He highlighted some of the Organization’s accomplishments, such as putting in place vital agreements that codify and protect human rights, setting ambitious goals for sustainable development, and charting a path towards a more balanced relationship with the natural world, among many others.
However, he also outlined some challenges ahead, saying more remains to be done to “hold back the tides of fear, hatred, inequality, poverty and injustice.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the world’s fragility, laying bare “risks ignored for decades”, namely, inadequate health systems; gaps in social protection; structural inequalities; environmental degradation; and the climate crisis, flagged the UN chief.
“But the setback to the fundamental Charter goals of peace, justice, human rights and development has been deep and may be long-lasting”, Mr. Guterres acknowledged.
The UN chief also conceded that even before the pandemic, “the world was not on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by the target date of 2030”.
And although the UN called for massive global support for the most vulnerable people and countries – amounting to least 10 per cent of the global economy – a rescue package has yet to fully materialize.
In emerging from the COVID-19 crisis, the Secretary-General stressed the importance of multilateralism for a world based on fair globalization, the rights and dignity of everyone, and for “success measured in human rather than economic terms”.
In Guatemala, the UN food relief agency, the World Food Programme (WFP) is assisting indigenous communities affected by food insecurity due to the socioeconomic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the course of a single summer in 2020, Jewish graves in Worms, Germany, were vandalised, an Austrian Jew was attacked in the street and a calendar published in the Czech Republic that glorified Nazi leaders. It came in a year during which Europe and the world marked 75 years since the liberation of the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz.
Meanwhile, Belgium, Denmark and Poland have either proposed bans or actually banned ritual slaughter, the method by which millions of Jews and Muslims in Europe require their meat to be killed. In Iceland, Denmark and Norway, a furore has erupted over circumcision, with critics arguing that the practice is inhumane and should be banned for those under the age of 18.
“It is very frustrating, there is no question,” Rabbi Menachem Margolin, president of the European Jewish Association, told Euronews from his office in Brussels.
“You just think, […] why do we have to [do this] again […]. Three weeks ago it was the circumcision issue in Belgium […]. Two weeks ago it was circumcision in Denmark, this week it is ritual slaughter in Poland, I mean what is next?”
Poland’s ban on kosher meat was pushed through by the governing Law and Justice Party (PiS) earlier in September against the objections of its two minority coalition partners, potentially bringing down the Polish government and paving the way for new elections.
The ban on kosher meat was part of a wide-ranging law on animal welfare, which will similarly outlaw Muslim halal slaughter and the production of fur. It is currently in a 14-day review period, but the fact that the PiS was willing to let its coalition collapse to pass it suggests it could stand.
Speaking to Euronews last week when the law was passed, Margolin told Euronews that the campaign for the animal welfare law had distinct antisemitic overtones, presenting the supporters of the law as “good Polish citizens” and its opponents, among them the Jewish community, as bad. But there will also be a practical impact on Europe’s Jewish community.
“Limiting the export of kosher meat from Poland will immediately impact Jewish people from all over Europe because many Jewish people from Europe consume kosher meat coming from Poland,” he said.
Margolin is keen to make the distinction between antisemitism, on the one hand, and a lack of respect for Europe’s religious minorities, including Jews, on the other. Being attacked in the street, he said, is unpleasant, but it is a crime and should be treated as such. The slow chipping away of religious freedoms is the bigger threat to Europe’s three million Jews, he said.
“Of course, governments have to be very tough with people who commit crimes against Jews. But much more important is to take care of the long term: education and a strong commitment to ensuring freedom of religion,” he said.
Key to beating both, he said, is education. As the events of the Holocaust, when six million European Jews died in the death camps of Europe, recede in the memory of Europeans, as the generation that remembers fascism in Europe is dying out, the history of Europe’s Jews must be made part of the curriculum in every school in every European state.
“Antisemitism is a very old disease. If you want to fight against anti-Semitism you have to educate,” he said.
‘Ignorance is an open door for populists’
“We have been pushing European governments to update the curriculum [to] include more information about the Jews, their customs, their history, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism, these are things that Europe has faced for two millennia. Every child needs to learn about that,” Margolin said.
Ignorance, he added, is “an open door” for the populist movements of both right and left, and it is from the right, left and the political centre that antisemitism is coming. He is reluctant to name and shame but said centrist parties have noticed the success that the far right and left have had using hatred to win votes, and are now adopting similar tactics.
“What we see is that mainstream political parties do not take the right direction in order to fight the extremists, they adapt themselves to part of that agenda, which is very dangerous,” he said.
“I prefer not to attack anyone in particular. It is a phenomenon that is all over Europe. All over the world. But when it comes to the Jewish situation it is a dangerous direction.”
Every year since 1994, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) holds a summit known as a Conference of the Parties (COP) attended by representatives of participating countries.
This year, the twenty-sixth COP was postponed by a full year due to the ongoing pandemic. Originally scheduled for November 2020, it will now be held at the Scottish Event Campus in Glasgow from 1 – 12 November 2021. COP26 will be hosted by the UK in collaboration with Italy, which will be hosting key preparatory events such as a Youth Event and the Pre-COP summit.
On Tuesday, Nigel Topping, the UK High-Level Climate Action Champion for UN climate talks spoke at a briefing held at the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome. The event, organized by the UK embassy to the Holy See, was themed “The Road to COP26.”
During his speech, Mr. Topping highlighted that with an estimated 1.3 billion Christians worldwide, the Church has the capacity to effect massive change through concrete actions and multi-faith dialogue. He also urged everyone to be committed and accountable in their personal, concrete initiatives in the fight to stem the effects of climate change.
Other speakers at the briefing included Fr. Augusto Zampini, adjunct secretary for the Dicastery for the Promotion of Integral Human Development, and Tosca Barucco, the Italian Envoy for COP26.
Nigel Topping (2nd right) with other speakers at the Briefing held at the Pontifical Urbania University on 29 September 2020
Mr. Topping explained that his role as the UK champion for climate action was created in 2015 by all the parties to the UN Climate Convention in Paris. He added that the countries recognized that, aside from national governments, civil society, businesses, investors and the private sector have a role to play in determining the success in the fight against climate change.
“My task, therefore, is to drive ambition and action alongside the policy-making process, and to help governments go faster,” explained Topping to Vatican News after the Tuesday briefing.
“The faster that business and civil society goes, the easier it is for policymakers; and the bolder the policymakers are, the faster that businesses and cities can go,” Topping observed, adding that they reinforce each other in “a positive dance of change.”
Interview with Mr. Nigel Topping
Charting the path to begin anew
Responding to a question about the choices we should be making as countries restart their economies after the lockdown caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr. Topping proposes two options.
The first, he explains, is the faster transition towards a cleaner economy. He pointed out that seven million people die prematurely every year because of air pollution – mostly from the same sources that drive climate change, including cars and coal. He recommends choosing to not support the old industries in the same manner as before, but rather transitioning towards newer ones that promote a cleaner economy. However, this transition, Topping notes, must be “done carefully” and be “just,” as we cannot simply get rid of all the jobs attached to the old industries.
The second, continues Topping, is the “equity” dimension of the transition. He explained that with the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as with climate change and other challenges, there is a disproportionate level of suffering among the more vulnerable and minority communities. Therefore, in transitioning to a zero-carbon economy, there is a need for human solidarity.
Head, heart and hands
Mister Topping said that to make the transition such as the one we called to make now, we will need a combination of heads, hearts and hands.
The head, he notes, is the intellectual understanding that we “just cannot continue like this,” and the ability to “read the signs” seen in floods, fires and the melting of glaciers. The heart, he continues, helps figure out the spiritual element providing motivation behind fighting for a better, cleaner climate. These, he explains are contained in transcendent values like justice and honoring the beauty of creation as Pope Francis illustrates in the 2015 Encyclical on the Care of our Common Home, Laudato sí.
The hands, for their part, help in carrying out bold, concrete actions that the head and the heart inspires them to do.
Coordinating concrete efforts
Speaking further on his mandate as the High-Level Champion, Topping said that he works with non-state actors – civil society, investors, schools and people of faith, among others – to encourage them to be bolder in taking initiatives. He then amplifies the visibility of these instances of positive action to inspire other people to take action in their turn.
The more people are committed and acting towards the zero-carbon future, the easier it gets for everyone, he said. “By moving together, we reduce the risk for everybody, which actually means we can go faster.”
“We always have agency over our future,” Topping said, adding that it is choice that requires moral courage.
However, it is already too late to stop some things: “We already have one degree Celsius of warming and three times as many extreme weather events as we had twenty years ago.”
Nonetheless, “it is never too late to act,” he insisted.
He pointed out that in addition to working towards achieving zero carbon emissions, he is particularly interested in working with vulnerable communities, especially as catastrophes like sea level rises, droughts and floods are now much more likely than they were 10 years ago. He hopes that through collective, global solidarity, the impact of these challenges will not be disastrous on poorer communities.
Hope for the future
Mister Topping expresses his hope that 2021 will bring about the better actualization of the multilateral processes of the 2015 climate convention and the 1992 biological diversity convention.
The two conventions are already beginning to yield fruit, as China has recently committed to zero-emission in the 2050s and 71 countries signed a nature pledge on Monday.
His second hope is that we learn to “express our commitments to new global goals” like the Sustainable Development Goals and work towards a more equitable society.
For some, noted Topping, 2021 is the year of the “great reset”. “We are not just going back to where we were before! This is a very big challenge and an opportunity to accelerate some changes and to change direction” towards building a cleaner, more equitable global economy for future generations.
It was a 45-minute “cordial” encounter in a “respectful environment”, during which it was possible for both sides to present their respective positions on China, as well as discuss some of the world’s bloody conflicts.
The American Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning to meet Cardinal Pietro Parolin and his counterpart, Archbishop Gallagher, the Holy See’s “Foreign Minister”.
Responding to questions from journalists, the Director of the Holy See’s Press Office, Matteo Bruni, said: “During this morning’s talks between the Secretary of State of the United States of America, Michael Richard Pompey, and His Holiness’ Secretary of State, His Eminence Cardinal Pietro Parolin, accompanied by His Excellency Archbishop Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States, the parties presented their respective positions regarding relations with the People’s Republic of China, in a respectful, relaxed and cordial environment. They also spoke about some areas of conflict and crisis, particularly in the Caucasus, the Middle East, and the Eastern Mediterranean. The meeting lasted about 45 minutes.”
As is known, in recent weeks some statements made by Secretary Pompeo against the Provisional Agreement signed two years ago by the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China have provoked discussions in the media.
The Holy See, as Cardinal Parolin has repeatedly stated, intends to propose renewing the agreement, which is still in provisional form. He has emphasized its genuinely pastoral character, which is aimed only at ensuring that the Chinese bishops are in full communion with the Successor of Peter.
World: IOM COVID-19 Points of Entry Analysis August 20, 2020 – IOM Regional Office for the European Economic Area, the European Union and NATO
A total of 179,160 have succumbed to the Covid-19 disease in the European Economic Area region (EEA) as of 3 September 2020 according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The outbreak of the virus has affected global and regional mobility in the form of various travel disruptions and restrictions. To better understand how the pandemic affects the mobility at the Points of Entry (PoEs), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has developed an online tool and database which tracks changed in mobility at Points of Entry (airports, land and blue border crossing points). This includes preparedness and response measures to prevent, protect against, control and assist in line with the International Health Regulations (IHR). Among the mobility changes tracked by IOM are: 1) Movement restrictions on entry and/or exit, 2) Changes in visa requirements, 3) Restrictions applied to certain nationalities to disembark at this location, 4) Changes in identification documents needed to disembark, 5) Medical measures in place such as Health Staffing/Medical Personnel, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), Risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), Infection prevention and control (IPC) and Surveillance and Referral.
As of 20 August 2020, data was collected on 808 Points of Entry in 28 countries/territories/areas across the European Economic Area. These locations include: 478 land border crossings points, 193 airports, and 137 blue border crossing points (including sea, river and lake ports). This work is based on the information collected by IOM Country offices in the region. This PoE brief analysis provides an overview of the changes of impact on operational status and mobility restrictions over time, between April and August 2020. It is important to note that not all data on PoEs have been updated every month meaning that the trend displayed does not necessarily represent the current situation of all PoEs. Furthermore, in April 764 PoEs were assessed, in May, 786, in June, 787, in July, 795, and in August a total of 808 PoEs were assessed, hence reaching the highest number of PoEs assessed during the five-month period.
Marija Pejcinovic-Buric, Secrétaire générale du Conseil de l'Europe
Strasbourg, 01.10.2020 – The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, made the following statement today:
“As the armed conflict around Nagorno-Karabakh escalates with a growing number of civilian casualties, I mourn the deaths of the many people, including civilians, who are falling victim to the hostilities. No political considerations can justify the horror and suffering of these women, men and children. I implore all sides of the conflict to immediately cease hostilities and implement without delay the interim measures decided by the European Court of Human Rights. A peaceful solution must be found at the negotiating table to prevent a grave humanitarian crisis.”
The Secretary General reiterated her support to the work of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to this end.
Cardinal Parolin and Vice President Schinas to participate in upcoming EU Bishops Assembly
The Delegates of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union will gather in Brussels on 28-29October 2020 for the COMECE Autumn Assembly. The progamme will feature the participation of H.Em. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, and of Mr Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission.
On the occasion of the 40th anniversary since the establishment of COMECE, H. Em. Cardinal Pietro Parolin will join the EU bishops at their Autumn Assembly, to be held in Brussels on 28-29 October 2020.
Together with the Secretary of State, the Bishop Delegates of COMECE will exchange on the role of the Catholic Church in the European Union, especially in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic. Bishops will discuss possible initiatives to support the EU in recovering from the pandemic through ecological, social and contributive justice, enhancing the protection of the poor and of the most vulnerable.
During his visit, Cardinal Parolin will meet with various high-level representatives of the EU institutions, so as to mark the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the European institutions.
The EU bishops will also welcome at the COMECE premises Mr Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President of the European Commission, to exchange on the implementation of Article 17 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which foresees an open, transparent and regular dialogue between Churches and the EU institutions.
In the context of the New European Pact on Migration and Asylum adopted on 23 September 2020, the Bishops and Mr Schinas will also engage in a dialogue on EU migration policy, particularly on the need to reinforce the common EU asylum policy and to ground it on the principles of solidarity and dignity of each human person.More generally, views on the Commissions’ approach to the promotion of a “European Way of Life” will be lively debated.
On Wednesday, 28 October 2020 at 19:00 a Mass for Europe will be celebrated.. The Holy Mass will be presided by H.Em. Card. Parolin and concelebrated by all the Bishops representing the EU Episcopates.
The settings of the Assembly and of the Mass for Europe will ensure strict respect of Covid-19 measures, limiting the number of persons present in the same venue and allowing bishops who are unable to travel to join the Assembly by video conference.
The COMECE Assembly is a closed-doors event. Due to the limited space inside our premises and to the need to implement effective sanitary measures, the programme will not include a press conference. Journalists and media operators interested in covering the event are invited to contact the COMECE Communication Officer.
By AFP
BRUSSELS: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen declared Thursday that Brussels has begun legal action over the British government’s attempt to overturn parts of the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
“This morning, the Commission has decided to send a letter of formal notice to the UK Government. This is the first step in an infringement procedure,” von der Leyen said.
“The letter invites the UK Government to send its observations within a month,” the president of the European Commission added.
On Tuesday, British lawmakers adopted a bill to regulate the UK’s internal market from January 1, when Britain will complete its post-Brexit transition period and leave the EU single market and customs union.
The proposed law, by London’s own admission, overwrites parts of the withdrawal treaty that Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed with EU leaders last year, a breach of international law.
Johnson’s government has described this bill as a “safety net” in case post-Brexit trade talks fail and the EU tries to impose a customs border between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
But EU capitals — including Dublin — see these provisions as key to preventing a return of a hard border with Ireland and preserving the good relations underpinned by the Good Friday peace deal in Northern Ireland.
“As you know, we had invited our British friends to remove the problematic parts of their draft internal market bill by the end of September,” von der Leyen said.
“This draft bill is by its very nature, a breach of the obligation of good faith laid down in the withdrawal agreement. Moreover, if adopted as is, it will be in full contradiction to the protocol of Ireland, Northern Ireland.
“The deadline lapsed yesterday, the problematic provisions have not been removed.”
Clouds trade negotiations – A statement from the European Commission said that the bill would breach Article 5 of the Withdrawal Agreement, which states that both sides must “cooperate in good faith” to implement the agreement.
Brussels had already warned that it would take legal action, but Johnson has pushed on with the legislation — despite concerns in his own party and a warning from Washington that it puts Irish peace at risk.
The legislation is it is now being debated by the House of Lords.
In parallel to the battle over the bill, EU and UK negotiators Michel Barnier and David Frost are meeting in Brussels this week for their final planned round of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal.
Diplomats say these talks will not necessarily be torpedoed by the legal action but London’s stance has cast a cloud over negotiations ahead of a planned EU summit on October 15.
If there is no deal by the end of October, European officials warn it is hard to see how one could be ratified by the end of the year, meaning the UK would leave the single market with no trade agreement.
This would exacerbate what is already expected to be the economic shock of Brexit, with a more severe disruption to cross-Channel trade, renewed tariffs and the prospect of a dispute over fishing rights.
The European Union took legal action against Britain on Thursday over its plans to pass legislation that would breach parts of the legally binding divorce agreement the two sides reached late last year.
The EU action underscored the worsening relations with Britain, which was a member of the bloc until January 31. Both sides are trying to forge a rudimentary free trade agreement before the end of the year, but the fight over the controversial UK Internal Market bill has soured relations this month.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said that the British plan “by its very nature is a breach of the obligation of good faith laid down in the Withdrawal Agreement.”
Frank Augstein/AP
The European Union took legal action against Britain on Thursday over its plans to pass legislation that would breach parts of the legally binding divorce agreement the two sides reached late last year.
“If adopted as is, it will be in full contradiction to the protocol of Ireland-Northern Ireland” in the withdrawal agreement.
The EU had given London until Wednesday to withdraw the bill but instead UK lawmakers voted 340-256 Tuesday to push the legislation past its last major House of Commons hurdle. It must also be approved by the House of Lords, where it is sure to meet strong opposition because it breaches international law.
At the same time, EU and UK officials were continuing talks on a trade deal, going into detailed negotiations over everything from fisheries rights, state aid rules and legal oversight in case of disputes.
Time is short for the UK and the EU to mend fences. A transition period that followed Britain’s Brexit departure ends in less than 100 days, on December 31.
The EU-UK trade negotiating session is supposed to wrap up Friday but expectations are that negotiations will continue right up to an October 15-16 EU summit, which British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has set as a deadline for a deal. The EU said talks could continue right up to the end of the month.
WPA Pool/Getty Images
The UK government says it respects the peace accord and the Brexit withdrawal agreement, but wants the law as a “safety net” in case the EU makes unreasonable demands after Brexit that could impede trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. (File photo)
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p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> The UK Internal Market Bill now further complicates issues. If it becomes law, it will give the UK the power to disregard part of the Brexit withdrawal treaty dealing with trade to and from Northern Ireland, which shares a 500-kilometre border with Ireland.
EU leaders fear that could lead to the re-imposition of a hard land border and erode the stability that has underpinned peace since Northern Ireland’s 1998 Good Friday accord.
The UK government says it respects the peace accord and the Brexit withdrawal agreement, but wants the law as a “safety net” in case the EU makes unreasonable demands after Brexit that could impede trade between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s large parliamentary majority ensured the bill passed its final House of Commons vote on Tuesday night, despite resistance from opposition parties and even some members of the governing Conservative Party.
Britain says it wants a free trade deal along the lines of the one the EU has with Canada, allowing for goods to be traded with no tariffs or quotas.
<
p class=”sics-component__html-injector sics-component__story__paragraph”> The EU says if the UK wants access to EU markets it must respect standards that EU companies have to live by since Britain is just too close to allow for undercutting rules that would allow for so-called “dumping” of UK merchandise at prices lower than in the EU.
The leaders of European Union (EU) countries meet in Brussels, Belgium for their two-day Special European Council today (October 1).
On October 1-2, the leaders will discuss foreign affairs, in particular relations with Turkey and the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean.
They are also expected to address relations with China, the situation in Belarus and the poisoning of Alexei Navalny. The single market, industrial policy and digital transformation are also on the agenda.
The recent Karabakh clashes between Armenia and Azeribaijan in the Caucasus will also be discussed by the EU leaders.
The summit, initially planned for 24 and 25 September, was postponed as President of the European Council Michel had been in quarantine.
In announcing the summit on its official website, the European Council has shared the following background information about the relations with Turkey, especially within the context of Eastern Mediterranean crisis:
“The European Council will hold a strategic discussion on Turkey. During the EU leaders’ video conference of 19 August 2020, the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and relations with Turkey were raised by some member states. The leaders expressed their concern about the growing tensions and stressed the urgent need to de-escalate.
“The members of the European Council expressed their full solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and recalled and reaffirmed previous conclusions on the illegal drilling activities.
“On 15 and 16 September, President Charles Michel travelled to Greece, Cyprus and Malta as part of the preparations for the summit discussions. He also had several phone calls with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.”
Emphasis on ‘Turkey’s constructive engagement’
Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, also sent a letter of invitation to the leaders ahead of today’s summit.
Sharing details about the agenda of the summit, Michel has indicated that “the dinner will be entirely devoted to the situation in the Eastern Mediterranean and relations with Turkey” and added:
“Our objective is to create a space for a constructive dialogue with Turkey to achieve stability and security in the whole region, and to ensure full respect for the sovereignty and sovereign rights of all EU Member States. This will only be possible if Turkey engages constructively. All options remain on the table to defend the legitimate interests of the EU and its Member States.”
Letter by Erdoğan to EU leaders
Ahead of the EU summit today and tomorrow, President and ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) Chair Recep Tayyip Erdoğan sent a letter to the EU leaders. Shared with the public by Turkey’s Presidential Communications Directorate, the letter has briefly read:
“Recently, our relations stand in the face of another novel challenge due to the developments in the Eastern Mediterranean. With this letter, I would like to lay out our approach towards the Eastern Mediterranean and Turkey’s proposals for the solution of problems.
“Our Eastern Mediterranean policy has two main objectives.
“The first one is the delimitation of maritime jurisdiction areas in an equitable, just and fair way in the Eastern Mediterranean in accordance with international law and the protection of our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over our continental shelf. The second one is securing equal rights and interests for Turkish Cypriots over the hydrocarbon resources of the Island of Cyprus, as the co-owners of the Island.
“For this purpose, I would like to emphasize once again that we are ready for dialogue with Greece without any preconditions.
“In this context, I would like to point out that we have supported NATO Secretary General’s initiative for de-confliction among naval and air vessels from the very beginning in order to reduce tension.
“On the other hand, Turkish Cypriots and Greek Cypriots should establish a cooperation mechanism, including equitable revenue sharing of hydrocarbon resources, as co-founders of the dissolved Republic of Cyprus and co-owners of the Island.” (PT/SD)
