During the discussion, FRA drew on its existing findings in the field of AI and big data, in particular those related to facial recognition technology, data quality, discrimination in data-supported decision making. It also referred to preliminary findings from its research on artificial intelligence and fundamental rights published on 14 December.
India’s New Parliament a Sign of ‘Narrowing’ State-Religion Gap, Modi’s Biographer Says
The formal inauguration of India’s new parliament complex on Thursday is a sign of an ever-narrowing gap between the state and religion and presents “discomforting” omens for Indian democracy, Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a biographer of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has told Sputnik.
“Religion and the state are becoming increasingly synonymous. The two narratives are increasingly converging and the new Parliament building is a step in that direction”, explains Mukhopadhyay, who has written extensively on Hindu nationalism.
“As we have seen from the speech of Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, he says that the new Parliament will be the temple of democracy. The signs are already there”, says the political analyst, noting that the completion of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, another crucial project for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is also on the cards.
Birla has been quoted as saying in Indian media this week that the new parliament is expected to be completed by 2022, which will also be 75th year of India’s independence. The Ram Temple, another grand project close to the heart of the BJP and its Hindu nationalist supporters, is expected to come up in 2023, just ahead of the next federal election planned for 2024.
Mukhopadhyay highlights that an “all-faith ceremony” was also organised to lay the cornerstone of the project on Thursday.
The remarks come against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the cornerstone of India’s new parliament building in Delhi. According to the Press Trust of India (PTI) news agency, the new building is set to cost nearly $131 million and have room for 888 members in the lower house (Lok Sabha) as well as 384 in the upper chamber (Rajya Sabha).
The seating capacity of the current Lok Sabha chamber is 543, while the Rajya Sabha hall can only accommodate 245 members.
The massive infrastructure upgrade, coming at a time when New Delhi faces its first technical recession in decades, has raised eyebrows for not only the “economic logic” behind such a project, but also because of apparent “political impropriety”.
“The Constitution clearly says that the President is the head of the Indian federal legislature, which comprises both the houses of the Parliament. The Prime Minister, on the other hand, is the head of the Executive. It would have been better if the President was at the ceremony than the Prime Minister”, believes Mukhopadhyay.
He says that the writing on the wall for the legislature could be that they will have to be “mindful” of the executive in the coming days. “It is very much like what we are seeing with the judiciary. Their decisions these days seem to be very mindful indeed of the executive”, states Mukhopadhyay.
In fact, senior Congress Party leader and former federal minister Kapil Sibal raised similar objections about PM Modi leading the ground-breaking ceremony, saying that President Ram Nath Kovind ought to have kicked off the construction activity.
‘Doesn’t Make Sense’
Mukhopadhyay also reckons that erecting a new parliament building as the country battles an economic downturn doesn’t make “much sense”.
“It shows the skewed priorities of the federal government. I don’t believe it is a wise move”, opines the expert.
The new parliament building is part of an overall “Central Vista” plan to revamp New Delhi’s federal district. According to estimates, the infrastructural upgrade is expected to cost nearly $2.7 billion.
Many activists have challenged the project in India’s apex court, arguing that there would be implications for the preservation of colonial-era architecture as well as the environment.
The federal government assured the Supreme Court this week that it would not commence construction on the project until all the petitions have been heard.
Monitoring returns involving children
The presentations focused on the legal framework as well as good practices from practitioners in Member States. Some of the discussions related to best interests of the child throughout the return process, the right to information, limitations to the use of force and the need for further guidance and training. A checklist on monitoring returns where children are present will be developed as a follow-up to the workshop.
Glion Human Rights Dialogue focuses on human rights in the digital age
They discussed human rights in the digital age and how to make digital technology work for human rights. Director O’Flaherty spoke on making digital technology work for freedom of expression and access to information. The dialogue brought up important issues to be addressed from a human rights perspective, including the digital divide and a stronger engagement with private companies.
New international network for freedom of religion and belief
.jpg?w=696&resize=696,0&ssl=1 "New international network for freedom of religion and belief")
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development’ Office’s UK Aid Connect Fund brings together organisations to create innovative solutions to complex development challenges that deliver real change to the lives of people living in poverty.
The Freedom of Religion and Belief Leadership Network (FoRBLN) will be led by researchers at the Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion (CSSC), part of Oxford’s School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography. Network partners include the Church of England, the African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs, the Jinnah Institute and the Danish Institute of Human Rights and the eight countries in Africa and Asia.
Freedom of religion or belief is under pressure in many parts of the world and this pressure is arguably greater than at any time since 1945…Countries where religious freedom is guaranteed are likely to be more peaceful and prosperous than those that do not
According to the FoRBLN, ‘Freedom of religion or belief is under pressure in many parts of the world and this pressure is arguably greater than at any time since 1945….
‘Countries where religious freedom is guaranteed are likely to be more peaceful and prosperous than those that do not. Correlation does not necessarily imply causation, but…the practice of religion itself involves speech, assembly, and communication through the media, all of which demand accompanying civil and human rights.’
The aim of today’s move is to build a network of FoRB leaders (parliamentarians and religious leaders) which can respond to the challenges in their countries and the wider regions. This will be achieved by delivering training on FoRB issues, so they can propose initiatives for their national or regional contexts and providing them with technical assistance and expertise to allow delivery. This training will be supported by cutting edge research on the role of FoRB in creating more tolerant and peaceful societies.
Professor Harvey Whitehouse, CSSC director, says, ‘Barrier-crossing leaders have a vital role to play in tackling sectarianism and religious intolerance. This kind of leadership can increase the prospect of cooperation not just within but also across the many interest groups that struggle for survival in the world’s most fragile states.
‘Our leadership network will allow us to investigate more deeply than ever before the psychological mechanisms utilised by barrier-crossing leaders by conducting comparative research in eight countries where FoRB is under threat.’
Dr Pieter Francois, CSSC’s Deputy Director and the overall network lead and principal investigator, says, ‘This project is a fantastic opportunity to foster and to understand better the value of freedom of religion or belief.
‘The combination of delivering training, raising awareness, and conducting research…is unique….we will be able to create a robust set of good practices, standards, and metrics which can then be utilised in a much wider range of countries. The impact of this project will be long term and global.’
This project is a fantastic opportunity to foster and to understand better the value of freedom of religion or belief
Dr Pieter Francois
Meanwhile, the former Northern Irish political leader, who led the cross-community Alliance Party, Professor, the Lord Alderdice, director of Oxford’s Centre for the Resolution of Intractable Conflict (CRIC) and Chairman of the Advisory Board of the network, says, ‘As the world slips into an increasing polarisation of views, promoting freedom of religion or belief becomes both more difficult and more essential.’
‘It is not only a matter of human rights and the maintenance of economic development and intellectual progress; it is essential if we are to prevent our countries from increasing violence against the individual and indeed from catastrophic wars. As our Centre has explored the problem of violent political conflict, we have been forced to address freedom of religion or belief to better understand and find ways to mitigate this other 21st century plague.’
Based on the CSSC’s expertise in group bonding and its impact on intergroup relations, the research aims to understand the psychological processes that can enable religious and political leaders to cross group boundaries and facilitate understanding between factions, as well as those factors that can obstruct the crossing of these barriers and encourage more entrenched and volatile forms of outgroup hostility.
As the world slips into an increasing polarisation of views, promoting freedom of religion or belief becomes both more difficult and more essential
Professor, the Lord Alderdice
The FoRBLN consortium consists of 11 partners: Tier 1 – The Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion (CSSC) at the School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography at the University of Oxford; Tier 2 – Church of England; Tier 3 – African Centre for Parliamentary Affairs (ACEPA), Danish Institute for Human Rights (DIHR), Drik Picture Library and Gallery, International Commission of Jurists (ICJ), International Panel of Parliamentarians for FoRB (IPPFoRB), Jinnah Institute, Nordic Ecumenical Network on FoRB (NORFoRB), Pak Mission Society (PMS) and Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA).
UK Prime Minister Facing Criticism After Failing to Unlock Post-Brexit Trade Talks With EU
“One year after Boris Johnson promised us an oven-ready deal he has completely failed. The failure to deliver the deal he promised is his and his alone,” Labour Party’s deputy leader Angela Rayner wrote on Twitter.
Rayner was reacting to a statement from the Prime Minister’s office that said that during the face-to-face talks Johnson and Von der de Leyen held last night, both leaders had “acknowledged that the situation remained very difficult and there were still major differences between the two sides.”
They also commonly agreed to set Sunday as the final deadline to make a decision about the future of the trade talks.
The United Kingdom left the European Union on January 31, but as part of the withdrawal agreement, both sides entered an 11-month transition period to negotiate their future commercial relations.
Trade talks have been at an impasse for months over wide divergences over fishing quotas, the level-playing field — the set of common rules and standards designed to prevent businesses in one country from undercutting their rivals in other countries — and governance.
Scottish National Party’s Parliament leader, Ian Blackford also took to Twitter to criticize Johnson and said that a no-deal outcome “would be a massive failure” of his diplomacy and leadership.
“The UK Govt continues to spin about an Australian style deal. For the absence of doubt that means no deal. It means world trade organisation rules, it means damaging tariffs devastating manufacturing, farming and fishing. It would mean come January food & medicine shortages,” Blackford said in another tweet.
Earlier on Wednesday, Opposition leader had slammed Johnson at the Prime Minister’s Question Hour in Parliament over his delay in reaching a deal with the EU.
“The Prime Minister said he had a deal. He didn’t. He said he would protect jobs. He didn’t. He said he would prepare for any outcome. He hasn’t. And whatever may happen in the next few days, there is no doubting that his incompetence has held Britain back. So, would he end this charade, and end that uncertainty, get the deal that he promised and allow the country to move on?” he said.
If no trade deal is secured before the year’s end, the World Trade Organization’s rules will come into effect starting in 2021, including customs tariffs and full border checks for UK goods going across the English Channel.
Britons may need visas to enter EU for long stays from January
<div id="attachment_607771" class="wp-caption alignnone" readability="32"> <p id="caption-attachment-607771" class="wp-caption-text">UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson: Britons will need visas for long stays in EU from January</p>
Britons may need visas for stays in the European Union longer than three months, French European Affairs junior minister Clement Beaune said on Thursday.
Beaune said the matter was still being negotiated.
“Whatever happens on Jan. 1, we will be in a different universe. We are ready,” Beaune said.
Beaune spoke as Britain warned the European Union that it must make significant concessions to break the impasse in Brexit trade talks by the end of the weekend to give some finality to the five year Brexit crisis.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the European Union’s chief executive gave themselves until the end of the weekend to seal a new trade pact after failing to overcome persistent rifts over a “lively” dinner of turbot on Wednesday.
“There’s still clearly some scope to keep talking but there are significant points of difference that remain,” Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab told BBC TV.
“(On) Sunday, they need to take stock and decide on the future of negotiations.”
“Sunday I think is an important moment,” Raab told Sky News. “You never say never in these talks, but I think we do need to get some finality.”
Britain formally left the EU in January, but has since been in a transition period during which it remains in the EU single market and customs union, meaning that rules on trade, travel and business have stayed the same.
That ends on Dec. 31. If by then there is no agreement to protect around $1 trillion in annual trade from tariffs and quotas, businesses on both sides will suffer.
Failure to agree new rules to govern everything from car parts to Camembert would snarl borders, shock financial markets and sow chaos through supply chains in a world already grappling with the economic cost of COVID-19.
Johnson portrays Brexit as a chance to give Britain a fully independent, more agile economy. EU powers fear London wants the best of both worlds – preferential access to EU markets but with the advantage to set its own rules.
That, they say, would undermine the post-World War Two project which sought to bind the ruined nations of Europe – and particularly Germany and France – into a global trading power.
Raab said the main points of contention – fisheries and commitments on a level playing field – were narrow in scope but they were matters of principle for Britain.
<h3 class="jp-relatedposts-headline"><em>Related</em></h3>
UK Foreign Secretary on Brexit Deal: Never Say Never When Negotiating With EU
Never say never when negotiating with the European Union, says UK Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab as London and Brussels are engaged in last-minute talks over the future of their trade relationship post-Brexit.
He noted that London would need to see “substantial movement” by Sunday – the day picked by Prime Minister Boris Johnson and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen as a final deadline for a Brexit deal. At the same time, the top diplomat said that real progress needs to be made for the negotiations to continue beyond the Sunday deadline.
Raab has recognised that if the two sides fail to reach an agreement, there will be “bumps along the road”, including potential changes in food prices.
According to the foreign secretary, significant differences remain, mainly around fisheries and certain regulatory requirements, but there’s clearly scope to continue the talks. He, however, emphasised that Britain was not going to “sacrifice basic points of democratic principle” in order to get a deal.
He went on to note that irrespective of the differences, “movement needs to happen” on both issues, fishing quotas and level playing field, by Sunday. Regarding the latter, he noted, the European bloc has of late hardened its position.
During a “lively” discussion on Wednesday, Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agreed that a firm decision should be taken by Sunday concerning the future of the Brexit talks, despite “very large gaps” between the UK and the EU. Von der Leyen later took to Twitter to say that while the parties “gained a clear understanding of each others’ positions, they remain far apart”.
We had a lively & interesting discussion on the state of play on outstanding issues.
We understand each other’s positions. They remain far apart.
The teams should immediately reconvene to try to resolve these issues. We will come to a decision by the end of the weekend. pic.twitter.com/jG0Mfg35YX
— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) December 9, 2020
Earlier in the day, Johnson addressed MPs about the prospects of post-Brexit arrangements with the EU, asserting that “a good deal is still there to be done”. The prime minister thundered that no British PM would sign up to the demands the European Union is “currently insisting on”, adding that while there is a trade deal to be done, the country would equally prosper without one.
“Our friends in the EU are currently insisting that if they pass a new law in the future with which we in this country do not comply … then they want the automatic right … to punish us and to retaliate”, he said in parliament.
While the post-Brexit trading and governance arrangements remain in limbo, despite heated talks in London, last week, the British side reportedly accused Brussels of revising their conditions at the eleventh hour, which, officials said, would certainly further threaten any potential compromise.
In light of the tight time framework still allocated for a deal to arrive – before the transition period expires on 31 December – concerns have arisen that the sides might enter the new year without an agreement.
A new accord will have to be approved by the EU’s 27 member states and European parliaments, including Britain’s by 31 December. What’s hampering the negotiations, as per the EU and a number of British officials, is the Internal Market Bill, which Johnson introduced in September. It proposes rolling back some of the commitments on state aid and customs checks on goods entering Northern Ireland – something that has been deemed as violating international law.
Major Stumbling Blocks
The main sticking points yet to be resolved are fisheries – a totemic issue for the UK and France among other member states, governance, and the specifics of level-playing field conditions to guarantee fair market play.
In terms of fishing rules, the EU is striving for maximum access for its boats to continue operating in UK waters, where they currently catch about £600 million worth of fish every year. Yet, Britain insists the waters washing the country are sovereign and EU member states should negotiate fishing quotas with London annually.
The level playing field is all about rules on fair competition for billions of pounds of business, now and in the coming years. While the EU wants the UK to stick rather closely to EU rules on things like workers’ rights, the environmental regulations that companies have to follow, and state aid, Britain insists that the whole point of Brexit was to break free from European norms.
Another issue on the agenda is how the rules of the deal will be enforced in the future and what measures will be taken if one side breaks them. The EU has been rooting for powers to be granted to the bloc to retaliate against the UK violating the norms in one area, by hitting back in another – for instance, slapping tariffs or taxes where it thinks they might cripple most.
EU challenges gender stereotypes in a new awareness-raising campaign “Fight Like a Girl”
Ukraine
On December 10, 2020, the new, free from gender stereotypes online medium Fight Like a Girl was launched in Ukraine. It aims to equip young women and girls with useful tips on legal and sexual security and physical self-defense against gender-based violence amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Its launch marks the beginning of a dedicated campaign that will roll out fifteen videos in social media through December 2020 and January 2021.
“Gender-based and domestic violence are human rights violations. Gender stereotypes fuel the continuous existence of this plight. Equipping young people, notably girls and young women against violence, and giving them tools to dismantle stereotypes is key to a more democratic, safer and more prosperous future. There could not be a better name for this campaign than #fightlikeagirl and the EU is happy support UN Women, UNFPA and Gender Stream as representatives of Ukrainian civil society in its implementation”, said Martin Schroeder, Head of the Local and Human Development Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.
The campaign is the part of the global campaign 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence, which takes place annually from 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, till 10 December, Human Rights Day.
The project Fight Like a Girl launches fifteen entertaining explanatory videos that will debunk stereotypes on women and girls and teach the audience how to identify different forms of gender-based violence and understand some forms of cybercrimes that affect women and girls. Consent to sex, sexual security during COVID-19 pandemic, understanding toxic relationships will bring up and explain essential topics for girls and young women. The series of videos on self-defense, created in partnership with the National Police of Ukraine, will teach women and girls how to respond to potential attacks of an abuser and ensure safe escape.
The campaign is produced by the NGO Gender Stream, a grassroots women’s rights initiative from Dnipro, and UN Women in Ukraine. It speaks in a friendly and fun voice of a trusted peer and friend on a Instagram account @FLG_UA, and promotes the hashtags #бийсяякдівчина #fightlikeagirl.
In a series of 15 videos, the audience will hear the voices of Ukrainian influencers:
Stanislav Korolev, musician, member of the band “Yuko”;
Oleksandra Gontar, journalist of the Toronto Television YouTube project and poet;
Volodymyr Beglov, Head of the Human Rights Education Center in Lviv;
Natalia Shevchuk, Director General of the Social Film and Advertising Festival;
Olga Zhukovtsova, actress of the Women’s Quartal;
Katro Zauber, Ukrainian DJ
Vitaliy Zhadan, tactical training instructor, National Police of Ukraine.
“I hope that the project Fight like a girl will reach many women and girls, and it will empower them to change their lives. In a society where you do not feel protected, it is vital to finally try to create security for yourself (as much as possible)”, – said Oleksandra Gontar, TV host and participant of the project.
Background information:
In Ukraine and worldwide, gender-based violence is widespread and systematic, gaining even more momentum during the COVID-19 pandemic. Almost half (49%) of women in Ukraine say they have experienced sexual harassment. Under quarantine, the number of registered domestic violence cases rose to over 54%[1], and the number of calls to the National Hotline for the Prevention of Domestic Violence doubled[2].
The campaign was produced in the framework of the “EU 4 Gender Equality: Together against gender stereotypes and gender-based violence” programme, funded by the European Union, implemented jointly by UN Women and UNFPA. The videos were produced with the financial support of the European Union. Their contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
For further information, please contact Narmina Strishenets, Communication and Advocacy Analyst, UN Women Ukraine: [email protected] or +38(050) 425-79-30.
[1] National Police Statistics as of 9 months, 2020 vs 2019
[2] UNFPA, 2020
Non-communicable diseases killing more people than ever before: UN health agency
The 2019 Global Health Estimates, released on Wednesday, “clearly highlight” the need for increased attention on preventing and treating cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory diseases, as well as tackling injuries, according to WHO.
“These new estimates are another reminder that we need to rapidly step up prevention, diagnosis and treatment of non-communicable diseases,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.
“They highlight the urgency of drastically improving primary health care equitably and holistically.”
Mr. Tedros also underlined the importance of strong primary health care for combatting non-communicable diseases as well as the coronavirus pandemic. People living with pre-existing health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory conditions, are at higher risk of complications and death due to COVID-19.
The study covers the years 2000 to 2019, prior to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. The next update to the estimates will include an assessment of the direct and indirect impact of the pandemic on mortality and morbidity.
Heart disease ‘number 1 killer’
According to WHO, heart disease has remained the leading cause of death at the global level for the last 20 years, but it is now killing more people than ever before, representing 16 per cent of total deaths from all causes.
The number of deaths from heart disease increased over fourfold, from 2 million since 2000, to nearly 9 million in 2019.
Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia are now among the top 10 causes of death worldwide, and deaths from diabetes increased by 70 per cent globally between 2000 and 2019.
The findings also pointed to a global decline in deaths from communicable diseases, though they remain major challenge in low- and middle-income countries. Deaths from tuberculosis, for instance, reduced by about 30 per cent.
Disability on the rise
The Global Health Estimates also found that life-spans have increased over the years, with a global average of more than 73 years (in 2019) compared to nearly 67 (in 2000). But on average, only 5 of those additional years were lived in good health.
“Disability is on the rise,” WHO said, explaining that to a large extent, the diseases and health conditions causing the most deaths are also responsible for most number of healthy life-years lost.
“Injuries are another major cause of disability and death,” the UN agency added, noting that there has been a “significant rise” in road traffic injuries since 2000, with the African region worst affected.
Rise in drug use-related deaths
In the Americas, drug use emerged as a major factor in both disability and death: there was a nearly threefold increase in deaths from drug use disorders in the Americas between 2000 and 2019.
The region is also the only one for which drug use disorder is a top 10 contributor to healthy life-years lost due to premature deaths and disability.
