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Protect lives, mitigate future shocks and recover better: UN-wide COVID-19 response 

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Protect lives, mitigate future shocks and recover better: UN-wide COVID-19 response 

According to the September update of the UN Comprehensive Response to COVID-19, no country has been spared; no population left unscathed. 

Among other things, the update outlines the steps needed to save lives, protect societies and recover better while pointing the way to addressing future shocks, above all from climate change, and overcoming the universal inequities.

Three-point response

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has often said that the pandemic is a human crisis that has laid bare severe and systemic inequalities.  

“No country has been spared. No population group remains unscathed. Nobody is immune to its impacts”, the report spelled out.

To address this, the UN is pursuing a three-point comprehensive response focused on health, safeguarding lives and livelihoods, and addressing underlying vulnerabilities to rebuild a more resilient, inclusive and sustainable world.

Health first

The update revealed that the UN system led the global health response early on, providing life-saving humanitarian assistance to the most vulnerable, establishing rapid responses to the socio-economic impact and laying out a broad policy agenda.

Solid science, reliable data, and analysis are critical for policy- and decision-making, especially for the tough choices required during a pandemic, according to the report. 

To help create a knowledge base and provide support to national policymakers, the UN has also issued a series of policy brief that examines the pandemic’s diverse impacts and offers relevant information and advice. 

Containing the virus

The most urgent course of action in dealing with COVID -19 has been to suppress transmission of the virus, through detecting, testing, isolating and caring for those affected. 

This requires physical distancing, fact- and science-based public information, expanded testing, increased health-care facility capacities, supporting health-care workers, and ensuring adequate supplies. 

Some countries can or have already achieved these conditions with their own resources but developing countries continue to need considerable support, the report noted.

Universal access

The update shone a spotlight on the need for the biggest public health effort in human history.

That means a vaccine, diagnostics and treatment for everyone, everywhere. 

At the Global Vaccine Summit in June, the UN chief spelled out, “A COVID-19 vaccine must be seen as a global public good”.

Battling twin crises

As climate change is not on hold, recovery from COVID-19 must go hand-in hand with climate action.

And addressing both simultaneously requires a response stronger than any seen before, upheld the report.

It saw recovery as an opportunity to address the fragilities laid bare by the virus, including the climate crisis.

Moreover, it outlined the steps needed to move forward, such as decarbonizing transport, buildings and energy sectors; transitioning away from fossil fuels; and creating jobs to build resilient and sustainable infrastructures. 

Sustaining the response

As the world is still in the acute phase of the pandemic, the UN update maintained the importance of sustained political leadership, unprecedented levels of funding, and extraordinary solidarity between and within countries to recover. 

The Organization will continue to consult with Member States and all partners on how best to support these efforts over the long term.

Archbishop Gallagher’s mission in Belarus – Vatican News

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Archbishop Gallagher's mission in Belarus - Vatican News

By Vatican News and L’Osservatore Romano

An article appeared in the Italian edition of L’Osservatore Romano on Wednesday regarding Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher’s visit to Belarus.

On Friday, 11 September, Archbishop Gallagher traveled to Belarus. A statement released by the Holy See Press Office that evening said that he had gone there “to show the attention and closeness of the Holy Father to the Catholic Church and the whole country”.

The Archbishop was accompanied by Archbishiop Antonio Mennini, Apostolic Nuncio, and Archbishop Paul Butnaru, Secretary of Nunciature in service at the Section for Relations with States. When they arrived in Minsk, they were welcomed at the airport by the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Sergei Aleinik, and by the temporary Attaché of the Apostolic Nunciature in Belarus, Rev. Maher Chammas. 

From there, the Delegation went directly to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a meeting with Minister Vladimir Makei took place. During the meeting, which lasted about an hour and a half, some of the most important moments of the collaboration between Belarus and the Holy See in the international sphere were recalled, as well as the important contribution of the local Catholic Church to the spiritual growth of the Belarusian people, to their social assistance, to the good inter-religious national coexistence and to the promotion of the cultural identity of the country. Particular attention paid to the best way in which the Catholic Church can continue to carry out its spiritual mission for the benefit of all citizens.

On Saturday, September 12, Archbishop Gallagher met with the Catholic Bishops of Belarus at the Apostolic Nunciature. The meeting allowed, on the one hand, to know more deeply the challenges that Catholic communities and their Pastors are facing and, on the other hand, to show them the concrete closeness and support of the Holy Father. The dialogue was very useful in evaluating together the path that the local Church needs to follow in order to remain faithful to its identity and its evangelical mission, while also making itself an effective instrument of social unity. 

In the afternoon, the Delegation made a private visit to the Orthodox Cathedral in Minsk, the adjacent Chapel of the Faculty of Orthodox Theology, and the nearby Catholic Cathedral. The visit gave them the opportunity to discover some details of Belarus’ religious history and, above all, of its capacity for spiritual rebirth after the difficult period it lived under atheism.

That evening Archbishop Gallagher met the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and Ambassador to the Holy See, Mr. Sergei Aleinik in the Apostolic Nunciature. This dialogue allowed them to once again exchange points of view on various themes of national and international importance as well as to to deepen other reflections on some aspects of greater relevance and importance.

On Sunday, 13 September, Archbishop Gallagher celebrated Holy Mass in the chapel of the Apostolic Nunciature. Some Catholic Ambassadors also participated in the celebration. At the end of the liturgy, he briefly greeted those present.

On Sunday afternoon, the Delegation made a private visit to the Memorial Shrine in honor of all the Saints, meeting the Rector of the Shrine, the Most Reverend Archpriest Fyodor Povny. This time the Delegation was able to learn more about the history of the Belarusian people and the richness of their Orthodox Christian tradition.

On Monday, September 14, the Secretary for Relations with States returned to the Vatican.

EU executive to propose framework for minimal wage in EU

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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EU executive to propose framework for minimal wage in EU

“For too many people, work no longer pays,” von der Leyen told the European Parliament in an annual policy speech. “Dumping wages destroys the dignity of work, penalises the entrepreneur who pays decent wages and distorts fair competition in the Single Market,” she said.

The issue is politically tricky so the Commission is not trying to set a single EU minimum wage or to impose one minimum wage setting system for all of the 27 countries in the bloc.

Instead, it wants to ensure there is a collective bargaining for wages in place, that different national systems have clear and stable criteria, that trade unions and employers are involved in the process, that there are few exemptions and that there are monitoring mechanisms in place.

White House hosts Israel-UAE- Bahrain deal signing – Vatican News

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By Nathan Morley

The agreements signed at the White House on Monday formalize the normalization of Israel’s relations with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Now the countries will exchange embassies and ambassadors and to cooperate on a broad array of issues, including banking, education, trade and health issues.

Listen to Nathan Morley’s report

Mr Trump said it was an incredible day for the world: “Today, the world sees that they are choosing cooperation over conflict, friendship over enmity, prosperity over poverty and hope over despair,” Trump said. “They are choosing a future in which Arabs and Israelis, Muslims, Jews and Christians can live together, pray together and dream together, side by side, in harmony, community and peace.”

Speaking at the signing, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu heralded “a new dawn of peace.”

Meanwhile, following the signing of normalization deals, there was a fresh round of violence between Palestinian militants in Gaza and Israel.

According to Israel Radio, militants fired two rockets into Israel on Tuesday night. One hit the coastal city of Ashdod, wounding two men.

In response, the Israeli military bombed sites in Gaza including a weapons factory, and a military compound used for rocket launching experiments by Hamas.

Leaders in the Palestinian territories accuse U.S. President Donald Trump of being biased in favour of Israel, and condemned the deals.

EU sanctions an option to halt Turkey’s gas search

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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EU sanctions an option to halt Turkey’s gas search

… Kourtoglou, AP
Cyprus: EU sanctions an option to halt … Nicos Anastasiades said the EU should weigh using “all … being taken against European Union member states, the European Union’s reaction … said after talks with European Council President Charles Michel in …

Five things from EU chief’s first State of the Union speech

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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Five things from EU chief’s first State of the Union speech

Ursula von der Leyen

image copyrightReuters

image captionUrsula von der Leyen replaced Jean-Claude Juncker in the EU’s top job in December

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has delivered her first State of the Union address, outlining her vision for the future of the European Union (EU).

The Commission drafts EU laws, enforces EU rules and has the power to impose fines on member states if necessary.

Here are five key areas Mrs von der Leyen touched on in her wide-ranging speech.

1) Climate change

The EU chief spoke at length about the environment, and announced an ambitious plan to cut the bloc’s greenhouse gas emissions.

She said the target was to reduce emissions by at least 55% from 1990 levels by 2030 – up from an earlier goal of 40%.

“There is no more urgent need for acceleration than when it comes to the future of our fragile planet,” Mrs von der Leyen said.

“While much of the world’s activity froze during lockdowns and shutdowns, the planet continued to get dangerously hotter,” she added. “The 2030 target is ambitious, achievable, and beneficial.”

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EU leaders will meet to agree on the target next month, but resistance is expected from some eastern European countries that largely rely on coal for their energy. Most states back such a target, however.

Mrs von der Leyen also said 30% of the €750bn (£677bn; $859bn) post-coronavirus recovery package agreed by EU leaders last month would be devoted to climate-friendly projects.

“I will insist that recovery plans don’t just bring us out of the crisis but also help us propel Europe forward in the world of tomorrow,” she said.

2) Coronavirus

Unsurprisingly, the EU’s response to the coronavirus pandemic featured prominently in the address.

“A virus a thousand times smaller than a grain of sand exposed how delicate life can be,” Mrs von der Leyen said. “The pandemic and the uncertainty that goes with it are not over and the recovery is still in its early stages.”

But Mrs von der Leyen praised the EU’s multi-million euro recovery package, which was agreed after four nights of talks, as a “chance to make change happen by design, and not by disaster”.

“We turned fear and division between member states into confidence in our union,” she said. “We showed what is possible when we trust each other.”

media captionEuropean Council President Charles Michel said the deal was a “pivotal moment”

The former German defence minister also announced that a global health summit would take place next year in Italy, and that the EU would build a new agency for biomedical research and development.

3) Brexit

While the UK’s departure from the EU only received a brief mention in the speech, it prompted the loudest applause from the European Parliament members in the audience.

“[Trade] talks have not progressed as we would have wished… and that leaves us very little time,” Mrs von der Leyen said.

“[The withdrawal agreement] cannot be unilaterally changed, disregarded or dis-applied. This a matter of law, trust and good faith,” she added.

media captionLeyen: UK and EU “jointly agreed” on withdrawal agreement
The EU chief was referring to a contentious bill published by the UK government that seeks to overrule parts of the Brexit deal with the EU.

The UK government has said the bill is a “vital safety net” needed in the event that a trade agreement is not reached. But the government has also said it breaks international law, and the EU wants the legislation scrapped.

“The Withdrawal Agreement took three years to negotiate and we worked relentlessly on it. Line by line, word by word,” Mrs Von der Leyen said.

4) Technology

The Commission’s president called for more investment in technology so the EU could keep pace with the US and China.

“We want to lead the way, the European way, to the Digital Age: based on our values, our strength, our global ambitions,” she said.

Mrs Von der Leyen said that 20% of the €750bn coronavirus recovery package would be invested in digital projects, with a further €8bn spent on the next generation of supercomputers.

She called for a “twin green and digital transition” at a time when “the global competitive landscape is fundamentally changing”.

5) Migration

Five years on from the 2015 migrant crisis, Mrs von der Leyen said it had caused “many deep divisions” within the EU and “some of those scars [are] still healing today”.
“If we are all ready to make compromises we can find a solution,” she told the audience. “Migration is a European challenge and all of Europe must do its part.”

She spoke after a fire destroyed a migrant camp on the Greek island of Lesbos, leaving thousands of migrants and refugees homeless and bringing the issue to the fore once again.
media captionThe BBC’s Jean Mackenzie spent time speaking to people at the camp just six months ago and reflects on her experiences there
“The images of the Moria camp are a painful reminder of the need for Europe to come together,” Mrs von der Leyen said.

“Next week, the Commission will put forward its New Pact on Migration,” she added. “We will take a human and humane approach. Saving lives at sea is not optional.”

More on this story

Fair Weather, a Prosperous Wind, But it Didn’t Stay That Way for America’s Pilgrim Fathers

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Fair Weather, a Prosperous Wind, But it Didn’t Stay That Way for America’s Pilgrim Fathers

… trade off the coasts of western Europe.  
Only one passenger, Stephen Hopkins … . 
Motivated by religion 
Around half of the passengers were English Protestant Separatists … sympathetic to the Saints’ religious goals, but most were not …

‘We can do it!’: EU chief announces 55% emissions reduction target for 2030

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Newsdesk
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‘We can do it!’: EU chief announces 55% emissions reduction target for 2030

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced plans on Wednesday (16 September) to target a 55% cut in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 as part of a broader European Green Deal programme aimed at reaching “climate neutrality” by mid-century.

“For us, the 2030 target is ambitious, it’s achievable and it is beneficial for Europe,” von der Leyen said as she unveiled the EU’s new climate proposals before the European Parliament in her first State of the Union address since she became Commission President in 2019.

“We can do it!” she said, borrowing a famous phrase used by German Chancellor Angela Merkel during the height of the 2015 migration crisis.

“Our impact assessment clearly shows that our economy and industry can manage this,” she continued, saying EU countries have already managed to reduce emissions by 25% since 1990 while growing the economy by more than 60%.

The difference today, she said, is that Europe now has the technology, the expertise and the financial firepower necessary to make it happen, with a €1.8 trillion EU budget and recovery fund that was agreed by EU leaders in July for the years 2021-2027.

“We are world leaders in green finance and we are the largest issuer of green bonds worldwide,” von der Leyen pointed out, announcing that 30% of the EU’s €750 billion recovery fund will be raised through green bonds.

“We have it all. Now it’s our responsibility to implement it and to make it happen,” she added, telling Parliamentarians: “This is our mission”.

The announcement on the EU’s new 2030 climate target was widely expected after reports emerged last week that the Commission President would announce them in her speech.

A leaked policy document, published by EURACTIV earlier this week, shows new measures at EU level will span every sector of the economy, ranging from agriculture to energy and transport. The proposal will be officially unveiled on Thursday (17 September) with a view to adopting the 55% target proposal before the end of the year.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== ‘We can do it!’: EU chief announces 55% emissions reduction target for 2030

Root-and-branch policy review

But meeting the 55% goal also represents “a significant investment challenge,” the Commission warns in the draft document, saying investments in clean energy will have to increase by “around €350 billion per year” in order to achieve the new 2030 objective.

And while many business groups are supportive of the new 55% emissions goal, others are more guarded about raising the bloc’s climate ambitions.

In July, a group of six Eastern EU countries wrote a letter to the Commission, calling on the EU executive to propose “realistic” climate goals that take into account “the real social, environmental and economic costs” of the transition.

Von der Leyen acknowledged those concerns, saying: “I recognise that this increase from 40 to 55 is too much for some and not enough for others. But our impact assessment clearly shows that our economy and industry can manage this,” she told MEPs.

“Meeting this new target will reduce our energy import dependency, will create millions of extra jobs and more than halve air pollution,” von der Leyen argued, announcing a root-and-branch review of EU climate and energy legislation “by next summer” with a view to aligning EU laws with the new 55% goal.

This will include a revision of directives on renewables, energy efficiency, as well as a reform of the energy taxation directive and the bloc’s carbon market, the Emissions Trading Scheme.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== ‘We can do it!’: EU chief announces 55% emissions reduction target for 2030

“A new European Bauhaus”

But the European Green Deal involves much more than just cutting emissions, von der Leyen said. It’s also “a new cultural project for Europe,” she added, saying an upcoming EU “renovation wave” will focus on making buildings less wasteful, less expensive and more sustainable.

“We know that the construction sector can even be turned from a carbon source into a carbon sink if organic materials like wood and smart technologies like AI are being used,” said the former German defence minister.

“We need to give our systemic change its own distinct aesthetics to match style with sustainability,” von der Leyen said, announcing the creation of “a new European Bauhaus” where architects, artists, students, engineers, designers, will work together to give the European Green Deal a distinctive look and feel.

[Edited by Sam Morgan]

Official says Polish ‘LGBT-free zones’ have no place in EU

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Official says Polish ‘LGBT-free zones’ have no place in EU

BRUSSELS — A top European Union official strongly denounced the stigmatization of LGBT people by authorities in Poland, saying on Wednesday that “LGBT-free zones” that have been declared in parts of the country have no place in the EU.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, in her first State of the Union address, said that “LGBT-free zones,” are “humanity-free zones.”

“They have no place in our Union,” von der Leyen said, adding that the commission would soon put forward a strategy to strengthen LGBT rights in Europe.

She did not mention Poland by name, but did not need to.

About one-third of Poles now live in communities that have passed resolutions declaring their opposition to the promotion of LGBT rights. The resolutions carry no binding legal powers, but they are seen by critics as discriminatory. Most were approved in the conservative eastern and southern areas of Poland.

In one such example, a resolution passed last year by the legislature of Malopolska, the region surrounding the Polish city of Krakow, expressed “firm opposition to the emerging public activities aimed at promoting the ideology of LGBT movements.”

The resolution said such activities “interfere with the social order” and were “oriented at the annihilation of values shaped by the centuries-old heritage of Christianity.”

Similar assertions are often expressed at the highest levels of government in Poland and by the powerful Catholic church.

Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the right-wing Law and Justice party that has governed Poland since 2015, recently called the LGBT rights movement “a threat to the very foundations of our civilization.”

Polish President Andrzej Duda won reelection in July after a campaign in which he called the LGBT movement an “ideology” more dangerous than communism.

In her European Parliament address on Wednesday, von der Leyen countered such rhetoric.

“I will not rest when it comes to building a union of equality,” von der Leyen said. “A Union where you can be who you are and love who you want – without fear of recrimination or discrimination.”

“Because being yourself is not your ideology,” she said. “It’s your identity. And no one can ever take it away.”

Troubled pasts, and their implication for European integration

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Juan Sanchez Gil
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Troubled pasts, and their implication for European integration

… bridges is not easy. EU-funded researchers are analysing collective … advance European integration.
© sewcream #304603641, source:stock.adobe.com 2020
The EU-funded … connected to Europe today, and European integration.’
Northern Ireland, for instance, …

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