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In Europe and around the world, opposition to China's unilateral changes to the status quo in the Taiwan Strait has become a general consensus. It is a critical element in maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond, writes Roy Lee.

Kolin Inşaat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret
Freedom of establishment
AG Collins: only economic operators established in countries party to international agreements on public contracts that bind the EU may rely on provisions of the Public Procurement Directives

Kolin Inşaat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret
Letelepedés szabadsága
AG Collins: only economic operators established in countries party to international agreements on public contracts that bind the EU may rely on provisions of the Public Procurement Directives

Kolin Inşaat Turizm Sanayi ve Ticaret
Liberté d'établissement
Avocat général Collins : seuls les opérateurs économiques établis dans des pays parties à des accords internationaux en matière de marchés publics qui lient l’Union peuvent se prévaloir des dispositions de la directive sur les marchés publics

La coopération entre le Royaume du Maroc et les pays africains dans le domaine de la santé vient de franchir une nouvelle étape. La preuve en a été donnée, le 6 mars 2024, par SAR la Princesse Lalla Asmae et la Première Dame de Côte d'Ivoire, qui ont lancé le programme de dépistage néonatal de la surdité dans la région de Rabat-Salé-Kénitra. La cérémonie s'est déroulée en présence de plusieurs diplomates africains et autres personnalités dont l'ambassadeur de la République du Bénin au Maroc, SEM. Serge Dagnon.

Son Altesse Royale la Princesse Lalla Asmae et la Première Dame de Côte d'Ivoire, Mme Dominique Ouattara, ont lancé, mercredi dernier, à la maternité du Centre hospitalier Moulay Youssef, le programme de dépistage néonatal de la surdité dans la région de Rabat-Salé-Kénitra.

Ce programme de prortée continentale a pour objectifs le diagnostic précoce des troubles auditifs chez les nouveau-nés, leur prise en charge pour retrouver l'ouïe grâce notamment aux implants cochléaires et à l'accompagnement orthophonique, ainsi que l'échange d'expériences et d'expertises entre les médecins marocains et leurs confrères des pays africains frères et amis.

SAR la Princesse Lalla Asmae et Mme Dominique Ouattara ont rendu visite aux enfants africains opérés la veille, avant d'assister à un cours d'orthophonie et à un autre de dissection donné aux médecins ORL africains.

Les deux personnalités ont présidé la cérémonie de signature de trois conventions entre, d'une part, la Fondation Lalla Asmae, et, d'autre part, Royal Air Maroc, Bank of Africa et la Fondation Mohammed VI des Sciences et de la Santé.

La première convention a été signée par le directeur de la Fondation Lalla Asmae, M. El Abbes Bouhlal, et le président directeur général de Royal Air Maroc, M. Abdelhamid Addou, la deuxième par M. Bouhlal et le directeur général de Bank of Africa group, M. Amine Bouabid et la troisième convention par M. Bouhlal et le directeur délégué de la Fondation Mohammed VI des Sciences et de la Santé, M. Younes Bjijou.

A la fin de la cérémonie, Son Altesse Royale la Princesse Lalla Asmae et Mme Dominique Ouattara ont reçu les salutations des représentants du Lions International d'Afrique, dont Dr Manoj Shah, vice-président du Lions International et Représentant d'Afrique, M. Ahmed Salem, directeur international Zone Constitutionnelle Afrique du Lions International et M. Hasting Chiti, Past Directeur International Zone Constitutionnelle Afrique du Lions International.

À leur arrivée au Centre hospitalier Moulay Youssef, les deux Grandes Dames ont reçu les honneurs des Forces Auxiliaires avant d'être saluées par le ministre de la Santé et de la Protection Sociale, M. Khalid Ait Taleb, la ministre de la Solidarité, de l'Insertion Sociale et de la Famille, Mme Aawatif Hayar, et le ministre de la Jeunesse, de la Culture et de la Communication, M. Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid.

SAR la Princesse Lalla Asmae et la Première Dame d'Abidjan ont aussi reçu les salutations de l'ambassadeur de la République du Bénin au Maroc, M. Serge Dagnon, l'ambassadeur de la République du Niger au Maroc, M. Salissou Ada, l'ambassadeur de la République du Sénégal au Maroc, Mme Seynabou Dial, l'ambassadeur de la République de Guinée-Conakry au Maroc, M. Namory Traoré, le chargé d'affaires de la République du Togo au Maroc, M. Messan Amakoé Klutse, le chargé d'affaires de la République du Mali au Maroc, M. Tigana Bambo, le chargé d'affaires de la République de Côte d'Ivoire au Maroc, M. Yves Tadet, l'ambassadeur du Maroc en Côte d'Ivoire, M. Abdelmalek Kettani, et l'ambassadeur, directeur général de l'Agence Marocaine de Coopération Internationale, M. Mohamed Methqal.

Elles ont égalements reçu les salutations du wali de la région de Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, gouverneur de la préfecture de Rabat, M. Mohamed Yacoubi, le président du Conseil régional de Rabat-Salé-Kénitra, M. Rachid El Abdi, le wali, coordinateur national de l'Initiative Nationale pour le Développement Humain, M. Mohammed Dardouri, le président du conseil préfectoral de Rabat, M. Abdelaziz Derouiche, le 1er vice-président du conseil communal de Rabat, M. Aziz Lomaini, le président du Conseil de l'arrondissement de Hassan, M. Driss Errazi, le coordinateur de la Fondation Lalla Asmae, M. Karim Essakalli, le directeur de la Fondation Lalla Asmae, M. El Abbes Bouhlal, le directeur Général du CHU Ibn Sina de Rabat, M. Raouf Mouhsine, la directrice régionale du ministère de la Santé et de la Protection Sociale, Mme Noria Saidi, la directrice du Centre hospitalier Moulay Youssef, Mme Leila Derfoufi, le directeur de l'hôpital des Spécialités de Rabat, M. Yassir Arkha et les partenaires de la Fondation Lalla Asmae.

Dans le cadre de cette coopération sud-sud, six (06) enfants béninois, accompagnés de leurs parents et d'un médecin orthophoniste se sont rendus au Maroc l'année dernière (2023) pour bénéficier de ce programme initié par SAR la Princesse Lalla Asmae.
Cette année (2024), six (06) autres enfants avec leurs parents et un orthophoniste se sont rendus aussi au Maroc pour bénéficier de ce programme lancé par SAR la Princesse et la Première Dame de Côte d'Ivoire.

IAB Europe
Auctioning of personal data for advertising purposes: the Court of Justice clarifies the rules under the GDPR

IAB Europe
Auctioning of personal data for advertising purposes: the Court of Justice clarifies the rules under the GDPR

IAB Europe
Vente aux enchères de données à caractère personnel à des fins publicitaires : la Cour clarifie les règles sur la base du RGPD

564305 "Women, Water Management and Conflict Prevention — Phase III" Women in Water Management in Central Asia and Afghanistan

Addressing the need for women’s empowerment in the water sector, the “Women in Water Diplomacy Global Network Forum” took place in Vienna from 4 to 7 March.

The event, which gathered more than 80 water management experts and networks from across the globe, provided a platform for exchange on best practices and experiences on gender mainstreaming and addressing strategic challenges related to water management and security among women water professionals from around the world.

“Despite evidence that women’s engagement in the water sector is very effective, a gender gap still persists,” said OSCE Secretary General Helga Maria Schmid as part of her opening remarks. “We must ensure that the water sector becomes more gender aware and that women are given the necessary skills and tools they need to advance their careers in this sector.”

The Office of the Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities co-organized the Global Network Forum in partnership with the Stockholm International Water Institute (SIWI), the Regional Environmental Centre for Central Asia (CAREC) and the Environment Law Institute (ELI).

Alongside water management experts, global networks including the OSCE-SIWI-CAREC Women in Water Management in Central Asia and Afghanistan Network, the Women-in-the-Nile Network and other counterparts from Africa, North America and South America, joined the event.

“I am particularly proud that the Women in Water Management Network in Central Asia and Afghanistan now represents a best practice and a unique opportunity for all of us to engage in open discussions to learn from each other and exchange on current challenges in the water sector,” said Ambassador Bakyt Dzhusupov, Co-ordinator of OSCE Economic and Environmental Activities.

Key highlights of the Forum include:

• Identifying synergies, networking and cooperation opportunities for water professionals in the context of peace building and security
• Addressing inclusive water governance
• Anticipating challenges, taking a systemic perspective and investing in the next generation of water diplomats

The Women in Water Diplomacy Global Network Forum aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 5 (Gender Equality) and Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation). Building on the collective expertise and collaboration of women in the water sector, the event has the potential to make a tangible impact on inclusive forward-looking water governance and contribute to the Water Action Agenda derived from the UN 2023 Water Conference.

Die Ukraine ist bereit, vorübergehende Handelsbeschränkungen mit der EU zu akzeptieren, sofern die EU ein Verbot für russische Getreideimporte verhängt. Dies erklärte der ukrainische Handelsminister Taras Kachka gegenüber der Financial Times. 

Die EU hat erneut ein Zeichen für die Landwirte gesetzt, die seit Wochen in der gesamten EU protestieren. Die belgische EU-Ratspräsidentschaft hat eine politische Botschaft zur Unterstützung der Landwirte in ihren Kompromissentwurf zum umstrittenen EU-Lieferkettengesetz aufgenommen, den Euractiv einsehen konnte.

Frankreich bereite sich darauf vor, seine und Europas Ernährungssouveränität wiederzuerlangen, sagte Landwirtschaftsminister Marc Fesneau vor dem Verteidigungsausschuss des Parlaments. Er betonte, dass Lebensmittel zu einer "Waffe" geworden seien und die EU "ihre Naivität überwinden" müsse.

Der schwedische Ministerpräsident Ulf Kristersson und Außenminister Tobias Billström sind am Mittwoch nach Washington gereist. Dort soll Schweden in den kommenden Tagen offiziell der NATO beitreten. 

Die italienische Mitte-Rechts-Partei Forza Italia möchte, dass die Rechtspartei von Ministerpräsidentin Giorgia Meloni der Europäischen Volkspartei (EVP) beitritt. Damit soll der Einfluss Italiens im Europäischen Parlament gestärkt werden, erklärte der Europaabgeordnete Salvatore De Meo gegenüber Euractiv.

Credit: Equality Now, Tara Carey

By Antonia Kirkland and Bryna Subherwal
NEW YORK, Mar 7 2024 (IPS)

Women’s economic opportunities, rights, and well-being are being denied worldwide by sex-discriminatory laws and policies that curtail women’s access to employment, equal pay, property ownership, and inheritance.

Governments need to take urgent action to repeal or amend sex-discriminatory legislation that is hampering not only the socio-economic progress of women and their families but also of their countries.

The World Bank’s Women, Business, and the Law 2024 report, released this week, finds that none of the 190 countries surveyed has achieved legal equality for women, not even in the wealthiest economies. Women have only 64% of the legal rights that men enjoy, and globally, they earn just 77 cents of each dollar a man earns.

Closing the gap could raise global gross domestic product (GDP) by over 20%, the report says. But at the current pace of reform, the UN estimates it will take until 2310 to remove discriminatory laws against women and close the gender gaps in legal protection.

Sex Discrimination in Economic Status Laws

The 68th Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) provides an important opportunity to hold governments to account for their effectiveness in protecting and advancing women’s rights, including economic rights.

CSW is held annually in March at the UN in New York, and the theme for 2024 focuses on accelerating the achievement of gender equality and empowerment of women and girls through addressing poverty.

To shed further light on discriminatory laws that impinge on women’s economic choices and financial independence, a policy brief by Equality Now, Words & Deeds: Sex Discrimination in Economic Status Laws – 2024 Update, highlights examples of economic status laws that governments promptly need to reform or remove. These laws are found around the world – including in countries considered to be progressive. A few of the many examples are:

In Brazil, women are required by law to retire earlier than men.

• In Cameroon, a husband can legally administer and dispose of his wife’s property.

• In Chile, there is a legal presumption that a husband will have full control of all marital property, as well as any property owned by their wives.

In China, women are legally prohibited from engaging in certain trades, including any which the State specifies female workers “should avoid.”

• In Ireland, fathers can only access 2 weeks of paternity leave, considerably less than mothers. Although an improvement from the law prior to 2016, which stipulated that the mother had to die before a father could obtain benefits, all parents should be treated equally.

• In Madagascar, women are forbidden by law from undertaking any form of night work, except in family establishments.

• In Sri Lanka, a married woman is restricted from disposing of and dealing with property, such as land, without the written consent of her husband.

In Tunisia, laws exist that limit women’s inheritance rights and stipulate sons inherit twice as much as daughters.

Sex-discriminatory laws disadvantage women in many ways

By restricting women’s full economic and social participation, sex-discriminatory laws trap many in poverty and dependence, making them more vulnerable to exploitation and mistreatment by relatives, partners, employers, and the wider society.

Discriminatory family laws can limit women’s ability to consent to marriage and divorce, retain custody of their children following divorce, and access their fair share of wealth in matrimony and inheritance. For example, 43 countries do not grant widows the same inheritance rights as widowers, and 41 prevent daughters from inheriting the same proportion of assets as sons.

Equitable ownership promotes wealth creation and provides economic stability, but 77 countries have at least one constraint on women’s property rights.

In some countries, the law stipulates women must “obey” their husbands and/or male guardians. This puts them at greater risk of domestic abuse, including marital rape, and makes it harder to access justice when their human rights are violated.

A lack of constitutional equality also harms women. In the United States, the US Constitution does not explicitly prohibit discrimination against women. Supporters are calling for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to be incorporated, as this would effectively categorize sex as a “protected class” alongside race, religion, and national origin, giving women greater economic rights.

Impacting women’s career and earning potential

Occupational freedom is associated with better job opportunities, earning potential, and professional advancement. Yet 59 countries have laws preventing women from working in specific jobs, and 19 countries allow husbands to legally prevent their wives from working.

Stereotyped traditional gender roles can also leave women shouldering the burden of unpaid domestic labor. Childcare falls almost exclusively on mothers, with women performing 2.8x more unpaid care and domestic work than men. And only 55 countries have paid parental leave laws available to either parent.

Care responsibilities can prevent women from engaging in paid work, limit their career progression, and reduce their income. Additionally, it can make it harder for women to enter or re-enter the labor force, start or run a business, or access retirement funds.

All this contributes to women being overrepresented in insecure, low-paid, and unregulated jobs. It also fuels the gender pay gap, with women often earning less than men for equivalent work. Deplorably, 92 countries fail to guarantee equal pay for equal work. This inequity is compounded when women are denied equal access to pensions on the same basis as men.

Meanwhile, legal systems and social norms frequently undervalue non-financial contributions to family welfare. This is particularly common when marital assets are divided upon divorce oror death, as family laws in many countries only take account of monetary contributions by each spouse.

These obstacles are exacerbated when women’s reproductive rights are curtailed through measures such as abortion bans. Countries like France, which just this week enshrined guaranteed access to abortion in its Constitution, will be better able to leverage women’s economic participation by ensuring their right to bodily autonomy.

Investing in women’s rights benefits everyone

Economic and gender inequalities are intimately linked, and it’s not an exaggeration to say inequality kills. The relationship between gender inequality in the law and peace and economic prosperity is well documented.

The COVID-19 pandemic caused skyrocketing rates of unemployment and damaged the global economy. Although the shock reverberated across industries and communities, women bore the brunt. Preventing future global crises and recessions requires prioritizing changes now to achieve legal equality for women.

Investing in this isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s smart economically. Full legal equality would maximize economic participation by women, adding up to $28 trillion of wealth into the worldwide economy every year, McKinsey estimates.

Holding countries to account for advancing women’s rights

The CSW is a space for governments, civil society, UN bodies, and other stakeholders to discuss challenges and formulate strategies and policies that set best practice global standards on gender equality.

Part of this entails reviewing the implementation of commitments made by countries in various international agreements, such as the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, which was agreed by 189 UN member states in 1995. The Platform for Action clearly outlines what governments must do to guarantee equality and non-discrimination under the law and promote women’s economic rights.

As governments come together once again at CSW, it’s time to tell them: unlock women’s potential by investing in legal equality. Governments need to address the whole ecosystem of laws and policies to ensure women are not concentrated in the lowest-paid or unregulated jobs and aren’t effectively forced to leave the workforce to take up (unpaid) care responsibilities. And once progressive laws – such as equal pay for equal work – are adopted, governments must robustly implement them.

Ending legal discrimination will enable women to flourish and communities to thrive, boosting global productivity and stimulating economic prosperity across all nations, and for the benefit of all.

Antonia Kirkland is Global Lead, Legal Equality & Access to Justice at Equality Now; Bryna K. Subherwal is Global Head of Advocacy Communications at Equality Now.

Equality Now is a feminist organization using the law to protect and promote the human rights of all women and girls. Since 1992, it’s international network of lawyers, activists, and supporters have held governments responsible for achieving legal equality and ending sexual exploitation, sexual violence, and harmful practices.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Excerpt:

The following opinion piece is part of series to mark International Women’s Day, March 8.

Die EU steht kurz davor, sich auf einen gemeinsamen Ausstieg aus einem umstrittenen Abkommen zum Schutz von Energieinvestitionen zu einigen. Aktivisten sehen in dem Abkommen ein Hindernis auf dem Weg der EU zur Klimaneutralität.

Die linke La France Insoumise (LFI, GUE/NGL) hat am Mittwoch (6. März) ihre Kandidatenliste für die EU-Wahlen vorgestellt. Die Co-Fraktionsvorsitzende der Linken im Europaparlament, Manon Aubry, soll sie anführen.

Die Präsidentin der Europäischen Kommission, Ursula von der Leyen, wird diese Woche Zypern besuchen. Dort sollen Gespräche über einen maritimen Hilfskorridor von der Insel nach Gaza geführt werden, wie am Mittwoch (6. April) bekannt gegeben wurde.

Auf dem gestrigen Parteikongress der EVP ging es trotz weit propagierter Harmonie heiß her. Schon am Morgen ließ die österreichische ÖVP über die Medien ausrichten, dass man sich bei der Abstimmung zum gemeinsamen Parteiprogramm enthalten wolle.