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Category: Statistics

  • MIL-OSI Global: Assisted dying – medical anthropolgist on the complex practical and ethical road ahead

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Erica Borgstrom, Professor of Medical Anthropology, The Open University

    Steve Travelguide/Shutterstock

    The House of Commons narrowly passed the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill on June 20, a significant step toward legalising assisted dying in England and Wales. The bill must still pass through the House of Lords before it can become law. So far, the debate has centred on a key question: should people already facing a terminal prognosis have the legal right to choose when to end their lives?

    The discussions, both in Parliament and among the wider public, have often focused on personal stories of dying – some shared as examples of a “good” death, others as cautionary tales of suffering. When speaking to the BBC after the bill passed, MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the legislation, described the current situation as a “failing status quo.” She argued that the law must change to offer more control and compassion at the end of life.

    More than 530,000 people die in England each year, and it’s estimated that around 90% of them could benefit from palliative care. Yet many are still dying in pain, with thousands experiencing unmet needs in their final months. Some supporters of the bill argue that access to assisted dying could offer an escape from anticipated suffering and loss of dignity, especially when palliative care falls short.

    What is a “good” death?

    The concept of a “good” death already shapes the country’s end-of-life care policy. Current practice encourages patient choice, comfort and dignity usually guided by the question: what matters most to you?

    Through advance care planning, patients can express preferences for their care, such as refusing resuscitation or declining further treatment. But these choices are usually framed in terms of what not to do. Assisted dying, by contrast, introduces a new ethical dimension: it’s not about withholding treatment, but about actively intervening to end life.

    View from the clinic – and bedside

    Over the past 15 years of conducting ethnographic research on end-of-life care in England, I’ve seen just how deeply people are affected when asked to contemplate their future – or the future of someone they love.



    Read more:
    Is the UK really the best place in the world to die?

    Some patients are decisive: they know what they don’t want, and they say so clearly. Others apologise for being a burden. Some find it too difficult to plan at all. In fact, fewer than 3% of UK adults have documented advance care plans.

    Clinicians, too, face challenges. I’ve seen doctors wish patients would recognise when treatment has become futile – and patients, in turn, hope doctors will take the decision to “just stop”. There can be deep mistrust, with some fearing they’ll be “given up on”. These tensions are unlikely to disappear if assisted dying is legalised; in fact, they may become more pronounced.

    Who would be eligible?

    In England, the legal definition of “terminal illness” is a life expectancy of six months or less, and that’s the threshold used in this bill. It excludes people with incurable but long-term conditions who may be suffering, but aren’t likely to die within half a year.

    This six-month cut-off also assumes that doctors can accurately predict how long someone has left. But Marie Curie, the end of life charity, called that definition “outdated” and “arbitrary,” highlighting how it fails to reflect clinical reality.



    Read more:
    The assisted dying debate has been about safety not sanctity – here’s why I think the bill passed the test

    More recently, research examining nearly 100,000 patient records from London found that prognosis is least reliable when predicting survival over the “weeks to months” time-frame – exactly the bracket covered by the bill. Doctors are more confident estimating if someone has less than two weeks or more than a year. Anything in between is often described, quite literally, as “the length of a piece of string”.

    A step forward – with complexities ahead

    The bill’s passage in the Commons reflects a growing desire to give people more choice, control and clarity at the end of life. For many, it marks a long-overdue recognition of both suffering and the right to self-determination.

    Yet while the vote signals strong support for greater autonomy in dying, the everyday realities of predicting prognosis and navigating complex end-of-life decisions remain uncertain. The practical and ethical challenges are far from resolved.

    Erica Borgstrom receives/has received funding for her research from the National Institute of Health Research, the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council, Marie Curie, the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness, NHS England & NHS Innovation, and End of Life Doula UK.

    – ref. Assisted dying – medical anthropolgist on the complex practical and ethical road ahead – https://theconversation.com/assisted-dying-medical-anthropolgist-on-the-complex-practical-and-ethical-road-ahead-259478

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Assisted dying – medical anthropolgist on the complex practical and ethical road ahead

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Erica Borgstrom, Professor of Medical Anthropology, The Open University

    Steve Travelguide/Shutterstock

    The House of Commons narrowly passed the terminally ill adults (end of life) bill on June 20, a significant step toward legalising assisted dying in England and Wales. The bill must still pass through the House of Lords before it can become law. So far, the debate has centred on a key question: should people already facing a terminal prognosis have the legal right to choose when to end their lives?

    The discussions, both in Parliament and among the wider public, have often focused on personal stories of dying – some shared as examples of a “good” death, others as cautionary tales of suffering. When speaking to the BBC after the bill passed, MP Kim Leadbeater, who introduced the legislation, described the current situation as a “failing status quo.” She argued that the law must change to offer more control and compassion at the end of life.

    More than 530,000 people die in England each year, and it’s estimated that around 90% of them could benefit from palliative care. Yet many are still dying in pain, with thousands experiencing unmet needs in their final months. Some supporters of the bill argue that access to assisted dying could offer an escape from anticipated suffering and loss of dignity, especially when palliative care falls short.

    What is a “good” death?

    The concept of a “good” death already shapes the country’s end-of-life care policy. Current practice encourages patient choice, comfort and dignity usually guided by the question: what matters most to you?

    Through advance care planning, patients can express preferences for their care, such as refusing resuscitation or declining further treatment. But these choices are usually framed in terms of what not to do. Assisted dying, by contrast, introduces a new ethical dimension: it’s not about withholding treatment, but about actively intervening to end life.

    View from the clinic – and bedside

    Over the past 15 years of conducting ethnographic research on end-of-life care in England, I’ve seen just how deeply people are affected when asked to contemplate their future – or the future of someone they love.



    Read more:
    Is the UK really the best place in the world to die?

    Some patients are decisive: they know what they don’t want, and they say so clearly. Others apologise for being a burden. Some find it too difficult to plan at all. In fact, fewer than 3% of UK adults have documented advance care plans.

    Clinicians, too, face challenges. I’ve seen doctors wish patients would recognise when treatment has become futile – and patients, in turn, hope doctors will take the decision to “just stop”. There can be deep mistrust, with some fearing they’ll be “given up on”. These tensions are unlikely to disappear if assisted dying is legalised; in fact, they may become more pronounced.

    Who would be eligible?

    In England, the legal definition of “terminal illness” is a life expectancy of six months or less, and that’s the threshold used in this bill. It excludes people with incurable but long-term conditions who may be suffering, but aren’t likely to die within half a year.

    This six-month cut-off also assumes that doctors can accurately predict how long someone has left. But Marie Curie, the end of life charity, called that definition “outdated” and “arbitrary,” highlighting how it fails to reflect clinical reality.



    Read more:
    The assisted dying debate has been about safety not sanctity – here’s why I think the bill passed the test

    More recently, research examining nearly 100,000 patient records from London found that prognosis is least reliable when predicting survival over the “weeks to months” time-frame – exactly the bracket covered by the bill. Doctors are more confident estimating if someone has less than two weeks or more than a year. Anything in between is often described, quite literally, as “the length of a piece of string”.

    A step forward – with complexities ahead

    The bill’s passage in the Commons reflects a growing desire to give people more choice, control and clarity at the end of life. For many, it marks a long-overdue recognition of both suffering and the right to self-determination.

    Yet while the vote signals strong support for greater autonomy in dying, the everyday realities of predicting prognosis and navigating complex end-of-life decisions remain uncertain. The practical and ethical challenges are far from resolved.

    Erica Borgstrom receives/has received funding for her research from the National Institute of Health Research, the UKRI Economic and Social Research Council, Marie Curie, the Foundation for the Sociology of Health and Illness, NHS England & NHS Innovation, and End of Life Doula UK.

    – ref. Assisted dying – medical anthropolgist on the complex practical and ethical road ahead – https://theconversation.com/assisted-dying-medical-anthropolgist-on-the-complex-practical-and-ethical-road-ahead-259478

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Global energy balance: heads of major energy companies and experts at SPIEF discussed the future of energy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    At the Energy Panel of the XXVIII St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, leading industry experts, politicians, scientists, government officials and heads of major international energy companies discussed current trends in the global energy market.

    Their assessments and forecasts largely coincided with the visionary concept of the industry development presented by Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin. In his report “The Odyssey of the World Economy in Search of the Golden Fleece. The New Image of World Energy,” he announced that the current state of world energy is at the stage of forming a new image, caused by the multiple growth of electricity consumption, the generation of which will be provided by both fossil fuels and renewable energy sources. According to him, the optimal solution today is “the synthesis of traditional and alternative energy sources.”

    The event, organized with the support of PJSC NK Rosneft, was attended by Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada, Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez, Chief Executive Officer of Pertamina Simon Aloysius Mantiri, Vice President of CNPC Zhang Daowei, Executive Director of Reliance Industries Panda Madhusudana Shiva Prasad, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Dynkin, Minister of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the non-profit initiative of the Japanese government for the development of low-carbon technologies Nobuo Tanaka, as well as President of TOFS Group David Gadzhimirzaev.

    ENERGY TRANSITION WITHOUT TRANSITION

    Mohammed Bin Saleh Al-Sada opened the discussion of Igor Sechin’s report, noting the depth of his analysis. “It was comprehensive – the way you showed that progress and energy are inseparable,” Al-Sada addressed Sechin.

    The head of the board of directors of Rosneft drew the audience’s attention to the fact that, despite the active promotion of the idea of switching to renewable energy sources, the share of fossil energy sources in the energy balance has not changed in recent decades. He recalled that Igor Sechin mentioned in his report that fossil fuels account for 80% of the world’s energy balance. “And these statistics have not changed in the last 20 years! We flutter around these 80% of fossil fuels and energy sources, and, therefore, little has changed!” exclaimed Al-Sada, describing the situation in the global energy sector.

    “In other words, we are essentially not making any transition away from hydrocarbons,” he concluded, emphasizing that the transition to renewable energy sources is being imposed on the industry and the public.

    “I would also like to take the baton from Mr. Sechin and pass on my comment to you. This is food for thought: are we really moving from fossil fuels to renewables?” Al-Sada addressed the audience.

    The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Rosneft also noted that the demand for energy for various reasons does not always coincide with the growth of production. “I would like to express two small thoughts in order to further color the valuable things that we heard in the words of Mr. Sechin. The lack of investment is already a reality in the hydrocarbon and energy sectors. This is what can really lead us to a serious shortage of energy. “If this trend continues, we may face a shortage of energy resources. This is not only my personal opinion, but also what a large number of analysts say, including the International Energy Agency and other respected experts, who in their reviews emphasize the importance of having sufficient investment in the hydrocarbon sector. Otherwise, we will face the risk of a shortage of primary energy!” Al-Sada emphasized.

    THE FUTURE IS SYNERGY

    Vice President of China’s CNPC Zhang Daowei noted that he listened with interest to the report of Rosneft’s Chief Executive Officer. In his speech, the top manager of the Chinese company expressed similar assessments of the development paths of the global energy sector – in particular, the need for synergy between traditional and new energy sources.

    “We have always believed that in the context of the energy transition course, it is necessary to adhere to the synergetic, comprehensive development of traditional and new energy sources, fully take into account the characteristics and level of development of our countries’ markets, properly link the energy transition with energy security, and promote a fair and sustainable model of energy transformation,” Daowei noted.

    According to the vice president, within the framework of this philosophy, CNPC, on the one hand, continues to increase the exploration and development of oil and gas fields at home and import high-quality resources from abroad, including strengthening long-term cooperation with Russia in the field of hydrocarbon trade. On the other hand, CNPC actively adheres to the strategy of “green”, low-carbon development and implements the development of the “three-step strategy” combining oil and gas projects using wind, solar, geothermal, hydrogen and carbon capture technologies.

    Indonesia’s Pertamina President and CEO Simon Aloysius Mantiri said the company is pursuing a dual growth strategy that relies on both traditional resources and low-carbon solutions, with natural gas playing a major role in the country’s energy mix.

    “Natural gas is at the center of our strategy to transition to cleaner fuels. And today we are expanding our capacity and ability to produce LNG for both domestic and export needs,” he said.

    The head of Pertamina essentially repeated the thesis voiced in Igor Sechin’s report, and particularly emphasized that by achieving a balance of energy sources and a comprehensive approach, the company is capable of ensuring high rates of economic growth and, at the same time, carbon neutrality.

    Reliance Industries CEO PMS Prasad said India does not choose between energy access and innovation. “It integrates both. By developing scalable, context-specific solutions, it addresses local priorities while making a significant contribution to global sustainability. From rural microgrids to energy-efficient data centres, India is turning its potential into a strategic asset,” Prasad said.

    He stressed that international partnerships play a vital role in this ambitious endeavour. “Energy remains a key cornerstone of the strategic relationship between India and Russia. India values this trusting partnership and appreciates the cooperation built over decades. The leadership of both countries is committed to taking this partnership to even higher levels in the future,” the Reliance Industries CEO concluded.

    NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS ARE NOT WRITTEN OFF THE ACCOUNTS

    Rosneft CEO Igor Sechin noted in his keynote speech at the Energy Panel the growing interest in nuclear power generation worldwide and, accordingly, the growth of investments in this area. According to him, this is happening against the backdrop of growing energy consumption and in the future nuclear energy will be in demand along with fossil fuels and renewable energy sources.

    Reliance Industries CEO Panda Madhusudana Shiva Prasad, speaking in turn about the prospects for the development of India’s energy sector, particularly emphasized the significant role of nuclear power generation.

    “Gas, renewables supported by energy storage systems and a robust transmission grid, and nuclear power will play a key role. India’s ambitious nuclear programme, including small modular reactors, reflects its commitment to long-term energy security and decarbonisation,” Prasad said.

    The revival of interest in investment in the construction of nuclear power plants was noted in the speech of the Minister of Energy of Uzbekistan Jurabek Mirzamakhmudov. He spoke about joint plans with Russia to build two units of 55 megawatts each, and two units of VVR-type reactors – water-cooled power reactors. The head of the ministry also reported that the country is installing power plants where gas is burned, hydropower is developing, the share of renewable sources is increasing, and storage systems are being created at the same time.

    The Minister noted the content of Igor Sechin’s report, which provided a detailed analysis and reflected all the development trends in global energy, science and economics.

    ENERGY SECURITY FIRST

    In her speech, the Executive Vice President of the Republic of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, supported the thesis expressed by the head of Rosneft that issues of ensuring energy security should be a top priority.

    “We always advocate that the energy transition be carried out responsibly, taking into account reality, in order to avoid abrupt changes that could threaten energy security,” Rodriguez said.

    The Executive Vice President of Venezuela named the main components of a stable energy system of the future: energy security, reliable supplies, accessibility for all, and at the same time respect for nature – with minimal impact on the environment.

    Among the main threats to energy security, Rodriguez named illegal sanctions against producing countries and the hegemony of the dollar.

    Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Japanese government’s non-profit initiative to develop low-carbon technologies Nobuo Tanaka, in turn, noted that the answer to energy security issues is always associated with diversification of supply sources, increasing energy efficiency and searching for alternative energy sources, including renewable energy sources, nuclear energy and regulating the market through predictable policies.

    CONTRARY TO LOGIC

    The participants in the discussion drew attention to the political events of the last decades and stated that today geopolitics shapes the directions of economic cooperation. Moreover, often contrary to the logic of market expediency and economic efficiency.

    Tanaka recalled in this regard how he discussed Germany’s energy policy with Chancellor Merkel in 2009: “I asked her why Germany does not use nuclear energy. She answered like this: Mr. Tanaka, I am a scientist, I know how important it is to use nuclear energy, but in order to use it in Germany, she said, give me the votes of the voters in exchange for it. Yes, she is a good scientist, but she is also a very smart politician.”

    The professor is sure that despite her experience, Merkel made a very serious mistake by changing her policy on the use of nuclear power plants under pressure from public opinion. Another mistake was the refusal to use Russian energy resources and Russian natural gas. “I think she was misled,” Tanaka said.

    “Geopolitics is a factor in the global economy of the 21st century. It is geopolitical interests that united the BRICS countries. The criterion for membership is not the application of sanctions against other members of the organization. But geopolitics has also become a kind of “trap” for Germany after Trump’s victory,” says academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Alexander Dynkin.

    He noted that Eurocrats are concerned about the complete rejection of energy supplies from Russia by 2027. “They are not stopped by the growth of costs, which undermines the competitiveness of the EU,” Dynkin noted and recalled that if in 2014 the US GDP was ahead of the EU GDP by only 12%, then last year the American economy was already 50% larger than the European one.

    “Although the German energy crisis is formally over, the country paid for it with three years of stagnation, deindustrialization, inflation, and a migration crisis,” said the member of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    DIGITAL REVOLUTION

    The thesis voiced in Igor Sechin’s report that the digital revolution is opening a new era in the development of the oil and gas industry received a warm response from the audience. In particular, David Gadzhimirzaev, CEO of the oilfield services company TOFS, thanked Rosneft for supporting innovation and developing technologies. He emphasized the importance of ensuring the availability, stability and reliability of resources, which can be provided by new technologies that will reduce the cost of lifting barrels to the surface.

    “We all know that literally this year the energy strategy-2050 was approved, which includes the fact that by 2050 about 70% of the Russian Federation’s production will be from hard-to-recover reserves. Therefore, we, in turn, are not only working on the expertise, but also working on the production of new technologies,” Gadzhimirzaev said.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft June 21, 2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Shanghai pub promotes barrier-free recreation for people with disabilities

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    SHANGHAI, June 21 (Xinhua) — People sit in camping chairs and wheelchairs at an open-air concert. They sing, listen to music, chat and drink alcoholic beverages. As night falls, a neon sign reading “Pub Handycup” glows with a warm light.

    This scene, reminiscent of a still from a movie, unfolded in Shanghai. A year ago, this unusual establishment, designed with people with disabilities in mind, opened in the city center.

    Founder Xia Yujie watches with pride as his friends in wheelchairs move around the pub with ease, ordering and feeling at ease. “This is the perfect picture I have imagined for many years,” he says.

    With gentle ramps instead of steps, tables with rounded corners, a tactile pub map, a sign language board and ample room to maneuver, this 30-meter bar is a pioneer of its kind in China.

    Since opening last May, the pub has become a haven for people with and without disabilities. It serves around 10 craft beers daily, with a rotating selection, so they can drink and relax. It also hosts a range of accessibility events, including Braille workshops, book clubs and photography exhibitions.

    A regular customer surnamed Cui particularly appreciates the pub’s relaxed atmosphere. “No one judges you by your appearance here,” she told Xinhua. “Everyone is kind and willing to help each other.”

    For Xia Yujie, opening this bar was a mission of sorts. As a law school graduate with his left arm paralyzed due to a medical error in high school, he always wanted to create a welcoming space where people with disabilities could socialize, feel at home, integrate into the community, and shed stereotypes.

    For him, accessibility is not just about physical infrastructure. It is also about ensuring that everyone has equal access to recreational spaces that foster relationships and deepen connections.

    “People with disabilities have the same needs as everyone else,” Xia Yujie said. “But I often couldn’t find accessible places where everyone could just go, have a drink, and socialize as equals.”

    According to official statistics, there are about 85 million people with disabilities in China, equivalent to one-sixteenth of China’s entire population.

    In recent years, China has stepped up efforts to create a barrier-free environment. Significant progress has been made: libraries for the visually impaired have been created, special cinemas for wheelchair users have been equipped, and intelligent navigation systems for the blind have been introduced in public transport.

    In addition, in a number of regions, local authorities are actively involved in the refurbishment of housing and territory for people with disabilities, ensuring a barrier-free environment to facilitate their daily lives. Places such as Pub Handycup go beyond meeting basic needs, seeking to enrich the social life of these people and promote their sense of community and inclusion.

    Another regular, Bai, whose parents are hearing impaired, likens the pub to his childhood neighbourhood, where he feels a sense of belonging and enjoys the friendships of other guests. “It’s also pet-friendly. You can just play with them.”

    In the virtual world, pub-goers are also actively communicating. The Pub Handycup chat group brings together a wide range of members. Every day, the group is buzzing with discussion, sharing information about resources and activities to ensure accessibility, and joking about everyday topics.

    Active member Xiao Mi has received many birthday wishes in the chat. Living near the pub, he often comes to court in a wheelchair. Some time ago, he offered his help when Xia Yujie and his business partner were too busy.

    At the pub, Xiao Mi learned to pour drinks and make mulled wine, something he had never tried before. When the pub was busy, the outgoing man helped with service, moving between guests in his wheelchair. He even created a map that hangs on the wall with information about nearby facilities.

    Almost every week the pub hosts various events to support an accessible environment: master classes in sign language and Braille, art therapy sessions, and personal exhibitions of deaf photographers.

    Most of these events are initiated by the visitors themselves, who create pub-style events while showcasing their skills and ideas.

    “Some of our blind friends are good at Braille, so we collaborate with them to hold workshops to teach more people. In addition, our deaf-mute business friends sell their handicrafts in our pub,” Xia Yujie explained.

    The owner of the establishment expressed hope that the bar will be able to attract more residents of nearby areas to participate in events to support an accessible environment.

    “The many like-minded people I have met since opening the bar have reinforced my initial belief that what we do is not narrow-minded and we are not alone in this. It is a common idea for many people,” he said. “I also hope that more people can resonate with this.” -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Acting Commissioner for Census and Statistics officiates at prize presentation ceremony of 2024/25 Statistical Project Competition for Secondary School Students (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The Acting Commissioner for Census and Statistics, Mr Tim Chau, officiated at the prize presentation ceremony of the 2024/25 Statistical Project Competition (SPC) for Secondary School Students of the Hong Kong Statistical Society today (June 21). Principal Assistant Secretary for Education Ms Edith Tse also attended as an officiating guest. The President of the Hong Kong Statistical Society, Professor Chan Ngai-hang; the Chief Adjudicator of the competition, Professor Cheung Ka-chun; the Chief Strategy Officer of Hang Seng Indexes Company Limited (sponsor of the competition), Ms Candy Lam; representative of the Department of Decision Analytics and Operations of the City University of Hong Kong (sponsor of the thematic prize), Ms Teresa Ng; and representative of the Division of Science, Engineering and Health Studies of the College of Professional and Continuing Education of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (sponsor of the thematic prize), Dr Anthony Loh, also presented prizes to the winning teams and extended their congratulations to every member of the teams.
     
    In his address at the prize presentation ceremony, Mr Chau emphasised that it is even more important for students to learn how to discern the reliability of statistical figures in today’s era of information explosion. Statistical knowledge not only helps students interpret data but also enables them to identify potential biases and misleading information within the data. He pointed out that quality statistical results are usually based on scientific statistical theories and methods, as well as logical analysis. He encouraged students to contribute to society by fully utilising their statistical knowledge as a valuable technical resource, and by harnessing their analytical capabilities and creative thinking.
     
         This edition of the competition received an encouraging response of 221 statistical projects from about 850 secondary school students, covering a broad spectrum of topics. Participating students were able to utilise official statistics as the main source of data to analyse and interpret social and economic issues in Hong Kong.
     
         The 2024/25 SPC, co-organised by the Hong Kong Statistical Society and the Education Bureau, is the 39th edition of the competition. The Commissioner for Census and Statistics is the patron of the competition. Over the past years, many statistician-grade staff members of the Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) have actively participated in the organisation and professional adjudication of the SPC in the capacity of members of the Hong Kong Statistical Society, with the aim of improving statistical literacy among secondary school students and promoting the application and importance of statistics in society. This fully demonstrates that the C&SD attaches great importance and commitment to nurturing young talent.
     
         The key objectives of the competition are to promote the interest of secondary school students in research methods, statistics and statistical techniques; encourage students to understand the local community in a scientific and objective manner through the proper use of statistics; and promote a sense of civic awareness.
     
         Members of the public are welcome to visit the webpage of the competition for the list of winners this year (www.hkss.org.hk/index.php/spc$en).

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF Executive Board Completes the Third Review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement for Burkina Faso

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    June 20, 2025

    • The IMF Executive Board completed today the third review under the Extended Credit Facility Arrangement for Burkina Faso. This enables an immediate disbursement of about US$32.8 million.
    • Supportive policies and favorable weather conditions boosted agricultural output in 2024; however, widespread insecurity continues to weigh on economic activity in other sectors, especially gold mining, the primary source of export earnings for the country.
    • Program performance has been broadly satisfactory. While end-December 2024 performance criteria for the primary fiscal deficit and net domestic financing were missed by 0.6 percent of GDP, the 2025 budget includes adequate corrective measures. On this basis, the Executive Board approved waivers of nonobservance of these performance criteria. All continuous performance criteria were met. Seven out of eight structural benchmarks were achieved, with the remaining one implemented later as a prior action.

    Washington, DC: The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) completed the third review under the 48-month Extended Credit Facility (ECF) arrangement that was approved on September 21, 2023. The completion of the review enables the immediate disbursement of SDR 24.08 million (about US$32.8 million), bringing total IMF financial support under the arrangement to SDR 96.32 million (about US$131.3 million). 

    Real GDP growth is estimated to have reached 5.0 percent in 2024. Strong growth in agriculture and services outweighed contractions in mining and manufacturing. Real GDP growth is projected to average 4.2 percent in 2025, as growth in the agricultural output is expected to soften in line with average rainfall conditions. Inflation is projected to ease to 3.0 percent in 2025 amid moderating food prices.

    Balance of payments strengthened, reflecting a positive shift in terms of trade. The current account deficit rose from 5.0 percent of GDP in 2023 to 5.7 percent in 2024 but is expected to narrow to 3.4 percent in 2025 due to record-high gold prices. Trade policy turbulences will likely have a marginal impact as the United States are not a major trading partner.   

    Elevated capital spending affected fiscal performance in 2024. Nonetheless, the overall fiscal deficit narrowed from 6.7 percent of GDP in 2023 to 5.8 percent in 2024. Building on the 2025 budget, fiscal policy is expected to be tightened considerably in 2025, with the overall fiscal deficit projected in the 3.3 to 4.0 percent of GDP range, depending on the availability of external concessional financing. Risks to the outlook are tilted to the downside due to terrorist threats.

    Progress under the ECF arrangement has been broadly satisfactory. Due to fiscal pressures in late 2024, the end-December performance criteria (PCs) on the primary fiscal deficit and net domestic financing were missed by 0.6 percent of GDP, while all other PCs were met. Three out of six indicative targets (ITs) were missed by small margins. All three continuous PCs and five end-March 2025 ITs, including on the primary fiscal deficit and net domestic financing were met, while the remaining four ITs were missed by small margins.

    The Burkinabè authorities advanced their structural reform agenda under the program. They met seven out of eight structural benchmarks (SBs) and have addressed the missed SB on the preparation of the clearance plan for domestic arrears as a prior action for the third review. They have also implemented two other prior actions: they shared a list of treasury deposit accounts and cleared all domestic arrears outstanding at end-2023. Three new SBs under the program aim to strengthen the governance in public procurement, uphold integrity in revenue administration, and increase control over the public wage bill.

    At the conclusion of the Executive Board’s discussion, Mr. Kenji Okamura, Deputy Managing Director, and Acting Chair, issued the following statement:

    “Burkina Faso’s economy has proven resilient notwithstanding security challenges, a difficult humanitarian situation, and weather shocks. A lasting improvement in socio‑economic conditions will require progress on security and structural reforms to foster diversification, fiscal governance, and resilience.

                “While the policy framework remains strong, fiscal pressures affected program performance in 2024. For the first time, and in difficult circumstances, performance criteria on the primary fiscal deficit and net domestic financing were missed. The margin of nonobservance—while not negligible—did not undermine the fiscal consolidation trend. The authorities counteracted the slippage with strong measures on the expenditure side and remain committed to reducing the overall fiscal deficit to three percent of GDP by the end of the ECF arrangement, while safeguarding fiscal space for poverty-reducing social spending. This commitment is reflected in the 2025 budget and fiscal performance through end-March.

                “The authorities are on track and have expanded their structural reform agenda, focusing on fiscal governance and transparency. They have provided a list of treasury deposit accounts, adopted an arrears’ clearance plan, and cleared all arrears outstanding at end-2023 following their audit. These measures are informed by the preliminary findings of the IMF’s Governance Diagnostic Assessment (GDA). The GDA report is being finalized. The authorities intend to publish the final report in coming weeks and adopt, within four months from publication, an action plan reflecting its key recommendations. Structural conditionality for the fifth review has been strengthened with the addition of benchmarks on implementing the action plan from the procurement audit and strengthening further wage bill control and governance in revenue services.”

    Table 1.  Burkina Faso: Selected Economic and Financial Indicators, 2023–29

    Population (2023): 23.3 million  

      Gini Index (2021): 37.4

    Per capita GDP (2023): 910 USD

    		      

    Life Expectancy (years): 60

    Share of population below the poverty line (2022): 43.7%

    Literacy rate (2022): 34%

    2023

    2024

    2024

    2025

    2025

    2026

    2027

    2028

    2029
     

    Act.

    ECF 2nd Review

    Prel.

    ECF 2nd Review

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Proj.

    Proj.
     

    (Annual percentage change, unless otherwise indicated)

    GDP and Prices

    		            

    GDP at constant prices

    3.0

    4.2

    5.0

    4.3

    4.2

    4.9

    4.7

    4.7

    4.7

    GDP deflator

    2.0

    7.2

    8.9

    5.6

    5.9

    4.0

    3.3

    2.8

    2.3

    Consumer prices (annual average)

    0.7

    3.6

    4.2

    3.0

    3.0

    2.5

    2.1

    2.0

    2.0

    Consumer prices (end of period)

    1.0

    3.4

    4.9

    2.8

    3.0

    2.5

    2.1

    2.0

    2.0
                 

    Money and Credit

    		            

    Net domestic assets (banking system) 1/

    5.3

    18.7

    0.4

    14.7

    6.1

    8.8

    8.7

    7.5

    7.0

    Credit to the government (banking system) 1/

    3.0

    9.8

    3.7

    8.1

    3.8

    3.4

    3.3

    2.3

    2.1

    Credit to private sector

    5.9

    13.1

    -2.2

    9.5

    2.6

    8.2

    8.3

    7.9

    7.5

    Broad money (M3)

    -3.0

    20.8

    7.2

    15.6

    6.1

    9.1

    8.1

    7.6

    7.1

    Private sector credit/GDP

    31.6

    30.7

    27.0

    30.5

    25.1

    24.9

    24.9

    25.0

    25.1
                 

    External Sector

    		            

    Exports (f.o.b.; valued in CFA francs)

    -3.1

    10.5

    2.0

    10.5

    25.3

    7.8

    5.3

    4.2

    2.7

    Imports (f.o.b.; valued in CFA francs)

    -1.5

    5.3

    4.8

    3.5

    10.8

    6.3

    6.5

    6.4

    5.7

    Current account (percent of GDP)

    -5.0

    -5.2

    -5.7

    -3.5

    -3.4

    -3.1

    -3.4

    -3.7

    -4.4
     

    (Percent of GDP, unless otherwise indicated)

    Central Government Finances

    		            

    Current revenue

    20.6

    20.1

    20.6

    18.6

    19.8

    20.1

    20.4

    20.8

    20.9

     of which: Tax revenue

    18.2

    17.8

    18.3

    16.9

    18.1

    18.4

    18.8

    19.1

    19.3

    Total expenditure and net lending

    29.0

    26.3

    27.7

    24.1

    25.0

    24.7

    24.6

    24.9

    25.1

     of which: Current expenditure

    17.9

    16.5

    16.3

    15.4

    16.0

    15.5

    15.1

    14.7

    14.3

    Overall fiscal balance, incl. grants (commitments)

    -6.7

    -5.0

    -5.8

    -4.3

    -4.0

    -3.5

    -3.0

    -3.0

    -3.0

    Total public debt 2/

    56.2

    53.0

    56.9

    52.2

    56.1

    55.0

    54.0

    53.0

    52.3

            of which: External debt

    25.9

    23.7

    25.4

    22.2

    24.8

    24.0

    23.7

    23.3

    23.1

            of which: Domestic debt

    30.3

    29.4

    31.6

    29.9

    31.3

    30.9

    30.3

    29.7

    29.2
                 

    Memorandum Items:

    		            

    Nominal GDP (CFAF billion) 3/

    12,328

    14,330

    14,098

    15,791

    15,561

    16,973

    18,355

    19,755

    21,153

    Nominal GDP per capita (US$)

    874

    990

    975

    1,050

    1,002

    1,063

    1,120

    1,175

    1,227

    Nominal exchange rate (CFAF/US$, period average)

    606

    602

    606

    598

    635

    637

    637

    637

    637

    Gold price (USD/troy ounce)

    1,943

    2,342

    2,387

    2,608

    2,821

    2,963

    3,096

    3,198

    3,244

    Sources: Burkinabé authorities; IMF staff estimates and projections.

    1/ Percent of beginning-of-period broad money.

    2/ The 2nd review total public debt data has been retroactively adjusted to correct an exchange rate calculation error starting in 2023. In addition, the denominator (GDP) in the table has been revised (see footnote 3 below). Previously, total public debt in 2024 was estimated at 52.6 percent of GDP, while it was assessed to have reached 53.6 percent of GDP in 2023.

    3/ Historical nominal GDP figures have been revised down, in line with the most recent publication of official estimates by the National Institute of Statistics.
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    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2025/06/20/pr-25211-burkina-faso-imf-completes-the-3rd-review-under-the-ecf-arrangement

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Praise Ireland for Increasing Women’s Representation in Decision-Making, Raise Issues Concerning Historic Rights Violations and Sexual Violence

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the eighth periodic report of Ireland, with Committee Experts praising the State’s efforts to increase women’s representation in decision-making and raising questions concerning redress for historic rights violations and measures to address sexual and gender-based violence.

    In the dialogue, several Committee Experts commended Ireland’s achievements in promoting women’s representation in decision-making, including its 40 per cent quota for female candidates in national elections.  Jelena Pia-Comella, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Ireland, said statistics on Irish women’s participation in diplomacy were outstanding.

    Ms. Pia-Comella said the Committee was deeply concerned that there had yet to be recognition that women and girls of the Magdalene Laundries had experienced degrading treatment and gender-based discrimination; that arbitrary barriers to redress persisted within the Mother and Baby Institutions payment scheme; and that the State had failed to adequately implement the 2014 O’Keeffe judgment.  How would these issues be addressed?

    Another Committee Expert said one in five women in Ireland reportedly experienced non-consensual sex in their lifetimes.  There was insufficient funding for measures to address sexual offences.  What measures would the State party take to increase protection for women victims of sexual violence?

    Introducing the report, Colm Brophy, Minister of State for Migration of Ireland and head of the delegation, said the national strategy for women and girls 2017-2021 put a spotlight on promoting greater gender balance in decision-making.  Ireland’s largest listed companies had now reached the key milestone of 40 per cent female directors overall.  Legislation was also introduced in 2012 requiring political parties to meet gender quotas for candidates in parliamentary elections or face financial penalties.  The quota for the most recent elections in 2024 was 40 per cent.

    The delegation added that women made up 49 per cent of senior management of Ireland’s Foreign Service, and 54 per cent of heads of foreign missions.

    In the context of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, Mr. Brophy said the State repeatedly failed to protect vulnerable citizens, and to uphold their most fundamental rights.  The delegation added that the redress scheme established in 2013 regarding Magdalene Laundries was accessible for women living abroad.  The payment scheme was one of a large suite of actions implemented to redress the harms caused.  It was expected that legislation to implement the European Court of Human Rights decision on the O’Keeffe case would be implemented in coming weeks.

    Mr. Brophy also said the national strategy for women and girls prioritised action to combat domestic and gender-based violence.  Launched in 2022, the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence instituted fundamental structural reforms to Ireland’s approach to tackling the issue.  A new agency, Cuan, was established in 2024 to deliver services to victims.

    In closing remarks, Mr. Brophy said the Committee had invested significant time in understanding the issues facing women and girls in Ireland.  The State would develop measures in response to the Committee’s concluding observations.  Ireland was committed to its obligations under the Convention and to the United Nations.

    Nahla Haidar, Committee Chair, in concluding remarks, thanked the State party for its support to the treaty bodies, international law and the rule of law.  The dialogue had provided the Committee with further insight into the efforts made by Ireland to implement the Convention for the benefit of women and girls in the State.

    The delegation of Ireland consisted of representatives from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality; Department of Education and Youth; Department of Health; Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration; Office of the Attorney General; Department of Social Protection; Cuan, the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency; Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade; Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment; and the Permanent Mission of Ireland to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee will issue the concluding observations on the report of Ireland at the end of its ninety-first session on 4 July. All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet at 3 p.m. on Monday, 23 June to meet with representatives from non-governmental organizations and national human rights institutions who will brief the Committee on the situation of women in Afghanistan, San Marino, Chad and Botswana, the reports of which the Committee will review next week.

    Report

    The Committee has before it the eighth periodic report of Ireland (CEDAW/C/IRL/8).

    Presentation of Report

    COLM BROPHY, Minister of State for Migration of Ireland and head of the delegation, said Ireland had worked actively over the period since 2017 to promote equality for women and to address issues facing them.  A national strategy for women and girls was launched in 2017 as the whole of Government framework for action on gender equality.  Women’s organizations participated in the strategy committee, chaired at Ministerial level, which monitored implementation.  A successor strategy was currently being finalised, in consultation with women across Ireland.

    Travellers were recognised as an ethnic minority in a landmark decision of Ireland’s Parliament in March 2017, a decision supported by all political parties at the time. The Government was working on identifying and eliminating barriers to access to public services for Travellers. The Irish health system partnered with Traveller organizations to train Travellers to become community health peer workers.  The success of these projects was reflected in higher rates of uptake of screening amongst Traveller women relative to the general population for breast and cervical cancers.  In education, the Traveller and Roma education strategy 2024–2030 committed to supporting Traveller and Roma women on their educational journey.

    The needs of migrant women were addressed through a combination of mainstream public services and a wide range of targeted supports, funded by grants from various national and European integration funds.  These supports played a crucial role in improving outcomes for migrant women in areas of particular concern, including labour market access and housing. A national migration and integration strategy, due to be published next year, would provide a cohesive policy framework for recognising and addressing the integration challenges facing migrant women. 

    The national strategy for women and girls 2017-2021 put a spotlight on promoting greater gender balance in decision-making.  The Government launched a business-led initiative entitled Balance for Better Business in 2018 which spearheaded a series of initiatives contributing to a significant improvement in the percentage of women on corporate boards, particularly of publicly listed companies. Ireland’s largest listed companies had now reached the key milestone of 40 per cent female directors overall, compared to 18 per cent in 2018.  Ireland now ranked sixth in the European Union for female board representation and fifth for leadership teams.

    Legislation was introduced in 2012 requiring political parties to meet gender quotas for candidates in parliamentary elections or face financial penalties.  The quota for the most recent elections in 2024 was 40 per cent and this would apply for future national elections.  Maternity leave entitlements were introduced for elected members of local authorities in 2022, and for members of both chambers of Ireland’s parliament in 2024.  A funding scheme had also been in place since 2019 to incentivise political parties to increase the number of women candidates for local elections.  The Government also provided funding for civil society organizations providing support for women candidates, and the new national Traveller and Roma inclusion strategy 2024-2028 included a commitment to promote greater participation by Traveller and Roma women in political and public life, including in leadership positions.

    During the period under review, the Government introduced major initiatives to enable parents to access childcare and had increased public funding of early learning and childcare to unprecedented levels.  Government expenditure now exceeded 1.37 billion euros in 2025, a 200 per cent increase on investment since 2017.  The early childhood care and education programme provided two years of pre-school without charge and enjoyed participation rates of 96 per cent each year. The national childcare scheme, introduced in 2019, provided targeted and universal subsidies to reduce the costs for parents.  In addition, the equal start scheme introduced in 2024 was specifically targeted at enabling children from disadvantaged households to access early learning and childcare.

    Mr. Brophy introduced Government measures to increase family leave entitlements, including extending parental leave to 26 weeks under the parental leave (amendment) act 2019; establishing a statutory right to flexible work arrangements; establishing the right to five days of paid sick leave through the sick leave act 2022; increasing the national minimum wage by 46 per cent, from 9.25 euros per hour in 2017 to 13.50 euros in 2025; and requiring relevant organizations to report on their gender pay gaps and transpose the European Union pay transparency directive. The Government had focused on promoting greater participation by women and girls in science, technology, engineering and maths subjects.  Thanks to Government action, the number of female apprentices doubled between 2021 and 2025. 

    The national strategy for women and girls prioritised action to combat domestic violence and gender-based violence.  This was reflected in Ireland’s decision to ratify the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on Preventing and Combatting Violence against Women and Domestic Violence in 2019.  Ireland enacted the domestic violence act in 2018, which strengthened the protections available to those experiencing domestic violence and made coercive control a criminal offence. 

    Launched in 2022, the third national strategy on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence instituted fundamental structural reforms to Ireland’s approach to tackling the issue.  A new agency, Cuan, was established in 2024 to deliver services to victims and implement awareness raising campaigns on such violence.  Ireland also became one of the first countries to enable persons experiencing domestic violence to have five days of paid leave.  The Government had also introduced significant measures to combat trafficking.  The third national action plan to prevent and combat trafficking, launched in 2023, was working to implement a more victim-centred approach, while raising awareness among service providers of trafficking and providing appropriate training.

    Mr. Brophy also presented measures to address women’s health needs, including the establishment of the Women’s Health Taskforce in 2019; the women’s health action plans for 2022-2023 and 2024-2025, which ensured a continued focus and delivery of key women’s health actions; the allocation of over 180 million euros since 2020 in additional funding, including funding for free contraception for women from 17 to 35 years, in vitro fertilisation treatment, and public menopause clinics. 

    Ireland was the first county in the world to decide by referendum in 2015 that same-sex couples should be able to marry.  A referendum on removing the reference in article 41.2 of the Constitution to women’s place in the home was also held in March 2024, but this was defeated.  The people of Ireland voted in a referendum in May 2018 to amend the Irish Constitution to permit Ireland’s parliament to legislate for abortion.  All 19 maternity hospitals were now providing termination services, in accordance with legislation.  There had also been a sustained increase in community providers, which now stood at 455.

    In the context of Mother and Baby and County Home Institutions, the State repeatedly failed to protect vulnerable citizens, and to uphold their most fundamental rights. The Government was conscious of the terrible hurt and pain caused, and the impact that this had had, and continued to have on many individuals and their families.  The Commission of Inquiry’s report, and the official State apology which followed, were a starting point for the further restorative measures now being progressed.  Six of the seven major commitments made by the Government to survivors were in place, while the seventh, a National Centre for Research and Remembrance, was in progress. 

    Ireland enacted the landmark birth information and tracing act 2022, which had provided clear rights of access to birth and early life information, and a Mother and Baby Institutions payment scheme opened to applications in March 2024 and provided payments and health benefits to survivors.  To date, more than 4,500 payments had been made totalling over 66 million euros.  Last Monday, work began to excavate at the site of the former Tuam Mother and Baby Home so as to ensure the dignified burial of any babies found to have been buried there.  In addition, many women who spent time in Magdalen Laundries had now benefited from the Government’s redress scheme, which remained open for any further applications.

    The Government aimed to make equality a lived reality for women and girls in all of their diversity. There were areas where further progress or change was needed, but the Government was committed to creating a better society for women and girls.

    Statement by the National Human Rights Institution of Ireland

    DEIRDRE MALONE, Director, Ireland’s Human Rights and Equality Commission, said Ireland played a leadership role in the global struggle for gender equality.  However, its international ambition for gender equality was not always matched with domestic action on gender equality.  There had been procrastination in ratifying key treaties and removing reservations; delay in incorporating international standards into national law; continuing failure to implement the recommendations of treaty bodies, including those of the Committee; and in the case of O’Keeffe, a continuing refusal to follow the judgement of the European Court of Human Rights regarding redress.

    In areas such as the needs of Traveller and Roma women and access to abortion, Ireland had clear and comprehensive policies and strategies which were not being implemented.  In those areas where there was progress, it was often frustratingly slow.  While domestic, sexual and gender-based violence policy had seen several positive reforms in recent years, it was necessary to bridge the gap between the progressive policies and legislation that Ireland had enacted and the reality on the ground. 

    Women suffered disproportionately from an inadequate, arbitrary, and overly bureaucratic social welfare system, which was not benchmarked against the cost of living or indexed against national wages.  Some 4.8 per cent of women lived in consistent poverty with lone parent households headed by women, and low-income families being more susceptible to poverty. The Gender Pay Gap and the Gender Pension Gap remained stark.

    In areas including the treatment of women in prison and women’s participation in politics, there had been regression.  Prison overcrowding worsened daily.  Given the impact of prison on women and family life, Irish penal policy needed to be reformed in line with the Bangkok Rules.

    More than 75 per cent of seats in parliament were held by men; only three out of 15 newly appointed cabinet Ministers were women.  Ireland had made a commitment to the principles of the Convention but was not matching that commitment with action that transformed the lived realities of its women and girls.  By investing in an equal future, the Irish State – one that prided itself on its adherence to human rights and rule of law – could show leadership to other nations, at a time when such leadership was so badly needed.

    Questions by a Committee Expert 

    JELENA PIA-COMELLA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Ireland, congratulated Ireland on placing gender equality at the forefront of its agenda during its 2021-2022 tenure at the United Nations Security Council.

    The Committee regretted that, despite its previous recommendation, the State party did not intend to remove its reservations to the Convention and remained concerned that the Irish Constitution’s outdated language on women’s duties at home continued to discriminate against women’s rights in the economic and social spheres. Did the State party intend to devise a plan to implement the relevant recommendations of the gender equality bodies of the Citizen’s Assembly and Parliamentary Committee?  What was the status of review of the equality (miscellaneous provisions) bill of 2024?

    The Committee welcomed that State apologies had been issued for past human rights violations. However, it was deeply concerned that there had yet to be recognition that women and girls of the Magdalene Laundries had experienced degrading treatment and gender-based discrimination; that arbitrary barriers to redress persisted within the Mother and Baby Institutions payment scheme; and that the State had failed to adequately implement the 2014 O’Keeffe judgment. 

    What steps was the State party taking to provide up-front payment to women residing abroad; and to comprehensively address concerns raised regarding the operation of commissions of investigation?  Would the State overhaul the current model of investigations to embed human rights and equality principles in their operation?  Would the proposed commission of investigation into sexual abuse in day and boarding schools include non-religious schools, including the school Louise O’Keeffe attended?  What was the status of the National Centre for Research and Remembrance and how would it address the needs and views of affected persons?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said significant progress had been made in implementing the recommendations of the Citizen’s Assembly on Gender Equality.  Of 205 actions, 190 had been completed or were in progress.  The recommendations addressed sexual and gender-based violence, education in challenging gender stereotypes, and actions to improve the share of women in politics.

    The redress scheme established in 2013 regarding the Magdalene Laundries was accessible for women living abroad.  The State had worked actively to keep conditions under review.  Persons under 66 were entitled to a symbolic payment, which had been increased to 120 euros per week.  Women continued to receive payments under the scheme.  The payment scheme was one of a large suite of actions made to redress the harms caused in Mother and Baby County Home Institutions, including measures to support access to information.  Some 16,000 applications had been processed thus far.  The National Remembrance Centre would be in Dublin. A steering committee for the Centre was established in 2022 and development permission was received in 2025.

    To address shortcomings, a revised version of the O’Keeffe payment scheme was put in place in 2021, after which 128 applications were received.  It was expected that legislation to implement the decision of the European Court of Human Rights on this case would be implemented in coming weeks. A report into incidents of sexual abuse in residential institutions was published in 2024, and the Government was preparing measures to implement the recommendations of the report.

    A voluntary redress scheme had provided compensation to more than 375 women who had undergone symphysiotomy procedures.  The Government had fulfilled its obligations to women who had suffered due to these procedures.

    Equality legislation was currently being drafted and would be reviewed by a parliamentary committee over the summer.

    Questions by a Committee Expert 

    A Committee Expert asked about the timeline for the adoption of the new national strategy on women and girls?  How would it incorporate lessons from the previous cycle and align with Convention standards?  Would Traveller women’s needs be addressed in the strategy?  What measures were in place to monitor equality policies of Government bodies?  What training on gender equality was provided to Government officials?

    Ireland’s national human rights institution had “A” status under the Paris Principles and the appointment process for its commissioners was transparent.  Did the institution promote international and regional human rights frameworks?  Was the State party considering implementing the recommendation of the Global Alliance of National Human Rights Institutions to establish a fixed term for members?

    The Committee welcomed that political parties would have their funding reduced by 50 per cent if they failed to present at least 40 per cent female candidates.  It called for a quota of 50 per cent female representation to be established.  Efforts to implement gender quotas had not produced meaningful representation of Traveller women.  It was welcome that women represented 40 per cent of board members in the largest publicly listed companies.  However, the share of female executive directors remained low, at 11 per cent. None of these companies had a female chief executive officer.  How would this be addressed, and how would the State party increase the representation of Traveller women in Government?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said representatives from Government and civil society monitored the implementation of actions on gender equality.  The forthcoming national strategy for women and girls was close to finalisation.  Work was underway to embed a focus on Traveller women in the new strategy.  It also included measures to strengthen training on gender equality for Government officials.  Some 6,900 civil servants had enrolled in online training on gender equality. A professional diploma on human rights was offered for public officials, which covered gender equality.

    The national human rights institution had its own dedicated budget, provided on an annual basis. Its funding allocations had been increased substantially in recent years – its allocation in 2025 was 3.5 million euros higher than in 2015.  The Government did not play a role in the appointment of its commissioners.

    The Balance for Better Business programme monitored gender representation on the boards of Irish companies.  The average level of female representation on the boards of all publicly listed companies was now at 37 per cent.  A new five-year strategy had been developed which set targets for more than 40 per cent female representation on the boards of all companies by 2028.  It included measures to improve the recruitment of women and promote women’s career pathways.

    Amendments were made to the electoral act of 1997 that improved the gender balance in political parties, with the introduction of 40 per cent quotas for women candidates in national elections.  There were no plans to extend these quotas to local elections.  Policies had been developed to promote the representation of Traveller women in politics, and the Women for Election organization, which was funded by the Government, was working toward this goal.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    A Committee Expert said that Ireland’s work towards gender equality on the boards of companies was very impressive.

    One Committee Expert recognised progress in addressing gender-based violence, including the adoption of the Istanbul Protocol and the national strategy to combat domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.  What further measures would be adopted to address gender stereotypes with an intersectional approach?  Forced sterilisation of women with disabilities was still practiced and hate crimes against women had risen by four per cent over the reporting period. When would the State party develop a national action plan to address hate crimes and adopt measures to ban forced sterilisation?  What measures were in place to ensure that victims of female genital mutilation had access to health services?  Would it increase the number of specialised female genital mutilation clinics?

    One in five women in Ireland reportedly experienced non-consensual sex in their lifetimes. There were delays in access to justice and insufficient funding for measures to address sexual offences. What measures would the State party take to increase access to legal aid and protection for women victims of sexual violence?  What resources would be provided to strengthen support structures?  Would the State party consolidate legislation on sexual violence into one law?

    A Committee Expert said Ireland had made considerable efforts to combat trafficking, including by developing a national action plan to combat trafficking and establishing an independent monitoring mechanism.  However, there were shortcomings in identifying victims, particularly girls.  Only five children were identified as victims of trafficking in 2023, and the training of officials reportedly did not lead to effective prosecutions.  How would the State party train the judiciary and increase the prosecution of trafficking offences?  What steps had been taken to improve the identification of victims and ensure that no victims were excluded from support?  The Committee welcomed that a trafficking specific shelter had been established in 2023, but it was not large enough; were there plans to extend it?  There had only been 15 convictions of consumers of sex services in 2023; were there plans to increase prosecutions? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the national strategy for women and girls included measures to address gender stereotypes and to collect data on such stereotypes.  Ireland had taken measures to address gender stereotypes in the media, including through a media forum held in 2025, and measures to promote gender balance in the media.  A campaign on reporting harmful online content had also been developed.

    Women’s health services were trained on responding to victims of female genital mutilation, and management guidelines had been developed on caring for victims, who had access to free counselling services.  A project was underway to reduce waiting times for healthcare for victims of female genital mutilation.  Ireland had ratified the Council of Europe Convention that prohibited forced sterilisation.

    Work was ongoing to update legislation on hate crimes and to introduce a prohibition of the incitement of hatred online.  The Government had also drafted legislation on removing the guardianship rights of parents who killed their partners.  Ireland had comprehensive laws on sexual offences.  There had been a three-fold increase in funding for support for victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, and a body had been established to promote the collection and accessibility of data on sexual violence.

    Competent authorities, as well as non-governmental organizations, were now able to refer suspected victims of human trafficking.  The Government was looking at expanding the shelter for victims of trafficking.  It funded several non-governmental organizations to provide trauma-informed support to victims.  The Irish police forces had worked to increase prosecutions of organised crime cases, which had proven effective in preventing trafficking.  Ireland had recently decriminalised the sale of sex; there was no plan to change this legislation.  The Government was planning to introduce on-the-spot fines and mobile phone searches to increase prosecutions for the consumption of sex services.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    JELENA PIA-COMELLA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Ireland, welcomed the State party’s proactive efforts to address coercive practices.  Could it provide more information on the special measures it had developed to address rape?

    Another Committee Expert asked if legislation was planned to address drink spiking?  What services were provided to victims of gender-based violence in prisons?

    A Committee Expert asked how the State party was promoting the meaningful participation of women, including marginalised women, in the Foreign Service?  The Committee was concerned about online threats against women involved in politics and public life.  What monitoring mechanisms were in place?  There was no clear gender-responsive climate strategy.  How did the State party ensure that women and girls were included in decision-making processes on climate action?

    Another Committee Expert said there was no formal procedure for the determination of statelessness in Ireland.  How would the State party amend this deficiency?  What did the State party plan to do in response to the recent court decision on the right to guardianship for babies born through surrogacy?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the Government was prioritising the drafting of legislation on coercive practices.  The prison service provided support to persons who had experienced domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.  An intervention model was also in place to prevent revictimisation upon release. Drink spiking was a criminal offence.

    Last year, of the 67 persons identified as victims of human trafficking, 10 were children.  The third national action plan on trafficking included measures to tackle trafficking in children.  A series of training programmes had been developed for prosecutors on sexual offences.

    Women made up 49 per cent of senior management in Ireland’s Foreign Service, and 54 per cent of heads of foreign missions.  A code of conduct on countering online hate speech had been developed, as had guidance for candidates who faced online harassment on lodging complaints.

    The Government was working to provide pathways to the parents of babies born through surrogacy to have their parental rights recognised.

    Questions by Committee Experts 

    JELENA PIA-COMELLA, Committee Expert and Rapporteur for Ireland, said that the statics of female participation in diplomacy were outstanding.  The Committee welcomed the State party’s higher education authority act. The primary curriculum did not address gender equality; would it do so in future?  What measures were in place to promote equal access to education? How did the State party ensure that its sexual and reproductive health education addressed same-sex relationships, gender identity and abortion?

    Another Committee Expert said the Committee welcomed the reduction of the gender pay gap to 9.6 per cent in 2022. What enforcement mechanisms were in place to ensure private sector compliance with equal pay mechanisms? Women constituted 60 per cent of low paid workers.  How did the State party address the barriers faced by women in accessing decent work? Roma women had an estimated unemployment rate of 80 per cent; how was the State party addressing this issue? Were there plans to introduce a universal State pension to address the gender pension gap, which was currently at 36 per cent?

    The Committee was concerned about the unequal distribution of unpaid care work.  What measures were in place to ensure access to affordable childcare for all children and to encourage greater uptake of parental leave by men? How did the State party ensure effective redress in cases of workplace harassment?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the sexual and reproductive health education curriculum was being reviewed, and the updated curriculum would be introduced from 2027.  It focused on promoting healthy relationships, gender equality and safety online, preventing harmful gender narratives, addressing the root causes of domestic and sexual violence, assessing responses to unplanned pregnancies and rape, and the harms of pornography.

    The accessibility and affordability of early learning and childcare had been improved since 2017.  Up to two years of preschool education was now offered at no cost.  Universal subsidies were provided to families.  More than two million children were covered by the national childcare scheme, which had a budget of 529 million euros in 2025.  The equal start scheme provided targeted support in disadvantaged areas for Traveller, Roma and refugee children.

    Reporting on the gender pay gap required employers to consider the reasons for the gap.  Guidelines were being developed for different sectors on addressing gender pay gaps.  Employees could lodge complaints when their employer did not report on gender pay gaps. Paid parental leave created individual, non-transferrable entitlements for each parent.  The Government planned to increase awareness of parents’ entitlements. 

    One of the actions in the national Roma and Traveller strategy promoted their employment and participation in internships.  The Government was reaching out to marginalised groups to encourage participation in voluntary employment services.

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert said Ireland had made significant progress in terms of women’s health.  How did the State ensure free access to healthcare for marginalised women?  How did the roadmap for digital health to 2030 address the needs of women and girls, including persons who had difficulties accessing digital services? Could the delegation provide data on women who had accessed legal abortions in 2023 and 2024?  How many women had had to travel abroad to obtain abortions?  How was the State party combatting stigma related to abortions and conscientious objections?  Was the State party considering abolishing the mandatory three-day waiting period for abortions?

    How was free, prior and informed consent guaranteed for medical interventions on institutionalised women and transgender persons?  There were reported cases of forced sterilisations and forced abortions; how did the State sanction such harmful practices, and how many cases of such practices had been brought before the courts?  How was the State party ensuring that mental health services were community-based and gender sensitive?  What steps had been taken to ensure that victims of gender-based violence could benefit from free mental health services?  Would the State prohibit the use of confidential health data of victims in court cases?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the parental leave scheme encouraged fathers to use it.  In 2024, over 66,000 parents had received parental benefits, of which 32 per cent were men.  Ireland’s State pension system recognised periods spent outside the workforce for caring requirements.  The long-term carers’ contribution supported the pensions of women who provided full-time care for long periods of time; over 7,000 women had been added to this scheme last year.  The difference in average pay to men and women was negligible in terms of the State pension.  The proposal of a universal pension could undermine progress made in recognising time spent by women providing care and would not resolve the pension issue. Ireland was in the process of adopting an auto-enrolment process for pensions which would particularly benefit women.

    The Government was considering ratifying International Labour Organization Conventions 156 and 183. The Workplace Relations Commission was responsible for deciding on workplace discrimination claims.  Some 63 claims had been received in 2024.  The Commission did not collect reasons for withdrawals of complaints.  It assisted all parties to reach a suitable outcome for a claim.

    The State party promoted collective bargaining to promote access to decent working conditions and wages. There was no legal impediment to collective bargaining.  The Government supported the rights of all workers to join and form trade unions. 

    Ireland was committed to gender transformative climate action.  Its delegation at the most recent Conference of the Parties in Baku was 50 per cent female. The Just Transition Commission had published a report that called for assessment of the gender implications of climate measures.

    Free hormone replacement therapy was provided to women experiencing the symptoms of menopause.  The Government was committed to ensuring safe and equitable access to pregnancy termination services for marginalised groups of society. In 2023, 10,033 women used termination services, while in 2022, 214 women went abroad to access such services. The free contraception scheme provided for the cost of contraception and related health consultations.  More than 200,000 women benefited from the scheme last year.  Since 2016, several million euros had been invested in maternity services, funding a large increase in maternity health staff.

    Women’s mental health remained a key priority in the national mental health strategy.  The State was providing mental health services to victims of violence that considered their gender and experience of trauma.  The State party was not aware of cases of forced sterilisation and forced abortion.

    Children could remain in the care of their mother in prison until 12 months of age.  High quality antenatal care was provided to women in prisons and there were mother and baby units in the State’s two women’s prisons.  Draft legislation had been developed that would limit the use of counselling records in court proceedings.  Banning disclosure of such records entirely could affect the right to a fair trial.  Measures were being developed to reduce revictimisation of survivors through disclosure hearings.

    The State was rolling out campaigns to encourage victims of sexual and gender-based violence to come forward and access support services, and was working with partners to ensure that frontline staff were delivering trauma-informed and culturally sensitive care to victims of violence.  The State was working to map the mental health needs of adolescent girls, which would inform the development of the national mental health strategy.

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said Ireland had developed initiatives to promote the empowerment of women.  Some 32 per cent of start-ups were headed by women in 2022. There was a risk of poverty and exclusion for single, women-headed families – there had been a 171 per cent increase in the number of women who were unable to access housing in 2023. How was the State party addressing this? What progress had been made in developing a second action plan on business and human rights?  How did the State party ensure obligatory due diligence in human rights?

    One Committee Expert said Traveller women were disproportionately represented in prisons.  How were prison services aligned with the Bangkok Rules? The Traveller and Roma women national strategy did not address access to justice.  Would this be rectified?  How many women of colour were represented in decision-making bodies?  How was Ireland promoting unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance to women and girls on the frontlines of conflict, and how did the State party encourage consideration of intersectionality globally?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said single parents were a target of social benefit schemes, including school meals programmes and the child benefit scheme, which had been extended to children up to age 18 in full-time education.  Ireland had piloted equality budgeting measures, including for gender budgeting. It was designing a tagging framework that would ensure the recording of expenditure on equality issues.

    Ireland was working to increase female participation in entrepreneurial activity through a six-year action plan, which included schemes for financial support for high potential start-ups led by women.  Mentorship, training and networking programmes were offered to women entrepreneurs. There was double the number of women accessing such training compared to men.

    Ireland’s first national action plan on business and human rights had concluded in 2023, and a consultation process for developing the second plan was currently underway.  A working outline of the plan was presented in June 2024. The next plan was likely to finish in 2028 or 2029.  The Government planned to include gender responsive due diligence in the plan.

    The Government was committed to providing affordable social homes at scale.  There were more than 20,000 social housing solutions delivered in 2024. Several million euros would be invested in programmes to address homelessness in 2025.  Around 15,500 persons accessed emergency accommodation in April 2025, including 4,700 children.  A national homelessness action committee was established in 2021 to address the issue; it had developed a national support framework. 

    The zero-tolerance strategy sought to increase the number of refuge units and safe homes for victims of violence. There were 141 refuge units at the outset of the strategy; the current number was 159.  By the end of 2025, more than 200 would be established.  There had been investments of over 100 million euros in Traveller-specific accommodation.

    There was disproportionate representation of Travellers within the justice system.  The family support model for Traveller women in prison provided intensive support at all judicial stages.  Services were being extended to pre-sentencing and post-release stages. There were plans for the establishment of an open women’s prison.

    Ireland was consistent in its participation in multilateral fora addressing lethal autonomous weapons.  It was presenting a value-based message that addressed gender issues.

    Questions by a Committee Expert 

    A Committee Expert asked why the findings of the independent review of the legal aid scheme of 2021 were not published.  How could women who could not afford legal representation have access to justice? How was the right of access to justice of women with disabilities respected?

    The Committee welcomed efforts to support women’s access to child maintenance payments.  Could the State party provide statistics on fathers who did not pay child maintenance?  Why had the State party decided not to establish a child maintenance agency? How did it respond to non-payment of maintenance?  Would it publish the results of a study into the economic consequences of divorce on both parents?  Women with disabilities were reportedly discriminated against in child custody decisions.  Would the State party investigate this issue?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the child maintenance review group was established in 2020 to assess whether to establish a State child maintenance agency; it had decided that such an agency should not be established.  Instead, it had called for a review of the enforcement of child maintenance orders to be undertaken and had issued 26 recommendations to ensure compliance with such orders.  Guidelines on the implementation of the recommendations were being developed. There had been significant increases in child support and working family payments recently.

    New legislation passed last year included provisions to make the family court process more accessible and less costly. The best interests of the child were a primary consideration in all family court proceedings.

    Frontline professionals across the justice sector were trained on identifying risks of sexual and gender-based violence and responding to such violence effectively.  Staff of the probation service were also trained on risk assessment and recognising cases of sexual and gender-based violence.

    The civil legal aid review was completed in May 2025 and the Government was now considering its results.  The judicial appointments act included provisions promoting equal numbers of men and women as members of the judiciary. The gender pay gap platform would allow for assessment of the pay gap in the legal sector.

    Concluding Remarks 

    COLM BROPHY, Minister of State for Migration of Ireland and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the constructive dialogue.  The Committee had invested significant time in understanding the issues facing women and girls in Ireland.  Ireland was committed to its obligations under the Convention and to the United Nations more broadly.  The State would develop measures in response to the Committee’s concluding observations, and brief civil society on them.  Mr. Brophy closed by thanking all those who had contributed to the dialogue. 

    NAHLA HAIDAR, Committee Chair, thanked the State party for its responses and its support to the treaty bodies, international law and the rule of law.  The dialogue had provided the Committee with further insight into the efforts made by Ireland to implement the Convention for the benefit of women and girls in the State.  The Committee would develop concluding observations to strengthen the implementation of the Convention in Ireland, including recommendations for immediate follow-up.  It looked forward to its next dialogue with the State party.

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CEDAW25.015E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Text adopted – 2023 and 2024 reports on Montenegro – P10_TA(2025)0130 – Wednesday, 18 June 2025 – Strasbourg

    Source: European Parliament

    The European Parliament,

    –  having regard to the Stabilisation and Association Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Montenegro, of the other part(1), which entered into force on 1 May 2010,

    –  having regard to Montenegro’s application for membership of the European Union of 15 December 2008,

    –  having regard to the Commission opinion of 9 November 2010 on Montenegro’s application for membership of the European Union (COM(2010)0670), the European Council’s decision of 16-17 December 2010 to grant Montenegro candidate status and the European Council’s decision of 29 June 2012 to open EU accession negotiations with Montenegro,

    –  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2021/1529 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 September 2021 establishing the Instrument for Pre-Accession assistance (IPA III)(2),

    –  having regard to Regulation (EU) 2024/1449 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on establishing the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans(3),

    –  having regard to the Presidency conclusions of the Thessaloniki European Council meeting of 19-20 June 2003,

    –  having regard to the Sofia Declaration of the EU-Western Balkans summit of 17 May 2018 and the Sofia Priority Agenda annexed thereto,

    –  having regard to the declarations of the EU-Western Balkans summits of 13 December 2023 in Brussels, and of 18 December 2024 in Brussels,

    –  having regard to the Berlin Process launched on 28 August 2014,

    –  having regard to the Commission communication of 6 October 2020 entitled ‘An Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2020)0641),

    –  having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘2023 Communication on EU Enlargement Policy’ (COM(2023)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Montenegro 2023 Report’ (SWD(2023)0694),

    –  having regard to the Commission communication of 8 November 2023 entitled ‘New growth plan for the Western Balkans’ (COM(2023)0691),

    –  having regard to the Commission communication of 20 March 2024 on pre-enlargement reforms and policy reviews (COM(2024)0146),

    –  having regard to the Commission communication of 24 July 2024 entitled ‘2024 Rule of Law Report’ (COM(2024)0800), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘2024 Rule of Law Report – The rule of law situation in the European Union: Country Chapter on the rule of law situation in Montenegro’ (SWD(2024)0829),

    –  having regard to the Commission communication of 30 October 2024 entitled ‘2024 Communication on EU enlargement policy’ (COM(2024)0690), accompanied by the Commission staff working document entitled ‘Montenegro 2024 Report’ (SWD(2024)0694),

    –  having regard to the Commission’s overview and country assessments of 31 May 2023 and of 13 June 2024 of the economic reform programme of Montenegro, and to the joint conclusions of the Economic and Financial Dialogue between the EU and the Western Balkans and Türkiye adopted by the Council on 16 May 2023 and to the joint conclusions of the Economic and Financial Dialogue between the EU and the Western Balkans Partners, Türkiye, Georgia, Republic of Moldova and Ukraine adopted by the Council on 14 May 2024,

    –  having regard to the EU-Montenegro Intergovernmental Accession Conferences of 22 June 2021, 13 December 2021, 29 January 2024, 26 June 2024 and 16 December 2024,

    –  having regard to the 11th EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Council on 14 July 2022,

    –  having regard to the declaration and recommendations adopted at the 22nd meeting of the EU-Montenegro Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee, held on 31 October and 1 November 2024,

    –  having regard to Montenegro’s accession to NATO on 5 June 2017,

    –  having regard to Special Report 01/2022 of the European Court of Auditors of 10 January 2022 entitled ‘EU support for the rule of law in the Western Balkans: despite efforts, fundamental problems persist’,

    –  having regard to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence (the Istanbul Convention), ratified by Montenegro in 2013, and to the recommendations of the Commission on gender equality and combating gender-based violence,

    –  having regard to the World Press Freedom Index report published annually by Reporters Without Borders,

    –  having regard to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) data on the Ukraine Refugee Situation as of April 2025,

    –  having regard to its recommendation of 23 November 2022 to the Council, the Commission and the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy concerning the new EU strategy for enlargement(4),

    –  having regard to its previous resolutions on Montenegro,

    –  having regard to its resolution of 29 February 2024 on deepening EU integration in view of future enlargement(5),

    –  having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

    –  having regard to the report of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (A10-0093/2025),

    A.  whereas enlargement is a key EU foreign policy tool and a strategic geopolitical investment in peace, stability, security and prosperity;

    B.  whereas the new enlargement momentum, sparked by the changing geopolitical reality and the EU membership applications by several Eastern Partnership countries, has prompted the EU to accelerate its efforts towards delivering on its long-overdue commitments to the Western Balkans; whereas the future of the Western Balkan countries lies within the EU;

    C.  whereas each country is judged on its own merits in fulfilling the Copenhagen criteria, including full respect for democracy, the rule of law, good governance, fundamental EU values and alignment with EU foreign and security policy; whereas the implementation of necessary reforms in the area of ‘fundamentals’ determines the timetable and progress in the accession process;

    D.  whereas Montenegro has gone furthest in the accession process, with all 33 chapters of the EU acquis open and six provisionally closed, and has significant public support therefor;

    E.  whereas the EU is Montenegro’s largest trading partner, investor and provider of financial assistance;

    F.  whereas Montenegro is exposed to malign foreign influence, disinformation campaigns and other forms of influence, including election meddling, hybrid warfare strategies and unfavourable investments from non-EU actors, particularly Russia and China, which are trying to influence Montenegro’s political, economic and strategic trajectory and threaten democratic processes and media integrity, jeopardising the country’s prospects for EU accession;

    G.  whereas on 8 June 2024, an ‘All-Serb Assembly’ took place in Belgrade with the participation of high-ranking parliamentarians under the slogan ‘One people, one Assembly’;

    Commitment to EU accession

    1.  Recognises Montenegro’s firm commitment to EU accession and reaffirms its full support for the country’s future EU membership; welcomes Montenegro’s leading regional position in the EU accession process as well as the overwhelming support of Montenegro’s citizens and the majority of political actors for joining the EU in 2028;

    2.  Welcomes Montenegro’s positive progress in enacting EU-related reforms and measures, underpinned by an ambitious timeline and calls for collective efforts of political actors, civil society and citizens; commends Montenegro for meeting the interim benchmarks for Chapters 23 and 24, which continue to determine the overall pace of negotiations, and for receiving a positive Interim Benchmark Assessment Report; welcomes the closure of three more negotiating chapters, bringing the total to six;

    3.  Encourages all political actors to stay focused on EU integration and the required reforms; stresses the need for political stability, commitment and constructive engagement in consensus building across party lines in order to move swiftly and more effectively towards closing additional chapters in 2025, so as to achieve the country’s ambitious timeline; stresses that the reforms adopted must be implemented effectively and consistently to ensure genuine progress and full alignment with EU legislation; calls for a strengthening of the functioning of, and coordination between, state institutions in order to achieve political stability and advance the country’s substantial progress in implementing key EU-related reforms, in particular electoral and judicial reforms and the fight against organised crime and corruption;

    4.  Underlines that the credibility of the EU, including its enlargement policy as a whole, would be affected if tangible progress achieved by certain Western Balkan countries does not translate into clear advancements on the EU accession path;

    5.  Welcomes Montenegro’s sustained full alignment with the EU’s common foreign and security policy (CFSP), including EU restrictive measures, inter alia, those related to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine and those targeted against cyberattacks, as well as its support for the international rules-based order at UN level; encourages Montenegro to strengthen the enforcement of restrictive measures and avoid their circumvention and to seize the assets of those sanctioned; calls on all government representatives to respect and promote CFSP alignment and EU values and refrain from any activities that may threaten Montenegro’s strategic path towards EU membership and its sovereignty; is highly concerned, in this context, by public high officials’ statements in support of the President of the Republika Srpska entity, Milorad Dodik, who is undermining the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Bosnia and Herzegovina; regrets the participation of high-ranking parliamentarians from Montenegro in the ‘All-Serbian Assembly’ in Belgrade as well as their support for the declaration adopted on that occasion undermining the sovereignty of Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo;

    6.  Underlines the strategic importance of Montenegro’s NATO membership and welcomes its active involvement in EU common security and defence policy missions and operations, such as EU Naval Force Operation Atalanta, and in NATO and other international and multilateral missions; welcomes the decision of Montenegro’s Council for Defence and Security to approve the participation of its armed forces in the EU Military Assistance Mission in support of Ukraine and NATO’s Security Assistance and Training for Ukraine and calls on the Montenegrin Parliament to adopt these decisions, thereby reinforcing the country’s commitment to collective security;

    7.  Commends Montenegro for its humanitarian and material support to Ukraine and for extending the temporary protection mechanism that grants persons fleeing Ukraine the right to stay in Montenegro for one year; recalls that Montenegro is among the Western Balkan countries hosting the largest number of Ukrainian refugees, with over 18 800 refugees from Ukraine registered in Montenegro as of 31 January 2025, according to UNHCR statistics;

    8.  Remains seriously concerned by malign foreign interference, destabilisation efforts, cyberattacks, hybrid threats and disinformation campaigns, including attempts to influence political processes and public opinion, by third-country actors, which discredit the EU and undermine Montenegro’s progress on its accession path; urges Montenegro to adopt countermeasures in stronger cooperation with the EU and NATO and through increased regional cooperation among the Western Balkan countries; notes that religious institutions can be used as a tool for external influence and condemns any undue interference by the Serbian Orthodox Church in this regard; reiterates the importance of building resilience capacity against foreign information manipulation and interference, including through greater oversight of the media landscape, public awareness campaigns and media literacy programmes; recommends that Montenegro establish a dedicated hybrid threat task force;

    9.  Urges the Commission, the European External Action Service (EEAS), the Delegation of the EU to Montenegro and the Montenegrin authorities to boost strategic communication to Montenegrin citizens on the benefits of the enlargement process and EU membership, as well as on the concrete accession criteria that Montenegro still needs to fulfil to align with EU requirements; urges them, furthermore, to improve the EU’s visibility in the country, including as regards EU-funded projects; calls for StratCom monitoring to be expanded in order to concentrate on cross-border disinformation threats in the Western Balkan countries and their neighbours; calls on the Commission to further support the efforts of the EEAS and the Western Balkans Task Force so as to expand outreach activities by increasing visibility in local media, fact-checking reports and partnering with civil society organisations to counter false narratives more effectively;

    10.  Welcomes the Montenegrin Parliament’s renewed engagement in the Stabilisation and Association Parliamentary Committee;

    Democracy and the rule of law

    11.  Recognises the Montenegrin Parliament’s key role in the accession process, notably as regards passing accession-related legislation, and underlines the importance of parliamentary cooperation in this regard; reiterates the European Parliament’s readiness to use its political and technical resources to advance the EU-related reform agenda, including through democracy support activities; notes, with concern, the re-emerging tensions and ethnic polarisation, which are slowing the reform process; calls for constructive dialogue and consensus building across the political spectrum, prioritising legislative quality, and strongly urges that solutions be found through parliamentary dialogue; calls for preventing identity politics from diverting attention from the EU agenda or straining relations with its neighbours, ensuring that Montenegro remains firmly on the EU path; welcomes the agreement between the Montenegrin Prime Minister and opposition leaders to request an opinion from the Venice Commission regarding the termination of the mandate of Constitutional Court judge Dragana Đuranović and for the opposition to return to the parliament;

    12.  Expresses its concern about attempts to amend the law on Montenegrin citizenship in the Montenegrin Parliament, which could have serious and long-term implications for the country’s decision-making processes and identity, while emphasising that any discussions on identity politics must be handled with the utmost sensitivity to avoid further polarisation and should aim for broad societal consensus; encourages the Montenegrin authorities to consult and coordinate with the EU on any possible changes to the law on citizenship and stresses the importance of achieving consensus on any matters relating to this subject of crucial importance for the identity and independence of Montenegro;

    13.  Strongly encourages the Montenegrin Parliament to hold inclusive and transparent public consultations and regular and meaningful engagement with civil society in decision-making from an early stage in the legislative process, notably for key legislation in the EU reform process; encourages a more active role for the Montenegrin Parliamentary Women’s Club;

    14.  Calls on Montenegro to fully align its electoral legal framework with EU standards, notably as regards harmonising electoral legislation, voting and candidacy rights restrictions, transparency, dispute resolution mechanisms, campaign and media oversight, and political party and election campaign financing, and to implement the recommendations of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights(6); urges Montenegro to increase transparency and control of political party spending and prevent the abuse of state resources by bringing the relevant legislation into line with EU standards, as well as enhancing the enforcement of third-party financing rules and strengthening sanctions for violations; highlights the role of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption (APC) in this regard, and calls for increased cooperation between the APC and financial intelligence authorities to detect and prevent foreign influence in political campaigns; calls, furthermore, on Montenegro to implement the recommendations of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) on gender parity on electoral lists;

    15.  Reiterates its call on the Montenegrin authorities to establish a single nationwide municipal election day, as provided for in the Law on Local Self-Government, in order to enhance governance efficiency, reduce political tensions and strengthen the stability and effectiveness of municipal and state institutions; recalls that future disbursement of funds under the Reform and Growth Facility is contingent on the fulfilment of this reform, in line with Montenegro’s commitments in its reform agenda, and should be pursued as a matter of priority; welcomes the fact that, in 2022, elections in 14 municipalities were held on the same day; calls for a robust legislative framework in this regard; is concerned by the misconduct of the electoral process in the municipality of Šavnik;

    16.  Calls on the Montenegrin authorities to adopt the Law on Government that should enable an improved governance framework and the optimisation of public administration;

    17.  Underlines the importance of a professional, merit-based, transparent and depoliticised civil service; calls on Montenegro to amend and implement the relevant legislation to provide a framework for the professionalisation, optimisation and rationalisation of state administration, including procedural safeguards against politically motivated decisions on appointments and dismissals, as well as high standards for managerial positions; regrets the lack of significant progress in adopting and effectively implementing such legislation and highlights that this allows for public service recruitment to remain subject to political influence;

    18.  Welcomes Montenegro’s inclusion in the Commission’s 2024 Rule of Law Report; notes, with concern, the identified deficiencies, including judicial appointments and the independence of the prosecutor’s office;

    19.  Welcomes the progress made in implementing key judicial reforms, adopting a new strategic framework and completing long-outstanding judicial appointments; calls on Montenegro to fill the remaining high-level judicial positions;

    20.  Urges Montenegro to further align its legal framework, including the constitution, in particular on the composition and decision-making process of the Judicial Council, with EU laws and standards on the independence, accountability, impartiality, integrity and professionalism of the judiciary, and to further depoliticise appointments to bolster independence, implement outstanding international recommendations, and determine criteria for the retirement of judges and prosecutors in line with European standards and in full compliance with the Constitution; regrets the pending case backlog and calls on Montenegro to take measures to reduce the duration of legal proceedings, particularly for serious and organised crime cases, notably on money laundering; recommends that Montenegro adopt the amendments to the Constitution in the final stage of the country’s EU accession negotiations;

    21.  Notes the steps taken in the fight against corruption, including new laws and provisions on the protection of whistleblowers, the creation of a new National Council for the fight against corruption and a new anti-corruption strategy for 2024-2028; encourages Montenegro to further align with the EU acquis and EU standards and address recommendations by the Commission, the Venice Commission and the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO); encourages the Montenegrin authorities to continue addressing existing deficiencies in the handling of organised crime cases and the seizure and confiscation of criminal assets;

    22.  Urges Montenegro to step up its criminal justice response to high-level corruption, including by strengthening the effective enforcement of existing criminal legislation and imposing effective and deterrent penalties, and to create conditions for judicial institutions and independent bodies dealing with corruption to function effectively, free from political influence;

    23.  Notes the work of the Agency for Prevention of Corruption and calls for it to be provided with sufficient funding and for it to be depoliticised; expects the Agency to deliver tangible results and act non-selectively to strengthen its integrity and enhance its authority in carrying out its competences effectively; calls for a stronger corruption prevention framework;

    24.  Urges Montenegro to align its weapons legislation with EU law and international standards, particularly as regards technical standards for firearm markings, deactivation procedures and regulations for alarm and signal weapons, as well as to establish a standardised and effective data collection and reporting system for firearms; is appalled by the tragic mass shooting in Cetinje and expresses its condolences to the victims’ families; expresses its concern over the exploitation of this tragedy for disinformation and ethnic polarisation; urges Montenegro to strengthen its crisis communication to counter disinformation and ensure responsible media reporting in the aftermath of violent incidents; calls for systematic actions in the areas of security, mental well-being and institutional transparency, as well as in civic education and public awareness, outreach and educational initiatives, on the dangers and risks of firearms, in line with citizens’ expectations and societal needs;

    25.  Calls on Montenegro to urgently fully align its visa policy with that of the EU, especially as regards countries posing irregular migration or security risks to the EU; expresses its concern that, contrary to expectations, two additional countries have been added to the visa-free regime and that Russian and Belarusian passport holders continue to benefit from a visa-free regime; notes that the harmonisation of the visa policy is also provided for in Montenegro’s reform agenda under the Reform and Growth Facility;

    26.  Welcomes the ongoing cooperation between Montenegro and the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex), Europol, Eurojust and the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL), and notes the importance of this cooperation in tackling cross-border crime, including the trafficking of weapons, drugs and human beings, and in combating terrorism and extremism; welcomes the entry into force of the upgraded agreement on operational cooperation in border management with Frontex on 1 July 2023 and encourages further cooperation between Montenegro and Frontex to strengthen border management, support asylum procedures, fight smuggling and enhance readmission;

    Fundamental freedoms and human rights

    27.  Regrets that the most vulnerable groups in society still face discrimination; calls on Montenegro to adopt a new anti-discrimination law and relevant strategies, through an inclusive, transparent and meaningful process that actively involves those most affected, to improve vulnerable groups’ access to rights; underlines that respect for the rights of all national minorities is an integral part of the EU acquis; calls for stronger implementation to ensure equal treatment of all ethnic, religious, national and social groups so that they are guaranteed equal rights and opportunities and can fully participate in social, political and economic life;

    28.  Welcomes Montenegro’s multi-ethnic identity and calls for the further promotion of and respect for the languages, cultural heritage and traditions of local communities and national minorities, as this is closely intertwined with Montenegro’s European perspective;

    29.  Underlines the multi-ethnic identity of the Bay of Kotor; stresses that Montenegro’s European perspective is closely intertwined with the protection of minorities and their cultural heritage; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to nurture the multi-ethnic nature of the state, including the traditions and cultural heritage of the Croatian community in the Bay of Kotor;

    30.  Expresses its grave concern over the endangered heritage sites in Montenegro such as the Bay of Kotor and Sveti Stefan; stresses that Sveti Stefan, along with Miločer Park, was listed among the ‘7 Most Endangered heritage sites in Europe’ for 2023;

    31.  Calls on the Montenegrin authorities to address the difficult living conditions of Roma people in Montenegro and the discrimination they face, and calls for more measures to promote intercultural understanding in schools; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to also take measures to improve the climate of societal inclusion for LGBTI persons;

    32.  Welcomes that Montenegro has aligned its legislative and institutional framework with the EU acquis and international human rights standards regarding compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and its optional protocols; urges the authorities to address shortcomings in implementation, namely related to accountability and monitoring;

    33.  Calls for the effective implementation of strategies to uphold the rights of persons with disabilities across all sectors and policies;

    34.  Condemns all hate speech, including online and gender-based hate speech, and hate crimes; welcomes the criminalisation of racism and hate speech;

    35.  Emphasises the need to strengthen institutional mechanisms for gender quality and calls on the Montenegrin authorities to address the gender pay gap, to improve women’s participation in decision-making – in both the public domain, particularly public administration, and judicial and security sectors, and in business – to ensure the increased political participation of women, to introduce gender responsive budgeting, and to combat gender stereotypes and strengthen efforts to combat discrimination against women, particularly in rural areas; welcomes recent efforts aimed at boosting women’s representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and encourages further efforts in technology sectors;

    36.  Is deeply concerned by the high rates of gender-based violence, including domestic violence and femicide; calls on Montenegro to fully align its definitions of gender-based violence and domestic violence with the Istanbul Convention, and with recommendations of international bodies, and to set up effective protection and prevention mechanisms and support centres, and ensure effective judicial follow-up for victims of domestic and sexual violence as well as a more robust penal policy towards perpetrators; calls for the collection of disaggregated data on gender-based violence and gender disparities to improve policy responses;

    37.  Regrets that the draft law on legal gender recognition was not adopted in 2024, despite it being a measure under Montenegro’s EU accession programme; urges Montenegro to adopt the law without delay;

    38.  Welcomes Montenegro’s new media laws and its strategy for media policy aimed at strengthening the legal framework to effectively protect journalists and other media workers; insists on a zero-tolerance policy with regard to pressure on, harassment of, or violence against journalists, particularly by public figures; underlines the need for effective investigations, the prosecution of all instances of hate speech, smear campaigns and strategic lawsuits against journalists, and follow-up of past cases; stresses the need to ensure journalists’ rights to access information and maintain a critical stance; notes a significant improvement in Montenegro’s press freedom, demonstrated by its progress on the World Press Freedom Index;

    39.  Expresses its concern over cases where journalists, academics and civil society organisations have faced pressure for exercising free speech, including instances where the police have initiated misdemeanour proceedings against them; is concerned by the use of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) to target journalists;

    40.  Regrets the prevailing high level of polarisation in the media and its vulnerability to political interests and foreign influence as well as foreign and domestic disinformation campaigns that spread narratives that negatively impact democratic processes in the country and endanger Montenegro’s European perspective; calls on Montenegro to further develop improved media literacy programmes and include them as a core subject in education; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to ensure the editorial, institutional and financial independence of the public service broadcaster RTCG, as well as the legality of the appointment of its management and full respect for court rulings concerning RTCG; recalls that it needs to comply with the law and the highest standards of accountability and integrity; regrets that the independence of public media is being weakened and undermined; calls on all media entities to comply with legal requirements on public funding transparency;

    41.  Welcomes the publication of the 2023 population census results; calls on the authorities to avoid any politicisation of the process; encourages stakeholders to use these results in a non-discriminatory manner;

    42.  Welcomes Montenegro’s vibrant and constructive civil society and underlines its importance in fostering democracy and pluralism and in promoting good governance and social progress; expresses its concern over the shrinking space for civil society organisations with a critical stance, and condemns all smear campaigns, intimidation and attacks against civil society organisations, notably by political figures in the context of proposals for a ‘foreign agent law’; notes that such laws have the potential to undermine fundamental freedoms and the functioning of civil society and are inconsistent with EU values and standards; calls for a supportive legal framework and clear and fair selection criteria in relation to public funding; calls for the Council for Cooperation between the Government and non-governmental organisations to resume work; underlines the importance of building collaborative relationships and genuinely consulting civil society on draft legislation from an early stage onwards;

    Reconciliation, good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation

    43.  Recalls that good neighbourly relations and regional cooperation are essential elements of the enlargement process; commends Montenegro’s active involvement in regional cooperation initiatives; recalls that good neighbourly relations are key for advancing in the accession process;

    44.  Regrets that Chapter 31 could not be closed in December 2024; calls on all engaged parties to find solutions to outstanding bilateral issues in a constructive and neighbourly manner and prioritise the future interests of citizens in the Western Balkans; recalls that using unresolved bilateral and regional disputes to block candidate countries’ accession processes should be avoided; welcomes bilateral consultations between the Republic of Croatia and Montenegro on the status of unresolved bilateral issues; encourages the authorities to continue pursuing confidence-building measures;

    45.  Notes Montenegro’s amendments to the Criminal Procedure Code to address legal and practical obstacles to the effective investigation, prosecution, trial and punishment of war crimes in line with relevant recommendations; calls on Montenegro to apply a proactive approach to handling war crimes cases, in line with international law and standards, to identify, prosecute and punish the perpetrators and the glorification of war crimes and ensure access to, and delivery of justice, redress and reparations for victims, and clarify the fate of missing persons; calls on Montenegro to allocate sufficient resources to specialised prosecutors and courts and proactively investigate all war crime allegations and raise issues of command responsibility, as well as to review past cases that were not prosecuted in line with international or domestic law; calls for regional cooperation in the investigation and prosecution of individuals indicted for war crimes; recognises that addressing these issues and safeguarding court-based facts are an important foundation for trust, democratic values, reconciliation and strengthening bilateral relations with neighbouring countries, and encourages Montenegro to step up these efforts;

    46.  Warns against the dangers of political revisionism, which distorts historical facts for political purposes, undermines accountability and deepens societal divisions; strongly condemns the glorification of war criminals and widespread public denial of international verdicts for war crimes, including by the Montenegrin authorities; considers that President Jakov Milatović’s statement expressing regret over the participation of Montenegrin forces in the bombardment of the city of Dubrovnik was a valuable contribution to regional peace and reconciliation;

    47.  Reiterates its support for the initiative to establish the Regional Commission for the establishment of facts about war crimes and other gross human rights violations on the territory of the former Yugoslavia (RECOM);

    48.  Reiterates its call for the archives that concern the former republics of Yugoslavia to be opened and for access to be granted to the files of the former Yugoslav Secret Service and the Yugoslav People’s Army Secret Service in order to thoroughly research and address communist-era crimes;

    Socio-economic reforms

    49.  Welcomes Montenegro’s inclusion in SEPA payment schemes, lowering costs for citizens and businesses; underlines that this opens up opportunities for business expansion, increased competitiveness, innovation and improved access to foreign direct investments;

    50.  Welcomes the Growth Plan for the Western Balkans, which aims to integrate the region into the EU’s single market, promote regional economic cooperation and deepen EU-related reforms, and which includes the EUR 6 billion Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans; welcomes Montenegro’s adoption of a reform agenda and encourages its full implementation; notes that the implementation of the defined reform measures under Montenegro’s reform agenda for the Growth Plan would provide access to over EUR 380 million in grants and favourable loans, subject to successful implementation; stresses the importance of inclusive stakeholder consultations, including local and regional authorities, social partners and civil society, in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation phases;

    51.  Encourages Montenegro to make best use of all EU funding available under the Pre-accession Assistance Instrument (IPA III), the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the IPARD programme and the Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans, to accelerate socio-economic convergence with the EU and further align its legislation with the EU on fraud prevention; recalls the conditionality of EU funding, which may be modulated or suspended in the event of significant regression or persistent lack of progress on fundamentals;

    52.  Calls for the EU and the Western Balkan countries to establish a framework for effective cooperation between the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) and the accession countries in order to facilitate close cooperation and the prosecution of the misuse of EU funds, including through the secondment of national liaison officers to the EPPO; encourages Montenegro to fully implement working arrangements with the EPPO; calls for the EU to make the necessary legal and political arrangements to extend the jurisdiction of the EPPO to EU funds devoted to Montenegro as a candidate country;

    53.  Positively notes Montenegro’s economic growth; calls for more steps to reduce the budget deficit and public debt, and to further remove indirect tax exemptions that do not align with the EU acquis; welcomes the efforts to reduce these fiscal vulnerabilities; reiterates the need for increased public investment in the education system for sustainable social and economic development;

    54.  Notes Montenegro’s public debt to foreign financial institutions and companies that can be used as a tool to influence its policy decisions, in particular those related to China and Russia; welcomes the efforts to reduce these vulnerabilities and calls on the authorities to further reduce economic dependence on China and to continue making use of the Economic and Investment Plan for the Western Balkans, the EU Global Gateway initiative and the Reform and Growth Facility, with a view to finding greener and more transparent alternatives for financing infrastructure projects; calls on Montenegro to increase transparency in future infrastructure projects, ensure competitive bidding and avoid excessive debt dependence on foreign creditors;

    55.  Calls on the Montenegrin authorities to take measures to counter depopulation and emigration, in particular through investments in education and healthcare, especially in the north of the country, as well as through decentralisation by investing in medium-sized cities;

    56.  Encourages the Montenegrin authorities to boost the digital transformation and pursue evidence-based labour market policies to address the persistently high unemployment rate, in particular among women and young people, while bolstering institutional capacity and enhancing the underlying digital policy framework, and to effectively implement the Youth Guarantee and the new Youth Strategy; urges the authorities to address brain drain as a matter of urgency; encourages the development of targeted preventive measures and incentives to legalise informal businesses and employees, as a large informal sector continues to hinder economic and social development in Montenegro;

    57.  Welcomes the calls for the prompt integration of all Western Balkan countries into the EU’s digital single market before actual EU membership, which would crucially enable the creation of a digitally safe environment;

    58.  Calls for more transparency in public procurement, notably for procedures via intergovernmental agreements, and for full compliance with EU rules and principles; calls on Montenegro to reduce the number of public procurement procedures without notices; expresses its concern over the financial burden and lack of transparency surrounding the construction of the Bar-Boljare motorway financed by a Chinese loan; stresses that the secrecy surrounding loan agreements and construction contracts raises accountability concerns;

    59.  Expresses its concern over any agreements or projects that circumvent public procurement rules, transparency obligations and public consultation requirements, as set out in national legislation and EU standards; calls on the Government of Montenegro to ensure full respect for the principles of transparency, accountability, inclusive decision-making and the rule of law in all public infrastructure and development initiatives;

    Energy, the environment, biodiversity and connectivity

    60.  Urges Montenegro to advance the green transition, with the support of EU funding, improve its institutional and regulatory framework and enhance energy resilience by finally adopting and implementing the long-overdue National Energy and Climate Plan, adopting energy efficiency laws and integrating further with EU energy markets; calls for all new green transition projects to be implemented in line with EU standards on the environment, State aid and concessions;

    61.  Regrets the lack of progress on key sector reforms in the area of transport policy; calls on the Montenegrin authorities to align the country’s transport development with the Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy for the Western Balkans, focusing on railways, multimodality and reducing CO2 emissions and other environmental impacts, and to further implement its Transport Development Strategy and strengthen administrative capacities for the implementation of trans-European transport networks;

    62.  Welcomes the reduction of data roaming charges between the EU and the Western Balkan countries and calls on the authorities, private actors and all stakeholders to take all necessary steps towards the goal of bringing data roaming prices close to domestic prices by 2028; welcomes the entry into force of the first phase of the implementation of the roadmap for roaming between the Western Balkans and the EU;

    63.  Encourages the adoption of sectoral strategies for waste management, air and water quality, nature protection and climate change, ensuring strategic planning for investments; notes the lack of progress and associated rising costs in building essential waste water treatment plants to prevent sewage pollution in rivers and the sea in seven municipalities;

    o
    o   o

    64.  Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, the Commissioner for Enlargement, the Commissioner for the Mediterranean, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, and to the President, Government and Parliament of Montenegro, and to have it translated and published in Montenegrin.

    (1) OJ L 108, 29.4.2010, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/agree_internation/2010/224/oj.
    (2) OJ L 330, 20.9.2021, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2021/1529/oj.
    (3) OJ L, 2024/1449, 24.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/1449/oj.
    (4) OJ C 167, 11.5.2023, p. 105.
    (5) OJ C, C/2024/6746, 26.11.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2024/6746/oj.
    (6) https://www.osce.org/odihr/elections/montenegro.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: ICYMI: ICE Agents Now Face a 500% Increase in Assaults Against Them

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    DHS releases new data highlighting the dangers brave federal law enforcement faces while protecting and serving American communities

    WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) released new statistics on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facing a 500% increase in assaults against them while carrying out immigration enforcement operations.

    “The Department of Homeland Security released new data revealing ICE law enforcement is now facing a 500% increase in assaults against them while carrying out enforcement operations. Just this week, an ICE officer was dragged 50 yards by a car while arresting an illegal alien sex offender,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “Every day the men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. Make no mistake, Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Mayor Wu of Boston, Governor Tim Walz, and Mayor Bass of Los Angeles are contributing to the surge in assaults of our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE. From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi Gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is despicable. This violence against ICE must end.”

    Disturbingly, in recent days, ICE officers’ family members have been doxed and targeted as well. Those who dox our ICE agents will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    Secretary Noem’s message is clear: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE and our federal law enforcement partners will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: WhatsApp introducing advertising is a potentially lucrative but risky move

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yusuf Oc, Associate Professor of Digital Marketing and AI, City St George’s, University of London

    shutterstock metamorworks/Shutterstock

    The decision to start advertising on WhatsApp marks a major shift for a private messaging service that has long positioned itself as being different from other social media platforms.

    Back when Meta (then known simply as Facebook) bought it in 2014 for US$19 billion, WhatsApp had an unusual and simple business model. Users were required to pay a very small annual fee (US$1 (£0.69)) in return for a minimalist, ad-free experience.

    That fee was scrapped in 2016, and WhatsApp became fully free. But it always had the potential to eventually align with Meta’s wider operation of offering free services for users to connect to others – while making money from targeted advertising.

    Since then, WhatsApp has taken slow, deliberate steps toward making money. These strategies relied on income from businesses, which paid to use WhatsApp as a way of communicating with their customers.

    By 2024, over 700 million businesses were using a separate version of the app called WhatsApp Business for customer service replies or promotional updates. Brands including Zara and Adidas use WhatsApp to send order updates, respond to queries and offer personalised shopping assistance.

    But this is still a limited revenue stream compared to the massive ad-based profits Meta generates elsewhere. Estimates suggest that WhatsApp brings in only a tiny fraction of Meta’s US$160 billion annual revenue, most of which comes from Facebook and Instagram.

    So perhaps it’s no surprise that the company is now turning to WhatsApp’s nearly 3 billion users across the world. After all, the decision mirrors a broader industry trend, with other apps like Snapchat and Telegram exploring monetisation more actively.

    Yet WhatsApp’s move still feels different.

    The platform’s identity is deeply tied to privacy, simplicity and intimacy. It is not a social media feed, it’s a communication tool. And a tool which many people use to share personal or sensitive information.

    And even if adverts are not based on message content, they may still end up being quite personal to users because of all the other data Meta has access to through Facebook and Instagram. Information about who you talk to, and how often, is still accessible – and can be used for targeted advertising.

    So if Meta already knows your favourite sports team or holiday destination for example, it may show ads related to this information. If you’ve been chatting with friends on Whatsapp about a recent fixture or planned trip, it may feel strange if you then start seeing ads on those themes.

    Business message

    WhatsApp faced a backlash in 2021 over a privacy policy update that suggested more data sharing with Facebook. The company proceeded with the update, but millions of users downloaded alternatives like Signal and Telegram in protest.

    And even if research suggests that younger generations are more comfortable with personalised content, trust is still a fragile thing – which can quickly erode. If users perceive that WhatsApp no longer protects their privacy or becomes too commercial, many might switch to rivals, at no cost, especially if their social circles are already active on rival platforms.

    WhatsAd.
    BigTunaOnline/Shutterstock

    A separate concern is that as ads appear more frequently in private communication spaces, there’s a greater risk of users, especially young people, encountering inappropriate or manipulative content.

    This is especially risky in spaces where people feel psychologically safe. Whereas users are typically wary of TV advertising, their guards might be down on platforms where they exchange intimate messages with loved ones.

    When it comes to children, parents and schools have a role to play. Rather than advocating for bans or strict age controls, which are difficult to enforce and often ignored, digital literacy needs to be embedded into education.

    Teenagers should learn how social media and messaging apps work, how data is used, how to identify manipulative content and how to manage screen time and exposure.

    Too often, adults assume that younger users are “digital natives” and tech savvy – but in reality, many are vulnerable to psychological nudges and online targeting. Research suggests that empowering them with the tools to recognise these tactics is far more sustainable than trying to shield them completely.

    Those tactics will soon be visible on what has been, for a long time, a simple messaging service. WhatsApp’s introduction of ads is not just a business decision, it’s a cultural shift. It reflects some economic logic, but also challenges the assumptions many users have about their private digital spaces.

    If done carefully, WhatsApp could strike that fine balance between making a profit and maintaining trust. But if users sense their private sphere is being commodified, the backlash may be swift.

    Because for platforms like WhatsApp, success hinges not just on what they do, but how they are perceived to do it.

    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. WhatsApp introducing advertising is a potentially lucrative but risky move – https://theconversation.com/whatsapp-introducing-advertising-is-a-potentially-lucrative-but-risky-move-259317

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: WhatsApp introducing advertising is a potentially lucrative but risky move

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Yusuf Oc, Associate Professor of Digital Marketing and AI, City St George’s, University of London

    shutterstock metamorworks/Shutterstock

    The decision to start advertising on WhatsApp marks a major shift for a private messaging service that has long positioned itself as being different from other social media platforms.

    Back when Meta (then known simply as Facebook) bought it in 2014 for US$19 billion, WhatsApp had an unusual and simple business model. Users were required to pay a very small annual fee (US$1 (£0.69)) in return for a minimalist, ad-free experience.

    That fee was scrapped in 2016, and WhatsApp became fully free. But it always had the potential to eventually align with Meta’s wider operation of offering free services for users to connect to others – while making money from targeted advertising.

    Since then, WhatsApp has taken slow, deliberate steps toward making money. These strategies relied on income from businesses, which paid to use WhatsApp as a way of communicating with their customers.

    By 2024, over 700 million businesses were using a separate version of the app called WhatsApp Business for customer service replies or promotional updates. Brands including Zara and Adidas use WhatsApp to send order updates, respond to queries and offer personalised shopping assistance.

    But this is still a limited revenue stream compared to the massive ad-based profits Meta generates elsewhere. Estimates suggest that WhatsApp brings in only a tiny fraction of Meta’s US$160 billion annual revenue, most of which comes from Facebook and Instagram.

    So perhaps it’s no surprise that the company is now turning to WhatsApp’s nearly 3 billion users across the world. After all, the decision mirrors a broader industry trend, with other apps like Snapchat and Telegram exploring monetisation more actively.

    Yet WhatsApp’s move still feels different.

    The platform’s identity is deeply tied to privacy, simplicity and intimacy. It is not a social media feed, it’s a communication tool. And a tool which many people use to share personal or sensitive information.

    And even if adverts are not based on message content, they may still end up being quite personal to users because of all the other data Meta has access to through Facebook and Instagram. Information about who you talk to, and how often, is still accessible – and can be used for targeted advertising.

    So if Meta already knows your favourite sports team or holiday destination for example, it may show ads related to this information. If you’ve been chatting with friends on Whatsapp about a recent fixture or planned trip, it may feel strange if you then start seeing ads on those themes.

    Business message

    WhatsApp faced a backlash in 2021 over a privacy policy update that suggested more data sharing with Facebook. The company proceeded with the update, but millions of users downloaded alternatives like Signal and Telegram in protest.

    And even if research suggests that younger generations are more comfortable with personalised content, trust is still a fragile thing – which can quickly erode. If users perceive that WhatsApp no longer protects their privacy or becomes too commercial, many might switch to rivals, at no cost, especially if their social circles are already active on rival platforms.

    WhatsAd.
    BigTunaOnline/Shutterstock

    A separate concern is that as ads appear more frequently in private communication spaces, there’s a greater risk of users, especially young people, encountering inappropriate or manipulative content.

    This is especially risky in spaces where people feel psychologically safe. Whereas users are typically wary of TV advertising, their guards might be down on platforms where they exchange intimate messages with loved ones.

    When it comes to children, parents and schools have a role to play. Rather than advocating for bans or strict age controls, which are difficult to enforce and often ignored, digital literacy needs to be embedded into education.

    Teenagers should learn how social media and messaging apps work, how data is used, how to identify manipulative content and how to manage screen time and exposure.

    Too often, adults assume that younger users are “digital natives” and tech savvy – but in reality, many are vulnerable to psychological nudges and online targeting. Research suggests that empowering them with the tools to recognise these tactics is far more sustainable than trying to shield them completely.

    Those tactics will soon be visible on what has been, for a long time, a simple messaging service. WhatsApp’s introduction of ads is not just a business decision, it’s a cultural shift. It reflects some economic logic, but also challenges the assumptions many users have about their private digital spaces.

    If done carefully, WhatsApp could strike that fine balance between making a profit and maintaining trust. But if users sense their private sphere is being commodified, the backlash may be swift.

    Because for platforms like WhatsApp, success hinges not just on what they do, but how they are perceived to do it.

    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. WhatsApp introducing advertising is a potentially lucrative but risky move – https://theconversation.com/whatsapp-introducing-advertising-is-a-potentially-lucrative-but-risky-move-259317

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: GAD’s first Public Service Pensions conference

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    GAD’s first Public Service Pensions conference

    Pensions professionals from across the public sector networked, and contributed to discussions, at GAD’s first pensions conference.

    Credit: Crown copyright

    More than 100 professionals from across the sector attended the Government Actuary’s Department’s (GAD) first public service pensions conference on Thursday 19 June 2025. The event brought together representatives from the pension schemes for all 8 public service workforces, across all 4 nations.

    Reflect and Connect

    The theme of the conference was ‘Reflect and Connect’. Opening the event, the Government Actuary highlighted a key objective for the day was providing an opportunity for those working in public service schemes to meet others doing similar work, encourage knowledge sharing and greater collaboration.

    The conference included a keynote address from Siobhan Amutharasan (HM Treasury) and Jan Claisse (GAD) and inspiring plenaries on pensions dashboards and pension board governance.

    Delegates also attended discussions on a wide range of topics including the McCloud remedy, AI opportunities and the gender pensions gap. The Office for Budget Responsibility, The Pensions Ombudsman and The Pensions Regulator also provided engaging and thought-provoking sessions.

    Energising and interesting

    Greg Ceely from the Office for National Statistics presented a session on Healthy Life Expectancy and the State Pension age review. Commenting on the event, he said: “It’s been very energising and interesting to find out how various pension elements fit together. It has been refreshing to know that people are thinking about pensions in a multifaceted way.”

    Claire Neale, the Head of Police Pensions from the National Police Chiefs Council noted: “It’s been a fabulous networking opportunity, and a real pleasure to connect with new people.”

    Clair Alcock, Head of Pensions at the Local Government Association remarked: “It was brilliantly put together and all the topics were really relevant.”

    Phil Bassingham-Searle, the Head of Armed Forces remuneration at the Ministry of Defence also noted: “It has been thought provoking and has brought together a group of people who don’t normally come together, who’ve got shared interests.”

    It was an inspiring and energising day that captured the spirit of collaboration and shared purpose at the heart of public service pensions. #ReflectAndConnect

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Leads Provinces in Retail Trade

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on June 20, 2025

    Province Ranks First for Retail Trade Growth

    Saskatchewan’s retail sector continues to grow, with a 2 per cent increase month-over-month in retail trade sales from March 2025 to April 2025 (seasonally adjusted). This places Saskatchewan first among the provinces.

    “These retail trade results show that consumer confidence in our businesses and industries remains high,” Trade and Export Development Minister Warren Kaeding said. “Every purchase made in Saskatchewan helps drive even more opportunity supporting jobs and encouraging investment, while bolstering our strong and growing economy.” 

    The total value of Saskatchewan’s retail trade reached $2.3 billion in April 2025.

    The Monthly Retail Trade Survey compiles data on sales, including e-commerce sales, and the amount of retail locations by province, territory and selected census metropolitan areas from a sample of retailers.

    Retail sales is a measure of total receipts at stores, or establishments, that sell goods and services to final consumers.

    Statistics Canada’s latest Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers indicate that Saskatchewan’s real GDP at basic prices reached an all-time high of $80.5 billion in 2024, increasing by $2.6 billion, or 3.4 per cent. This places Saskatchewan second in the nation for real GDP growth and above the national average of 1.6 per cent.

    Private capital investment in Saskatchewan increased last year by 17.3 per cent to $14.7 billion, ranking first among provinces. Private capital investment is projected to reach $16.2 billion in 2025, an increase of 10.1 per cent over 2024. This is the second highest anticipated percentage increase among the provinces.

    Last year, the Government of Saskatchewan unveiled its new Securing the Next Decade of Growth – Saskatchewan’s Investment Attraction Strategy. This strategy, combined with Saskatchewan’s trade and investment website, InvestSK.ca, contains helpful information for potential markets and solidifies the province as the best place to do business in Canada. 

    For more information, visit: InvestSK.ca.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth Discussed at Open Dialogue within SPIEF-2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The session “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth”, based on the results of the Open Dialogue of the Russia National Centre, opened the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum business program on June 18.

    Recognised international experts from Russia, Cameroon, Spain, Azerbaijan, and Canada, as well as authors of the best essays from the Open Dialogue, participated in the discussion.

    Speakers discussed the changing world order, Africa’s potential, and trends in the future economy, including demographic changes and the implementation of breakthrough technologies.

    “This year, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is taking place against turbulent world events. This includes the situation in the Middle East and trade wars. Much time will be devoted to this current agenda at the forum. We must not forget which long-term trends and challenges led to the current situation, which trends are basic and defining. It is important to conduct an open dialogue about how we build the world of the future and how to form a new platform for global growth. In which countries does this global growth occur, on which technologies will it be built, and on which principles and cultural code? Our task is to ensure that forward movement benefits people in all countries that, like Russia, are working on the future. It is through open dialogue that our future and its understanding are built,” emphasised Maxim Oreshkin.

    A speaker from Spain, Juan Antonio de Castro de Arespacochaga, a doctor of economics and professor at Complutense University of Madrid, delivered a report on how the global majority of countries are changing reality.

    “Today, most countries are not just participating in global processes – they are changing reality. We see how an increasingly flexible and multipolar world order is forming. World trade is becoming fragmented, fast, and technological, while the international system is becoming a network of preferential agreements, which distorts the principles laid down in the foundation of GATT and WTO,” noted Juan Antonio de Castro de Arespacochaga.

    One of the main discussion topics was: “Africa – driver of the future economic order.” Chairman of the African Advisory Council Francois Ndengwe noted that demographic growth is transforming Africa into the future cradle of the global workforce.

    “This is not just statistics – this is human capital that can become a new driver of global growth. Those who invest in education today and build universities in Africa will tomorrow shape markets and set the game’s rules together with Africa,” said Francois Ndengwe.

    Sergei Ivanov, Executive Director and Member of the EFKO Group board of Directors, spoke about the business’s new responsibility in the modern world. The expert emphasised that business today is not just a profit generator but an active participant in social transformations.

    “What projects and technologies should we invest in today? Investment criteria are three conditions: qualitatively improving human life, being produced in harmony with nature, and being accessible, at a minimum, having mass potential. But what’s more important is not only what you produce, but also in what culture you do it. In 2012, the president spoke words that I’ve been quoting often lately. He said that the great mission of Russians is to unite, to bind civilisation with culture, language, and universal responsiveness. And so we try to build our culture and our ethics around this very universal responsiveness. To build capitalism with a human face,” said Sergei Ivanov.

    Another session’s focus, “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth”, was on breakthrough technologies. As noted by Yuri Kozarenko, General Director of “Transport of the Future” LLC, today, automation has reached a level where robots create robots for the production of goods and services for humans.

    “This year has become significant, showing a leap in the technological development of artificial intelligence. Several centres, schools, and institutes have been opened in China to train robots in various specialities. We in Russia, in turn, are opening robot training centres based in the Samara region and Moscow, including the Institute of Unmanned Systems. We teach robots to bring social benefit in an economically efficient way,” emphasised Yuri Kozarenko.

    The expert added that technological innovations today directly affect social spheres, for example, helping to solve the demographic crisis.

    During the session, participants also discussed the report on the results of the Open Dialogue prepared by the Centre for Cross-Industry Expertise “Third Rome.” The conclusions of the session “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth” became the foundation for the subsequent business program of SPIEF-2025. The session “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth” recording can be viewed on the Russia National Centre website.

    Social Links

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    Contact for the media

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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth Discussed at Open Dialogue within SPIEF-2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MOSCOW, RUSSIA, June 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The session “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth”, based on the results of the Open Dialogue of the Russia National Centre, opened the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum business program on June 18.

    Recognised international experts from Russia, Cameroon, Spain, Azerbaijan, and Canada, as well as authors of the best essays from the Open Dialogue, participated in the discussion.

    Speakers discussed the changing world order, Africa’s potential, and trends in the future economy, including demographic changes and the implementation of breakthrough technologies.

    “This year, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum is taking place against turbulent world events. This includes the situation in the Middle East and trade wars. Much time will be devoted to this current agenda at the forum. We must not forget which long-term trends and challenges led to the current situation, which trends are basic and defining. It is important to conduct an open dialogue about how we build the world of the future and how to form a new platform for global growth. In which countries does this global growth occur, on which technologies will it be built, and on which principles and cultural code? Our task is to ensure that forward movement benefits people in all countries that, like Russia, are working on the future. It is through open dialogue that our future and its understanding are built,” emphasised Maxim Oreshkin.

    A speaker from Spain, Juan Antonio de Castro de Arespacochaga, a doctor of economics and professor at Complutense University of Madrid, delivered a report on how the global majority of countries are changing reality.

    “Today, most countries are not just participating in global processes – they are changing reality. We see how an increasingly flexible and multipolar world order is forming. World trade is becoming fragmented, fast, and technological, while the international system is becoming a network of preferential agreements, which distorts the principles laid down in the foundation of GATT and WTO,” noted Juan Antonio de Castro de Arespacochaga.

    One of the main discussion topics was: “Africa – driver of the future economic order.” Chairman of the African Advisory Council Francois Ndengwe noted that demographic growth is transforming Africa into the future cradle of the global workforce.

    “This is not just statistics – this is human capital that can become a new driver of global growth. Those who invest in education today and build universities in Africa will tomorrow shape markets and set the game’s rules together with Africa,” said Francois Ndengwe.

    Sergei Ivanov, Executive Director and Member of the EFKO Group board of Directors, spoke about the business’s new responsibility in the modern world. The expert emphasised that business today is not just a profit generator but an active participant in social transformations.

    “What projects and technologies should we invest in today? Investment criteria are three conditions: qualitatively improving human life, being produced in harmony with nature, and being accessible, at a minimum, having mass potential. But what’s more important is not only what you produce, but also in what culture you do it. In 2012, the president spoke words that I’ve been quoting often lately. He said that the great mission of Russians is to unite, to bind civilisation with culture, language, and universal responsiveness. And so we try to build our culture and our ethics around this very universal responsiveness. To build capitalism with a human face,” said Sergei Ivanov.

    Another session’s focus, “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth”, was on breakthrough technologies. As noted by Yuri Kozarenko, General Director of “Transport of the Future” LLC, today, automation has reached a level where robots create robots for the production of goods and services for humans.

    “This year has become significant, showing a leap in the technological development of artificial intelligence. Several centres, schools, and institutes have been opened in China to train robots in various specialities. We in Russia, in turn, are opening robot training centres based in the Samara region and Moscow, including the Institute of Unmanned Systems. We teach robots to bring social benefit in an economically efficient way,” emphasised Yuri Kozarenko.

    The expert added that technological innovations today directly affect social spheres, for example, helping to solve the demographic crisis.

    During the session, participants also discussed the report on the results of the Open Dialogue prepared by the Centre for Cross-Industry Expertise “Third Rome.” The conclusions of the session “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth” became the foundation for the subsequent business program of SPIEF-2025. The session “Shaping a New Platform for Global Growth” recording can be viewed on the Russia National Centre website.

    Social Links

    Telegram: https://t.me/gowithrussia

    VK: https://vk.com/gowithrussia

    OK: https://ok.ru/gowithrussia

    DZen: https://dzen.ru/gowithrussia

    Contact for the media

    Brand: Russia National Centre

    Contact: Media team

    Email: Pressa@russia.ru

    Website: https://russia.ru

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: USDA to Survey Cattle Operations

    Source: US National Agricultural Statistics Service

    WASHINGTON, June 20, 2025 – Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) mailed the July cattle survey to about 18,000 cattle operations nationwide to provide an up-to-date measure of U.S. cattle inventories. This is the first July cattle survey mailed to producers since the reinstatement of key reports was announced earlier this year.

    “This information helps producers make timely, informed business decisions and plan for herd expansion or reduction,” said NASS Livestock Branch Chief Travis Averill. “It also helps packers and government leaders evaluate expected slaughter volume for future months and determine potential supplies for export. Obtaining the current count of cattle will serve as an important decision-making tool for the entire agriculture industry.”

    During the first two weeks of July, U.S. cattle producers will have the opportunity to report their beef and dairy cattle inventories, calf crop, death loss and cattle on feed information. To make it as easy as possible for producers to participate in the survey, NASS offers the option of responding via the website agcounts.usda.gov, telephone, mail or a personal interview with a local NASS representative.

    The July Cattle report will be released on July 25, 2025, at 3 p.m. ET. This and all NASS reports are available online at www.nass.usda.gov/publications.

    For more information about this survey, visit nass.usda.gov/go/cattle. If you need assistance, please contact us at 888-424-7828..

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Who represents Britain on screen? UK film and TV culture still has a worrying class problem

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nick Lee, Senior Lecturer in Film History and Critical Theory, Royal Holloway University of London

    The British media has a class problem, according to recent research by The Sutton Trust. In short, the privately educated are over-represented in the creative industries, especially in film and television. The trust’s report, A Class Act (2024), demonstrates that this area of British culture is disproportionately produced by the most privileged segment of the population.

    The Great British Class Survey (2011) indicated that the “top” 6% of the population has privileged access to three types of capital – economic, social and cultural. Its children are more likely to go to fee-paying schools and Oxbridge.

    The Sutton Trust report informs us that, “school attendance is a useful proxy measure for the socio-economic circumstances someone grew up in, with private school attendance in particular strongly related to family income”. Accordingly, the 7% of the UK population which attends private schools roughly correlates with the “elite” 6% identified in the Great British Class Survey.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins too.

    This “elite” is the group over-represented in the British media. According to media watchdog Ofcom, in 2019 only 52% of the workforce in the British television industry had gone to non-selective state schools – attended by 88% of the British population – and the privately educated accounted for 14%. A further 22% went to selective schools and 10% went to overseas schools.

    The privately educated proportion rises to 38% when we look at the wealthiest individuals in film, television and music. The Guardian also reported recently that nearly half of all UK arts and media award nominees are privately educated.

    These statistics make clear the extent to which the top class of British society is able to monopolise opportunities when it comes to jobs in the British media.

    When we look at actors, this problem is especially pronounced. Of the all-time top-ten grossing British actors, 50% are privately educated, with Idris Elba the only working-class, state-educated actor in the top five.

    For actresses, the problem is even more pronounced. In a recent snapshot of Ranker’s top 20 British actresses working today, 80% are privately educated or aristocratic, and all of them are white. Only Keira Knightley and Jodie Comer are state educated (and neither attended drama school).

    Obviously, this is a problem in terms of social mobility, but also in terms of British culture more broadly. It begs the question: who represents Britain to a domestic audience, but also on the international stage? If we look at two major British hits from the last 25 years, again we see that attendees of private schools and Oxbridge are over-represented.

    In 1999, Notting Hill was the highest-grossing British film of all time. Its star (Hugh Grant), writer (Richard Curtis), director (Roger Michell) and producer (Duncan Kenworthy) were all privately educated, and all attended Oxbridge. Of the main cast, only Gina McKee and Rhys Ifans were state educated and non-Oxbridge; both have regional accents. McKee’s character has a condition that confines her to a wheelchair, and Ifan’s character is barely civilised.

    Paddington (2014-2025), the hugely successful British film franchise displays similar tendencies. Of the central recurring cast, only Paddington, the uncivilised foundling bear, is played by state-educated Ben Whishaw.

    The rest of the Brown family, residing in a fantastical pseudo middle-class Primrose Hill, are all played by privately educated actors. State-educated Julie Walters plays housekeeper Mrs Bird with a strong Scottish accent. And as with the UK’s most successful film franchise, Harry Potter (which similarly has a handful of state-educated actors), the privately educated David Heyman produces.

    The British “middle-class” shown in these films is actually drawn from the most affluent segment of British society. Yet these actors are able to unproblematically “play down” in terms of class and upbringing. Ewan McGregor, who went to the private Morrison’s Academy, became famous playing a heroin addict in Trainspotting.

    This contrasts sharply with the paucity of working-class or middle-class actors who “play-up”: Kenneth Branagh is one notable example, having achieved it through an association with Shakespeare — the zenith of British dramatic art. Branagh’s Belfast – an account of his own upbringing – is remarkable in its stark contrast to the work by which he made his name.

    My own research on the working-class author and broadcaster Archie Hill has shown how class also dictates which contributions to British culture are preserved, and how a narrow establishment determines this. Even when working-class people make significant cultural contributions, they are more likely to be overlooked in posterity.

    Working-class actors used to be encouraged and celebrated, as the careers of Tom Courtenay, Richard Burton, Michael Caine, Albert Finney, Rita Tushingham, Eileen Atkins and Imelda Staunton demonstrate. The Atlee government’s post-war settlement in Britain concentrated resources on working-class communities and emphasised social mobility, allowing young working-class people to thrive and access cultural resources previously reserved for a wealthy elite.

    The “angry young men” of kitchen sink realism and the rise of roles for working-class actors have to be seen in this context. However, as the consensus of the post-war settlement declined from the late 1970s, so did numbers of working-class actors on our screens. As Julie Walters lamented in 2015: “People like me wouldn’t get a chance today”.

    As social inequality in Britain deepens, the problem gets worse: since the 1970s the proportion of working-class actors, musicians and writers has halved. Social media has enabled a new “nepo-baby” aristocracy to emerge – the children of celebrities now becoming celebrities simply by virtue of their birth.

    Why does this matter? Because the narrowness of this field is bad news for diversity. We need greater breadth and depth when it comes to British culture and those who produce it.

    Michaela Coel and Stephen Graham – as recent successes I May Destroy You and Adolescence have shown – are two considerable forces in this respect, but more needs to be done if this structural imbalance is to be corrected.

    Sadly, British film and television frequently offers us a misrepresentative and inverted Britain, one where the majority has been marginalised, and the elite masquerade as the class norm. No wonder so many Americans think Hugh Grant is a “typical Brit”.

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

    – ref. Who represents Britain on screen? UK film and TV culture still has a worrying class problem – https://theconversation.com/who-represents-britain-on-screen-uk-film-and-tv-culture-still-has-a-worrying-class-problem-255741

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: All-India House Price Index (HPI) for Q4:2024-25

    Source: Reserve Bank of India

    Today, the Reserve Bank released its quarterly house price index (HPI)1 (base: 2010-11=100) for Q4:2024-25, based on transaction-level data received from the registration authorities in ten major cities2. Time series data on all-India and city-wise HPIs are available at the Bank’s database on Indian economy (DBIE) portal (https://data.rbi.org.in/DBIE/#/dbie/home> Statistics > Real Sector > Prices & Wages).

    Highlights:

    • All-India HPI increased by 3.1 per cent (y-o-y) in Q4:2024-25 as compared with 3.1 per cent growth in the previous quarter and 4.1 per cent growth a year ago; annual HPI growth varied widely across the cities – ranging from a high growth of 8.8 per cent (Kolkata) to a contraction of 2.3 per cent (Kochi).

    • On a sequential (q-o-q) basis, all-India HPI increased by 0.9 per cent in Q4:2024-25; Bengaluru, Jaipur, Kolkata and Chennai are the major cities recording a sequential rise in house prices during the latest quarter.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/573

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Senegal and Kenya Top African Development Bank’s Electricity Regulatory Index, as Regulators Drive Tangible Reforms

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

    Kenya and Senegal have claimed the top spots in the African Development Bank’s 2024 Electricity Regulatory Index (ERI) (www.AfDB.org), demonstrating exceptional progress in power sector governance and regulatory outcomes. The comprehensive assessment, officially unveiled today at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, evaluates regulatory frameworks across 43 African countries. 

    Uganda, Liberia and Niger round out the top five performers, with Niger registering one of the biggest gains, underlining the strong impact of sustained reforms and political commitment to power sector development. 

    The ERI evaluates three dimensions—Regulatory Governance, Regulatory Substance, and Regulatory Outcomes (ROI). Notably, the ROI, which tracks service delivery and utility performance, recorded the most substantial improvement across the continent. 

    Key findings from the 2024 ERI: 

    • Kenya and Senegal led with a score of 0.892, reflecting standout progress in tariff reform, regulatory outcomes, and utility performance. 
    • A remarkable 41 out of 43 participating countries achieved RGI scores above 0.5, representing a significant increase from 24 countries in 2022.  
    • Countries scoring below 0.500 reduced significantly from 19 in 2022 to just 6 in 2024.  
    • Even the lowest-performing country tripled its score—from about 0.10 to 0.33. 
    • The ROI surged from roughly 0.40 in 2022 to 0.62 in 2024, showing that reforms are delivering tangible service improvements on the ground. 

    Now in its seventh edition, the ERI shows strong momentum toward more effective, transparent, and impactful regulation, with real-world results beginning to emerge. 

    “The 2024 ERI shows that Africa’s regulators are stepping up. We are now seeing stronger institutions delivering real results for utilities and consumers. This shift is critical if we are to achieve Mission 300 and connect 300 million people to electricity by 2030,” says Dr. Kevin Kariuki, AfDB Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth. 

    For the first time, the 2024 ERI also assessed regional regulatory bodies, recognizing their growing role in harmonizing technical standards and enabling cross-border electricity trade. 

    As the backbone of Mission 300, ERI continues to inform the design and implementation of national energy compacts—currently active in 12 countries, with another 20 in development. 

    Bridging the Gap – Addressing Ongoing Challenges 

    While celebrating regulatory progress, the report calls for greater focus on regulatory independence, the financial viability of utilities, and the integration of off-grid and mini-grid systems into national frameworks. The ERI underscores that regulation must translate into better access, affordability, and reliability, especially for underserved rural populations.  

    The report outlines priority areas for enhancing regulatory effectiveness:  

    • Strengthening regulatory independence 
    • Enhancing accountability mechanisms 
    • Promoting transparency and predictability 
    • Improving stakeholder participation 
    • Deepening economic regulation and advancing cost-reflective tariff methodologies. 

    “The ERI 2024 tells a hopeful story. African countries are not just passing laws—they are implementing them. Regulators are transforming from administrative bodies into strategic institutions with measurable influence. However, challenges related to independence, financing, and enforcement persist,” said Wale Shonibare, Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation at the Bank Group. 

    Launched in 2018, the ERI is a diagnostic and policy tool used by governments, regulators, and development partners to identify gaps, track progress, and prioritize reform efforts. The 2024 edition incorporates extensive feedback from utilities, regulators, and regional energy bodies.  

    The full ERI 2024 report will be available here (https://apo-opa.co/4kPeDmZ). 

    – on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

    Media Contact: 
    Gertrude Kitongo
    Communication and External Relations Department 

    Technical Contact: 
    Callixte Kambanda
    Manager, Energy Policy, Regulations, and Statistics 
    email: c.kambanda@afdb.org

    About the African Development Bank Group:
    The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) is Africa’s premier development finance institution. It comprises three distinct entities: the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Development Fund (ADF) and the Nigeria Trust Fund (NTF). On the ground in 44 African countries with an external office in Japan, the AfDB contributes to the economic development and the social progress of its 54 regional member states. 

    Media files

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    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Green Deal undermining the operational efficiency of police forces – E-001286/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    1. The EU’s net greenhouse gas emissions reduction target of at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 and the climate neutrality target by 2050, enshrined in the European Climate Law, require a swift decrease in emissions from all sectors. The regulation on CO2 emission standards for new passenger cars and vans[1] sets targets for the average emissions per manufacturer, which get stricter over time, up to a 100% emission reduction target for new vehicles registered in the EU from 2035 onwards. The regulation creates long-term certainty so that investments can be channelled in clean technologies, new value chains in the EU, recharging infrastructure, and the reskilling of users.

    Over the past years, the efficiency and range of zero-emission vehicles has steadily improved — reaching an average of close to 350 km already in 2022[2], and the availability of recharging and refuelling infrastructure has strongly increased. As the technology develops, further improvements of these aspects are expected in the coming years.

    2. The Commission notes that the above-mentioned Regulation does not impose the use of any specific technology.

    3. The EU is not competent to determine the specific working conditions and equipment used by law enforcement authorities, including the type of patrol cars they use. It is for the relevant national authorities to do so.

    • [1] http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/631/2024-01-01.
    • [2] https://alternative-fuels-observatory.ec.europa.eu/policymakers-and-public-authorities/electric-vehicle-model-statistics.
    Last updated: 20 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: 8 out of 10 Indian support taxing oil and gas corporations to pay for climate damages, global survey finds 

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    New Delhi, 19 June 2025 – A global survey shows a strong support for holding fossil fuel companies accountable for environmental damage. 80% Indian respondents believe the fossil fuel corporations should be taxed for environmental damage they cause.  The data from the survey reflects a growing public consensus that the industries driving the climate crisis should be held financially accountable for the destruction they caused. 

    A remarkable 86% of people support government spending on climate disaster relief–provided it is funded by tax on coal, oil, and gas polluters. Notably, 89% of BJP supporters and 82% of Congress (INC) supporters agree on the need to increase taxes on oil and gas corporations to support those hit hardest by extreme weather events, highlighting rare cross-party unity on climate accountability.   

    The study, jointly commissioned by Greenpeace International and Oxfam International, was launched today at the UN Climate Meetings in Bonn (SB62), where government representatives are discussing climate policies, including ways to mobilise at least US$ 1.3 trillion annually in climate finance for Global South countries by 2035. The survey was conducted across 13 countries, including most G7 countries. 

    Selomi Garnaik, Climate and Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace India said: “Communities in developing countries are paying the price for a crisis they did not cause, while fossil fuel companies continue to profit. The science is clear—over a century of burning coal, oil, and gas has fueled the climate damage we face today. This new survey reveals strong public support for making polluters pay. As we head into COP30, governments have a clear public mandate to act- stand with the people, not the polluters, and make fossil fuel companies pay for the harm they have caused.”

    The study, run by Dynata, was unveiled alongside the Polluters Pay Pact, a global alliance of communities on the frontlines of climate disasters. The Pact demands that governments make oil, gas and coal corporations – not the people – pay their fair share for the damages they cause, through the introduction of new taxes and fines.

    The Pact is backed by firefighters and other first responders, trade unions and worker groups, and mayors from countries including Australia, Brazil, Bangladesh, India, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Nigeria, and South Africa, the US, and plaintiffs in landmark climate cases from Pacific island states to Switzerland.

    The Pact is also supported by over 60 NGOs, including Oxfam International, 350.org, Avaaz, Islamic Relief UK, Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA), Indian Hawkers Alliance, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, Jubilee Australia and the Greenpeace network.

    The survey’s findings published today reveal broad public support for the core demands of the Polluters Pay Pact, as climate impacts worsen worldwide and global inequality grows.

    Key findings of the survey include:

    • 81% of people surveyed globally would support taxes on the oil, gas, and coal industry to pay for damages caused by fossil-fuel driven climate disasters like storms, floods, droughts and wildfires. 
    • 87% of people surveyed in India support channeling revenues from higher taxes on oil and gas corporations towards communities most impacted by the climate crisis. Climate change is disproportionately hitting people in Global South countries, who are historically least responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. 
    • 68% of people surveyed globally felt that the fossil fuel industry and the super-rich had a negative influence on politics in their country. 77% say they would be more willing to support a political candidate who prioritises taxing the super-rich and the fossil fuel industry. 

    Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International, said: “Fossil fuel companies have known for decades about the damage their polluting products wreak on humanity. Corporations continue to cash in on climate devastation, and their profiteering destroys the lives and livelihoods of millions of women, men and children, predominantly those in the Global South who have done the least to cause the climate crisis. Governments must listen to their people and hold polluters responsible for their damages. A new tax on polluting industries could provide immediate and significant support to climate-vulnerable countries, and finally incentivise investment in renewables and a just transition.” 

    The Polluters Pay Pact demonstrates popular support for the campaign to make polluters pay. The campaign is being waged throughout 2025 in countries worldwide and in critical international forums, including the 4th International Conference on Financing for Development (FFD4), the UN Climate Change Conference (COP30), and negotiations for a UN tax convention that could include new rules to make multinational oil and gas companies pay their fair share for their pollution.

    ENDS

    Notes:

    [1] The research was conducted by first-party data company Dynata in May-June, 2025, in Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Kenya, Italy, India, Mexico, the Philippines, South Africa, Spain, the UK and the US, with approximately 1200 respondents in each country and a theoretical margin of error of approximately 2.83%. Together, these countries represent close to half the world’s population. Statistics available here. 

    Additional background information available here.

    [2] Learn more about the Polluters Pay Pact: polluterspaypact.org

    [3] Additional quotes here from people around the world who are backing the Polluters Pay Pact, including first responders, local administration, youth, union representatives and people bringing climate cases to courts. 

    Contacts: 

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

     For Greenpeace International: 

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

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – EU action to safeguard scientific progress in response to US policies – E-001625/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    In a volatile geopolitical context, the Commission stresses that education, research and innovation in Europe are founded on the indissoluble paradigm of academic freedom and freedom of scientific research.

    In the EU, European and international researchers will always be able to enjoy scientific freedom, which will therefore be enshrined in EU law in the context of the European Research Area ( ERA) Act, expected in 2026[1].

    A EUR 500 million package has been announced by the Commission President for the period 2025-2027 to further strengthen the attractiveness of the EU for world’s talents, including from the European diaspora[2].

    This includes a ‘Choose Europe for Science’ Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (MSCA)[3] already in 2025 to provide excellent researchers coming to Europe with pathways to stable employment[4], a seven-year European Research Council (ERC)[5] super grant coupled with increased funding for grantees moving to Europe from abroad, and a visa strategy to facilitate relocation to Europe[6].

    The new package builds on existing policies and tools. For example, the new European framework for research careers[7] and the European Charter for Researchers[8] support reforms at national and EU level to attract and retain research talents[9], while EURAXESS[10] continues to provide personalised support to incoming researchers.

    In addition, the ERA Talent Platform[11] ensures the visibility of the attractive environment of European careers, and a Research and Innovation Careers Observatory (ReICO)[12] provides as of mid-2025 data for evidence-based policies.

    Moreover, 65 European Universities alliances[13], the work towards a European degree, and the Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters action[14] contribute to the attractiveness of the EU as a place to study and work.

    • [1] As announced in the Commission Communication of 29 January 2025 on A Competitiveness Compass for the EU, the ERA Act will also include, among others, legislative measures aiming to address challenges for research careers and mobility.
    • [2] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/da/speech_25_1130.
    • [3] https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_657.
    • [4] The MSCA also provide a wide range of training, mobility and career development opportunities that are already available and open to researchers of all nationalities, including United States researchers. See https://marie-sklodowska-curie-actions.ec.europa.eu/.
    • [5] https://erc.europa.eu/about-erc/erc-glance.
    • [6] https://erc.europa.eu/news-events/news/choose-europe-science-erc-welcomes-new-budget-super-grants.
    • [7] Council Recommendation of 18 December 2023 on a European framework to attract and retain research, innovation and entrepreneurial talents in Europe, OJ C C2023/1640, 29/12/2023.
    • [8] https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/hrexcellenceaward/european-charter-researchers.
    • [9] A Mutual Learning Exercise (https://projects.research-and-innovation.ec.europa.eu/en/statistics/policy-support-facility/psf-challenge/mutual-learning-exercise-research-careers) under the Horizon Europe Policy Support Facility supports the exchange of good practices by Member States on the implementation of the new framework for research careers.
    • [10] https://euraxess.ec.europa.eu/.
    • [11] https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/.
    • [12] https://ec.europa.eu/era-talent-platform/reico/, developed in partnership with the OECD with Horizon Europe support.
    • [13] https://education.ec.europa.eu/education-levels/higher-education/european-universities-initiative.
    • [14] https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/opportunities/opportunities-for-individuals/students/erasmus-mundus-joint-masters.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Uneven HPV uptake in some areas increases cervical cancer risk

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Uneven HPV uptake in some areas increases cervical cancer risk

    UKHSA data shows inequalities in HPV vaccination uptake in different areas and regions across the country

    As Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness week begins, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) warns that variations in geographical coverage of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in adolescents across England is leaving young women in some areas with less protection against cervical and some other cancers.

    Despite the opportunities to eliminate cervical cancer, the latest UKHSA HPV coverage data in adolescents 2023 to 2024 shows inequalities in vaccination uptake in different areas and regions across the country:

    • HPV coverage for female year 10 students by NHS commissioning region was lowest in London (64.9%) and highest in the South East (82.7%)
    • HPV coverage for male year 10 students by NHS commissioning region was lowest in London (58.9%) and highest in the South East (77.3%)
    • HPV coverage for female year 10 students at local authority level ranged from 38.7% (Lambeth) to 97.6% (Northumberland)
    • HPV coverage for male year 10 students at local authority level ranged from 28.2% (Lambeth) to 92.2% (West Berkshire)

    Data provided by Cancer Research UK on Cervical cancer incidence statistics report that rates in England are 65% higher in the most deprived quintile compared with the least.

    Research has shown that receiving the HPV vaccine before age 16 provides significantly stronger immune responses and greater protection against HPV-related cancers. While early vaccination is optimal, getting a HPV vaccination later as part of the catch-up programme still provides strong protection against HPV-related cancers.

    For those who missed their school HPV vaccinations in year 8 and 9, catch-up options remain available and are highly effective. Anyone who missed their HPV vaccination, now just a single jab, can still receive it for free until their 25th birthday through their GP surgery; this also applies to boys born after 1 September 2006.

    HPV vaccinations are also offered to boys in school in year 8 and 9, and similarly help protect them against HPV infection and its complications, including genital warts, head and neck cancers (which includes mouth and throat) and genital cancers. But boys also have an important role to play in helping eliminate cervical cancer by being vaccinated and not passing on the HPV virus when they become sexually active.

    Dr Sharif Ismail, Consultant Epidemiologist at UKHSA, said:

    The HPV vaccine, now just a single dose offered in schools, is one of the most powerful tools we have for cancer prevention. Every vaccination represents a young person with better protection against the devastating impact of HPV-related cancers and we must do more to ensure that no teenage girl or boy, young woman or man is denied that protection no matter where they live.

    Although we have seen some increase in the number of young people being vaccinated, uptake is still well below pre-Covid pandemic levels. Over a quarter of young people, many thousands, are missing out on this potentially life-saving vaccine, which protects not only against cervical cancer but all young adults, men and women, against genital warts and some genital cancers, as well as mouth and throat cancers.

    We’re calling on all parents to return their children’s HPV vaccination consent forms promptly. This simple action could protect your child from developing cancer in the future. For young adults up to age 25, who missed their school vaccinations, please speak to your GP about catch-up options. It’s never too late to get protected. 

    And it’s important to stress that even if you’ve had the HPV vaccine, it’s vital you still attend your cervical screening appointments when invited. Both vaccination and screening together give you your best chance of protection against cervical cancer.

    While the HPV vaccine provides excellent protection, attending cervical screening appointments remains crucial, regardless of vaccination status. Screening can detect abnormal cells before they develop into cancer, allowing for early treatment and prevention.

    Cancer Research UK’s chief executive, Michelle Mitchell, said:

    Thanks to the power of research and the efforts of NHS staff, a future where almost nobody gets cervical cancer is in sight. This progress hinges on people’s access to 2 lifesaving offers: HPV vaccination and screening. Together, they give the best protection against the disease.

    Latest data reveals an unequal uptake of the HPV vaccine across England, highlighting the need for local authorities and health services to work together and improve access to these lifesaving opportunities. Beating cervical cancer means beating it for everyone, so I encourage all parents and guardians to ensure young people don’t miss out on getting the HPV vaccine. And if you receive your cervical screening invite, don’t ignore it.

    Dr Amanda Doyle OBE, National Director for Primary Care and Community Services at NHS England, said: 

    The NHS HPV vaccination programme has already helped save thousands of lives and we need to go further to boost uptake of HPV vaccines and cervical screening to help eliminate cervical cancer in England by 2040.

    If we can ensure that almost every Year 10 girl in some areas is protected and extremely unlikely to ever develop cervical cancer, we need to match this in every part of the country. It’s vital for boys and young men to be vaccinated too. Rates in boys still lag behind girls and HPV causes thousands of cancers in men as well as things like genital warts. 

    I would urge all parents to give their consent for their child to be vaccinated and it’s important to remember that those that remain unvaccinated and have left school can still get vital protection by contacting their GP practice to catch up before their 25th birthday. With vaccination being just one dose, it is easier than ever to ensure young people get protection.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 June 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Inflation at 1.9% in May

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    Overall consumer prices rose 1.9% year on year in May, a slightly smaller increase than the 2% recorded in April, the Census & Statistics Department announced today.

    Netting out the effects of the Government’s one-off relief measures, underlying inflation was 1%, also smaller than that in April.

    Compared with a year before, price increases were recorded in May in the following categories: electricity, gas and water; housing; transport; miscellaneous services; meals out and takeaway food; miscellaneous goods; and alcoholic drinks and tobacco.

    Meanwhile, year-on-year decreases were logged in clothing and footwear; durable goods; and basic food.

    The Government said consumer price inflation has stayed modest in recent months, with price pressures on various major components being contained in general.

    It expects that overall inflation should remain modest in the near term, with pressures from domestic costs and external prices staying broadly in check. 

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Statistics of Stored Value Facilities Schemes issued by SVF Licensees

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Statistics of Stored Value Facilities Schemes issued by SVF Licensees 
    As compared with the end of Q1/2024, the total number of SVF accounts in use at the end of Q1/2025 was up by 9.9 per cent, and the total float and SVF deposit was up by 11.6 per cent. The total number and value of SVF transactions during Q1/2025 were up by 5.4 per cent and 43.3 per cent respectively year-on-year. 
    Note 2: “Total number of SVF accounts in use” refers to the total number of SVF accounts that can be used as at the end of the reporting period. Issued at HKT 17:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Statistics of payment cards issued in Hong Kong for first quarter 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Statistics of payment cards issued in Hong Kong for first quarter 2025 
    The payment card statistics (see Annex) include quarterly data on credit and debit cards issued in Hong Kong under the credit and/or debit card schemes of the eight payment card scheme operators (Note 1). The HKMA began to publish the payment card statistics on a quarterly basis in June 2010 to enhance transparency of the payment card industry in Hong Kong, in line with international practice.
     
    According to the quarterly statistics, the total number of credit cards in circulation (Note 2) was 21.88 million by the end of Q1/2025. The figure represents a 4.5 per cent increase from the previous quarter and a 9.5 per cent increase from the previous year. The number and value of credit card transactions (including retail sales and cash advances) (Note 3) are susceptible to seasonal factors and the general economic environment, making the trends more prone to fluctuation. The total number of credit card transactions was 332.44 million for Q1/2025, representing a 2.0 per cent decrease from the previous quarter and a 10.0 per cent increase from the same period in 2024. The total value of credit card transactions was HK$274.1 billion for Q1/2025, representing a 1.0 per cent increase from the previous quarter and a 8.4 per cent increase from the same period in 2024. Of the total transaction value, HK$186.1 billion (67.9 per cent) was related to retail spending in Hong Kong, HK$79.0 billion (28.8 per cent) in retail spending overseas and HK$9.0 billion (3.3 per cent) in cash advances.
     
    The total number of debit cards in circulation is not available due to overlapping of debit card brands in a single card. Like the number and value of credit card transactions, the number and value of debit card transactions in relation to retail sales and bills payments (Note 4) are also affected by seasonal factors. On a quarterly basis, the total number of debit card transactions in relation to retail sales and bills payments decreased by 1.8 per cent to 54.48 million while the total value increased by 1.1 per cent to HK$73.8 billion in Q1/2025. When compared to the same period in 2024, the total number increased by 12.8 per cent and the total value dropped by 2.0 per cent in Q1/2025.Issued at HKT 17:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Consumer Price Indices for May 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (June 20) the Consumer Price Index (CPI) figures for May 2025. According to the Composite CPI, overall consumer prices rose by 1.9% in May 2025 over the same month a year earlier, slightly smaller than the corresponding increase (2.0%) in April 2025. Netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures, the year-on-year rate of increase in the Composite CPI (i.e. the underlying inflation rate) in May 2025 was 1.0%, also smaller than that in April 2025 (1.3%). The smaller increase was mainly due to the decreases in inbound and outbound transport fares as well as the charges for package tours.

         On a seasonally adjusted basis, the average monthly rate of change in the Composite CPI for the 3-month period ending May 2025 was -0.1%, the same as that for the 3-month period ending April 2025. Netting out the effects of all Government’s one-off relief measures, the corresponding rates of change were 0.1% and 0.0%.   

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong’s Balance of Payments and International Investment Position statistics for first quarter of 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Census and Statistics Department (C&SD) released today (June 20) the preliminary Balance of Payments (BoP) and International Investment Position (IIP) statistics of Hong Kong for the first quarter of 2025. This release also included the preliminary External Debt (ED) statistics of Hong Kong for the same period.

    I. Balance of Payments 
         Statistics on BoP, IIP and ED for the first quarter of 2025 are preliminary figures, which are subject to revision upon the availability of more data.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Employment and vacancies statistics for March 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Employment and vacancies statistics for March 2025 
    Employment statistics
     
    In March 2025, the selected industries as a whole employed 2 714 400 persons. The import and export trade engaged 349 800 persons, followed by professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) engaging 314 000 persons, financing and insurance 232 700 persons, retail trade 230 800 persons, and food and beverage services 218 900 persons.
     
    Movements in the employment in different surveyed industries varied when compared with a year earlier. Increases were mainly observed in the industries of accommodation services (4.0% or 1 500 persons), human health services (3.9% or 6 000 persons), and real estate (3.7% or 5 100 persons). On the other hand, employment decreased mainly in the industries of retail trade (-4.6% or -11 100 persons), wholesale (-3.4% or -1 700 persons), information and communications (-3.3% or -3 600 persons), and food and beverage services (-2.8% or -6 300 persons). Employment figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 1.
     
    Vacancies statistics
     
    Among the 55 170 private sector vacancies in March 2025, 5 660 were from the industry of education, 5 050 from professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services), 4 950 from residential care and social work services, 4 860 from food and beverage services, and 4 660 from financing and insurance.
     
    Vacancies decreased in all the selected industries in March 2025 over a year earlier. Decreases were more notable in the industries of transportation, storage, postal and courier services (-5 080 or -58%), human health services (-2 760 or -43%), professional and business services (excluding cleaning and similar services) (-1 670 or -25%), education (-1 660 or -23%), and arts, entertainment, recreation and other services (-1 550 or -31%). Job vacancies figures for selected major industries are shown in Table 2.
     
    Analysed by major occupation category, private sector vacancies were observed mainly in the categories of service and sales workers (20 200 vacancies), professionals (10 120 vacancies), and associate professionals (8 390 vacancies). Job vacancies figures by major occupation category are shown in Table 3.
     
    Seasonally adjusted statistics
     
    For discerning the latest trend in employment and vacancies in the private sector, it is useful to look at changes over a three-month period in the respective seasonally adjusted figures. Compared with December 2024, the seasonally adjusted total employment and total vacancies in the surveyed industries increased by less than 0.05% and decreased by 7.3% respectively in March 2025. The changes over three-month periods in the seasonally adjusted series of employment and vacancies are shown in Table 4.
     
    Other information
     
    The above employment and vacancies statistics were obtained from the Quarterly Survey of Employment and Vacancies and the Quarterly Employment Survey of Construction Sites conducted by the C&SD. In the former survey, some economic activities (e.g. those dominated by self-employment, including taxi operators and hawkers) are not covered. Therefore, the respective employment and vacancies figures relate only to those selected industries included in the survey. In the latter survey on construction sites, employment and vacancies figures relate to manual workers only.
     
    A detailed breakdown of the above statistics is published in the following reports:
    “Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies Statistics, March 2025”
    (www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050003&scode=452″Quarterly Report of Employment and Vacancies at Construction Sites, March 2025″
    (    www.censtatd.gov.hk/en/EIndexbySubject.html?pcode=B1050004&scode=452 
    Users can browse and download these publications at the website of the C&SD.
     
    Enquiries on more detailed employment and vacancies statistics can be directed to the Employment Statistics Section of the C&SD (Tel: 2582 5076 or email:     employment@censtatd.gov.hkIssued at HKT 16:30

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) commission joins nigerian ministry of environment to commemorate World environment Day, championing action against plastic pollution


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    The ECOWAS Commission in a significant collaboration with the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Environment’s Department of Planning, Research, and Statistics, on the 17th of June, 2025 celebrated the 2025 World Environment Day. The commemorative event, held in Abuja, Nigeria, themed: “Ending Plastic Pollution“ with the slogan “Beat the plastic“

    Mr. Yao Bernard Koffi, Acting Director of Environment and Natural Resources, delivered a goodwill message on behalf of H.E. Massandjé Toure-Litse, Commissioner for Economic Affairs and Agriculture, and H.E. Dr Omar Alieu Touray, President of the ECOWAS Commission. He underscored the profound significance of the occasion, particularly as it coincided with ECOWAS’s Jubilee Year, marking five decades of regional solidarity, integration and shared responsibility.

    Mr. Bernard Koffi reaffirmed the Commission’s unwavering commitment to fostering a clean, resilient, and sustainable environment for current and future generations. He highlighted ECOWAS’s proactive stance in addressing persistent environmental challenges, including the adoption of a regional regulation on plastic management in 2023, which mandates member states to harmonize their plastic waste management regulations. Furthermore, ECOWAS Vision 2050 identifies environmental sustainability as a crucial pillar for inclusive development and emphasizes the vital role of fostering youth-driven climate action, acknowledging that the future belongs to them. He concluded by urging tangible action over mere words and unity over indifference, stating, “The ECOWAS Commission stands ready to work side-by-side with Nigeria and all partners to beat plastic pollution not tomorrow, but today.” And that the commisson remains resolutely committed to working alongside member states to beat Pollution.

    In his keynote address, Balarabe Abbas Lawal, Honorable Minister of Environment, emphasized the critical global urgency of this year’s theme, “Ending Plastic Pollution.” He stressed that plastic pollution transcends environmental concerns, posing significant economic and public health crises.

    The Minister highlighted the alarming rate at which plastic waste infiltrates oceans, rivers and drainage systems, endangering wildlife and exacerbating urban flooding. Minister Lawal outlined Nigeria’s initiatives, including the launch of the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Programme, which obliges producers to manage the entire lifecycle of their plastic products. He expressed profound appreciation to all development partners, particularly the ECOWAS Commission, commending its steadfast partnership in environmental governance, climate change response, and sustainable development across the West African sub-region, as well as its leadership in addressing transboundary environmental issues.

    Mr. Mahmud Adam Kambari, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Environment, delivered the welcome address, reinforcing the dire threat plastic waste poses to ecosystems, public health, and the planet. He stated, “Plastic pollution has emerged as one of the most urgent environmental challenges of our time, clogging waterways, endangering marine life, and contaminating our food systems.”

    Mr. Kambari reiterated Nigeria’s direct experience with the devastating impacts of plastic waste and issued a clarion call for intensified efforts through effective policy implementation, robust public awareness campaigns, responsible consumption patterns, and strategic investment in sustainable alternatives. He affirmed the Ministry’s commitment to advancing circular economy principles, strengthening regulatory frameworks, and promoting innovations that reduce reliance on single-use plastics. Mr. Kambari extended sincere commendations to all partners, stakeholders, and environmental advocates for their tireless efforts, urging everyone present to reflect on individual and collective actions to “Beat Plastic Pollution.”

    The occasion also saw the notable presence of representatives from key organizations, international partners and stakeholders, including UNICEF, Oando Foundation, Oando Clean Energy, OXFAM, Zoom Lion Nigeria, RCEI, RUWES, and the Head of Mission to the Netherlands, alongside invited students from various schools. These stakeholders collectively underscored the paramount importance of a safe environment, emphasizing the pivotal role of women and children as not only integral to addressing climate and environmental issues but also as vital agents of community awareness and crucial actors in forging a greener, plastic-free future.

    The joint commemoration underscored the shared commitment of ECOWAS and Nigeria to combat plastic pollution through coordinated regional action and national policy implementation, reinforcing their dedication to a sustainable future.

    Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).

    MIL OSI Africa –