EU leaders to call for an EU electronic ID by mid-2021
Sep 9 2020
EU leaders to call for an EU electronic ID by mid-2021

EU leaders will ask the European Commission later this month to develop an EU-wide public electronic identification system (e-ID) to access cross-border digital services, according to the draft summit conclusions seen by EURACTIV.com

Strengthening Europe’s autonomy and sovereignty in the aftermath of the pandemic will be the main topic of the European Council to be held on 24 and 25 September in Brussels and digital initiatives will feature prominently.

As part of their plans, the 27 Heads of State and Government want to have a robust and functional digital ecosystem across the Union for citizens.

To that end, EU leaders will call for the development of an “EU-wide secure public electronic identification (e-ID) to provide people with control over their online identity and data as well as to enable access to cross-border digital services,” the draft document reads.

They will ask the Commission to put forward a proposal for a ‘European Digital Identification’ initiative by mid-2021, and member states hope that an EU-wide e-ID will be especially for cross-border digital services, a market expected to grow in the digital economy.

There has been some progress on this front over the past years at the technical level to guarantee the interoperability of national e-ID. Thanks to that, since September 2018, EU rules allow citizens to use their national e-ID also to access public services across borders in other member states.

In this context, the Commission has recently sought to update the rules on electronic identification operations in the EU, as part of the eIDAS regulation, in a bid to develop a more harmonized and resilient market for electronic identification systems on the bloc.

On the launch of the Commission’s public consultation on the plans in the summer, Commission Vice-President for Digital Margarethe Vestager said that the revision of the 2018 eIDAS regulation “aims to improve its effectiveness, extend its benefits to the private sector and promote trusted digital identities for all Europeans and create a secure and interoperable European Digital Identity which gives citizens control.”

The consultation is open until October 2, and further details on the EU’s bid to extend the electronic identification framework are set to be outlined in the Digital Services Act, to be unveiled by the Commission at the end of the year.

Recovery fund revisions

Moreover, in Europe’s future rebound from the economic aftershocks of the coronavirus pandemic, EU leaders at the end of this month will also call for dedicating a “significant part” of the recovery fund, in particular of the €672 billion allocated to the Recovery and Resilience Facility, to the digital sector.

Priority areas are supercomputers and quantum computing, blockchain, and human-centered artificial intelligence; microprocessors, cybersecurity, digital education, and 5G. The draft conclusions urge member states to submit their national plans to roll-out the infrastructure by the end of the year as planned.

The ongoing development of 5G infrastructure in Europe has been beset by a series of delays related to the trade dispute between the US and China as well as the coronavirus pandemic.

Current goals in the field include a launch of 5G services in all EU member states by the end of 2020 at the latest, as well as a ‘rapid build-up’ that will ensure “uninterrupted 5G coverage in urban areas and along main transport paths by 2025,” as outlined in the 5G Action Plan for Europe.

Competition review 

The EU leaders will also focus on the importance of the review the EU competition rules to better compete with the US and China. It is a sensitive debate between those who want a major overhaul of the rules, especially France and Germany, and other governments arguing for minor tweaks.

The draft conclusions call for “adapting the European competition framework to ensure that it meets the challenges of the green transition, digital transformation as well as the global context, and provides legal certainty for economic operators and supports innovation, including in the digital sector”.

The Commission will publish the first results of their ongoing review of the competition rules next year, to better reflect the new features of the digital economy and the ‘green’ goals. 

The leaders are also expected to support the Commission’s work to address the systemic role that some online platforms play (the so-called ‘gatekeepers’).

On the industrial front, leaders will ask the Commission to identify strategic dependencies and to propose measures to reduce them, including by diversifying production and supply chains. 

The draft text also calls for developing a new Important Project of Common European Interest which combines EU funds and member states resources. The bloc has launched such projects for batteries, the Internet of Things, and hydrogen.

The post-pandemic industrial strategy also should develop new industrial alliances, support SMEs, and bolster the Space and Defence areas.

EU leaders will also discuss foreign affairs during their meeting in Brussels. They will hold a “strategic discussion” on Turkey and will discuss the EU-China relations, following the EU-China video-summit on 14 September, among other potential issues.

Edited by Samuel Stolton

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European Union helps WFP provide life-saving assistance to vulnerable Yemenis
Sep 9 2020
European Union helps WFP provide life-saving assistance to vulnerable Yemenis

SANA’A – The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a EUR 45 million contribution from the European Union (EU) to provide vital food assistance to families in Yemen facing acute food shortages as conflict, economic collapse and now the coronavirus pushes millions of people to the brink.
The EU funds will provide Yemeni families with life-saving assistance, allowing them to meet their basic food needs. With the EU’s support, WFP is already providing food, vouchers and cash to millions of food insecure Yemenis.

WFP is making cash assistance available in areas where market conditions allow so that people can purchase food and other items locally. Cash can help strengthen local markets, encouraging smallholders to be more productive and build national capacity.

“With different crises converging to threaten the lives of people in Yemen, the humanitarian situation is more alarming than ever. The EU recently increased its support to enable partners such as WFP to continue providing life-saving assistance amid funding shortfalls,” said European Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič. “Yemen cannot wait. Impartial aid organisations must be given the means and unimpeded access to reach the millions of Yemenis who urgently need help.”

The EU’s support comes at a crucial moment as WFP works to maintain the current level of assistance in Yemen – the agency’s largest operation in the world – to prevent the humanitarian situation from deteriorating. An upsurge in fighting since the start of the year, coupled with a rapid deterioration in the economic situation and the threat posed by the coronavirus pandemic, is undermining previous improvements in the food security situation and is set to push many more people into severe levels of hunger.

“Yemen is on a knife’s edge. Millions are sliding toward starvation at a time when resources are severely stretched,” said WFP Executive Director David Beasley. “But the European Union has been a strong, consistent supporter of WFP’s work in Yemen, ensuring we have the resources to deliver emergency food assistance to the most vulnerable children, women and men.”

WFP’s food assistance throughout Yemen’s five-year civil war has saved millions from starvation. Since 2015, WFP has massively expanded its operation in the country from feeding around 1 million people at the start of the conflict to nearly 13 million now. The EU has been a strong supporter of WFP during that period, contributing a total of EUR 216.8 million while always emphasising emphasised the need for independent targeting and beneficiary registration to guarantee the transparency, accountability and efficiency of aid delivery.

Responding to the acute humanitarian crisis in Yemen requires the support and action of many partners. Resources remain stretched and WFP may have to reduce its operations if additional funding is not secured soon. Without WFP food assistance, even more Yemeni people would face crippling levels of hunger. WFP needs $703 million (around EUR 594 million) to maintain this vital safety net for the next six months.

                                     #        #        #

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies, building prosperity and supporting a sustainable future for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

Contact

For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastname@wfp.org):

Annabel Symington, WFP/Yemen,
Mob. +44 7746397099

Martin Penner, WFP/ Rome,
Mob. +39 345 6142074

Elisabeth Byrs, WFP/Geneva
Mob. +41 79 842 8057

Abeer Etefa, WFP/Cairo,
Mob. +201 0666 3435 2

Aneta Szczyglowska, WFP/Brussels,
Mob. +32 491 395 420

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EU lawmakers cancel their session at Strasbourg because of the coronavirus
Sep 9 2020
EU lawmakers cancel their session at Strasbourg because of the coronavirus
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    <figure class=""><a href="/data/cache/noticias/77892/0x0/gettyimages-1193819878.jpg" class="gallery" title="EU law states parliament must hold a four-day session once a month in Strasbourg, despite regular lobbying by lawmakers to change the rules and meet in Brussels"><img src="/data/cache/noticias/77892/760x480/gettyimages-1193819878.jpg" alt="EU law states parliament must hold a four-day session once a month in Strasbourg, despite regular lobbying by lawmakers to change the rules and meet in Brussels"/></a>&#13;
        <span>EU law states parliament must hold a four-day session once a month in Strasbourg, despite regular lobbying by lawmakers to change the rules and meet in Brussels</span>        </figure>European Union lawmakers have canceled their session at the parliament's headquarters in the French city of Strasbourg next week, despite a legal obligation to do so, because of the coronavirus, the assembly's president said on Tuesday.

    EU law states that the parliament must hold a four-day session once a month in Strasbourg, a right defended by France, despite regular lobbying by lawmakers to change the rules and meet in Brussels, the assembly's second headquarters.

Authorities in Strasbourg had urged lawmakers to come. Next week’s session has additional prestige as the president of the European Commission, the EU executive, will deliver an annual address to the parliament.

“The resurgence of the pandemic in many member states and the decisions taken by the French authorities to classify the entire Lower Rhine department as a red zone obliges us to reconsider the move to Strasbourg,” European Parliament President David Sassoli said in a statement.

“The plenary session of the European Parliament … will take place in Brussels,” he said, referring to the more regularly used assembly building in the Belgian capital, where EU lawmakers work when they are not in Strasbourg.

France’s Europe Minister Clement Beaune and Strasbourg’s mayor, Jeanne Barseghian expressed regret in a statement, calling for a “swift return to plenary sessions in Strasbourg”.

Many EU lawmakers were concerned that moving the 705 members of the European Parliament, their staff and interpreters – more than 1,500 people – from Belgium to the eastern French city was an unnecessary health risk.

France’s health minister Olivier Veran said on Tuesday that the COVID-19 situation in the country was worrying, with daily new cases at record levels, although he said a second wave of infections was avoidable.

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Digital health: transforming and extending the delivery of health services
Sep 9 2020
Digital health: transforming and extending the delivery of health services

Digital health is a broad category encompassing electronic health, mobile health, telehealth and health data, among others. It offers solutions that can strengthen health systems, such as bringing health services directly to people’s homes and to underserved communities, helping to map outbreaks of disease, and integrating digital tools that make health care more responsive and productive.

But in addition to providing opportunities, digital health raises some important questions. Can digital health ensure that people receive high standards of care? How can we ensure that those without access to or knowledge of digital devices are not left behind? How can we guarantee that sensitive health data is properly secured so people feel safe using services?

Answering these questions is an important part of the future of health in the WHO European Region. This is why the European Programme of Work identifies digital health as a flagship alongside immunization, mental health, and behavioural and cultural insights.

Why is digital health a priority now?

Digital health has been seen as an emerging, strategic health priority for years. Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the use of digital health technologies to make health systems and services more effective was widely recognized. Countries have also indicated the importance of digital health.

Linked to WHO’s 13th General Programme of Work, the European Programme of Work commits to ensuring better access to health for people throughout the Region through universal health coverage, and recognizes digital health as key to realizing this vision.

The term digital health may conjure images of advanced, futuristic technology, but in fact it can include a range of interventions, including:

  • electronic health records and standards underpinning the exchange of data;
  • mobile health apps for monitoring and prevention;
  • public health portals that provide transparent access to an individual’s personal health records and contacts with the health system;
  • telemedicine;
  • integrated care delivery;
  • clinical decision-making support tools in primary care;
  • robotics;
  • personalized medicine;
  • nanotechnologies; and
  • artificial intelligence.

Digital health links to other flagships, including behavioural and cultural insights and mental health, while seeking to build a partnership model to identify best practice and opportunities.

COVID-19 as an accelerator

The role that digital health can play has come under the spotlight during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of digital tools such as contact tracing apps to monitor outbreaks and online consultations to help keep health professionals and patients safe while providing continued care are some of the ways that the potential of digital health has been harnessed.

These digital methods of delivering health care are here and will very likely stay. Greater leadership and knowledge sharing in this area are important to ensure that individuals are well served and that health systems benefit from new technologies.

Digital health in practice

A symposium on digital health organized by WHO/Europe in 2019 helped to showcase how governments and organizations can use health technologies to reduce inequities and improve health and well-being. On the ground, digital health continues to make inroads into the way health services are delivered.

In Kyrgyzstan, for example, a safe delivery app provides midwives with guidance to deal with different birth scenarios – including some that may require an emergency response. The app itself, in use in more than 40 countries around the world, was developed by the Maternity Foundation in Denmark. It helps midwives provide care, particularly when faced with a difficult situation.

In Finland, a patient-oriented digital health-care service known as Health Village was set up by different university hospitals. The online platform enables people to plan and manage their own care using simple medical devices to send readings to health professionals. It allows for a more streamlined approach to health care that takes into account the lives of patients, who may struggle to find time to attend routine appointments. It also naturally raises some questions, particularly among those who have less experience or struggle with digital technologies. Some elements of coaching are therefore integrated to ensure that patients feel able to use the services.

These are just some of the ways in which digital health can empower individuals, make health systems more effective and provide greater health coverage.

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WHO Regional Director for Europe gives update on the work of the Regional Office ahead of virtual Regional Committee
Sep 9 2020
WHO Regional Director for Europe gives update on the work of the Regional Office ahead of virtual Regional Committee

Statement by Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, to the 27th Standing Committee of the Regional Committee for Europe.

8 September 2020

Ahead of the 70th Regional Committee (RC70), to be held virtually for the first time, Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge gave an update on the recent work of WHO’s Regional Office for Europe with the Standing Committee of the Regional Committee (SCRC). The meeting of the SCRC continued its preparations for RC70, including nominating officers, creating a credential committee and establishing a short list of candidates for the Executive Board and Standing Committee. This session also marked the final time that Dr Søren Brostrøm will chair the SCRC.

Dear Standing Committee members,

Thank you for your continued support and collaboration during these unprecedent times.

Given the short time today and our focus on next week’s Regional Committee I would like to provide a brief update on the various activities linked to the GPW13’s main pillars which have taken place since our last regular SCRC meeting on 15 May.

Health emergencies

We continue to grapple with the biggest health emergency of our time. This has pushed us to quickly rethink and reshape the way we operate from the policy perspective right down to the service delivery level.

In August, we jointly facilitated a meeting with the Italian Minister of Health, Mr. Roberto Speranza, on schooling in the time of COVID. This drove forward our commitment to help member states open schools safely as they open their economies. We want to ensure that children and adolescents are not left behind during this pandemic and we generated some concrete ways forward.

On the macro level we also continued to work with Member States and the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNDRR) on Emergency Preparedness and Response beyond COVID-19.

Our continued commitment to capacity building of health officials lead the EURO/ WHE team to conduct 46 capacity building webinars on clinical management, infection, prevention and control (IPC), and laboratories. 51 emergency response missions were conducted, and 130 shipments of supplies were delivered across the region (valued at $40 million USD).

On my first mission since the start of the pandemic, I signed a financial agreement with the Government of Turkey to establish a new WHO European Centre for Preparedness for Humanitarian and Health Emergencies. This centre will be a vital resource, institutionalizing evidence and best practices and facilitating applied research to strengthen health emergency response and disaster risk management.

Our health emergencies programming also included the launch of the Health Buddy multilingual interactive Chatbot with UNICEF. It brings vital information into the hands of our citizens.

Universal health coverage

Our work continues to be centred on our commitment to achieving universal health coverage in the region. Our efforts on this front have been far reaching.

As we rethink our way of operating amidst the pandemic, we have developed a new strategy for our Geographically Dispersed Office in Almaty applying our understanding of primary healthcare in the time of COVID.

Central to our efforts to strengthen public policy and planning to ensure UHC I initiated the development of the Pan-European Commission on Health and Sustainable Development chaired by Professor Mario Monti, President of Bocconi University.

The Commission will make recommendations on investments and reforms to strengthen community resilience and to help us deliver on the sustainable develop goals. By bringing together a multitude of disciplines the commission seeks to rethink public policy with health at the centre under the concept of “one health.”  So far, the commission had identified the digital environment as a key focus area as we tackle digital poverty and the fundamental link between health and social care.

We continue to explore how we can strengthen equitable access to affordable vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics. This has involved continued engagement with you and planning for the meeting in Oslo in March 2021 to develop a stronger way forward.

Finally, in collaboration with The Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) we developed a Framework of Competencies for the Public Health workforce.

Health and well-being

Through our commitment to create healthy environments, reduce risk factors and address the determinants of health in our region we have undertaken several activities.

The launch of the Mental Health Coalition aims to improve mental health policies and practices across the region. It brings together a broad coalition of mental health leaders, champions, service users and other partners.

A joint UN webinar was conducted under the UN Issue-based Coalition on Gender equality to share lessons learned and challenges in addressing gender-based violence in country-level COVID-19 responses.

An Independent Technical Advisory Group on TB was convened with national programme managers and key partners including affected communities to advise on considerations for TB and HIV during the pandemic.

Our focus on vaccines included Regional Working Group coordination on COVID-19 vaccination and deployment initiated as part of the regional framework to ensure equitable access and delivery of COVID-19 vaccine(s).

In addition to this we continue to provide support to health ministries on the resumption and catch up of vaccination programmes interrupted by the pandemic. We are all steadfast in our commitment to keeping the region polio free, while rubella and measles elimination remains high on our agenda.

And finally, towards a WHO Europe that is fit for purpose

Our commitment to optimizing the use of available resources to ensure financial sustainability for the future and reverse chronic funding gaps has shaped the transformation of our region.

The technical portfolio of WHO/Europe is being streamlined into three divisions/ three core priorities: Universal Health Coverage, health security, and health and well-being. They are to be supported by the Office of the Regional Director and a Division of Business Operations.

Structural alignment of the activities of the Regional Office in Copenhagen is under way, in full consultation with the staff of the Office and the Staff Association.

An in-depth functional review is under way (to be concluded in next month) The functions of each Unit and each staff position in the new Divisions are being determined.

We will streamline business processes through new digitization platforms and remain committed to how we can maximise new modalities for agile working teams.

Since the last SCRC meeting in May, I have signed new Bilateral Country Agreements with the Republic of Moldova, Latvia, Czechia, and the Kyrgyz Republic.

Our resource mobilization activities include strengthened funding and cooperation from the European Commission, namely through a grant from DG NEAR. We are also very grateful to Germany for their flexible funding contributions, and as another example, just last week, Denmark announced a doubling of their voluntary core contributions.  
We have continued to grow our media impact by engagements on health in the region with regular live press briefings and interviews with top tier and regionally important media including AFP, Al Jazeera, CNN, Euronews, Corriere della Sera, Bloomberg, Khabar 24, Russia 24, La Repubblica, Sky News.

Our strong and collaborative with the EU continues, including an invitation myself and the DG to hold an exchange of views with the European parliament in June, and participating in an informal meeting of EU Health Ministers, convened by the German Presidency in July.

And finally, the EPW has gone through extensive and comprehensive consultation (with Member States, Non-State Actors, the UN, other partners, staff, and the general public). These wide-ranging consultations have contributed to substantial improvements in several iterations of the document. The final EPW is to be submitted for adoption to the Regional Committee next week.

Despite these times of uncertainty, and the growing challenges we face, I remain optimistic about the impact the EPW can have in our region. Now more than ever, steadfast in our commitment to leaving no one behind, I am grateful for your support and the unwavering commitment of our teams across the region to meet the expectations of our citizens.

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Children’s lives at stake, COVID threatens to undo 30 years of ‘remarkable progress’
Sep 9 2020
Children’s lives at stake, COVID threatens to undo 30 years of ‘remarkable progress’

The number of global under-five deaths dropped to its lowest point on record in 2019 – down to 5.2 million, from 12.5 million in 1990. However, there are fears the numbers could rise on back of COVID-induced disruptions to child and maternal health services, new estimates released on Wednesday, indicate. 

Services experiencing disruptions include health checkups, vaccinations, and prenatal and post-natal care. Reasons include resource constraints and a general uneasiness with using health services due to a fear of getting COVID-19, according to the UN agencies. 

Over the past 30 years, health services to prevent or treat causes of child death such as preterm, low birth weight, complications during birth, neonatal sepsis, pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria, as well as vaccination, have played a large role in saving millions of lives, added the agencies. 

The estimates, contained in the report Levels and Trends in Child Mortality: Report 2020, were issued by UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, and the World Bank Group. 

Safeguard achievements from COVID 

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, recalled the feat and outlined the challenges. 

“The fact that today more children live to see their first birthday than any time in history is a true mark of what can be achieved when the world puts health and well-being at the centre of our response,” he said. 

 “Now, we must not let the COVID-19 pandemic turn back remarkable progress for our children and future generations. Rather, it’s time to use what we know works to save lives, and keep investing in stronger, resilient health systems.” 

UNICEF and WHO surveys 

Surveys conducted by UNICEF and WHO in 77 and 105 countries, respectively, found high numbers of countries reporting disruptions in health services critical to prevent new-born and child deaths.  

The UNICEF survey found that almost 68 per cent of the countries faced disruptions in health checks for children and immunization services; 63 per cent had disruptions in antenatal check-ups; and 59 per cent in post-natal care. 

WHO findings showed 52 per cent of countries had disruptions in health services for sick children; and 51 per cent in services for management of malnutrition – equally important to safeguard healthy lives. 

Challenges included parents avoiding health centres for fear of infection, transport restrictions, suspension or closure of services and facilities, fewer healthcare workers or shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE), and greater financial difficulties. 

Afghanistan, Bolivia, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Libya, Madagascar, Pakistan, Sudan and Yemen are among the hardest hit countries. 

UNICEF/Ilvy Njiokiktjien

A mother holds her seven-day-old baby daughter, who was born at a health centre in Peru’s Paruro province.

World has come too far to stop 

UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, called for urgent investments to restart disrupted health systems and services. 

The global community has come too far towards eliminating preventable child deaths to allow the COVID-19 pandemic to stop us in our tracks – Henrietta Fore, UNICEF Executive Director 

“The global community has come too far towards eliminating preventable child deaths to allow the COVID-19 pandemic to stop us in our tracks,” she said, adding: 

“When children are denied access to health services because the system is overrun, and when women are afraid to give birth at the hospital for fear of infection, they, too, may become casualties of COVID-19.” 

Urgent action needed 

The surveys also highlighted the need for urgent action to restore and improve childbirth services, and antenatal and postnatal care for mothers and babies, including having skilled health workers to care for them at birth. Working with parents to assuage their fears and reassure them is also important. 

Muhammad Ali Pate, Global Director for Health, Nutrition and Population at the World Bank, underlined the need to protect the vital, life-saving services that are key to reducing child mortality. 

“The COVID-19 pandemic has put years of global progress to end preventable child deaths in serious jeopardy … It is essential to protect life-saving services which have been key to reducing child mortality. We will continue to work with governments and partners to reinforce healthcare systems to ensure mothers and children get the services they need,” he said. 

Redress inequities 

John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division of the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, also drew attention to address inequalities within societies that impact health.  

“The report demonstrates the ongoing progress worldwide in reducing child mortality … While it highlights the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on interventions that are critical for children’s health, it also draws attention to the need to redress the vast inequities in a child’s prospects for survival and good health,” he said.  

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Pompeo urges Europe to join US for imposing sanctions on Iran
Sep 9 2020
Pompeo urges Europe to join US for imposing sanctions on Iran

Mike Pompeo on Tuesday claimed that Iran’s nuclear deal, JCPOA, has gone in the history and requested European countries and other states to join the United States for imposition of ‘Strong Sanctions’ against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He showed reaction to the increase of Iran’s enriched uranium reserves to 10 times more than that of authorized limit as set in JCPOA.

In his twitter account, Pompeo wrote, “According to reports, Iran’s uranium reserves have reached more than 10 times the limits set in JCPOA. The three European countries and others must turn their eye to the fact that Iran’s nuclear deal has gone in the history and they should accompany US for imposition of strong and tough sanctions against Iran.Comprehensive dialogues and pressure is the only way forward.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), in its latest report to members of the Board of Governors last Friday, had confirmed that Iran’s enriched uranium reserves had reached more than 10 times the limits set in the nuclear deal.

After withdrawing from JCPOA in May 2018, Washington has resorted to provocative and tense measures against Iran in line with the so-called “maximum pressure” policy.

In its reaction to this move, Islamic Republic of Iran put a year of “strategic patience” on the agenda and gave the parties to the nuclear deal, especially European countries, that promised to compensate for the withdrawal of the United States, to fulfill their obligations under the nuclear deal.

One year after the lack of fulfillment of Europe‘s promises under JCPOA, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) warned the parties in a statement on May 7, if European parties involved in the talk fail to fulfill their obligations in the field of oil and banking within 60 days, Islamic Republic of Iran will reduce its commitments under JCPOA.

The Islamic Republic of Iran has reduced its obligations under the nuclear deal in five steps. Iran’s first step in reducing its obligations was to exceed 300 kg limit of 3.67% enriched uranium reserves, lack of selling heavy water and a surplus of enriched uranium which was announced on May 7.

MA/FNA13990618001123

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Israel’s Accord with Serbia and Kosovo Rattles EU but Fails to Rouse Arab Wrath
Sep 9 2020
Israel’s Accord with Serbia and Kosovo Rattles EU but Fails to Rouse Arab Wrath
Abbas preview

The announcement last week of a landmark agreement between Israel, Serbia and Kosovo to normalize economic relations drew no condemnation from Arab nations, but the European Union has criticized the deal because the two Balkan states will move their embassies to Jerusalem.

Serbia will become the first European nation to open an embassy in Israel’s capital city, a step that only the United States and Guatemala have taken. The EU has made the city’s disputed status a part of its Middle East policy, creating new tension with the Serbs as they try to join the 27-nation trade and economic bloc.

Although Palestinians claim East Jerusalem as the capital of their own future sovereign nation, and oppose all efforts to legitimize Israel’s control of the entire city, the rest of the Arab world has taken a wait-and-see approach.

“This deal is not really thought about much in the Arab and Muslim world at all,” said Luke Coffey, a national security and foreign policy expert at The Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C. “Even though Kosovo is a Muslim majority country, it is not an Islamic state like most are across much of the Middle East. Most in the region see this as a very niche European matter.”

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President Donald J. Trump participates in a signing ceremony with Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti Friday, Sept. 4, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian)

Most people in Arab countries “do not care one way or the other where these two relatively small Balkans countries have their embassies in Israel,” he said.

Turkey, traditionally a bridge between Europe and the Middle East, quickly condemned the agreement. Turkey’s foreign ministry expressed “deep concern” over the future Jerusalem embassies.

The Trump administration, with one foot in governing and another in re-election campaigning, is already emphasizing the president’s acumen brokering deals between nations. The fundamentals of the agreement, which the president calls a “major breakthrough,” include cooperation to bolster investment and job opportunities.

Serbia and Kosovo now also say they will make an effort to follow Israeli law and decriminalize homosexuality in their jurisdictions, a move that is unlikely to meet with approval from conservative Arab governments.

Richard Grenell, the openly gay former ambassador to Germany, is pushing to overturn laws in nations that make homosexuality illegal. The Human Rights Campaign, America’s most prominent LGBTQ lobby group, has condemned Grenell for serving Trump, whom it accuses of being hostile to the gay community.

The new accord follows a separate Trump-brokered diplomatic deal between the United Arab Emirates and Israel.

Serbia has long pointed with pride to Israel’s refusal to recognize Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Belgrade deployed troops into the territory in the late 1990s to quell unrest by ethnic Albanian separatists, and the two countries have since been at odds.

As part of the accord announced September 4, Kosovo agreed for one year to halt its campaign to join significant international organizations. Serbia agreed, also for one year, to curb its efforts to coerce countries into “derecognizing” its former territory.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has embraced the new ties with Kosovo, but the Jewish state has more at stake in its alliances with other Muslim-majority and Arab countries.

The new accord’s stated intention is to focus on economic cooperation, but Israel stands to gain in other ways. For example, the agreement calls on Serbia and Kosovo to officially designate the Lebanon-based Hezbollah a terrorist organization and block its economic activities in their countries.

The deal represents the end of the Kosovo war, “which was really the last major security crisis for the U.S.” before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and is “an important symbolic win for the Trump administration,” said Matthew Schmidt, a political science professor at the University of New Haven in Connecticut.

President Trump Meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu 49452465091 1024x683 1
President Donald J. Trump participates in an expanded bilateral meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, in the Oval Office of the White House. (White House)

Beyond the opening of embassies, additional details are “still to get worked out,” he said.

Coffey, of the Heritage Foundation, said that “some points in the agreement were concrete proposals and others are merely aspirational.”

“Both countries have a long way to go before they fully normalize relations,” Coffey said. “Overall, these talks were a significant foreign policy success.”

(Edited by Judy Isacoff, Stephen Singer and David Martosko.)

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The European Union and WHO deliver COVID-19 tests and essential medical supplies to Armenia
Sep 9 2020
The European Union and WHO deliver COVID-19 tests and essential medical supplies to Armenia

The European Union and WHO today handed over 100 oxygen concentrators, 20 electrocardiographs and 10,000 PCR tests for COVID-19 to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia, the EU Delegation to Armenia reported in a press statement.

The supplies, procured by WHO with EU support, will help increase testing capacity and help patients recover from severe illness due to COVID-19.
Oxygen concentrators are a non-invasive way of providing oxygen to patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Such supplemental oxygen is the first essential step for the treatment of patients with low blood oxygen levels due to severe COVID-19.

Electrocardiographs help health professionals listen to and monitor a patient’s heart for complications. ECGs are especially important for patients being treated in intensive care units.

The 10,000 tests delivered will ensure timely detection, isolation and management of patients, which is important both for patient care and for containing the epidemic in the country. The tests are of a type included in WHO’s list of quality-assured supplies and are capable of producing accurate results in just 75 minutes. This short processing time saves healthcare workers’ time and energy, helps decrease the probability of human error and allows a larger number of tests to be carried out per day.

Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Armenia, Ambassador Andrea Wiktorin, WHO Representative in Armenia, Egor Zaitsev, RA Deputy Minister of Health, Lena Nanushyan were at the Republican Center for Humanitarian Aid SNCO to receive the shipment of tests and equipment.

The EU Ambassador and WHO Representative handed over the tests and equipment to the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Armenia as part of a larger assistance package to help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in the country. The tests and equipment will be provided to the national laboratory and healthcare institutions.Type a message

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Under ‘extraordinary circumstances’, General Assembly continues to serve the people
Sep 8 2020
Under ‘extraordinary circumstances’, General Assembly continues to serve the people

Speaking at an in-person meeting in the Assembly hall, Tijjani Muhammad-Bande recounted some of the important initiatives the 74th session had conducted throughout the coronavirus pandemic.

“The General Assembly successfully organized socially distanced elections for the General Assembly Presidency, the Security Council, and the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). Furthermore, we employed virtual methods to gather stakeholders from around the world on Charter Day, and once again at the multi-stakeholder hearing on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women”, he detailed.

The virus

Mr. Muhammad-Bande also applauded the World Health Organization (WHO) for “leading the response from the outset”.

“Today’s meeting takes place as many people suffer and bear great losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic”, he said. “The entire UN system has rallied to address the needs of the people we serve”. 

The UN official gave “particular thanks” to humanitarian workers in the field as well as UN Peacekeepers, “who continue to protect communities in the most complex environments around the world”. 

Moreover, he acknowledged the leadership of the Secretary-General and the ECOSOC president .

SDGs: Full speed ahead 

The Assembly president underlined that these efforts are “critical” as we begin the Decade of Action and Delivery to implement the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), “or as it is likely to become, the decade of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”. 

He closed by urging everyone to “galvanize multilateral action now” and fulfill the UN’s financing for development and other commitments. 

“We remain in this together”, Mr. Muhammad-Bande concluded.

Looking forward

At an end-of-session press conference, Muhammad-Bande told journalists that he was working with his successor Volkan Bozkir in the preparation of high-level week as well as upcoming events.

The UN official noted that Mr. Bozkir would be presiding over the opening of the 75th session of the Assembly, which will be convened on 22 September.

Among other things, the Assembly president informed that a Summit on Biodiversity will be convened on 30 September, and on 1 October, a High-level meeting to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Fourth World Conference on Women and the adoption of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action.

On 2 October, he said that the Membership will gather to mark the International Day for the Total Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, which he noted, remains integral to the foundation of the UN’s work on peace and security.

Mr. Muhammad-Bande told the journalists that it had been a privilege to serve as the President of the 74th session of the Assembly, expressing his confidence that the targets set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development would be realized if everyone continues to strive together, and deliver for all. 

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, President of the the 74th session of the UN General Assembly.

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G7 Foreign Ministers' Statement on the poisoning of Alexei Navalny
Sep 8 2020
G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on the poisoning of Alexei Navalny

The text of the following statement was released by the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union.

We, the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America and the High Representative of the European Union, are united in condemning, in the strongest possible terms, the confirmed poisoning of Alexei Navalny. 

Germany has briefed G7 partners on the fact that clinical and toxicological findings by German medical experts and a specialised laboratory of the German armed forces have determined that Mr Navalny is the victim of an attack with a chemical nerve-agent of the “Novichok” group, a substance developed by Russia. Mr Navalny is in intensive care in a Berlin hospital and remains in a serious condition. Our heartfelt thoughts are with his family and we hope for his full and speedy recovery.  

Any use of chemical weapons, anywhere, anytime, by anybody, under any circumstances whatsoever, is unacceptable and contravenes the international norms prohibiting the use of such weapons. We, the G7 foreign ministers, call on Russia to urgently and fully establish transparency on who is responsible for this abhorrent poisoning attack and, bearing in mind Russia’s commitments under the Chemical Weapons Convention, to bring the perpetrators to justice.  

This attack against opposition leader Navalny is another grave blow against democracy and political plurality in Russia. It constitutes a serious threat to those men and women engaged in defending the political and civil freedoms that Russia herself has committed to guarantee. We call on Russia to fulfill its commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to guarantee these rights, including the right to freedom of expression, to its citizens. 

We will continue to monitor closely how Russia responds to international calls for an explanation of the hideous poisoning of Mr Navalny. We remain strongly committed to our support for democracy, the rule of law and human rights in Russia and to bolster our support to the Russian civil society.

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European Union supports with USD 20 million
Sep 8 2020
European Union supports with USD 20 million

European Union supports with USD 20 million – EU Politics Today – EIN News

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Finance Ministers meet to refine ‘single ambitious menu’ for COVID-19 recovery and beyond
Sep 8 2020
Finance Ministers meet to refine ‘single ambitious menu’ for COVID-19 recovery and beyond

Amina Mohammed addressed ministers from UN Member States, and representatives from international institutions, during a virtual meeting on Tuesday to solidify a “menu” of policy options for post-pandemic recovery and beyond, which will be presented to world leaders later this month. 

Although the crisis has affected everyone, Ms. Mohammed said the consequences will be worse for the world’s most vulnerable citizens.  

“Between 70 to 100 million people could be pushed into extreme poverty; an additional 265 million people could face acute food shortages by the end of this year, and an estimated 400 million jobs have been lost: disproportionately, of course, affecting women”, she said.   

Moreover, “some 1.6 billion learners have had their studies disrupted and may never return to school,” she continued, adding “finding immediate and lasting solutions is our responsibility”. 

‘A single ambitious menu’ 

The meeting on Financing for Development in the Era of COVID-19 and Beyond was the initiative of the UN Secretary-General and the Prime Ministers of Jamaica and Canada, launched in May. 

The aim is to present what the organizers described as “a single ambitious menu of policy options” to address recovery in the short term, but also to mobilize the resources needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, and to create a resilient global financial system over the long term. 

As Chrystia Freeland, Canada’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, pointed out, “this crisis has hit women and young people particularly hard and our response must take that into account”. 

‘Worst recession in decades’ looms 

Over the past three months, ministers formed six discussion groups to address issues critical for economic survival and recovery, with the imperative of building back better. 

The challenge is immense.  Globally, there have been more than 27 million cases of COVID-19, and nearly 892,000 deaths, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

The UN further estimates that the world’s gross domestic product will suffer a nearly five per cent drop this year, while foreign direct investment and remittances are set to decrease by 40 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. 

“With lockdown measures continuing, borders closed, debt skyrocketing and fiscal resources plunging, the pandemic is pushing us towards the worst recession in decades, possibly even a depression, with terrible consequences for the most vulnerable”, said Ms. Mohammed. 

Invest in resilience 

The head of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) reported that although some advanced economies are doing “somewhat less bad” at the moment  due to strong policy response by their finance authorities and Central Banks, most emerging markets are still in trouble, including those which rely on tourism revenues or that have high debt levels. 

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva emphasized the need for greater social investment as an important lesson from the pandemic.  

“We need to recognize that this crisis is telling us we have to build resilience for the future by investing in education and digital capacity everywhere, in human capital, the health systems, the social protection systems in countries, by making sure that the other crises in front of us, like the climate crisis, are well-integrated”, she said. “And last, but technically not least, by preventing inequalities and poverty raising their ugly heads again”. 

Action amid unprecedented times 

The discussions sought to further refine policy that will be presented to Heads of State and Government at a UN meeting on 29 September. 

For Nigel Clarke, Jamaica’s Minister of Finance and the Public Service, the event was an opportunity to “act with dispatch” and  “to scale up measures that have already been implemented”.  

Noting that “the world is yet to show the unity and solidarity required for a global response to a crisis unparalleled in recent history,” Ms. Mohammed urged Finance Ministers to take action amid the current uncertainties. 

“I hope you will join us in seizing this initiative to consolidate a menu of options to support your work for the immediate economic relief people need, a people’s vaccine for COVID-19, and to tackle the deep injustices, inequalities and governance challenges while we stand ready together to rethink a global financial system that works for these unprecedented times”, she said. 

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Overturned verdict on Khashoggi murder a ‘parody of justice’ – independent UN rights expert
Sep 8 2020
Overturned verdict on Khashoggi murder a ‘parody of justice’ – independent UN rights expert

At a regular press briefing on Tuesday, Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, (OHCHR), quoted Agnes Callamard, the UN Special Rapporteur on Extrajudicial Executions, in saying, “they came at the end of a process which was neither fair nor just, or transparent”.

In October 2018, the 59-year-old columnist for The Washington Post was killed and dismembered at the kingdom’s consulate in Istanbul. Saudi prosecutors in Riyadh had convicted eight people for the brutal murder. 

However, on Monday, a Saudi court overturned five death sentences in a final ruling that jailed eight defendants for between seven and 20 years, according to Saudi State media.

Asked by a journalist from the Anadolu Agency if the UN would condemn the Saudi court’s decision, Mr. Colbert said, “this was a very severe and gruesome crime, a horrendous crime”.

“This is a case where there hasn’t been proper transparency in the justice process and clearly those responsible should be prosecuted, and, and given sentences commensurate with the crime”, he continued.

Recalling the UN’s position against the death penalty, he said that in such cases, “very lengthy jail sentences” would be appropriate.

Twitter firestorm

The press briefing came on the heels of a series of tweets from the independent UN expert who reacted disparagingly to Monday’s verdict.

“The five hitmen are sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, but the high-level officials who organized and embraced the execution of Jamal Khashoggi have walked free from the start – barely touched by the investigation and trial,” Ms. Callamard tweeted.

“As for the individual responsibility of the person on top of the State”, the independent UN expert upheld, “the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, he has remained well protected against any kind of meaningful scrutiny in his country”.

She stated that “the Saudi Prosecutor performed one more act today in this parody of justice”, adding “but these verdicts carry no legal or moral legitimacy”. 

Special Rapporteurs and independent experts are appointed by the Geneva-based UN Human Rights Council to examine and report back on a specific human rights theme or a country situation. The positions are honorary and the experts are not UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.

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European Parliament cancels Strasbourg session over COVID fears
Sep 8 2020
European Parliament cancels Strasbourg session over COVID fears

The European Parliament President has decided to cancel all travel to the second seat in Strasbourg next week.

The move comes after discussions with the French authorities after the city was declared a red zone following a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Parliament President David Sassoli lamented the situation, reiterating that the monthly session held in Strasbourg is written into European treaties.

“While we are very disappointed about this decision, we have to consider that the transfer of the administration of the European Parliament would entail quarantine for all staff upon their return to Brussels,” Sassoli said in a statement.

The next session slated for 14-17 September will take place in the Brussels seat of the European parliament.

The question of moving thousands of MEPs and staff members from Brussels to Strasbourg has often been the subject of controversy over both the financial and environmental cost.

Juan Sanchez Gil 0 Comments
Digital expo offers firms chance to showcase fruits, vegetables to EU
Sep 8 2020
Digital expo offers firms chance to showcase fruits, vegetables to EU

The Macfrut Digital Trade Show to be held online for the first time from September 8-10 will offer businesses the opportunity to meet hundreds of global suppliers of fresh, safe and quality fruits from Europe.

Macfrut Digital’s online platform Natlive will bring together businesses in agricultural production, trading, machinery, greenhouses and irrigation systems, nurseries and seeds, fertilisers and bio-stimulants, logistics and storage, and others.

The event has attracted over 600 exhibitors from 30 countries.

Visitors can register for free at macfrutdigital.com. After signing in, they can see an interactive map of products on display, visit virtual booths to learn about products, ask for information from the organisers, and hold exchanges with exhibitors.

There will be conferences livestreamed for free on topics such as renovation in gardening, greenhouses and watering, and forums on bio-stimulation.

The organisers said the exhibition will offer a chance for Vietnamese enterprises, distributors and importers to seek tie-ups in the context that the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement with preferential tariffs took effect last month.

Businesses in the field of agro-products and fruits could explore a market of nearly 500 million consumers and learn about their tastes, they said.

European experts have said Vietnamese agricultural produce such as cashew, coffee, vegetables, dragon fruit, lychee, coconut, fig, pineapple, avocado, guava, mango, and mangosteen are favoured in the EU.

Some of Vietnam’s organic products have entered this demanding market after meeting criteria set for organic, Rainforest Alliance and Fairtrade certification among others.

The organisers said conventional exhibitions and trade shows have to be postponed or cancelled, thus limiting the trade exchange of businesses around the globe.

“In this context, online exhibitions and trade shows are the best way for businesses to meet their partners internationally.”

VIET NAM NEWS/ASIA NEWS NETWORK

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European Court President Receives Honorary Doctorate from Istanbul University
Sep 8 2020
European Court President Receives Honorary Doctorate from Istanbul University
Harut Sassounian

Harut Sassounian

BY HARUT SASSOUNIAN

Robert Spano, President of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), visited Turkey last week at the invitation of the Turkish Justice Minister. Spano also met with Pres. Erdogan and give a lecture at the Turkish Justice Academy.

While the President of ECHR has the right to visit any country he wishes, it is highly inappropriate that he accepts an Honorary Doctorate in law from Istanbul University. Several prominent Turkish human rights activists wrote lengthy columns criticizing Spano for his visit and his acceptance of the Honorary Doctorate.

Former Turkish diplomat Aydin Selcen stated that Spano “is not fit to preside [over] the ECHR.” Cenkiz Aktar, a political scientist and academic, called Spano’s visit “scandalous” and urged him to resign. Exiled Turkish journalist Can Dundar wrote that Spano “destroyed the 30-year reputation of the ECHR in three days.” Ahval News quoted several other critical comments from prominent Turks regarding the unfortunate Spano’s visit to Turkey.

Mehmet Altan, one of those critics, is among the 192 professors of Istanbul University who was fired at the instigation of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Altan, jailed for his non-existent membership in the banned Gulen religious group, filed a lawsuit against Istanbul University to reverse his firing. Erdogan also dismissed over 150,000 civil servants from state jobs and investigated close to 600,000 Turkish citizens, arresting 100,000 of them under the false pretext of belonging to the Islamist Gulen movement which was accused of orchestrating the coup attempt against Erdogan in 2016.

The Turkish Ahval News website posted on August 31, 2020, an article titled, “ECHR chief may receive controversial honorary doctorate from Istanbul University.”

ECHR chair Robert Spano with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey

ECHR chair Robert Spano with President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey

Ahval reported that Altan, in an open letter addressed to Spano and published on the website of Turkish journalism platform P24, urged him not to accept the Turkish invitation. “I do not know how much pride there is to be an honorary member of a university that condemns hundreds of lecturers to unemployment and poverty by unjustly expelling them from school,” Altan wrote.

Altan told Spano: “The University from which you will receive a doctorate is included as the ‘defendant institution’ in the lawsuit of academics, like me, who were dismissed by decree…. These cases are still ongoing and it is likely that they will come before the ECHR, which you preside over.”

Altan continued: “On March 2018, the second section of ECHR, presided over by you, set a precedent in universal law and ruled that my right to personal liberty and security and my freedom of expression had been violated. Turkey was convicted…. Ergin Ergul, who was appointed on behalf of Turkey to that case and was the only judge dissenting, put forward such arguments that you wrote ‘a dissenting vote’ against a dissenting vote, for the first time in the history of ECHR, if I am not mistaken. And the other members followed you.”
Ahval reported that there were over 60,000 individual complaints at the ECHR for violations of rights and freedoms in Turkey.

Yavuz Aydin, who was also dismissed from his profession along with 4,500 judges and prosecutors, wrote an article titled, “ECHR president faces a test of honor in Turkey,” which was published in Ahval on Sept. 2, 2020. Aydin wrote: “President Spano is certainly aware of the deterioration of rule of law in Turkey. As a man of honor who has been adjudicating on Turkey-related files at the ECHR for years, the purpose of his visit cannot be thought of as anything other than openly and courageously shouting out facts in the faces of government authorities.”

Aydin continued: “The ECHR president knows very well that the government in Turkey translated to one-man rule by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan since the constitutional amendment of 2017. As openly criticized by the Venice Commission, Spano knows that the separation of powers and judicial independence no longer exist in Turkey. Besides this, he cannot be unaware of Resolution 2156(2017) of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which downgraded Turkey to the league of countries under monitoring status for the first time in European history. This decision implies that Turkey no longer meets the famous Copenhagen Criteria, and thus cannot be regarded as eligible for accession negotiations with the EU [European Union].”

Aydin then made a series of suggestions that he hoped Spano would follow during his visit to Turkey:

  • Call on Erdogan to return to democracy and restore the rule of law in the country.
  • Remind the Turkish leaders of the decision to remove from the Turkish Council of Judges and Prosecutors their observer status in the European Network of Councils for the Judiciary. He should also remind the candidate judges at the Turkish Judiciary Academy [TJA] why the European Judicial Training Network expelled the TJA from observer membership status in 2016.
  • Tell them that the existing judges as well as the 10,000 new judges appointed after the coup attempt are often politically biased in applying the law, and call on them to ignore political pressure from the Palace, Constitutional Court and other high courts.
  • Remind them that for the first time in history Turkey was found in breach of Article 18 of the European Convention on Human Rights.
  • Tell the leaders in Turkey that they should immediately release the hundreds of judges still in solitary confinement and reinstate all 4,000 of their purged colleagues.

Aydin urged Spano “to decline the honorary doctorate even before stepping onto Turkish soil, conveying a very strong message to all parties before meeting with them in person. Otherwise, the good will exerted through Spano’s visit would not only be wasted, but serve as a trump card for the government and Erdogan, who will use the gesture as a sign of appraisal and legitimization of the illegalities taking place in the country under his rule.”

Regrettably, Spano ignored all the good advice provided by Turkish human rights activists and thus undermined his own reputation as well as that of the European Court of Human Rights!

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