VALLETTA/VIENNA, 31 October 2024 – The 31st Ministerial Council of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) will take place on 5 and 6 December 2024 in Malta. Hosted at the invitation of the OSCE Chair-in-Office, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign and European Affairs and Trade of Malta, Ian Borg, the event will gather foreign ministers from the 57 OSCE participating States.
Media representatives are invited to cover the proceedings, which will be held at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali, Malta.
Advance accreditation of media representatives is mandatory. Journalists have the option to register for virtual participation and they will be granted remote access to the Media Centre via Zoom.
Members of the media wishing to attend the Ministerial Council - either virtually or in person - must register online no later than Friday, 22 November, at 17:00 hrs here.
To register, please complete the required information and upload a passport photo and a copy of a valid Press ID. Media representatives will be notified once the registration process is approved in the system. Please note that those registering to attend virtually will also need to be accredited and will also be notified once the registration process is approved. All personal information provided during registration will be processed in compliance with GDPR regulations.
Media badges can be collected upon presentation of a valid government issued ID (e.g. passport) and press ID at the Information Desk at the Hotel Excelsior (Great Siege Road, Floriana, Malta) on the following dates:
Wednesday, 4 December: 12:00-20:00
Thursday, 5 December: 07:00-11:00
Media badges cannot be picked up at the Ministerial Council facility and must be collected prior to going to the MFCC.
Detailed information about media facilities, virtual participation, instructions for accreditation, media pool modalities and booking of hotels is available here.
Members of the media who require a visa to travel to Malta are required to apply for their visa in a timely manner. Prior to their departure, travellers must ensure that they have a valid passport which expires at least six months after their date of departure.
Visa requirements can be found here: https://consularplus.gov.mt/visa-advice?lang=en.
Visa application forms can be found here: https://foreign.gov.mt/schengen-visa-applications/
Please refer any visa-related queries to visa.mfet@gov.mt.
Further updates and details, including media pool opportunities and operational guidelines for the Media Centre, will be regularly posted on the official Event Page: https://www.osce.org/event/mc_2024
For any queries on the media components of this year’s Ministerial Council, please contact: pressoscemcmt.mfet@gov.mt.
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As the OSCE's principal decision-making body, the Ministerial Council offers a key platform for foreign ministers to review and address pressing security challenges across the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian regions, as well as to evaluate the organization's work across its mandate.
La Direction Générale de la Poste du Bénin a abrité, mercredi 30 octobre 2024, la cérémonie de célébration de la Journée Mondiale de la Poste. Elle a été marquée par la remise de lots aux lauréats du concours de compositions épistolaires édition 2024 et aux gagnants de la tombola Caisse Nationale d'Epargne.
« 150 ans d'engagement pour la communication et le développement des peuples à travers le monde », c'est le thème de l'édition 2024 de la Journée Mondiale de la Poste. Célébrée le 9 octobre de chaque année pour marquer la date anniversaire de l'Union Postale Universelle (créée en 1874 ans à Berne, Suisse), la Journée Mondiale de la Poste a pour objectif de sensibiliser les particuliers et les entreprises au rôle de la Poste dans leur vie quotidienne et sa contribution au développement socio-économique mondial.
Selon le directeur général de La Poste du Bénin SA, la célébration de cette année revêt un caractère particulier parce qu'elle marque le 150e anniversaire de l'Union Postale Universelle regroupant 192 pays. Les premiers services postaux ont été créés au Bénin en 1890. « En 134 ans nous avons enregistré plusieurs avancées », a affirmé Krishna Lokossou. La Poste du Bénin SA dispose aujourd'hui de 112 agences. « Nous contribuons significativement à l'inclusion financière au Bénin, c'est-à-dire que nous avons à peu près 940 000 comptes ouverts », informe le directeur général de La Poste du Bénin. En matière d'inclusion numérique, La Poste du Bénin a signé récemment un partenariat avec l'Agence Nationale d'Identification Personnelle (ANIP) afin de rendre disponible aux populations dans certaines agences les services de délivrance des actes d'état civil.
Ces réalisations, souligne-t-il, sont le fruit de la volonté des autorités béninoises mais aussi de l'effort des agents de La Poste et des partenaires sociaux ainsi que des clients. Krishna Lokossou note que des efforts restent à faire pour améliorer la qualité de service ainsi que l'inclusion financière et numérique des populations.
Institution spécialisée du système des Nations Unies, l'Union Postale Universelle (UPU) a pour but de favoriser le bon développement et la coopération des différents systèmes postaux du monde. A en croire l'Expert Régional de l'Union Postale Universelle (UPU) en Afrique de l'Ouest, Éric Contayon, de nombreuses actions ont été menées avec La Poste du Bénin. Il s'agit entre autres de l'organisation à Cotonou d'un atelier de formation des acteurs postaux sur le projet de préparation au e-commerce en août 2023 ; l'organisation d'un forum sur le financement du secteur postal en Afrique en novembre 2023 ; l'organisation d'un atelier de formation sur la comptabilité internationale en avril et mai 2024 ; l'organisation d'un atelier sur le transport régional en mai 2024. Éric Contayon a aussi fait part de l'obtention du financement du fonds d'appui à la qualité de service de l'UPU pour un montant équivalent à 80 000 dollars ; l'obtention d'un financement sur fonds japonais pour un montant équivalent à 95 millions de FCFA ; la dotation de La Poste du Bénin en équipements informatiques ; la fourniture d'un système électronique de gestion des files d'attente et l'accord de financement pour l'équipement du centre de formation de La Poste du Bénin.
La célébration de la Journée Mondiale de la Poste au Bénin a été l'occasion de récompenser les 10 lauréats du concours national de composition épistolaire, édition 2024. Ils ont reçu entre autres des livrets d'épargne de 20.000 FCFA, ordinateur portatif, des cahiers, jeux de sociétés, tablettes, des gadgets de La Poste du Bénin etc.
Le premier prix du concours national de composition épistolaire a été remporté par Bénédicte Bassaou, élève en classe de 2nd C au Lycée militaire des jeunes filles Général Mathieu Kérékou de Natitingou. « Je suis très heureuse de recevoir le premier prix à l'issue de ce concours. La Poste du Bénin est une bonne organisation car elle a plusieurs structures et aide également la population », a-t-elle confié.
Les gagnants de la tombola Caisse Nationale d'Epargne ont été gratifiés de différents lots composés de téléphones portables Android, moto, réfrigérateur et poste téléviseur. Rachidath Adjibade, gagnante de la moto dame n'a pas manqué de remercier La Poste du Bénin pour la qualité des services offerts à la population béninoise. Le directeur général de la Poste du Bénin a aussi honoré certains agents, admis à faire valoir leurs droits à la retraite.
Az Egyesült Államok kormánya hivatalos magyarázatot kért Izraeltől a kedden a Gázai övezet északi részén végrehajtott légicsapás miatt, amely egy lakóépületet célzott Beit Lahiya városában. A támadás a gázai egészségügyi hatóságok jelentése szerint legalább 93 palesztin életét követelte vagy eltűntnek nyilvánította, köztük sok gyermeket.
Matthew Miller, az amerikai külügyminisztérium szóvivője a támadást „szörnyű incidensnek” nevezte, és aggodalmát fejezte ki a civil áldozatok száma miatt. „Borzalmas következményei voltak ennek az esetnek” — mondta Miller, hozzátéve, hogy az Egyesült Államok további információkat vár Izraeltől.
A Biden-kormányzat korábban figyelmeztette Izraelt, hogy a katonai támogatás felülvizsgálatára is sor kerülhet, amennyiben a Gázai övezet humanitárius helyzete nem javul 30 napon belül.
Újabb Civil Áldozatok GázábanSzerdán újabb légicsapások érték a Gázai övezetet, melynek során legalább hét ember, köztük nők és gyermekek vesztették életüket. A támadások főleg a déli és középső régiókat érintették, Hán Júnisz városában például egy lakóházat ért csapás, ahol két nő, egy gyermek és egy férfi halt meg. Továbbá, egy kitelepítettek számára létrehozott menedéket is célba vettek Deir al-Balahban, ahol három civil, köztük egy nő halt meg.
Izrael Védekezése és a Civil Áldozatok KérdéseIzrael azzal védi a civil célpontokat érintő támadásokat, hogy a Hamász fegyveresei a civil lakosság közé rejtőznek, így gyakran elkerülhetetlen a nők és gyermekek halála. A gázai lakosság több mint fele 18 év alatti, így különösen fiatal korstruktúrával rendelkezik, amely súlyosbítja a civil áldozatok számát.
A több mint egy éve tartó Hamász-izraeli konfliktus már több mint 43 ezer halálos áldozatot követelt a Gázai övezetben, és több mint százezren sebesültek meg. Emellett 1,5 millió ember vált hajléktalanná a háború következtében.
Határon Átnyúló Rakétatámadás IzraelbenKözben Izraelben is fokozódik a feszültség: Libanonból kilőtt rakéták két férfit sebesítettek meg, egyikük súlyosan. A támadás mögött a Hezbollah áll, amely Hamásszal szolidaritást vállalva kezdett határon átnyúló támadásokba Izrael ellen. Az elmúlt hónapok során több ezer rakétát lőttek ki Izrael területére, ezzel is tovább szítva a feszültséget a térségben.
The post Az USA Magyarázatot Követel Izraeltől a Gaza Északi Részét Ért Halálos Légicsapások Ügyében appeared first on Biztonságpiac.
The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) is the largest aid agency in the Gaza Strip where it provides emergency and other assistance to vulnerable Palestinians. Credit: UNRWA
By James E. Jennings
ATLANTA, USA, Oct 31 2024 (IPS)
The most solemn and terrifying words ever uttered are those inscribed over the gateway to Hell in Dante’s Inferno: “Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!” Hope is essential for human survival both as individuals and as nations.
Surveying the history of the seemingly endless series of wars and counter-wars between Israel and its foes in Gaza and Lebanon from 1948 until now—a period of 76 years—it seems that all hope for peace has been lost. Palestinians, Lebanese, the people of Gaza—and yes, the Israelis too—are all residents of this inferno, the endless Hell of war.
If you pay close attention to the weak, mealy-mouthed utterances of US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken—the emissary of the equally weak President Joe Biden—you’ll understand that the Middle East region and therefore the world is rapidly approaching the Ninth Circle of Hell.
Both of them utter meaningless phrases that reveal their lack of understanding at best, or at worst their vicious, inhumane complicity.
Now, the latest, and possibly most obscene, third act in this modern Greek tragedy was played out October 28 in Israel’s Knesset. Nearly 100 of the 120 members of that wise and honorable body voted to cut the lifeline for millions of Palestinians who depend on the UN’s Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) for health care and education.
Credit: UNRWA
Besides irrationally imposing new cruelties—rubbing salt in the wounds of an entire population of innocent people—the Knesset’s decision constitutes cultural genocide, an essential factor underlying the supreme international crime of Genocide as defined by the United Nations.
UNRWA’s registry constitutes the primary link millions of 1948 War refugees and their descendants have to their lost properties. Destroying that link erases an entire people from history. It obliterates Israel’s “Crime of the Century,” which is the theft of the nation of Palestine.
Is this the hand of friendship, the “Light to the Nations” Israel’s founder Ben Gurion promised in 1948? Review the numbers: there are still 1.2 million registered Palestinian refugees dependent on food aid in 68 camps in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank, and Gaza. UNRWA services in Gaza alone include 140 health care centers and 700 schools educating 300,000 students.
Is there hope in this darkened scenario? Actually, there is. Sun Tzu’s long-ago Chinese classic, The Art of War, records the following sardonic, understated observation: “There is no example of a long war benefitting anybody.”
Which means that at some point people will have to come to their senses, or else generations will pass away before their descendants, with new issues to deal with, will wonder what the fuss was all about.
But that’s in the future—perhaps the distant future. What about now? Is there any hope? Surprisingly, yes, there is.
In an interview on al-Jazeera television on October 25, 2024, after more than a year of the most devastating and genocidal war on Palestine’s civilian population, leading Palestinian politician and spokesman Mustafa Barghouti, expressed optimism.
He said that the single positive development during the longest and most destructive war against Palestine in its history is the continuing determination of the Palestinian people to remain on their land and to resist efforts to expunge their national identity, as is their right.
In Arabic it is called Sumud, “steadfastness,” loosely translated as “Staying power.” Hope survives. Where there’s life, there’s hope.
James E. Jennings is President of Conscience International, an international aid organization that has responded to wars in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Palestine, and Gaza since 1991.
IPS UN Bureau
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
Autrefois, la Place Tito s'appelait Piazza del Duomo... Apposer des plaques rappelant les noms anciens des rues et places suppose de les écrire en italien, mais le bilinguisme provoque encore des réactions épidermiques en Slovénie. Une nouvelle bataille des odonymes secoue Koper/Capodistria au moment où la ville fête son 1500ème anniversaire.
- Articles / Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso, Slovénie, Culture et éducation, Histoire, Populations, minorités et migrations, Mémoires Italie, Une - DiaporamaA child in the Jenin refugee camp looking at the destroyed shelters following recent militarized operations. Credit: UNICEF/Ahed Izhiman
By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Oct 31 2024 (IPS)
On October 28, the Israeli parliament voted to ban activity from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in Israel. Two bills were passed by the Knesset, Israel’s house of representatives, one that barred all UNRWA efforts, and another that prevents interactions between Israeli authorities and UNRWA personnel. The implications of this amendment are expected to exacerbate dire conditions for millions of Palestinians who were already in the midst of a severe humanitarian crisis.
This comes after nearly eight decades of work done by UNRWA in Palestine to provide refugees with essential humanitarian aid. The absence of UNRWA activity in Palestine is expected to further restrict humanitarian access in the nation, leaving millions to fend for themselves amid the ongoing hostilities and the upcoming harsh winter. UNRWA has actively supported Palestinians since 1948, distributing essential resources including food, water and shelter, and providing critical public services such as healthcare and education.
UNRWA and the United Nations (UN) have responded to the bills and denounced Israel’s actions towards the people of Palestine. “The implementation of the laws could have devastating consequences for Palestine refugees in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, which is unacceptable,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini issued a statement to X (formerly known as Twitter) saying, “These bills will only deepen the suffering of Palestinians, especially in Gaza where people have been going through more than a year of sheer hell. It will deprive over 650,000 girls & boys there from education, putting at risk an entire generation of children. These bills increase the suffering of the Palestinians and are nothing less than collective punishment.”
Israeli authorities doubled down on their stance on the bills, accusing UNRWA of promoting terrorism and antisemitism. Yulia Malinovsky, a member of the Knesset, told reporters that UNRWA does not deserve legal immunity from Israeli retaliation, saying that aid personnel should no longer receive “five star treatment” in Israel. Malinovsky also opined that UNRWA colluded with Hamas.
“UNRWA chose to make itself an inseparable component of Hamas’ mechanism – and now is the time to detach ourselves entirely from it,” said former Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin issued a joint statement to Israeli authorities, warning that the newly passed bills “would devastate the humanitarian response in Gaza at this critical moment and deny essential educational and social services to tens of thousands of Palestinians in the West Bank and Jerusalem”.
This is particularly concerning to humanitarian organizations as almost all of Gaza’s population depends on aid to survive. At this moment, humanitarian aid is more crucial than ever as Gaza grapples with the high risk of a polio outbreak, the destruction of critical infrastructure, and dwindling resources.
“Israel has bombed Palestinians to death, maimed them, starved them, and is now ridding them of their biggest lifeline of aid. Piece by piece, Israel is systematically dismantling Gaza as a land that is autonomous and livable for Palestinians. The banning of UNRWA today is condemnable and another step in this crime,” says Sally Abi Khalil, Oxfam Regional Director in the Middle East and North Africa.
UNRWA and its partners, including the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), began the second round of polio vaccinations in Gaza on October 14. Although initially successful, continued bombardments halted the campaign from reaching northern Gaza, home to approximately 120,000 unimmunized children. The deadline to provide these children with the crucial second dose falls in mid-November, after which, chances of full immunization significantly decline.
“This is a risk not just to the 120,000 children who remain in northern Gaza, children aged ten, and below that is, but also to children in the larger region. And that’s why we are so incredibly worried and pressing for this second round to happen by the beginning of November,” says Rosalia Bollen, UNICEF’s Communication Specialist in Gaza.
Bollen adds that the polio outbreak, continued hostilities, and the lack of humanitarian aid have taken a severe toll on children’s education, describing Gaza’s children as “a lost generation”. UNRWA hosts a variety of social services in Palestine, including over 183 schools in Gaza. These schools are set to shut down due to the two newly passed bills.
As the bills were being passed by the Knesset, Israel continued its aerial campaign in Gaza. On the morning of October 29, Israel launched another airstrike on a displacement shelter in Beit Lahiya, causing at least 109 civilian casualties and leveling a five-storey residential building. Gaza’s health ministry has reported that a series of bombardments in densely populated districts in northern Gaza has resulted in over 800 deaths in a three week aerial campaign.
“The bombing in north Gaza is non-stop. The bombs continue to fall, the Israeli military is separating families and detaining many people and people fleeing have been reportedly shot at. The Israeli Government’s policies and practices in northern Gaza risk emptying the area of all Palestinians. We are facing what could amount to atrocity crimes, including potentially extending to crimes against humanity,” said UN Human Rights Chief Volker Türk.
Additionally, intense bombardments have halted humanitarian aid, essentially cutting off the flow of supplies for millions of Palestinians. Resources have been almost completely depleted, with humanitarian organizations fearing the onset of famine in Gaza. A statement by the World Food Programme (WFP) states, “Gaza’s food systems have largely collapsed due to the destruction of factories, croplands and shops. Markets are nearly empty as most commercial channels are no longer functioning.”
In early October of this year, a report by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) warned that approximately 96 percent of Gaza will face severe food insecurity, with almost half a million people facing “catastrophic levels” of hunger. Famine has been described as imminent.
Without UNRWA’s activity in the occupied Palestinian territories, conditions are expected to severely deteriorate as the harsh winter approaches. “After being forced to flee time and time again, hundreds of thousands of families in Gaza are living in inadequate tents and makeshift shelters. When winter comes, these shelters will not keep them safe from strong winds, heavy rains and cold temperatures,” said Alison Ely, Shelter Cluster coordinator in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Spokesman for the Secretary-General Stéphane Dujarric confirmed that the UN will continue to do whatever they can to assist the Palestinian people. Dujarric also noted that due to UNRWA’s removal from Palestine, Israel has an obligation to meet the needs of the millions of people residing in their sovereignties. “Israel would have to fill the vacuum and meet those needs, or be in violation of international law,” explained Dujarric.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement declaring Israel’s intentions to provide humanitarian aid for affected communities in Gaza. “In the 90 days before this legislation goes into effect — and after — we stand ready to work with our international partners to ensure that Israel continues to facilitate humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza in a manner that does not threaten Israel’s security,” says Netanyahu.
Humanitarian organizations and U.S. officials have expressed their concerns that Israel will not be able to effectively facilitate the duties that were conducted by UNRWA. Matthew Miller, spokesperson for the United States Department of State, said. “There’s nobody that can replace them (UNRWA) right now in the middle of the crisis”.
Guterres echoed these sentiments in a post shared to X. “There is no alternative to UNRWA.”
IPS UN Bureau Report
Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
C'est un secret de polichinelle. Aleksandar Vučić refuse de livrer sa préférence avant l'élection présidentielle américaine, mais chacun sait que Belgrade parie sur une victoire de Donald Trump. De quoi relancer l'hypothèse d'un partage du Kosovo et de la Bosnie-Herzégovine ?
- Articles / Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Radio Slobodna Evropa, USA Balkans, Serbie, Relations internationales, VucicC'est un secret de polichinelle. Aleksandar Vučić refuse de livrer sa préférence avant l'élection présidentielle américaine, mais chacun sait que Belgrade parie sur une victoire de Donald Trump. De quoi relancer l'hypothèse d'un partage du Kosovo et de la Bosnie-Herzégovine ?
- Articles / Une - Diaporama, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Radio Slobodna Evropa, USA Balkans, Serbie, Relations internationales, Vucic