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THE HAGUE, 22 March 2024 –The deadline for receiving nominations for the 2024 Max van der Stoel Award has been extended to 6 May 2024. The award of 50,000 euros recognizes extraordinary and outstanding achievements in improving the position of national minorities in the OSCE participating States.

Eligible candidates include international organizations, non-governmental organizations, research institutes, government bodies or individuals with a record of excellence in the field of improving the position and rights of national minorities in the OSCE area.

OSCE field operations, institutions, and delegations of the OSCE participating States may nominate candidates directly. Anyone else can propose an eligible candidate by contacting an OSCE institution, including the office of the HCNM, their local OSCE field operation or their delegation to the OSCE who will then decide whether to nominate the proposed candidate.

“In order to ensure transparency, fair competition and inclusiveness, my office will nominate all eligible and qualified candidates whose application it receives. I encourage all other OSCE entities to do the same by the 6 May deadline,” said OSCE HCNM Kairat Abdrakhmanov.

OSCE field operations, institutions and delegations should send their nominations directly to the office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities via email (mvds@hcnm.org), through the online form (maxvanderstoelaward.com) or by mail/diplomatic post to:

OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities
Max van der Stoel Award
Prinsessegracht 22
2514 AP The Hague
The Netherlands

After receiving all nominations, a special jury composed of distinguished experts of international repute and chaired by the High Commissioner will choose the winner. The award will be presented to the winner at a ceremony in The Hague in the autumn of 2024.

Established in 2001 by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, the award honours Max van der Stoel, a prominent Dutch statesperson who was the first OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, and aims to draw attention to issues related to national minorities.

More information about the award is available in this factsheet.

Les clients de MTN Mobile Money (MoMo) peuvent désormais effectuer des opérations de prêts via leur portefeuille avec le nouveau service ‘'Prêt Xpress''. Le produit a été lancé ce jeudi 21 mars 2024 à Cotonou à travers la campagne ‘'Djè Min'', en présence de la ministre du Numérique et de la Digitalisation, de la ministre des Affaires sociales et de la Microfinance et des directeurs généraux de MTN Mobile Money et Ecobank Bénin.

‘'Prêt Xpress'', c'est le nouveau service de prêt via MoMo, issu du partenariat entre MTN Bénin, Ecobank Bénin et Optasia. Il s'agit du premier produit de service de micro-prêt au Bénin qui cible les franges de la population exclues du système financier ou ne pouvant accéder facilement au crédit. « On s'est posé la question de savoir comment nous pouvons faire pour que chaque personne qui a un compte mobile money puisse bénéficier de prêt instantané en quelques secondes sans avoir à se déplacer », a indiqué le directeur général de MTN Mobile Money S.A. Selon Serge Soglo, l'ambition de MTN Mobile Money est de s'assurer que chaque béninois peu importe son lieu de résidence sur le territoire béninois ait accès aux services financiers. Prêt Xpress permet donc aux particuliers, aux professions libérales, micros et petites entreprises non bancarisées ou sous-bancarisées du Bénin (chauffeurs de taxi, artisans et vendeurs du marché), d'obtenir des micro-prêts via leur téléphone portable.

À en croire le directeur général de MTN Mobile Money, ce service s'intègre parfaitement dans la stratégie Nationale d'Inclusion Financière du gouvernement béninois. Il n'a pas manqué de remercier le directeur général de Ecobank qui s'est engagé passionnément dans la mise en œuvre du projet.

Pour le directeur général de Ecobank Bénin, ‘'Prêt Xpress'' est un produit accessible à tous, rapide et flexible. Le partenariat avec MTN Mobile Money, affirme-t-il, démontre de la volonté de la banque, d'adopter les technologies de pointe. « Aujourd'hui, faire du micro-crédit au Bénin avec le téléphone est désormais possible », a déclaré Lazare Noulekoun.

Procédant au lancement officiel du nouveau service, Aurelie Adam Soulé Zoumarou, s'est réjouie des actions menées par le gouvernement béninois pour rendre opérationnel l'accès des populations au micro crédit. L'écosystème numérique mis en place par le gouvernement a favorisé la concrétisation du projet "Prêt Express".

Le service ‘'Prêt Xpress'' est pour, la ministre du Numérique et de la Digitalisation, une innovation au Bénin. « Les populations vont pouvoir accéder à des prêts sans avoir besoin de faire des procédures compliquées ou d'aller vers des structures », a-t-elle relevé. La ministre du Numérique et de la Digitalisation a exhorté les directeurs généraux à faire en sorte que les populations béninoises puissent avoir autant d'innovation que celle de Prêt Xpress. « Je voudrais aussi vous lancer un défi ; celui de pouvoir faire en sorte que ce service puisse être au service des femmes et des jeunes du Bénin », a-t-elle ajouté.

Des conditions requises

Tous les clients ayant un compte MoMo depuis au moins 6 mois peuvent avoir accès au crédit. Pour être éligible, il faut avoir un compte MTN MoMo actif en effectuant régulièrement des transactions (transfert d'argent, retrait d'argent, paiement des factures, achat de crédit et de forfait etc). Aussi, l'abonné ne doit-il pas avoir de dette sur le service de prêt de crédit de communication sur MTN Bénin. Selon Brice Medo, Chef division produit à Ecobank Bénin, le client peut obtenir un prêt de 1000 FCFA jusqu'à 100.000 FCFA. « L'éligibilité se calcule en temps réel lorsque le client souscrit au service », a-t-il précisé. Le service ‘'Prêt Xpress'', souligne Brice Medo, favorise l'inclusion financière, l'autonomisation des entrepreneurs, la croissance économique et promeut la digitalisation.

Selon Jean Prospère Danzabe, manager Banktech à MTN Mobile Money, la mise en place du prêt nécessite un paiement de 11 % du montant que le client sollicite. Il y a le prêt standard avec une durée de 30 jours, celui de 7 jours et de 28 jours. Les taux des intérêts sont de 0.041 %/jr et 0.288 % /sem. Pour avoir un prêt plus élevé, le client doit augmenter son score de crédit en continuant à utiliser fréquemment les services MTN et MoMo et en remboursant le Prêt Xpress à temps. En cas de retard de paiement, un montant supplémentaire de 10% sera facturé en plus du montant impayé ‘'Prêt Xpress''.

L'inscription au service, informe Jean Prospère Danzabe, se fait via la syntaxe *880 # option 5, option 2, choisir ‘''Prêt Xpress', sélectionner oui pour accepter les conditions générales et saisir son code PIN MoMo pour valider. En cas d'assistance client, le client peut envoyer sa préoccupation via whatsApp au +22961000000, appeler gratuitement la ligne d'assistance clientèle au 111 ou se rendre dans l'un des centres de service de MTN MoMo.

Akpédjé Ayosso

Quelques images

Russia regards itself to be at war due to the West's intervention on Ukraine's side, the Kremlin said on Friday (22 March), shifting the language it uses to describe the conflict in an apparent move to prepare Russians for a longer and harder struggle.

En Belgique, le coût de la main-d’œuvre a augmenté presque deux fois plus que la moyenne européenne, une conséquence de la combinaison de l’inflation, de l’indexation salariale et des pénuries de main-d’œuvre, selon les observations faites par Eurostat ces dernières années et confirmées dans un nouveau rapport.

External parliamentary activities

Source : © European Union, 2024 - EP

L’ancien président catalan Carles Puigdemont a annoncé qu’il se présenterait à la tête de son parti séparatiste, Ensemble pour la Catalogne (JxCat), lors des élections anticipées qui se tiendront en Catalogne le 12 mai.

.Ireland, Malta, Slovenia, and Spain said on Friday (22 March) they are ready to recognise the state of Palestine as the “only way to achieve peace and security” in the war-ridden region.

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Rumänien plant den Einsatz kleiner modularer Reaktoren (SMR) als Teil seiner Bemühungen zur Reduzierung der Treibhausgasemissionen. Eine endgültige Investitionsentscheidung für ein neues Atomkraftwerk in Doicești soll im Jahr 2025 getroffen werden. 

Written by Eszter Fay with Niklas Dreier.

In the fast-evolving landscape of scientific research, the European Parliament’s Panel for the Future of Science and Technology (STOA) Academic Freedom Roundtable ‘Research Integrity in Open Science for Europe’ brought together researchers and European policymakers to discuss the challenges and opportunities presented by Open Science. Amidst insightful discussions on Open Science’s challenges and ethical dimensions, the event, held on 21 February 2024, invited us to question who truly benefits from Open Science’s promise of transparency and societal impact? How does Open Science reshape our understanding of research excellence?

Open Science as a policy priority for the European Union

As we navigate a time where scepticism toward science is prevalent, STOA Vice-Chair Ivars Ijabs (Renew, Latvia) underscored the need to increase transparency and trustworthiness in scientific endeavours by facilitating Open Science. EU Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education, and Youth Iliana Ivanova reaffirmed the EU’s policy commitment to promoting Open Science. Yet, in this very endeavour, Commissioner Ivanova emphasised the importance of developing assessment methods that measure research excellence beyond traditional measures such as citations. The evaluative focus, she noted, should be on rewarding and fostering research with a positive societal impact. These introductory remarks thus raised the question: Who benefits from Open Science research?

Open Science for and by whom?

Professor Frank Miedema, from the University of Utrecht, stressed in his keynote on ‘Science in Transition’ the need to question why and for whom we should pursue Open Science. He advocated for a shift from ‘science for science’ to ‘science for society’, echoing Commissioner Ivanova’s position. While advocating for more data accessibility, Professor Miedema also highlighted the importance of considering scenarios where withholding research data might be pertinent. Likewise, Marcel Bogers, Professor of Open & Collaborative Innovation at Eindhoven University of Technology, cautioned against excessive data openness, drawing parallels between Open Science and his expertise in open innovation. Referring to a recent open innovation study, he demonstrated that beyond an optimal threshold, excessive openness may detrimentally affect performance. Professor Bogers asserted that advancing Open Science would require a reassessment of how research is incentivised, alluding to challenges linked to fostering and evaluating the excellence of Open Science research.

Assessing research quality: Challenges to Open Science

The subsequent panel discussed the challenges hindering the transition to Open Science. Dr Elizabeth Gadd, Head of Research Culture & Assessment at Loughborough University, underscored the need to revamp the incentive and assessment system for research. Dr Gadd introduced the INORMS SCOPE Framework as a solution to assess research quality beyond traditional citation metrics, thereby also mitigating global inequalities in scientific output assessment. The SCOPE framework, an acronym for START, CONTEXT, OPTIONS, PROBE, and EVALUATE, offers a comprehensive five-stage model for responsible research evaluation, guiding evaluators in planning and assessing research endeavours. This framework is based on three principles advocating a discerning and strategic approach to evaluation. First, evaluating only where necessary, stressing the importance of considering alternative strategies. Second, evaluating with the evaluated, emphasising collaboration and inclusivity by involving the communities or individuals under evaluation. Third, drawing on evaluation expertise, underscoring the necessity for a thorough and informed evaluation process aligned with academic research standards to ensure validity, reliability and comprehensive understanding.

Signe Mezinska, Associate Professor at the University of Latvia, emphasised the social disparities within the scientific community and across countries, especially regarding the economic costs associated with publishing according to Open Science principles. Elaborating on these inequalities, Henriikka Mustajoki, Head of Development, Open Science, Finland, grounded the justification for the Open Science movement in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. While advocating for data accessibility to all, she acknowledged the potential systemic pressures that widespread openness might pose to Open Science researchers’ academic freedom and freedom of speech. Kadri Simm, Chair of Practical Philosophy at the University of Tartu, and Olivier Le Gall, Chair of the French Advisory Board on Research Integrity, further identified potential challenges arising from emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, particularly regarding confidentiality in handling diverse data sources. To address these challenges, the experts on the panel delved into the ethical dimensions of Open Science and discussed the Responsible Open Science in Europe (ROSiE) guidelines as a potential solution to ethical conflicts.

An ethical framework for Open Science: Responsible Open Science in Europe (ROpen ScienceiE) general guidelines and academic freedom

Professor Rose Bernabe from the University of Oslo presented the ROSiE guidelines project and advocated for their inclusion in the European definition of academic freedom. Funded by the EU’s research and innovation programme Horizon 2020, the project aims to collaboratively develop and foster foundational tools that facilitate responsible Open Science and research integrity. As Dr Simm noted that specific approaches to Open Science conflict with each other, she also emphasised that the ROpen ScienceiE guidelines represent a promising initial move towards establishing a comprehensive ethical framework for Open Science.

The STOA Academic Freedom Roundtable highlighted the complexity and urgency of navigating the Open Science landscape. The event not only underscored the benefits of Open Science but also called attention to the challenges, which demand collaborative solutions. As we chart a course towards Open Science, embracing diverse perspectives and establishing responsible guidelines will be crucial to ensuring a future where research serves society while preserving academic freedom and ethical integrity.

For more details, you can watch the event recording.

Read the ESMH interview with Teodora Konach from the ROSiE project on ‘Paving the way towards responsible open science‘.

Your opinion matters to us. To let us know what you think, get in touch via stoa@europarl.europa.eu and follow us on X at @EP_ScienceTech.

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Simon Harris, set to become Ireland's youngest ever taoiseach (prime minister), will hope his social media skills and fresh face can save his party's flagging fortunes as elections loom.

Welcome to Euractiv’s Tech Brief, your weekly update on all things digital in the EU.

Millions of children are suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan. Credit: Learning Together

By External Source
KABUL, Mar 22 2024 (IPS)

Malnutrition in Afghanistan has reached an unprecedented level, according to United Nations humanitarian organizations. It is estimated that half of the country’s population grapples with severe hunger year-round, placing Afghanistan among the top ten nations globally with the highest rates of maternal and infant mortality due to malnutrition.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is experiencing a budget shortfall, and without additional funding support thousands of Afghan children may die from acute malnutrition, the organization sounded out in a recent tweet.

The World Food Programme (WFP) estimates that between May and October 2023, 15.5 million people faced severe food insecurity, with 2.8 million in emergency situations.

According to WFP, four million people, including 3.2 million children under five years are suffering from acute malnutrition in Afghanistan.

It largely stems from the worsening economic situation that has gripped the war-torn country within the last few years. Pregnant women do not have adequate access to proper nutrition both before and after birth, which cascades down to affect their infants.

The widespread hunger and malnutrition among the most vulnerable population groups in the country is also exacerbated by the rule of Taliban who returned to power in 2021.

The hard-line Islamists have banned women from engaging in salaried employment, which in turn has decreased the level of humanitarian assistance reaching women most in need.

For instance, Soheila, the mother of a malnourished child, gave a moving narrative of how the death of her husband has deepened poverty in the family. She became the sole breadwinner of the family, even though her earnings from working in a hairdressing salon could barely meet their needs, all of which dried up when the Taliban assumed power and she was no longer allowed to work.

Soheila and her two small children no longer have enough food and have resorted to begging in front of bakeries and around neighbours’ houses just to eat once a day.

Even though the Taliban Ministry of Health does not provide any statistics on the deaths of mothers and children due to malnutrition, international organizations and doctors working in the country provide a grim picture facing women and children in the country.

Last year, the United Nations Population Fund reported that Afghanistan is one of the countries with the highest maternal mortality rate in Asia and the Pacific, with 638 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.

Jan Egeland, head of the Norwegian Refugee Council, recently raised concerns about the worsening situation of malnutrition in Afghanistan. According to him, a significant number of children and women in 25 of Afghanistan’s 36 provinces are suffering from malnutrition.

Dr. Hamidullah Ahmadi, physician at the nutrition department of Kabul Children’s Health Hospital, says that the number of malnourished patients has increased compared to previous years due to poverty and the economic crisis.

He added that dozens of malnourished children are registered every day, in serious need of medical attention. Some of them suffer from moderate to acute malnutrition with imminent risk of severe health complications and death.

Dr. Soraya (pseudonym), an official of the nutrition department at the Children’s Health Hospital in Kabul, says the number of malnourished patients attending the facility has increased threefold in the last year, far below the medicines and material they receive from international organizations to treat them.

Soraya requests that aid organizations and the World Food Program address the issue of famine and hunger among Afghan children as soon as possible to avoid the occurrence mass starvation of children.

Excerpt:

The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons