, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201126IPR92513/
Press Conference by EP President Sassoli and Portugal’s Prime Minister Costa | News | European Parliament
, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201130IPR92737/
FAO and the European Union support the recovery of agricultural livelihoods in Northern Iraq [EN/AR]
Mosul 30 November 2020: Dr. Salah El Hajj Hassan, Representative of the Food and Agriculture (FAO) Organization of the United Nations in Iraq accompanied by FAO lead technical team, met on Monday with Mr. Najm Al-Jubouri – Governor of Nineveh.
The discussion focused on FAO activities and programs in the Governorate, as well as the challenges faced by the agriculture sector and availability of water resources. Dr. Elhajj Hassan presented to the Governor FAO’s EU funded projects to support the recovery of agricultural livelihoods through revitalization of food production, value chains, income generation and secure irrigation water through the rehabilitation of Al-Jazeera Irrigation system in Nineveh. Dr. El Hajj Hassan thanked the European Union for their support to the agriculture sector in Iraq and convey the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Iraq, Ms. Irena Vojáčkova’s greetings to Mr. Al-Jubouri; he also stated, “Through these projects, FAO will provide the necessary support to improve the agriculture sector that will positively impact all of Iraq.”
H.E. Mr. Al-Jubouri discussed ways of enhancing and strengthening cooperation and coordination with FAO. He praised FAO’s role in advancing the agricultural sector in Nineveh Governorate and called on the organization to provide more support to the governorate. At the end of the meeting, the Governor thanked the EU for their generous support to develop the agriculture sector in Nineveh and FAO in Iraq. He expressed his willingness and readiness for full cooperation for the development of the agricultural sector in Nineveh Governorate.
The visit marks the distribution of wheat seeds in support of farmers in Nineveh under this EU funded project, with support from the Ministry of Agriculture and the Governorate of Nineveh. This distribution is planned to empower the farming community in the governorate and increase availability of food staples, especially following the severe damage caused by the latest military operations.
“I am delighted to see that, thanks to the strong collaboration between FAO and the national and local authorities, distribution of inputs to farmers is starting in Nineveh under this EU funded intervention”, said Mr. Martin Huth, the EU Ambassador to Iraq. “I strongly believe that the agriculture and the agri-food sectors have a great potential for the diversification of the economy in Iraq, and restoring the historical agricultural capacities of the Nineveh region is key to such development. In a time where the country has been badly hit by the coronavirus pandemic, livelihoods have been affected and many families have seen increased needs in food security in a region already struggling from past years insecurity. I do hope that the roll out of these activities can quickly help farmers in the long-awaited recovery.”
For more information, please contact:
Mrs. Lubna AlTarabishi, +964 7740804002
Email: [email protected]
Don’t read too much into Supreme Court religion ruling
The Supreme Court’s 5-4 decision on Wednesday night, striking down New York State restrictions on the number of people who can attend religious services during the coronavirus pandemic, is being taken as a signal of the emergence of a newly aggressive conservative majority.
It’s easy to see why. The majority in the religion case included the court’s newest member, Justice Amy Coney Barrett, alongside the most conservative of her colleagues: Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.
The dissenters included Chief Justice John Roberts, also conservative but more moderate in his voting patterns — who has been the swing vote in divided decisions for the last year.
Notwithstanding the public reaction, the decision is hardly pathbreaking, and it doesn’t signal much at all. As a technical matter, it’s close to a yawner. If it is to be taken a signal, it should be of something more specific: the existence of a majority that will be highly protective of the rights of religious believers.
The core of the case was a claim of discrimination against churches and synagogues. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo had issued an order stating that in certain pandemic-infected areas, deemed “red zones,” only 10 people could attend religious services. In less dangerous areas, deemed “orange zones,” the cap was 25.
In the majority’s unsigned opinion, the court did not say that these restrictions would be unacceptable if they had been imposed on all gathering places. It said that the problem was that they singled out houses of worship “for especially harsh treatment.”
To justify that claim, the court emphasized that “essential” businesses could allow as many people as they wished, even in red zones. Those essential businesses included grocery stores, banks, acupuncture facilities, campgrounds, garages and transportation facilities. And in orange zones, even nonessential businesses could do as they wished, and so had a lot more flexibility than houses of worship.
In a separate concurring opinion, Gorsuch put the point vividly: “While the pandemic poses many grave challenges, there is no world in which the Constitution tolerates color-coded executive edicts that reopen liquor stores and bike shops but shutter churches, synagogues and mosques.”
In a dissenting opinion, Roberts didn’t reject Gorsuch’s argument. Instead he made a narrow procedural point: It was not the right time for the court to intervene. His reasoning was that it wasn’t necessary for the court to act because Cuomo had loosened the restrictions after the case was filed, eliminating the numerical limits previously faced by houses of worship.
In a separate dissenting opinion, Justice Stephen Breyer, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, agreed with that point. He added that the technical question before the court was whether to give a “preliminary injunction” blocking enforcement of the state’s order, or instead to wait for a full hearing where all the facts could be compiled.
If we take the court’s ruling on its own terms, it’s small potatoes. Everyone on the court agreed that if New York discriminated against houses of worship, its action would have to be struck down, pandemic or no pandemic. That idea breaks no new ground.
For officials who are seeking to control the pandemic, the court’s decision is also no big deal. Nothing in it would forbid stringent restrictions on churches and synagogues, so long as those restrictions are imposed on other, similar institutions as well. What’s required is neutrality.
For these reasons, it’s wrong to say that the decision shows the sudden ascendency of a new conservative majority. If the ruling has broader importance, it’s because it’s part of a tendency, to which Barrett can be expected to contribute, to be highly protective of religion and religious organizations — and to their claims of discrimination and excessive intrusion by state and federal governments.
For the new administration of President-elect Joe Biden and for state and local officials, there’s a warning sign: Anything that smacks of discrimination against religious organizations will run into trouble, pandemic or no pandemic. The requirement of neutrality, not the ascendency of an emboldened conservative majority, is the real lesson of Wednesday’s decision.
Cass R. Sunstein is a syndicated columnist.
UN urges ‘global solidarity, shared responsibility’ against pandemics, marking World AIDS Day
In a message, Secretary-General António Guterres urged the world to not lose sight of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.
“Despite significant successes, the AIDS emergency is not over. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) still infects 1.7 million people each year and kills some 690,000,” he said.
Mr. Guterres highlighted the impact of inequalities, leaving the vulnerable most affected, a fact evidenced by the coronavirus pandemic.
“COVID-19 has been a wake-up call to the world. Inequalities in health affect all of us. No one is safe unless we all are safe,” he added, stressing:
“Wealth should not determine whether people get the health care they need. We need a COVID-19 vaccine and HIV treatments and care that are affordable and available to everyone, everywhere.”
‘Health is a human right’
The UN chief reiterated that health must be a top investment priority to achieve universal health coverage. He called for an end stigma and discrimination, putting people at the centre and grounding AIDS and COVID-19 responses in human rights and gender-responsive approaches.
“On this World AIDS Day let us recognize that, to overcome COVID-19 and end AIDS, the world must stand in solidarity and share responsibility,” said Mr. Guterres.
‘Strength within communities’
In a separate message, Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), highlighted that people within communities working together “inspired by a shared responsibility to each other” helped achieve several victories against HIV.
That strength is needed “more than ever” in the fight against HIV and COVID-19, she added.
“In responding to COVID-19, the world cannot make the same mistakes it made in the fight against HIV, when millions in developing countries died waiting for treatment,” stressed Ms. Byanyima
Equitable access to vaccines against COVID-19 must be ensured, she continued, calling on companies to “openly share their technology and know-how” and to waive their intellectual property rights for vaccines to be produced at the scale and speed needed “to protect everyone” and get the global economy back on track.
Commemorated every year on 1 December, World AIDS Day brings together people from around the world to raise awareness, remember those who have passed on, and celebrate victories, such as increased access to treatment and prevention services.
Amid ‘Love Jihad’ Row, Assam’s New Law Will Ask Couples To Declare Religion, Income
The Assam government is formulating a new marriage law under which the bride and groom will have to disclose their religion and income in official documents a month before the wedding, according to several media reports. This comes hot on the heels of announcements by several BJP-ruled states to bring in laws to check “love jihad”.
State Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that the law will “empower our sisters by bringing transparency.”
“Assam’s law is not against ‘love jihad’. It would be inclusive of all religions and would empower our sisters by bringing transparency…One will have to disclose not only religion but earning source. Complete family details, education etc. Many times even in same religion marriage we have found that the girl later finds that the husband is in an illegal business,” said Mr Sarma.
The proposed marriage law will require couples to declare their family details, education, source of income, profession, permanent address along with religion in a prescribed form one month before the wedding. A failure to do this will result in legal action, the Minister said.
Sarma also said that Assam’s love will be similar to the one passed in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh but will have its own twist. “Our law will empower women. It will have some elements of the law in UP and MP,” Mr Sarma said.
“Love jihad” is a term used by right-wing groups to frame allegedly forceful relationships between Muslim men and Hindu women. The coinage also represents claims that Hindu women are being converted to Islam under the guise of marriage as part of a nefarious scheme.
The term hasn’t been officially acknowledged by the central government. However, several states with BJP government including Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana have been mulling to bring into effect a law against “love jihad”.
On Saturday, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel gave assent to an ordinance against forcible or “dishonest” religious conversions.
The Allahabad High Court recently said in a judgement that a person’s right to live with people of their choice, irrespective of religion, is intrinsic to personal liberty and right to life. The Constitution guarantees the fundamental right, it noted. The judgment also overturned two previous rulings that said religious conversation for the sake of marriage was not “good in law”.
The ruling BJP’s move comes ahead of Assembly Elections in Assam next year.
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European Union Pushes Member States to Develop Counter-Drone Weaponry
The European Defense Agency’s recent report on its member states’ military forces has found a major deficiency in counter-drone weapons.
The agency’s “Coordinated Annual Review on Defense,” which it passed to European Union members’ defense ministries last week, warns that “European capability approaches towards A2/AD [Anti Access/Area Denial] are clearly at a crossroads, whereby the capability is either developed in a collaborative manner or the capability will not be developed for European forces.”
Accordingly, the report “recommends developing a European capability to counter unmanned aerial systems (UAS) to improve force protection, as well as contributing to establish a European standard for Anti Access/Area Denial (A2/AD).”
While ongoing wars in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Somalia have proven just how effective drones can be, the EU’s report also came just days after a ceasefire was reached by Azerbaijan and Armenia at the end of a seven-week conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region, in which drones played an important role.
The United States has made a similar push, sparked by the failure of its Patriot missile systems to intercept a slew of kamikaze drones that attacked two Saudi oil facilities in September 2019. The Pentagon has aimed to develop as many as five counter-drone systems in 2020, including directed energy weapons, jammers that interfere with a drone’s communication with a ground controller, and short-range guns and missiles that can bring a drone down quickly. The US military has adopted a kamikaze drone of its own with the intent of using the machine to intercept other kamikaze drones.
Just last week, US soldiers stationed in Germany traveled to the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico to test the US Army’s Interim Maneuver Short-Range Air Defense (IM-SHORAD) system, based on its Stryker wheeled armored vehicle. The Pentagon plans to field 144 of the systems by 2023, with the first going to US forces in Germany.
In all, the EDA report recommended six course changes for EU member states on defense, including developing a joint main battle tank and coastal patrol ship, starting a unified European space defense program and participation by more countries in joint exercises.
The push comes amid pressure from the Trump administration for members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) to increase their defense budgets to at least 2% of their gross domestic product – a goal only one-third of its members, many of whom are also in the EU, have reached.
Commentary: The Supreme Court religion ruling is a yawner. Here’s why.
People visit St. Patrick’s Cathedral on Nov. 27, 2020, in New York City. In a decision that included newly installed Justice Amy Coney Barrett, the Supreme Court has voted to temporarily block rules in New York that severely restrict gatherings at houses of worship in areas hit hardest by COVID-19. (Spencer Platt/Getty)
New COVID-19 infections fall globally for first time since September; WHO chief urges ‘extreme caution’
Updating reporters during his regular briefing from Geneva, Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the global decline as fragile: brought on by falling cases in Europe, thanks to the difficult but necessary measures countries put in place in recent weeks.
“Gains can easily be lost,” the agency chief said, noting that COVID-19 is still on the rise in most other world regions, with an attendant increase in deaths.
Holidays – no time for complacency
He cautioned against complacency, especially with the holiday season approaching in many cultures and countries. Being with family and friends is not worth placing anyone at risk. “We all need to consider whose life we might be gambling with in the decisions we make.”
To be sure, the pandemic will change the way people celebrate, Tedros said. It will be important to follow local and national guidelines. For many, this is a season for staying home, avoiding crowded shopping centres, or ideally, making use of online shopping if possible. “Avoid gatherings with many different households and families coming together,” he said.
If travelling is essential, take precautions, he said: maintain distance from others and wear a mask in airports and train stations, as well as on planes, trains and buses. Cary hand sanitiser or wash hands frequently with soap and water. If feeling unwell, “don’t travel,” he insisted.
Disrupted services, increased risks for people living with HIV
For millions, COVID-19 is only one health they face, he said. People living with HIV also may have an increased risk of severe disease or death from COVID-19, he said.
A record 26 million people are on antiretroviral treatment – but the pace of increase has slowed, leaving 12 million people who are living with HIV without treatment. “12 million is big,” he assured.
A WHO survey of 127 countries earlier this year found that more than one quarter reported partial disruption to antiretroviral treatment.
However, with support from WHO, the number of countries reporting disruptions in HIV services has declined by almost 75 per cent since June. Only nine still report disruptions and only 12 report a critically low stock of antiretroviral medicines.
Such successes are mainly due to countries implementing WHO guidelines, he said, including providing longer antiretroviral prescriptions for 3 to 6 months, so patients can avoid health facilities. WHO also has worked closely with manufacturers and partners to ensure adequate supply of treatment.
Innovation, Innovation, Innovation
Moreover, he said countries also have introduced adaptations and innovations during COVID-19. In Africa, for example, many have built their testing system for COVID-19 on the existing lab infrastructure for HIV and tuberculosis. In Thailand, the Government has maintained pre-exposure prophylaxis services and tele-health counselling for men who have sex with men. And many countries have introduced more self-testing for HIV to support self-care.
WHO is urging all countries to maintain these innovations as part of the “new normal”, Tedros said, and to help expand testing and treatment.
With Worlds AIDS Day approaching on 1 December, he called for preserving the “incredible” gains made over the past 10 years: New HIV infections have declined by 23 per cent since 2010, and AIDS-related deaths have fallen by 39 per cent.
Hope above all
“If the pandemic has taught us anything, it is that in the face of an urgent health threat, the world can come together in new ways to defeat it,” he assured.
The world can defeat the pandemic using existing tools and the vaccines now in the pipeline. “The most important thing is, we need to have hope,” he said. And solidarity to work together.
The EU Prepares For The End Of LIBOR: The Commission Welcomes The Agreement Reached Between The European Parliament And The Council On Financial Benchmarks
The European Commission today welcomed the agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on important amendments to EU rules on financial benchmarks. The Commission proposed these amendments on 24 July 2020 to ensure that the EU’s financial stability is not harmed when a widely used benchmark is phased out, as will soon be the case with the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Benchmarks are an intrinsic part of financial markets: they are indices used, in particular, to price financial instruments and contracts (including household mortgages) or to measure the performance of an investment fund.
Today’s agreement on the proposed changes is very timely, as the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority – the supervisor of LIBOR – has announced in 2017 that it will stop supporting this benchmark at the end of 2021 and expects its cessation shortly thereafter. The agreed amendments to the Benchmark Regulation empower the Commission to designate a replacement benchmark that covers all references to a widely used reference rate that is phased out, such as LIBOR, when this is necessary to avoid disruption of the financial markets in the EU. Mairead McGuinness, Commissioner for Financial Services, Financial Stability and the Capital Markets Union said, “I welcome today’s swift agreement on financial benchmarks, which means that we will now not be faced with a legal vacuum when LIBOR disappears. This will ensure continuity in our financial system and protect our financial stability. Market participants should nonetheless continue preparations for the end of LIBOR.” Regarding other “-IBOR” rates, it is still in market participants’ best interests to actively prepare for the transition to alternative reference rates, as this offers them the greatest degree of control over the fate of contracts if a reference rate ceases to be published. The European Parliament and the Council also agreed today to postpone the entry into application of the rules on third country benchmarks until 31 December 2023, with the possibility of an extension by the Commission afterwards. This means that EU benchmark users will continue to have access to these benchmarks. The agreed amendments will apply immediately after publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
