain job titles set out in the regulation.

    Wildlife Act:

    Amendments are proposed under the Wildlife Act to enact pull the plug requirements and mandatory stops at open watercraft inspection stations, targeted for the 2025 summer boating season. In addition, the amendments will enable mandatory inspections for watercraft entering B.C. from another jurisdiction prior to launch. This authority will be brought into force through regulations following further analysis and engagement.

    The transport of watercraft between waterbodies is the primary high-risk pathway for spreading aquatic invasive species, such as zebra and quagga mussels, and whirling disease. The most effective preventive measure is for boaters to clean, drain and dry all watercraft and equipment after each use, and to pull the plug on all watercrafts being transported between waterbodies. Many other jurisdictions have similar measures in place, including Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

    Learn More:

    For more information about B.C. legislation, visit: https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/Legislation

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: San Jose Engineer Pleads Guilty to Bombings of PG&E Transformers, Causing Property Damage and Widespread Power Outages

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Peter Karasev, 38, a U.S. citizen residing in San Jose, pleaded guilty in the Northern District of California today to federal charges related to two separate bombings of PG&E electrical transformers in late 2022 and early 2023.

    Karasev was indicted on Oct. 19, 2023, and pleaded guilty today to two counts of willful destruction of an energy facility. According to the plea agreement, Karasev admitted that on Dec. 8, 2022, and Jan. 5, 2023, he willfully damaged energy facilities involved in the production, storage, transmission, and distribution of electricity. In both attacks, Karasev used homemade explosive devices to cause significant destruction and widespread power outages in the San Jose area.

    “Attacks on America’s critical infrastructure are attacks targeting the heart of our nation’s security. They will be treated like the grave threat they are to our country,” said Sue J. Bai, head of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “With today’s guilty plea, the defendant admitted to putting thousands of lives and businesses at risk and endangering essential services for countless more. The Justice Department will not rest until we disrupt and hold accountable those participating in these dangerous attacks.”

    “The defendant admitted to using homemade explosives to intentionally damage two electrical transformers and cause significant disruptions to more than 1,500 residences and businesses in San Jose. The search of his home following his arrest uncovered a staggering trove of explosive devices and hazardous chemicals. There can be no mistake as to the extent of destruction that could have resulted,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick D. Robbins for the Northern District of California. “We applaud the swift work of law enforcement officers to investigate these threats to critical infrastructure, bring the defendant to justice, and prevent further harm to the residents of San Jose.”

    “With today’s guilty plea, Karasev admits to using explosives to attack two electrical facilities which resulted in power outages to numerous homes and businesses in the San Jose area,” said Assistant Director David J. Scott of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “Americans rely on essential infrastructure as they go about their daily lives. The FBI works with our partners to protect that infrastructure, and we will hold accountable anyone who seeks to damage it.”

    The first attack, which occurred near the Westfield Oakridge Mall, resulted in the destruction of a PG&E transformer and left more than 1,450 customers without power for nearly 16 hours. The second attack, carried out near Plaza Del Rey shopping center, caused further destruction, damaging a transformer and adjacent building, and interrupted power to dozens more residents and businesses.

    In connection with his plea, Karasev admitted that the attacks were premeditated and deliberate. He conducted extensive internet searches regarding explosive materials, infrastructure attacks, and geopolitical conflicts. Upon his arrest on March 1, 2023, law enforcement agents discovered multiple homemade explosive devices, over 300 pounds of explosive precursor materials, hazardous chemicals, firearms, and remote detonation devices in his home, vehicle, and office.

    Under the terms of the plea agreement, Karasev faces a stipulated sentence of between 102 and 126 months (approximately 8.5 to 10.5 years) in federal prison. He also agreed to pay restitution of no less than $104,076.26 for the damages caused. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19.

    The FBI and the San Jose Police Department are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Anne C. Hsieh for the Northern District of California and Trial Attorney Jacob Warren of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TAKANO, MERKLEY LEAD REINTRODUCTION OF HISTORIC EQUALITY ACT TO BAN DISCRIMINATION AGAINST LGBTQ+ AMERICANS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Takano (D-Calif)

    April 29, 2025

    Washington, D.C. – Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Rep. Mark Takano and U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley teamed up with Wisconsin’s U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin and New Jersey’s U.S. Senator Cory Booker for the bicameral reintroduction of the Equality Act in an effort to push back against escalated attacks from the Trump Administration, MAGA Republicans, and state legislatures on the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ Americans nationwide.

    In states across the country, over 850 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been filed so far this year—the most in U.S. history. The Equality Act is historic, comprehensive legislation to enshrine civil rights protections for our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors in federal law.

    The Equality Act amends landmark federal anti-discrimination laws to explicitly add sexual orientation and gender identity to longstanding bans on discrimination in employment, housing, public accommodations, jury service, access to credit, federal funding, and more. It would also add protections against sex discrimination in parts of anti-discrimination laws where these protections had not been included previously, such as public accommodations and federal funding.

    “Across the country, LGBTQI+ and trans Americans are being targeted and attacked, but we refuse to be cowed or intimidated by their hate. Instead, we reintroduce the Equality Act as our declaration that freedom and dignity are the birthright of every American. We will not rest until full equality is the law of the land,” said Congressional Equality Caucus Chair Takano.

    “Generations of Americans have marched, voted, organized, and raised their voices to fully realize the vision of America as a land of freedom and equality for all,” said Senator Merkley. “As MAGA extremists attack the rights and freedoms of our LGBTQ+ friends and neighbors, I am fighting to end this hateful discrimination, expand freedom, and open the doors of opportunity for everyone. Back in 2007, I led the fight to secure this vision for Oregonians, and it is way past time for Congress to do the same for all LGBTQ+ Americans by passing my Equality Act.”

    “The Equality Act simply puts into law what we all believe: that every American is created equal and should be treated equally under the law. But, for too many LGBTQ+ Americans in states across the country, equality under the law is not the reality, and they are harassed at work, denied a place to live, and discriminated against just for being who they are,” said Senator Baldwin. “The Equality Act makes clear that in the United States, we can live up to our nation’s highest ideals and we will not tolerate discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity – just like religion, race, or ethnicity. Equality is not a privilege, it’s what we’re all owed as American citizens, and I’m committed to making that promise a reality.”

    “As the Trump Administration dismantles the civil liberties and legal protections of LGBTQ+ folks nationwide––progress that was hard-won and that we are still fighting to maintain––lawmakers in Congress must act to pass the bicameral Equality Act,” said Senator Booker. “This legislation would finally make clear that LGBTQ+ people in this country cannot be denied entry into a restaurant, be denied federal housing and benefits, or be discriminated against simply because of who they are and who they love. This legislation is long overdue, and I will work tirelessly with my colleagues to ensure the Equality Act becomes the law of the land.”

    Despite major advances in equality for LGBTQ+ Americans in recent years, including codifying federal protections for same-sex and interracial marriages, the majority of states still do not have explicit LGBTQ+ non-discrimination protection laws. The Equality Act would finally enshrine protections into federal law under all areas of potential discrimination, protecting the rights and freedoms of all LGBTQ+ Americans for generations to come.

    “The Equality Act is necessary, urgent, and long overdue,” said Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY). “As the Trump administration and dangerously conservative Supreme Court threaten the safety and security of LGBTQ+ individuals in the United States, it is the obligation of the Senate to ensure that everyone is treated equally under the law – a standard that the United States has long strived for but failed to perfectly meet. I am honored to help lead the reintroduction of the Equality Act and stand with the LGBTQ+ community as we continue to fight for a more equal, just, and loving world.”

    “Across the country, from city councils to Congress, state legislatures to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, freedom is under attack. The Equality Act will make sure that members of the LGBTQ community can live free from discrimination and pursue the American dream in every single zip code. House Democrats will continue to show up, speak up and stand up until this legislation is the law of the land,” said House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY).

    “As Republicans across the country continue their assault on LGBTQ+ Americans – particularly the trans community – the fight against bigotry and discrimination remains as urgent as ever,” said Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). “The landmark Equality Act – twice passed by the Democratic House but blocked by Senate Republicans – would extend the crucial protections of the Civil Rights Act to all LGBTQ+ Americans, in the workplace and in every place. Today, it was my privilege to join Congressional Democrats in proudly reintroducing our Equality Act to continue our fight for a future of equality and dignity for all.”

    “Not only is freedom the birthright of every person; we can only defend ours if we defend everyone’s,” said House Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (D-MA). “That’s the basis of the Equality Act. Republicans’ rejection of such a basic truth tells you everything you need to know about the broken state of their party. While they work to strip away equality, freedom, health care, and housing, we are fighting for a future that is worthy of all our children.”

    The Equality Act is supported by 47 U.S. Senators and 214 U.S. Representatives. A full list of the 600+ organizations endorsing the Equality Act can be found by clicking here.

    “Everyone, no matter who they are or who they love, deserves the right to live free from discrimination and harassment. But LGBTQ+ people, who go to school, run small businesses, raise kids and work hard to put food on the table just like everyone else, still don’t have the federal nondiscrimination protections that others have enjoyed for decades. In some parts of the country, we can still be evicted from our homes, kicked out of a public business, or denied government services simply because of who we are. As the Trump administration works to erode civil rights protections across the board and state legislatures continue their onslaught against equality, it has never been more important to safeguard the basic protections that are a central part of the American Dream. It is time to pass the Equality Act,” said Jay Brown, Human Rights Campaign Chief of Staff.

    “This moment demands action. The reintroduction of the Equality Act comes as the Trump administration and state governments across the country launch aggressive attacks on LGBTQIA+ Americans, especially trans youth. These aren’t abstract policy debates – they are coordinated efforts to erode civil rights and protections, criminalize LGBTQIA+ existence, and erase communities. Trans youth deserve to be protected by their governments, they shouldn’t have to be protected from their governments. It’s long past time our federal laws reflect and protect the reality and dignity of all people,” said Olivia Hunt, Director of Federal Policy for Advocates for Trans Equality (A4TE).

    “With the LGBTQ+ community under attack from the Trump Administration—and anti-LGBTQ+ bills once again rearing their heads in statehouses across the country—the reintroduction of the Equality Act could not be more prescient. We all deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of who we are, who we love, or where we call home. The Equality Act provides common sense nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ+ people—protections that a majority of Americans agree should already be available. We are grateful to Rep. Takano for leading the charge on this critical bill, and look forward to working with him and other members of California’s Congressional delegation throughout the process,” said Tony Hoang, Executive Director of Equality California.

    Stories in support of the Equality Act and the protections it would enshrine into federal law can be found by clicking here.

    Full text of the Equality Act as introduced in the Senate can be found by clicking here, and here as introduced in the House.

    A summary of the Equality Act can be found by clicking here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Titus, Omar Introduce Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Dina Titus (1st District of Nevada)

    Congresswoman Dina Titus and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Democratic Co-Chairs of the Cannabis Caucus, today introduced the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025.

    Under current law, the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is prohibited from spending on or sponsoring any research related to the medical or recreational use of a Schedule 1 substance. Additionally, the Director of the ONDCP must oppose any attempt to legalize a substance that is listed under Schedule 1 and has not been approved for a medical purpose by the Food and Drug Administration.

    The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act removes these restrictions, allowing the executive branch’s drug policy advisor to take actions reflecting the current use of cannabis in the United States. This outdated prohibition is not based on science or reality. Removing this restriction would allow the ONDCP to conduct essential public policy analyses on states’ adult-use and medicinal cannabis programs and sponsor medical research on the benefits of cannabis. A 2024 National Academies study entitled, “Cannabis Policy Impacts Public Health and Health Equity”, specifically recommended Congress remove these restrictions so that ONDCP can support research on the impacts of changes in cannabis policy.

    “The Office of National Drug Control Policy and its Director should be free to sponsor research or speak about substances like cannabis based on evidence and research,” said Congresswoman Titus. “Statutory restrictions on what can be studied and a mandate to oppose any attempts to reschedule substances like cannabis make no sense. It’s time to update the law to reflect the current use of cannabis in the United States and its medical benefits. The federal government needs to catch up to the states.”

    “Our nation’s drug policies have been shaped by stigma. The American people overwhelmingly support cannabis reform, and yet the federal government continues to tie the hands of its own experts,” said Congresswoman Ilhan Omar. “The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act is about bringing our laws into the 21st century, ensuring that the Office of National Drug Control Policy can do its job guided by facts, not outdated ideology. We need drug policy to follow the science and reflect the reality on the ground in states across the country.”

    The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 is supported by the Drug Policy Alliance, the Nevada Cannabis Association, the National Cannabis Industry Association, the UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute, NORML, the Marijuana Policy Project, the Law Enforcement Action Partnership, the Parabola Center for Law and Policy, Doctors for Drug Policy Reform, the US Cannabis Roundtable, Cannabis Regulators of Color, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Minority Cannabis Business Association, and the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association.

    “The Drug Policy Alliance is proud to support the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Reform Act because it removes unnecessary barriers to ensure that the Office of National Drug Control Policy is empowered to develop drug policy based on evidence, not outdated political mandates,” said Cat Packer, Director of Drug Markets & Legal Regulation, Drug Policy Alliance. “To advance policies that support public health, promote fairness, and meet the needs of the American people, ONDCP must be free to study the full range of public policy approaches—including the impacts of cannabis policy changes such as legalization and regulation.”

    “The Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 is a smart, surgical fix to promote much needed cannabis research. By targeting one deeply flawed provision that blocks scientific research and prevents us from understanding the public health impacts of cannabis legalization, this bill allows the government to study what’s already happening in dozens of states,” said Riana Durrett, Director, UNLV Cannabis Policy Institute. “Representative Titus is championing rational, responsible, and long overdue access to research. This is a commendable effort to prevent our nation from continuing to fall behind other countries that are forging ahead and surpassing the United States in cannabis research.”

    “We are proud to endorse this bill that would encourage the federal government to study the impacts of cannabis legalization. Despite the fact that over two-thirds of Americans live in jurisdictions that allow the medical use of cannabis and 24 states have legalized adult-use cannabis, the federal government has maintained restrictions on research aimed at understanding the impacts of these policy changes since their inception,” said Lauren Daly, Marijuana Policy Project Interim Executive Director. “With state-legal cannabis becoming increasingly accessible across the nation, it is imperative for the federal government to enable and support comprehensive research into cannabis legalization, ensuring that future policies are informed by sound evidence.”

    “Mandating that a federal agency charged with supporting public health and safety must ignore scientific research and oppose evidence-based policies that have been embraced by dozens of states is simply bad law, and out of step with where the vast majority of Americans stand on cannabis issues,” said Morgan Fox, Political Director for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). “The ONDCP should have the liberty to look at all the available information and explore policy solutions free from outdated political restrictions. We commend the sponsors for introducing this long overdue legislation and urge Congress to approve it without delay.”

    “On behalf of the Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), I write in strong support of the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act,” said Lt. Diana Goldstein (Ret.), Law Enforcement Action Partnership Executive Director. “This legislation would give the Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) the freedom to consider funding research on Schedule I drugs and the ability to endorse any proposals to change the status of Schedule I drugs. As law enforcement professionals, we believe this act is essential for public health and safety.”

    “The Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition supports the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Reform Act because it affirms what communities and cannabis regulators across the country already know: federal drug policy must be guided by evidence, not ideology,” said Dasheeda Dawson, Board Chair, Cannabis Regulators of Color. “For more than a decade, tribal, state, and local governments have taken meaningful steps to repair the harms of criminalization and promote public health and safety through cannabis legalization and regulation. Empowering the Office of National Drug Control Policy to study these reforms is critical to developing federal policies that truly reflect the needs of everyday Americans—especially communities of color disproportionately impacted by prohibition.”

    “We strongly support the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act to ensure researchers have the ability to conduct rigorous research on medical cannabis and cannabis legalization,” said Charlie Bacthell, Acting Chairman, US Cannabis Roundtable. “The Department of Health and Human Services determined in 2023 that cannabis has low abuse potential and accepted medical use, and 80% of states allow some form of legal cannabis. Our nation’s research guidelines should reflect this reality.”

    “The Minority Cannabis Business Association Board of Directors supports the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 introduced by Congresswoman Titus and Representative Omar. For too long, antiquated prohibitions have prevented critical research into cannabis, hampering our understanding of potential benefits and impacts,” said Frederika Easley, President, Minority Cannabis Business Association. “By removing these statutory barriers to research funding, this bill represents a crucial step toward creating evidence-based policies that can help address the ongoing harms of the War on Drugs, which have disproportionately affected communities of color. Science, not stigma, should guide our nation’s drug policies, and we applaud this legislation for embracing this principle. We urge Congress to pass this common-sense measure to allow research that will inform more equitable and effective approaches to cannabis regulation.”

    “SSDP is proud to stand in support of the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act of 2025 and commends Rep. Titus for her much-needed leadership on this issue. The science is clear and Americans on both sides of the aisle agree: marijuana does not belong on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act,” said Kat Muri, Executive Director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy. “By eliminating the ONDCP’s current legal requirement to oppose any efforts towards legalizing a Schedule I substance, this bill removes one of the biggest obstacles to legalizing cannabis at the federal level, and it does it in a very straightforward and clear way. It’s high time the U.S. replaces the disastrous and detrimental War on Drugs with policies rooted in evidence, compassion, and human rights—policies that make sense—and the Evidence-Based Drug Policy Act is an important step in that direction.”

    “The Evidence-based Drug Policy Act of 2025 would pave the way for much-needed studies into cannabis, and we firmly believe those studies will show what Indigenous communities have always known—that plant-based medicine is a natural, beneficial way to treat ailments that is far superior to opioids and pharmaceuticals,” said Rob Pero (Bad River), founder of the Indigenous Cannabis Industry Association. “The criminalization of cannabis is doing more harm to our communities than good, and it’s time to take an evidence-based approach to correcting cannabis policy at the federal level.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Secretary of Energy Chris Wright to visit Rinnai America in Griffin, Georgia to Mark 100 Days of Unleashing American Energy

    Source: US Department of Energy

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright will travel to Griffin, Georgia, on Friday, May 2, to tour Rinnai America Corporation’s manufacturing facility. Secretary Wright will deliver remarks highlighting the Department’s progress in unleashing American energy dominance, protecting consumer freedom, and restoring energy leadership in the first 100 days of the Trump Administration. 

    Since taking office, Secretary Wright has postponed several burdensome Biden-era appliance mandates, including the rule targeting non-condensing tankless water heaters.

    Rinnai is the only company manufacturing non-condensing tankless water heaters in the United States. A Biden-era rule would have effectively banned these products—putting more than 200 Georgia jobs at risk, undermining U.S. manufacturing, and stripping away a cost-effective, high-efficiency option from American households.

    The visit marks the Department of Energy’s “First 100 Days of Unleashing American Energy Victories,” which includes:

    • Halting restrictive appliance rules to defend consumer choice and protect domestic manufacturing jobs.
    • Supporting energy-efficient innovation by preserving access to advanced home technologies.
    • Reforming federal regulations to allow market-driven solutions and prevent government overreach in household energy use.
    • Defending American competitiveness by ensuring manufacturers like Rinnai can continue producing energy-saving products in the U.S.
    • Delivering relief to families by eliminating costly mandates that would have raised appliance prices across the board.

    Please contact DOENews@hq.doe.gov for press availability or media inquiries.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Outlining Turmoil Created in First 100 Days Under Trump

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today outlined the turmoil created under President Trump’s first 100 days in office, warning that his administration’s retaliatory policies, deep federal cuts and unilateral tariffs are poised to negatively impact New York’s economy, the environment and hard working families. Last week, New York State joined a multi-state lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of President Trump’s global tariffs. According to independent estimates, Trump’s tariffs will cost the State’s economy more than $7 billion, result in more than 280,000 jobs lost and hit New York families with an average cost increase of $6,400. New York has also led the fight to protect federal funding from cuts and disruptions that are impacting more than $1.3 billion in federal funding for New York and has successfully challenged in court the Trump Administration’s global funding freeze, as well as cuts to the National Institutes of Health, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other critical federal agencies.

    “The first 100 days of the Trump Administration have been rife with chaos and uncertainty, from on-again, off-again tariffs to cuts to vital programs, New Yorkers are paying the price,” Governor Hochul said. “President Trump promised relief from inflation and his policies are making life harder, chaotic and more expensive for working class New Yorkers while slashing the very services they rely on.”

    Implications for New Yorkers during President Trump’s First 100 Days Include:

    • More than $1.3 billion in cuts to funding for State programs so far with more expected, in addition to the funding cuts to local governments, universities and other organizations delivering critical services to New Yorkers
    • Massive fluctuation in the stock market from ever changing tariff policies has shrunk 401(k)s and 529 college savings plans, and is expected to increase cost of living for New Yorkers by thousands of dollars
    • Manufacturers and small businesses are reeling from severe cost hikes on some products due to tariffs, leading them to leave shipments in customs or cancel orders
    • Canadian and European travel to New York has dropped and hotel stays and trips in regions such as the North Country and Western New York have been cancelled
    • The pause of construction of Empire Wind, which will have a profound impact on jobs and energy production
    • Cutting millions in funding that allows school districts and food banks to buy produce from local farmers who rely on their purchases
    • Three Social Security Administration offices closed in New York
    • Eliminated every person in the office that manages a program helping over 1 million New Yorkers pay their heating and cooling bills
    • Cuts to the NIH paused the critical research of a New York Scientist on Alzheimer’s treatments
    • Cut over $300 million in infrastructure funding for New York communities, threatening our public safety
    • Cutting the majority of federal AmeriCorps funding in New York, which supports approximately 1,500 AmeriCorps members working for non-profits and in low-income communities across the State

    PUBLIC SAFETY AND IMMIGRATION

    The Trump administration has revoked more than $325 million in vital resiliency funding from the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities program and put $56 million more at risk, which will impact several critical infrastructure and community resilience projects in New York State.

    Additionally, DOGE is planning to cut up to 84 percent of staff from their Office of Community Planning and Development, which helps pay to rebuild homes and other recovery efforts after the country’s worst disasters such as Superstorm Sandy and Tropical Storms Lee and Irene.

    The Albany National Weather Service (NWS) Office was forced to suspend weather balloon launches due to staff shortages and budget constraints. This has impacted the ability of the NWS to provide twice-daily balloon launches, impacting the accuracy of weather forecasts.

    After Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detained a Sackets Harbor mom and her children, Governor Hochul took action, engaging with the White House, Border Czar Tom Homan and local officials in an effort to bring the family back home. After 11 days in detention, the family was returned to Sackets Harbor.

    ECONOMY AND TOURISM

    The stock market has been unstable due to President Trump’s on-again, off-again tariff policy. This has caused retirees’ 401(k)s and students’ 529 savings plans to shrink. Additionally, consumer confidence plunged, to 50.8 percent in April from 71.7 percent in January. The dollar has weakened, falling to a three month low in April.

    The Governor has heard from small and mid-sized businesses across the State who are worried about rising costs and their future. A recent survey from the National Small Business Association found that the majority of small businesses are concerned about tariffs and one in three are very concerned. Examples include North Country manufacturer Alcoa, which took an estimated $20 million hit on imports from Canada, and North Country Golf Club which is facing declines in businesses due to the decline in tourism from Canada. In the Southern Tier, the Cortland Standard, which was in business for more than a century, has closed its doors, citing the expected 25 percent tariffs on paper as part of the decision.

    The Trump administration is cancelling the successful Manufacturers Extension Partnership (MEP) in several states. In New York, NY MEP centers generated $1.25 billion in economic impact, supported the creation or retention of nearly 6,300 jobs and served over 700 companies during the 2023 calendar year. This decision has raised widespread concern across the entire national network of MEP Centers, prompting fears about whether these initial cancellations are the first step in a broader effort to dismantle the program and eliminate federal funding for all 51 centers.

    Due to the tariff trade war with Canada, New York’s number one trade partner, and the rhetoric that Canada could be the “51st state,” impacts are widespread. Visitors from Canada are avoiding the U.S. and New York State. Overall, total bridge crossings between Eastern Ontario and New York State for March are down 23,000 compared to 2024, and at the lowest level since 2022. Additionally, Niagara River bridges traffic for February is down 14 percent and Thousand Islands Bridge crossings are down 19 percent.

    A survey of local businesses in the North Country found that 66 percent have already experienced a slight to significant decrease in Canadian bookings for 2025, and that 26 percent have already adjusted staffing levels in response to the decline.

    TRANSPORTATION

    President Trump’s Department of Transportation vowed to kill congestion pricing from day one of his administration, despite clear evidence that the program is working. The MTA reported that in March, traffic is down 13 percent, travel times have improved in key corridors within the Central Business District and it has increased revenue for the MTA that will result in improvements in the system.

    IMPACTS ON HARD WORKING FAMILIES

    President Trump has reduced the federal workforce by more than 120,000 people nationwide according to data compiled from CNN. In New York more than 1,200 federal workers have been forced to file for unemployment.

    The Trump administration has pledged to cancel the successful and free Direct File tax filing program. This program has already begun to make an impact in its first full year, with many New Yorkers saving nearly $300 per household in tax prep fees that could instead go toward groceries, gas, child care or rent.

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture slashed hundreds of millions of dollars in funding that helped schools buy food from local farms. The program sought to bring local produce to schools and child care facilities, giving schools the opportunities to purchase fresh foods and use smaller producers rather than rely on large corporations.

    The Trump Administration announced that half of all food shipments through The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) would be canceled, resulting in a $500 million reduction in funding for food banks across the country. New York State could see a loss of around 16 million pounds of USDA foods in 2025 due to the TEFAP funding cuts, according to Feeding New York State.

    SSA field offices are closing, wait times for deserving seniors are increasing and sensitive and private personal data is in danger of being insecure.

    ENERGY

    The Trump Administration stopped construction on Empire Wind, putting thousands of construction jobs at risk and threatening to dismantle a project that when complete, will generate enough electricity to power about 500,000 homes in New York State.

    Funding has been suspended for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Formula Funds. The NEVI program — passed as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — provides funding directly to states for installing public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, which, if implemented, will lower fuel costs for families, reduce U.S. dependence on fossil fuels and create construction jobs nationwide.

    President Trump has also threatened to roll back the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and repeal its tax credits. NYSERDA estimates a full repeal of the clean energy incentives could result in more than $20 billion in increased project costs and could cause significant project attrition.

    HOUSING

    At the direction of President Trump and DOGE, HUD staff has been decimated, imperiling the core functions of the agency that serve our communities, manage federally funded housing programs and assist housing development at a time of national crisis for housing. Funding has also been cut for organizations that fight housing discrimination across the country, while rolling back federal protections to Affirmatively Further Fair Housing.

    HUD has further announced it was ending four years early the Emergency Housing Voucher Program, a successful federal program to combat homelessness for more than 9,500 households across the State. The federal administration imperiling this funding will force these families, at last stably housed, back onto the street.

    The $1 billion Green and Resilient Retrofit Program that helps preserve affordable housing is being paused, threatening projects that keep tens of thousands of units livable for low-income Americans.

    HEALTH CARE

    The actions of the current administration threaten the health and safety of New Yorkers. New York State remains steadfast in its commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of all New Yorkers and promoting health equity.

    President Trump has endorsed the House’s budget resolution which includes over $1 trillion in cuts to critical safety net programs like Medicaid and SNAP. Nearly 7 million qualifying New Yorkers are covered under Medicaid, including 2.5 million children, and 636,000 New Yorkers with disabilities. 2.9 million New Yorkers rely on SNAP for healthy food, including over 800,000 children.

    The Trump administration’s National Institute of Health (NIH) has cut grant funding to SUNY used to conduct research to cure diseases, keep our nation safe and grow our economy. The NIH’s sudden budget cuts will cost SUNY research an estimated $79 million on current grants, including more than $21 million over just the next five months that will immediately imperil the work of SUNY’s dedicated researchers by decimating the equipment, staff and services they rely on.

    The Trump Administration picked a top health official who has questioned the safety of vaccines and the use of fluoride in drinking water and claimed that autism was preventable. These views go against proven science and could lead to more diseases by making people doubt public health advice.

    The Administration has taken back important public health funding. This includes money for tracking disease, supporting vaccinations and helping vulnerable communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Without this funding, local health services must cut staff and scale back programs, especially in areas that need the most help.

    Hundreds of federal health workers have lost jobs, making it harder for both the federal government and states like New York to respond to health threats and deliver services like maternal care and disease control.

    New executive orders have removed federal support for diversity, equity and inclusion programs, harming efforts to ensure fair health care for women, LGBTQ+ people and communities of color. These actions affirm that the needs of these communities no longer matter to the federal government.

    In addition, with massive arbitrary cuts to federal agencies, the future of federal programs to help combat substance use disorder, heating and cooling assistance for low-income New Yorkers, and early childhood investment programs like Head Start remain in jeopardy.

    New York State remains committed to ensuring all New Yorkers have access to affordable, quality health care. Accordingly, the State rejects thinly veiled attacks on anyone who may not comport with the Trump Administration’s limited views of who is a person.

    EDUCATION

    President Trump vowed to eliminate the Department of Education, a crucial part of the federal government that supports kids, teachers and administrators right here in New York State. New York receives $5.5 billion annually from the Department of Education. Approximately $3.2 billion is routed through the State Budget and $2.3 billion is sent directly to local entities, primarily colleges and universities. This crucial funding supports Pell Grants for college students, money for kids with disabilities, programs that are supporting kids’ mental health, crucial research at our public higher education institutions and much more

    ENVIRONMENT & AGRICULTURE

    The Trump administration has taken aim through Executive Order at dismantling New York State’s strong environmental protections.

    Additionally, funding for the Local Food Purchasing Assistance Program has been slashed. While the Biden administration had indicated that $24 million would be available under the LFPA program (New York Food for New York Families), the Trump administration (USDA) has reversed and this next round of funding will no longer be available.

    More recently, New York State’s $60 million award for the New York Connects: Climate Smart Farms and Forests Program, which funds climate smart agriculture and forestry practices, was cancelled by USDA.

    USDA staff that assist farmers with implementing conservation programs, loans and other resources for their farms, have been laid off.

    Over 80 percent of agrochemical imports and 70 percent of farm machinery imports come from countries facing tariffs of 10 percent or more. Tariffs may slow down or halt on-farm expansion and modernization due to projected increases in equipment costs, with much of the stainless steel coming from abroad.

    Trade issues are having a compounding effect for dairy farmers — input costs are going up and the milk price relies on export markets. Tariffs and threats of trade disputes result in lost markets and lower milk prices. For example, the budget for a building project went from $85,000 to $106,000, due to tariffs on steel and aluminum, one farm had a $2,200 fee added to their bill for grain because it came from a Canadian feed mill and another farm is anticipating their bottom line to be 7-10 percent lower this year due to lower milk prices and tariffs on inputs, including feed, energy and building supplies.

    The ability of West Coast apple producers to export their product will play a key role in the price and demand for New York apples. If West Coast producers are not able to expand overseas markets, they will continue to flood East Coast markets and displace New York State fresh apples where they can undercut prices.

    Tariffs placed on equipment, largely coming from Canada, would increase producers’ costs of maple syrup production significantly and negatively impact profitability in the maple industry.

    MIL OSI USA News –