NewzIntel.com

Category: Science

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS supercomputers help assess volcanic hazards in support of community resilience

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Eruptions can last anywhere from hours to years and can produce a diverse and difficult to predict set of hazardous phenomena including explosions, earthquakes, ash clouds and deposits, lava flows, landslides, and lahars (high-speed floods of water, mud, and rocks). Worse still, these hazards can affect a wide range of areas, from near the vent (explosions) to regional (volcanic ash) to global (climatic changes due to volcanic gas dispersal in the stratosphere).  

    In the U.S., there are about 170 potentially active volcanoes, which are monitored by the USGS Volcano Hazards Program Volcano Science Center. The Center is home to the five regional observatories in Hawaiʻi, Alaska, the Cascades, California, and Yellowstone.  USGS scientists at these observatories are responsible for monitoring these volcanoes as well as delivering forecasts, warnings, and information about volcano hazards while helping communities to be prepared during an eruption.  

    Fortunately for scientists, the USGS has three available HPC systems, supported by Core Science Systems Science Analytics and Synthesis group – named Denali, Tallgrass, and Hovenweep — that can quickly and efficiently process very large datasets and solve complex systems of equations in geophysics. 

    Although each of these machines are different, their power is derived from the ability to split a large task into chunks, compute all the chunks “in parallel”, that is, at the same time on different processors, and then combine the results. This is noticeably different from running “serial” tasks on a single processor, where the chunks must be computed one after another.

    The large increase in speed made possible by HPC systems also enables scientists to develop more complex data analysis techniques (such as machine learning models) as well as more sophisticated approaches to geophysical modeling (such as data assimilation and probabilistic hazards assessments).    

    Since the development of the first USGS supercomputer

    Yeti in 2013, USGS volcanologists have greatly increased their use of HPC resources, expanding both the complexity of the calculations and the range of applications.   

    HPC resources now commonly serve in a variety of real-world applications such as models of landslide and lahar scenarios at Mt. Rainier to ash fall hazards assessments to real-time forecasting of lava flows in Hawaiʻi, to machine learning of satellite-based volcano deformation data.  

    Looking into a volcano’s plumbing 

    Because many volcanic processes are too hazardous to observe up close or are otherwise inaccessible (for example, we can’t see underground), volcanologists rely upon other methods. Some of the data is captured after an area is safe to visit, while other geophysical methods such as seismicity, infrasound, and gravity changes, can be measured from a distance.  In both cases, volcanologists seek to link these data to the processes that generated them using models of various kinds.   

    Recently, Dr. Roger Denlinger, Research Geophysicist at the Cascades Volcano Observatory led the largest active seismic experiment ever conducted at Kīlauea volcano, Hawaiʻi.  Thousands of small temporary seismometers were deployed around the volcano summit which “listened” together for natural (passive) earthquakes as well as vibrations caused by an active seismic source mounted on a large truck.  

    Because both the truck-generated seismic waves and those received by the seismometers that have passed through the complex structure of Kīlauea are known, scientists can compute variations in density in the subsurface, enabling “imaging” of the volcano’s magma plumbing system. With an improved image of Kīlauea’s subsurface, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory will be able to make improved assessments of volcanic hazards. 

    Of course, this imaging is easier said than done, requiring perhaps millions of computer hours to compute how volcanic features attenuate and scatter seismic waves below Kīlauea to match those recorded by the seismic network.  Using a combination of machine learning tools and seismic geophysical models, USGS scientists are using Tallgrass and Hovenweep to tackle this monumental task.   

    “Machine learning methods help us monitor changes in volcanic systems and anticipate eruptions by probing the increasingly mind-numbing quantity of data that modern instrumentation produces,” says Denlinger. “For example, the Kīlauea imaging project is analyzing more than 200 million seismic waveforms to produce three-dimensional images of the magma system. This is physically impossible for any group of scientists to do by hand.”  

    Hazard forecasting for active volcanoes 

    Since the advent of using computational tools to model volcanic hazards, volcanologists have sought to be able to forecast volcanic eruptions and the hazards they produce.  Although an eruption forecasting model is still only an area of active research, some volcanic hazards such as ash dispersal and lava flows have seen the development of robust forecasting models. These models focus on predicting where ash or lava will go in the case of an eruption and are often used in real time when and where these hazards appear. 
     

    Recently, USGS scientists have developed a new geophysical model called Lava2d to simulate how lava flows over the landscape during an eruption. Lava2d can produce very realistic model flows even when run with a coarse resolution, and its effectiveness was demonstrated during the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa, Hawaiʻi. It was used to produce experimental forecasts in real time of where lava flows could inundate and how fast they would get there. 

    Lava2d simulation of the fissure 3 lava flow from the 2022 eruption of Mauna Loa, Hawaiʻi. Colors represent lava flow depth after 5 days of activity. Inset: USGS mapped lava flow extent at about the same time in the eruption.

    Most of these models were computed on the Yeti supercomputer, enabling the computation of thousands of runs with different lava flow properties and scenarios. These experimental forecasts were used by the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory to assess the possibility of future flow advance towards a major highway.  

    “USGS HPC resources have advanced our ability to accurately assess and forecast volcanic hazard before and during eruptions to protect life, property, and infrastructure in the US,” says Dr. Hannah Dietterich, Research Geophysicist at the Alaska Volcano Observatory and hazard modeling lead during the eruption. “Running large numbers of simulations allows us to generate better, more quantitative, and robust hazard information at volcanoes in the US but also elsewhere.” 

    Current research using the lava flow model Lava2d is focused on optimizing the model for use on Hovenweep, where it will be used to quickly compute high resolution lava flow forecasts when volcanoes in Hawaiʻi or the central Cascades next produce lava flows.   

    USGS HPC resources are also playing a significant role in longer-term volcanic hazard assessments, especially where volcanologists are planning for the next eruption of long-dormant volcanoes. In these cases, data on past hazards is limited to whatever lava or ash is still exposed at the surface.  This can cause a great deal of uncertainty about the nature of “typical” volcanic materials for a given volcano.  

    When a model is run, the researcher needs to feed it specifications about material properties, ambient conditions, and the magnitude or size of the eruption. Unfortunately, these factors are typically highly uncertain, reducing the predictive value of any individual model run. However, if many models are made with different inputs, the collection of models, which researchers call an “ensemble”, work together to produce a much more probabilistic assessment of the hazard.   

    Complicating factors 

    This is particularly important for volcanic hazards that are greatly affected by atmospheric conditions, such as ash dispersal and deposition. Wind direction at the exact time the eruption occurs is a major factor controlling where volcanic ash will be deposited.  

    USGS researchers use a specific ash dispersal model, known as Ash3d, to compute how the wind will carry the ash and how quickly it will fall out of suspension.  

    Because wind direction and speed can vary so much, many thousands of Ash3d runs are required to capture the range of possible ashfall deposits. Running these very large jobs on supercomputers like Denali and Hovenweep allows the USGS to estimate the probability of ashfall in different locations for significant explosive eruptions in the future.  

    Animated Ash3D simulation of a volcanic ash cloud from a hypothetical eruption of Mt. St. Helens, WA if it occurred today. Colors represent ash concentrations in the cloud.

    A similar ensemble modeling approach is in development for estimating the hazard posed by a variety of volcanic hazards including lava flows, ashfall, and lahars from Newberry Volcano near Bend, OR which last erupted in 690 CE. 

    Landslides and lahars (high-speed floods of water, mud, and rocks) are other types of hazards that pose a unique computing challenge due to the complexity of the equations used to models them.  The USGS uses a model known as D-Claw that incorporates sophisticated algorithms to simulate these highly destructive flows. To simulate the flows, D-Claw must first break down many related complex processes involved in the overall flow, such as levee formation, particle segregation, dilatancy, and pore pressurization. These highly complex dynamics require a sophisticated algorithm operating within a high-resolution grid. 

    Because of the high-resolution needed, D-Claw models tend to be very large in scale and are optimized for parallel computing on USGS HPC systems.   

    D-Claw was recently used to model lahar scenarios originating from possible landslide collapses high on Mt. Rainier, WA. These highly detailed models were used to estimate the hazard posed to communities downstream.  

    Animated D-Claw simulation of a hypothetical landslide and lahar originating from the failure of a section of the Tahoma Glacier headwall at Mt. Rainier, WA.

    These are just a snapshot of applications of USGS HPC resources in volcanic hazards studies, but these tools are only gaining popularity and relevance.  As more USGS scientists get the training needed to work on these machines, the free access to vast computational power that they offer them makes these HPC systems highly attractive settings for solving the big questions in volcanology. The gain in new knowledge accelerated by USGS HPC resources is helping to develop next-generation tools for assessing volcanic hazards, helping to protect and inform the public.  

    Denali is the USGS’s flagship supercomputer installed and housed at the EROS Data Center in Sioux Falls, SD.

    Dr. Tina Neal, Volcano Science Center Director, is excited to see this work into the future. “The application of HPC to volcano science is truly exciting to see flourish; from simulating ash cloud dispersal to modelling the complex motion of lava flows and lahars, results improve our scientific understanding of hazards and the quality of USGS decision support information for stakeholders.” 

    For more information or to get started using Denali, Tallgrass, or Hovenweep, contact us at hpc@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 5 areas where NSF funding is enhancing undergraduate STEM participation at Hispanic-serving institutions

    Source: US Government research organizations

    In the U.S., just over 21% of the undergraduate student body identified as Hispanic in 2021. Nearly 63% of those students were enrolled at Hispanic-serving institutions (HSIs).* Despite representing only a small portion of the nation’s public and private institutions of higher education, HSIs produce key STEM research. These institutions have made great strides in advancing STEM education for the diverse populations of students they serve, including expanding undergraduate research opportunities, improving technical training at two-year institutions, and introducing active learning to calculus courses to improve student success. And to continue these efforts, HSIs require support.

    According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, HSIs have extensive infrastructure and equipment needs due to outdated buildings, natural disasters and lack of funding. To address some of these needs, NSF has awarded more than $3 million to provide new STEM equipment to broaden STEM participation and education across five different areas through two solicitations from the NSF HSI program, Enriching Learning, Programs, and Student Experiences and Equitable Transformation in STEM Education.**

    The goal of these solicitations is to meet the National Science Board’s vision for a more diverse and capable science and engineering workforce by enhancing the quality of undergraduate science, technology, engineering and mathematics education at HSIs. These solicitations focus on transforming STEM education at HSIs through improving the student experience and the institutional infrastructure.

    Here are five areas where NSF funding is changing the educational landscape for Hispanic students by providing new, state-of-the-art equipment to eight different HSIs.

    1. Virtual reality technology

      The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico received funding to install an advanced physics laboratory equipped with high-performance computers and 3D immersive VR technology, enabling the simulation of physics principles that are difficult to replicate in a traditional lab and allowing students to visualize abstract concepts, increasing student retention and engagement.

    2. Virtual anatomy

      NSF funded the installation of Anatomage tables at three different HSIs, Cossatot Community College, Colorado State University Pueblo and Hartnell Community College District, as well as additional critical equipment, instruments and computing resources in chemistry, biology, earth science and mathematics. Anatomage clinical tables provide high-definition 3D models of systems and structures across the human body, allowing students to conduct virtual dissection. The technology also allows for the upload and study of medical images (e.g., X-ray, CT and MRI scans). Enhancing anatomy and physiology education at these community colleges will contribute to more STEM bachelor’s degrees and a more diverse STEM workforce.

    3. Weather studies

      California State University Desert Studies Center installed a research-grade weather station. The weather station will allow students to collect and analyze real-time environmental data, support data science instruction and climate science investigation, and prepare students to work with networked data systems. The weather station will be connected to the NSF-funded Dendra network of over 200 monitoring sites throughout the Mojave Desert and across the southwestern U.S., augmenting efforts to understand the consequences of climate change in one of the hottest places on the planet.

    4. Manufacturing

      Funding from NSF helped expand the industrial and manufacturing engineering capabilities at two HSIs, the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (CPP) and the University of Houston-Clear Lake. CPP secured an Industry 4.0 training system, allowing students to learn from simulations of real-world assembly processes, strengthening undergraduate learning in industrial and manufacturing engineering. The University of Houston-Clear Lake funded a metal additive manufacturing machine, giving students hands-on learning and allowing them to compete in state and national-level design and manufacturing challenges. These projects will prepare a more diverse and skilled workforce equipped with the latest technological knowledge for the industrial and manufacturing sectors.

    5. Artificial intelligence and cybersecurity

      Expanding AI and cybersecurity education at HSIs and other minority-serving institutions is critical to creating a strong, diverse STEM network. NSF funding will provide New Mexico State University (NMSU) with state-of-the-art servers and robots to expand its computer science curriculum, including adding a new Bachelor of Science degree in artificial intelligence, making NMSU the second HSI to offer an undergraduate degree program in AI. Another grant at the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona will fund the installation of a Security Operations Center (SOC), which will be student-run to give students hands-on learning and combine theoretical knowledge with practical application in cybersecurity. SOC will allow students to engage in regional, national and global cybersecurity competitions, and it will aid students in seeing themselves as cybersecurity professionals.

    * To qualify as an HSI, a higher education institution must be accredited, not-for-profit, and have an enrollment of full-time undergraduate students that is at least 25% Hispanic students at the end of the award year. For more information about HSI eligibility, please see the Department of Education’s definition.

    **Learn more about the HSI Program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Gun Supplier Convicted of Murdering 13-Year-Old Boy Gets 108½ Years in Prison

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

                WASHINGTON – Stephon Nelson, 33, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in Superior Court to 108 ½ years in prison for first degree murder and other charges stemming from the killing of 13-year old Malachi Lukes in March of 2020. A jury found Nelson and two co-defendants–Tyiion Freeman and Koran Jackson—guilty of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges.  Last week Freeman received 108 years while Jackson was sentenced to 164 years in prison.

                The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).

                Between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, the defendants, along with two other defendants (whose cases were severed pre-trial), participated in a conspiracy to illegally possess, carry, and transfer firearms for the purpose of using those firearms in the commission of dangerous and violent crimes. Jackson and Freeman, along with the severed defendants, are members and associates of neighborhood crews. Between 2019-2020, the defendants’ neighborhood crews were feuding with other crews and the feud escalated when Tahlil Byrd, also known as Slatt Goon, was killed in September 2019.

                Stephon Nelson, who is a felon and approximately 10 years older than his coconspirators, supplied the firearms that were illegally possessed, carried, and transferred in the conspiracy. Over the span of nine days, February 22-March 1, 2020, the defendants engaged in a shooting spree in the Petworth, Shaw, and Stronghold neighborhoods using the firearms they illegally acquired and shared as a part of the firearms conspiracy. The first charged shooting occurred on February 22, 2020, in the Petworth neighborhood when two victims were fired upon after a mere verbal exchange with two defendants. Two days later, on February 24, 2020, the conspirators drove through rival crew territory Ninth Street where they shot three rival crew members. An innocent bystander who was sitting in her vehicle was caught in the barrage of gunfire. She fortunately escaped with little physical injury because her front windshield suffered the bulk of the damage. The spree culminated on March 1, 2020, when the defendants participated in two shootings in two separate neighborhoods over the span of ten minutes. At 2:08 p.m., the defendants, who were traveling in a stolen Kia Soul, followed 13-year-old Malachi Lukes, along with his three friends, into the Ninth Street area of the 600 block of S Street, N.W., where two defendants exited the Kia Soul and opened fire on them. Malachi Lukes was shot in the back as he fled. The bullet traveled through his heart and lung causing him to collapse to his death. The defendants then traveled to another neighborhood where members of the rival crew were known to gather and at 2:18 p.m., opened fire on individuals in that block. No injuries were reported in that shooting spree.     

                In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and ATF along with the Arlington County Police Department. They also thanked the Arlington County Sheriff Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Montgomery County Police Department; D.C. Department of Corrections; and the Internal Revenue Service—Atlanta Branch.

                The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb, and Nebiyu Feleke, with assistance from Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Supervisory Paralegal Tasha Harris, Paralegals April Urbanowski and Alyssa Schroeder, Superior Court Operations Manager Linda McDonald, and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada invests close to $4M in quantum sector with support for Calcul Québec and Anyon Systems

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The two organizations receive a total of $3,997,500 in financial assistance from CED.

    The two organizations receive a total of $3,997,500 in financial assistance from CED.

    Montréal, Quebec, September 25, 2024 – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (CED)

    Supporting the development, adoption and commercialization of quantum technologies not only helps Quebec organizations to position themselves in this emerging field, but also strengthens Canada’s global leadership. That is why the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, on behalf of the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED, today announced a non-repayable contribution of $3,500,000 for Calcul Québec and a repayable contribution of $497,500 for Anyon Systems.

    Calcul Québec is a non-profit organization with a mission to provide cutting-edge infrastructure for computational calculations for academic and scientific research and for businesses. Its computational servers, also called supercomputers, are shared by thousands of researchers, mainly in Quebec, but also across Canada. MonarQ, its quantum computer designed by Anyon Systems, is located at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in a room dedicated to advanced computation, a site that already houses one of the country’s most powerful supercomputers. Calcul Québec’s project aims to increase MonarQ’s computational power from 12 to 24 qubits and thereby better meet businesses’ technology transfer needs.

    Anyon Systems is a Montréal business that develops turn-key quantum computing products such as integrated quantum computers, as well as electronic controllers and cryogenic systems. CED’s support will enable it to pursue its growth and continue to commercialize technologies resulting from R&D, including by manufacturing a demonstrator and participating in trade fairs.

    To support Canada’s quantum sector and solidify the country’s position among the leaders in this fast‑growing field, the Government of Canada has implemented a National Quantum Strategy. The goal of the Strategy is to help Canadian businesses adopt quantum technologies so that they can position themselves in this emerging field and generate economic benefits for the entire community.

    Quotes

    “Quantum research and computing are more than just the frontiers of technology but a keystone for innovation. By unlocking new realms of problem-solving and processing power, they promise to drive unprecedented economic growth, reshape industries, and address the most pressing challenges of our society, from climate change to healthcare. The quantum technology of today builds a more resilient, prosperous, and equitable tomorrow.”

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice–Champlain and Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry

    “Quebec and Canada are taking their place in the economy of the future, and our government is here to support them. MonarQ’s arrival will give the academic and scientific communities and businesses access to the quantum technologies needed for research in fields as diverse as energy, transportation, pharmaceuticals and materials. By boosting innovation in this way, we are ensuring Quebec’s SMEs and organizations are well positioned and ensuring our global leadership in this area. Congratulations to Calcul Québec, Anyon Systems and the ÉTS on this outcome!”

    The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED

    “Integrating the computational power of a quantum computer into Calcul Québec’s service offering will provide the research and innovation community with a unique opportunity to develop and test new quantum and hybrid algorithms. This will be done while also guaranteeing that all intellectual property generated will remain within Quebec and Canadian institutions. MonarQ will also enable Calcul Québec, in collaboration with research teams, to develop techniques essential to ensuring fluid interoperability between classic and quantum computers. This new infrastructure, which will have an impact both nationally and internationally, will foster the development of free software, thereby strengthening accessibility and innovation in the field.”

    Suzanne Talon, CEO, Calcul Québec

    “Installing the MonarQ superconductor quantum computer in Calcul Québec’s room dedicated to advanced computer calculations enables Anyon Systems to take a major step forward in developing quantum computing solutions. We are proud to be able to offer researchers and industrial users a quantum solution designed and developed entirely in Canada.”

    Alireza Najafi-Yazdi, CEO, Anyon Systems

    Quick facts

    • Funding has been provided under CED’s Support for Regional Quantum Innovation initiative, which stems from the Government of Canada’s National Quantum Strategy.
    • This initiative has a budget of $23.3 million to be used to make strategic investments up to 2028 to help SMEs and NPOs adopt, develop and commercialize quantum technologies and products based on these technologies.
    • CED is the key federal partner in Quebec’s regional economic development. Through its 12 regional business offices, CED accompanies businesses, supporting organizations and all regions across Quebec into tomorrow’s economy.

    Associated links

    Information

    Media Relations
    Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    media@dec-ced.gc.ca

    Marie-Justine Torres Ames
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for
    Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions
    Cell: 613-327-5918
    Marie-Justine.TorresAmes@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Stay connected

    Follow CED on social media
    Consult CED’s news

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: South African women face exclusion from society due to gender-based violence – how they’re fighting back

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amanda Gouws, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the South African Research Initiative in Gender Politics, Stellenbosch University

    When South Africa became a democracy in 1994, a primary goal was to grant citizenship rights to all its people, in particular, to give the majority black South Africans rights they had been denied during colonialism and apartheid. This included the right to vote.

    Apartheid segregated the population into ethnic groups. All but people classified as white were stripped of their rights. The 1996 constitution conferred upon citizens civil liberties such as the right to vote, movement, association and free speech as well as substantive rights such as access to land, health, education and employment.

    But, as I argue in the Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Citizenship, full citizenship is about more than a legal status that grants rights. Full citizenship also means being able to fully participate in a society.

    Based on my research into South African politics and gender politics over the past three decades I argue in a recent chapter that women in South Africa don’t enjoy full citizenship because they face endemic gender-based violence.

    Sexual violence against women has become normalised in South Africa. Everyday spaces are filled with violence, as indicated by the South African Police Service’s quarterly crime statistics.

    I conclude in the book chapter that people who feel excluded turn to protest to claim their rights as citizens. In doing so they become activist citizens.

    Acts of citizenship can occur in many different places – on streets, in courts, at borders, or even through media. They can happen on different scales, from local community action to international movements. These acts may involve protests, organising campaigns, or using digital media to spread awareness. People engaging in these acts might demand a wide range of rights, including political, social, sexual, ecological, or cultural rights.

    Read more: Gender apartheid: oppression of women should be made a crime against humanity – feminist academic explains why

    While legal frameworks to enhance citizenship have changed over the past 30 years in South Africa, deep-seated inequalities and exclusions persist. Law reform cannot address high levels of unemployment (that need to be rectified through economic growth), neither can it address poverty that is endemic because of the legacies of apartheid, such as the exclusion from decent education and health care.

    Acts of citizenship – whether through protest (such as service delivery protest), art, or everyday actions – continue to play a crucial role in expanding the boundaries of who is considered a citizen and what rights citizens can claim.

    By understanding citizenship as something that is actively performed and claimed, rather than simply granted, society can better appreciate the ongoing struggles for equality and recognition.

    Acts of citizenship

    Emotions play a significant role in these citizenship actions, a concept known as “affective citizenship”. Expressions of fear, happiness, loneliness, anger, or grief can all be part of how people assert their rights and demand recognition. These emotional displays can be disruptive or more conventional, but they all focus on exclusions from citizenship.

    Some acts of citizenship involve a “politics of refusal” – rejecting unfair conditions or norms. This refusal can expose hidden issues within citizenship, such as specific forms of gendered violence or discrimination. By disrupting “business as usual”, these acts force society to confront uncomfortable truths.

    It’s important to note that acts of citizenship aren’t always large-scale or dramatic. They can also involve everyday actions that challenge norms or assert rights in smaller ways. What matters is that these acts transform the actors from passive subjects into active citizens claiming their rights.

    Examples include the #EndRapeCulture campaign of 2016, when women protested against pervasive sexual violence on university campuses. At the same time, transgender students also protested against marginalisation.

    Both groups of students used naked protests to show their refusal to be treated as though they were not citizens. Through their campaign, the students rejected behaviour and attitudes that normalise sexual violence on campuses.

    Women students disrupted public spaces by protesting topless or in their underwear, sometimes brandishing sjamboks (plastic whips). These actions expressed anger at university authorities’ failure to address sexual violence. The activists were refusing to be treated as though they were not citizens.

    By using their bodies in these acts of citizenship the protesters made visible the rage many South African women feel about sexual violence committed with seeming impunity. They highlighted how women’s bodies are vulnerable to violence due to neglect by authorities in implementing their own laws, such as the Sexual Offences Act and the Domestic Violence Act.

    Read more: Victory for women’s rights in Ghana as affirmative action law is passed – what must happen next

    For its part the Trans Collective, a group of transgender students at the University of Cape Town, used a provocative art intervention to highlight the erasure or the making invisible of transgender experiences within the broader student movement during the same 2016 period.

    They smeared red paint on photographs at an exhibit about student activism and used their naked, paint-covered bodies to block the entrance of the art gallery at the university to force visitors to confront the physical reality of how transgender rights are often “trampled” or ignored, even within progressive movements.

    Impact

    Acts of citizenship – whether through naked protests, art interventions, or other forms of activism – serve multiple purposes:

    • They make visible groups and issues that are overlooked or deliberately ignored.

    • They challenge conventional understandings of how citizens should behave or what citizenship looks like.

    • They create new spaces for political action and discourse.

    • They force society and authorities to confront uncomfortable truths about exclusion and violence.

    • They assert the agency of marginalised groups in defining and claiming their rights.

    – South African women face exclusion from society due to gender-based violence – how they’re fighting back
    – https://theconversation.com/south-african-women-face-exclusion-from-society-due-to-gender-based-violence-how-theyre-fighting-back-237493

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USGS forecasts 44 percent of Florida’s west coast to experience inundation from Helene

    Source: US Geological Survey

    According to the newly-updated USGS coastal change forecast, 44 percent of the sandy beaches on Florida’s west coast may become inundated—meaning continuously covered by ocean water—from Helene. This number dropped from Tuesday’s forecast of 94 percent of beachfront being inundated, after an update in Helene’s projected path. 

    Inundation is the most severe level of coastal change and can cause flooding behind sand dunes that may impact coastal communities. 

    USGS experts estimate Helene’s waves and surge have the potential to cause 100 percent of all ocean-facing beaches in Florida to experience erosion and 95 percent to experience overwash. Overwash occurs when water levels reach higher than the top of dunes. When a beach is overwashed, sand can be pushed and deposited inland, causing significant changes to coastal landscapes and blocking roadways. Overwash can reduce the height of protective sand dunes, alter beach profiles, and leave areas behind the dunes more vulnerable to future storms. 

    “The coastal change forecast for Helene’s impact to the Florida west coast is significant because Helene is predicted to be a large and powerful storm with high waves and storm surge, even if it stays offshore,” said Kara Doran, a USGS supervisory physical scientist who works on the coastal change forecast. “With Florida’s low elevation and this significant forecast, we might see more flooding immediately behind dunes and into beachside communities.”

    Doran explained that Helene poses more threat to Florida’s coastline than any previous storm in the 2024 hurricane season so far. 

    According to the National Hurricane Center, Helene may bring life-threatening storm surge along with hurricane-force winds, and heavy rain. 

    This USGS coastal change forecast for Helene is a worst case scenario that can provide vital insights to help emergency management officials make informed decisions. 

    USGS coastal change forecasts will continue to be updated (here: https://marine.usgs.gov/coastalchangehazardsportal/ui/alias/ptc92024) as the storm approaches land and real-time coastal change forecasts for individual locations along the coast are available in the Total Water Level and Coastal Change Forecast Viewer. 

    As the USGS continues to take all appropriate preparedness actions in response to Helene, those in the storm’s projected path can visit Ready.gov for tips on creating emergency plans and putting together an emergency supply kit. 

    Learn more about USGS hurricane science. 

    The USGS provides science for a changing world. Learn more at USGS.gov or follow us on Facebook @USGeologicalSurvey, YouTube @USGS, Instagram @USGS, or Twitter @USGS.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Gedion Onyango, Research Fellow, Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, London School of Economics and Political Science

    Kenya has published a draft bill outlining protections for whistleblowers. Long in the making, the Whistleblower Protection Bill 2024 could help to encourage disclosures in a country where 86% of the respondents to a 2023 survey feared what might happen to them if they reported corruption cases. Gedion Onyango, who researches public accountability reforms, anti-corruption and whistleblowing reforms, sets out what protections are needed and how to change public mindsets.

    What is whistleblowing?

    Whistleblowing is disclosing information about behaviour or misconduct that could harm the public interest – the overall welfare of a society.

    Whistleblowing is primarily associated with disclosing corruption in state institutions. Because the private sector has become a partner in public service and national development processes, emerging laws like Kenya’s whistleblower protection bill and existing ones like Botswana’s Whistleblower Protection Act 2016 have been designed also to expose activities of companies and institutions that directly affect public affairs.

    Several key conditions must be met for whistleblowing to be effective.



    Read more:
    Corruption in South Africa: would paying whistleblowers help?

    Firstly, the society needs to broadly agree on what misconduct is. People should feel obliged to flag and address wrongdoing, and know what is expected when such information is disclosed. Essentially, the disclosure must be made in good faith.

    Secondly, there must be an authority that is expected to and is willing to take action after receiving such information.

    Thirdly, clear procedures or legal processes should be in place for receiving the information and determining the truth.

    The person disclosing the information must find it easy to report, besides having sufficient evidence to support their claims. A thoroughly bureaucratic way of receiving information about wrongdoing is more likely to intimidate and discourage potential whistleblowers.

    Fourthly, a system should be in place to reward individuals who disclose wrongdoing. This could involve recognising their contribution to society or providing financial incentives, often a percentage of money recovered in cases of corruption and asset recovery. Not all countries have this provision. But having such a reward is not always enough. This has been shown in Nigeria, where whistleblowing is declining despite the reward of 5% of recovered funds.

    Finally, there needs to be trust in the authority and the process for it to work.

    Why the focus on whistleblowers?

    Whistleblowers are important sources of information about misconduct, dishonesty and unethical behaviour that would otherwise remain concealed from the public. They are critical in promoting human rights, fighting corruption and addressing governance misconduct and inequalities.

    Many infamous scandals around the world have been brought to light by individuals who disclosed the wrongdoing. These include Kenya’s Anglo Leasing scandal.

    Whistleblowing is essential to ethical public leadership. It is no accident that many developing countries are now enacting laws to encourage and protect whistleblowers. With new laws in Kenya, whistleblowers would no longer have to primarily defend themselves against non-disclosure clauses that outlaw disclosures of a potential wrongdoing. Whistleblowers have previously been targeted by public organisations for releasing information in an unprocedural manner.

    You want to blow the whistle. What next?

    Potential whistleblowers can use internal or external mechanisms to disclose wrongdoing. The choice of mechanism will depend on the whistleblower’s confidence or history with these mechanisms.

    Studies have shown that internal whistleblowing is less desirable, and most whistleblowers prefer anonymous external whistleblowing channels that could prompt an investigation by an authority.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s corporate whistleblowers don’t get enough protection: what needs to change

    What protections should whistleblowers expect?

    Effective whistleblower protection mechanisms include protecting the identities of whistleblowers until the responsible authority has checked that there was wrongdoing.

    Whistleblowers should be protected from retaliation or harm, including social victimisation, physical attacks and disciplinary actions.

    The law should ensure that an insider whistleblower, such as an employee, is protected from being intimidated, disciplined or removed from their position. This should be for a long enough time (for example, at least five years), even if the case ultimately collapses, as often happens.

    In other words, the person should be protected from any loss, including damages that would affect their mental health or their job. This is typical of legislation globally.

    In today’s age of social media, the laws against defamation should be applied strictly to guard against online harassment.

    What would a forward-looking whistleblower policy look like?

    It’s important that whistleblower protection policies are understood and accepted by everyone. The process should start with extensive consultation. It should involve authorities such as religious groups, traditional leaders and government administrators at the lowest levels.

    Including whistleblowing in the country’s school, college and professional curriculum would increase awareness and improve social acceptance.

    It’s often the case that whistleblowers are seen as betrayers or snitches rather than as courageous defenders of public interest and ethical members of society. The reward system for whistleblowers should be included in prestigious national honours such as the Presidential Award.

    Gedion Onyango receives funding from ESRC. He is also affiliated with Afrobarometer East Africa

    – ref. Kenya’s whistleblowers are key to fighting corruption: how a new law could protect them – https://theconversation.com/kenyas-whistleblowers-are-key-to-fighting-corruption-how-a-new-law-could-protect-them-239647

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: South African women face exclusion from society due to gender-based violence – how they’re fighting back

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Amanda Gouws, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the South African Research Initiative in Gender Politics, Stellenbosch University

    When South Africa became a democracy in 1994, a primary goal was to grant citizenship rights to all its people, in particular, to give the majority black South Africans rights they had been denied during colonialism and apartheid. This included the right to vote.

    Apartheid segregated the population into ethnic groups. All but people classified as white were stripped of their rights. The 1996 constitution conferred upon citizens civil liberties such as the right to vote, movement, association and free speech as well as substantive rights such as access to land, health, education and employment.

    But, as I argue in the Palgrave Handbook of Gender and Citizenship, full citizenship is about more than a legal status that grants rights. Full citizenship also means being able to fully participate in a society.

    Based on my research into South African politics and gender politics over the past three decades I argue in a recent chapter that women in South Africa don’t enjoy full citizenship because they face endemic gender-based violence.

    Sexual violence against women has become normalised in South Africa. Everyday spaces are filled with violence, as indicated by the South African Police Service’s quarterly crime statistics.

    I conclude in the book chapter that people who feel excluded turn to protest to claim their rights as citizens. In doing so they become activist citizens.

    Acts of citizenship can occur in many different places – on streets, in courts, at borders, or even through media. They can happen on different scales, from local community action to international movements. These acts may involve protests, organising campaigns, or using digital media to spread awareness. People engaging in these acts might demand a wide range of rights, including political, social, sexual, ecological, or cultural rights.



    Read more:
    Gender apartheid: oppression of women should be made a crime against humanity – feminist academic explains why

    While legal frameworks to enhance citizenship have changed over the past 30 years in South Africa, deep-seated inequalities and exclusions persist. Law reform cannot address high levels of unemployment (that need to be rectified through economic growth), neither can it address poverty that is endemic because of the legacies of apartheid, such as the exclusion from decent education and health care.

    Acts of citizenship – whether through protest (such as service delivery protest), art, or everyday actions – continue to play a crucial role in expanding the boundaries of who is considered a citizen and what rights citizens can claim.

    By understanding citizenship as something that is actively performed and claimed, rather than simply granted, society can better appreciate the ongoing struggles for equality and recognition.

    Acts of citizenship

    Emotions play a significant role in these citizenship actions, a concept known as “affective citizenship”. Expressions of fear, happiness, loneliness, anger, or grief can all be part of how people assert their rights and demand recognition. These emotional displays can be disruptive or more conventional, but they all focus on exclusions from citizenship.

    Some acts of citizenship involve a “politics of refusal” – rejecting unfair conditions or norms. This refusal can expose hidden issues within citizenship, such as specific forms of gendered violence or discrimination. By disrupting “business as usual”, these acts force society to confront uncomfortable truths.

    It’s important to note that acts of citizenship aren’t always large-scale or dramatic. They can also involve everyday actions that challenge norms or assert rights in smaller ways. What matters is that these acts transform the actors from passive subjects into active citizens claiming their rights.

    Examples include the #EndRapeCulture campaign of 2016, when women protested against pervasive sexual violence on university campuses. At the same time, transgender students also protested against marginalisation.

    Both groups of students used naked protests to show their refusal to be treated as though they were not citizens. Through their campaign, the students rejected behaviour and attitudes that normalise sexual violence on campuses.

    Women students disrupted public spaces by protesting topless or in their underwear, sometimes brandishing sjamboks (plastic whips). These actions expressed anger at university authorities’ failure to address sexual violence. The activists were refusing to be treated as though they were not citizens.

    By using their bodies in these acts of citizenship the protesters made visible the rage many South African women feel about sexual violence committed with seeming impunity. They highlighted how women’s bodies are vulnerable to violence due to neglect by authorities in implementing their own laws, such as the Sexual Offences Act and the Domestic Violence Act.



    Read more:
    Victory for women’s rights in Ghana as affirmative action law is passed – what must happen next

    For its part the Trans Collective, a group of transgender students at the University of Cape Town, used a provocative art intervention to highlight the erasure or the making invisible of transgender experiences within the broader student movement during the same 2016 period.

    They smeared red paint on photographs at an exhibit about student activism and used their naked, paint-covered bodies to block the entrance of the art gallery at the university to force visitors to confront the physical reality of how transgender rights are often “trampled” or ignored, even within progressive movements.

    Impact

    Acts of citizenship – whether through naked protests, art interventions, or other forms of activism – serve multiple purposes:

    • They make visible groups and issues that are overlooked or deliberately ignored.

    • They challenge conventional understandings of how citizens should behave or what citizenship looks like.

    • They create new spaces for political action and discourse.

    • They force society and authorities to confront uncomfortable truths about exclusion and violence.

    • They assert the agency of marginalised groups in defining and claiming their rights.

    Amanda Gouws receives funding from the NRF through her SARChI Chair in Gender Politics.

    – ref. South African women face exclusion from society due to gender-based violence – how they’re fighting back – https://theconversation.com/south-african-women-face-exclusion-from-society-due-to-gender-based-violence-how-theyre-fighting-back-237493

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS wraps up Spain trip

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Financial Secretary Paul Chan today wrapped up his visit to Spain by attending an exchange session organised by the IESE Business School in Madrid.

    Leading a delegation of technology startups, Mr Chan met more than 10 Spanish startup entrepreneurs, representatives of venture capital funds, investors and business matching enterprises.

    As one of the top business schools in Europe and the world, IESE has close collaborations with several universities in Hong Kong, as well as with the Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation and Cyberport.

    Mr Chan introduced the new advantages and new opportunities in Hong Kong and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the policies and measures of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government to promote innovation and technology, along with the flourishing development of the city’s innovation and technology ecosystem.

    Representatives of startups and investors from both economies introduced their businesses and development strategies, with a view to enhancing mutual knowledge and understanding, and opening up more opportunities for collaboration.

    Mr Chan also IESE Business School Dean Prof Franz Heukamp to exchange views on the business environments of Hong Kong and Spain, as well as promote academic exchanges and co-operation between the two places.

    The finance chief welcomed the business school to further leverage Hong Kong’s international academic environment and convenient connections with Mainland China and Asia to deepen exchanges with various academic institutions and businesses in Hong Kong, promoting more co-operation in education, company executive training and other business areas.

    Mr Chan will now proceed to London.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: The Government of Canada invests nearly $4 million in the quantum sector by supporting Calcul Québec and Anyon Systèmes

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    The two organizations receive financial assistance totaling $3,997,500 from DEC.

    The two organizations receive financial assistance totaling $3,997,500 from DEC.

    Montreal (Quebec), September 25, 2024 – Canada Economic Development for Quebec Regions (DEC)

    Supporting the development, adoption and commercialization of quantum technologies helps position Quebec organizations in this emerging field, while strengthening Canada’s global leadership. This is why the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, announced today, on behalf of the Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for CED, a non-repayable contribution of $3,500,000 to Calcul Québec and a repayable contribution of $497,500 to Anyon Systèmes.

    Calcul Québec is a non-profit organization whose mission is to provide cutting-edge computational computing infrastructure for academic and scientific research and businesses. Its computing servers, also called supercomputers, are shared by thousands of researchers, mainly in Quebec, but also in Canada. MonarQ, its quantum computer designed by Anyon Systèmes, is located at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) in a room dedicated to advanced computing, a site that already hosts one of the most powerful supercomputers in the country. Calcul Québec’s project aims to increase MonarQ’s computing power from 12 to 24 qubits and thus better meet the technology transfer needs of businesses.

    Anyon Systèmes is a Montreal-based company that develops turnkey quantum computing products such as integrated quantum computers, electronic controllers and cryogenic systems. CED’s support will enable it to continue its growth and commercialize the technologies resulting from its research and development, including the manufacture of a demonstrator and participation in trade shows.

    To support Canada’s quantum sector and solidify the country’s position as a leader in this growing field, the Government of Canada has implemented the National Quantum Strategy. It aims to help Canadian companies adopt quantum technologies so that they can position themselves in this emerging field and generate economic benefits for the entire community.

    Quotes

    “Quantum research and computing push the boundaries of technology and are the cornerstone of innovation. These powerful, high-performance computing tools will solve problems, drive unprecedented economic growth, transform industries, and address our society’s most significant challenges, from climate change to healthcare. Today’s quantum technology is enabling a more resilient, prosperous, and equitable future.”

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice–Champlain, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada

    “Quebec and Canada are taking their place in the economy of the future, and our government is there to support them. The arrival of MonarQ will allow the academic and scientific community and businesses to have access to the quantum technologies needed for research in fields as diverse as energy, transportation, pharmaceuticals and materials. By supporting innovation in this way, we are ensuring that Quebec SMEs and organizations are well positioned and strengthening our global leadership in this field. Congratulations to Calcul Québec, Anyon Systèmes and ÉTS for this achievement!”

    The Honourable Soraya Martinez Ferrada, Member of Parliament for Hochelaga, Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for DEC

    “Integrating the computing power of a quantum computer into Calcul Québec’s service offering will provide the research and innovation community with a unique opportunity to develop and test new quantum and hybrid algorithms. This will be done while ensuring that all intellectual property generated remains the property of Quebec and Canadian institutions. MonarQ will also enable Calcul Québec, in collaboration with research teams, to develop essential techniques to ensure seamless interoperability between classical and quantum computers. This new infrastructure, with its national and international impact, will promote the development of free software, thereby strengthening accessibility and innovation in the field.”

    Suzanne Talon, General Manager, Calcul Québec

    “The installation of the MonarQ superconducting quantum computer in Calcul Québec’s advanced computing room allows Anyon Systèmes to take an important step in its development of quantum computing solutions. We are proud to be able to offer researchers and industrial users a quantum solution entirely designed and developed in Canada.”

    Alireza Najafi-Yazdi, Managing Director, Anyon Systems

    Quick Facts

    The funding was provided under CED’s Support for Regional Quantum Innovation, which stems from the Government of Canada’s National Quantum Strategy. This support has a budget of $23.3 million that will allow for strategic investments until 2028 to help SMEs and NPOs adopt, develop and commercialize quantum technologies and products based on these technologies. CED is the key federal partner in regional economic development in Quebec. Through its 12 regional business offices, CED supports businesses, support organizations and all regions of Quebec towards the economy of tomorrow.

    Related links

    Information

    Media RelationsCanada Economic Development for Quebec Regionsmedia@dec-ced.gc.ca

    Marie-Justine TorresPress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Tourism and Minister responsible for Canada Economic Development for Quebec RegionsCell.: 613-327-5918marie-justine.torresames@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Stay Connected

    Follow DEC on thesocial networksCheck out thenewsfrom DEC

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Odd Galaxy, NASA’s Webb Finds Potential Missing Link to First Stars

    Source: NASA

    Looking deep into the early universe with NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, astronomers have found something unprecedented: a galaxy with an odd light signature, which they attribute to its gas outshining its stars. Found approximately one billion years after the big bang, galaxy GS-NDG-9422 (9422) may be a missing-link phase of galactic evolution between the universe’s first stars and familiar, well-established galaxies.

    Image A: Galaxy GS-NDG-9422 (NIRCam Image)

    “My first thought in looking at the galaxy’s spectrum was, ‘that’s weird,’ which is exactly what the Webb telescope was designed to reveal: totally new phenomena in the early universe that will help us understand how the cosmic story began,” said lead researcher Alex Cameron of the University of Oxford.

    Cameron reached out to colleague Harley Katz, a theorist, to discuss the strange data. Working together, their team found that computer models of cosmic gas clouds heated by very hot, massive stars, to an extent that the gas shone brighter than the stars, was nearly a perfect match to Webb’s observations.

    “It looks like these stars must be much hotter and more massive than what we see in the local universe, which makes sense because the early universe was a very different environment,” said Katz, of Oxford and the University of Chicago.

    In the local universe, typical hot, massive stars have a temperature ranging between 70,000 to 90,000 degrees Fahrenheit (40,000 to 50,000 degrees Celsius). According to the team, galaxy 9422 has stars hotter than 140,000 degrees Fahrenheit (80,000 degrees Celsius).

    The research team suspects that the galaxy is in the midst of a brief phase of intense star formation inside a cloud of dense gas that is producing a large number of massive, hot stars. The gas cloud is being hit with so many photons of light from the stars that it is shining extremely brightly.

    Image B: Galaxy GS-NDG-9422 Spectrum (NIRSpec)

    In addition to its novelty, nebular gas outshining stars is intriguing because it is something predicted in the environments of the universe’s first generation of stars, which astronomers classify as Population III stars.

    “We know that this galaxy does not have Population III stars, because the Webb data shows too much chemical complexity. However, its stars are different than what we are familiar with – the exotic stars in this galaxy could be a guide for understanding how galaxies transitioned from primordial stars to the types of galaxies we already know,” said Katz.

    At this point, galaxy 9422 is one example of this phase of galaxy development, so there are still many questions to be answered. Are these conditions common in galaxies at this time period, or a rare occurrence? What more can they tell us about even earlier phases of galaxy evolution? Cameron, Katz, and their research colleagues are actively identifying more galaxies to add to this population to better understand what was happening in the universe within the first billion years after the big bang.

    “It’s a very exciting time, to be able to use the Webb telescope to explore this time in the universe that was once inaccessible,” Cameron said. “We are just at the beginning of new discoveries and understanding.”

    The research paper is published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

    The James Webb Space Telescope is the world’s premier space science observatory. Webb is solving mysteries in our solar system, looking beyond to distant worlds around other stars, and probing the mysterious structures and origins of our universe and our place in it. Webb is an international program led by NASA with its partners, ESA (European Space Agency) and CSA (Canadian Space Agency).

    Downloads

    Right click any image to save it or open a larger version in a new tab/window via the browser’s popup menu.

    View/Download all image products at all resolutions for this article from the Space Telescope Science Institute.

    View/Download the research results from the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

    Media Contacts

    Laura Betz – laura.e.betz@nasa.gov, Rob Gutro – rob.gutro@nasa.govNASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.

    Christine Pulliam – cpulliam@stsci.edu, Leah Ramsay – lramsay@stsci.eduSpace Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, Md.

    Related Information

    Read more: “What Were the First Stars Like?”

    Watch: “Massive Stars: Engines of Creation”

    Learn about spectroscopy: “Spectroscopy 101 – Introduction”

    Star Lifecycle

    More Webb News

    More Webb Images

    Webb Science Themes

    Webb Mission Page

    Related For Kids

    What is a galaxy?

    What is the Webb Telescope?

    SpacePlace for Kids

    En Español

    Ciencia de la NASA

    NASA en español 

    Space Place para niños

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NREL Researcher Silvana Ovaitt Honored With Award From Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Ovaitt’s Mentors Taught Her That Education and Outreach Make a Difference. Now She Is Showing the Next Generation of Scientists How To Pay It Forward.

    Researcher Silvana Ovaitt plants crops in a garden row at the bifacial agrivoltaics array on the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s campus in 2023. Photo by Joe DelNero, NREL

    Silvana Ovaitt is already known as a rising star around the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for her research advancing bifacial photovoltaic (PV) performance, not to mention her already-extensive record of leadership in community and educational outreach. Now, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) has made it official by honoring Ovaitt with a STAR of Tomorrow Award for 2024.

    “I’m very honored to receive this award because SHPE is such a fundamental organization shaping Latinx career paths, and it’s great to be recognized and be able to give a wider platform to the amazing activities I am part of, like the Hands-On PV Experience (HOPE), bifacial research, international collaborations, and more,” Ovaitt said.

    The SHPE Technical Achievement and Recognition Awards, or STAR Awards, honor those working across science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. SHPE gives two STAR Awards—one in government and one in corporate. The STAR of Tomorrow Award – Government recognizes an individual who has demonstrated excellence in their technical work and a commitment to leadership, mentoring, and community service.

    “Dr. Ovaitt’s exceptional technical skills, commitment to research, and selfless support to the STEM community make her truly deserving of the STAR of Tomorrow Award,” said STAR Awards Chair Diana Gomez.

    Ovaitt first arrived at NREL as a participant in a workshop she now leads. She attended the HOPE workshop as a student in 2016, then joined the program’s staff after becoming an NREL researcher. She became part of program leadership in 2021. A core program at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Solar Energy Technologies Office, HOPE brings Ph.D. students to NREL to learn more about PV fabrication, metrology, and characterization to encourage university PV research. Ovaitt experienced how the program can serve as a spark for a student’s future career in PV research, and now every summer she helps ignite that spark for a new group of students by welcoming them to NREL.

    Silvana Ovaitt. Photo by Gregory Cooper, NREL

    Leading the workshop is just one of many projects that seamlessly combine Ovaitt’s commitment to outreach and mentorship with her current research interests. Her work in the Photovoltaic Reliability and System Performance group focuses on the optical and electrical performance of bifacial PV systems, modeling bifacial PV systems, and circularity pathways for PV sustainability. Alongside her publications and conference presentations, she has lent her talents to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, serving on NREL’s Hispanic and Latinx Alliance and Women’s Network employee resource groups and nationally leading the Women in PV Committee and DEI initiatives at the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ Photovoltaic Specialists Conference. She also creates tools to help researchers consider energy justice in their work.

    “Outreach is awesome for bringing science to students who would otherwise not have access to it,” Ovaitt said. “It helps me go back to the basics of how and why we do the research that we do, and I also learn how to better share and teach it in an accessible way—which benefits me for writing proposals and talking to legislators and wider audiences. The mentors who have shaped my path were all very good at this, and I love paying it forward.”

    NREL researcher Chris Deline said he has been impressed with her work from the start.

    “I have known Silvana since we conducted research together during her Ph.D. program at the University of Arizona, and I was blown away by her energy, research knowledge, and strategic vision,” said Deline, manager of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Regional Test Center program for field assessment of novel PV technologies at NREL. “She puts 100% effort into her technical research and publications and also somehow puts another 100% into external collaborations and stakeholder outreach. I place Silvana as one of the most impactful early career researchers that we have at NREL in her accomplishments and in her technical merit.”

    SHPE is not the only organization that has recognized Ovaitt’s work this year. She was also invited to the National Academy of Engineering’s U.S. Frontiers of Engineering symposium, and she received the PowerMark Early Career Prize in PV Reliability during NREL’s PV Reliability Workshop in March.

    Ovaitt and the other award recipients will be honored at SHPE’s STAR Awards ceremony during the organization’s national convention Oct. 30–Nov. 3, 2024, in Anaheim, California. SHPE is the largest U.S. organization representing Hispanics in STEM fields, and it will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the 2024 convention.

    Learn more about NREL’s PV reliability and system performance research and the Hands-On Photovoltaics Experience (HOPE) for graduate students, and find out more about the STAR Awards.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Julie Rivera Pérez Bridges Business, STEM to ‘Make the Magic Happen’

    Source: NASA

    Senior Resource Analyst Julie Rivera Pérez ensures finances and assets are in place to enable missions’ engineering and science “magic” can happen. As a former intern, she also reaches out to current students to ensure a diverse and inclusive future workforce.
    Name: Julie Rivera PérezFormal Job Classification: Senior Resources AnalystOrganization: Systems Review Office/Resource Management Office, Office of the Chief Financial Officer (Code 159.2)

    What do you do and what is most interesting about your role here at Goddard?
    I work in Goddard’s Systems Review Office (SRO), which plays a critical role in NASA’s mission gate reviews, also known as system review boards (SRBs). As the lead senior resources analyst, I provide financial expertise relating to budget planning and funds execution in support of all life-cycle reviews for Goddard missions. These reviews occur during key milestones in the progression of a mission through the various stages until launch. A mission cannot proceed with its work unless it passes the gate reviews, like the preliminary design review (PDR), critical design review (PDR), system integration review (SIR), operational readiness review (ORR), among others. It is great to support these reviews and make sure that key panel members like engineering, science, cost/schedule, and programmatic subject matter experts are planned for and funded to hold these SRB reviews. It is exciting to be able to contribute to Goddard missions!
    What is your educational background?
    In 2010, I graduated from the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras Campus, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. My major was in human resources, and my minor was in marketing.
    Why did you come to Goddard?
    I first came to Goddard in 2008, as a summer intern. I will never forget the team of recruiters that visited my university and shared Goddard’s opportunities for business majors. I dreamed to contribute to the NASA mission! I took a chance and signed up to be interviewed. Three months later, I was offered an internship, and here I am, nearly 15 years later and thriving!
    Where have you worked at Goddard? What was a pivotal moment for you?
    In 2009, I had the opportunity to intern with the Office of Human Capital Management, the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity, and the Office of Education.
    After graduating in 2010, I joined Goddard as a procurement analyst in the Small Business Office. In 2013, I became the Contracting Officer for the Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) system.
    In 2015, I was selected as a participant in the NASA FIRST Program, a very prestigious NASA leadership program, which was pivotal for me. I learned about different roles at NASA including the important roles of business professionals. This inspired me to transition into the world of resources and finance!
    In 2017, I became a senior resources analyst for the Joint Polar Satellite System (JPSS). My procurement background helped me understand the underlying contractual mechanics in the world of resources. I was very excited to continue to grow in my NASA career! In 2018, I served as a contract resources analyst of the Ground Systems and Missions Operations 2 contract for the Space Science Mission Operations Division. Presently, I serve as the lead senior resources analyst for the Systems Review Office within the Safety and Mission Assurance Business Branch of the Office of the Chief Financial Officer (OCFO).
    It has been an amazing journey! I have had the opportunity to work in multiple flagship missions, mission operations, interagency collaborations, procurement, finance, and resources. I am excited for what the future will bring in my NASA career!
    What are your responsibilities in your current role?
    My key responsibility is serving as the financial liaison between the Systems Review Office (SRO) and program or project offices. I collaborate with program managers, deputy program managers for resources, and financial managers from other NASA centers to ensure the proper coordination of system review boards’ funding requirements. This includes preparing program, planning, budget, and execution (PPBE) inputs, labor projections, continuing resolution funding requirements, and phasing plans for all SRB missions.
    As the SRO lead senior resources analyst, I also oversee the daily functions and activities of the SRO staff members, providing them with appropriate guidance, direction, knowledge sharing, and mentorship.
    What are you most thankful about in your career?
    I have had many opportunities from the moment I started working at Goddard as an intern. I have always been encouraged to continue growing as a professional through several significant work opportunities. One of them being the NASA FIRST leadership program for the 2015 cohort. It was a joy when I was accepted into this life-changing and unique opportunity! Throughout my career at Goddard, I have learned about many different aspects and the importance of being a business professional to help achieve the NASA mission.
    Who is your mentor and what is their advice?
    I have had several amazing mentors throughout my career at Goddard. Dan Krieger was key in my recruitment and has always supported me through my journey. Veronica Hill has continuously provided her guidance and wisdom. Janine Dolinka welcomed me to Goddard as my first mentor and further inspired me grow at NASA. Jennifer Perez took me under her wing and taught me the importance and roles of the Small Business Office. Currently, I am under the mentorship of Rich Ryan (deputy program director for business, Mars Sample Return) and Kevin Miller (chief of Resources Management Office). All in all, my mentors have always reminded me to always be my authentic self. It sounds so simple, yet it is such powerful advice. I want to thank each and every one of them for fueling the desire to make a difference for the NASA mission and to continue bringing my talents to the workforce!
    What is important to you about your role on the Hispanic Advisory Committee for Employees (HACE)?
    A very fulfilling part of the work I do at NASA Goddard is my voluntary service as the co-chair for the Hispanic Advisory Committee for Employees (HACE) resource group. I am in a unique position to provide advice, guidance, and recommendations to center management, the Office of STEM Engagement, and the Office of Diversity and Equal Opportunity on initiatives regarding recruitment, outreach, retention, cultural awareness, and professional development of minorities and Hispanics at Goddard. I also serve as the recruitment and outreach co-lead for the committee. As co-chair, I am a voice representing the interests of the GSFC Hispanic community.
    I also develop key initiatives in student recruitment and outreach to build a pipeline of Hispanic interns for NASA. Every summer, I coordinate intern presentations to center management, as well as provide training to the Hispanic interns on how to write a federal résumé and apply for a federal job within NASA.
    It is my wish to pay it forward. I once was an intern. I want to encourage others to join the NASA community and make a positive impact with diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Así Se HACE!
    In 2021, you were a panel speaker at the Women of Color conference. What did you talk about?
    It was such an honor to be invited as a panel speaker with a financial professional background for a STEM event. I served as a bridge between STEM and the business world and how both come together to make the magic happen. I have a deep understanding of how the business world and the engineering and science come together to bring missions to life. While I may not have a STEM degree, I am a STEM advocate. This event was an opportunity to tell my story as a Hispanic woman in resources and finance working at NASA. As a business professional, it is important that the money and the assets are in place so all the engineering and science can happen. It was equally important to highlight the value of embracing yourself and what you bring you the table because that is where your strength lies and how you can make a difference.
    What do you do for fun?
    I have a passion for singing! Since my early teens, I studied music and singing at the Music Conservatory of Puerto Rico. In college, I was accepted into the very competitive University of Puerto Rico classical choir. I continued to pursue my love for music through the Goddard Music and Drama Club (MAD). I even starred in
    two musicals produced by MAD!
    I love spending time with my husband and two children, as well as watching movies with family and friends, spending time at the beach, reading, walking, listening to true crime podcasts, and watching the occasional Spanish telenovela.
    What is your favorite life quote?
    This Gandhi quote speaks to the power of perseverance and means a lot to me: “Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.”
    What is your “six-word memoir”? A six-word memoir describes something in just six words.
    PassionateCreativeDedicatedAuthenticLeaderDetermined

    Conversations With Goddard is a collection of Q&A profiles highlighting the breadth and depth of NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center’s talented and diverse workforce. The Conversations have been published twice a month on average since May 2011. Read past editions on Goddard’s “Our People” webpage.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Awards Contract Extension for Solar Science Instrument

    Source: NASA

    NASA has awarded a contract extension to Stanford University, California, to continue the mission and services for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument on the agency’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).

    NASA has awarded a contract extension to Stanford University, California, to continue the mission and services for the Helioseismic and Magnetic Imager (HMI) instrument on the agency’s Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO).
    The cost-reimbursement, no fee contract extension provides for support, operation, and calibration of the HMI instrument, which is one of three main instruments on SDO. In addition, the extension provides for operating and maintaining the Joint Science Operations Center – Science Data Processing facility at Stanford as well as the HMI team’s support for Heliophysics System Observatory science.
    The period of performance for the extension runs Tuesday, Oct. 1, through Sept. 30, 2027. The extension increases the total contract value for HMI services by about $12.5 million — from $173.84 million to $186.34 million.
    SDO’s mission is to help advance our understanding of the Sun’s influence on Earth and near-Earth space by studying how the star changes over time and how solar activity is created. Understanding the solar environment and how it drives space weather is vital to protecting ground and space-based infrastructure as well as NASA’s efforts to establish a sustainable presence on the Moon with Artemis. The study of the Sun also teaches us more about how stars contribute to the habitability of planets throughout the universe.
    The SDO mission launched in February 2010 with science operations beginning in May of that year. The HMI instrument on SDO studies oscillations and the magnetic field at the solar surface, or photosphere.
    For information about NASA and agency programs, visit:

    Home Page

    Jeremy EggersGoddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md.757-824-2958jeremy.l.eggers@nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Commerce Dept. CHIPS Act Contract Falls Short of Biden-Harris Administration’s Standards

    Source: Communications Workers of America

    Today’s announcement of the CHIPS Act-funded contract the U.S. Department of Commerce has signed with Polar Semiconductor falls short of the standards set by the Biden-Harris Administration’s Executive Order on Investing in America and American Workers and Good Jobs Principles. In particular, the announcement and information on the CHIPS for America website contain no details about enforceable labor and environmental standards or public reporting requirements.

    “CHIPS and Science Act funds could be an important part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s investment in creating good, sustainable manufacturing jobs that revitalize our communities, but the final contract terms reported do not appear to reflect those priorities,” said Carl Kennebrew, President of IUE-CWA, the industrial division of the Communications Workers of America. “We know that the semiconductor industry has a well-documented history of low pay for production workers, lax standards for exposure to toxic chemicals, and union busting. Addressing those issues requires transparency and public reporting on enforceable commitments, which are not noted in the public description of this contract.”

    This potential lack of public transparency is of particular concern when it comes to worker safety. OSHA standards for toxic chemical exposure are outdated and do not cover many of the hazards present in semiconductor manufacturing.

    While the contract with Polar falls short, upcoming awards to Intel, Micron, Samsung and other large industry players offer an opportunity to address these issues.

    In order to ensure that the manufacturing facilities created through the CHIPS Act have a positive impact on the communities where they are situated, these contracts must:

    • Set specific requirements for job creation and retention, wages, training, and safety with robust public reporting on those measures to ensure that these funds create the good jobs that are intended.
    • Be enforced through strong non-compliance language and clawback provisions should companies violate federal law or fall short on honoring their commitments.
    • Require that production workers have a free and fair opportunity to join a union. Union membership gives workers a seat at the table to set high standards for these facilities and provides an additional layer of transparency into how these standards are being implemented on the factory floor.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The design tricks keeping your kids hooked on games and apps – and 3 things you can do about it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Zomer, Associate Research Fellow at the Centre of the Digital Child, Deakin University

    This article is part of a series on the great internet letdown. Read the rest of the series.

    Ever found yourself unable to resist checking out a social media notification? Or sending a random picture just to keep a Snapchat “streak” going? Or simply getting stuck staring at YouTube because it auto-played yet another cute cat video?

    If so, you’re far from alone. And if we adults can’t resist such digital temptations, how can we expect children to do any better?

    Many digital environments are not designed with the best interest of users in mind – and this is especially true of games, apps and platforms commonly used by kids and teens.

    Designers use persuasive design techniques to make users spend more time on apps or platforms, so they can make more money selling ads. Below, we explain some of the most common design tricks used in popular games, social media and apps.

    Decision-making made easy 🔀

    Social media and streaming platforms strive to provide “seamless” user experiences. This makes it easy to stay engaged without needing to click anything very often, which also minimises any obvious opportunities where we might disengage.

    These seamless experiences include things such as auto-play when streaming videos, or “infinite scrolling” on social media. When algorithms present us with a steady flow of content, shaped by what we have liked or engaged with in the past, we must put in extra effort to stop watching. Unsurprisingly, we often decide to stay put.

    Rewards and dopamine hits 🧠

    Another way to keep children engaged is by using rewards, such as stars, diamonds, stickers, badges or other “points” in children’s apps. “Likes” on social media are no different.

    Rewards trigger the release of a chemical in our brains – dopamine – which not only makes us feel good but also leaves us wanting more.

    Rewards can be used to promote good behaviour, but not always. In some children’s apps, rewards are doubled if users watch advertisements.

    Loot boxes and ‘gambling’ 💰

    Variable rewards have been found to be especially effective. When you do not know when you will get a certain reward or desired item, you are more likely to keep going.

    In games, variable rewards can often be found (or purchased) in the form of “loot boxes”. Loot boxes might be chests, treasures, or stacks of cards containing a random reward. Because of the unpredictable reward, some researchers have described loot boxes as akin to gambling, even though the games do not always involve real money.

    Sometimes in-game currency (fake game money) can be bought with real money and used to “gamble” for rare characters and special items. This is very tempting for young people.

    In one of our (as yet unpublished) studies, a 12-year-old student admitted to spending several hundred dollars to obtain a desired character in the popular game Genshin Impact.

    The lure of streaks 🔥

    Another problematic way of using rewards in design is negative reinforcement. For instance, when you are at risk of a negative outcome (like losing something good), you feel compelled to continue a particular behaviour.

    “Streaks” work like this. If you do not do the same task for several days in a row, you will not get the extra rewards promised. Language learning app DuoLingo uses streaks, but so does Snapchat, a popular social media app. Research has shown a correlation between Snapchat streaks and problematic smartphone use among teens.

    Streaks can also make money for apps directly. If you miss a day and lose your streak, you can often pay to restore it.

    Loss of reputation 👎

    Reputation is important on social media. Think of the number of Facebook friends you have, or the number of likes your post receives.

    Sometimes designers build on our fear of losing our reputation. For instance, they can do this by adding a leaderboard that ranks users based on their score.

    While you may have heard of the use of leaderboards in games, they are also common in popular educational apps such as Kahoot! or Education Perfect. Leaderboards introduce an element of competition that many students enjoy.

    However, for some this competition has negative consequences – especially for those languishing low in the ranks.

    Similarly, Snapchat has a SnapScore where reputational loss is still at play. You do not want a lower score than your friends! This makes you want to keep using the app.

    Exploiting feelings of connection 🥰

    Another tool in the designers’ bag of tricks is capitalising on the emotional ties or connections users form with influencers or celebrities on social media, or favourite media characters (such as Elmo or Peppa pig) for younger children.

    While these connections can foster a sense of belonging, they can also be exploited for commercial gain, such as when influencers promote commercial products, or characters urge in-app purchases.

    What can parents do? 🤷

    Persuasive design isn’t inherently bad. Users want apps and games to be engaging, like we do for movies or TV shows. However, some design “tricks” simply serve commercial interests, often at the expense of users’ wellbeing.

    It is not all bleak, though. Here are a few steps parents can take to help kids stay on top of the apps:

    • have early and ongoing discussions with children about ideas such as the underlying commercial intent of what they are engaging with

    • model good digital choices of not giving in to persuasive design, such as by avoiding digital distractions yourself

    • use trustworthy resources to help in digital decision-making, such as Common Sense Media and Dark Pattern Games.

    For the moment, the responsibility for managing children’s interactions with the digital realm falls largely on individuals and families.

    Some governments are beginning to take action, but measures such as blanket age-based bans on social media or other platforms will only shield children temporarily. A better approach for governments and regulators would be to focus on safety by design: the idea that the safety and rights of users should be the starting point of any app, product or service, rather than an afterthought.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The design tricks keeping your kids hooked on games and apps – and 3 things you can do about it – https://theconversation.com/the-design-tricks-keeping-your-kids-hooked-on-games-and-apps-and-3-things-you-can-do-about-it-239493

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Where do we stash the equivalent of 110 Sydney harbour bridges? That’s the conundrum Australia faces as oil and gas rigs close

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darryn Snell, Associate professor, School of Management, RMIT University

    James Jones Jr, Shutterstock

    Oil and gas wells are dotted off Australia’s shores. They involve huge steel structures fixed firmly to the sea floor, and thousands of kilometres of pipelines.

    Most of Australia’s offshore oil and gas projects will be decommissioned in the next 30 years – some in the next decade. An estimated 5.7 million tonnes of material will need to be removed – the equivalent of 110 Sydney harbour bridges.

    Australia desperately needs the skills and equipment to conduct these complex decommissioning operations. The Albanese government says a high-capacity decommissioning facility is required by the early 2030s. At present, no such facilities exist.

    We hope the nation welcomes the opportunity to build a new multi-billion dollar demolition and recycling industry, with skilled jobs for workers. Rather than letting companies abandon structures for so-called “artificial reefs”.

    What would a decommissioning industry look like?

    Australia has two main offshore oil and gas producing areas: the North West Shelf in Western Australia and the Bass Strait off Gippsland, Victoria.

    WA and the Northern Territory have 35 platforms, 11 floating facilities and 6,076km of pipelines offshore. Victoria has 22 platforms and 2,089km of pipelines. Altogether, more than a thousand wells will need to be plugged and abandoned.

    Many of these facilities have already reached the end of their lives, or soon will. Less demand for fossil fuels in the future means we don’t need to refurbish or extend them. The only other option is to decommission them.

    Federal law requires the complete removal of offshore oil and gas infrastructure and plugging of wells, unless companies can come up with a better option.

    About 60% of the material requiring removal is steel, which could be recycled. A further 25% is concrete. The remainder includes plastics, hazardous metals and naturally occurring radioactive materials.

    But decommissioning is expensive, complex and time consuming, and the weak regulations are poorly enforced. Companies often present proposals that fail to meet community expectations.

    The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility argues “further regulation is needed to ensure greater transparency, disclosure, and public consultation on decommissioning”.

    The Albanese government has been developing a plan for a decommissioning industry in Australia. It would be worth A$60 billion over the next 30 to 50 years.

    The industry would reclaim the materials and transport them to dismantling yards, for safe sorting and recycling. It would create highly skilled jobs, many of which overlap with skills needed for building offshore wind farms. These include:

    • electricians and mechanical fitters
    • specialist engineering roles
    • various management and contract management roles
    • health, safety and environmental specialists
    • specialist offshore operators, including for cranes and drilling activities.

    Currently only a few countries such as Norway and Turkiye have such dedicated decommissioning industries. Some also accept materials from oil and gas fields further afield. Scottish oil and gas rigs, for example, were controversially transported to Turkiye for dismantling and recycling in 2022-23.

    Plenty of work to be done

    In Gippsland, there may be ways to decommission not just offshore oil and gas, but also coal-fired power stations in the Latrobe Valley, which are scheduled to close in coming years.

    Some 30,000 tonnes of steel and 65,000m³ of asbestos was removed when Hazelwood Power Station was demolished. A further 100,000 tonnes of steel and 100,000 tonnes of concrete was recycled.

    Much recycling work was done on site. This provided more than 1.1 million hours of work employment badly needed in a region that had lost one of its largest employers.

    The WA state government allocated $5 million to a local decommissioning industry in its 2022-23 budget. This funds the Centre of Decommissioning Australia’s research, including a study investigating how to develop a dismantling hub in WA.

    Unfortunately, Victoria has not shown similar interest. This is despite decommissioning work by Esso in Bass Strait raising ongoing community concerns. They relate to the marine environment, human safety – for fishing, beach and tourism activities – and the loss of other potential industry and job opportunities.

    Whether to remove oil and gas structures or leave them in place is hotly debated. Some people argue the structures should be left to serve as artificial reefs. Others say the material is dangerous and potentially toxic.

    Given the immense size and number of oil and gas platforms around the world, a lot of material could be left to decay in the oceans with unknown consequences.

    Gas in the Bass Strait is running out but what will happen to the offshore rigs? | 7.30.

    Challenges and opportunities

    Renewable energy promises to create jobs and revitalise many fossil-fuel dependent regions. Setting up a decommissioning industry in the oil and gas regions of WA and Victoria would provide further opportunities during the transition.

    Ideally, the decommissioning process would deliver positive social and environmental benefits, not just cost savings. But that requires managing decommissioning as part of policies aimed at supporting workers and communities to adjust to a low carbon economy.

    The Future Made in Australia policy, for instance, could consider including support for a decommissioning industry.

    Regulations for decommissioning of oil and gas infrastructure must be strengthened. Environmental groups and unions are increasingly campaigning for these changes. Australia’s oil and gas companies are powerful and will likely resist further regulation.

    Abandoning oil and gas infrastructure on the ocean floor would result in lost opportunities for regions, communities and workers. It would also set a precedent for the dumping of yet more industrial waste into the ocean.

    We must get decommissioning right. Otherwise, it may prove another environmental harm imposed on the planet by the oil and gas industry.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Where do we stash the equivalent of 110 Sydney harbour bridges? That’s the conundrum Australia faces as oil and gas rigs close – https://theconversation.com/where-do-we-stash-the-equivalent-of-110-sydney-harbour-bridges-thats-the-conundrum-australia-faces-as-oil-and-gas-rigs-close-235867

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Humanity needs more rare earth elements. Extinct volcanoes could be a rich new source

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Anenburg, Research Fellow in Earth Sciences, Australian National University

    Phawat/Shutterstock

    Extinct volcanoes are hard to study – we never see them erupt. Using a unique experimental technique, we were able to recreate a certain type of extinct volcano in a lab, learning more about the magma these volcanoes produce.

    We found that some rare magma types are surprisingly efficient at concentrating rare earth elements. This is a group of metals with crucial applications in several high-tech industries, such as magnets for electric vehicles and wind turbines.

    Demand for rare earths is soaring as society moves away from fossil fuels and electrifies energy production and transport. Despite the name, rare earths aren’t particularly rare. The biggest challenge is finding rocks in which these metals are concentrated enough to be economically viable to extract.

    Our new research, published in the journal Geochemical Perspectives Letters, shows certain extinct volcanoes are a great place to look.

    Iron-rich magma in extinct volcanoes

    There is an enigmatic type of magma that contains unusually large amounts of iron. It is so rare, no eruptions featuring this type of magma have happened in recorded history.

    Instead, it is only known from extinct volcanoes that were active many millions of years ago.

    The most famous example of such a volcano is El Laco in Chile. Another notable example is Kiruna in Sweden, mined for iron ore for many decades. Last year, its operating company LKAB announced Kiruna as the largest rare earths resource in Europe.

    The discovery at Kiruna made us (and many others) wonder why there would be a rare earth resource at a volcanic iron mine. We already know of many other rock types containing rare earths, and none of them are like Kiruna and other extinct iron-rich volcanoes.

    Was this just a geological serendipity, or is there something inherent to iron-rich magmas that make them rare-earth rich, too? After all, many of those iron-rich extinct volcanoes are known, but no one ever bothered to check whether they have a rare earth resource in them.

    Additionally, iron-rich rocks are often easy to find because of their strong magnetic signal, despite their rarity. Should they be added to the target list of rare earth explorers?

    Recreating volcanism in a bottle

    To test this hypothesis, we used a machine called a piston cylinder. We put synthetic material akin to volcanic rocks and magmas into small capsules or “bottles” made of noble metals such as platinum. We then pressurised them to depths equivalent to 15 kilometres deep in Earth’s crust and heated them up to 1,100°C, melting them into a liquid.

    At these extreme conditions, we found the iron-rich magma exists as bubbles inside a more common magma type known from virtually all modern active volcanoes. The iron-rich magma absorbs rare earths from the surrounding liquid.

    These iron-rich bubbles will have a different density and viscosity, and will separate from their iron-poor environment, similar to how water and oil mixed together will eventually separate into distinct layers.

    Iron-rich magmas absorb the rare earths so efficiently, their rare earth contents are almost 200 times greater than the regular magmas around them.

    This means the discovery at Kiruna wasn’t an accident. It’s something we can expect from most, if not all, iron-rich volcanoes.

    An experimental platinum capsule (4 mm in length) containing round bubbles of iron-rich and iron-poor magma. The capsule also contains abundant iron oxide crystals in light grey and blue, similar to the material making the iron ore in active mines.
    Shengchao Yan

    Why do we need more rare earth deposits?

    Production of rare earth elements is concentrated in just a handful of countries – mostly China, along with the United States, Myanmar and Australia.

    Rare earths are therefore classified as “critical minerals”: they have important uses, but suffer from a supply chain risk due to geopolitical factors.

    As demand for rare earths has surged, this has led to substantial investment in research and exploration for additional deposits. The more deposits are known, the better industry can pick deposits that will yield rare earths at the lowest financial, environmental and societal cost.

    Extinct iron-rich volcanoes are often mined for iron ore. Our results indicate existing mines at such locations can potentially be modified to produce rare earths as well.

    This would be a positive outcome – an existing mining operation can gain additional value. In some cases, mine waste can be reprocessed to extract these critical metals. This would mean new mines for rare earth elements may not even be required, preventing unnecessary disruption of natural environments.

    Michael Anenburg receives funding from the Australian Research Council for an Industry Fellowship co-funded by BHP Olympic Dam.

    – ref. Humanity needs more rare earth elements. Extinct volcanoes could be a rich new source – https://theconversation.com/humanity-needs-more-rare-earth-elements-extinct-volcanoes-could-be-a-rich-new-source-239410

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 09.24.2024 Sens. Cruz, Heinrich Introduce Bipartisan Bill Supporting Nuclear Fuel Recycling

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) today introduced The Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act. The bill requires the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the National Academy of Science to create an independent committee of experts to study recycling the country’s spent nuclear fuel. The DOE-commissioned study would evaluate the cost, benefits, and risks of recycling our spent nuclear fuel compared to the status quo of interim storage. Domestic recycling has the potential to reduce the amount of storage we need for spent nuclear fuel, reduce our dependence on nuclear fuel imported from hostile nations like Russia, and provide another supply of rare elements and isotopes used for certain medicines and advanced technologies.
    Upon introduction, Sen. Cruz said, “No individual state should be responsible for bearing the brunt of nuclear waste accumulation. In order to advance American energy, we need to find ways to maximize our cleanest baseload energy source.  I am proud to work with Sen. Heinrich on this bipartisan legislation to study how new technologies can harness the full potential of recycled nuclear energy. Innovation is key to making America energy dominant.”
    Sen. Heinrich said, “We need to find ways to provide clean and reliable energy for all Americans. This bill will help identify safe and secure methods of recycling our spent nuclear fuel, which can increase domestic clean energy resources, lower costs, and deliver good-paying jobs for Americans.”
    Ed McGinnis, CEO, Curio said, “We commend Senators Cruz and Heinrich for their forward-thinking leadership in the Advancing Research in Nuclear Fuel Recycling Act of 2024. Their dedication underscores the critical importance of nuclear waste recycling in unlocking America’s energy independence and ensuring a sustainable future. By embracing innovative solutions and bridging the gap between technology and policy, we pave the way towards a more environmentally sustainable and economically robust U.S. nuclear sector. Together, we can harness the full potential of nuclear energy while finding a permanent solution to nuclear waste.”
    Jacob DeWitte, Co-Founder and CEO, Oklo said, “Oklo greatly appreciates the interest and support Congress has expressed for commercial recycling of used nuclear fuel. This legislation will help outline benefits and potential policy opportunities, while Oklo continues to deploy its own recycling program for the purpose of supplying fuel for our Aurora powerhouses.”
    Doug True, Senior Vice President and Chief Nuclear Officer, Nuclear Energy Institute said, “The U.S. nuclear industry supports efforts by Congress to advance used nuclear fuel recycling for its potential to enhance the sustainability and economics of existing and advanced reactors, to improve U.S. energy security, and to convert used fuel into waste forms that can be more easily disposed of in a permanent geologic repository.”
    Read the full text of the bill.
    BACKGROUND

    There are over 90,000 metric tons of spent nuclear fuel from commercial nuclear power plants within the United States and that number continues to grow by 2,000 metric tons each year.
    There are over 70 sites within the U.S. where nuclear waste is currently stored. 20 of those sites lack an operational nuclear reactor and are considered shut down.
    World powers such as France, the UK, and Japan currently recycle their spent nuclear fuel. Meanwhile, the U.S. employs a “one-time-through” fuel life cycle because of a since-rescinded executive order from President Carter that prohibited the recycling of nuclear fuel.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Obesity in mums doubles the risk of autism in babies

    Source: University of South Australia

    25 September 2024

    Children born to mothers with obesity both before and during pregnancy have an increased risk of neuropsychiatric and behavioural conditions, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), according to new research from the University of South Australia.

    Funded by Centre of Research Excellence Health in Preconception & Pregnancy and conducted in partnership with Curtin University, Monash University,  SAHMRI and a team of national institutions*, the systematic review and meta-analysis of more than 3.6 million mother-child pairs across 42 epidemiological studies found that obesity during pregnancy:

    • increases the risk of ADHD in children by 32%.
    • doubles the risk of developing ASD in children (by 2.23 times).
    • increases the risk of conduct disorders by 16%

    The study also found that maternal pre-conception obesity or overweight was linked with an increased risk of ADHD, ASD, conduct disorder and psychotic disorder as well as a 30% increased risk in both externalising symptoms, and peer relationship problems.

    Lead researcher UniSA’s Dr Bereket Duko says the study provides new insights into the long-term impact of maternal body weight on child mental health.

    “Maternal obesity has long been associated with a range of adverse perinatal outcomes, including preterm birth, low birthweight, stillbirth, and it is also linked with macrosomia, or high birthweight,” Dr Duko says.

    “In this study, we examined maternal overweight and obesity before and during pregnancy, finding that both are significantly linked with psychiatric and behavioural problems in children later in life, specifically ASD, ADHD and peer relationship problems.

    “Given the rising global obesity rates among women of reproductive age, and the growing numbers of children identified with neurodiverse conditions, it’s important that we acknowledge the potential long-term consequences of maternal adiposity on child mental health.”

    In Australia, about one in 150 people have ASD with more than 8% of children aged 4-11 diagnosed with ADHD. Globally, one in eight people live with obesity.

    Dr Duko says the study’s results underscore the need for interventions targeting maternal weight management before and during pregnancy.

    “Public health efforts that target improving maternal health could help mitigate some of the risks of neuropsychiatric and behavioural disorders in children,” Dr Duko says.

    “While further research is needed to explore the biological mechanisms underlying these associations, the findings do stress the need for health interventions that promote healthy living and weight among parents to be.”

    Notes to editors:

    *Additional partners include Monash University, University of Western Australia, Fiona Stanley Hospital, University of Queensland, Edith Cowan University, and University of Sydney.

    The paper is available online here:  Associations between maternal preconception and pregnancy adiposity and neuropsychiatric and behavioral outcomes in the offspring: A systematic review and meta-analysis

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview:  Dr Bereket Duko M: +61 410 350 140 E: Bereket.Adema@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: US Department of Labor announces framework to help employers promote inclusive hiring as AI-powered recruitment tools’ use grows

    Source: US Department of Labor

    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced the publication of the AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework, a new tool designed to support the inclusive use of artificial intelligence in employers’ hiring technology and increase benefits to disabled job seekers. 

    Published by the Partnership on Employment & Accessible Technology, the framework will help employers reduce the risks of creating unintentional forms of discrimination and barriers to accessibility as they implement AI hiring technology. Funded by the department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy, the initiative will also help workers and job seekers navigate the potential benefits and challenges they may face when encountering AI-enabled technologies.

    PEAT’s framework is based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s AI Risk Management Framework and includes NIST’s best practices for inclusive hiring. ODEP and PEAT developed the framework with input from disability advocates, AI experts, government and industry leaders and the public at large. The framework has 10 focus areas, including practices, goals and sample activities that employers can adopt in their AI governance and disability-inclusive hiring initiatives. Each area has information on maximizing benefits and managing risks for workers and job seekers when an organization assesses, acquires or deploys an AI hiring technology.

    “The Office of Disability Employment Policy works with many employers eager to hire people with disabilities and benefit from their talents,” said Assistant Secretary for Disability Employment Policy Taryn Williams. “These employers recognize that AI tools can improve recruitment and hiring but may also impact workplace culture and inclusion of disabled employees. The AI & Inclusive Hiring Framework published today charts a clear course for employers to navigate this transformation successfully.” 

    The framework’s foundation was laid during a PEAT Think Tank in April 2023 and developed with additional input gathered in discussions with experts, listening sessions and a national online public dialogue. ODEP and PEAT authored the framework in collaboration with NIST and other external partners. 

    The initiative aligns with the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to prevent AI-powered employment tools from hindering U.S. workers’ employment prospects. In October 2022, the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy released its Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights to promote more equitable and inclusive digital hiring practices with workers with disabilities and other underserved communities.

    Managed by Wheelhouse Group, PEAT helps workplaces procure, implement and use disability-inclusive technology.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Minister Champagne to welcome European Commission Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager to Montreal

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French 1

    The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, will meet in Montreal with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the Digital Age and Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, to discuss topics of mutual interest as well as bilateral and global issues.

    September 24, 2024 – Montreal (Quebec)

    The Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, will meet in Montreal with the Executive Vice-President of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the Digital Age and Commissioner for Competition, Margrethe Vestager, to discuss topics of mutual interest as well as bilateral and global issues.

    In addition, Minister Champagne and Executive Vice-President Vestager will attend the unveiling of the MonarQ quantum computer and participate in an informal discussion on economic security, artificial intelligence, research and innovation, and competition policy reforms. The informal discussion will take place during a luncheon hosted by the Montreal Council on Foreign RelationsA question period will follow the unveiling.

    MonarQ quantum computer unveiled

    Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    Time: 9:15 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. (Eastern Time).

    Location: Montreal (Quebec)

    Media representatives are requested to register with Valérie Harvey at valerie.harvey@calculquebec.cato confirm their attendance and obtain details of the location where the event will take place.

    Informal discussion at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations luncheon

    Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    Time: 12:50 p.m. (Eastern Time). The luncheon will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. (Eastern Time). The Minister will be available to meet with the media following the luncheon.

    Location: Montreal (Quebec)

    Media representatives are requested to register with Gustavo Serra at gustavo@mercureconseil.cato confirm their attendance and obtain details of the location where the event will take place.

    Audrey MilettePress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industryaudrey.milette@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Media RelationsInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canadamedia@ised-isde.gc.ca

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI: Univest Securities, LLC Announces Closing of $8.0 Million Registered Follow-on Offering for its Client Elevai Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, Sept. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”), a member of FINRA and SIPC, and a full-service investment bank and securities broker-dealer firm based in New York, today announced the closing of registered follow-on offering (the “Offering”) of approximately $8.0 million for its client Elevai Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) (the “Company”), a pioneering force in medical aesthetics.

    The Offering was comprised of 28,571,425 shares of the Company’s common stock (or pre-funded warrants in lieu of shares of common stock). Each share of common stock or pre-funded warrant was sold with one Series A Warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $0.38 per share (the “Series A Warrants”) and one Series B Warrant to purchase one share of common stock at an exercise price of $0.38 per share or, pursuant to an alternative cashless exercise option, three shares of common stock (the “Series B Warrants” and, together with the Series A Warrants, the “Warrants”). The Series A Warrants will be exercisable beginning on the date of completion of the requisite waiting period following the filing of the Information Statement related to the approval by the stockholders of the Company (the “Initial Exercise Date” or “Effective Shareholder Approval Date”) of the issuance of shares upon exercise of the Warrants, among other things (the “Shareholder Approval”). The Series B Warrants will be exercisable beginning on the Effective Shareholder Approval Date. The Series A Warrants will expire on the five-year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date and the Series B Warrants will expire on the two and one-half-year anniversary of the Initial Exercise Date. The purchase price of each share of common stock and accompanying Warrants was $0.28, and the purchase price of each pre-funded warrant and accompanying Warrants was equal to such price minus $0.0001.

    The aggregate gross proceeds to the Company was approximately $8 million.

    Univest Securities, LLC acted as the sole placement agent.

    The securities described above are being offered by the Company pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-281987) previously filed and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). A final prospectus supplement and accompanying prospectus describing the terms of the proposed offering were filed with the SEC and are available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov. Electronic copies of the final prospectus supplement and the accompanying prospectus may be obtained, by contacting Univest Securities, LLC at info@univest.us, or by calling +1 (212) 343-8888.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor will there be any sales of such securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such jurisdiction. Copies of the prospectus supplement relating to the registered direct offering, together with the accompanying base prospectus, can be obtained at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    About Univest Securities, LLC

    Registered with FINRA since 1994, Univest Securities, LLC provides a wide variety of financial services to its institutional and retail clients globally including brokerage and execution services, sales and trading, market making, investment banking and advisory, wealth management. It strives to provide clients with value-add service and focuses on building long-term relationship with its clients. For more information, please visit: www.univest.us.

    About Elevai Labs Inc.

    Elevai Labs Inc. (NASDAQ: ELAB) specializes in medical aesthetics and biopharmaceutical drug development, focusing on innovations for skin aesthetics and treatments tied to obesity and metabolic health. The Company operates a diverse portfolio of three wholly owned subsidiaries across the medical aesthetics and biopharmaceutical sectors, Elevai Skincare Inc., Elevai Biosciences Inc., and Elevai Research Inc. For more information please visit www.elevailabs.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements include statements concerning plans, objectives, goals, strategies, future events or performance, and underlying assumptions and other statements that are other than statements of historical facts. When the Company uses words such as “may, “will, “intend,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “project,” “estimate” or similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters, it is making forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results to differ materially from the Company’s expectations discussed in the forward-looking statements. These statements are subject to uncertainties and risks including, but not limited to, the uncertainties related to market conditions and the completion of the initial public offering on the anticipated terms or at all, and other factors discussed in the “Risk Factors” section of the registration statement filed with the SEC. For these reasons, among others, investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance upon any forward-looking statements in this press release. Additional factors are discussed in the Company’s filings with the SEC, which are available for review at www.sec.gov. Univest Securities LLC and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly revise these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date hereof.

    For more information, please contact:

    Univest Securities, LLC
    Edric Guo
    Chief Executive Officer
    75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 18C
    New York, NY 10019
    Phone: (212) 343-8888
    Email: info@univest.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the Opening of the General Debate of the Seventy-ninth Session of the General Assembly [trilingual, as delivered, scroll down for all-English and all-French]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Mr. President of the General Assembly,

    Excellencies,

    Ladies and gentlemen,

    Our world is in a whirlwind.

    We are in an era of epic transformation – facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen – challenges that demand global solutions.

    Yet geo-political divisions keep deepening. The planet keeps heating.

    Wars rage with no clue how they will end.

    And nuclear posturing and new weapons cast a dark shadow.

    We are edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world.

    Meanwhile, 2024 is the year that half of humanity goes to the polls – and all of humanity will be affected.

    I stand before you in this whirlwind convinced of two overriding truths.

    First, the state of our world is unsustainable.

    We can’t go on like this.

    And second, the challenges we face are solvable.

    But that requires us to make sure the mechanisms of international problem-solving actually solve problems.

    The Summit of the Future was a first step, but we have a long way to go.

    Getting there requires confronting three major drivers of unsustainability.

    A world of impunity – where violations and abuses threaten the very foundation of international law and the UN Charter.

    A world of inequality – where injustices and grievances threaten to undermine countries or even push them over the edge.

    And a world of uncertainty – where unmanaged global risks threaten our future in unknowable ways.

    These worlds of impunity, inequality and uncertainty are connected and colliding.

    Excellencies,

    The level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable.

    Today, a growing number of governments and others feel entitled to a “get out of jail free” card.

    They can trample international law.

    They can violate the United Nations Charter.

    They can turn a blind eye to international human rights conventions or the decisions of international courts.

    They can thumb their nose at international humanitarian law.

    They can invade another country, lay waste to whole societies, or utterly disregard the welfare of their own people.

    And nothing will happen.

    We see this age of impunity everywhere — in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa, and beyond.

    The war in Ukraine is spreading with no signs of letting up.

    Civilians are paying the price – in rising death tolls and shattered lives and communities.

    It is time for a just peace based on the UN Charter, on international law and on UN resolutions.

    Meanwhile, Gaza is a non-stop nightmare that threatens to take the entire region with it.

    Look no further than Lebanon.

    We should all be alarmed by the escalation. 

    Lebanon is at the brink. 

    The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.

    Let’s be clear.

    Nothing can justify the abhorrent acts of terror committed by Hamas on October 7th, or the taking of hostages – both of which I have repeatedly condemned.

    And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.

    The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as Secretary-General.

    More than 200 of our own staff have been killed, many with their families.

    And yet the women and men of the United Nations continue to deliver humanitarian aid.

    I know you join me in paying a special tribute to UNRWA and to all humanitarians in Gaza.

    The international community must mobilize for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.

    For those who go on undermining that goal with more settlements, more landgrabs, more incitement — I ask:

    What is the alternative?

    How could the world accept a one-state future in which a large a large number of Palestinians would be included without any freedom, rights or dignity?

    In Sudan, a brutal power struggle has unleashed horrific violence — including widespread rape and sexual assaults.

    A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding as famine spreads.  Yet outside powers continue to interfere with no unified approach to finding peace.

    In the Sahel, the dramatic and rapid expansion of the terrorist threat requires a joint approach rooted in solidarity – but regional and international cooperation have broken down.

    From Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Haiti to Yemen and beyond – we continue to see appalling levels of violence and human suffering in the face of a chronic failure to find solutions.

    Meanwhile our peacekeeping missions are too often operating in areas where simply there is no peace to keep.

    Instability in many places around the world is a by-product of instability in power relations and geo-political divides.

    For all its perils, the Cold War had rules.

    There were hot lines, red lines and guard rails.

    It can feel as though we don’t have that today.

    Nor do we have a unipolar world.

    We are moving to a multipolar world, but we are not there yet.

    We are in a purgatory of polarity.

    And in this purgatory, more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides, doing whatever they want with no accountability.

    That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the Charter, to respect international law, to support and implement decisions of international courts, and to reinforce human rights in the world.

    Anywhere and everywhere.

    Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,
     
    L’augmentation des inégalités est un deuxième facteur de l’insoutenabilité et une tache sur notre conscience collective.
     
    L’inégalité n’est pas une question technique ou bureaucratique.
     
    Au fond, l’inégalité est une question de pouvoir, aux racines historiques.
     
    Les conflits, les bouleversements climatiques et la crise du coût de la vie étendent ces racines historiques plus profondément encore.
     
    Dans le même temps, le monde peine encore à se relever de la flambée des inégalités engendrée par la pandémie.
     
    Si l’on regarde les 75 pays les plus pauvres du monde, un tiers d’entre eux se trouve aujourd’hui dans une situation pire qu’il y a cinq ans.
     
    Au cours de la même période, les cinq hommes les plus riches de la planète ont plus que doublé leurs fortunes.
     
    Et un pour cent des habitants de la planète détient 43 % de l’ensemble des avoirs financiers mondiaux.
     
    Au niveau national, certains gouvernements décuplent les inégalités en accordant des cadeaux fiscaux massifs aux entreprises et aux ultra-riches — au détriment des investissements dans la santé, l’éducation et la protection sociale.
     
    Et personne n’est plus lésé que les femmes et les filles du monde entier.
     
    Excellences,
     
    La discrimination et les abus généralisés fondés sur le genre constituent l’inégalité la plus répandue dans toutes les sociétés.
     
    Chaque jour, il semble que nous soyons confrontés à de nouveaux cas révoltants de féminicides, de violences fondées sur le genre et de viols collectifs – en temps de paix comme en tant qu’arme de guerre.
     
    Dans certains pays, les lois sont utilisées pour menacer la santé et les droits reproductifs.
     
    Et en Afghanistan, les lois sont utilisées pour entériner l’oppression systématique des femmes et des filles.
     
    Et je suis désolé de constater que, malgré des années de beaux discours, l’inégalité de genre se manifesteet je vous demande pardon de le dire, elle se manifeste aujourd’hui encore, pleinement dans cette enceinte.
     
    Moins de 10 pour cent des intervenants au Débat général de cette semaine sont des femmes.
     
    C’est inacceptable, surtout quand on sait que l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes contribue à la paix, au développement durable, à l’action climatique et bien plus encore.
     
    C’est précisément pour cela nous avons pris des mesures spécifiques pour atteindre la parité hommes-femmes parmi les hauts responsables de l’Organisation des Nations Unies,objectif qui est déjà complété.
     
    C’est faisable.
     
    J’exhorte les institutions politiques et économiques du monde dominées par les hommes à le faire aussi.
     
    Excellences,
     
    Les inégalités mondiales se reflètent et se renforcent jusque dans nos propres organisations internationales.
     
    Le Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies a été conçu par les vainqueurs de la Seconde Guerre mondiale.
     
    À l’époque, la majeure partie du continent africain était encore sous domination coloniale.
     
    À ce jour, l’Afrique n’a toujours aucun siège permanent au sein de la principale instance de paix du monde.
     
    Un changement s’impose.
     
    Il en va de même pour l’architecture financière mondiale, mise en place il y a 80 ans.
     
    Je félicite les dirigeants de la Banque mondiale et du Fonds monétaire international pour les mesures importantes qu’ils ont entreprises.
     
    Mais comme le souligne le Pacte pour l’avenir, la lutte contre les inégalités exige une accélération de la réforme de l’architecture financière internationale.
     
    Au cours des huit dernières décennies, l’économie mondiale s’est développée et transformée.
     
    Les institutions de Bretton Woods n’ont pas suivi le rythme.
     
    Elles ne sont plus en mesure de fournir un filet de sécurité mondial, ni d’offrir aux pays en développement le niveau de soutien dont ils ont tant besoin.
     
    Dans les pays les plus pauvres du monde, le coût des intérêts de la dette dépasse, en moyenne, le coût des investissements dans l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures publiques réunis.
     
    Et à l’échelle du monde, plus de 80 % des cibles des Objectifs de développement durable ne sont pas en bonne voie.

    Excelencias,

    Volver al camino correcto requiere un aumento de financiamiento para la Agenda 2030 y el Acuerdo de París.

    Esto implica que los países del G20 lideren un Estímulo para los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible de 500.000 millones de dólares al año.

    Implica reformas para aumentar sustancialmente la capacidad de préstamo de los Bancos Multilaterales de Desarrollo – y permitirles ampliar masivamente la financiación asequible a largo plazo para el clima y el desarrollo.

    Implica ampliar la financiación de contingencia mediante el reciclaje de los Derechos Especiales de Giro.

    E implica promover una reestructuración de la deuda a largo plazo.

    Excelencias,

    No me hago ilusiones sobre las barreras a la reforma del sistema multilateral.

    Los que tienen poder político y económico, o y los que creen tenerlo, son siempre reacios al cambio.

    Pero el status quo ya está agotando su poder.

    Sin reformas, la fragmentación es inevitable, y las instituciones globales perderán legitimidad, credibilidad y eficacia.

    Excellencies,

    The third driver of our unsustainable world is uncertainty.

    The ground is shifting under our feet.

    Anxiety levels are off the charts.

    And young people, in particular, are counting on us and seeking solutions.

    Uncertainty is compounded by two existential threats – the climate crisis and the rapid advance of technology — in particular, Artificial Intelligence.

    Excellencies,

    We are in a climate meltdown.

    Extreme temperatures, raging fires, droughts, and epic floods are not natural disasters.

    They are human disasters — increasingly fueled by fossil fuels.

    No country is spared. But the poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.

    Climate hazards are blowing a hole through the budgets of many African countries, costing up to five per cent of GDP – every year.

    And this is just the start.

    We are on course to careen past the global limit of a 1.5 degree temperature rise.

    But as the problem gets worse, solutions are getting better.

    Renewable prices are plummeting, roll-out is accelerating, and lives are being transformed by affordable, accessible clean energy.

    Renewables don’t just generate power. They generate jobs, wealth, energy security and a path out of poverty for millions.

    But developing countries cannot be plundered in that journey.

    Our Panel on Critical Minerals has recommended fair and sustainable ways to meet global demand for these resources, which are essential to the renewables revolution.

    Excellencies,

    A future without fossil fuels is certain.  A fair and fast transition is not.

    That is in your hands.

    By next year, every country must produce an ambitious new national climate action plan – or Nationally Determined Contributions.

    These must bring national energy strategies, sustainable development priorities, and climate ambitions together.

    They must align with the 1.5 degree limit, cover the whole economy, and contribute to every one of the COP28 energy transition targets.

    An International Energy Agency report released today breaks this down.

    By 2035, on average, advanced economies must slash energy emissions 80 per cent, and emerging markets 65 per cent.

    The G20 is responsible for 80 per cent of total emissions.

    They must lead the charge – keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances.

    But this must be a joint effort — pooling resources, scientific capacities and proven and affordable technologies for all to be able to reach those targets.

    I’m honoured to be working closely with President Lula of Brazil – who is both G20 Chair and COP30 host – to secure maximum ambition, acceleration and cooperation. We just met for that purpose.

    Finance is essential.

    COP29 is around the corner.

    It must deliver a significant new finance goal.

    We also need a Loss and Damage Fund that meets the scale of the challenge – and developed countries meeting their adaptation finance promises.

    And we must finally flip the script on a crazy situation:

    We continue to reward polluters to wreck our planet.

    The fossil fuel industry continues to pocket massive profits and subsidies, while everyday people bear the costs of climate catastrophe – from rising insurance premiums to lost livelihoods.

    I call on G20 countries to shift money from fossil fuel subsidies and investments to a just energy transition;

    To put an effective price on carbon;

    And to implement new and innovative sources of financing – including solidarity levies on fossil fuel extraction – through legally-binding, transparent mechanisms.

    All by next year and this taking into account that those who shoulder the blame must foot the bill.

    Polluters must pay.

    Excellencies,

    The rapid rise of new technologies poses another unpredictable existential risk.

    Artificial Intelligence will change virtually everything we know — from work, education and communication, to culture and politics.

    We know AI is rapidly advancing, but where is it taking us:

    To more freedom – or more conflict?

    To a more sustainable world – or greater inequality?

    To being better informed – or easier to manipulate?

    A handful of companies and even individuals have already amassed enormous power over the development of AI – with little accountability or oversight for the moment.

    Without a global approach to its management, artificial intelligence could lead to artificial divisions across the board – a Great Fracture with two internets, two markets, two economies – with every country forced to pick a side, and enormous consequences for all.

    The United Nations is the universal platform for dialogue and consensus.

    It is uniquely placed to promote cooperation on AI – based on the values of the Charter and international law.

    The global debate happens here, or it does not happen.

    I welcome important first steps.

    Two resolutions in the General Assembly, the Global Digital Compact, and the recommendations of the High-Level Body on AI can lay the foundations for inclusive governance of AI.

    Let’s move forward together to make AI a force for good.

    Excellencies,

    Nothing lasts forever.

    But a feature of human life is that it appears otherwise.

    The current order always feels fixed.

    Until it is not.
     
    Across human history, we see empires rising and falling; old certainties crumbling; tectonic shifts in global affairs.
     
    Today our course is unsustainable.

    It is in all our interests to manage the epic transformations underway; to choose the future we want and to guide our world towards it.

    Many have said that the differences and divisions today are just too great.

    That it is impossible for us to come together for the common good.

    You proved that is not true.

    The Summit of the Future showed that with a spirit of dialogue and compromise, we can join forces to steer our world to a more sustainable path.

    It is not the end.

    It is a start of a journey, a compass in the whirlwind.

    Let’s keep going.

    Let’s move our world towards less impunity and more accountability …. less inequality and more justice … less uncertainty and more opportunity.

    The people of the world are looking to us – and succeeding generations will look back on us.

    Let them find us on the side of the United Nations Charter … on the side of our shared values and principles … and on the right side of history.

    I thank you.

    ***
    [all-English]

    Mr. President of the General Assembly,
     
    Excellencies,
     
    Ladies and gentlemen,
     
    Our world is in a whirlwind.
     
    We are in an era of epic transformation – facing challenges unlike any we have ever seen – challenges that demand global solutions.
     
    Yet geo-political divisions keep deepening. The planet keeps heating.

    Wars rage with no clue how they will end.
     
    And nuclear posturing and new weapons cast a dark shadow.
     
    We are edging towards the unimaginable – a powder keg that risks engulfing the world.
     
    Meanwhile, 2024 is the year that half of humanity goes to the polls – and all of humanity will be affected.
     
    I stand before you in this whirlwind convinced of two overriding truths.
     
    First, the state of our world is unsustainable.
     
    We can’t go on like this.
     
    And second, the challenges we face are solvable.
     
    But that requires us to make sure the mechanisms of international problem-solving actually solve problems.
     
    The Summit of the Future was a first step, but we have a long way to go.
     
    Getting there requires confronting three major drivers of unsustainability.
     
    A world of impunity – where violations and abuses threaten the very foundation of international law and the UN Charter.
     
    A world of inequality – where injustices and grievances threaten to undermine countries or even push them over the edge.
     
    And a world of uncertainty – where unmanaged global risks threaten our future in unknowable ways.
     
    These worlds of impunity, inequality and uncertainty are connected and colliding.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    The level of impunity in the world is politically indefensible and morally intolerable.
     
    Today, a growing number of governments and others feel entitled to a “get out of jail free” card.
     
    They can trample international law.
     
    They can violate the United Nations Charter.
     
    They can turn a blind eye to international human rights conventions or the decisions of international courts.
     
    They can thumb their nose at international humanitarian law.
     
    They can invade another country, lay waste to whole societies, or utterly disregard the welfare of their own people.
     
    And nothing will happen.
     
    We see this age of impunity everywhere — in the Middle East, in the heart of Europe, in the Horn of Africa, and beyond.
     
    The war in Ukraine is spreading with no signs of letting up.
     
    Civilians are paying the price – in rising death tolls and shattered lives and communities.
     
    It is time for a just peace based on the UN Charter, on international law and on UN resolutions.
     
    Meanwhile, Gaza is a non-stop nightmare that threatens to take the entire region with it.
     
    Look no further than Lebanon.
     
    We should all be alarmed by the escalation. 
     
    Lebanon is at the brink. 
     
    The people of Lebanon – the people of Israel – and the people of the world — cannot afford Lebanon to become another Gaza.
     
    Let’s be clear.
     
    Nothing can justify the abhorrent acts of terror committed by Hamas on October 7th, or the taking of hostages – both of which I have repeatedly condemned.
     
    And nothing can justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.
     
    The speed and scale of the killing and destruction in Gaza are unlike anything in my years as Secretary-General.
     
    More than 200 of our own staff have been killed, many with their families.
     
    And yet the women and men of the United Nations continue to deliver humanitarian aid.
     
    I know you join me in paying a special tribute to UNRWA and to all humanitarians in Gaza.
     
    The international community must mobilize for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and the beginning of an irreversible process towards a two-State solution.
     
    For those who go on undermining that goal with more settlements, more landgrabs, more incitement — I ask:
     
    What is the alternative?
     
    How could the world accept a one-state future in which a large a large number of Palestinians would be included without any freedom, rights or dignity?
     
    In Sudan, a brutal power struggle has unleashed horrific violence — including widespread rape and sexual assaults.
     
    A humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding as famine spreads.  Yet outside powers continue to interfere with no unified approach to finding peace.
     
    In the Sahel, the dramatic and rapid expansion of the terrorist threat requires a joint approach rooted in solidarity – but regional and international cooperation have broken down.
     
    From Myanmar to the Democratic Republic of the Congo to Haiti to Yemen and beyond – we continue to see appalling levels of violence and human suffering in the face of a chronic failure to find solutions.
     
    Meanwhile our peacekeeping missions are too often operating in areas where simply there is no peace to keep.
     
    Instability in many places around the world is a by-product of instability in power relations and geo-political divides.
     
    For all its perils, the Cold War had rules.
     
    There were hot lines, red lines and guard rails.
     
    It can feel as though we don’t have that today.
     
    Nor do we have a unipolar world.
     
    We are moving to a multipolar world, but we are not there yet.
     
    We are in a purgatory of polarity.
     
    And in this purgatory, more and more countries are filling the spaces of geopolitical divides, doing whatever they want with no accountability.
     
    That is why it is more important than ever to reaffirm the Charter, to respect international law, to support and implement decisions of international courts, and to reinforce human rights in the world.
     
    Anywhere and everywhere.

    Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

    Rising inequalities are a second driver of unsustainability and a stain on our collective conscience. 

    Inequality is not a technical or bureaucratic issue. 

    At its heart, inequality is a question of power with historic roots.

    Conflict, climate upheaval and the cost-of-living crisis, are pushing those roots deeper. 

    At the same time, the world has not recovered from the surge in inequalities caused by the pandemic.

    Of the world’s poorest 75 countries, one-third are worse off today than they were five years ago.

    During that same period, the five richest men in the world have more than doubled their wealth.
     
    And the top one per cent of people on earth own 43 per cent of all global financial assets.

    At the national level, some governments are supercharging inequalities by doling out massive tax giveaways to corporations and the ultra-rich, while shortchanging investments in health, education and social protection.

    No one is being short-changed more than the world’s women and girls. 

    Excellencies, 
     
    Rampant gender-based discrimination and abuse are the most prevalent inequality across all societies. 
     
    Every day, it seems we are confronted by yet more sickening cases of femicide, gender-based violence and mass rape, both in peacetime and as a weapon of war. 
     
    In some countries, laws are being used to threaten reproductive health and rights. 

    And in Afghanistan, laws are being used to lock-in the systematic oppression of women and girls. 
     
    And I am sorry to observe that despite years of talk, gender inequality is on full display, and I am sorry for mentioning it here, gender inequality is on full display in this very Hall. 

    Less than 10 per cent of speakers during this week’s General Debate are women. 
     
    This is unacceptable – especially when we know gender equality delivers for peace, sustainable development, climate action and much more. 

    That is precisely why we took targeted measures to achieve gender parity among the United Nations senior leadership, an objective that has already been achieved.

    It’s doable. 

    I call on male-dominated political and economic establishments around the world to do it as well.
     
    Excellencies,

    Global inequalities are reflected and reinforced even in our own global institutions.

    The United Nations Security Council was designed by the victors of the Second World War. 

    Most of Africa was still under colonial domination. 

    To this day, Africa has no permanent seat on the world’s preeminent council of peace. 

    This must change.

    So must the global financial architecture, set up 80 years ago. 

    I commend the leaders of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund for taking important steps.

    But as the Pact for the Future emphasizes, tackling inequalities requires accelerating reform of the international financial architecture.

    Over the past eight decades, the global economy has grown and transformed.

    The Bretton Woods institutions have not kept pace.

    They can no longer provide a global safety net – or offer developing countries the level of support they need.

    Debt interest payments in the world’s poorest countries now cost more, on average, than investments in education, health and infrastructure combined.

    And around the world, more than 80 per cent of Sustainable Development Goal targets are off track. 

    Excellencies,

    Getting back on track requires a surge of financing for the 2030 Agenda and the Paris Agreement.

    That means G20 countries leading on an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion a year. 

    It means reforms to substantially increase the lending capacity of Multilateral Development Banks and enable them to massively scale-up affordable long-term climate and development finance.

    It means expanding contingency financing through recycling Special Drawing Rights.

    And it means promoting long-term debt-restructuring.

    Excellencies,

    I have no illusions about the obstacles to reform of the multilateral system.

    Those with political and economic power – and those who believe they have power – are always reluctant to change.

    But the status quo is already draining their power.

    Without reform, fragmentation is inevitable, and global institutions will become less legitimate, less credible, and less effective.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    The third driver of our unsustainable world is uncertainty.
     
    The ground is shifting under our feet.
     
    Anxiety levels are off the charts.
     
    And young people, in particular, are counting on us and seeking solutions.
     
    Uncertainty is compounded by two existential threats – the climate crisis and the rapid advance of technology — in particular, Artificial Intelligence.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    We are in a climate meltdown.
     
    Extreme temperatures, raging fires, droughts, and epic floods are not natural disasters.
     
    They are human disasters — increasingly fueled by fossil fuels.
     
    No country is spared. But the poorest and most vulnerable are hardest hit.
     
    Climate hazards are blowing a hole through the budgets of many African countries, costing up to five per cent of GDP – every year.
     
    And this is just the start.
     
    We are on course to careen past the global limit of a 1.5 degree temperature rise.
     
    But as the problem gets worse, solutions are getting better.
     
    Renewable prices are plummeting, roll-out is accelerating, and lives are being transformed by affordable, accessible clean energy.
     
    Renewables don’t just generate power. They generate jobs, wealth, energy security and a path out of poverty for millions.
     
    But developing countries cannot be plundered in that journey.
     
    Our Panel on Critical Minerals has recommended fair and sustainable ways to meet global demand for these resources, which are essential to the renewables revolution.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    A future without fossil fuels is certain.  A fair and fast transition is not.
     
    That is in your hands.
     
    By next year, every country must produce an ambitious new national climate action plan – or Nationally Determined Contributions.
     
    These must bring national energy strategies, sustainable development priorities, and climate ambitions together.
     
    They must align with the 1.5 degree limit, cover the whole economy, and contribute to every one of the COP28 energy transition targets.
     
    An International Energy Agency report released today breaks this down.
     
    By 2035, on average, advanced economies must slash energy emissions 80 per cent, and emerging markets 65 per cent.
     
    The G20 is responsible for 80 per cent of total emissions.
     
    They must lead the charge – keeping with the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities in the light of different national circumstances.
     
    But this must be a joint effort — pooling resources, scientific capacities and proven and affordable technologies for all to be able to reach those targets.
     
    I’m honoured to be working closely with President Lula of Brazil – who is both G20 Chair and COP30 host – to secure maximum ambition, acceleration and cooperation. We just met for that purpose.
     
    Finance is essential.
     
    COP29 is around the corner.
     
    It must deliver a significant new finance goal.
     
    We also need a Loss and Damage Fund that meets the scale of the challenge – and developed countries meeting their adaptation finance promises.
     
    And we must finally flip the script on a crazy situation:
     
    We continue to reward polluters to wreck our planet.
     
    The fossil fuel industry continues to pocket massive profits and subsidies, while everyday people bear the costs of climate catastrophe – from rising insurance premiums to lost livelihoods.
     
    I call on G20 countries to shift money from fossil fuel subsidies and investments to a just energy transition;
     
    To put an effective price on carbon;
     
    And to implement new and innovative sources of financing – including solidarity levies on fossil fuel extraction – through legally-binding, transparent mechanisms.
     
    All by next year and this taking into account that those who shoulder the blame must foot the bill.
     
    Polluters must pay.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    The rapid rise of new technologies poses another unpredictable existential risk.
     
    Artificial Intelligence will change virtually everything we know — from work, education and communication, to culture and politics.
     
    We know AI is rapidly advancing, but where is it taking us:
     
    To more freedom – or more conflict?
     
    To a more sustainable world – or greater inequality?
     
    To being better informed – or easier to manipulate?
     
    A handful of companies and even individuals have already amassed enormous power over the development of AI – with little accountability or oversight for the moment.
     
    Without a global approach to its management, artificial intelligence could lead to artificial divisions across the board – a Great Fracture with two internets, two markets, two economies – with every country forced to pick a side, and enormous consequences for all.
     
    The United Nations is the universal platform for dialogue and consensus.
     
    It is uniquely placed to promote cooperation on AI – based on the values of the Charter and international law.
     
    The global debate happens here, or it does not happen.
     
    I welcome important first steps.
     
    Two resolutions in the General Assembly, the Global Digital Compact, and the recommendations of the High-Level Body on AI can lay the foundations for inclusive governance of AI.
     
    Let’s move forward together to make AI a force for good.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    Nothing lasts forever.
     
    But a feature of human life is that it appears otherwise.
     
    The current order always feels fixed.
     
    Until it is not.
     
    Across human history, we see empires rising and falling; old certainties crumbling; tectonic shifts in global affairs.
     
    Today our course is unsustainable.
     
    It is in all our interests to manage the epic transformations underway; to choose the future we want and to guide our world towards it.
     
    Many have said that the differences and divisions today are just too great.
     
    That it is impossible for us to come together for the common good.
     
    You proved that is not true.
     
    The Summit of the Future showed that with a spirit of dialogue and compromise, we can join forces to steer our world to a more sustainable path.
     
    It is not the end.
     
    It is a start of a journey, a compass in the whirlwind.
     
    Let’s keep going.
     
    Let’s move our world towards less impunity and more accountability …. less inequality and more justice … less uncertainty and more opportunity.
     
    The people of the world are looking to us – and succeeding generations will look back on us.
     
    Let them find us on the side of the United Nations Charter … on the side of our shared values and principles … and on the right side of history.
     
    I thank you.

    ***
    [all-French]

    Monsieur le Président,

    Excellences,

    Mesdames et Messieurs,

    Notre monde est pris dans un tourbillon.

    Nous vivons une ère de transformation aux proportions épiques et faisons face à des défis sans précédent qui exigent des solutions mondiales.

    Et pourtant, les divisions géopolitiques ne vont qu’en s’aggravant. La planète continue de se réchauffer.

    Les guerres font rage sans que l’on sache comment elles vont se terminer.

    Les gesticulations nucléaires et les nouvelles armes font planer sur nous une ombre inquiétante.

    Nous allons tout droit vers l’inimaginable : une poudrière qui risque d’engloutir le monde.

    En 2024, la moitié de l’humanité doit se rendre aux urnes – et c’est sur l’humanité tout entière que pèsera l’issue de ces scrutins.

    Je me tiens devant vous, face à ce tourbillon, convaincu de deux vérités primordiales.

    Tout d’abord, l’état dans lequel se trouve notre monde n’est pas viable.

    On ne peut pas continuer ainsi.

    Et deuxièmement, il est possible de relever les défis auxquels nous sommes confrontés.

    Mais pour cela, nous devons nous assurer que les mécanismes de règlement des problèmes internationaux permettent bel et bien de régler les problèmes.

    Le Sommet de l’avenir était un premier pas, mais le chemin à parcourir est encore long.

    Pour y parvenir, il faut s’attaquer à trois grands facteurs de l’insoutenabilité.

    Un monde d’impunité – dans lequel les violations et les atteintes menacent le fondement même du droit international et de la Charte des Nations Unies.

    Un monde d’inégalités – où les injustices et les griefs auxquelles elles donnent jour menacent d’affaiblir les pays, ou pire, de les précipiter dans le gouffre.

    Et un monde d’incertitude – où les risques mondiaux ne sont pas gérés, ce qui hypothèque notre avenir, bien au-delà de ce que l’on peut imaginer.

    Ces mondes d’impunité, d’inégalité et d’incertitude sont liés entre eux et se télescopent.

    Excellences,

    Le degré d’impunité dans le monde est indéfendable sur le plan politique et moralement intolérable.

    Aujourd’hui, un nombre croissant de gouvernements et d’autres acteurs se sentent autorisés à bénéficier, comme au Monopoly, d’une carte « Vous êtes libéré de prison ».

    Ils peuvent fouler aux pieds le droit international.

    Ils peuvent violer la Charte des Nations Unies.

    Ils peuvent ignorer les conventions internationales relatives aux droits humains ou les décisions des tribunaux internationaux.

    Ils peuvent bafouer le droit international humanitaire.

    Ils peuvent envahir un autre pays, dévaster des sociétés entières ou mépriser complètement le bien-être de leur propre peuple.

    Sans que rien ne se passe.

    Partout ‒ au Moyen-Orient, au cœur de l’Europe, dans la Corne de l’Afrique et au-delà ‒ c’est l’ère de l’impunité.

    La guerre en Ukraine s’étend et rien n’indique qu’elle va s’arrêter.

    Ce sont les populations civiles qui en paient le prix. À preuve, les morts de plus en plus nombreuses, les vies et les communautés brisées.

    Il est temps d’instaurer une paix juste, fondée sur la Charte des Nations Unies, le droit international et les résolutions des organes des Nations Unies.

    Pendant ce temps, Gaza vit un cauchemar permanent qui menace d’entraîner toute la région dans le chaos.

    À commencer par le Liban.

    Nous devrions tous être alarmés par cette escalade. 

    Le Liban est au bord du gouffre. 

    Le peuple libanais, le peuple israélien et les peuples du monde ne peuvent se permettre que le Liban devienne un autre Gaza.

    Soyons clairs.

    Rien ne peut justifier les actes de terreur abominables commis par le Hamas le 7 octobre, ni les prises d’otages, que j’ai condamnés à maintes reprises.

    Mais rien ne peut justifier d’infliger un châtiment collectif au peuple palestinien.

    La rapidité et l’ampleur du massacre et des destructions à Gaza ne ressemblent à rien d’autre de ce que j’ai connu depuis que je suis Secrétaire général.

    Plus de 200 membres du personnel des Nations Unies ont déjà été tués et, souvent, des membres de leurs familles ont aussi péri à leurs côtés.

    Et pourtant, les femmes et les hommes des Nations Unies continuent d’accomplir leur mission.

    Je sais que vous vous joignez à moi pour rendre un hommage appuyé à l’UNRWA et à tous les humanitaires à Gaza.

    La communauté internationale doit se mobiliser pour obtenir un cessez-le-feu immédiat, la libération immédiate et inconditionnelle des tous les otages et le lancement d’un processus irréversible pour qu’une solution des deux États voie le jour.

    J’aimerais poser une question à ceux qui continuent de saper cet objectif en multipliant les implantations, les expulsions, les provocations:
    Quelle est l’alternative ?

    Comment le monde pourrait-il accepter un État qui inclurait un grand nombre de Palestiniens et de Palestiniennes privés de liberté, de droits et de dignité ?

    Au Soudan, une lutte brutale pour le pouvoir a donné lieu à d’horribles violences, notamment des viols et des agressions sexuelles à grande échelle.

    Une catastrophe humanitaire est en train de se produire dans un pays en proie à une famine rampante. Pourtant, les puissances extérieures continuent de s’ingérer sans aucune approche unifiée pour trouver la paix.

    Au Sahel, l’expansion dramatique et rapide de la menace terroriste exige l’adoption d’une approche commune fondée sur la solidarité, mais la coopération régionale et internationale est en panne.

    Du Myanmar à la République démocratique du Congo, en passant par Haïti et le Yémen, les populations restent exposées à des violences et des souffrances effroyables, sur fond d’incapacité chronique à trouver des solutions.

    Pendant ce temps, nos missions de maintien de la paix opèrent trop souvent dans des lieux où il n’y a tout simplement pas de paix à maintenir.

    L’instabilité que l’on observe en de nombreux endroits du monde est la conséquence de l’instabilité des relations de pouvoir et des clivages géopolitiques.

    La Guerre Froide était pleine de dangers, mais elle avait aussi ses règles.

    Il y avait le téléphone rouge, des limites à ne pas franchir et des garde-fous.

    On a parfois l’impression que l’on n’a rien de tout cela aujourd’hui.

    Nous ne vivons pas non plus dans un monde unipolaire.

    Nous sommes en train de passer à un monde multipolaire, mais nous n’y sommes pas encore.

    Nous sommes en fait dans le purgatoire de la polarité.

    Et dans ce purgatoire, de plus en plus de pays occupent les espaces laissés vides par les divisions géopolitiques et font ce qu’ils veulent sans avoir à rendre de comptes.

    C’est pourquoi il est plus important que jamais de réaffirmer la Charte, d’appuyer et de respecter le droit international et de renforcer les droits humains à travers le monde.

    Partout et en tout lieu.

    Excellences, Mesdames et Messieurs,

    L’augmentation des inégalités est un deuxième facteur de l’insoutenabilité et une tache sur notre conscience collective. 

    L’inégalité n’est pas une question technique ou bureaucratique. 

    Au fond, l’inégalité est une question de pouvoir, aux racines historiques.

    Les conflits, les bouleversements climatiques et la crise du coût de la vie étendent ces racines historiques plus profondément encore. 

    Dans le même temps, le monde peine encore à se relever de la flambée des inégalités engendrée par la pandémie.

    Si l’on regarde les 75 pays les plus pauvres du monde, un tiers d’entre eux se trouve aujourd’hui dans une situation pire qu’il y a cinq ans.

    Au cours de la même période, les cinq hommes les plus riches de la planète ont plus que doublé leurs fortunes.

    Et un pour cent des habitants de la planète détient 43 % de l’ensemble des avoirs financiers mondiaux.

    Au niveau national, certains gouvernements décuplent les inégalités en accordant des cadeaux fiscaux massifs aux entreprises et aux ultra-riches — au détriment des investissements dans la santé, l’éducation et la protection sociale.

    Et personne n’est plus lésé que les femmes et les filles du monde entier.

    Excellences,

    La discrimination et les abus généralisés fondés sur le genre constituent l’inégalité la plus répandue dans toutes les sociétés.

    Chaque jour, il semble que nous soyons confrontés à de nouveaux cas révoltants de féminicides, de violences fondées sur le genre et de viols collectifs – en temps de paix comme en tant qu’arme de guerre.

    Dans certains pays, les lois sont utilisées pour menacer la santé et les droits reproductifs. 

    Et en Afghanistan, les lois sont utilisées pour entériner l’oppression systématique des femmes et des filles.

    Et je suis désolé de constater que, malgré des années de beaux discours, l’inégalité de genre se manifeste, et je vous demande pardon de le dire, elle se manifeste aujourd’hui encore, pleinement dans cette enceinte.

    Moins de 10 pour cent des intervenants au Débat général de cette semaine sont des femmes.
     
    C’est inacceptable, surtout quand on sait que l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes contribue à la paix, au développement durable, à l’action climatique et bien plus encore.

    C’est précisément pour cela nous avons pris des mesures spécifiques pour atteindre la parité hommes-femmes parmi les hauts responsables de l’Organisation des Nations Unies, objectif qui est déjà complété.

    C’est faisable.

    J’exhorte les institutions politiques et économiques du monde dominées par les hommes à le faire aussi.
     
    Excellences,

    Les inégalités mondiales se reflètent et se renforcent jusque dans nos propres organisations internationales.

    Le Conseil de sécurité des Nations Unies a été conçu par les vainqueurs de la Seconde Guerre mondiale. 

    À l’époque, la majeure partie du continent africain était encore sous domination coloniale. 

    À ce jour, l’Afrique n’a toujours aucun siège permanent au sein de la principale instance de paix du monde. 

    Un changement s’impose.

    Il en va de même pour l’architecture financière mondiale, mise en place il y a 80 ans. 

    Je félicite les dirigeants de la Banque mondiale et du Fonds monétaire international pour les mesures importantes qu’ils ont entreprises.

    Mais comme le souligne le Pacte pour l’avenir, la lutte contre les inégalités exige une accélération de la réforme de l’architecture financière internationale.

    Au cours des huit dernières décennies, l’économie mondiale s’est développée et transformée.

    Les institutions de Bretton Woods n’ont pas suivi le rythme.

    Elles ne sont plus en mesure de fournir un filet de sécurité mondial, ni d’offrir aux pays en développement le niveau de soutien dont ils ont tant besoin. 

    Dans les pays les plus pauvres du monde, le coût des intérêts de la dette dépasse, en moyenne, le coût des investissements dans l’éducation, la santé et les infrastructures publiques réunis.

    Et à l’échelle du monde, plus de 80 % des cibles des Objectifs de développement durable ne sont pas en bonne voie.

    Excellences,

    Pour que l’on puisse redresser le cap, les financements mobilisés pour le Programme 2030 et l’Accord de Paris doivent connaître un véritable bond.

    Cela implique que les pays du G20 montrent l’exemple sur le Plan de relance des Objectifs de développement durable, de 500 milliards de dollars par an.

    Cela implique également d’engager des réformes pour renforcer considérablement la capacité de prêt des Banques multilatérales de développement, afin qu’elles puissent proposer bien davantage de financements abordables et à long terme pour l’action climatique et le développement.

    Cela implique de débloquer plus largement des financements pour imprévus, à travers le recyclage des droits de tirage spéciaux.

    Et cela implique de promouvoir une restructuration de la dette à long terme.

    Excellences,

    Je ne me fais guère d’illusions sur les obstacles que nous rencontrerons dans le cadre de la réforme du système multilatéral.

    Ceux qui détiennent le pouvoir politique et économique – et ceux qui croient le détenir – ont toujours une aversion au changement.

    Pourtant, le statu quo ébranle déjà leur pouvoir.

    Sans réforme, la fragmentation est inévitable, condamnant les institutions mondiales à perdre en légitimité, en crédibilité et en efficacité.

    Excellences,

    Le troisième facteur de l’insoutenabilité de notre monde est l’incertitude.

    Le sol se dérobe sous nos pieds.

    L’anxiété est à son comble.

    Les jeunes, en particulier, comptent sur nous et recherchent des solutions.

    L’incertitude est aggravée par deux menaces existentielles : la crise climatique et les bouleversements technologiques rapides, notamment l’intelligence artificielle.

    Excellences,

    Nous assistons à un véritable effondrement du climat.

    Les températures extrêmes, les incendies violents, les sécheresses et les inondations catastrophiques ne sont pas des catastrophes naturelles.

    Ce sont des catastrophes humaines, dont les combustibles fossiles précipitent l’enchaînement.

    Aucun pays n’est épargné. Mais ce sont les pays les plus pauvres et les plus vulnérables qui paient le prix fort.

    Les calamités climatiques obèrent les budgets de nombreux pays d’Afrique et leur coûtent jusqu’à 5 % de leur PIB – chaque année.

    Et ce n’est que le début.

    La température mondiale est sur le point de dépasser la limite de 1,5 degré.

    Mais si le problème s’aggrave, les solutions que l’on y apporte deviennent plus efficaces.

    Prenons l’exemple des énergies renouvelables : leur prix diminue fortement, leur déploiement s’accélère et des populations voient leur quotidien transformé par une énergie propre, accessible et d’un coût abordable.

    Les énergies renouvelables ne servent pas qu’à produire de l’électricité. Elles créent aussi des emplois et de la richesse, sont gages de sécurité énergétique et permettent à des millions de personnes de sortir de la pauvreté.

    Mais cela ne doit pas passer par le pillage des pays en développement.

    Notre Groupe chargé de la question des minéraux essentiels a recommandé que des mesures équitables et durables soient prises pour répondre à la demande mondiale dans ces ressources, indispensables à la révolution des énergies renouvelables.

    Excellences,

    Il est certain qu’un monde sans combustibles fossiles verra le jour. En revanche, rien ne dit que la transition sera rapide ou équitable.

    Cela dépend de vous.

    D’ici à l’an prochain, tous les pays devront élaborer de nouveaux plans d’action nationaux pour le climat ambitieux – ou déterminer leurs contributions au niveau national.

    Ils devront faire converger leurs stratégies énergétiques nationales, leurs priorités en matière de développement durable et les ambitions climatiques.

    Ils devront ne pas dépasser la limite de 1,5 degré, couvrir l’ensemble de l’économie et concourir à la réalisation de tous les objectifs de transition énergétique convenus lors de la COP28.

    Dans le rapport qu’elle a publié aujourd’hui, l’Agence internationale de l’énergie chiffre le niveau d’ambition à atteindre.

    D’ici à 2035, en moyenne, les émissions de gaz à effet de serre doivent diminuer de 80 % dans les économies avancées, de 65 % dans les marchés émergents.

    Les pays du G20 sont responsables au total de 80 % des émissions.

    Ils doivent mener la charge, en respectant le principe des responsabilités communes mais différenciées et en tenant compte des capacités de chacun, en fonction des différents contextes nationaux.

    Mais cette action doit s’inscrire dans une démarche collective et suppose la mise en commun des ressources, des capacités scientifiques et de technologies abordables à l’efficacité avérée pour que tous puissent atteindre cet objectif.

    J’ai l’honneur de collaborer étroitement avec le Président Lula, dont le pays préside le G20 et accueillera la COP 30, afin de garantir le plus haut degré d’ambition possible, d’accélérer le rythme des progrès et de favoriser la coopération.

    Nous venons de nous rencontrer pour discuter de cela.

    Les financements sont d’une importance cruciale.

    La COP29 arrive à grands pas.

    Elle doit être l’occasion de fixer un nouvel objectif ambitieux en matière de financement.

    Il faut également que le fonds pour les pertes et les préjudices soit à la hauteur de l’enjeu et que les pays développés tiennent leurs promesses en matière de financement de l’adaptation.

    Et l’heure est venue de faire bouger les lignes face à une situation insensée.

    Nous continuons de récompenser les pollueurs qui détruisent notre planète.

    Le secteur des combustibles fossiles continue d’engranger des profits et des subventions considérables, mais ce sont les populations qui supportent les coûts de la catastrophe climatique, depuis la hausse des primes d’assurance jusqu’à la perte de leurs moyens de subsistance.

    Je demande aux pays du G20 de mettre fin aux subventions et aux investissements liés aux combustibles fossiles et de financer à la place une transition énergétique juste,

    De mettre un prix au carbone.

    Et d’adopter des sources de financement nouvelles et novatrices – notamment en instaurant une redevance internationale de solidarité sur l’extraction des combustibles fossiles, au moyen de mécanismes juridiquement contraignants et transparents.

    Et ce, d’ici à l’année prochaine.

    Et ce en tenant compte du fait que pour les responsables, l’heure des comptes a sonné.

    Les pollueurs doivent payer.

    Excellences,

    L’essor rapide des nouvelles technologies est une autre menace existentielle dont les conséquences sont imprévisibles.

    L’intelligence artificielle transformera notre monde du tout au tout : le travail, mais aussi l’éducation, la communication, la culture ou encore la politique.

    Nous savons que l’intelligence artificielle progresse rapidement, mais où nous mène-t-elle ?

    Vers plus de liberté ou plus de conflits ?

    Vers un monde plus durable ou de plus grandes inégalités ?

    Serons-nous mieux informés ou plus faciles à manipuler ?

    Une poignée d’entreprises et même de particuliers ont déjà acquis un pouvoir immense grâce au développement de l’intelligence artificielle, sans, pour le moment, avoir véritablement à rendre des comptes et sans grand contrôle.

    Faute de mesures mondiales pour en gérer le déploiement, l’intelligence artificielle risque d’engendrer des divisions artificielles dans tous les domaines, de donner lieu à une grande fracture entre deux internets, deux marchés et deux économies et, ainsi, de faire naître une situation où chaque pays serait contraint de choisir un camp, ce qui serait lourd de conséquences pour l’humanité tout entière.

    L’ONU est une instance universelle de dialogue et de consensus.

    Elle est particulièrement bien placée pour promouvoir la coopération en ce qui concerne l’intelligence artificielle, sur la base des valeurs de la Charte et du droit international.

    C’est dans cette enceinte, et nulle part ailleurs, que les membres de la communauté internationale débattent.

    Je salue les premières mesures importantes qui ont été prises.

    Deux résolutions de l’Assemblée générale, le Pacte numérique mondial et les recommandations de l’Organe consultatif de haut niveau sur l’intelligence artificielle, peuvent asseoir les bases d’une gouvernance inclusive de l’intelligence artificielle.

    Ensemble, faisons de l’intelligence artificielle une force au service du bien.

    Excellences,

    Rien n’est éternel.

    Mais l’humanité a ceci de particulier qu’elle croit le contraire.

    L’ordre en place a toujours l’air d’être indémontable.

    Jusqu’au jour où tout bascule.

    L’histoire de l’humanité a été marquée par l’essor et la chute d’empires, l’effondrement de vieilles certitudes et de véritables séismes sur le théâtre du monde.

    Aujourd’hui, nous allons droit dans le mur.

    Il est dans notre intérêt à toutes et à tous de gérer les transformations colossales qui sont en cours, de déterminer l’avenir que nous voulons et de faciliter son avènement dans le monde.

    Beaucoup pensent que les divisions et les divergences d’aujourd’hui sont insurmontables,

    Que nous ne parviendrons pas à nous rassembler pour le bien commun.

    Vous avez prouvé que ce n’était pas le cas.

    Le Sommet de l’avenir a montré que nous pouvons unir nos forces dans un esprit de dialogue et de compromis pour engager le monde sur une voie plus durable.

    Ce n’est pas une fin.

    Ce n’est que le début, une boussole dans la tempête.

    Il faut continuer sur cette lancée.

    Ne ménageons pas nos efforts : pour lutter contre l’impunité et renforcer le respect du principe de responsabilité… pour moins d’inégalités et plus de justice… pour échapper à l’incertitude et élargir le champ des possibles.

    Les populations du monde entier comptent sur nous, et les générations futures nous jugeront à l’aune de ce que nous aurons accompli.

    Nous devons ne pas les décevoir. Nous devons être à la hauteur de la Charte des Nations Unies… de nos valeurs et principes communs… et du bon côté de l’histoire.

    Et je vous remercie.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Champagne to welcome European Commission’s Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager in Montréal

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, will meet with Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age and Commissioner for Competition, in Montréal to discuss matters of mutual interest and address bilateral and global issues.

    September 24, 2024 – Montréal, Quebec 

    The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, will meet with Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission’s Executive Vice-President for A Europe Fit for the Digital Age and Commissioner for Competition, in Montréal to discuss matters of mutual interest and address bilateral and global issues.

    Minister Champagne and Executive Vice-President Vestager will also participate in the unveiling of the MonarQ quantum computer and in a fireside chat on economic security, artificial intelligence, research and innovation, and competition policy reforms. The fireside chat is part of a luncheon organized by the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations. A media availability will follow the unveiling.

    Unveiling of the MonarQ quantum computer

    Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    Time: 9:15 to 10:15 am (ET).

    Location: Montréal, Quebec

    Members of the media are asked to contact Valérie Harvey at valerie.harvey@calculquebec.ca to receive event location details and confirm their attendance.

    Fireside chat at the Montreal Council on Foreign Relations luncheon

    Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024

    Time: 12:50 pm (ET). The luncheon is from 11:30 am to 1:45 pm (ET). The Minister will be available to speak to media after the luncheon.

    Location: Montréal, Quebec

    Members of the media are asked to contact Gustavo Serra at gustavo@mercureconseil.ca to receive event location details and confirm their attendance.

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

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Federal government launches Health Emergency Readiness Canada to strengthen preparedness for future health emergencies

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    New agency will provide sustained focus on growing innovation and industrial capacity in the life sciences and biomanufacturing sector to support Canada’s health emergency readiness

    New agency will provide sustained focus on growing innovation and industrial capacity in the life sciences and biomanufacturing sector to support Canada’s health emergency readiness

    September 24, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario 

    The COVID-19 pandemic has had devastating effects on Canadians and their livelihoods. That’s why the federal government is taking action to be better prepared for future health emergencies and build a stronger life sciences ecosystem in Canada.

    Today, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health, jointly announced the launch of Health Emergency Readiness Canada (HERC), a new federal organization within Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada dedicated to protecting Canadians against future pandemics and delivering on Canada’s life sciences and medical countermeasures readiness objectives.

    HERC will serve as Canada’s focal point to help mobilize industry to respond in a coordinated approach to public health needs and to support the growth of a domestic life sciences sector. This new organization will bridge the gap between research and commercialization, meaning Canadians could get faster access to the most relevant and effective vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other products, including when they need them the most.

    Once HERC is fully operational, its key features are expected to include:

    • integrated decision making to build life sciences capacity
    • strengthened partnerships with industry, academia and international counterparts
    • the development and maintenance of a Canadian industrial game plan to mobilize research and industry in the event of a health emergency
    • world-leading innovation to advance next-generation technology platforms

    With the creation of this new agency, Canada joins G7 peers that have created specialized entities to support health emergency readiness, following similar initiatives such as the United States’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and the EU’s Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority (HERA).

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

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CONGRESSMAN BISHOP ANNOUNCES $116,349 NSF GRANT TO MERCER UNIVERSITY FOR MATERIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH THAT CAN HELP MANY INDUSTRIES

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Sanford D Bishop Jr (GA-02)

    MACON, Ga. – Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. (GA-02) is pleased to announce that Mercer University has been awarded $116,349 in federal funds through the National Science Foundation (NSF) for research equipment that will help advance material science research and teaching.

    “I am glad to see the National Science Foundation helping support research that can have broad applications across several industries,” said Congressman Bishop. “Mercer University faculty and students are part of our country’s best and brightest. They will use this grant for precision tools to conduct cutting edge research that advances American manufacturing which adds to our economic strength and supports our national security.”

    “The ultra-high accuracy digital microscope acquisition will promote multidisciplinary research for developing antimicrobial-coated materials. It will facilitate surface investigations on polymers and composites used in the automotive, marine, construction and aerospace industries and evaluate the benefits of coatings applied onto their surface,” said Dr. Dorina Mihut, Associate Professor at Mercer University. “Understanding and preventing erosion and abrasion is a serious concern for a variety of industries, including aerospace and the oil and gas industry. The digital microscope will facilitate fundamental studies of erosion, abrasion and their effects on materials’ surfaces.”

    Dr. Mihut added, “It will also significantly expand faculty and students’ experimental participation to multiple research projects and training from mechanical, biomedical, environmental, and civil engineering, broadening the participation of underrepresented groups.”

    The National Science Foundation is an independent federal agency that invests 25% of federal funding into American universities to drive innovation and advancement of the sciences.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Translation: Federal government launches Health Crisis Preparedness Canada to help country prepare for future health emergencies

    MIL OSI Translation. Canadian French to English –

    Source: Government of Canada – in French

    The new agency will focus on strengthening innovation and industrial capacity in the life sciences and biomanufacturing sector to help Canada prepare for health emergencies.

    The new agency will focus on strengthening innovation and industrial capacity in the life sciences and biomanufacturing sector to help Canada prepare for health emergencies.

    September 24, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario

    The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on Canadians and their livelihoods. The Government of Canada is taking action to ensure the country is better positioned to respond to future health emergencies, including by building a more robust life sciences ecosystem.

    Today, the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, and the Minister of Health, the Honourable Mark Holland, jointly announced the creation of Health Crisis Preparedness Canada (HCPC), a new federal agency within Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada that will work to protect Canadians from future pandemics and help the country achieve its medical countermeasures and life sciences goals.

    PCSC will become a national hub for engagement, facilitating the coordination of industry efforts in response to public health needs, while supporting the growth of the national life sciences sector. This new organization will bridge the gap between research and commercialization, ensuring that Canadians can access the most effective vaccines, therapeutics, diagnostics and other products more quickly, particularly when they are needed most.

    When the body is fully operational, it will:

    will integrate decision-making processes to strengthen the capacity of the life sciences sector; strengthen its partnerships with industry, academia and international organizations with a similar mandate; develop and maintain an industrial action plan to mobilize the research sector and industry in the event of a health emergency; and support world-class innovations that will position Canada as a leader in next-generation technology platforms.

    In establishing this body, Canada is following in the footsteps of other G7 countries that have established specialized health emergency preparedness entities, including the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority in the United States and the European Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority.

    Audrey MilettePress SecretaryOffice of the Minister of Innovation, Science and Industryaudrey.milette@ised-isde.gc.ca

    Media RelationsInnovation, Science and Economic Development Canadamedia@ised-isde.gc.ca

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and/or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL Translation OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murkowski Welcomes Historic Confirmation for United States Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    09.24.24

    Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), co-chair of the Senate Arctic Caucus, welcomed the historic confirmation of the United States’ first Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs, Dr. Michael Sfraga. Senator Murkowski was the chief advocate for the creation of the position, which the State Department initiated in 2022. The Senate confirmed Dr. Sfraga’s nomination today.

    “Finally, we have officially joined the rest of the Arctic nations at the table after the Senate confirmed the United States’ first Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs. The need for this leadership in the Arctic has become even more urgent as we saw last night the fifth publicly reported incursion by Russian military aircraft in Alaska’s Air Defense Identification Zone in the last two weeks,” said Senator Murkowski. “Our new Ambassador will not only help America push back against our adversaries heightened aggression in the Arctic, but will be a critical resource in advocating for economic expansion in this increasingly vital region, committing to do everything in his power to protect American economic and security interests in the Arctic. I congratulate Dr. Michael Sfraga on his confirmation and look forward to the progress he will usher in.”

    Prior to today’s vote, Senator Murkowski spoke on the Senate floor regarding the importance of confirming Dr. Sfraga. A video of her remarks can also be found here.

    Read the full speech below:

    “Mr. President, I have come to the Floor to speak to the nomination of Dr. Mike Sfraga, an Alaskan, to be our nation’s very first Ambassador-at-Large for Arctic Affairs. 

    As the person who recommended Dr. Sfraga, I’ve come to the Floor to reiterate my strong support for his nomination, and to urge the Senate to ensure we are no longer the only Arctic nation that does not have an Arctic ambassador. 

    I want to speak to two specific considerations: why we need to focus on the Arctic, and why Dr. Sfraga is the right person for this important role. 

    First, the Arctic.  I won’t detail the entire history; I would just ask you to think about the past couple months alone. 

    On July 24, Russian and Chinese bombers flew a joint patrol for the first time off the coast of Alaska.  While the Russians regularly fly into our Air Defense Identification Zone, our “ADIZ” – I don’t ever recall hearing of the Chinese flying into the area, let alone on a joint mission.

    The day after Russia and China’s joint exercise, I would have told you that this escalation was the most disturbing thing we’d see this year.  But unfortunately, our adversaries quickly found a way to top that – upping the ante even further.

    On September 10, Russia began its massive, weeklong, worldwide Ocean-24 exercise with hundreds of warships, more than a hundred aircraft, and nearly 100,000 troops.  The exercise, the largest since the fall of the Soviet Union, also saw Chinese participation.  Between its start and end, NORAD and the Air Forces stationed in Alaska detected, tracked, and intercepted four different Russian incursions into the Alaska ADIZ. 

    In previous years, we’ve come to expect six or seven incursions a year.  So think about that: in just five days, our air defenses were tested almost as much as they tend to be tested in any given year.  We are now way ahead on publicly-reported intercepts this year—up to 10, with three months left.

    There has also been an unprecedented level of naval activity off the coast of Alaska.  During that same Russian exercise, the U.S. Coast Guard detected four Russian naval vessels 50 miles to the northwest of Point Hope in Alaska.  The vessels moved to avoid sea ice in the area during their exercise—which is accepted under international law–but that brought them 50 miles into the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone.

    Hearing that, I can’t help but think back to when Russian warships chased Alaska fishermen out of an area within our EEZ back in August 2020.  And these are hardly isolated incidents.  Last August, the Coast Guard detected and shadowed a Russian intelligence ship operating off the Aleutians.  This past July, the Coast Guard detected and shadowed a Chinese Surface Action Group within our EEZ in the Bering Sea.

    I could also remind the Senate of the Chinese surveillance balloons that transited above Alaska and the Arctic last year. 

    I could remind the Senate of a lot more events and incidents that warrant greater attention, policy, and resources for the Arctic.  

    What I hope we can agree is that this an unprecedented time for the region.  Normally we think of the Arctic as “High North, Low Tension.”  But right now, it’s “High North, Rising Tension.”  And one thing that is absolutely missing is a Senate-confirmed diplomat, who will spend his or her time focused on Arctic issues, working with our allies, and engaging our adversaries. 

    The United States is alone in having inadequate diplomatic representation in the Arctic.  It’s not that no one at State Department is thinking about the region; it’s that no one, at a high level, is specifically tasked with and responsible for and empowered to lead the way. 

    So, we need an Arctic Ambassador.  When we established this position in August 2022, I hoped it would mark a more serious effort to lead and maintain a rules-based order in the region.  But it’s been two years, and only now are we able to confirm a highly capable, well-qualified individual to actually do that work. 

    Which brings me to Dr. Sfraga.  He was nominated in February 2023.  His nomination was favorably reported by the Foreign Relations Committee in March 2024.  And today, we have the chance to confirm him. 

    I would contend that there is no one better suited to be the first person in this role than Dr. Sfraga.  For all of the questions that some have raised about him, I would argue that we know exactly what we are getting. 

    Dr. Sfraga has dedicated himself to a career of service to the Arctic and our nation. 

    He is an accomplished geographer, researcher, and teacher, with a PhD from the University of Alaska.

    He helped establish the University of the Arctic, and co-created and co-led the State Department’s Fulbright Arctic Initiative. 

    He established the Polar Institute at the Wilson Center, which has become the “Arctic Public Square” for high-level conversations about the Far North. 

    And, he Chairs the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, which advises Congress and the President on international Arctic research.

    Dr. Sfraga has decades of experience, deep expertise, and strong relationships with Arctic leaders.  Our allies support him, our Arctic partners support him, Alaskans support him, and I support him.  He is clear-eyed about the strategic realities of the Arctic and the intentions of our adversaries.  He understands how to position the United States to lead in the Arctic and to protect our national security interests.  His vast experience means he knows how to handle Russia and China – across the interagency process and with allies and partners – through a position of strength.

    Some have argued that Dr. Sfraga’s past interactions with regional players disqualify him from serving in this role.  But remember: he’s an Alaskan.  We share a maritime border with Russia.  We used to have regular nonstop air service to Russia.  That’s our part of the world, and when relations were better, it wasn’t uncommon for Alaskans to visit and work with and know people who lived there.

    Dr. Sfraga has been criticized for attending international forums, but remember: he was hardly the only American or U.S. government official in attendance at these events.  He’s just the only one being criticized for it, even though his participation helped give us a voice at those events.

    I also find it fascinating that some have criticized Dr. Sfraga’s past language as advocating for a “competition-free” Arctic.  I can tell you: that is how we spoke about the region for a long time.  We strived to establish a rules-based order that would protect our people and maintain low tensions.  Even former President Trump called for a “competition-free” Arctic.

    The criticisms that Dr. Sfraga has faced are a great way to ensure that the United States never has an Arctic ambassador – or that we ultimately confirm an individual who has never been there, knows little about it, and won’t do anything to protect or advance our strategic interests. 

    To me, that would be a loss.  The Arctic is no longer an isolated, distant region.  It is a place of strategic importance, economic potential, and growing competition.  The United States must be prepared to lead – and that starts with representation.  Personnel is policy, and Dr. Sfraga is ready to take on this important role. 

    I urge the Senate to see through the attacks on Dr. Sfraga.  There is nothing in his past or in his file that is disqualifying.  We know exactly what we are getting; he has been a public figure, sharing his views of the Arctic, for years. 

    I thank those who have already offered their support for Dr. Sfraga, and would encourage the rest of my colleagues to be happy that we aren’t confirming yet another judge—but instead, a qualified Alaskan who can lead on Arctic matters from day one, at a time when that matters more than it has in decades. 

    I urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting yes to confirm Dr. Sfraga and yield the Floor.”

    Background: Senator Murkowski is an internationally recognized leader on Arctic issues and is dedicated to strengthening America’s position as an Arctic nation. In October 2021, she and Senator Angus King (I-ME) introduced the Arctic Diplomacy Act to establish an Assistant Secretary of State for Arctic Affairs.

    Following Senator Murkowski’s persistent advocacy, the State Department announced in August 2022 that “the President plans to elevate the Arctic Coordinator position by appointing an Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Region, subject to the advice and consent of the Senate. The Ambassador-at-Large for the Arctic Region will advance U.S. policy in the Arctic, engage with counterparts in Arctic and non-Arctic nations as well as Indigenous groups, and work closely with domestic stakeholders, including state, local, and Tribal governments, businesses, academic institutions, non-profit organizations, other federal government agencies and Congress.”

    Dr. Mike Sfraga is the first nominee for the new Ambassador-At-Large position. His official biography from the U.S. Arctic Research Commission appears below.

    “Dr. Michael Sfraga was the founding director of the Polar Institute and served as the director of the Global Risk and Resilience Program at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in Washington, DC. He currently serves as chair and distinguished fellow in the Polar Institute, where his scholarship and public speaking focus on Arctic policy.

    “An Alaskan and a geographer by training, his work focuses on the changing geography of the Arctic and Antarctic landscapes, Arctic policy, and the impacts and implications of a changing climate on political, social, economic, environmental, and security regimes in the Arctic.

    “Sfraga served as distinguished co-lead scholar for the U.S. Department of State’s inaugural Fulbright Arctic Initiative from 2015 to 2017, a complementary program to the U.S. Chairmanship of the Arctic Council; he held the same position from 2017 to 2019. He served as chair of the 2020 Committee of Visitors Review of the Section for Arctic Science (ARC), Office of Polar Programs, National Science Foundation, and currently serves on the Scientific Advisory Council of the Finnish Institute for International Affairs. Sfraga previously served in several academic, administrative, and executive positions at the University of Alaska, including vice chancellor, associate vice president, faculty member, department chair, and associate dean. Sfraga earned the first PhD in geography and northern studies from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Global Bodies – IPU Assembly to focus on AI, science and technology

    Source: Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)

    Geneva, 24 September 2024 – Hundreds of parliamentarians from around the world will gather in Geneva for the 149th IPU Assembly, taking place from 13-17 October 2024.

    Under the overarching theme: Harnessing science, technology, and innovation for a more peaceful and sustainable future, legislators will consider parliamentary action to maximize the benefits, but also mitigate the risks, of new technologies, with a particular focus on artificial intelligence (AI).  

    Bertrand Picard, Swiss psychiatrist, explorer and technology pioneer, will address the Assembly on the importance of placing humanity back at the centre of science and innovation.

    IPU Charter on the Ethics of Science and Technology

    The Assembly is set to adopt a new Charter on the Ethics of Science and Technology, drafted by the IPU’s Working Group on Science and Technology.

    The Charter aims to create a regulatory framework of principles to guide legislation and decision-making, ensuring that science and technology serve to benefit humanity, society and the environment.

    Addressing the impact of AI on democracy

    Parliamentarians are also expected to adopt an IPU resolution entitled The impact of artificial intelligence on democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

    The resolution urges parliaments “to develop strong legal frameworks and policies for the responsible creation, deployment and use of AI technology”.

    It seeks to address the vulnerabilities of democratic institutions to AI and mitigate harmful impacts such as the spread of misinformation, hate speech, or incitement of violence through AI-generated content.

    Marking the 25th anniversary of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention

    The Assembly will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the entry into force of the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention (APMBC) and its role in reducing the harm caused by anti-personnel mines.

    H.R.H. Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein of Jordan, Special Envoy for the APMBC, will participate, encouraging parliaments that have not yet ratified the Convention to do so.

    2024 Cremer-Passy Prize

    The winner of the 2024 Cremer-Passy Prize will be announced during the Assembly. This prestigious award, now in its third edition, will recognize an outstanding parliamentarian who has made an exceptional contribution to supporting peace efforts.

    A full programme of parliamentary meetings

    Throughout the Assembly, various IPU bodies will convene, including the four thematic Standing Committees, the Forum of Women Parliamentarians, the Forum of Young Parliamentarians, and the Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians.

    Additionally, IPU bodies dedicated to parliamentary diplomacy and maintaining dialogue between countries at war will meet, including the IPU Task Force for the peaceful resolution of the war in Ukraine and the IPU Committee on Middle East Questions.

    Practical details

    Date: 13-17 October 2024.

    Venue: The International Conference Centre Geneva (CICG), 7 rue de Varembé, 1202 Geneva, Switzerland.

    Media attendance: All UN-accredited media representatives will be able to access the Assembly venue. For international media travelling to Geneva, please register here https://registration.ipu.org/event/149Assembly/regProcessStep1

    The Assembly will be livestreamed at ipu.org/149

    The IPU is the global organization of national parliaments. It was founded more than 130 years ago as the first multilateral political organization in the world, encouraging cooperation and dialogue between all nations. Today, the IPU comprises 180 national Member Parliaments and 15 regional parliamentary bodies. It promotes democracy and helps parliaments develop into stronger, younger, greener, more gender-balanced and more innovative institutions. It also defends the human rights of parliamentarians through a dedicated committee made up of MPs from around the world.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –