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Une caravane de solidarité du Croissant rouge algérien (CRA) transportant 154 tonnes de denrées alimentaires et matériels médicaux a pris le départ, jeudi du Palais des Expositions d’Alger, en direction des camps des réfugiés sahraouis à Tindouf. Le coup d’envoi de la caravane de solidarité qui se dirige vers l’aéroport de Boufarik à Blida en […]

L’article L’Algérie envoie une aide alimentaire et médicale aux camps des réfugiés sahraouis est apparu en premier sur .

A menedékkérők szétosztása helyett más módon is hozzájárulhatnának az európai szolidaritáshoz a vonakodó tagállamok egy friss javaslat szerint.

Vízkeleten (Čierny Brod/Galántai járás) tartott rajtaütést szerdán hajnalban a Nemzeti Bűnüldözési Ügynökség (NAKA). A "gesztenye" („Gaštan“) fedőnevű művelet során őrizetbe vették Erik. L-t tiltott fegyverkezéssel, fegyverkereskedelemmel és veszélyes fenyegetéssel kapcsolatos bűncselekmények ügyében.

Le Calame - Après avoir demandé l’élargissement de ses compétences, la commission d’enquête parlementaire pourrait, selon diverses...

The eurozone economy contracted by 3.8 percent in the first quarter of 2020, compared to the last three months of 2019. The EU gross national product decreased by 3.5 percent, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the EU's statistical office said. These were the sharpest declines since Eurostat started this series of records in 1995. In March, the eurozone unemployment rate was 7.4 percent, up from 7.3 percent in February.

Jay Collins speaks at the informal virtual meeting of the 2020 ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development follow-up: "Financing Sustainable Development in the Context of COVID-19". Credit: United Nations

By Jay Collins
NEW YORK, Apr 30 2020 (IPS)

We are today in a time of crisis—a time when our shared choices will shape the way history tells our story and the paradigm shift it has so forcefully provoked.

The difference between the historical path of promise or peril will be defined, not just by the urgency and manner of our response, but also by our shared vision of recovery and renewal.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has struck the planet with scant concern for human suffering, and with vast economic destruction and financial cost. But more than that, it has dealt a blow to our Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) , and we must urgently address how we will recover from it.

The global community can be proud, thus far, of the size and speed of the multi-trillion-dollar mobilization of capital in response to COVID-19. We have demonstrated that we are capable of radical and forceful societal response in the developed world.

However, we have only just begun to fight COVID-19’s wrath in the developing world. As the pandemic shows little respect for national boundaries, we must embrace the opportunity to re-enforce, re-purpose and re-invigorate the multilateral cooperation mechanisms and organizations of the Bretton Woods era if we are to meet the developing world’s challenges.

As the COVID-19 crisis continues, we should urge that massive stimulus efforts be affected sustainably: targeted and aligned to the SDGs and compatible with the Paris Agreement trajectory.

Climate change and global pandemics both epitomize Michele Wucker’s “Gray Rhino” concept—that is, neglect of the highly probable, high impact, global threats. Yes, many had in fact told us that a pandemic was coming, and we did not responsibly prepare.

As Mark Carney has so aptly pointed out, climate change also imbeds within it “the tragedy of commons,” in which the cost of inaction today is felt by future generations, well beyond humanity’s traditional economic and political time horizons.

Let us not permit that our grandchildren look back on climate change as humanity’s worst “Gray Rhino moment,” but use this COVID-19 crisis to re-galvanize our resolve against it.

We must embrace an intense dialogue with policy makers, regulators and the private sector, not only about funding and incentivizing the glide path of energy transition, but also about how to manage the new headwinds that low oil prices, pandemic-strained budgets and drained capital coffers represent.

We must meet the potential COVID-19 setback to the SDG agenda with defiance and with Churchillian resolve, unafraid to pivot as the virus moves our targets tragically further out of reach and makes our Goals even more ambitious in their aims.

Let us be resolved not to let a temporary corporate and investor focus on liquidity and volatility alter the pre-crisis momentum toward bold public private partnerships, stakeholder- driven corporate leadership and ESG investor commitment to achieving the SDGs.

Let us also not underestimate the plight of the poorest countries through this crisis. If the human price is not enough to inspire action, contemplate the global political consequences of an inability to respond to social crises in the developing world and of social unrest.

These challenges can develop quickly and can be as systemically destabilizing as methane bubbling through the permafrost.

Today, it is fair to say that the “S” in “ESG” now has a double line underscoring it as investors and securities issuers alike fund COVID-19 health and social spending. The social SDGs have moved to the forefront of our battle.

There are already silver linings in the COVID-19 ESG momentum. Let me name a few:

• ESG funds are outperforming their non-ESG market benchmarks;
• Risk models are being re-considered, supercharging concepts like “climate value at risk;”
• We are witnessing lowered ESG scores for poor corporate behavior in response to COVID-19;
• We have also seen a move from “negative screening” for ESG funds to a desire to see coronavirus-response “additionality objectives;” and finally,
• We are seeing an expression of social values absorbed into investor paradigms, underpinned by the Gen Z and Millennials’ view that this is a defining moment for their generations.

Despite these rays of hope, COVID-19 has made our funding challenges greater, and the call to use capital markets and creative funding mechanisms more urgent. The debt quagmire in the poorest of the emerging market economies has been and will continue to worsen through this crisis.

The Secretary-General and, in parallel, his Global Investors for Sustainable Development (GISD) Alliance, have recognized the challenges of debt to our agenda; we cannot help but acknowledge the fallacy that increasing indebtedness to fund the SDGs represents for many of the world’s poorest countries.

While instinctively we already know that the pandemic has shifted our goal posts, we must invest heavily and speedily in the technology and processes for SDG and ESG metrics alike, embracing Big Data solution-sets.

Rearview mirror, macroeconomic data is insufficient for the challenges ahead and lacks the precision to measure future success.

As we face head-on the consequences of the potential exponentiality of the COVID-19 infection curves in the developing world, so too must we embrace the exponential characteristics of beneficial technological solutions applied aggressively to Sustainability challenges.

While guarding against its pitfalls, applied technology and innovation, if funded at scale, can lower the cost and speed of attainment of our Goals.

The 193 UN member states are taking decisive action to arrest the fallout from COVID- 19, and we must not forget the importance to the developing world of maintaining open and functioning capital markets.

These allow the broadest possible access to funds for our response. Simultaneously, the development bank community must continue its urgent search for out-of-the-box, accelerated and modified risk-sharing mechanisms, leveraging and catalyzing private sector credit where possible, surgically mitigating risk where necessary, and fully absorbing risk where systemically vital.

Lest we forget, in radical juxtaposition to the Global Financial Crisis, the global banking system today is strong and will continue to constructively support solutions to the pandemic and its social and economic consequences.

As we search for temporary reprieve mechanisms to address the weakest credit sovereigns, let us avoid contagious defaults that can shock the financial system, further restrict existing credit extension mechanisms, or slow the capital formation process of recovery.

This will be no easy feat. In some cases, it will require us to engage the market in voluntary standstill mechanisms that are closely coordinated with the official sector and move us toward orderly debt re-profiling strategies once the present fog lifts and the path to debt sustainability can be seen more clearly.

As Shakespeare wrote, “Sweet are the uses of adversity.” This cannot be “the end of normal,” but must be an historical starting point for the creation of a better normal.

We have the potential to re-imagine capitalism in a post-COVID world, to embrace long- termism and multi-stakeholder corporate behavior and to use COVID-19 adversity to reinvigorate our commitment to addressing the greatest social, environmental and economic challenges of our time.

*Citigroup is one of the 30 investor, corporate and bank members of the GISD Alliance. Jay Collins is a member of GISD’s Strategy Group, and delivered a version of these remarks at the UN ECOSOC Forum on Financing for Development on 23 April 2020.

The post Only Sustainable Investment & Global Cooperation Can Counter COVID’s Blow to SDGs appeared first on Inter Press Service.

Excerpt:

Jay Collins is Vice Chairman Banking, Capital Markets and Advisory, Citigroup*

The post Only Sustainable Investment & Global Cooperation Can Counter COVID’s Blow to SDGs appeared first on Inter Press Service.

La demande de libération provisoire de Ali Ghediri, introduite par sa défense a été rejetée hier mercredi par la chambre d’accusation d’Alger. En effet, selon l’avocat Me Khaled Bourayou rapporté par le quotidien le « Soir d’Algérie« , le magistrat en charge du dossier de Ali Ghediri avait demandé « un complément d’information ». Ce qui est […]

L’article Demande de liberté provisoire de Ali Ghediri rejetée   est apparu en premier sur .

Oroszországban az igazolt koronavírus-fertőzöttek száma 7099-cel 106 498-ra nőtt a csütörtökön közölt hivatalos adatok szerint.

Dans une note circulaire en date du mercredi 29 avril 2020, le ministère de la santé informe de l'instauration d'un protocole thérapeutique spécifique pour la protection des groupes cibles.

Cette option prise par le gouvernement béninois est due à la recrudescence de cas de Covid-19 en rapport avec la stratégie de dépistage systématique des groupes cibles. « Cette situation nous met de plus en plus dans un contexte de groupes cibles exposés », explique le ministère de la santé.
C'est donc dans le but d'assurer une réponse énergique à la situation épidémiologique actuelle et sur la base de la valeur prédictive négative des tests diagnostiques, des avis scientifiques, des résultats thérapeutiques déjà obtenus et dans une approche de santé publique que le gouvernement a opté pour l'instauration d'un protocole thérapeutique spécifique afin de protéger les groupes cibles.

« Le schéma thérapeutique contenu dans ce protocole opérationnel standard doit être institué dans le respect strict des contre-indications relatives et absolues de la chloroquine notamment les rétinopathies, les déficits en G6PD, les hypersensibilités connues au 4-aminoquinoléines et les troubles du rythme cardiaque documentés », souligne la note circulaire.
La mise sous traitement présomptif ou prophylactique « ne doit en aucun cas être un prétexte pour ne pas respecter les prescriptions d'isolement et les mesures barrières prescrites ». Il s'agit notamment du lavage régulier des mains à l'eau et au savon ; le port systématique et obligatoire de masque facial ; le respect de la distanciation physique d'au moins un mètre avec ses proches ; la toux et l'éternuement dans le creux du coude ou en se couvrant le nez et la bouche avec un mouchoir.
Chaque responsable de service de santé est tenu de veiller à l'application des dispositions dans le respect strict des règles éthiques et déontologiques.

Pozitív várakozással tekintenek a kijárási korlátozások bejelentett vidéki enyhítésére a balatoni vendéglátósok, már megkezdték a teraszok előkészítését, várják a részletszabályokat.

Farmers are noticing an increase in the use of unfair trade practices (UTPs) in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, while the implementation of the EU regulation that should protect them is still in its early stages.

Le nombre de restaurants comme le chiffre d'affaires de la gastronomie en Suisse n'ont pas cessé de grimper malgré l'interdiction de la cigarette voici dix ans.

Les étrangers qui vont être renvoyés doivent être détenus dans un établissement spécialisé. A titre exceptionnel, cela peut être une prison.

Frustrés par les mesures d’urgence proposées par la Commission européenne pour soutenir l’agriculture, les eurodéputés demandent des efforts supplémentaires pour les fromages et le vin. Un article de notre partenaire, Ouest-France.

778 tonnes d’herbicides et de fongicides non conformes ou suspects ont été saisis à Anvers par l’Agence fédérale belge pour la sécurité de la chaîne alimentaire (Afsca). Un article de notre partenaire, le Journal de l’environnement.

La Commission européenne a lancé une nouvelle procédure formelle contre des réformes en Pologne. Varsovie dispose de deux mois pour apaiser les inquiétudes concernant une loi adoptée en décembre qui, selon l'exécutif européen, menace l'indépendance du pouvoir judiciaire

Le Ministère public soleurois mène une enquête pénale contre 15 personnes, soupçonnées d'avoir pris part à l'attaque d'un transport de fonds délesté de 4,5 millions de francs.

VIENNA, 30 April 2020 – How to address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic for the most vulnerable in our societies, especially for human trafficking victims and survivors, is the focus of a set of recommendations to governments published by the OSCE Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings Valiant Richey today.

Building on his earlier statement to OSCE participating States, Richey alerted governments to the risk that, without urgent and targeted action, this health and economic crisis becomes a human trafficking crisis, putting many more lives and the cohesion of our societies at risk. “The impact of the COVID-19 crisis on trafficking in human beings is deeply concerning. Our recommendations aim to support OSCE participating States in combating trafficking in human beings during and following the current crisis, as vulnerabilities will compound in the weeks and months to come,” he said.

The Special Representative stands ready to provide further support to participating States, including through tailored technical assistance for the development and implementation of anti-trafficking action plans and other legislative or policy efforts.

Prevention

1. Ensure universal access to essential economic and social welfare services, including unemployment aid, for all those who need them, regardless of their recent employment history. This will help prevent those affected by the economic impact of the crisis, including millions of unregistered domestic workers, from falling into the hands of traffickers.

2. Grant or extend temporary resident permits to migrants and asylum seekers, regardless of their legal status. This will increase their resilience by facilitating access to healthcare and other welfare services and will also help States’ authorities and social services promptly identify presumed victims of trafficking and better prevent future episodes of exploitation. 

3. Prioritize resources for exit services in high-risk sectors such as the prostitution industry. With purchasing of commercial sex artificially suppressed as a result of the lockdown, inclusive programmes ensuring support can be a powerful tool to break the cycle of exploitation and strengthen exit pathways, giving a real alternative to those in need.

Protection

4. Provide victims of trafficking with access to safe and immediate accommodation, health care and psychological assistance, to assist in their exit from trafficking and protect them from revictimization. Temporary quarantine accommodation prior to shelter placement has been identified as a promising practice to ensure compliance with COVID-19 prevention measures.

5. Extend for at least six months all protection and assistance measures for all victims of trafficking, including work permits and access to services, to ensure continuity in their social inclusion process beyond the current health crisis. Continue investments in rehabilitation programmes, as the risk of ‘losing’ those survivors who are already in transition is now particularly high due to the adverse economic situation. Provide online support to victims of trafficking inside and outside shelters. Psychological counselling, legal support as well as educational and training activities are examples of the services which might be temporarily provided remotely to ensure the continuity of victim’s support and to prevent re-trafficking.

6. Establish or strengthen hotlines for human trafficking, domestic violence and child abuse (including online) reporting, and broadly promote their services as a tool for the identification of presumed cases of human trafficking.

Prosecution

7. Ensure high alert among law enforcement and other first line responders to recognize and detect human trafficking. With traffickers likely to pivot to online exploitation, and with police, labour inspectors, social workers, healthcare professionals, educators and NGOs currently dramatically limited in their anti-trafficking efforts, detection and suppression efforts will have to adapt to a changing environment.

8. Ensure the continuity of the justice system to investigate and prosecute traffickers even in times of lockdown. For example, holding court via video or teleconferencing should be considered and actively pursued whenever possible as a tool to ensure timely justice and avoid re-traumatizing victims.

9. Investigators should be prepared as traffickers change their modus operandi, increasing online enforcement presence and employing advanced investigative instruments, including financial investigation tools to detect human trafficking in financial flows due to an increase in non-cash payments.

10. Plan systemic labour inspections of high-risk industries immediately after business operations resume. Agriculture, due to the summer harvest, is a prime example of an area to monitor with particular attention.

11. Once lockdown measures are lifted, keep a high law enforcement alert on forms of trafficking that are likely to increase in the near future, such as online exploitation and forced begging.

Partnership

12. Incentivize or mandate technology companies to identify and eradicate risks of human trafficking on their platforms, including by identifying and stopping distribution of child sexual abuse material online. Establish or strengthen law enforcement and judicial co-operation, including at the pre-trial stage, with countries of origin and destination in cases of online exploitation, especially of children.

Looking ahead

13. Plan ahead to ensure that the anti-trafficking community can respond adequately to another possible Coronavirus outbreak. The forecast for a second COVID-19 wave later this year highlights the need to ensure that assistance facilities, protection programmes, investigations and courts continue functioning during possible future lockdown measures.

La Tribune Afrique - Prévue le 1er juillet 2020, la mise en œuvre effective de la Zone de libre-échange continentale africaine est reportée....