ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s exports to the European Union (EU) increased by 3.3 per cent under the generalised system of preferences plus (GSP+) scheme, a report produced by the Democracy Report International and European Commission showed on Friday.
Before the GSP+ scheme, Pakistan’s exports to 28-member union stood at €4.54 billion in 2013, which jumped to €5.51bn in 2014. In the second year of the GSP+ scheme, exports further jumped by 10pc to €6.09bn.
Since 2016, exports proceeds have stagnated at €6.30bn at 2016, €6.69bn in 2017 and €6.88bn in 2018.
Of the €6.739bn exports to the EU in 2018, Pakistan was able to avail tariff concessions on €5.885bn. From 2013 to 2019, Pakistan was able to considerably enhance its exports to the EU with an increase of 65pc.
The findings were reported by the ‘EU’s GSP+ Assessment Report 2020: How has Pakistan progressed in its compliance?’.
Growth marred by lack of action on forced labour; curbs on freedom of expression
The European Commission inked a law in 2013 allowing Pakistan the GSP+ status under which exporters will be exempted tax on certain categories of goods exported to the EU.
The preferential scheme is conditional on implementing international conventions on human and labour rights, and freedom of speech in Pakistan. The current EU report states that some provinces have demonstrated an improvement in compliance with labour conventions, yet much of the issues reported in its 2018 report not addressed by 2020.
Weak occupational safety can be attributed to weak labour inspections. Low numbers of labour inspection officers and lack of training and capacity affect law enforcement. Freedom of association and collective bargaining is an issue which the EU noted as having ‘limited progress’. This, like occupational safety, had also been mentioned in the EU’s previous report.
Pakistan ranks 8th in 167 countries by the global slavery index ranking and classified as one of the worst countries in terms of its government response. The EU report uses strong language while describing the lack of compliance with the abolition of forced labour and states that despite existing laws “the issue is that of non-implementation and is rooted in either political unwillingness or inability to implement the law.”
The EU suggests “more industrial and economic zones need to be initiated in the country to address increasing bondage labour, as the higher number industrial zones can reduce the chances of the forced labour.”
The data on female workforce participation and remuneration for Pakistan reflects a dismal situation. The 2018 Labour Force Survey shows less than 15pc participant rate of women in the labour market as compared to 46pc for men. Added to this is discrimination towards women in terms of their representation in high skilled occupations and positions of senior management.
The report praised merger of the Former Federal Administered Tribal Areas as part of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province and the extension of the High Court and the Pakistan Supreme Court, representation for former FATA residents at the federal Parliament and in the KP Assembly.
However, there is also mention that these developments have been undermined by the passage of the KP Action (in aid of civil power) Ordinance, 2019, which allows the military in the merged districts to detain without reason or the need to produce arrested individuals at a court of law, which the report recognises as ‘serious concern’.
Freedom of expression was cited as restrictive in Pakistan’s 2018 Universal Period Review, same as in 2017 report. In its report in 2020, the EU again repeats its call to improve freedom of expression, as stipulated in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Restrictions on freedom of expression only increased during the reporting period with curbs of broadcasting, self-censorship by journalists and disruption to the distribution of a national newspaper.
“Despite a new wave which began on 25 July which Viet Nam is now also in the process of bringing under effective control, it is globally recognized that Viet Nam demonstrated one of the world’s most successful responses to the COVID-19 pandemic between January and April 16. After that date, no cases of local transmission were recorded for 99 consecutive days.
There were less than 400 cases of infection across the country during that period, most of them imported, and zero deaths, a remarkable accomplishment considering the country’s population of 96 million people and the fact that it shares a 1,450 km land border with China.
Kamal Malhotra is the UN Resident Coordinator in Viet Nam. , by UN Viet Nam/Nguyen Duc Hieu
Viet Nam’s success has drawn international attention because of its early, proactive, response, led by the government, and involving the whole political system, and all aspects of the society. With the support of the
World Health Organization (WHO) and other partners, Viet Nam had already put a long-term plan in place, to enable it to cope with public health emergencies, building on its experience dealing with previous disease outbreaks, such as SARS, which it also handled remarkably well.
Viet Nam’s successful management of the COVID-19 outbreak so far can, therefore, be at least partly put down to the its investment during “peacetime”. The country has now demonstrated that preparedness to deal with infectious disease is a key ingredient for protecting people and securing public health in times of pandemics such as COVID-19.
As early as January 2020, Viet Nam conducted its first risk assessment, immediately after the identification of a cluster of cases of “severe pneumonia with unknown etiology” in Wuhan, China. From the time that the first two COVID-19 cases were confirmed in Viet Nam in the second half of January 2020, the government started to put precautionary measures into effect by strengthening entry-screening measures and extending the Tết (Lunar New Year) holiday for schools.
Teachers and students were able to return to school in Lao Cai, Viet Nam, in May.
By 13 February 2020, the number of cases had climbed to 16 with limited local transmission detected in a village near the capital city, Hanoi. As this had the potential to cause a further spread of the virus in Viet Nam, the country implemented a targeted three-week village-wide quarantine, affecting 11,000 people. There were then no further local cases for three weeks.
But Viet Nam had simultaneously developed its broader quarantine and isolation policy to control COVID-19. As the next wave began in early March, through an imported case from the UK, the government knew that it was crucial to contain virus transmission as fast as possible, in order also to safeguard its economy.
Viet Nam therefore closed its borders and suspended international flights from mainland China in February, extending this to UK, Europe, the US and then the rest of the world progressively in March, whilst requiring all travelers entering the country, including its nationals, to undergo 14-day mandatory quarantine on arrival.
This helped the authorities keep track of imported cases of COVID-19 and prevent further local transmission which could have then led to wider community transmission. Both the military and local governments were mobilized to provide testing, meals and amenity services to all quarantine facilities which remained free during this period.
No lockdown required
While there was never a nationwide lockdown, some restrictive physical distancing measures were implemented throughout the country. On 1 April 2020, the Prime Minister issued a nationwide two week physical distancing directive, which was extended by a week in major cities and hotspots: people were advised to stay at home, non-essential businesses were requested to close, and public transportation was limited.
Such measures were so successful that, by early May, following two weeks without a locally confirmed case, schools and businesses resumed their operations and people could return to regular routines. Green One UN House, the home of most UN agencies in Viet Nam, remained open throughout this period, with the Resident Coordinator, WHO Representative and approximately 200 UN staff and consultants physically in the office throughout this period, to provide vital support to the Government and people of Viet Nam.
Notably, the Vietnamese public had been exceptionally compliant with government directives and advice, partly as a result of trust built up thanks to real time, transparent communication from the Ministry of Health, supported by the WHO and other UN agencies.
Innovative methods were used to keep the public informed and safe. For instance, regular text updates were sent by the Ministry of Health, on preventive measures and COVID-19’s symptoms. A COVID-19 song was released, with lyrics raising public awareness of the disease, which later went viral on social media with a dance challenge on Tik Tok initiated by Quang Dang, a local celebrity..
UN Viet Nam/Nguyen Duc Hieu
Young people in Viet Nam take part in International Youth Day 2020 festivities in June.
Protecting the vulnerable
Still, challenges remain to ensure that the people across the country, especially the hardest hit people, from small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and poor and vulnerable groups, are well served by an adequately resourced and effectively implemented social protection package.
The UN in Viet Nam is keen to help the government support clean technology-based SMEs, with the cooperation of international financial institutions, which will need to do things differently from the past and embrace a new, more inclusive and sustainable, perspective on growth.
Challenges remain
As I write, Viet Nam stands at a critical point with respect to COVID-19. On 25 July, 99 days after being COVID-free in terms of local transmission, a new case was confirmed in Da Nang, a well-known tourist destination; hundreds of thousands of people flocked to the city and surrounding region over the summer.
The government is once again demonstrating its serious commitment to containing local virus transmission. While there have been a few hundred new local transmission cases and 24 deaths, all centered in a major hospital in Danang (sadly, all the deaths were of people with multiple pre-conditions) aggressive contact tracing, proactive case management, extensive quarantining measures and comprehensive public communication activities are taking place.
I am confident that the country will be successful in its efforts to once again successfully contain the virus, once more over the next few weeks.”
Ukraine: EU and UN transfer special oxygen equipment for treating COVID-19 to medical facilities in Luhansk Oblast
Equipment will help provide oxygen therapy to people with respiratory disorders typical of coronavirus infection.
Severodonetsk, Luhansk Oblast, August 28, 2020 – The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine has transferred 50 specialized oxygen concentrators worth U.S. $25,000 to 23 medical facilities in Luhansk Oblast.
The oxygen concentrators (with output rates of 5 litres per minute) are special devices that separate oxygen from air and supply high concentrations of oxygen (more than 90 percent) – vital in oxygen therapy for people with the kind of respiratory disorders that are especially typical for coronavirus infection.
The coordinator of the Local Governance and Decentralisation Reform Component of the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, Olena Ruditch, noted that with the rapid spread of COVID-19, the need for essential medical devices and equipment is also growing.
“People with lung disease and patients with COVID-19 can suffer from mild to very severe symptoms,” Ms. Ruditch said. “Oxygen concentrators are extremely useful, because they deliver pure oxygen and help stabilize the patient’s health. We’re striving for as many medical institutions in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts as possible to be provided with this high-quality and vital equipment.”
Serhii Haidai, Head of the Luhansk Oblast State Administration and Head of the Regional Civil-military administration, said that through joint efforts with the world community Ukraine would be able to overcome the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and save human health and lives: “We’re grateful for the help we regularly receive from international and Ukrainian organizations. This is very important at a difficult time for Luhansk Oblast and the whole country.”
The oxygen concentrators were supplied to six oblast hospitals, as well as medical institutions in Lysychansk, Rubizhne, Severodonetsk, Bilovodsk, Bilokurakine, Kreminna, Markivka, Milove, Novoaydar, Shchastya, Novopskov, Popasna, Svatove, Stanytsia Luhanska, Starobilska and Troitske.
The equipment was purchased under the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, with the financial support of the European Union, to meet the key needs of Luhansk Oblast health facilities combatting the COVID-19 outbreak.
Maksym Kytsiuk, Communications Associate, the UN Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme, [email protected], +380 63 576 1839
Background
The United Nations Recovery and Peacebuilding Programme (UN RPP) is being implemented by four United Nations agencies: the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
Thirteen international partners support the Programme: the European Union (EU), the European Investment Bank (EIB), the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and the governments of Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland & the UK.
The European Union is preparing to sanction Turkey over its actions in the eastern Mediterranean, where a confrontation between Turkish and Greek military ships is raising the risk of open conflict between NATO allies over claims of drilling rights for natural gas.
Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borell on Friday said EU was expressing solidarity with Greece and Cyprus and against Turkey’s violation of their territorial waters. Ankara maintains that the sovereign boundaries of the waters are contested.
“We are clear and determined in defending European Union’s interests and solidarity with Greece and Cyprus,” Borell said, following an informal meeting of the 27-nation bloc’s foreign ministers.
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“Turkey has to refrain from unilateral actions. … For this reason, we must walk a fine line between preserving a true space for dialogue and, at the same time, showing collective strength in the defence of our common interests,” he added.
Borell said the sanctions will first target persons identified by Cyprus as participating in the illegal activity of drilling in the eastern Mediterranean, but could expand to sanctioning assets such as ships or the use of European ports, technology and supplies.
The sanctions against Turkey come amid increasingly sour relations between Ankara and its NATO allies. Borell said wider discussions surrounding Turkey’s behavior are essential but that the EU is focusing on supporting Greek and Cyprus first.
“We will have to talk about a lot of pending issues that are poisoning our relationship,” he said.
“But for the time being, the most pressing and urgent thing is to solve the question of the drillings and the presence of Turkish boats in Greek and Cypriot waters, which is something dangerous,” he added. “I do not think that the other things are not important, but they are not so urgent.”
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Turkey has increasingly encroached in the eastern Mediterranean in territorial waters claimed by Greece and Cyprus and are believed to be a deep well of resources for natural gas.
The Turkish Foreign Ministry rejected the E.U.’s stance and told NATO Secretary-General Jens Stotenberg that Turkey will continue to protect its rights and interests everywhere, Reuters reported.
Secretary of State Mike PompeoMichael (Mike) Richard PompeoOvernight Defense: House chair announces contempt proceeding against Pompeo | Top general says military has no role in election disputes | Appeal court rejects due process rights for Gitmo detainees European Union sets stage for sanctions on Turkey Meadows dismisses criticism of Trump using White House for acceptance speech MORE this month undertook rapid shuttle diplomacy between the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey following the accidental collision of warships in the eastern Mediterranean as both countries increased their military presence in the waters.
Pompeo at the time emphasized “the urgent need to reduce tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean” on the sidelines of his diplomatic travel to Central and Eastern Europe and the Dominican Republic.
Pompeo, who met with the Greek foreign minister in Vienna, underscored “the strong U.S.-Greece bilateral relationship” while at a meeting with his Turkish counterpart two days later, he “discussed issues of mutual concern.”
“Alert! #LouiseMichel assisted another 130 people – among them many women & children – and nobody is helping! We are reaching a State of Emergency. We need immediate assistance, @guardiacostiera & @Armed_Forces_MT. We are safeguarding 219 people with a crew of 10. Act #EU, now!” the vessel’s Twitter page said on late Friday.
“Louise Michel” is also said to have a dead person and several injured people on board.
“There is already one dead person on the boat. The others have fuel burns, they have been at sea for days and now they are being left alone in an #EU (!) Search and Rescue Zone. Don’t let it become a body count. Do your job. Rescue them,” the ship said.
The vessel has already asked the authorities of Malta and Italy for assistance but has not received it yet.
Europe has been experiencing a migration crisis since 2015 due to the influx of thousands of migrants and refugees fleeing crises in their home countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The migrants are trying to reach EU states using various routes, primarily via Italy, Greece, Turkey and the Balkans. Many of them die in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea.
(RNS) — Accepting the Republican nomination for a second term, President Donald Trump framed his remarks with what he called “the great American story.”
Trump delivered the speech Thursday (Aug. 27) before a crowd of about 1,500 people seated outside the White House, with few wearing masks amid the novel coronavirus pandemic, as masks were only “suggested” for attendees.
“Gathered here at our beautiful and majestic White House — known all over the world as the ‘People’s House’ — we cannot help but marvel at the miracle that is our great American story,” Trump said after accepting his party’s nomination.
That story includes figures like explorers Lewis and Clark and former President Abraham Lincoln, he said.
It also, in Trump’s telling, is a story rich in religious faith.
“What united generations past was an unshakable confidence in America’s destiny, and an unbreakable faith in the American people,” he said. “They knew that our country is blessed by God and has a special purpose in this world.”
Here’s how the president wove faith throughout that story on the last night of the Republican National Convention.
During his speech, Trump claimed Democrats see America as “a wicked nation that must be punished for its sins.”
He later added, “Our opponents believe that America is a depraved nation. We want our sons and daughters to know the truth: America is the greatest and most exceptional nation in the history of the world!”
The line is in keeping with Trump’s longstanding political refrain: that the United States was once “great,” that his administration made it “great again” and that re-electing him would keep the country “great.”
However, some may have considered it an unusual line to come from a Presbyterian, a branch of Christianity that Trump often claims as his own.
Presbyterians are rooted in the teachings of John Calvin, a 16th-century theologian who emerged as a leading voice in Europe during the Protestant Reformation. One of Calvin’s core teachings is that while humanity retains a concept of right and wrong, it remains “totally depraved” — and sinful — as a consequence of Adam and Eve’s “original sin” in the Garden of Eden.
In fact, this belief puts the “T” in TULIP — an acronym many Presbyterians and other Reformed Christians use to remember the five points of Calvinism: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Preservation of the Saints.
Battle for the soul of America
“In this country, we don’t look to career politicians for salvation. In America, we don’t turn to government to restore our souls. We put our faith in almighty God,” Trump said.
He added that his Democratic rival Joe Biden is “not the savior of America’s soul” but the “destroyer of America’s jobs, and if given the chance, he will be the destroyer of American greatness.”
The lines were a direct rebuke of Biden’s campaign slogan — “a battle for the soul of America” — as well as a twist on a line that Trump has used for years during rallies and when speaking to religious audiences: “In America we don’t worship government, we worship God.”
The remarks were well received by some of the evangelical leaders in the audience at the White House.
“It felt like a revival service on the south lawn of the White House” when Trump uttered those words, tweeted Tony Suarez, chief operating officer of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference.
In a separate correspondence with Religion News Service, Suarez said he heard several “amens” in the audience during Trump’s address, which stretched for more than an hour.
President Donald Trump speaks from the South Lawn of the White House on the fourth day of the Republican National Convention, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
‘Sanctuary cities,’ and a ‘jihadist’ ban
In attacking his opponent, Trump said Biden “supports deadly sanctuary cities that protect criminal aliens. He promised to end national security travel bans from jihadist nations, and he pledged to increase refugee admissions by 700 percent.”
Although rarely acknowledged by critics, the concept of “sanctuary cities” emerged out of a 1980s religious phenomenon known as the Sanctuary Movement, which encouraged religious communities to house migrants fleeing violence in Central America in their sanctuaries in direct defiance of federal law.
The movement reemerged in a new form — aptly called the “New Sanctuary Movement” — under the Obama administration. It exploded in popularity during the onset of the Trump administration, with houses of worship taking in undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation and essentially daring immigration officials to raid their churches (officials do not do so as a matter of internal policy).
Last year, the Trump administration began issuing massive fines on immigrants taking sanctuary in houses of worship, presumably as a deterrent against the practice.
Meanwhile, religious groups have increased their efforts: Last year, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America even declared itself a “sanctuary church body.”
As for Trump’s reference to travel bans barring entry to people “from jihadist nations,” there are questions about what he is referring to — and his language.
His administration has long claimed the travel ban that Trump initiated within a week of assuming office was not a “Muslim ban,” despite the countries on the ban list being primarily majority Muslim. Trump himself called for a ban on Muslims entering the United States during his campaign. Jihad, however, is a term used within Islam that is often interpreted to mean “to strive” or “struggle.” While it has been used to denote a call for war or violent action, as Trump implied, it can also be used to describe striving to make the world a better place in other ways.
Trump’s ban was widely opposed by religious groups. Lutherans again were among a number of faith-based agencies who sued the Trump administration over the president’s executive orders banning travel from several Muslim-majority countries, calling it, in effect, a Muslim ban.
One nation under God
“During the Democrat Convention, the words ‘under God’ were removed from the pledge of allegiance — not once, but twice,” Trump said.
Trump and other Republicans have repeated this claim multiple times since last week’s Democratic National Convention.
The accusation is partly true: two different caucuses that met outside of mainstage events — a Muslim delegates meeting and the LGBTQ caucus — did, in fact, omit “under God” while reciting the Pledge of Allegiance during their meetings. But “under God” was said repeatedly by speakers during the pledge and in every instance of the pledge’s recitation during the convention’s mainstage events, including by Biden himself during his closing address.
The omission of God also did not necessarily appear to represent a hostility to faith in general: the Muslim delegates meeting was filled with prayer, and an LGBTQ caucus meeting featured an appearance by former South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg, an openly gay Episcopalian who often references his faith.
Moreover, this week’s Republican convention also played fast and loose with the pledge at times. During his address, North Carolina congressional candidate Madison Cawthorn omitted “indivisible” while quoting the pledge in the closing line of his speech, declaring in his prepared remarks and onstage: “One nation. Under God. With liberty and justice for all.”
Arriving with Bibles
Nearing the end of his speech, Trump returned to the theme of the “great American story.”
That story began with “our American ancestors” sailing across the ocean to “build a new life on a new continent,” the president said.
“They loved their families, they loved their country, and they loved their God,” he said. When opportunity beckoned, they picked up their Bibles, packed up their belongings, climbed into their covered wagons, and set out West for the next adventure.”
What Trump’s version leaves out is the Native American ancestors already living on the continent when European explorers and settlers arrived. It was the Doctrine of Discovery, a series of papal edicts, that gave Christian explorers the right to claim lands they “discovered.”
It also leaves out slavery, pointed out John Fea, a professor of American history at evangelical Messiah College.
The story of American progress is more complicated than Trump made it out to be, Fea told RNS.
“Manifest Destiny was deeply informed by the long-standing evangelical idea that white Protestant ‘civilization’ must advance Westward. God gave the continent to Christians and it was their ‘destiny’ to conquer and tame it,” he said.
“This entire project was drenched in the unholy mix of evangelical Protestantism and white supremacy.”
But the emphasis on the role of Christian faith specifically in America’s founding was well-received by some Christians.
“I believe for those Americans who want a country that’s founded on faith and freedom and on law and order, they were excited by what they heard the president say tonight,” Pastor Robert Jeffress, one of Trump’s most vocal evangelical supporters, told Fox News afterward.
Corruption bedeviling South Africa recently has entered the fight against the novel-coronavirus, and church leaders are furious about it.
(Photo: Albin Hillert / WCC)Archbishop Thabo Makgoba has been outspoken from the pulpit. Makgoba, the Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, preaches during a July 19 interfaith prayer service, held at the Roman Catholic Emmanuel Cathedral in Durban, South Africa, during the 2016 International AIDS Conference.
The Anglican archbishop of Cape Town, Thabo Makgoba called on his President Cyril Ramaphosa to ensure that “hypocrites” and “thieves” in the ruling African National Congress return what they have stolen from the public and be sent to jail.
“In the Book of Kings, in the Old Testament, God tells Elijah to leave the cave to which he has retreated, and to engage with the world,” said Makgoba on Aug. 26.
“Similarly, today, God compels us as the Church to come out of our sanctuaries and to speak out about the conditions that afflict our people. If we don’t, then as Jesus says in Luke’s Gospel, the very stones will cry out.
“Today, Mr. President, our hearts, our souls, our bodies and our minds are consumed with the national crisis that faces South Africa,” said makgoa.
” The public’s money, life-saving money that is meant to provide oxygen to the breathless poor in the midst of a pandemic, has been misappropriated, stolen in brazen defiance of the commandment in the Book of Exodus which enjoins each of us: Thou shalt not steal.”
Last week World Health Organization Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus had said that corupt practices around medical safety gear for Covid19 health workers is tantamount to “murder”.
“Any type of corruption is unacceptable,” Tedros said at global webinar by the WHO.
“However, corruption related to PPE (personal protective equipment)… for me it’s actually murder. Because if health workers work without PPE, we’re risking their lives. And that also risks the lives of the people they serve.
‘MURDER AND IT MUST STOP’
“So it’s criminal and it’s murder and it has to stop.”
Brazil has also reported PPE corruption.
In South Africa reports that local government officials were hoarding and selling food donations meant for families without income during lockdown stimulated national debate.
Meanwhile in Geneva, Tedros said that corruption which deprives health workers of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) threatened not only their lives but also the lives of their patients suffering from the novel coronavirus.
In South Africa, 115 COVID-19 new deaths on Aug. 28 brought the country’s death toll to 13,743, with 620 132 confirmed cases and 533,935 recoveries, News 24 reported.
Makgoba said, “Corrupt big-wigs who have joined your party, not to serve the common good but to enrich themselves, act with impunity – their attitudes are debilitating, life-drenching.
“At this time in the history of our country, we must draw a line in the sand. Thus, says the Lord, on whom our hope is founded, the hypocrites and the thieves must return the stolen treasures of the poor, and they must be dispatched to jail, where they must wear orange jumpsuits.”
The day before Makgoba’s statement a delegation led by the South African Council of Churches met with officials from the African National Congress to call for societal action against COVID-19 corruption, the World Council of Churches reported.
CORRUPTION AND UNETHICAL BEHAVIOR
The delegation urged all who live in South Africa to reject corruption and unethical behavior.
As well as the South African Council of Churches, the delegation included the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation, Desmond and Leah Tutu Legacy Foundation, Nelson Mandela Foundation, Foundation for Human Rights and Council for the Advancement of South African Constitution.
“There comes a time when the moral depravity of some in positions of authority, and in the private sector, undermine the very notion of nationhood and the underlying value of public service,” said the statement.
“We are compelled to assert: This is not how we shall be known as a nation.”
The group called for transparency, accountability and ethical governance.
“The governing party leadership appears compromised within itself,” the church leaders said.
Such a breakdown at this level of “prepares the ground for the moral decay of the rest of society, resulting in the rule of law being undermined.”
They called on the ANC, which has ruled since 1994, and all political parties in South Africa to enter into a covenant based on a public commitment to accountability, responsiveness and openness.
Many church leaders had supported the ANC when it led the struggle against apartheid, but now they said, “the fight against corruption while elevating a leader who is facing corruption charges to a provincial legislature.”
In a Joint Statement by the European Union Delegation and the Heads of Mission of France, Germany, Ireland and Sweden in Monrovia, is expressing concerns about the rising number of rape cases in the country, drawing importance to combatting sexual and gender-based violence
Monrovia – The European Union Delegation and the Embassies of its Member States resident in Liberia – Germany, France, Ireland and Sweden – issue the following statement:
The EU shares the deep concern expressed by the Government and people of Liberia regarding the alarming rates of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the country.
The EU takes note of the recent, deep public engagement on this important issue, including demonstrations on the streets of Monrovia. Likewise, the EU recognises the initiative taken by H.E. President George Weah and his Government to find ways to address this profound problem.
SGBV is perpetrated against women, men and children, often against the most vulnerable in society and it must be stopped. Freedom from violence is a fundamental human right, which must be realised and protected in every society.
SGBV is perpetrated against women, men and children, often against the most vulnerable in society and it must be stopped. Freedom from violence is a fundamental human right, which must be realised and protected in every society.
The EU therefore remains committed to supporting Liberia in eradicating all forms of SGBV and strongly welcomes the increased commitment shown by the Government in this area, a commitment made evident by the recently appointed Presidential Committee on SGBV. The EU also commends the people of Liberia for their recent expressions of solidarity with the survivors and victims of this violence. Freedom of expression is a cardinal component of a democratic society and is enshrined in the Liberian constitution.
We urge all parties to respect this freedom as the country continues to have this important national conversation.
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Ending SGBV requires a spectrum of interventions from prevention, to care, to response and to justice. It requires the support and contribution of all citizens and partners, and political will at all levels.
Through the EU-UN Spotlight Initiative and several bilateral programmes, the EU and its Member States have partnered with the Government and people of Liberia in many of these intervention areas, including: preventing SGBV at community levels; supporting access to justice for survivors and victims; and, strengthening the response capacity of relevant institutions – including One Stop Centers and Criminal Court E. The EU will remain committed to these key sectors.
However, the EU strongly opposes the death penalty, at all times and in all circumstances. It is a cruel, inhuman and degrading punishment, which is incompatible with the inalienable right to life. It is irreversible and ineffective as a deterrent to criminal behaviour.
Liberia has signed the Optional Protocol on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and, in keeping with its provisions, has instituted a moratorium on the implementation of the death penalty. Likewise, chemical castration violates international rules on torture and it is cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, as defined in the ICCPR.
The EU welcomes Liberia’s full accession to this Covenant and its optional protocols, and calls on Liberia to honour its international human rights commitments and to continue the great strides it has made in maintaining peace and strengthening democracy.
The EU stands firmly by the survivors and victims of SGBV, their families and communities, and we will continue to work with the Government and people of Liberia to end SGBV in all its forms.
Europe tightened restrictions on Friday as it battled a surge in coronavirus cases, with masks becoming obligatory all over Paris and Hungary shutting its borders once again.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel warned the crisis will be “more difficult” in the autumn and winter.
President Donald Trump took a characteristically more optimistic view, despite the death toll in the United States topping 180,000, as he vowed to “crush” the virus with a vaccine by the end of the year.
The total number of declared cases has now topped 24.5 million globally since the virus first emerged in China almost nine months ago, with more than 832,000 deaths.
The economic toll has been catastrophic, with Canada the latest to announce a record collapse: a 38.7 percent drop in GDP in the last quarter on an annualised basis.
Canada also extended the closure of its border to non-essential travel by a month until the end of September. The border has been closed to all non-essential travellers since mid-March.
Governments hope tighter mask rules will offset the need for a return to economically-devastating lockdowns, though the French government said it could not rule out new stay-at-home orders.
Masks were already obligatory in Paris on public transport and in congested areas, but will now be needed throughout the city.
“The epidemic is gaining ground, and now is the time to intervene,” said Prime Minister Jean Castex.
Late Friday, health authorities said almost 7,400 new infections were registered in mainland France in 24 hours, calling growth in new cases “exponential”.
Disinfections outside the Kutvolgyi hospital in Budapest
ATTILA KISBENEDEK, AFP
Hungary said foreigners would be barred from entry from September 1, while returning citizens would need two negative tests to avoid a 14-day quarantine.
Greece said it was extending a lockdown on migrant camps to at least September 15, amid ongoing concerns over the spread of the virus in hugely overcrowded camps on five Aegean islands.
Sceptics –
Many governments must also confront a backlash.
Spanish police arrested a man who believes the pandemic is a hoax, and used social media to incite violence against politicians, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.
A Berlin court on Friday allowed a demo of coronavirus sceptics to go ahead this weekend, with police vowing a show of force to ensure safety regulations are met. A similar protest is planned in Zurich.
Merkel warned the battle against the virus is “likely to be more difficult over the next few months” as people start spending more time indoors.
She and state leaders agreed Thursday to toughen face mask rules and ban large events until the end of the year to combat rising case numbers blamed mainly on summer travel and private parties.
Women from the GMR Varalakshmi Foundation stitch Personal Protective Equipment for frontline coronavirus workers in Hyderabad
NOAH SEELAM, AFP
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz also warned of “challenging” months ahead but predicted a return to “normal” next year.
The Spanish government said this week children as young as six will be required to cover their nose and mouth at school, while Britain reversed earlier guidance that pupils aged 11-18 did not need to wear masks.
South Korea also decided Friday to tighten measures, including shutting indoor sports venues, in the greater Seoul area, home to half the country’s 52 million people after a spate of new clusters, many linked to church gatherings.
The US is by far the hardest-hit country in the world in terms of both number of cases and deaths.
“We are marshalling America’s scientific genius to produce a vaccine in record time,” Trump said as he accepted the Republican nomination for a second term.
“We will have a safe and effective vaccine this year and together we will crush the virus.”
But vast economic damage has already been done. On Friday, hotel and casino giant MGM Resorts announced 18,000 lay-offs.
Spread of the coronavirus
Simon MALFATTO, AFP
Japan said it will lift a re-entry ban on foreigners from next month amid efforts to rebuild the virus-hit economy but would maintain rules to keep the disease at bay.
It has been hit less hard than most advanced economies by the coronavirus, with just over 65,000 cases, and around 1,200 deaths.
The British government urged people to return to work amid concern about the impact of the lockdown on the economy and struggling high street businesses.
An industrial body forecast this week that the UK economy will lose about £22 billion ($29 billion, 24 billion euros) this year.
Bolivia said it will ease virus curbs from next week while maintaining border closures.
People and vehicles will be allowed to circulate for longer periods, between 5:00 am and 8:00 pm — an extension of two hours from current rules — and a weekend prohibition on movement will be lifted on Saturdays.
Two Chinese-owned manufacturers have decided to invest in the Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone (PPSEZ) despite Covid-19.
PPSEZ is a 357ha industrial park in Kambol district’s Kantaok commune on the western outskirts of the capital and is operated by the Cambodian-listed Phnom Penh Special Economic Zone Plc (PPSP).
In the years before and after we launched our manufacturing here in Cambodia, Phnom Penh SEZ has always been supportive of our operations through their “One Stop” services. When you start a business in Cambodia, you need to understand many regulations and procedures which are related to your particular business – in addintion finding suitable land with a developed infrastructure. Phnom Penh SEz in a great partner to solve all your needs for manufacturing in Cambodia.
Rohto-Mentholatum (Cambodia) Co., Ltd. Mr. KONDO Takayuki Factory Manager
PPSP on August 14 said businesses in PPSEZ continue to make headway and investors are keeping pace and even expanding in the face of sweeping Covid-19-related concerns.
It said the two companies were drawn into PPSEZ by its potential and the perks the Kingdom provides investors.
Incorporated on May 15, Seikawa (Cambodia) Technology Co Ltd is the local arm of Zhuhai, Guangdong-based manufacturer of plastic parts for electrical and electronic devices Zhuhai Seikawa Plastic Products Co Ltd and will supply a well-known Japanese high-tech company in the Kingdom.
PPSP quoted the company as saying that the benefits of cut logistics costs and delivery time were key reasons for the decision.
Incorporated on May 5, WCFO (Cambodia) Co Ltd is the local arm of Hong Kong-based WCFO Communication Co Ltd, which produces fibre-optic devices and exports them to Japan and the US.
PPSP said WCFO “is looking at Cambodia as a new production base due to the fact that the labour is young, trainable and affordable, and the preferential treatment to Cambodia from developed countries, especially [given] the situation of [the] on-going US-China trade issue.
“During this hard time, we need to keep trying and [have] hope for [a] better [tomorrow]. Meanwhile, looking for or creating new opportunities is very important,” it quoted WCFO as saying.
Cambodia Chamber of Commerce vice-president Lim Heng on Sunday said the investment is a perk from the Chinese government’s trillion-dollar Belt and Road Initiative project.
He said the Kingdom is also reaping the benefits of the Sino-US trade war, especially evident in the soon-to-be-signed Cambodia-China bilateral free-trade agreement.
“The two companies have seized the opportunity to invest in our country to produce and export to China, the US, as well as Europe and ASEAN countries as well. We are pleased to have this many investors come and invest in Cambodia,” Heng said.
PPSP customer service manager Hak Serey told The Post in May that there are 108 companies operating in PPSEZ. “Currently, the project is full and we are planning to expand into another area.”
PPSEZ saw $1.139 billion in trade volume last year, up 14 per cent from 2018, reported PPSP.
Ministry of Economy and Finance data show that Cambodia exported $2.688 billion worth of goods through special economic zones (SEZs) last year, up 27 per cent over 2018.
There were 465 companies operating in the Kingdom’s 54 SEZs employing more than 100,000 workers.
