En vacances, beaucoup de Belges n’arrivent pas à couper les ponts avec le bureau. Plus d’un sur trois consulte ses e-mails ou décroche son téléphone professionnel en congé. Une nouvelle étude montre que ce comportement n’est pas forcément négatif, mais qu’il existe une limite à ne pas franchir.
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La bataille n'est peut-être pas terminée, car ni Bruxelles ni les États membres ne semblent disposés à abandonner ces secteurs clés. La France a notamment exprimé l'espoir que l'exemption puisse encore être négociée.
The post Droits de douane américains : l’UE n’obtient pas d’exemption pour le vin et les spiritueux, mais espère un revirement appeared first on Euractiv FR.
Die Bedrohung im Cyber- und Informationsraum geht maßgeblich von autoritären Staaten wie Russland, China, Nordkorea und Iran aus, die hybride Netzwerke aus staatlichen und nichtstaatlichen Akteuren einsetzen, um Verantwortung zu verschleiern und Konflikte zu eskalieren. Langfristige Analysen verdeutlichen ihre hohe operative Aktivität und die zunehmende Vermischung von Akteursrollen. Die EU reagiert darauf mit einem umfangreichen diplomatischen Reaktionsrahmen, dessen Wirkung aber höchst umstritten ist. Eine grundlegende Reform der europäischen Cybersicherheitspolitik sollte daher dem Janus-Prinzip folgen: Sie sollte sich konsequent einem Check-up ineffizienter Strukturen und Prozesse stellen und dabei gleichzeitig die technologischen Entwicklungen in den Blick nehmen. Fünf konkrete Reformansätze bieten sich für die EU Cyber Posture an, um Synergien zu heben und eine wirksame, belastbare Antwort auf die dynamischen Bedrohungen zu finden.
Les incendies qui ravagent le sud de l’Europe cet été révèlent un paradoxe : les terres agricoles sont à la fois des victimes des flammes et des barrières contre leur propagation.
The post Les terres agricoles, victimes et boucliers face aux incendies en Europe appeared first on Euractiv FR.
Following Achim Steiner’s June 2025 departure, the questions loom: Who will replace him? What sort of person does UNDP need? And why does it even matter? Credit: Shutterstock
By Felix Dodds and Chris Spence
SAN FRANCISCO, California / APEX, North Carolina, US, Aug 22 2025 (IPS)
In June this year, UNDP bade farewell to Achim Steiner. The ninth Administrator in UNDP’s history had completed a second four-year term in office.
Who will replace him? According to our sources, several strong candidates applied for the post by the June 9 deadline. Regional consultations are now taking place to figure out who will get the nod. In the meantime, UNDP’s deputy head, Haoliang Xu, has been serving as acting Administrator since June 17.
What sort of person does UNDP need? And why does it even matter?
Difficult Political World
The current political landscape has become widely polarized, marked by increased division and negativity, both within countries and globally. This is fueled by factors such as partisan polarization among policymakers and the electorate, as well as growing public dissatisfaction with the performance of democratic institutions and multilateral institutions. Some of this has been fueled by external forces seeking to undermine democracies; some of it is a result of bitter internal feuds and wide ideological differences.
The Global Risk 2025 World Economic Forum identified several risks:
Coupled to this, there is a shrinking in overseas development aid from Western countries and the impact of many regional conflicts, as well as the damaging legacy of the recent Covid-19 pandemic, and a slowing in progress global in terms of human development. Given this backdrop of global challenges and extreme uncertainty, the next leader of UNDP will certainly have their work cut out.
The Qualities of a Leader: The Times They Are A-Changin’
As the key decision-makers assess candidates, we hope “change management” is high on their list of qualities. With global geopolitics in a state of flux and UN funding under severe pressure, UNDP’s next leader will have to exhibit calm under pressure, an ability to build relationships across various political divides, and an aptitude for handling internal change management as the UN wrestles with its funding crisis.
Meanwhile, there is also a challenge over how UNDP should navigate its role vis-à-vis the World Bank and the growing involvement of various regional development banks in its sphere of work. Taken all together, this is a tall order.
We believe it is very important a future leader gets the internal changes right. UNDP’s remit is broad. From helping countries tackle poverty and inequality, to promoting sustainable development, human rights, women’s empowerment, and democratic governance, the role covers a lot of ground.
Who gets to decide who the new boss will be? Technically, the decision lies with the UN Secretary-General. However, his nomination requires confirmation by the UN General Assembly, and comes only after consulting with the UNDP Executive Board.
This board consists of representatives from 36 countries who serve on a rotating basis. Current board members include China, India, Brazil, Germany, Japan, the UK, and the US—some “heavy hitters” who will undoubtedly have a variety of strong views on the matter.
Possible Candidates
Candidates that are rumored to have applied include:
Jacinda Ardern (New Zealand): This one is (to the best of our knowledge) an unconfirmed rumor. But if selected, the well-known former Prime Minister of New Zealand would follow in the footsteps of Helen Clark, another former New Zealand leader, who served as UNDP head from 2009-2017. Although highly regarded, could Ardern’s left-of-center politics prove an obstacle in these fractured political times?
Alexander De Croo (Belgium): A politician of Europe’s center/center-right, this former Belgian Prime Minister is believed to have been nominated before the June deadline and is considered in-the-running for the job.
Rebeca Grynspan (Costa Rica): This former Vice President of Costa Rica has held several high-profile roles within the UN system, including Secretary-General of UN Trade and Development (UNCTAD). She is from the National Liberation Party in Costa Rica, a social democratic party.
Izumi Nakamitsu (Japan): Japanese national Nakamitsu has a long history of involvement with the UN and is a seasoned diplomat. Currently, she serves as UN Under-Secretary-General of Disarmament.
Bård Vegar Solhjell (Norway): The Norwegian government has apparently nominated the former left-wing Environment Minister as its candidate. He was active in the “No to the EU” campaign in Norway.
Jens Christian Wandel (Denmark): Another candidate with a wide range of UN experience, Wandel was recently appointed a Special Adviser on Reforms to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, with responsibility for an internal review of current reforms and their implementation.
Chrysoula Zacharopoulou (France): A former French Minister of State for Development, Francophonie and International Partnerships, centrist politician Zacharopoulou is also being considered for the position.
Whoever is appointed will need to hit the ground running. Succeed, and UNDP’s role could be elevated in a way it arguably has not been since the 1990s. Fail, and the organization risks irrelevance at a time when it is needed more than ever.
Prof. Felix Dodds and Chris Spence have participated in UN environmental and sustainable development negotiations since the 1990s. Their latest book, Environmental Lobbying at the United Nations: A Guide to Protecting Our Planet, was published in June 2025.
Excerpt:
UNDP is looking for its next leader. Who should it be? Prof. Felix Dodds and Chris Spence look at the candidates and identify the qualities and characteristics a new leader should possess.Az Air Base blogon márciusban bemutatott, igen sikeres SH-3 Sea King helikopter történetéhez két másik típus is kötődik. Nem meglepő, hiszen a Sikorsky konstrukciója annyira a víz feletti üzemeltetésre termett, hogy adta magát egy kisebb és egy nagyobb kutató-mentő változat kifejlesztése is.
Amikor az Egyesült Államok Parti Őrsége (USCG – United States Coast Guard) az 1950-es évek második felében a forgószárnyas géppark cseréje mellett döntött, az új helikopterrel szemben megfogalmazott legfőbb követelmény a gázturbinás meghajtás és az úszóképesség volt. A dugattyús motorról gázturbinás hajtóműre való átállás mondhatni időszerű volt, az úszóképesség pedig egy új mentési eljárás miatt lett fontos. Akkoriban a parti őrség helikopterein nem volt szakképzett vízimentő, aki a vízbe ugorva segít a bajbajutottnak és az illetőt a gép fedélzeti technikusa csörlő segítségével emelhette a fedélzetre. A vízreszállásra alkalmas helikopterrel egy új eljárást alkalmazhattak és a mentett személyt egyszerűen behúzhatták a helikopterbe. Ez a képesség egy nyíltvízi kényszerleszállás esetén is jól jöhetett, mert a helikopter úszóképes maradt, időt adva a személyzetnek a gépelhagyásra, ráadásul szerencsés esetben a forgószárnyast bevontathatták egy közeli kikötőbe vagy a partra. Ugyanakkor bármilyen céllal is szállt vízre egy helikopter, ezt csak jó időben tehette meg. A vízen úszó gépet erős szél és már viszonylag csekély hullámzás esetén is borulásra hajlamossá tette, hogy a törzs felett elhelyezett hajtómű(vek) és a forgószárnyrendszer tömege miatt a súlypontja magasan volt. Az amerikai parti őrség történetében két olyan típus volt, amelyek megfeleltek az ötvenes évek végén megfogalmazott elvárásoknak, évtizedekig szolgálták az életmentést és amelyekről igen ritkán esik szó.
Le ministre russe des Affaires étrangères, Sergueï Lavrov, a exclu le déploiement de troupes étrangères en Ukraine dans le cadre d’un accord de paix — un refus qui pourrait faire échouer les efforts pour mettre fin à la guerre.
The post La Russie exclut tout déploiement militaire étranger en Ukraine appeared first on Euractiv FR.
Dans leur déclaration commune publiée jeudi 21 août, Bruxelles et Washington précisent certains aspects de l’accord commercial conclu en juillet. Cependant, plusieurs engagements dans le domaine numérique restent flous.
The post Accord UE-États-Unis : dans le domaine numérique, certains points restent flous appeared first on Euractiv FR.
Un haut fonctionnaire de l’UE a confirmé jeudi 21 août qu’il fallait s’attendre à d’autres « exclusions » tarifaires, étant donné que les États-Unis s’intéressent à « certains systèmes d’armement » et aux semi-conducteurs.
The post La défense ne sera pas épargnée par les tarifs douaniers de Donald Trump appeared first on Euractiv FR.
Tom Fletcher, UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and Emergency Relief Coordinator, speaks at the Commemoration Ceremony for World Humanitarian Day 2025, held at Palais des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. Credit: UN Photo/Violaine Martin
By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Aug 22 2025 (IPS)
World Humanitarian Day (August 19) honors humanitarian aid workers, raises public awareness for humanitarian crises, and advocate for strengthened international cooperation. Through this year’s theme, A Call to #ActForHumanity, the United Nations underscored the need for increased funding for lifesaving humanitarian missions, stronger protections for aid personnel, and accountability for violations of international law.
“Humanitarian workers are the last lifeline for over 300 million people caught in conflict or disaster,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres. “Yet funding for that lifeline is drying up. And those who provide humanitarian aid are increasingly under attack…On this World Humanitarian Day, let’s honour the fallen with action: To protect every aid worker – and invest in their safety. To stop the lies that cost lives. To strengthen accountability and bring perpetrators to justice. To end arms flows to parties that violate international law”.
According to figures from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), 2024 marked a record high for the number of humanitarian personnel deaths to date, with 383 killed while in the line of duty or in their homes. Another 308 workers were injured, 125 kidnapped, and 45 detained. Compared to the previous year, violence against aid workers rose significantly across 21 countries, with government forces being the most common perpetrators.
Humanitarian experts have expressed concern over the sharp rise in attacks targeting humanitarian workers in 2025, with an estimated 265 killed as of August 14. CARE International reports that this represents a 50 percent increase compared to the same period last year, warning that 2025 could surpass 2024’s record death toll if the trend continues.
“Even one attack against a humanitarian colleague is an attack on all of us and on the people we serve,” said Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator. “Attacks on this scale, with zero accountability, are a shameful indictment of international inaction and apathy…Violence against aid workers is not inevitable. It must end.”
According to figures from CARE, in 2025, roughly 97 percent of the killed aid workers were national staff. Since 2022, the number of aid workers killed annually has doubled, with this being largely attributed to increased attacks from the Israeli military in Gaza. In 2025, approximately 180 aid workers were killed in the Occupied Palestinian Territory alone.
Palestinian aid workers have not only faced targeted attacks but, like the rest of the population, struggle to access essential services, such as food, water and healthcare. Olga Cherevko from OCHA stated that aid workers in Palestine have “lost everything and several times over”, and face exhaustion from being overstretched and maneuvering in dangerous conditions. Additionally, many aid workers have reported facing significant access challenges due to hostilities. Samah, a malnutrition expert working for CARE in Deir Al-Balah described being unable to commute to work due to the threat of sniper fire at critical checkpoints.
Yuliia Hladka, Programme Manager at Winds of Change in Ukraine, stated that aid workers in Ukraine face regular threats of kidnapping and torture, with many also experiencing “profound psychological exhaustion”. Hladka added that aid workers in Ukraine also face risks of shellings, limited evacuation options during attacks, and increased surveillance. Female aid workers in Ukraine face heightened risks of harassment, which greatly impedes their ability to help children and victims of gender-based violence.
“We are witnessing a disturbing trend of blatant violations of international humanitarian law,” said Deepmala Mahla, CARE’s Global Humanitarian Director. “The perpetrators must be held to account, as well as the world leaders who have consistently failed to take sufficient action to prevent these attacks… Attempts to prevent humanitarians from doing our jobs are not only death sentences for aid staff but also for the people we are trying to assist”.
The UN emphasizes the importance of humanitarian assistance today, with many countries facing critical turning points in their humanitarian crises. The efficacy of humanitarian assistance is often challenged by the unpredictability of conflict zones, as well as numerous funding cuts and a vast, expanding scale of needs.
“Everyone’s still showing up (to work), but courage alone and commitment alone isn’t going to feed people, isn’t going to save people,” said Cherevko on the crisis in Gaza. “What we need is, again, a permanent ceasefire. We need political solutions to this conflict and a resolution to this crisis.”
According to the 2025 edition of OCHA’s Global Humanitarian Overview, approximately 305.1 million people in 72 countries rely on humanitarian assistance for survival. Roughly 4 out of 5 of all civilian deaths in conflict hotspots occurred in countries that have submitted humanitarian appeals. With food insecurity, displacement, and disease running rampant in these regions, it is imperative that there is a coordinated and unimpeded humanitarian response. For 2025, the UN has appealed for over 47 billion USD to assist over 190 million people in 72 countries.
Due to severe funding shortfalls from budget cuts, many lifesaving programs have been forced to scale back their efforts or prioritize the most urgent populations, leaving significant gaps unattended. Additionally, the lack of funding severely restricts flexibility in humanitarian responses, with strategies for anticipated emergencies and flash appeals being the most affected.
IPS UN Bureau Report
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