European Union Digital Asset Legislation Anticipated to Create Confidence, Open the Market to DLT Innovators
European Union Digital Asset Legislation Anticipated to Create Confidence, Open the Market to DLT Innovators

European Parliament Paul Henri Spaak building Brussels Belgium guillaume perigois unsplash

A Discussion with Franck Guiader of Gide 255

Last week, the European Commission adopted a Digital Finance Package along with legislative proposals on cryptoassets (digital assets). The move had been widely telegraphed by the Commission and, in fact, a draft of the crypto regulation was leaked the week before.

The proposal on cryptoassets seeks to leverage the potential of this Fintech innovation while mitigating potential risk and preserving financial stability. European Commission Executive Vice-President Valdis Dombrovskis noted that there are special rules for stablecoins, like Facebook’s Libra, including more stringent requirements:

” This is because of the potentially vast scale these stablecoins could reach in terms of users – which could pose specific challenges to financial stability. So we need strong safeguards, also against fraud and money laundering,” stated Dombrovskis.

Crowdfund Insider contacted Franck Guiader, for additional perspective on the European Union approach to cryptoassets. Guiader is Head of Innovation & Fintech at Gide 255 – part of the global law firm of Gide. He is an expert in Fintech, specializing in European regulation. Previously, he was the manager of the French Autorité des Marchés Financiers (AMF) Asset Management Regulation division of the Regulatory Policy and International Affairs Directorate. In May 2016, Guiader became head of the AMF’s new Fintech division. He also co-led the AMF-ACPR Fintech forum with the supervisory authority. Clearly, Guiader is closely engaged with Fintech innovation including cryptoassets.  Our discussion with Guiader is shared below.

(Editors Note: the discussion took place just prior to the official release of the legislation)

Franck Guiader

The regulations were widely anticipated to be posted later this month. As this “draft” was leaked was this an attempt to run the rules up the flagpole in advance? What is the chatter on the proposal?

Franck Guiader: First of all, this leak requires to remain cautious on the final draft that will be officially published soon.

Discussions on this expected regulation started 2 years ago at the EU level, and I would say that the rationale of the text is not a surprise.

The time has come now to scrutinize the details and to assess to what extent this new piece of regulation will meet players’ expectations. There is still a lot to achieve and negotiations should be intense.

The draft legislation covers a diverse range of areas pertaining to digital assets. Is there a risk of these rules becoming overly prescriptive in a rapidly changing environment?

Franck Guiader: This is clearly one of the risks stemming from a new regulation in general, particularly in the realm of digital finance.

Rules are of course of utmost importance to provide legal certainty, but they shall be designed pragmatically, taking into account both the particularities of advanced technologies and the functioning of these new ecosystems. The worst-case scenario would be a too strict regulation dissuading crypto-players to develop their activities within the EU. A balanced approach will hence be key, to avoid regulatory arbitrage at the expense of the EU single market.

How closely do these proposed rules align with France’s ecosystem?

Franck Guiader: The French crypto-ecosystem is dynamic and ambitious. We find players throughout the value chain of crypto-digital finance: platforms of exchanges, custodians, advisors…

We also find an increasing number of incumbent players, such as investment banks, interesting in the development of financial activities based on DLTs.

Today, these players that are our clients at Gide, both new entrants and historical institutions, expect from the EU legislator and national authorities certain clarifications that could allow to accelerate the tokenization of assets and/or the blockchainization of certain activities.

France paved the way for innovations in regulation applying to these players. Several hooks dealing with blockchain and cryptos have already been inserted into the French law (eg. PACTE Bill providing a regime for digital assets service providers).   The rules proposed by the EU Commission seem to be partially inspired by the French law. Others seem to stem from regulation applying to securities markets. The main challenge will consist in the reconciliation between traditional rules and legal concepts, and particularities of decentralized ledger technologies.

ESMA and the EBA have been enlisted to fill in much of the details. Doesn’t this leave quite a bit of room for interpretation by these two entities?

Franck Guiader: Generally speaking, and particularly when it comes to innovation, we need European authorities to avoid regulatory arbitrage within the EU. This is a key point ensuring convergence. The misinterpretation of rules applying to new activities could lead to a failure for the EU Commission with this new regulation. Moreover, the EBA for instance needs to be informed of large-scale initiatives and monitor their impact that might create systemic risk in the market of means of payments. The notion of “significant” stablecoins appears in the draft for these reasons.

Do you see any big shortcomings in the proposal?

Franck Guiader: No “big” shortcomings except maybe a “big” place given to proportionality.

Volumes will not be able to increase if there is a lack of proportionality in the final proposal.

Rules can not apply equally to start-ups whose activities remain under low thresholds, and big players dealing significant volumes and flows. A gradual and progressive approach would make sense to rule this new market, with a test and learn mechanism that would allow fostering innovation in finance.

What about “exchanges” or digital asset marketplaces. Doesn’t the proposal leave much up to the member state to decide?

Franck Guiader: Legally speaking, this text is not a directive implemented into each Member state’s law, but a regulation that directly applies to players. Broadly speaking, it means that Member State will have less maneuvering walking. When they must clarify certain rules at the National level, it is to ensure a good coordination/articulation with certain specificities of national law.

What are your predictions for the proposed legislation if it becomes European law?

Franck Guiader: From a purely legal perspective, I would say that it will create confidence, certainty, and will open a pan-European market for these players that will benefit from the EU passport mechanism. Incumbent players should also be more open to innovate through the use of DLTs, with in-house experimentations and/or in partnerships with start-up companies.

From an economic perspective, I hope that the final text will be sufficiently proportionate, to avoid regulatory arbitrage and make the EU great for the crypto-ecosystem.


COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS


Turkey sees EU summit as chance for reset: Presidential spokesperson
Turkey sees EU summit as chance for reset: Presidential spokesperson
ISTANBUL-Reuters

Turkey sees EU summit as chance for reset: Presidential spokespersonTurkey sees a European Union summit this week as an opportunity to reset relations between them, but the bloc must produce specific proposals and a timetable to work on a roadmap together, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s spokesman said.

Tensions flared between Turkey and EU member Greece after Ankara sent a seismic vessel to explore for hydrocarbons in disputed waters in the eastern Mediterranean last month and the Oct. 1-2 summit aims to calm the bitter dispute.

“I believe the EU summit has a chance to have a reset in Turkey-EU relations. It is an important opportunity. We can have a reset there. And I see this willingness on the part of many EU member countries,” presidential spokesman İbrahim Kalın told Reuters.

“They also have to understand that they cannot expect Turkey to do everything,” Kalın said in an interview. “It must be a mutual process. If Turkey is expected to do X, Y, Z, EU countries must fulfill their responsibilities as well.”

Senior EU diplomats and officials have said the bloc is unlikely to follow through on a threat to impose sanctions on Turkey after Ankara’s agreement last week to resume exploratory talks with Greece, which were halted in 2016.

Work was continuing on deciding a date for the resumption of talks, Kalın said, adding the talks would continue where they left off and focus not just on issues of continental shelves and maritime limits, but on islands and air space.

He said he believed the talks would have a positive impact and would also focus on political consultation and military-to-military talks. “In all of these three tracks we believe we will make some good progress very soon,” he said.

Turkey got involved in a war of words with France during the east Mediterranean dispute and Erdoğan last week held his first talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in months in a bid to ease the tensions.

Kalın said there was a positive atmosphere in those talks with the two leaders agreeing to try and find ways to minimize their differences.

“I believe all these things will produce a more positive agenda and a more positive atmosphere between Turkey and France,” he said.

EU negotiators willing to work on legal agreement with UK - The Times
EU negotiators willing to work on legal agreement with UK – The Times
FILE PHOTO: European Union and British flags flutter in front of a chancellery ahead of a visit of British Prime Minister Theresa May in Berlin, Germany, April 9, 2019. REUTERS/Hannibal Hanschke

(Reuters) – European Union negotiators have signaled that they are willing to begin work on a joint legal text of a trade agreement with the UK, ahead of trade talks that resume on Tuesday, The Times reported on Tuesday.

EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier is ready to begin work on a joint draft version of a free trade agreement, known as a “consolidated legal text”, this week, the newspaper reported bit.ly/2EHd1Nr.

Barnier expects Britain’s chief negotiator David Frost to provide more details of fishing quotas and the government’s future subsidy policy, the Times report said, adding that EU has also backed away from a threat to suspend trade and security talks.

Britain left the EU last January and is locked in negotiations on a new trade deal from 2021, as well as on implementing the divorce, as set out in the Withdrawal Agreement, especially on the sensitive Irish border.

Trade talks resume in Brussels on Tuesday. Lasting until Friday morning and also due to cover energy links and transport, they are the final round of negotiations scheduled so far.

Brussels have dropped its demands for the two sides to reach a broad agreement on all the outstanding areas of dispute before drafting a final agreement and expects UK to engage in detailed discussions on post-Brexit fishing quotas and the government’s future subsidy policy, the newspaper said.

Reporting by Rebekah Mathew in Bengaluru; Editing by Michael Perry

World: New EU Asylum Rules: Even the Bare Minimum Will Require Radical Politics
World: New EU Asylum Rules: Even the Bare Minimum Will Require Radical Politics

BY
Claudia Meier
Julian Lehmann

For the past five years, European Union leaders have tried but failed to reform the block’s rules on asylum. The main bone of contention was the Dublin Regulation, in particular the rule of first entry, which specifies that the first EU member state that an asylum seeker enters is responsible for hosting them and processing their asylum claim. Because of fundamental disagreements on how to reform ​“Dublin”, all other reform proposals have gathered dust on shelves in Brussels. Meanwhile, thousands of asylum seekers still languish in dangerous camps at Europe’s borders.

On Wednesday, the EU Commission finally unveiled the Union’s new reform ideas. On responsibility for asylum applications, they aim to replace the rules of the Dublin Regulation by – drumroll – the rules of the Dublin Regulation. In other words, the basic rules will continue to apply, with some tweaks like member state cooperation in the event of numerous asylum seekers arriving at one member’s borders at the same time. Fundamentally, the proposal cements the sad truth that the EU’s asylum policy has become a sinister race to the bottom on who manages to host the least asylum seekers. Even this lackluster proposal on distributing responsibility was met with immediate and fierce opposition in some member states – including by Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, who declared it dead on arrival.

But the EU has few alternatives to reform. In 2015 and 2016, when the numbers of asylum applications spiked, illiberal political parties all over Europe were swift to exploit them for political gain. And they will do so again if member states fail to break the deadlock and sensibly reform the Dublin Regulation. Indeed, the current system leads to frustration everywhere: the EU’s border states like Greece will repeat their mantra of being left overburdened, while others like France or Poland will complain that most asylum seekers who end up further north should have been accommodated in the countries of their first arrival.

Given this protracted situation, the upcoming negotiations on the proposed new laws will have to address two questions: What is the bare minimum that would make a reform better than no reform? And how can the champions of this bare minimum mobilize a majority for it? We think that, above all, a new governance would have to stand the test of being a more solidary system. But reaching – and salvaging – such a compromise will require radical political action.

Call the bluff with a different resettlement option. The EU Commission proposes that states who are unwilling to host asylum seekers as part of a relocation effort ​“in times of crisis” can instead contribute to collective effort by organizing returns of asylum seekers whose claims have been rejected (“return sponsorships”). This idea could prove a slippery slope into a situation where virtually every member state wiggles out of a commitment to admit asylum seekers – a recipe for more disasters and human rights violations like the ones the world is currently witnessing in Moria, Greece. To prevent this, the EU should cap the total number of such ​“return sponsorships” to 10 percent of all asylum seekers who are being relocated in the EU. Member states that still refuse to accommodate asylum seekers could be offered the alternative to accept the equivalent of their share of recognized refugees from outside the EU. Refugees are recognized as such by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, so that this compromise would call the bluff on the argument that redistribution creates a ​“pull factor”, as well as popular claims that only the most resourceful people manage to reach the EU.

Push through a low threshold for mutual support. The pact is vague on the criteria that would trigger any new mechanism in support of an overburdened EU state. For instance, it does not define the kind of ​“crisis” that would oblige member states to support each other. To address this flaw, the EU should set a threshold for each member state, depending on its economic power. This would send a signal of serious intentions to the states at the EU’s external borders. In addition, any mechanism for mutual support would have to kick in automatically. Anything else would be an invitation for anti-EU governments to blame the European Union once the numbers of asylum seekers go up.

Up the stakes for spoilers. The single most important leverage the EU has over its member states is its budget. EU leaders have just adopted a new budget for the next seven years, following a 90 hour-long summit. The ball is now in the European Parliament’s court – MEPs have yet to accept the carefully hatched proposal. One of the main points of contention is budget conditionality: many parliamentarians want the EU to be able to withhold funds when a member state does not comply with the principles of democratic rule of law. The EU parliament should explicitly include systematic violations of the rights of foreigners under EU jurisdiction – including during returns procedures – as part of its definition of democratic rule of law. This would finally give the EU leverage when a member state undercuts its minimum standards on asylum. It would also help to address the perverse incentive structure of the current system in which member states are ​“rewarded” for sub-standard asylum systems, because such systems bar the returns of asylum seekers who have traveled onward to other EU states.

Hammer home the message of international credibility. The EU’s current treatment of asylum seekers is harming its international standing when advocating for principles like cooperation on migration policy, democratic rule of law and human rights. In several African states, EU officials have had to deal with rebuttals and accusations of hypocrisy when trying to argue for upholding the human rights of migrants. In private, German Chancellor Merkel has shared how China’s President Xi – of all people – has also confronted her with the failings of EU migration policy. A new, more humane compromise on asylum policy is a crucial step for the EU to regain some of its credibility on the international stage.

The chances are slim that the ​“pact’s” proposal on the Dublin Regulation will lead to concrete reforms worth fighting for. But the moment is more promising than it has been for a long time. The numbers of asylum applications in the EU have shrunk by almost 50 percent when compared to their peak in 2015. Since then, governments should have learned that the EU cannot afford a perpetual political crisis on asylum – and asylum seekers even less so.

Jordan, EU launch new €20-mln digital economy, innovation program
Jordan, EU launch new €20-mln digital economy, innovation program

AMMONNEWS – The European Union (EU) and in cooperation with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation and the Ministry for Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship, on Monday held a ceremony celebrating the launch of the new EU-funded programme “Innovation for Enterprise Growth and Jobs” (in short “Innovate Jordan”).

Digital economic development is a joint priority for both the EU and Jordan. The ongoing COVID-19 crisis clearly emphasized the importance of digital connectivity, technologies and services to the local economy and society.

Through the “Innovate Jordan” program, the EU is investing 20 million euros to promote new initiatives that can unlock entrepreneurship and innovation potential and enhance job creation and growth in Jordan. Together with the local private sector, the EU will help companies become more competitive in local and international markets, and support innovation opportunities to boost digital economy.

Minister of Planning and International Cooperation Dr. Wissam Al Rabadi, pointed out that this event marks the EU’s signing of three grants with three entities and coalitions from the local private sector, which makes this project special due to the private sector’s role as the engine of growth and job creation, particularly for youth.

It also contributes to the local efforts under the five-year reform matrix that aims to create a more competitive economic environment, and strengthen innovation initiatives.

The minister noted that “through innovation, the business environment will be able to provide better services and products. It is important that innovation becomes part of companies’ business strategies, which together with a focus on competition leads to better performance and productivity as innovation creates a better investment and business environment.”

Minister of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship Muthana Gharaibeh, stressed the indisputable importance of investing in innovation and accelerating the efforts that the private and public sectors are doing towards an efficient and enabling ecosystem.

“The project comes in line with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship’s efforts to improve digitally-enabled income opportunities and expand digitized government services in Jordan through its recently launched “Youth, Technology and Jobs (YTJ)” project,” said Gharaibeh.

He added: “We are committed to empowering the citizens and residents of Jordan in their digital journey across sectors and industries, and our alignment with “Innovate Jordan” will ensure motivating and inspiring people to produce change by maximizing the impact of financial and non-financial incentive programs in place.”

“The EU s working on a digital transformation that will benefit everyone, and will make a real difference to people’s daily lives,” said the EU Ambassador to Jordan, Maria Hadjitheodosiou.

She also noted: “Through “Innovative Jordan” we are looking forward to working together with the local private sector to help businesses grow, to spark a culture of innovation among youth, and to provide more innovation facilities, financing and opportunities throughout Jordan. At the same time, by investing in innovation and digital economy, we aim to support the efforts of the Government of Jordan to alleviate the socio-economic impact of the COVID19 crisis.”

Three major grant initiatives will be supported. The first one, implemented by a local team led by Endeavor, will help 45 local businesses to grow, scale and enhance their capacities to reach out to foreign investment and international markets.

The second grant, implemented by a team led by SAM Engineering, will establish the first Digitalization and Innovation Centre in Jordan to promote digital solutions in manufacturing, following the trends of the fourth industrial revolution.

The third and final action, implemented by Orange, will promote digital economy, skills and jobs by developing new facilities across Jordan, including: 23 digital centres, 6 coding academies, 6 FabLabs, 6 incubators and 6 Growth Accelerators.

The overall objective of the ‘Innovate Jordan’ program is to support private sector-led innovation that could drive inclusive economic development and promote systematic change in the local enterprise and innovation ecosystem in Jordan.

The program will be implemented until 2024, through three grants. First Grant action, called ‘Scale-Up Roadmap for Growing Enterprises’ (SURGE) is implemented by a consortium led by Endeavor Jordan in partnership with BeyondCapital and Oasis500.

The Second Grant action, called ‘Jordan Industry 4.0 & Digitalization Innovation Centre’ (InJo4.0) is implemented by a consortium led by SAM Engineering & Trade Co. in partnership with Amman Chamber of Industry, IBTECAR, Transition Technologies – Advanced Solutions and Tum Tech, Third Grant action, called “Innovation Space” is implemented by Orange Jordan.

How many, like the Church of Scotland, are facing a huge shortfall due to the pandemic?
How many, like the Church of Scotland, are facing a huge shortfall due to the pandemic?
(Photo: Church of Scotland)Dr. Martin Fair, Moderator of the Church of Scotland’s 2020 General Assembly

Many are asking how many churches around the world are facing financial ruin or massive difficulties due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic like the Church of Scotland.

Presbyteries in the Church of Scotland are being asked to predict how many ministries can be afforded.

The fears arise as the Church of Scotland’s annual income could fall by an estimated 20 million pounds (27 million U.S. dollars) this year due to the novel coronavirus.

The People must not underestimate the challenges facing the Church of Scotland, its Assembly Trustees have warned.

Britain’s Press Association quoted a Church of Scotland spokesman saying, “The Covid-19 health crisis has affected income streams for all charities and the Church of Scotland is no exception.

“With church buildings closed over the last six months and activities curtailed, there is the potential for reductions in contributions from our congregations as well as in our trading activities and investment income, which we rely on to carry out our vital work.

“To respond to the financial challenge facing us, a range of mitigating actions have been taken to maintain the income levels as far as possible, reduce our costs and accelerate our plans for structural reform.”

The presbyterian church has a membership of nearly 326,000, which is less than 6 percent of Scotland’s population. However, in the 2014 census, 27.8 percent of Scots said they belonged to the Church of Scotland.

The church trustees said that failing to take reform action is a “recipe for a slow decline, ” and realistic presbytery planning would determine the church’s shape and health over the next five to 10 years.

The warning comes in a report due for consideration during the Church of Scotland’s first remote General Assembly, which will be streamed live on Oct. 2-3.

“To respond to the financial challenge facing us, a range of mitigating actions have been taken to maintain the income levels as far as possible, reduce our costs and accelerate our plans for structural reform,” the church spokesman said.

Commissioners will take part in the proceedings online, aware of the fears that the church’s total annual income, which is around 105 million pounds (135 million U.S. dolars), could potentially fall by an estimated 20 million pounds this year due to COVID-19.

Many parts of England and Scotland are under strict lockdown, and the church has permission to use the building under a business exemption. England and Scotland have different laws relating to coronavirus restrictions.

Apart from the Moderator of the General Assembly, Dr. Martin Fair, the only people in the hall will be a skeleton technical crew, and commissioners – mainly ministers, elders, and deacons – will be able to engage with discussions and vote online.

The Assembly Trustees have called for “realistic predictions” on the number of ministries needed and can be afforded to structure the local Church for mission and growth.

The Faith Impact Forum is urging the Church of Scotland to continue its long-term support of Christian Aid in addressing the development and humanitarian needs of some of the poorest people across the world.

Douglas Martin, 1927–2020 | BWNS
Douglas Martin, 1927–2020 | BWNS
BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — Douglas Martin, a former member of the Universal House of Justice, passed away on 28 September 2020 in Toronto, Canada. He was 93 years old.

The Universal House of Justice has sent the following message to all National Spiritual Assemblies.

    *

With mournful hearts already brimming with sorrow, we announce the passing of our much-loved, much-admired former colleague, Douglas Martin. Having embraced the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh as a young man, he with all his heart dedicated his life to the Cause of God over successive decades of outstanding service. The special gifts he possessed for presenting the Faith with clarity and vision shone through as much in his scholarly writings as in his public presentations, including in vigorous defence of the Bahá’í community in Iran. Much of this work was undertaken while he simultaneously discharged weighty responsibilities in the administration of the Faith. This included a quarter century spent as a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, most of that time as its Secretary. His scintillating intellect and uncommon grasp of the grand forces of history, combined with his formidable powers of expression, were much in evidence during the years he spent as director-general of the Bahá’í International Community’s Office of Public Information, a prelude to the twelve years he served as a member of the Universal House of Justice. Resolute, ingenious, and blessed with piercing insight, he will be immensely missed.

We pray ardently that dear Douglas, now reunited with his beloved wife, Elizabeth, may be received with joy in the Abhá Kingdom, and that his illumined soul may ever soar in the limitless realms above. The friends in every community are called upon to honour his memory by convening memorials, including through devotions at every House of Worship, as circumstances permit.

The Universal House of Justice

Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Foundations completed | BWNS
Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: Foundations completed | BWNS

Following the announcement of the design concept for the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá some months ago, the foundations of the edifice have now been laid and construction is approaching a new stage.

BAHÁ’Í WORLD CENTRE — Following the announcement of the design concept for the Shrine of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá some months ago, the foundations of the edifice have now been laid and construction is approaching a new stage. The project has continued since the start of the pandemic, with appropriate health measures in place to protect the safety of all the personnel involved.

The past months have seen the construction of stable foundations, supported by deep underground piles. A platform across an area of 2,900 square meters was recently cast at the center of the site with an overnight concrete pour, bringing the central foundation work to completion.

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With an overnight concrete pour, a platform across an area of 2,900 square meters was recently cast at the center of the site, bringing the central foundation work to completion.

Within the wider circle of the site, the base is being laid for the sloping gardens that will rise from the encircling path to culminate over the spot where the sacred remains of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will rest.

The complex process of obtaining the necessary permit for the final stages of construction is now complete. Local authorities have granted permission for the implementation of the design of the Shrine, allowing for the raising of the central structure above and beyond the footing and foundation.

Slideshow
10 images
The complex process of obtaining the necessary permit for the final stages of construction is now complete. Local authorities have granted permission for the implementation of the design of the Shrine, allowing for the raising of the central structure above and beyond the footing and foundation.

Slideshow
10 images
The foundations of the edifice have now been laid and construction is approaching a new stage. Within the wider circle of the site, the base is being laid for the sloping gardens that will rise from the encircling path to culminate over the spot where the sacred remains of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá will rest.

The Bahá’í world is drawing inspiration from the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in carrying out this momentous undertaking amid the global health crisis.

Though confined to the city of ‘Akká and facing tremendous challenges, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá directed the construction of a befitting mausoleum on Mount Carmel, the Shrine that would eventually be the permanent resting place for the remains of the Báb.

“Every stone of that building, every stone of the road leading to it, I have with infinite tears and at tremendous cost, raised and placed in position,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá is recorded as having remarked.

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10 images
The Bahá’í world is drawing inspiration from the example of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in carrying out this momentous undertaking amid the global health crisis.

Ukraine: Medical workers of Luhansk Oblast receive protective respirators thanks to EU and UN
Ukraine: Medical workers of Luhansk Oblast receive protective respirators thanks to EU and UN

15,000 respirators have been transferred to medical workers of Luhansk Oblast to fight the COVID-19 pandemic

Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, 28 September 2020 – The European Union together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine have donated a batch of 15,000 N95 valveless respirators to Luhansk Oblast Clinical Hospital to enhance the safety of health workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hospital is a level 3 medical facility that provides highly specialized routine and advisory medical care, as well as emergency medical care.
The transfer of the personal protective equipment worth U.S. $45,572 was carried out under the United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme with the financial support of the European Union.
The coordinator of the Local Governance and Decentralisation Reform Component of the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, Olena Ruditch, noted that doctors and medical workers are constantly at high risk of getting sick with the COVID-19 disease.

“The work to reinforce the resilience of medical institutions in eastern Ukraine continues, and the focus is now on the safety of medical staff,” Ruditch added. “Together with our European partners, we’re working to create conditions for doctors that are both safe, and that allow them to perform their work effectively and provide the necessary assistance to patients.”
The N95 respirator can block up to 95 percent of the smallest aerosol particles and filter the air, which may contain viruses and bacteria. This respirator provides better protection than a surgical mask or homemade protective equipment, as it can filter out both large and small air particles.
Respirators will help protect healthcare workers from viruses and bacteria that they could potentially inhale, either when transporting patients to medical facilities or during diagnosis and further treatment of patients directly at hospitals.
The Head of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration and Head of the Oblast Military-Civil Administration, Serhii Haidai, expressed his gratitude to the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme for the systematic and repeated support of medical institutions in eastern Ukraine.
“At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is raging in all countries of the world, I’m convinced that only together, by supporting each other, we can overcome the consequences of this dangerous disease and save human health and lives,” Haidai said.
Earlier in September UNDP and the EU supplied a batch of N95 protective respirators to medical institutions in Donetsk Oblast.

Background

The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

Thirteen international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK.

Media enquiries

Maksym Kytsiuk, Communications Associate, the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, maksym.kytsiuk@undp.org, +380 63 576 1839

European Union says positions on Brexit
European Union says positions on Brexit “far apart”, talks must quicken

BRUSSELS: Britain’s position in talks on Brexit is “far apart” from what the European Union can accept and negotiations need to be urgently shifted into a higher gear, European Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said on Monday after talks with a senior UK minister.
“The UK’s positions are far apart from what the EU can accept. I have repeated the EU’s request to withdraw the contentious part of the draft Internal Markets Bill by the end of September,” told a news conference in Brussels.

He was speaking after a meeting with UK Cabinet Office Minister Michael in a Joint Committee tasked with implementing Britain’s Withdrawal Agreement and a proposed Internal Markets Bill that would undermine the divorce deal struck last year.

“We maintain that the bill, if adopted in its current form would constitute an extremely serious violation of the protocol and an essential part of the Withdrawal Agreement and of international law,” Sefcovic said.

He added that Monday’s joint committee meeting had shown “the urgent need to move into a higher gear” in the coming days before the next meeting in mid-October.

‘In Prison for Their Faith 2020’, a new report mapping prisoners worldwide from 13 religious groups
‘In Prison for Their Faith 2020’, a new report mapping prisoners worldwide from 13 religious groups

by Human Rights Without Frontiers International

Muslims and half a million Tibetan Buddhists (*) in so-called ‘re-education camps’, thousands of members of the Church of Almighty God, and thousands of Falun Gong practitioners in detention for years, China is the worst violator of religious freedom in the world. These groups comprise of the majority of individuals in prison worldwide for the legitimate exercise of their religious freedom, according to HRWF’s latest report titled “In Prison for Their Faith 2020” (213 pages) released online and in print on 28 September.

Uyghur Muslims and Tibetan Buddhists have been massively incarcerated without committing any crimes and without any official charges. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) claims they are detained for the purpose of being ‘reeducated’, and pushes the state-sanctioned Marxist-Leninist ideology with the obvious objective to supersede Islam.

Thousands of members of The Church of Almighty God, which is the most rapidly expanding new religious movement in China, as well as Falun Gong practitioners have been arrested, tortured and incarcerated. Most of their sentences are between three and seven years, but some are serving 10 years or more.

Among Christians of all faiths, Protestants were the most numerous in prison, mainly for being denied registration and the ensuing right to operate, such as in Eritrea, Vietnam and China; for being accused of blasphemy, such as in Pakistan; or for converting Muslims, such as in Iran.   Besides Uyghur Sunni Muslims in China, all other Muslim prisoners (Sunnis, Tabligh Jamaat, Said Nursi followers, Sufis, and Shias) were sentenced to heavy terms despite being in Muslim-majority countries such as Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan.

More than 50 Jehovah’s Witnesses were indefinitely detained in atrocious conditions in Eritrea for being conscientious objectors to military service, some since 1994, or for the peaceful exercise of their religious freedom. In Russia, the group was banned in April 2017 on charges of extremism and over 30 individuals were sentenced to heavy prison terms for exercising their freedom of worship and assembly, even in private. In Singapore and Turkmenistan, they were incarcerated as conscientious objectors.

For years, Baha’is have been systematically arrested and imprisoned in Iran. The charges against them are typically: forming an illegal cult, acting against national security, espionage, propaganda against the regime, posing a  threat to the regime by sharing  Baha’i ideas with Israel, plotting to overthrow the regime, membership in an anti-Islamic group, membership in illegal groups and assemblies, and jeopardizing the security of the country to further the aims of the Baha’is and international organizations.  

An unknown number of Tibetan Buddhists were arrested for the mere practice of their religion in China, while nearly 30 of An Dan Dai Dao and Hoa Hao Buddhists were serving long periods of detention in Vietnam.   HRWF’s report “In Prison for Their Faith 2020” also covers Ahmadis in Pakistan. All of them at the time of writing this report has been victims of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws, which are used and abused to serve as an outlet for pervasive anti-Ahmadi hostility as well as to settle private disputes.

The report “In Prison for Their Faith 2020” has identified a number of religious groups whose members or followers have purposefully been put in prison either for their religious identity or for the legitimate exercise of religious freedom which includes: the freedom to have or not have a religion, to change or retain one’s religion or beliefs; the freedom of expression on religious issues; the freedom of association; the freedom of worship or assembly; and conscientious objection to military service.

Each section is devoted to a specific religion or religious group and is structured as follows: an introduction about the religious denomination, the teachings, and country-specific data such as the reasons for the persecution, statistics about the number of prisoners, the articles of the penal codes used and misused for sentencing, advocacy developed by the EU and the US institutions, individual case studies and concluding thoughts looking to the future.

The report is based on HRWF’s Database of FoRB Prisoners which has documented over 6,000 individual cases of prisoners and is regularly updated. These prisoners are detained in 20 countries and belong to 18 different religious groups: https://hrwf.eu/prisoners-database/.  

Additionally, research from HRWF’s vast online library of news covering over 50 countries for the period 2018-2020* was used to inform this report.
Click here to read the report online.

For further information, please contact: Email: international.secretariat.brussels@hrwf.net or w.fautre@hrwf.net Website: http://www.hrwf.eu

Footnotes
(*) The widespread detention of Tibetan Buddhists only emerged quite recently on the radar of the international community. As such, the magnitude of this issue is not fully reflected in this report but will be in a subsequent specific report.

(**) Human Rights Without Frontiers Int’l has been monitoring freedom of religion or belief as a non-religious organization since 1989. See its news database online at http://hrwf.eu/newsletters/forb/ . Requests about 2016-2017 can be addressed to the contact information above.

Brexit: Britain Wants to Be Independent and EU Wants to Retain Control, Says Analyst
Brexit: Britain Wants to Be Independent and EU Wants to Retain Control, Says Analyst

Analyst John Whitby has shared his point of view on the possibilities of resolutions to the current stalemate between the EU and the UK.

Sputnik: What effect will this visit from Gove have on negotiations between the EU and the UK? Will it change anything at all?

John Whitby: I would doubt it. I think the positions are fairly well-established and the main problem there is, is that we want to be independent and the EU want to retain control. I think the two are completely incompatible.

Sputnik: With talks setting up again and the messaging still remaining the same after four years of talks, is it time for the UK to just walk away?

John Whitby: I think the problem you’ve got is that nobody wants to actually do that, because they know if the UK walks away, then the EU will turn around and say “you never wanted to have a deal in the first place”, etc., etc. – and vice versa. I think the answer is yes, we wanted a deal, but we wanted a deal based upon a free trade agreement between two independent groups – the EU and UK. I don’t think the EU has ever really wanted that, because they can’t afford, in many ways, to let the UK be outside of their control and be successful.

Sputnik: What areas does the UK desperately need to prioritise to avoid chaos and further challenges in January? 

John Whitby: I think what they’re doing at the moment in Kent, and I was a little bit peeved listening to the reporting on it, where it was basically: you need to have a passport to get into Kent. Well, no, what they’re saying is you can’t go into Kent if you are planning to go across the channel and you don’t have the right paperwork, because otherwise you will block Kent, effectively. That seems to be very sensible. You wouldn’t go to the airport without your passport and this is very much the same sort of thing.

We need to make sure that we have the right streamlined processes in place and unfortunately that relies on the border force and HM Revenue and Customs, who are not always the quickest at reacting or implementing what would be sensible. I think whatever happens there’s going to be problems. I think there would be problems no matter what you did because I don’t think it’s in some people’s interest to have a smooth transition. There is a lot of time and money invested in the European project.
If you go back to the week after the Brexit vote, where the BBC’s Katya Adler was going around all of the European capitals, she made a very telling point at one of her last points of call – which I think was Rome – where she said “the one thing I’m getting from all these senior EU European leaders is that they are absolutely scared stiff of having a free, independent, flexible UK sitting on their doorstep”.

Because that would then encourage others to think “well, why are we paying for all this bureaucracy? Why are we paying for the European Commission? Why are we paying for the five presidents? Why are we paying for all this? If we could just have a free trade agreement with the UK and everybody else and just go ahead without the European Union infrastructure” – and that I think is the big, big problem.

The views and opinions expressed in the article do not necessarily reflect those of Sputnik.

EU concerned over resignation of Lebanon’s PM-designate
EU concerned over resignation of Lebanon’s PM-designate

BEIRUT — The European Union expressed “disappointment and concern” Monday about the resignation of Lebanon’s prime minister-designate over the weekend and urged the country’s leaders to do their best to form a Cabinet that meets the demands of the people.

Mustapha Adib’s resignation during a political impasse came amid Lebanon’s worst economic and financial crisis in decades — made worse by a massive explosion in Beirut in early August that killed and wounded many and caused widespread damage.

Adib, who handed in his resignation Saturday, nearly a month after winning majority support from the Parliament, left Beirut early Monday to return to his post as Lebanon’s ambassador to Germany.

Adib’s resignation was a blow to French President Emmanuel Macron’s efforts to break a dangerous stalemate in the crisis-hit country. Macron assailed the militant Hezbollah group and the entire Lebanese political class Sunday, and warned of a new civil war if they can’t set aside personal and religious interests to unlock international aid and save Lebanon from economic collapse.

Macron has been pressing Lebanese politicians to form a Cabinet made up of non-partisan specialists that can work on enacting urgent reforms to extract Lebanon from a devastating economic and financial crisis.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, urged Lebanon’s leaders to “unite and do their utmost for the timely formation of a government that must be able to meet the legitimate needs and demands of the Lebanese people.”

Borrell said the new Cabinet should be “committed to address Lebanon’s acute and multiple challenges — notably its humanitarian, socio-economic and financial crises, the coronavirus pandemic and the reconstruction of Beirut.”

He underlined the EU’s continued support for Lebanon and its people.

The international community has repeatedly said that Lebanon will not get financial aid before carrying out reforms to end decades of corruption and mismanagement by the ruling class that brought the tiny country to the verge of bankruptcy.

Macron on Sunday accused Lebanon’s political leaders of “collective betrayal” and choosing “to favor their partisan and individual interests to the general detriment of the country.”

Lebanon’s two main Shiite parties, Hezbollah and ally Amal, led by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri, had insisted on retaining the Finance Ministry in the new government and on naming all the Shiite Cabinet ministers. Adib rejected those conditions and stepped down.

On Monday, the dollar was trading at 8,200 pounds on the black market, an 8% drop by the local currency since Adib’s resignation. The official rate remains 1,507 pounds to the dollar.

The crisis is expected to worsen as the central bank’s reserve’s are being depleted in what could force the government in the coming months to end subsidies for medicine and fuel, sharply increasing their prices.

Lebanon defaulted on paying back its debt for the first time ever in March. Talks with the International Monetary Fund on a bailout package have stalled.

The crisis has been compounded by the coronavirus pandemic and more recently by the Aug. 4 explosion at Beirut’s port caused by the detonation of thousands of tons of ammonium nitrates. It killed nearly 200 people, injured thousands and caused losses worth billions of dollars.


Cook reported from Brussels.

EXCLUSIVE-EU chair Germany proposes adherence to rule of law as key to getting bloc's cash
EXCLUSIVE-EU chair Germany proposes adherence to rule of law as key to getting bloc’s cash

BRUSSELS (Reuters) – Germany, current president of the European Union, has proposed a scheme that links access to EU money, including the 750 billion euro recovery fund, to respecting the rule of law, a document seen by Reuters showed on Monday.

FILE PHOTO: European Union flags flutter outside the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Belgium August 21, 2020. REUTERS/Yves Herman

The proposal will underpin negotiations between the European Parliament and the 27 EU governments, which in July agreed to such a mechanism in principle but left out much detail to avoid a veto from Poland or Hungary, whose nationalist governments stand accused of flouting EU democratic norms.

Warsaw and Budapest are under EU investigation for undermining the independence of the judiciary, media and non-governmental organisations, and both could lose tens of billions of euros in funding if the rule of law mechanism is established.

In the recovery fund alone, excluding the linked long-term EU budget for 2021-27, Poland would be at risk of losing access to 23 billion euros ($26.84 billion) and Hungary to six billion.

“The rule of law requires that all public powers act within the constraints set out by law … under the control of independent and impartial courts,” reads the proposed draft regulation, which needs the approval of the European Parliament.

But the vast majority of EU lawmakers want the link between money and the rule of law to be stronger than agreed in July and the German proposal – sticking closely to the leaders’ summer agreement – is all but certain to disappoint the chamber.

Liberal German EU lawmaker Moritz Korner, who leads the chamber’s work on the matter, said Berlin was “cuddling” with eurosceptic, nationalist rulers in Warsaw and Budapest.

“Without an automatic sanction system, Germany’s proposal fails to defend the rule of law and the correctness of the EU budget spendings,” he told Reuters when asked about the scheme.

According to the German document, punishment for rule of law breaches would include suspending the flow of EU money to capitals seen as breaching democratic checks and balances. It would be decided by a majority vote of EU governments on a recommendation by the EU’s executive European Commission.

This could allow other governments to override opposition from Poland and Hungary.

But those seeking a stronger link argue that a majority of EU governments should be needed to decline, rather than endorse any recommendation by the Commission, to suspend funding for those flouting the rule of law.

That formula would make penalties more likely by leaving governments less room for political horse-trading.

“FINGER-WAGGING”

Some have cautioned, however, that seeking too ambitious a solution could backfire, given that Warsaw or Budapest might withdraw their support if the proposal is changed from what they signed up to in July after four days of tortuous talks.

“It is important that all sides stick to the delicate compromise reached. What didn’t find the support of the (leaders) at that time, will certainly not find it now,” said one official working on the matter.

Germany has already called on EU lawmakers to speed up work on approving the bloc’s next budget, the recovery fund and the related rule of law conditions so that money can start flowing, including to the ailing south of the EU, from 2021.

Asked about the Reuters story on Monday, Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said Poland would stick to the July agreement.

“There is no consent in Poland to allow for arbitrary application of various clauses and finger-wagging only because someone doesn’t like our government,” he told reporters.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban threatened to veto a related decision if the July agreement on the rule of law mechanism is not honoured, which would derail the next EU budget and the recovery fun, together worth some 1.8 trillion euros.

($1 = 0.8568 euros)

Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska, Additional reporting by Marcin Goclowski in Warsaw, Writing by Jan Strupczewski and Gabriela Baczynska, Editing by Mark Heinrich and Nick Macfie

Brexit: EU says window to resolve NI part of deal rapidly closing
Brexit: EU says window to resolve NI part of deal rapidly closing

            <img class="js-image-replace" alt="File photo dated 12/3/2019 of Union and EU flags flying outside the Palace of Westminster, London" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/E6D7/production/_113359095_55f5f0f0-8efd-4806-8153-0b491ed2827d.jpg" width="976" height="600"/><span class="off-screen">Image copyright</span>
             <span class="story-image-copyright">Steve Parsons/PA Wire</span>

        </span>

    </figure><p class="story-body__introduction">The "window of opportunity" for the UK and EU to resolve how to implement the NI part of the Brexit deal is "rapidly closing," the EU has said.</p>

A joint UK-EU committee held its third meeting on Monday.

The Stormont Executive’s junior ministers Gordon Lyons and Declan Kearney took part by video conference.

The meeting came at the start of the latest round of talks about the UK’s future relationship with the EU.

European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič said he had reiterated the “urgent need” for the UK and EU to accelerate their work in the coming weeks.

“Many difficult issues remain and the UK position is far apart from what the EU can accept,” he told a press conference in Brussels after the meeting.

Mr Šefčovič said the two sides also remain at odds on whether NI businesses will be required to complete a piece of administration known as exit summary declaration forms for goods going to the rest of the UK.

The prime minister has repeatedly promised no new paperwork for trade moving from NI-GB.

Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove is in Brussels for the talks about the UK’s future relationship with the European Union.

The Brexit deal, which was agreed in October, treats Northern Ireland differently from other parts of the UK through what is known as the Northern Ireland protocol.

        </span>

    </figure><h2 class="story-body__crosshead">What is the Northern Ireland Protocol?</h2><p>The Northern Ireland Protocol is designed to prevent a hard border in Ireland - or any new checks at the Irish border.

It does this by effectively keeping Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods.

This will mean products entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK will be subject to new checks and control – the so-called Irish Sea border.

However, the precise nature of these checks needs to be agreed by the EU and UK and are being negotiated in parallel with the trade talks, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson wants concluded by the next European Council meeting on 15 October.

But the UK and EU have been engaged through the joint committee to work out the nature and extent of the checks on goods after the transition period.

The protocol is due to come into force on 1 January 2021 – the first day of the new EU-UK relationship.

        </span>

    </figure><p>The last set of talks between the two sides ended acrimoniously when the UK government introduced the Internal Market Bill to Parliament.

The bill would give UK ministers the power to reduce the amount of paperwork that Northern Ireland firms have to fill in on goods bound for Great Britain, or to remove the need for them entirely.

It would also allow the UK to narrow the scope of EU state aid rules in Northern Ireland.

It is controversial because it would change the terms of the Northern Ireland Protocol, a crucial part of the legally-binding Withdrawal Agreement agreed by both sides prior to the UK’s exit from the EU.

The bill has not been withdrawn and is set to be debated by MPs on Tuesday.

Mr Šefčovič said he had also repeated the EU’s demand for the UK to withdraw the legislation.

Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Junior Minister Gordon Lyons, who took part on behalf of First Minister Arlene Foster, said he had “emphasised the importance of the UK internal market and the need to secure a deal that works for businesses, citizens and consumers in Northern Ireland”.

        </span>

    </figure><p>Sinn Féin's Junior Minister Declan Kearney took the place of Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill, who it is understood could not take part in the meeting due to illness.

Mr Kearney said he had made clear to the committee that Downing Street’s Internal Market Bill – which would allow the UK to override parts of the original Brexit deal relating to NI – “does not command the support of the majority of political parties in Ireland, north or south”.

        </span>

    </figure><p>He insisted that the Northern Ireland protocol must be "fully implemented".

Formal UK-EU negotiations will also resume on Tuesday as the two sides attempt to agree a post-Brexit trade deal.

Last week, the UK said a lot of work remains before a deal can be reached.

Trader Support Service

Businesses in Northern Ireland can now sign up to the system to help them deal with the new Irish Sea Border.

The Trader Support Service (TSS) will effectively see the government paying customs agents on behalf of businesses.

It is required as a consequence of the Northern Ireland part of the Brexit deal.

From 1 January, goods entering Northern Ireland from Great Britain will need customs declarations.

The government had said up to £355m is to be spent on the system – but businesses could not access it until now.

Medical advice to EU leaders: prevention comes before cure
Medical advice to EU leaders: prevention comes before cure

The EU’s recovery package is the not-to-be-missed opportunity to lead us to a healthier future and should not extend a lifeline to the pollution that is making us sick, writes Peter van den Hazel.

Peter van den Hazel, medical doctor and co-founder, International Coordinator of International Network for Children’s Health, Environment and Safety (INCHES), is the President of HEAL (Health and the Environment Alliance).

It’s every doctor’s first prescription of choice: prevention before cure. Stop smoking, exercise more, eat a balanced diet. Take care of your body, and you will minimise the risks of illness and injury and boost your resilience to whatever ailment you cannot prevent.

The same applies to our planet. If we take care of our planet, our planet will take better care of us. It will reduce the risks from viruses and vector-borne diseases; from the fumes, chemicals and plastics that weaken our bodies; and from the malnutrition and heat stress intensified by climate change.

Investment in the health of our planet is itself a public health tool. It’s an investment in our own health and resilience to future shocks, be it pandemics, floods, wildfires or other catastrophes.

Just this month, a new report by the European Environment Agency underlined the urgency of tackling pollution and climate change in the interest of health, with the worrying number that poor quality environments contribute to one in eight, or 13%, of deaths in Europe.

In the next few months, the European Union has the power to either set us on a path towards that healthier and more resilient future or to turbo-boost polluting industries and infrastructure and exacerbate the global health crisis we find ourselves in.

Europe’s €1.8 trillion seven-year budget and its Next Generation EU recovery package, under negotiation over the next few months between the EU Council and the European Parliament, will set the contours of our long-term recovery from the coronavirus crisis.

EU countries and MEPs therefore have the opportunity — and the duty to the European people — to prioritise public health and rebuild an economy based on jobs and industries that support it.

Political leaders have already committed to zero pollution under the EU Green Deal. As such, the prescription from health professionals to leaders is very simple: put people’s health at the core of whatever you agree.

In doing so, create a list of polluting industries that should be explicitly excluded from future public spending. If a production or service makes us sicker and weaker, it should not benefit from taxpayers money.

Unfortunately, in the budget agreed in July, EU heads of state and government seemingly have not learned the lesson on greater health protection. Their agreement doesn’t even mention the word “pollution”, let alone talk about how to tackle its effects on health.

The European Council wants to reduce the EU4Health budget to a mere €1.7 billion, from the European Commission’s proposal of €9.4 billion, jeopardising the EU’s ability and ambition to strengthen healthcare systems and public health protection.

It has also cut the proposed budget for the Just Transition Fund by €30 billion – meaning less money for the much-needed transformation of regions that are still highly coal dependent towards a healthy energy future.

The European Parliament has made clear that it disapproves of the Council’s cuts, saying they will “undermine the foundations of a sustainable and resilient recovery.” Now it’s up to MEPs to fulfill their promise not to accept the final budget until it is improved.

Pollution from dominant industries such as chemicals and pesticides, petrol and diesel cars, coal-fired power generation and agricultural activities increase the risk of developing pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, heart disease and strokes, make those ailments more severe and affect those most vulnerable the worst — as 40 million health professionals pointed out in an open letter to G20 leaders in May.

From a health perspective, the only logical principle can be ensuring zero pollution and transforming any industry or service that does not adhere to this principle.

The World Health Organization, which also supported the open letter, has set out concrete steps that all governments should take to forge a healthy recovery.

They include protecting nature; investing in essential services including water, sanitation, clean energy and healthcare facilities; and an end to taxpayer-funded pollution, including subsidies for fossil fuel power and polluting modes of transport.

The European Union should take WHO’s recommendation to heart and consult with medical and scientific advisors, the wider health sector and civil society.

Healthcare professionals, scientists and academics are guiding us through this pandemic, and people are listening to them — they are wearing masks, working from home and refraining from hugging their friends and family, to save lives. People trust the experts, and our leaders must too.

Hong Kong: Cardinal calls for unity among faithful during social turmoil - Vatican News
Hong Kong: Cardinal calls for unity among faithful during social turmoil – Vatican News

By Vatican News English Section

In a recent Pastoral Letter, Cardinal John Tong Hon of Hong Kong addressed the social turmoil and division that rocked Hong Kong over the past year saying, “the public are fully justified in expecting the local government to take action promptly to address their aspirations for justice, democracy and a more decent quality of life.” 

However, he also acknowledged that divisions have found their way into the local Catholic community.

Church teaching

The Cardinal pointed out that the faithful are free to have different views given that social and political issues are often complex and do not come up with “simple or ready answers.”

Nevertheless, he said, “differences in viewpoints must not give way to a division in the Church.  “We must bear in mind,” he added, “the teaching of Vatican II that all the faithful are to strive to preserve Church communion, and they are to take account of the common good of the Church even when exercising their own rights.”

Cardinal Tong noted one of the consequences of social turmoil in Hong Kong has been a “hatred” of some sectors of the public towards those who do not share their stances or endorse their actions in regard to socio-political reforms.”

The Beatitudes

The Cardinal said that at this present time, “it is fitting to reiterate that the Church gives support to ‘democracy’ as a system of governance.”  

Pope Francis, he said, in his apostolic exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium writes “that the progress in building a people in peace, justice and fraternity can be achieved by committed and responsible citizens. However, such a progress is an ‘ongoing process’ which demands that people work slowly but surely, without being obsessed with immediate results. In contributing to building a society of peace, justice and fraternity, we have a twofold role to play as ‘prophet’ and ‘servant’: we have to discern the ‘signs of the times,’ and we have to act like the salt of the earth, the light of the world and the yeast of human society.”

The Cardinal said, “in our endeavours for socio-political reforms and the well-being of society, we should be guided by the social teaching of the Church. We must, above all, put into practice what Jesus teaches in the Beatitudes and in the Sermon on the Mount. Thus we must realise that treating others as ‘enemies’ to be hated and fought against is inconsistent with the Christian faith.”

Christ crucified, he continued, “has set an example for all Christians to follow: whatever might be the conflicts that have to be resolved, love, forgiveness and reconciliation must always prevail, if justice and peace are to be achieved. “The end does not justify the means.”” 

He went on to say that pastors and priests “should enlighten the faithful and form their consciences with the social teaching of the Church so that they can adopt a balanced approach and take the right course of action while engaging themselves in social concern activities.”

However, he stressed, priests “should not exert their influence in those areas.”

The Cardinal also emphasized that Catholics who arrogantly challenge or criticise the Church or even slander Church leaders are simply setting a bad example and creating a split in the Church. Only by preserving their communion with the Hierarchy can “Catholics truly manifest the ‘sense of faith’ (sensus fidelium) as advocated by Vatican II.”

Hope amid challenges

In his Pastoral Letter, the Cardinal noted that many Catholics “bear a gloomy outlook about the future of Hong Kong. They have based their views on the uncertainties about the rule of law and the political reform, and the almost unbearable impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic on our local economy and livelihood”, he said.

“I earnestly call”, he continued, “on these Catholics to place an unwavering hope in Jesus Christ…”

The Cardinal also underlined that the “social turmoil last year and the current pandemic have made great impacts on Hong Kong, and we can foresee new challenges to our evangelising mission in the years to come.”

Cardinal Tong concluded saying that God is “the key to our human destiny, of the need for a stronger sense of solidarity among members of the human family, and of the significance of maintaining Church communion, though allowing for a “diversity” in Church life.”

Ukraine working towards universal health coverage while responding to COVID-19
Ukraine working towards universal health coverage while responding to COVID-19

Ukraine is transforming its health system so that people can get the quality health-care services they need without experiencing financial hardship.

Andrii, a 25-year-old doctor living in the city of Khmelnytskyi in western Ukraine began to feel unwell. It was in March 2020, when the COVID-19 outbreak had started in the country. Armed with medical knowledge, he immediately self-isolated from his wife and other family members. As his symptoms worsened, he called an ambulance, and eventually tested positive for COVID-19 while in hospital.

“While I was in hospital, testing and examinations were free of charge, but I had to find and buy my own medicines. I am very grateful to the anaesthesiologists of Khmelnytskyi region and other colleagues, who helped me find and buy medicines while my family members were in 14-day isolation. Since then, the availability of medicines in hospitals has improved and medicines are now provided to patients free of charge,” said Andrii.

The transformation of health services to ensure that patients can be tested and treated for COVID-19 free of charge is just one of the many positive steps the Ukraine government has taken. It demonstrates the government’s commitment to universal health coverage (UHC), ensuring that no one is left behind and everyone can access the health care they need without experiencing financial hardship.

This commitment to UHC has been evident since 2015, when the government initiated the reform of its health system to improve the population’s health and ensure financial protection from out-of-pocket payments. The reform aims to increase efficiency, modernize an obsolete service delivery system and improve access to better quality of care.

WHO, through the UHC Partnership, has been walking hand in hand with the government since the very first steps on this road. It provided continued and consistent technical support on health financing and service delivery with a strong focus on strengthening primary care – working closely with national and international stakeholders throughout election cycles and changes in the government. The Partnership, which assists 115 countries in accelerating progress to achieve UHC, is funded by the European Union, the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Irish Aid, the Government of Japan, the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the United Kingdom Department for International Development and the Government of Belgium.

COVID-19 in Ukraine

Ukraine recorded its first case of COVID-19 on 3 March 2020. By the end of August, there had been more than 108 000 confirmed cases and over 2000 people had lost their lives. From the start of the outbreak, WHO has continued to support the Ministry of Health to further develop three key areas of its health system: health financing, service delivery and governance. This strengthens both the emergency COVID-19 response and progress towards UHC.

UHC means health for all

As the world is confronted with one of the most devastating health crises in history, Ukraine’s experience demonstrates the value of reforming health financing, service delivery and governance; the key areas that set the foundations of health systems in all countries. In both ordinary and extraordinary times, UHC principles are at the core of keeping all communities healthy, safe and productive.