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Die Hauptorgane der EU erzielten am Donnerstagabend (30. November) eine politische Einigung über das Gesetz über Cyberresilienz (CRA) und konnten damit ihre Differenzen in den letzten offenen Fragen überwinden.

Les travaux de construction de marchés modernes (phase 1) sont achevés dans plusieurs villes du Bénin et les populations s'impatient quant à leur mise en service. Le Secrétaire général adjoint du gouvernement et porte-parole du gouvernement, Wilfried Houngbédji a expliqué, vendredi 1er décembre 2023, lors d'une rencontre avec les journalistes à 24 Heures au Bénin, les raisons de la non opérationnalisation de ces infrastructures marchandes modernes.

On ne met pas du vin nouveau dans de vieilles outres. A l'image de cet adage religieux, plusieurs marchés modernes urbains sont prêts mais il y a un aspect auquel le gouvernement tient particulièrement avant leur ouverture. Ce détail important, le porte-parole du gouvernement l'a révélé lors de sa rencontre hebdomadaire avec les professionnels des médias. « (…) Quand on a fait ces marchés, initialement, il y a un aspect auquel on n'a pas pensé : le mobilier qui va y être déployé », a confié Wilfried Houngbédji, vendredi 1er décembre 2023 lors de sa rencontre hebdomadaire qui a eu pour cadre le siège du journal 24 Heures au Bénin.
Mais le Chef de l'Etat a donné des instructions. « (…) Il y a une commande qui a été passée en mobiliers. Il est possible que d'ici quelques temps, (...) les premiers (mobiliers, NDLR) arrivent et soient installés », a indiqué le porte-parole du gouvernement.
« L'Agence travaille, au modèle économique, au modèle d'entretien, avec la société partenaire qui avait été identifiée. Et quand tout ça sera prêt, nous allons ouvrir ces marchés pour le bonheur des usagers des marchés et davantage pour le bonheur des commerçants, des marchands qui y vont s'installer » , a ajouté Wilfried Houngbédji.
Le gouvernement tient, autant que les usagers des marchés, à l'ouverture de ces infrastructures marchandes dans les plus brefs délais. « (…) Nous sommes bien plus pressés que vous parce que les lauriers seront pour ceux qui ont fait ces marchés. (…) Et nous faisons en sorte que les chantiers qui ont connu des difficultés mais qui sont maintenant sous maîtrise avancent bien. Nous faisons en sorte qu'eux tous aboutissent et qu'au fur et à mesure, tous les marchés qui seront prêts soient ouverts avant la réalisation de la seconde phase », a rassuré le porte-parole du gouvernement.
M. M.

The agreement on the loss and damage fund to compensate the victims of climate change is the first major success of the COP28 climate summit in Dubai, but in practical terms, the figures put on the table will not make...

A long-standing conflict between the former president of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko and the incumbent Volodymyr Zelenskyy came to the light as Ukraine’s authorities stopped the former head of state from a visit the US, where he had important meetings planned.

The EU's proposed rules on late payments will deprive SMEs of the flexibility they require from their business partners, argues Alena Mastantuono.

C'est bientôt Noël et Le Courrier des Balkans a pensé à vous. Découvrez notre sélection : poésie, romans, essais, bande dessinée... Il y en a pour tout les goûts. Joyeuses Fêtes !

- Livres / Grand Bazar - Diaporama

If current trends persist, Zambia will face 115,000 preventable deaths and more than 486,000 people will be permanently disabled over the next 30 years. Credit: Shutterstock

By Nneka Henry and Dudley Tarlton
GENEVA, Dec 1 2023 (IPS)

Even as the world recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic it will still face an epidemic on its roads, claiming over one million lives and injuring up to 50 million people annually. Against this head-spinning backdrop, making decisions that allow us to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal target of a 50% reduction in road deaths can feel like walking blindfolded.

All is not well, but all is not lost, either.

Road crashes cost the Zambian economy USD 910 million annually, equivalent to 4.7% of Zambia’s GDP. Yet the case for action is strong. By investing now in road safety, Zambia can avert more than 50,000 deaths, prevent more than 130,000 permanent disabilities, and avoid USD 12.8 billion in economic costs over 30 years

Data and analysis serve as a guiding light, providing a factual basis to drive effective strategies and investments. Whether it is tobacco control, alcohol consumption, or other non-communicable diseases like road traffic injuries, tapping into data helps us understand trends, identify patterns, and predict potential return on investment outcomes.

The United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) was created in 2018 in part to help low- and middle-income countries unlock sustainable sources of domestic road safety financing. In 2023, the year that the world declared the end of the global COVID-19 public health emergency, the UN has been scaling up its work to prevent road traffic deaths before they happen in the countries with some of the world’s highest road traffic fatality rates.

Specifically, UNRSF partners have been advocating that a powerful solution lies in making a robust investment case for road safety. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has recognized the significant gains to be made across the SDG agenda by reducing the harm from road crashes, a level of harm that is too often treated as acceptable. Guided by its health strategy, UNDP is working with Ministries of Transport to make the case to Ministries of Finance and Planning for increased and sustainable investments in road safety.

In Zambia, for the first-time ever, the government and UNDP, financed by UNRSF, have been working on a national road safety financing investment case. In Zambia, there are 24.7 road deaths per 100,000 population every year, which exceeds the global road fatality rate of 18.2 per 100,000 population. If current trends persist, Zambia will face 115,000 preventable deaths and more than 486,000 people will be permanently disabled over the next 30 years.

The investment case provides Zambian decision-makers with the nationally-based data and advocacy messaging that can help set priority actions and investment allocations for the ultimate public health outcome of saving as many lives as possible from preventable road traffic death.

The case found that road crashes cost the Zambian economy USD 910 million annually, equivalent to 4.7% of Zambia’s GDP. Yet the case for action is strong. By investing now in road safety, Zambia can avert more than 50,000 deaths, prevent more than 130,000 permanent disabilities, and avoid USD 12.8 billion in economic costs over 30 years.

The report highlights five key interventions – speed bumps, roadside pathways, road crossings, post-crash prehospital care, and alcohol breath testing – which collectively offer a significant return on investment. By investing in road safety measures, Zambia can expect a return-on-investment of 2.3:1 over 5 years and 9.6:1 over 30 years​​. This indicates a significant long-term financial benefit from these interventions.

UNDP has successfully used health investment cases before to help policymakers advocate for increased investment in the health interventions that yield the greatest health and economic returns. The cases have focused on health challenges such as non-communicable diseases, mental health, air pollution, tobacco control and now road safety.

This data-driven approach would likely yield similar or even greater outcomes for road safety, where many road deaths could be prevented with just a modest amount of catalytic and reliable funding. Primary responsibility rests with governments, which can ensure sustainability through state resource allocations, as well as road user charges, fuel taxes, levies on private sector insurance, traffic fines revenues, and loans.

UN Road Safety Fund partners remain committed to building roadmaps and capacities within governments through the use of investment cases and other sources of data and analysis – including the 2023 Global Status Report on Road Safety which will be launched on 13 December.

As we cross the halfway mark for implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, a key funding priority for UNRSF partners will be to co-design and leverage compelling country investment cases for road safety, which can be used to build an investable pipeline of projects with a broader programmatic approach to road safety.

Investing in road safety is not just a financial decision – though the case for the economic benefits have been made – it is also a public health imperative that will save lives and reduce inequalities. By addressing the staggering human, economic, and societal costs of unsafe roads, a sustainable domestic financing framework can be unlocked, leading to a safer, more prosperous future for all.

Excerpt:

Nneka Henry is Head of UN Road Safety Fund and Dudley Tarlton is UNDP Programme Specialist-Health and Development

Family members have also complained of "abusive" treatment including arrests and searches.

Les ministres de la Santé de l’UE sont désireux d’accélérer la prise de mesures pour lutter contre les pénuries de médicaments et assurer une autonomie stratégique ouverte en matière de santé — un dossier sur lequel la Belgique devra se pencher à l’approche de sa présidence du Conseil qui débutera en janvier.

The rules aim to ensure the EU-wide protection of journalists, media organisations, activists, academics, artists and researchers against unfounded and abusive legal proceedings.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The rules aim to ensure the EU-wide protection of journalists, media organisations, activists, academics, artists and researchers against unfounded and abusive legal proceedings.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The rules aim to ensure the EU-wide protection of journalists, media organisations, activists, academics, artists and researchers against unfounded and abusive legal proceedings.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The rules aim to ensure the EU-wide protection of journalists, media organisations, activists, academics, artists and researchers against unfounded and abusive legal proceedings.
Committee on Legal Affairs

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

559485 Željka Šulc

TUZLA, 1 December 2023 - The OSCE Mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina, in co-operation with the Center against Trafficking in Works of Art (CPKU), hosted the exhibition “Missing Works of Art”, which was followed by a panel discussion on combatting illicit trafficking in cultural property in BiH.

The exhibition was an opportunity for the public to view reproductions of missing artworks from galleries, museums and private collections in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The exhibition also presented information on the destruction and theft at archaeological sites, confiscations, illegal sale of artifacts through social networks, use of metal detectors for illegal research and robberies, as well as on the International Council of Museums (ICOM) Red List of potentially endangered cultural heritage of Southeast Europe.

“The exhibition shall serve as a touching reminder that the fight against the illegal trafficking of art is not just a battle for the preservation of cultural artifacts; it is a battle for justice, a battle for the soul of collective heritage. So, let us all be inspired by works of art showcased here today, which have, time and again, triumphed over adversity and let us pledge to ensure that these missing pieces are not forgotten but become catalysts for change.” said Szabolcs Tuncsik, Senior Police Advisor at the OSCE Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina at the Exhibition’s opening.

After the exhibition, representatives of law enforcement agencies, ministries of culture, justice, representatives of the academic community, experts and representatives of non-governmental organizations discussed illegal art trade in BiH and abroad during a panel discussion. This resulted in the proposal of initiatives and conclusions aimed to address illegal trade in cultural goods organized crime and terrorism, as well as crimes that are financed from illegal art trade.

"For us, raising public awareness is an extremely important segment of activity. This exhibition is largely conceived as an educational one, with vast amount of information on the issue," said Dženan Jusufović, President of the Center against Trafficking in Works of Art. “There are three segments when it comes to the fight against theft and smuggling of cultural goods: research, repression and sensibility. In order to improve the situation in the country, it is important to continue raising public awareness and training professional staff, as this is the only way to protect cultural assets and prevent criminal groups from threatening security in Bosnia and Herzegovina”, he added. 

This exhibition and panel discussion were organized on the occasion of the International Day of Combating Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property, first adopted by UNESCO in 2019 to commemorate the signing of the 1970 Paris Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, as the major international legal instrument for combating illicit trafficking of cultural property.

Khoubaib Kouas, un nom qui résonne avec force dans l’univers du contenu numérique en Algérie et au-delà. À l’âge de 29 ans, ce YouTuber passionné […]

L’article Khoubaib Kouas, le Youtubeur algérien dans les « 30 under 30 » de Forbes Middle East est apparu en premier sur .

EU socialists are “appalled” by the centre-right European People's Party's silence in the face of attacks by their partner, Spanish far-right party Vox, against socialist offices in Spain and Brussels, the secretary-general of the Party of European Socialists (PES) said on Thursday. 

Un chanteur algérien annonce son retrait de la scène artistique suite au décès du chanteur Mohamed Bousmaha. En effet, dans une vidéo qui fait le […]

L’article Suite au décès de Mohamed Bousmaha, un chanteur de Raï se retire de la scène est apparu en premier sur .

Ce vendredi 01 décembre 2023, le Secrétaire Général Adjoint et Porte-parole du gouvernement Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji, a tenu sa rencontre hebdomadaire avec la presse au siège de 24 Heures au Bénin, à Cotonou. Les discussions se sont accentuées sur les questions relatives au conseil des ministres du 28 novembre dernier mais également des questions d'actualité.

Au menu, la dernière rencontre entre le chef de l'Etat et les représentants du parti politique Les Démocrates conduits par l'ancien président de la République, Dr Thomas Yayi Boni.
A la sortie de la rencontre tenue lundi dernier, une décision du chef de l'Etat a rapidement fait le tour des réseaux sociaux. C'est notamment celle du refus de Patrice Talon de gracier Reckya Madougou encore cette fois sur demande de Yayi Boni.

Interrogé ce vendredi sur cette décision du Président de la République, Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji n'est pas surpris. Il voit un chef de l'Etat qui est en pleine constance. « C'est un homme responsable qui assure sa position en homme d'Etat. Ce qui nous montre qu'un Etat doit avoir une ligne directionnelle qui le fait agir. Que ce n'est pas les émotions qui le font agir. Donc le Président a été plutôt honnête sur sa position. Celle qu'il avait déjà signifiée par le passé. Cela montre de la constance du chef de l'Etat. », a déclaré le SGAG.

Wilfried Léandre Houngbédji va soutenir le président Talon en faisant recours à la citation suivante : « A trop pardonner à celui qui est fautif, on fait offense à celui qui n'est pas fautif. »

J.S

Le projet de longue date du chancelier allemand de créer un « club climat » — auquel 33 membres devraient initialement adhérer, dont tous les pays du G7, le Chili et le Mozambique — verra enfin le jour lors du sommet de la COP28 à Dubaï.

559443 Communication and Media Relations Section David Dadge

During the 16 Days of Activism campaign, the OSCE Transnational Threats Department, the OSCE Mission to Serbia and the Serbian Justice and Interior Ministries delivered a training course helping police officers and prosecutors from several Serbian municipalities effectively respond to cases of violence against women and girls while maintaining a victim-centred approach.

“Being a victim of gender-based violence presents specific challenges. For instance, when you report an incidence of domestic violence to the police, you may be filing a claim against a person that you have lived with for many years, a person that you may be financially dependent on, a person you have children with. It is not easy to go to the authorities and ask them to arrest this person,” said Bjorn Tore Saltvik, project manager and OSCE Adviser on Police Development and Reform.“Joint training courses offer a valuable opportunity for both police officers and prosecutors to comprehend the importance of a victim-centered approach when dealing with gender-based violence cases,” said Miroslav Rakić, national trainer and Chief Prosecutor at the Basic Public Prosecution Office in Ruma.

The course – held from 27 November to 1 December in Vrnjačka Banja – was delivered by national police officers and prosecutors who had previously benefited from OSCE Transnational Threats Department’s train-the-trainers course in Warsaw, conducted in August 2022, as well as by other OSCE experts.

This training is the fifth in a series of OSCE training courses on gender-responsive policing of violence against women and girls, after the courses delivered in Albania, North Macedonia,  Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro. They are organized in the framework of the OSCE project Enhancing Criminal Justice Capacities for Combating Gender-based Violence in South-Eastern Europe,  funded by Germany, Norway, Finland, Austria, France and Italy.

The project contributes to the implementation of the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence.