Human rights are the ‘means by which governments can successfully beat pandemics’, says UNAIDS chief
Aug 27 2020
Human rights are the ‘means by which governments can successfully beat pandemics’, says UNAIDS chief

Interruptions of HIV services, harassment, abuse, arrests, deaths and a failure to respect human rights in the early responses to the pandemic have underscored how trust has been undermined, individuals harmed, and public health responses set back, according to a new UNAIDS report launched on Thursday.

“It is a myth that there can be a trade-off between human rights and public health”, said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS. “Human rights are not only intrinsic, but they are also the very means by which Governments can successfully beat a pandemic”.

Snapshot report

The report, Rights in a pandemic – Lockdowns, rights and lessons from HIV in the early response to COVID-19, draws attention to the experiences of some of the most marginalized communities between February until mid-May. 

It flags violations that include instances of police using rubber bullets, tear gas and whips to enforce physical distancing.

Moreover, people have been arrested, detained and fined for not wearing masks – with those unable to pay the fines left in jail.

Movement restrictions

The report also highlights the impact of movement restrictions, such as doctors being arrested and detained for travelling to and from health facilities and spotlights pregnant women dying because of austere restrictions preventing them from reaching health-care services – some while walking to hospital. 

One account details a motorcycle taxi-driver being beaten to death by police after taking a woman in labour to hospital during curfew hours.

Government action needed

Safety during lockdowns has been a major concern, particularly for people most affected by HIV, including sex workers, whose lost income were largely not eligible for financial support. 

In many countries, gender-based violence has increased by 40–70 per cent. And under gendered lockdown policies, transgender people have been harassed and arrested for leaving their home on the “wrong day”. 

As UNAIDS has repeatedly stated, violence against key populations and women and girls increases vulnerability to HIV.

Rights in a pandemic calls on Governments to take proactive measures to ensure that people, particularly those in vulnerable groups, can access HIV treatment and prevention services; designate and support essential workers, including community-led organizations; and implement measures to prevent and address gender-based violence.

Treatment disruptions

The report revealed that in 10 of the 16 countries reviewed, HIV prevention and treatment services were disrupted, with some registering reductions in medicine collections of up to 20 per cent in various areas. 

We have a commitment to stand up for the most vulnerable even in the tough environment COVID-19 has put us in — UN rights chief

There were multiple reports of people living with HIV not having enough antiretroviral medicine for a lockdown of more than 60 days as well as others of people having abandoned their HIV treatment due to a lack of food.

‘Stand up’ for vulnerable

UNAIDS stressed that the HIV pandemic must not be forgotten during this crisis. 

“COVID-19 is likely to be with us for a very long time”, said Ms Byanyima. “We have a commitment to stand up for the most vulnerable even in the tough environment COVID-19 has put us in”. 

The report builds on Rights in the time of COVID-19, released by UNAIDS in March, which urged countries to take a human rights approach in responding to COVID-19 – in line with best practices from 40 years of responding to HIV.

The UNAIDS chief concluded by flagging that Rights in a pandemic will be used to convene Governments, communities and partners to “open a dialogue and to find a way forward to reform bad laws, policies and practices and to protect human rights”.
 

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Future EU financing: Parliament and German Council Presidency kick off talks | News | European Parliament
Aug 27 2020
Future EU financing: Parliament and German Council Presidency kick off talks | News | European Parliament

On Thursday, the delegations from Council and Parliament sat together for the first time for trilateral talks on a political level, including the Commission, in view of reaching an agreement on EU financing for 2021-2027.

“There needs to be adequate funding for EU flagship programmes such as the ones for research or the young, that are important for Parliament. There needs to be progress on the Own Resources – the EU’s revenue – and on the Rule of Law, on the role of the budgetary authority and on certain horizontal issues like, for example, climate. So all these elements are on the table. We had a good discussion so far already today. And I’m pretty sure that in the coming weeks we can continue that positive and constructive way of dialogue”, said Budget Committee Chair Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, BE).

“We want to reach an agreement, but we want to reach a good agreement. Not so much for Parliament as such, but for the European citizens”, he added.

View the full interview with Mr Van Overtveldt and footage of the meeting

Background

In July, Parliament adopted a resolution on the conclusions of the extraordinary European Council meeting of 17-21 July 2020, setting out its negotiating mandate and priorities in view of reaching an agreement. Before the Council can formally adopt the MFF (Multiannual Financial Framework) regulation, Parliament must give its consent under Article 312(2) TFEU.

The negotiating team has welcomed the Recovery Instrument but considers that several improvements are needed, especially by reinforcing specific programmes, introducing a basket of new Own Resources (EU revenue), completing the legislators’ work on the rule of law, and ensuring parliamentary involvement in the Recovery Instrument.

On 1 September Members of the Committee on Budgets will debate the state of play of the negotiations on the Union’s next multiannual budget for 2021-2027 (MFF), the reform of the Own resources (OR) system and the Recovery Plan. Parliament’s negotiating team on the MFF/OR will report back on Thursday’s trilateral talks.

The EP’s negotiating team for the next long-term EU budget and Own Resources reform

Johan Van Overtveldt (ECR, BE), Chair of the Committee on Budgets

Jan Olbrycht (EPP, PL), MFF co-rapporteur

Margarida Marques (S&D, PT), MFF co-rapporteur

José Manuel Fernandes (EPP, PT), Own Resources co-rapporteur

Valérie Hayer (RENEW, FR), Own Resources co-rapporteur

Rasmus Andresen (Greens/EFA, DE)

Follow them on Twitter: https://twitter.com/i/lists/1205126942384676866

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Belarus police continue crackdown detaining dozens of protestors - Vatican News
Aug 27 2020
Belarus police continue crackdown detaining dozens of protestors – Vatican News

By Stefan J. Bos 

Anti-government protesters gathered once again on Wednesday in Minsk’s Independence Square, calling for long-time President Lukashenko’s resignation. They also demand the release of detained protesters.

Even a well-known 73-year-old opposition protester Nina Baginskaya was struggling with police. She could be seen walking alone with a white-red-white flag. But police confiscated the item.  

Minsk police later confirmed the detention of dozens of protestors. 

Separately, two leading figures of Belarus’s growing protest movement were given 10-day jail terms for organizing rallies against the authoritarian president. Those detained, Olga Kovalkova and Sergei Dylevsky, are both members of the opposition’s National Co-ordination Council. 

Listen to Stefan Bos’ report

The opposition launched the initiative to negotiate a peaceful transfer of power. Another Council official, Maria Kolesnikova, was also among those summoned for questioning by police. She welcomed the support from the European Union and the United States for her cause. “Of course, We appreciate this support. And it is very important. But now for it is very important for us also to know that we are responsible for everything that is happening in Belarus,” she explained. 

The US concerned

After talks with his Lithuanian counterpart, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Stephen Biegun expressed concern about the turmoil. “For the United States’ part, we condemn the violations of human rigfhts and brutality we have seen throughout Belarus. And we call on the government of Belarus to release all the political prisoners they are currently holding,” he told reporters. 

He also met Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the main political rival of the Belarussian president. She fled to Lithuania amid reported threats against her and her children.   

Lukashenko has denied threatening her. But he made clear he wants to end weeks of protests challenging the August 9 presidential election. 

While the European Union still considers who in Belarus should be sanctioned, EU member Lithuania already has its list of those it links to vote-rigging and violence against peaceful protesters. They include Belarusian President Lukashenko, who has ruled his nation for 26 years.

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Romania: trust, dialogue and cooperation at community level to combat COVID-19
Aug 27 2020
Romania: trust, dialogue and cooperation at community level to combat COVID-19

Sadova was among the first places in Romania to see people return from COVID-19 stricken Italy in February 2020.

The community initiated response mechanisms quickly, with a coordination team comprising trusted and respected figures, including family doctors, community health nurses, priests, teachers and the mayor. The team, called the Local Emergency Committee, drew upon WHO recommendations and national guidelines to coordinate the community’s medical response.

The committee provided, among other things, immediate training for teachers and students on COVID-19, on how to recognize symptoms and how to avoid infection or further transmission.

“There was excellent collaboration with Sadova City Hall,” explains Dr Gindrovel Dumitra, a local family doctor and vice-president of the Romanian National Society of Family Medicine, who also became a member of the Local Emergency Committee.

“Sadova City Hall provided us with financial and organizational resources, such as support staff, including community nurses and social assistance workers who really made it all happen,” says Dr Dumitra. “Unfortunately, Sadova does not have a Roma health mediator, although there is great need for one.”

The importance of explaining why

Out of Sadova’s population of 8500, it is estimated that 1500–2000 people work abroad.

“Many seasonal workers work on agricultural farms in Italy, Spain, France, Belgium and Germany,” observes Dr Dumitra. “One of the challenges turned out to be isolating people coming home from risk zones abroad – many did not have symptoms.”

Here, the doctor’s personal relationship with locals in Sadova turned out to be very important. He describes speaking to them either over the phone or at a safe distance on their doorsteps.

“It was very important for people to really understand the reasons for isolation and quarantine, without creating a feeling of guilt and avoiding stigmatization,” he notes. “As people understood how the virus is transmitted, and how they could best protect themselves and their families, we managed to build trust and increase their compliance with recommended measures.”

Farmers’ market reaches out to community

Sadova’s farmers’ market enjoys a long tradition in the region, but was closed at the beginning of March due to COVID-19, following a consensus decision by the Local Emergency Committee.

However, much to the joy of the local population, the farmers’ market reopened 10 days before Orthodox Easter, following a thorough risk assessment. It adhered to WHO recommendations on hygiene, maintaining distance between visitors and limiting access to avoid virus transmission.

“We made the decision to close and then reopen the market in Sadova, but only under certain safety conditions, according to WHO recommendations and in line with national regulations,” explains Dr Dumitra.

Locals were again able to visit the market for its much-valued local produce, ranging from vegetables and fruits to meat and dairy. While doing their shopping, they were handed information about personal protective measures, the importance of physical distancing, and hygiene recommendations developed by WHO. Sadova City Hall also purchased face masks and produced leaflets, which were distributed at the market by support teams.

“The collaboration with the City Hall was above expectations. Even at the beginning, when preparedness measures could have seemed excessive as we had not yet had a single case. However, local leaders and institutions trusted us doctors, they trusted WHO and they followed our recommendations from the start,” emphasizes Dr Dumitra. “Facing this pandemic has been an incredible challenge,” he adds, “but we have faced it together and it is also together that we will face the next challenge: ensuring that children receive proper education in safe settings.”

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Togo overcomes ‘sleeping sickness’ as a public health problem
Aug 27 2020
Togo overcomes ‘sleeping sickness’ as a public health problem

Sleeping sickness is a neglected tropical disease that is caused by protozoan parasites (single-celled microorganisms) belonging to the genus Trypanosoma. The parasites are transmitted by infected tsetse flies and if untreated the disease is almost always fatal.  

“Togo is a pathfinder in eliminating sleeping sickness, a disease which has threatened millions of Africans,” Dr. Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa, said on Thursday. 

“I congratulate the Government and people of Togo for showing the way. I am sure the country’s efforts will inspire others to push towards a final eradication of sleeping sickness,” she added. 

Sleeping sickness is only found in 36 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, in areas where health systems are often weak. The people most exposed to the tsetse fly and to the disease live in rural areas and depend on agriculture, fishing, animal husbandry or hunting. 

Over two decades of sustained commitment 

Togo’s achievement comes after more than two decades of sustained political commitment, surveillance and screening of cases, according to the UN health agency. 

Beginning in 2000, the country’s public health officials implemented control measures. In 2011, Togo established surveillance sites at hospitals in the cities of Mango and Tchamba, which cover the main areas at risk of the disease. Public health officials have since maintained heightened disease surveillance in endemic and at-risk areas. 

Togo first applied for certification of elimination of sleeping sickness in 2018 and a team of WHO experts studied the data, made recommendations and requested a revision by the country before giving their approval. 

National efforts were supported by WHO-led global collaboration that facilitated the donation of medicines and resources from pharmaceutical companies, helped strengthen local capacity and ensured the sustained availability of tools required to control the disease. 

Two forms of sleeping sickness 

There are two forms of sleeping sickness: the first, caused by Trypanosoma brucei gambiense that is found in 24 countries in west and central Africa, accounting for more than 98 per cent of cases. The second form, due to Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, is found in 13 countries in eastern and southern Africa and represents the rest of cases.  

In the first stage, the symptoms generally include bouts of fever, headaches, enlarged lymph nodes, joint pains and itching. In the second stage parasites cross the blood-brain barrier to infect the central nervous system, resulting in changes of behaviour, confusion, sensory disturbances and poor coordination. The disturbance of the sleep cycle, which gives the disease its name, is an important feature. 

WHO and partners are targeting the elimination as a public health problem of the gambiense form of the disease from all endemic countries by 2030. Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana have started the validation process with the support of WHO. 

Wiping out the gambiense form of sleeping sickness will require maintaining the commitment of endemic countries and of donors as well as integrating control and surveillance activities into the regular health systems, said WHO, adding that such efforts need to be supported by improved tools, innovative disease control approaches and effective coordination of efforts. 

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Buddhist Times News – Office of Tibet DC to host virtual celebration of 60th anniversary of Tibetan Democracy Day in North America
Aug 27 2020
Buddhist Times News – Office of Tibet DC to host virtual celebration of 60th anniversary of Tibetan Democracy Day in North America

Office of Tibet DC to host virtual celebration of 60th anniversary of Tibetan Democracy Day in North America

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 By Bureau Reporter

Washington DC: Tibetan Democracy Day is celebrated every year on 2nd September. In 2011, His Holiness the Dalai Lama devolved all his political authority to the democratically elected President (Sikyong) of the Central Tibetan Administration—thus fulfilling his vision of fully democratizing Tibetan polity.

This year marks the 60th year of the founding of Tibetan Democracy Day. To note, the CTA General Election to the office of Sikyong and Tibetan Parliament-in-exile will take place in a few months.

The Office of Tibet-DC is hosting a virtual celebration of Tibetan Democracy Day on September 2nd at 10am EDT/7:30PM IST.

Distinguished speakers from US and Canada will address the importance of democracy and its challenges, and the event will be followed by a Q&A with CTA’s Chief Election Commissioner and Presidents of North America Tibetan Associations. The event will be presented through TibetTV.

-Filed by Office of Tibet, Washington DC

source – cta

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Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns as Liberty University president after sex scandal
Aug 26 2020
Jerry Falwell Jr. resigns as Liberty University president after sex scandal
(Photo: Facebook/Liberty University)Jerry Falwell Jr.

Jerry Falwell Jr. has resigned as Liberty University president after a sex scandal involving his wife and a swimming pool attendant that rocked the white evangelical arena that strongly supports President Donald Trump.

“The Liberty University Board of Trustees acted today to accept the resignation of Jerry Falwell, Jr. as its President and Chancellor and also accepted his resignation from its Board of Directors. All were effective immediately,” the university said Aug. 25.

CNN reported that the embattled evangelical leader said he has resigned as president and chancellor of the Christian school, a day after reports thqat Falwell and his wife took part in a sexual relationship with a former hotel pool attendant.

“Jerry Falwell Jr. had long made a point of emphasizing that he was not trying to be a moral leader. He made crude jokes, insulted fellow Christians and was photographed partying on yachts and in nightclubs. But he rarely apologized or expressed regret,” commented The New York Times in a story, Jan. 25.

The BBC reported that Falwell was a long time supporter of Trump.

“I have never been a minister,” he explained on Twitter last year. He liked to tell reporters that Jesus did not tell Emperor Caesar how to run Rome.

“That was always an unusual stance for the head of a distinctly evangelical institution.

“But Mr. Falwell pulled it off until recently, coasting by on a combination of success — Liberty’s endowment grew to $1.6 billion under his watch — and good will engendered by lingering institutional fondness for his father, who founded the school and was both a minister and an administrator,” said the Times.

Jerry Falwell Sr. founded the private evangelical university in the U.S. state of Virginia in the 1970s as well as the conservative Moral Majority movement, a movement that campaigns on moral law.

Giancarlo Granda, 29, said he had an affair with Becki Falwell that started eight years ago. He claimed that she approached him when he was working as a pool boy at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami in March 2012, Christian Today reported.

“Explosively, he claimed that Jerry liked to watch the pair during their sexual liasons,” reported the Christian newspaper noting that Falwell denied the allegations.

“Becki had an inappropriate personal relationship with this person, something in which I was not involved — it was nonetheless very upsetting to learn about,” Falwell said in a statement to the Washington Examiner newpsaper.

Becki has admitted to the affair but refuted Granda’s claims that her husband watched.

At the Tree of Life Ministries, down the road from Liberty University, the senior pastor, Mike Dodson, did not have to look very far for sermon material about sin, redemption and what’s expected of a Christian, The New York Times reported on Aug. 25.

“You have watched one of the most influential leaders of this city, of the country and the world, the Christian community, go down,” Mr. Dodson said, bent with passion. “The Christian community is being laughed at.”

Christianity Today reported Aug. 25, “Falwell joins a regrettable list of prominent evangelical leaders brought down by sexual scandal.”

The newspaper said that critics also expressed frustration about the racial climate on campus, brought to the forefront by a divisive tweet in May that led several African Americans to cut ties with Liberty and dozens of African American alumni to call for his resignation.

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Biological Seed Treatment Market: Current Trends and Growth Opportunities
Aug 26 2020
Biological Seed Treatment Market: Current Trends and Growth Opportunities
<span>The global </span><strong><a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/biological-seed-treatment-market/?utm_source=smallcapnetwork&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tanuja-k_cmfe_26-aug-20&utm_term=biological-seed-treatment-market&utm_content=rd">Biological Seed Treatment Market</a></strong><span> size is projected to reach USD 1.8 billion by 2025, exhibiting a remarkable CAGR of 11.6%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising inclination of consumers toward pesticide-free crops is likely to drive the market growth over the forecast period. Biological treatment uses naturally-derived raw materials to protect seeds from various pests and diseases.</span>



According to a research conducted by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India, biological seed treatment of corn, soybeans, cotton, and cereal grains has resulted in an increased yield of up to 10.0%. The treatment acts as a biostimulant and helps facilitate early growth rate. It promotes microorganisms to colonize the roots, thus protecting the crops during the entire growth season.



Biological seed treatment is garnering more importance as compared to chemical treatment due to the shifting preference of consumers toward healthy and organic food. The harmful side effects resulting from excessive usage of chemical products have led to rising awareness related to biobased products. In most of the developing countries, farmers have started adopting organic farming, which has directly impacted market penetration.



Biofungicides and bioinsecticides are mainly used for seed protection while biofertilizers and biostimulants are used for seed enhancement to boost harvesting yield and quality. Among these, biofungicides are likely to witness relatively higher growth rate and the segment is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 12.1%, in terms of revenue, from 2019 to 2025.



Europe was the largest product consumer with a market share of over 38.8%, in terms of volume, in 2018. The region is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 10.0% from 2019 to 2025. The growing agriculture industry aided by land availability and government support is likely to pave the way for growth of the European market. Various regulations have been established by multiple agencies against the excessive use of synthetic agricultural chemicals in the region, which are in turn projected to benefit the market growth.



<strong>Request a free sample copy or view report summary: <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/biological-seed-treatment-market/?utm_source=smallcapnetwork&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=tanuja-k_cmfe_26-aug-20&utm_term=biological-seed-treatment-market&utm_content=rd1">Biological Seed Treatment Market Report</a></strong>



<strong>Biological Seed Treatment Market Report Highlights</strong>
  • Microbials product segment dominated the biological seed treatment market owing to their high effectiveness in the protection of crops & seeds
  • On the basis of function, seed protection segment accounted for the largest market share of over 67.3%, in terms of revenue, in 2018 and it is likely to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% from 2019 to 2025
  • Some of the key industry participants include Bayer CropScience, BASF SE, Italpollina S.p.A., Monsanto Company, Syngenta AG, Koppert Biological Systems, DowDuPont, Incotec, Plant Health Care plc, and Precision Laboratories, LLC
  • In September 2018, DowDuPont got approval for its new herbicide MezaVue, which is available in the market since January 2019
  • In March 2019, Italpollina acquired Horticultural Alliance, Inc., a U.S.-based horticulture company, specializing in the production of mycorrhizal inoculants and other beneficial bacteria for organic plant health maintenance.
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Informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers: Remarks by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the press conference
Aug 26 2020
Informal meeting of EU Defence Ministers: Remarks by the High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell at the press conference

Check against delivery!

Good evening.

Today, we have had the first physical meeting of Defence Ministers since the outbreak of the coronavirus in March.

I am sure that coming together has allowed us to go deeper into the several sensitive issues that we have to deal with in this difficult summer.

First, I would like to thank the German Presidency and, especially, the Minister [of Defence of Germany, Annegret] Kramp-Karrenbauer for the excellent hospitality and for the excellent organisation of this meeting, and allowing us to meet under the current difficult circumstances.

We have had several topics.

First, the cooperation between the European Union security and defence missions and operations and the United Nations and NATO partners.

We had with us the Secretary General of NATO, Jens Stoltenberg, and also the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations of the United Nations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix.

Allow me to remind you that the European Union has 17 civilian missions and military operations worldwide. And out of these 17, 13 work directly with or alongside in cooperation with the United Nations and/or NATO.

It shows how much we work together in order to provide peace and security around the world.

Unhappily, tensions and conflicts are more frequent than ever and this will require a stronger partnership.

Mali was an important item on the agenda. We discussed the situation in Mali. We condemned the coup d’état on 18 August. The priority now is to support the efforts of ECOWAS in order to look for a solution in accordance with the aspirations of the Malian people.

The important thing is to stress that our civilian and military Missions in Mali [EUTM Mali and EUCAP Sahel Mali] have been temporarily put on hold, because the circumstances did not allow them to continue their normal activities. But they are still there and will start working again as soon as possible.

These activities are crucial. The European Union has invested a lot in Mali and we do not want to waste this effort. So, the work will continue and we will resume the activities of these Mission as soon as possible with the support of other countries in the Sahel region.

We also talked about Libya. We reviewed Operation IRINI and its contribution to implementing the United Nations arms embargo.

I think that Operation IRINI has proven its utility, its value and its impartiality. It is following the mandate of the United Nations. It cannot go further than this mandate. It has collected information involving actors on both sides of the conflict. More than 500 hailings have been conducted and 10 special reports have been submitted to the United Nations Panel of Experts.

We also exchanged about the recently-agreed ceasefire and we hope that it will last.

We will be working closely with the United Nations Mission in Libya and we are ready to support this ceasefire as much as we can.

We already have a civilian mission deployed in Libya [EUBAM] and this military operation [Operation IRINI] at sea. We will see if we can do more.

And finally, we have had our second session devoted to the new Strategic Compass on security and defence.

In November, we will have the first assessment of the threats that the European Union is facing. It will cover crisis management, resilience, capability developments, and partnerships.

The Ministers exchanged views about these four areas, but the important meeting will be in November.

On the European Peace Facility, we are going to have €5 billion – quite an important amount of money – and we study how to use these resources.

This is what I can summarise from this meeting.

Thank you very much, once again, Minister [Kramp-Karrenbauer] for the excellent organisation.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-194202

Q&A

Q. Can you tell us which options will you present to the Foreign Affairs Ministers tomorrow in case the mediation efforts will not be fruitful?

I cannot tell you what I am going to present to the Ministers tomorrow. Let me tell you tomorrow after presenting [the options] to the Ministers, but it will be a wide set of options.

Q. On Mali, the coup d’état started at the military academy in Bamako, what was Germany’s and the European Union’s role in training these putschists? Do you see any conclusions to be drawn regarding whether the operation can be continued at all?

Well, we do not train the armies to be putschists. 90% of the Malian army has been receiving training from our mission, but I checked and none of the four most important and prominent leaders of the military movement against the President [of Mali] IBK [Ibrahim Boubacar Keïtahas] has been trained by our mission.

We hear that they have been training in Russia and in the United States. But given the age group, they have not been trained by us. It could have happened, but it has not happened. They have been trained –two of them, or one of them, the most important one, the leader, in Russia and the others, I am told, in Great Britain and in the United States.

We have more than 400 soldiers training the Malian army, coming from more than 10 European Member States. I think that we do the right work, we cannot pretend to have stability in a country like Mali, without having a military capacity from the government. That is what we are doing there.

I think that whatever the government will be, according to the will of the Malian people, we will have to continue doing this work. But we do not feel responsible; this coup d’état has been by no means related to the training that we are offering to the Malian soldiers.

Q. Do you think that a list of sanctions could be helpful here, in our talks with Turkey?

Well, as High Representative, I have been asked by the European Council to present options.

But the purpose is not to decide which kind of sanctions are going to be implemented, because as the Minister [Kramp-Karrenbauer] said, it is still a work in progress.

There are other sanctions that have to be considered, not with respect to Turkey, but with respect to Belarus. There, we are going to go further than just presenting options. We are targeting specific people that could be sanctioned, at different levels of responsibility regarding what has happened in Belarus.

Link to the video: https://audiovisual.ec.europa.eu/en/video/I-194204

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The rentrée of 2020: decision time for EU foreign policy
Aug 26 2020
The rentrée of 2020: decision time for EU foreign policy

One of the summer’s big events was the devastating bomb blast in Lebanon on 4 August. The images were near apocalyptic. The explosion left at least 220 dead, with thousands injured and homeless, and €15 billion in damages. It sent shockwaves not only through the harbour of Beirut but also the political system of the country. It exposed deep flaws in its governance in terms of ‘state capture’ with elites responsible for corruption and mismanagement. These flaws were already known beforehand – and COVID-19 had already added to the urgency to enact reforms.

Now this urgency can no longer be denied. As EU we demonstrated our solidarity with the Lebanese people in their hour of maximum need [link blog]. That was the message of Presidents Macron and Michel when they visited. We will continue to support Lebanon, with humanitarian supplies in the short term but also with macro-financial assistance, in cooperation with the IMF. But all this will require deep reforms in how the country is run politically: we need a new political settlement, to be agreed of course by the Lebanese people.

Then on 9 August we had the Presidential elections in Belarus. We always knew that the Lukashenko regime would not allow fully free and fair elections. But his announced re-election with 80% of the vote, despite many indications to the contrary, was a blatant rejection of the desire of the Belarusians for change. What’s worse is that the regime has chosen to respond to the mass demonstrations with the full panoply of repression: police violence and mass arrests. Impressively, people in Belarus have come out again and again in large numbers, demanding respect for their democratic rights.

As EU we have made it clear that we do not recognise the result of this election and fully support these democratic aspirations; that we will sanction those responsible for electoral fraud and the subsequent violence; and that a national political dialogue is urgently needed. We cannot stay silent when fellow Europeans insist on their democratic rights and wish to shape their own future – they need they need our support and the space to do so by themselves. This was also my clear message to Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov when I spoke to him.

 

We cannot stay silent when in Belarus fellow Europeans insist on their democratic rights and wish to shape their own future – they need our support and the space to do so by themselves.

Another major shock came on 18 August when a military coup took place in Mali, deposing the President and Prime Minister. I immediately condemned this coup as unconstitutional, and the African Union and ECOWAS did the same. It was yet another reminder of the deep- rooted crises facing the country and the Sahel region (of governance, security, development). A coup is never the right answer but we do need to think hard about how to change the way we as EU support the local population, which craves sustainable security and inclusive economic development. 

All throughout the summer the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean has grown more tense, with Turkish ships conducting seismic work in European waters. In July, I had visited our Member States Greece and Cyprus a well as Turkey, and I have remained in constant contact throughout the summer, including meeting the Turkish Foreign Minister on 6 August.

Our core aim is and remains to show strong solidarity with EU Member States under threat, while working to de-escalate the tensions and allow dialogue and negotiations to underlying address  the issues, which are highly complex and integrated. In August, developments were taking a worrying turn, carrying the risk of triggering open conflict. We discussed this at a special Foreign Affairs Council on 14 August, followed by an emergency European Council on 19 August. We agreed to send a clear signal of Turkey needing to halt its illegal drilling activities and work to de-escalate the situation and that all options are on the table.

On Turkey, we need to show strong solidarity with EU Member States under threat, while working to de-escalate the tensions and allow dialogue and negotiations to address the underlying issues.

EU-Turkey relations are complex and multifaceted: Turkey is an important neighbour and partner for Europe in many fields; a crucial ally in NATO; and both sides want to keep a cooperative framework on migration in place. But Turkish domestic dynamics and its regional role are increasingly problematic with assertions of Turkish power, also in Syria, Libya and elsewhere.

We need to define a firm and balanced long-term strategy for EU-Turkey relations, based in the first place on solidarity with the most concerned Members States but also knowing that diplomacy can only work if all sides invest in building trust.

The Gymnich meeting and how to enhance the EU’s clout

How we position ourselves on these important issues and geo-political crises will be discussed with EU Foreign Ministers at the upcoming ‘Gymnich’ meeting, at the end of this week in Berlin. This is an informal meeting, held twice a year, where we discuss things without neckties and without the pressure of having to take formal decisions. We should take a step back and reflect more deeply on how to approach our overall relations with Turkey, with Russia, our engagement in the Sahel and how we can strengthen the EU’s strategic autonomy in the post-pandemic world. I have previously set out my belief that Europe should position itself as a ‘partner of choice’ to others. Principled, but not dogmatic. Open, but not weak. Progressive but not naïve. Ready to act multilaterally whenever we can and autonomously if we must.

Nine months into the mandate, I feel there is a shared awareness of just how serious the challenges are that Europe is facing, in our neighbourhood but also when it comes to the wider trends around us. It is clear we face more assertive players, some with an imperial mind-set: a determination to deploy all forms of power at a global scale. However, if truth be told, our European responses are not always keeping pace. We are not always clear enough, or fast enough, or acting with enough impact and consistency.

Intellectually, people tend to agree with this diagnosis. But when it comes to changing things, well, then politics often gets in the way. It is the familiar problem of 27 points of view and the need for unanimity. This produces an EU foreign and security policy of ‘strong nouns and rather weak verbs’, as the former Commissioner for External Relations Chris Patten used to say. A policy that is high on rhetoric but when it comes to corresponding financial resources, we don’t always put our money where our mouth is.

We cannot change big global trends, but we can change how we respond to them.

The positive point here is that these constraints are self-imposed. We cannot change big global trends, but we can change how we respond to them. In our decision-making, each country can ultimately block any EU position or action. That’s negative power. If everyone sits on their position and expects the rest of the group to converge on their viewpoints, that’s not the way that helps us shape the world or set the agenda. For that, you need positive power. By investing more in unity, all Member States would gain in influence, because by slowing things down or weakening our capacity to act, they also harm themselves.

In the EU, what matters is not how a discussion begins, with a range of views among 27 countries, each with their own histories and different interests. What matters is how a discussion ends, with a common vision on what to do and a commitment to put resources behind it.

If we are able to combine the unity of the Council with the capacities of the Commission and the EEAS, the EU can have a real impact, acting as a real power. I will do all I can at the Gymnich meeting and beyond to build the necessary unity among Member States to do just that.

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Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Aug 26 2020
Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea

On 30 July 2020 the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2020/1136[1] amending Council Decision (CFSP) 2016/849.

The Council confirmed the list of individuals and entities subject to the EU’s autonomous sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.

The Candidate Countries Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania[2], the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova align themselves with this Council Decision.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

[1] Published on 30.07.2020 in the Official Journal of the European Union L 247/30.

[2] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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Worshipers went online, but will they stay there?
Aug 26 2020
Worshipers went online, but will they stay there?
(Photo: © Peter Kenny)Protestant Church Plainpalais Geneva on March 14, 2020

When the novel coronavirus pandemic implanted itself into humanity there was a rush to online worship, evoking all sorts of predictions about how people would change the way they go pray.

A new piece of research by Pew on Aug. 17 showed that one-third of U.S. adults have watched religious services online or on television in the past month.

A little over half of them – or 18 percent of all adults – say they began doing this for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Of course, if you’re worshipping remotely, you can’t hug the other members of your congregation or shake hands with your minister, priest, rabbi or imam,” writes Alan Cooperman in the Pew analysis.

“But you can wear whatever clothes you want, turn up (or down) the volume, forget about traffic in the parking lot, and easily check out that service you’ve heard about in a congregation across town or even across the country.”

LOTS LIKE VIRTUAL WORSHIP

Pew finds that whatever the reasons, lots of people like virtual worship.

Nine out of 10 Americans who have watched services online or on TV in the past month say they are either “very” satisfied (54 percent) or “somewhat” satisfied (37 percent) with the experience/

A mere 8 percent say they are “not too” or “not at all” satisfied, according to the Pew Research Center survey conducted in mid-July.

So what does this bode for the future?

By the time the COVID-19 pandemic has finally run its course, will Americans have lost the habit of going in person to a church, synagogue, temple or mosque? Asks Pew.

Some commentators have suggested that just as the pandemic has accelerated the trend toward shopping online and made Americans reliant on the internet for work, school, health and entertainment, so might many, if not all, varieties of religious experience move online in the 21st century.

But the Pew survey says that’s not what the people who’ve been worshipping online see in their future.

On the contrary, most U.S. adults overall say that when the pandemic is over, they expect to go back to attending religious services in person as often as they did before the coronavirus outbreak.

The reality is that few expect the pandemic to permanently alter their religious worship routines.

The survey dound that a substantial share of Americans (43 percent) say they didn’t attend religious services in person before the pandemic struck and they don’t plan to start going to a church or other house of worship when it’s all over.

But 42 percent of U.S. adults say they plan to resume going to religious services about as often as they did before the outbreak, while 10 percent say they will go more often than they used to, and just 5 percent expect to go less often.

Similarly, many Americans are not interested in virtual services.

Two-thirds of U.S. adults say they have not watched religious services online or on TV in the past month.

But among one-third of U.S. adults who recently watched services online or on TV, relatively few (19 percent of this group, or 6 percent of all adults) say that once the pandemic is over, they intend to watch religious services more often than they did before it started.

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Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya
Aug 26 2020
Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries concerning restrictive measures in view of the situation in Libya

On 30 July 2020, the Council adopted Council Decision (CFSP) 2020/1137[1].

The Council decided that the restrictive measures against all persons and entities in the lists set out in Annexes II and IV to Decision (CFSP) 2015/1333 should be maintained.

The Candidate Countries Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania[2], the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align with this Council Decision.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

[1] Published on 31.07.2020 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 247, p. 40.

[2] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism
Aug 26 2020
Declaration by the High Representative on behalf of the EU on the alignment of certain countries on the application of specific measures to combat terrorism

On 30 July 2020, the Council adopted Decision (CFSP) 2020/1132[1].

The Council Decision updated the list of persons and entities involved in terrorist acts as laid down by EU Common Position 2001/931 of 27 December 2001.

The Candidate Countries Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania[2], the country of the Stabilisation and Association Process and potential candidate Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the EFTA countries Iceland and Liechtenstein, members of the European Economic Area, as well as Ukraine, the Republic of Moldova and Georgia align with this Council Decision.

They will ensure that their national policies conform to this Council Decision.

The European Union takes note of this commitment and welcomes it.

[1] Published on 31.07.2020 in the Official Journal of the European Union no. L 247 , p.18.

[2] The Republic of North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Albania continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.

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COVID-19: UN urges ramping up social protection programmes to safeguard those most vulnerable
Aug 26 2020
COVID-19: UN urges ramping up social protection programmes to safeguard those most vulnerable

COVID-19 is posing potential catastrophic impacts on people living with HIV and tuberculosis (TB) , with projected deaths to increase up to 10, 20 and 36 per cent for HIV, TB and malaria patients, respectively, over the next five years, according to UNAIDS, the UN agency dedicated to tackling the virus.

“Countries must ensure that everyone is able to receive essential services, including health care, and they must invest adequately in social protection programmes to keep people safe and to shield them from the consequences of losing their livelihoods,” said Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The most impacted

The highly disadvantaged will be most gravely impacted, particularly those in countries already afflicted by conflict, economic or climate crises. 

And refugees are among the groups facing the greatest dangers. 

At the same time, some 150 million full-time jobs were lost in the first quarter of the year and millions of other people are set to lose their livelihoods in the months ahead.

“Today, only 29 per cent of the world’s population has access to adequate social protection coverage,” said Guy Ryder, Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO). 

“Governments must act to ensure the sustainability of livelihoods, businesses and jobs and the protection of workers’ health, rights and incomes during and after COVID-19”.

A case for women

Women are particularly vulnerable to the economic crisis. 

Disproportionately employed in the informal sectors, they are most likely to lose their incomes. 

Comprising 70 per cent of the health and social care workforce, they are also often employed on the frontline of the COVID-19 response.

Furthermore, women carry out the bulk of unpaid domestic duties in the home, childcare and other caring functions.

And with the lockdown triggering and increase in gender-based violence, it is imperative for Governments to invest in social protection programmes designed specifically for women and girls, UNAIDS said.

Countries need to live up to their commitment for social protection for everyone who needs it — UNICEF chief

Youth in crosshairs

School closures, which have affected more than 90 per cent of the world’s student population, have not only interrupted education but also pupils’ access to crucial social services, such as school meals.

“Children and young people are suffering disproportionately from the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 crisis,” said Henrietta H. Fore, Executive Director of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF. 

“Before the outbreak, two-out-of-three children had no or inadequate social protection fund.” 

Moreover, the socio-economic crash caused by the pandemic is placing an entire generation of young people at risk. 

“Countries need to live up to their commitment for social protection for everyone who needs it,” she added.

Call for action

The call for Governments to invest adequately in social protection programmes is endorsed by UNAIDS, UNICEF and the International Labour Organization (ILO) and supported by the World Food Programme (WFP), the Office of the  UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the World Bank.

© UNICEF/UN0326757/V.TREMEAU

Student-members of the Health Brigade outside the latrines of Dikolelayi Primary School in Kananga, Kasai-Occidental province, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

 

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Estonian Catholics recall victims of Stalinism and Nazism - Vatican News
Aug 26 2020
Estonian Catholics recall victims of Stalinism and Nazism – Vatican News

By Devin Watkins

The memorial to victims of Nazism and Stalinism cuts right to the heart of the tiny Catholic Church in Estonia.

The EU member state’s first Catholic bishop following the Reformation was deported to the Soviet Union in 1942. Archbishop Eduard Profittlich died in a Soviet prison in hatred of the faith, like many other Estonians.

The nation recalled those numerous victims with a solemn ceremony in the capital, Tallinn, on Sunday.

Bishop Philippe Jourdan, the Apostolic Administrator of Estonia, spoke to Vatican Radio about the Day of Remembrance.

Tributes to fallen family members

Bishop Jourdan said the ceremony took place at the new Memorial to the Victims of Communism.

The names of 22,000 Estonians are inscribed there, in tribute to their deaths during the deportations of 1940.

“For a small country like Estonia, that’s quite a lot,” said Bishop Jourdan. “In almost every Estonian family there is at least one person who died.”

The Soviet Union occupied Estonia in June 1940, and vast numbers of people were deported, many because they were ethnic Germans.

Listen to the full interview

Refusing to flee

Archbishop Eduard Profittlich was one of the unfortunate ones. He had received orders from Soviet authorities to return to Germany.

But he refused to abandon his Catholic flock, and chose to stay in Tallinn, despite the obvious risks.

Archbishop Profittlich was arrested on 27 June 1941 and sent to a Soviet prison camp. He died from exposure and starvation in Kirov prison on February 22, 1942.

Bishop Jourdan noted that his predecessor’s cause for beatification is currently under review in Rome.

“I would say it is coming along at a good pace,” he said, “because we received the ‘Decree of Validity’ from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in June.”

That means the documents which have been gathered over the past 17 years regarding the Servant of God Profittlich are sufficient and complete.

Recognizing tragic moment in history

Bishop Jourdan expressed his hopes that the Pope will one day clear the way for Profittlich’s beatification.

“It’s important for the Catholic Church here in Estonia, because he would be our first saint,” he said.

Since Archbishop Profittlich shared in the tragic fate of so many Estonians, his beatification would mean quite a lot to even secular Estonian society.

“It’s a way for the universal Church to recognize what happened here in those years,” he concluded. “It’s important for all our families that this part of our history would be recognized.”

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John Paul I Foundation names scientific committee - Vatican News
Aug 26 2020
John Paul I Foundation names scientific committee – Vatican News

By Vatican News

The newly formed Vatican John Paul I Foundation released a statement on Wednesday. It states that on the 42nd anniversary of Pope John Paul I’s pontificate, they are pleased to communitate the members of the Foundation’s Ccientific Committee.

These persons were appointed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State and President of the new Foundation, during a meeting of the Administrative Board that took place on 3 July.

The people who make up this Scientific Committee will serve for a five-year period.

Dr Stefania Falasca, Vice President of the Foundation, will coordinate the new Scientific Committee which is made up of:

– Professor Carlo Ossola, Philology Professor, Collège de France, Paris

– Professor Dario Vitali, Director of the Department of Dogmatic Theology, Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome

– Msgr. Gilfredo Marengo, Vice President of Rome’s Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences

– Professor Mauro Velati, collaborator of the John XXIII Foundation for Religious Sciences and the cause of canonization of John Paul I relating to the Venetian years.

– Fr Diego Sartorelli, Director of the Library and Historical Archive of the Patriarchate of Venice

– Dr Loris Serafini, Archivist, Director of the Albino Luciani Museum in Canale d’Agordo

The statement also reads that the Prefect of the Vatian’s Apostolic Archives, Bishop Sergio Pagano, and the Prefect of the Vatican’s Apostolic Library, Fr Cesare Pasini, will also play a role on the Scientific Committee.

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