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COVID disruption will ‘pale in comparison’ if world fails to act on climate change, SDGs

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COVID disruption will ‘pale in comparison’ if world fails to act on climate change, SDGs

“The decisions we make now will determine the course of the next 30 years and beyond: Emissions must fall by half by 2030 and reach net-zero emissions no later than 2050 to reach the 1.5C goal”, Secretary-General António Guterres said in his message to the virtual Finance in Common Summit.

“If we fail to meet these goals, the disruption to economies, societies and people caused by COVID-19 will pale in comparison to what the climate crisis holds in store”.

Mr. Guterres maintained that the world has a shared responsibility to redouble its efforts to recover from the economic and social crisis and “get on track” to achieve the SDGs and build a sustainable, inclusive and resilient future.

“Global solidarity is imperative to defeat the virus and recover better”, he upheld.

Encouraging signs

The UN chief told participants he was encouraged by the growing number of countries committing to the net zero target.

He noted that the European Union (EU) had pledged to become the first carbon-neutral bloc by 2050 and has aligned its COVID-19 recovery package with that objective. And 110 other countries, including the United Kingdom, Japan and Korea, have also made the pledge for 2050 while China is aiming for 2060.

“This means that 50 per cent of the world’s Gross Domestic Product, and about 50 per cent of global carbon dioxide emissions, are now covered by a net-zero commitment”, Mr. Guterres explained, adding that many cities and businesses are realizing the “we have no alternative, and because they recognize the opportunities that are there to be seized”. 

‘Not there yet’

So far, however, no bold commitments have been made to finance the vehicles necessary for the SDGs.

The UN chief noted that public development banks are “uniquely positioned to play a leading role”, by providing concessionary finance where it is most needed, and leveraging private funding. 

“This is essential to reboot our economies and put them firmly on the path to a carbon-neutral, sustainable future”, he attested.

Key steps

The Secretary-General outlined five measures to achieve these goals, beginning with aligning the mandates of public development banks with the SDGs and carbon neutrality commitments by 2050.

“Invest…in just transition programmes, that will leave no one behind, including SDG bonds, and incorporate gender and sustainability in all instruments”, he said.

Painting a picture of enormous demands for emergency funding with simplified approval processes, Mr. Guterres’ second point was to give priority to funding immediate relief measures, particularly on public health and food security.

“Investments by public development banks have been shown to bring in more private finance instead of replacing it…[and] offer opportunities to improve governance and regulatory frameworks in the countries where they operate, providing certainty and bringing in much-needed capital”, he said. 

Thirdly, there is a need to dramatically increase public development finance for adaptation and resilience, particularly for the most vulnerable groups.

“We need to invest massively in public health, food security and education for all; in empowering women, girls and the most vulnerable; in supporting productive investment and employment; in access to energy; and in promoting human rights in general”, the UN chief spelled out.

Next, it was important to have transparency to ensure that both public and private finance supports the SDGs and the Paris Agreement.

“Work together to adopt norms, standards and certification mechanisms for sustainable finance”, he urged all countries.

Finally, Mr. Guterres underscored the need for better data.

“We need public development banks to invest in the data and statistics that strengthen the capacity of developing countries to make the decisions that are needed and…openly share their data with decision-makers for better, coordinated action”, he elaborated.

The UN chief told the participants that their decisions will “send a signal to the global financial community and to policy makers around the world”, transform development finance and “help build the foundations of a new economy fit for the 21st century”.

The Armored Divisions of the European Union

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The Armored Divisions of the European Union

Europe, Global Geopolitics, Global Governance, Globalisation, Headlines, TerraViva United Nations Opinion

The Berlaymont building in Brussels, headquarters of the European Commission, the executive branch of the European Union (EU). Credit EU.

Nov 12 2020 (IPS) – An anecdote tells, never sufficiently confirmed, that in the hardest moments of the Second World War when Stalin was dictating his orders of battle to his subordinates, he was told that perhaps it would be advisable to consult with the Pope. The Soviet dictator replied: “And how many armored divisions does the Pope have?”

The rationale of the question has been used in international relations theory and practice consistently to illustrate a vision of the realist school, in the company of classical interpretations such as those of Thucydides and von Clausewitz.

Stalin’s reflection has often been adduced to interpret the real level of influence of the European Union on the international scene since the middle of the last century.

It has never been easy to explain the birth and survival of Monnet and Schuman’s invention by means of a variant of realism.

One of the clichés about the soul of the EU is as an example of possessing a “soft power”, according to the founding arguments of Joseph Nye.

Joaquín Roy

It agrees with the birth of an entity whose initial leaders were mostly Christian Democrats, who based their logic on reconciliation and who promoted a new entity based on an unusual “declaration of interdependence.” While the bulk of the history of international relations exuded the phenomenon of war, the EU stubbornly justified its existence on the strategy of peace.

Citizens outside Europe tried to answer the question about the reason for the founding of the EU with strange answers such as competition with the United States, the improvement of the European economy, and the reinforcement of capitalism. The goal of making war “unthinkable, and materially impossible” was rarely alluded to.

Since then it has not been easy to understand the EU, because to do so, “one must be French or very intelligent” as Madeleine Albright once said. She rightly described the EU as extremely complex, especially if you insist on viewing it through the lens of “hard power.”

The funny thing is that its survival has been an enigma for more than 70 years, in an already long existence sown along with experiences as shocking as the Vietnam War, the end of the Cold War, the disappearance of the Soviet Union, and now the questioning of the fundamentals of the United States.

Despite such impressive achievements as the adoption of the euro, the marked improvement in the standard of living of Europeans, their comparatively superior longevity, the pleasant feeling of being able to travel and reside throughout the EU, there is a certain discomfort and inner feeling, their survival is in doubt.

The explosion produced by Brexit, barely softening the effects of the 2008 economic crisis, while some of the evils of the past are reborn (nationalism, authoritarianism, racism), and the community territory is beset by uncontrolled immigration, has not helped to soften fears.

Inside and outside, the predictions of its disappearance are insistent. And specialists wonder why, while many voices disagree with these pessimistic predictions.

Anu Bradford, author of “The Brussels Effect” (Oxford University, 2020)

Anu Bradford, a law professor at Columbia University in New York, belongs to this sector. She is the author of a book that has been considered as the most influential of the decade in the field of international relations and the EU in particular.  Its title is The Brussels Effect (Oxford University, 2020), repeatedly reproduced as a term that is destined to be enthroned in the permanent vocabulary of the EU. The central thesis is that the EU, despite its lack of “hard power”, has achieved not only its survival, but a position of preeminence in the world theater.

But this nature of a global agent does not come from the traditional methods of imposing its interests, but simply through the use of a weapon of something as simple as law, developed in the design of a network of norms in the internal scene of the industry, business, the environment, agriculture, and protection against climate change.

But these norms are not imposed on the external territories, in a traditional imperialist way, but, exceptionally, they are self-adopted by the external businesses themselves, voluntarily.

How is this achieved, without the imposition of the hard power of the EU? Bradford’s answer is very simple: external actors, in the United States, Latin America, Asia, weigh between the cost of adding the standards of EU regulations or losing such a substantial market. They hesitate before being forced to adopt community standards or even be their goods rejected, once the process of entering the gigantic EU single market has begun.

They wisely choose to make the necessary investment and place the blue sticker with the twelve golden stars of the EU as a guarantee, a courtesy gift from the “pope” Ursula Von der Leyen, president of the European Commission. The EU does not oblige anyone: it is the choice of external economic interests.

Joaquín Roy is Jean Monnet Professor and Director of the European Union Center at the University of Miami

 

At-Risk Children Touch the Heart With Their Pictures of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers’ Bright Yellow Van

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At-Risk Children Touch the Heart With Their Pictures of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers’ Bright Yellow Van


At-Risk Children Touch the Heart With Their Pictures of the Scientology Volunteer Ministers’ Bright Yellow Van – Religion News Today – EIN Presswire

























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End violence, lynching in the name of religion

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End violence, lynching in the name of religion

Speakers at a virtual press conference yesterday called for ending violence in the name of religion, mob lynching, attacks on religious minorities’ home and the growing incidents of violence against women and girls. They urged to ensure rule of law, human rights,  accountability and justice.

Human Rights Forum Bangladesh (HRFB) organised the conference and presented a 17-point demand, including ensuring proper trial and punishment for the perpetrators of the brutal incident in Patgram through an impartial investigation, necessary treatment for the injured and security for both families, providing necessary training and guidance to public representatives and religious leaders to prevent the violent behaviour of agitated people.                   

They also demanded that proper steps be taken against religious leaders who spread hatred through various provocative propaganda, and a fair and impartial investigation should be conducted into the incident of attack on a Hindu household in Cumilla.

Expressing grave concern over the Cumila incident, Nijera Kori coordinator Khushi Kabir said Bangladesh is a culturally diverse country, and ensuring the rights of every citizen is the responsibilities of the state and the government. “Why will they think of themselves as second-class citizens?” she asked.

Shamsul Huda, executive director of Associations of Land Reform and Development said time has come to move in an integrated way, as the state, government, civil society organisations and political parties should come forward to put an end to such violence.

Mainstream political parties should also be engaged through discussion  and they should promise to stop such issues and their promise must be reflected in their work, he said.

Ain O Salish Kendra’s senior deputy director Nina Goswami expressed concern about the silence of responsible authorities, as they did not assure that necessary actions will be taken about the mob lynching incident.

“In a society, where 31 people are killed in mob beating, how can we talk about human rights there?” she asked, demanding a human rights-friendly state.

HRFB steering committee member Ranjan Karmaker, also the executive director of Steps towards Development, expressed grave concern over the increasing incident of violence against women and urged the government to ensure awareness and justice for rape, and criminalise marital rape by reforming the law.

Sanjeeb Drong, president of Bangladesh Adivasi Forum, said law enforcement agencies should initiate action against the rape of indigenous women and land grabbing of indigenous minorities.

We strongly demand a Minorities Rights Act and a Minorities Commission to protect the rights of indigenous minorities, he said.

Transparency International of Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Dr Iftekharuzzaman, a member of HRFB highlighted that judiciary institutions should remain free from political biases. He also spoke on the importance of ensuring skill development opportunities and appropriate budget allocation for these organisations.

The press conference was moderated by Shaheen Anam, executive director of Manusher Jonno Foundation (MJF), who is also a member of the steering committee of HRFB.

Neglected tropical diseases: Countries endorse new targets to eradicate 20 killers

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Neglected tropical diseases: Countries endorse new targets to eradicate 20 killers

“We now have the consensus and the commitment of every country to work in an integrated, cross-cutting manner in tackling all the neglected tropical diseases”, said Dr Ren Minghui, WHO Assistant Director-General for Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases.

2030 targets

The freshly-inked roadmap sets global targets and milestones to prevent, control, eliminate and eradicate 20 neglected tropical diseases and disease groups, which affect hundreds of millions of people.

It replaces the first blueprint published in 2012, whose targets will not be achieved, despite significant progress, WHO explained.

In addition to a focus on improved coordination and collaboration among health partners in the next decade in all countries, another distinct feature is a drive for greater ownership by governments and communities.

The 2030 targets include a 90 per cent reduction in the number of people requiring treatment for neglected tropical diseases and a call to eradicate dracunculiasis – also known as Guinea-worm disease – and the chronic skin disease yaws, that affects mainly children below 15 years of age.

“The new road map addresses critical gaps across multiple diseases, integrates and mainstreams approaches within national health systems and coordinates action across sectors,” said Dr Mwelecele Ntuli Malecela, Director, WHO Department of Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. “It also provides us with opportunities to evaluate, assess and adjust programmatic actions as needed over the next decade.”

Vertical v horizontal

The emphasis of the new approach is on sustainability and follows a decades-old discussion about the relative merits of so-called “vertically” funded programmes that target specific illnesses, compared with the longer-term “horizontal” approach that involves comprehensive primary health care services offering greater overall protection.

“To do so effectively…countries must change their operating models and culture to facilitate greater ownership of (disease eradication) programmes”, Dr Minghui added, in a call for “smarter investments and high-level political commitment” to reduce the social and economic consequences of neglected tropical diseases.

Drugs arsenal needed

While most neglected tropical disease-control programmes rely on medicines to treat sufferers, WHO has also warned that emerging drug resistance threatens decades of advances.

It remains crucial to monitor drug efficacy closely and develop “an appropriate arsenal of second-line drugs” to ensure that populations continue to be protected against neglected tropical diseases, it said.

In a related development, COVID-19 had played its part in making communities more vulnerable, the UN agency noted, as some people have taken antibiotics in the mistaken belief that they would protect them from the virus.

Antibiotics alarm

While some countries have seen their antibiotic use dramatically decline during pandemic lockdowns, physical distancing and improved hand and respiratory hygiene, “in other situations, antibiotic use has risen alarmingly”, WHO said.

These challenges are on the agenda at the annual World Antimicrobial Awareness Week (WAAW) from 18-24 November.

Its aims are to increase awareness and understanding of global antimicrobial resistance and encourage best practices among members of the public, health workers and policy-makers, to avoid the further emergence and spread of drug-resistant infections.

EU budget 2021: supporting a sustainable recovery from the pandemic | News | European Parliament

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EU budget 2021: supporting a sustainable recovery from the pandemic | News | European Parliament

, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20201109IPR91123/

‘Bring life to those fighting for breath’, UNICEF urges on World Pneumonia Day 

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‘Bring life to those fighting for breath’, UNICEF urges on World Pneumonia Day 

Marking World Pneumonia Day, on 12 November, UNICEF chief Henrietta Fore, highlighted the coronavirus factor, noting that “while the world grapples with the pandemic and the severe consequences it poses for the most vulnerable, we must not lose sight of the fact that pneumonia continues to claim more than 2,000 young lives every day.” 

Every breath counts  

UNICEF pointed out that medical oxygen, coupled with antibiotics, could save the lives of many children suffering with severe pneumonia.  

However, cost can be prohibitive for the poorest families, as can access to health facilities with functioning oxygen supplies, and trained health workers – all of which are scarce in poorer countries. 

Moreover, the pandemic has seen a surge in demand, making the shortages even more prominent.  

Fortunately, oxygen can be produced locally in even remote parts of the world, at affordable cost. A key part of UNICEF COVID-19 response has been delivering oxygen concentrators, devices that take in air from the environment, remove nitrogen, and produce a continuous source of oxygen.  

As of Wednesday, UNICEF had delivered 15,188 oxygen concentrators to 93 countries.  

“Medical oxygen can help save some of these lives”, stressed Ms. Fore. 

One size does not fit all 

The response, however, is not a one-size-fits-all solution.  

Some settings may have available oxygen plants, cylinder-delivery networks and reliable electricity sources to use a concentrator, while others may not.  

And some areas face import restrictions for certain health supplies, or dwindling health budgets and rising prices set by oxygen suppliers.  

To address this, UNICEF is working with governmentsand partners for unique country solutions, mostly involve a mix of oxygen sources from cylinders, concentrators, plants and liquid oxygen. 

The UN agency’s response has been global, rapid, and multi-faceted as it has supplied medical oxygen to over 90 countries to help fight COVID-19 and keep children and newborns with pneumonia alive.  

Oxygen is the answer   

Although this complex commodity can be challenging to provide, especially in rural settings where electricity, infrastructure and essential health equipment may be in short supply, UNICEF has noted a shift in policy worldwide. 

Over the past year, governments, donors, UN agencies and partners have begun to recognize the importance of this essential medicine in helping people recover from pneumonia, whether COVID-19-induced or not. UNICEF is calling on everyone, to “amplify efforts to bring life to those fighting for breath”.   

UNICEF country initiatives

  • Peru: Providing oxygen concentrators to help indigenous communities. 
  • Senegal: Along with the Government, providing oxygen to 64 health facilities in regions with high rates of pneumonia. 
  • Malawi: Helped establish an oxygen generating plant at Kamuzu Central Hospital, contributing to building a new “oxygen ecosystem” for the country.  
  • Sierra Leone: Investing in refurbishing and installing oxygen plants.  
  • Bangladesh: Expanding oxygen systems to prevent new-born deaths.   
  • India: Along with the Government, investing in over 3,000 oxygen concentrators to support the fight against COVID-19.

World Health Organization

How to prevent pneumonia

Cardinal Tagle reflects on “Fratelli tutti” in Caritas webinar – Vatican News

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Cardinal Tagle reflects on

By Vatican News staff writer

Caritas Internationalis held a webinar on Thursday, entitled, “Fratelli tutti, what does it mean for Caritas’ work,” with the aim of analysing some of the Holy Father’s text in the context of caritas, or ‘love’. The goal of the webinar was to explore how Pope Francis’s encyclical Fratelli tutti can become a concrete reality for communities around the world.

Reading and meditating ‘Fratelli tutti’

Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the President of Caritas Internationalis, began his intervention by encouraging all those present to read the encyclical in its entirety, because, he explained “Pope Francis brings some of his previous ideas into a new synthesis as a respnse to the present conditions of a closed world”. He does this, continued Cardinal Tagle, “always drawing from the rich biblical tradition of the Church and the teachings — dogmatic, moral and social teachings — of the Church”.

“Let us join him in this extended reflection”, he said.

Cardinal Tagle then went on to reflect on the “very sad signs on the lack of love” that our world is suffering. We can see that there are “many manifestations of a world that is closing in on itself”, he said. In this closed world, all of us suffer, but the poor suffer the most, the Cardinal added. They are the ones who are easily forgotten, neglected, thrown away; and “we should be disturbed by the consequences of the closed world”, as they are consequences for human beings, for the future and for creation.

Universal love

Cardinal Tagle then focused on two main points brought up in the Pope’s encyclical. The first is universal love. Cardinal Tagle explains that in Fratelli tutti, the image of charity is that of universal love, because “that’s how God loves. God loves everyone”. That is the love that Jesus shows, explained the Cardinal. “He loved everyone, especially those that society considered unloveable. Outcasts. From there we find the parable of the good samaritan, someone who exhibits to us universal love towards a stranger”, said Cardinal Tagle. 

A culture of encounter

The second main point concerns a culture of encounters. Universal love, says Cardinal Tagle, “could easily become a slogan”; but universality can only become true if it is accompanied by encounter and concretenness. “The Holy Father says if you engage in dialogue you must also know your identity so it is not denied, and your religious identity is secured and so you are open to interreligious diaologue”, Cardinal Tagle explained. Similarly, every nation is entitled to its political system and policies, but national politics must lead to international political charity in international relations.

Hopefully, continued Cardinal Tagle, “through a culture of encounter, the meetings of different cultures, we will find a better way of doing politics, dealings with the economy… a better way of establishing cultural friendship and resolving conflicts”. All this, he concluded, should lead to the common good: the good of all, which in the end will also benefit each individual.

Finally, Cardinal Tagle noted some lessons that Caritas can learn from Fratelli tutti. Among them was that of joining the Holy Father in “being sensitive to the sign of closing hearts, hands, minds and territories and cultures”. These signs are very subtle, he concluded, but Fratelli tutti is asking us to “open our eyes and be sensitive and discerning to these threats to universal openness”. 

New elections in Libya expected within 18 months – Vatican News

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By Nathan Morley

After the signing of a permanent countrywide cease-fire agreement last month in Geneva, this latest development provides more hope that the country is on the path to normality.

Representatives of the internationally recognized Libyan government and Khalifa Haftar’s self-proclaimed Libyan National Army (LNA) made the announcement at a United Nations sponsored Libyan Political Dialogue Forum in Tunisia.

The dialogue was established by the Berlin Conference Outcomes, and endorsed by the UN Security Council.

A new roadmap addresses the problems of displaced people and tackles the steps needed to be taken for a unified governance framework and to initiate reconciliation.

Prior to the recent ceasefire, the conflict had been especially violent. Libya has been dogged by war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

Since then, it is estimated that around 400,000 Libyans have been displaced.

In a separate development, more than 100 migrants were rescued from a sinking boat off the coast of Libya on Wednesday. According to reports, a six-month-old baby died onboard a rescue ship soon after he and his mother had been plucked from the water.

Listen to the report by Nathan Morley

European Council Extends Sanctions on Venezuela for One Year

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European Council Extends Sanctions on Venezuela for One Year

“The Council today extended the EU sanctions regime against Venezuela for one year, until 14 November 2021,” the EU body said in a press release. 

According to the release, the measures include an embargo on arms and on equipment for internal repression, as well as a travel ban and an asset freeze on 36 listed individuals in official positions “who are responsible for human rights violations and/or for undermining democracy and the rule of law”.

At the end of June, the EU Council expanded the list of Venezuelan officials subject to sanctions over “their role in actions and decisions that undermine democracy and the rule of law in Venezuela”, adding 11 names to it, bringing the total number of the sanctioned individuals to 36.

Caracas condemned the EU pressure on the Latin American country. President Maduro ordered to expel EU diplomat Isabel Brilhante Pedrosa from Venezuela saying that the nation will no longer tolerate “European colonialism against Venezuela”, but the decision was reversed.

EU punitive measures against Venezuela were introduced in November 2017. These include an arms embargo, as well as travel bans and asset freezes on a number of Venezuelan officials. 

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