Feed aggregator

Pas de cas de coronavirus variant omicron XBB détecté au Bénin. A travers un communiqué en date du 7 septembre 2023, le ministre de la Santé Benjamin Hounkpatin a réagi aux rumeurs faisant état d'une nouvelle forme de coronavirus au Bénin et rassure la population béninoise.

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres addresses the 22nd session of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues at the General Assembly Hall of the United Nations headquarters in New York City on 17 April 17 2023. Credit: Ed Jones/AFP via Getty Images

By Mandeep S.Tiwana
NEW YORK, Sep 7 2023 (IPS)

This September, world leaders and public policy advocates from around the world will descend on New York for the UN General Assembly. Alongside conversations on peace and security, global development and climate change, progress – or the lack of it – on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is expected to take centre-stage. A major SDG Summit will be held on 18 and 19 September. The UN hopes that it will serve as a ‘rallying cry to recharge momentum for world leaders to come together to reflect on where we stand and resolve to do more’. But are the world’s leaders in a mood to uphold the UN’s purpose, and can the UN’s leadership rise to the occasion by resolutely addressing destructive behaviours?

Sadly, the world is facing an acute crisis of leadership. In far too many countries authoritarian leaders have seized power through a combination of populist political discourse, outright repression and military coups. Our findings on the CIVICUS Monitor – a participatory research platform that measures civic freedoms in every country – show that 85% of the world’s population live in places where serious attacks on basic fundamental freedoms to organise, speak out and protest are taking place. Respect for these freedoms is essential so that people and civil society organisations can have a say in inclusive decision making.

UN undermined

The UN Charter begins with the words, ‘We the Peoples’ and a resolve to save future generations from the scourge of war. Its ideals, such as respect for human rights and the dignity of every person, are being eroded by powerful states that have introduced slippery concepts such as ‘cultural relativism’ and ‘development with national characteristics’. The consensus to seek solutions to global challenges through the UN appears to be at breaking point. As we speak hostilities are raging in Ukraine, Sudan, the Occupied Palestinian Territories and the Sahel region even as millions of people reel from the negative consequences of protracted conflicts and oppression in Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Syria and Yemen, to name a few.

Article 1 of the UN Charter underscores the UN’s role in harmonising the actions of nations towards the attainment of common ends, including in relation to solving international problems of an economic, social, cultural or humanitarian character, and to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. But in a time of eye-watering inequality within and between countries, big economic decisions affecting people and the planet are not being made collectively at the UN but by the G20 group of the world’s biggest economies, whose leaders are meeting prior to the UN General Assembly to make economic decisions with ramifications for all countries.

Economic and development cooperation policies for a large chunk of the globe are also determined through the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Established in 1961, the OECD comprises 38 countries with a stated commitment to democratic values and market-based economics. Civil society has worked hard to get the OECD to take action on issues such as fair taxation, social protection and civic space.

More recently, the BRICS – Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa – grouping of countries that together account for 40 per cent of the world’s population and a quarter of the globe’s GDP are seeking to emerge as a counterweight to the OECD. However, concerns remain about the values that bind this alliance. At its recent summit in South Africa six new members were admitted, four of which – Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates – are ruled by totalitarian governments with a history of repressing civil society voices. This comes on top of concerns that China and Russia are driving the BRICS agenda despite credible allegations that their governments have committed crimes against humanity.

The challenge before the UN’s leadership this September is to find ways to bring coherence and harmony to decisions being taken at the G20, OECD, BRICS and elsewhere to serve the best interests of excluded people around the globe. A focus on the SDGs by emphasising their universality and indivisibility can provide some hope.

SDGs off-track

The adoption of the SDGs in 2015 was a groundbreaking moment. The 17 ambitious SDGs and their 169 targets have been called the greatest ever human endeavour to create peaceful, just, equal and sustainable societies. The SDGs include promises to tackle inequality and corruption, promote women’s equality and empowerment, support inclusive and participatory governance, ensure sustainable consumption and production, usher in rule of law and catalyse effective partnerships for development.

But seven years on the SDGs are seriously off-track. The UN Secretary-General’s SDG progress report released this July laments that the promise to ‘leave no one behind’ is in peril. As many as 30 per cent of the targets are reported to have seen no progress or worse to have regressed below their 2015 baseline. The climate crisis, war in Ukraine, a weak global economy and the COVID-19 pandemic are cited as some of the reasons why progress is lacking.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is pushing for an SDG stimulus plan to scale up financing to the tune of US$500 billion. It remains to be seen how successful this would be given the self-interest being pursued by major powers that have the financial resources to contribute. Moreover, without civic participation and guarantees for enabled civil societies, there is a high probability that SDG stimulus funds could be misused by authoritarian governments to reinforce networks of patronage and to shore up repressive state apparatuses.

Also up for discussion at the UN General Assembly will be plans for a major Summit for the Future in 2024 to deliver the UN Secretary-General’s Our Common Agenda report, released in 2021. This proposes among other things the appointment of a UN Envoy for Future Generations, an upgrade of key UN institutions, digital cooperation across the board and boosting partnerships to drive access and inclusion at the UN. But with multilateralism stymied by hostility and divisions among big powers on the implementation of internationally agreed norms, achieving progress on this agenda implies a huge responsibility on the UN’s leadership to forge consensus while speaking truth to power and challenging damaging behaviours by states and their leaders.

The UN’s leadership have found its voice on the issue of climate change. Secretary-General Guterres has been remarkably candid about the negative impacts of the fossil fuel industry and its supporters. This July, he warned that ‘The era of global warming has ended; the era of global boiling has arrived’. Similar candour is required to call out the twin plagues of authoritarianism and populism which are causing immense suffering to people around the world while exacerbating conflict, inequality and climate change.

The formation of the UN as the conscience of the world in 1945 was an exercise in optimism and altruism. This September that spirit will be needed more than ever to start creating a better world for all, and to prove the UN’s value.

Mandeep S. Tiwana is chief officer for evidence and engagement + representative to the UN headquarters at CIVICUS, the global civil society alliance.

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Roger Benoit erzählt von seinen vielen Begegnungen mit Michael Schumacher. Die Geschichte interessiert. Und wird auf der ganzen Welt aufgegriffen.

Von Florida nach London wollte ein Mann aus den USA reisen. Aber nicht mit Flugzeug, sondern mit seinem selbstgebauten Gefährt, das aussieht wie ein überdimensionales Hamsterrad.

Mintegy 4,3 millió választópolgár adhatja le voksát a szeptemberi előrehozott parlamenti választáson. Közülük közel 185 ezer fiatal először szavazhat.

Written by Rafał Mańko.

The practice of European Commission presidents to deliver, each year in September, an EU State of the Union address, during a plenary session of the European Parliament, dates back to 2010. The address takes stock of the achievements of the past year and presents priorities for the year ahead. It is an important tool when it comes to the Commission’s ex-ante accountability vis-à-vis Parliament and is also aimed at rendering the definition of priorities at EU level more transparent and at communicating them to the public. The event chimes with similar practices in national democracies. The United States, for instance, has a long-standing tradition of presidential State of the Union addresses. In contrast to the US constitution, the EU Treaties do not prescribe a State of the Union address; the EU version was established by the 2010 Framework Agreement on relations between Parliament and the Commission.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s fourth State of the Union address, scheduled for 13 September 2023, will be the last address in this legislative mandate, ahead of the 2024 European elections. The Commission President is expected to outline the main priorities and flagship initiatives for the year to come, building on the EU’s successes and achievements of the past years. The address is to focus on ‘A stronger and more resilient European Union’ and is expected to address such issues as EU support for Ukraine, sanctions against Russia, the energy crisis, the green and digital transitions, as well protecting EU values, with particular focus on equality, inclusiveness and social fairness.

This briefing further updates an earlier one from September 2016, originally written by Eva-Maria Poptcheva.

Read the complete briefing on ‘State of the Union address, European Parliament, 2023‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Egy 52 éves nő éppen a fagyisbódé előtt várakozott Garamszentkereszten, amikor ellopták a pénztárcáját. Egy szemtanúnak köszönhetően őrizetbe vették a két magyar állampolgárt, majd társukat is elcsípték a rendőrök.

Les premières images de l’usine automobile Fiat à Oran ont été dévoilées aujourd’hui, le 7 septembre. Ces clichés détaillent le processus d’assemblage des véhicules qui […]

L’article Premières images depuis l’intérieur de l’usine Fiat à Oran [Photos] est apparu en premier sur .

Un enfant de trois ans a tragiquement perdu la vie après avoir été grièvement blessé par un cheval en furie. L’incident s’est produit à la […]

L’article Un enfant de 3 ans tué par un cheval en furie dans une plage de Boumerdes est apparu en premier sur .

L’UE veut recycler au moins 45 % de chaque matière première stratégique trouvée dans ses déchets, selon les plans votés par la commission de l’Industrie (ITRE) du Parlement européen jeudi (7 septembre).

A Szlovákiai Városok Uniója szerint feszültséget kelt a lakosság körében a migránsok átvonulása és jelenléte az országban.

Hans Leijtens, the head of the EU's border agency Frontex, is reluctant to launch operations in Africa, as discussions continue to secure agreements with Senegal and Mauritania.

D’après les informations d’EURACTIV France, le parti Reconquête d’Éric Zemmour souhaite rejoindre le groupe des Conservateurs et réformistes européens, dont la leader est la Première ministre italienne Giorgia Meloni, après les élections de 2024.

Le ministre des Transports Clément Beaune a annoncé jeudi 7 septembre la création d’un pass rail, similaire à celui lancé en Allemagne, afin de favoriser l’usage du train en France, souvent critiqué pour son prix trop élevé. 

Le Gouvernement italien et le Bureau d'ONU Femmes pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre ont procédé à la signature d'un accord de financement portant sur la mise en œuvre du « Projet d'appui au renforcement de la résilience, la protection et la participation des femmes et des filles dans les zones frontalières SENEGAL-MALI ».

Les conflits et l'extrémisme violent constituent des menaces pour la sécurité des populations, particulièrement les femmes et les filles, également en termes d'égalité des sexes et d'autonomisation. Ces défis exogènes, sont exacerbés par les effets latents de crises sanitaires, environnementales, politiques, développementales et humanitaires. D'ailleurs, ils risquent de produire des retombées négatives dans les zones frontalières comme celles entre le Sénégal et le Mali. Dans ces localités, un soutien aux efforts des autorités gouvernementales et des communautés locales se révèle précieux afin de protéger et de promouvoir les droits humains et la justice sociale.
Les habitants des zones frontalières, surtout les femmes et les filles, sont en effet davantage exposés à la précarité et ont du mal à accéder aux services de base. Dans ce contexte, l'égalité des sexes et l'autonomisation des femmes demeurent de réels enjeux qui nécessitent une action coordonnée.
Ainsi, le Gouvernement Italien a entrepris d'octroyer à ONU Femmes un financement à hauteur de deux millions d'euros qui contribuera à la mise en œuvre de réponses adéquates aux besoins des femmes et des filles habitant dans ces localités éloignées des grandes capitales.
C'est dans ce cadre que SEM Giovanni Umberto De Vito, Ambassadeur d'Italie au Sénégal déclare : « L'Italie attache une haute priorité, à travers la Coopération Italienne, à la réalisation de l'Agenda 2030 et des Objectifs de Développement Durable, notamment l'ODD 5 sur l'égalité de genre et l'ODD 16 sur la promotion de la paix et la justice ». Son départ de Dakar étant proche, l'Ambassadeur a mis en exergue le caractère symbolique de cet accord avec ONU Femmes qui ponctue son mandat pendant lequel il a œuvré pour renforcer les synergies entre interventions bilatérales et multilatérales. « L'entente avec ONU Femmes est pleinement en phase avec l'engagement de l'Italie dans la promotion d'un développement endogène, inclusif et basé sur les droits humains, en vue d'une égalité de droits entre femmes et hommes ».
En effet, par l'entremise de son Agence de coopération au développement (AICS), l'Italie soutient depuis plusieurs années ONU Femmes dans l'exécution de programmes et de projets visant à promouvoir l'égalité des sexes et l´autonomisation des femmes.
De ce fait, le Directeur de l'AICS de Dakar, Marco Falcone, a rappelé que « Les deux institutions interviennent depuis plusieurs années au Sénégal avec des programmes et des projets spécifiques visant l'égalité de genre et l´autonomisation des femmes. Ce nouveau programme répondra aux besoins des femmes et des filles vulnérables dans les régions transfrontalières du Sénégal (Kédougou et Tambacounda) et du Mali (Kayes) pour leur permettre de se remettre des conséquences des violences et des conflits et d'accroître leur résilience aux crises futures et renforcer leurs capacités à participer au maintien de la paix, à la prévention des conflits pour une paix durable. »
Madame Elena Ruiz Dabril, Directrice adjointe du Bureau Régional d'ONU Femmes pour l'Afrique de l'Ouest et du Centre a réaffirmé la volonté d'ONU Femmes d'accompagner les Etats du Mali et du Sénégal dans la prévention des conflits, la protection des zones vulnérables et des populations qui y vivent. Elle souligne : « Grâce à cette confiance renouvelée de l'AICS, nous allons accompagner les deux Etats dans le but de renforcer les mécanismes d'intégration du genre dans la gouvernance des frontières. A cet égard, nous ferons la promotion de la participation des femmes aux instances de prise de décision. Nous œuvrerons également pour l'égalité des sexes, l'éliminations des violences basées sur le genre ainsi que l'autonomisation des femmes. »
Cet événement a été marqué par la présence du ministère de la Femme, de la Famille et de la Protection des Enfants. Il fut également l'occasion pour toutes les parties prenantes de réaffirmer leur engagement à lutter contre les inégalités homme/femme et promouvoir des actions en faveur du bien-être des femmes et des filles.

Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo announced a set of 22 measures in response to concerns about crack abuse and insecurity around the Brussels Midi station — a key interchange for local, national, and international destinations from the capital city.

Written by Carmen-Cristina Cîrlig and Micaela Del Monte.

National provisions regarding the right to vote of citizens living abroad are far from being uniform in Europe. However, developments in legislation seem to underline a favourable trend with regard to out-of-country voting in most European Union (EU) Member States.

Concerning voting from abroad, countries need to carefully assess and address several issues. These include: the identification of potential voters; how to inform them about their right to vote and stand as a candidate from abroad; the design and implementation of timely registration processes; the training of staff in diplomatic missions (for in-person voting in consular and diplomatic missions); the design and implementation of secure voting procedures, as well as the possible transportation of ballots from abroad.

Against this background, the legal and practical arrangements for voting in the European elections for citizens who live, or who are temporarily outside, their home state vary a great deal between EU countries: most countries allow voting at embassies or consulates abroad, several countries allow citizens living abroad to vote by post, a few countries allow voting by proxy, and one (Estonia) allows electronic voting. On the other hand, there are four Member States which do not allow their citizens to vote abroad in the European elections (Czechia, Ireland, Malta and Slovakia).

Ahead of the European elections in June 2024, this briefing provides an overview of the national provisions concerning voting from abroad in the 27 EU Member States.

This briefing belongs to a series of publications being issued ahead of the 2024 European elections.

Read the complete briefing on ‘Voting from abroad in European Parliament elections‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

The Industry Committee adopted measures to boost the supply of strategic raw materials, crucial to secure the EU’s transition towards a sustainable, digital and sovereign future.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The Industry Committee adopted measures to boost the supply of strategic raw materials, crucial to secure the EU’s transition towards a sustainable, digital and sovereign future.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP

The Industry Committee adopted measures to boost the supply of strategic raw materials, crucial to secure the EU’s transition towards a sustainable, digital and sovereign future.
Committee on Industry, Research and Energy

Source : © European Union, 2023 - EP