About sincerity and adaptability – Rules of life of Archbishop of Grodno Artemy

American actor Nicolas Cage believes that eating insects can solve the problem of world hunger and has called for eating insects for the greater good. He shared his thoughts on eating bugs with Yahoo Entertainment during a joint interview with his Renfield co-star Nicholas Hoult.

“If you get rid of the fear and phobia of insects, you can solve the problem of world hunger. These foods are high in protein, fat-free, with great nutrients. And most importantly, they are everywhere!” commented the artist about the benefits from the bugs. However, he himself admits that this is unlikely to ever happen.

The unusual topic of the interview arose during the discussion of the film “Renfield”, the world premiere of which took place in March 2023. According to the script, the main actor Nicholas Hoult had to eat bugs – crickets and Colorado beetles.

On set, Holt feasted on insects cooked in butter, spices and caramel. He shared that he didn’t like the taste of the Colorado beetle, but liked the crickets.

Illustrative Photo by Egor Kamelev: https://www.pexels.com/photo/macro-photography-of-jewel-beetle-on-green-leaf-1114318/

“Free Uzbekistan” Report to the 23rd Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons

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Newsdesk

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28 April 2023

By Hasanboy Burhanov, founder of the political opposition movement Erkin O’zbekiston (Free Uzbekistan).

A report in English, distributed to the participants of the 23rd Conference of the Alliance against Trafficking in Persons organised by the OSCE Office of the Special Representative and Co-ordinator for Combating Trafficking in Human Beings.

Hofburg Congress Center Vienna (Austria) 18.04.2023

Dear Colleagues,

Uzbekistan has been and remains the biggest exporter of migrant workers in Central Asia. More than 5 million people are forced to find work far away from home to be able to sustain themselves and their families.

After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, tens of thousands migrant workers from Uzbekistan and other Centra Asian republics were sent to build defensive structures in the occupied territories of Ukraine. Their situation there equals slavery.

In Russia – in mosques and in diaspora communities, especially those with Central Asian roots, – one encounters examples of systematic propaganda, aimed to attract migrants from Central Asia to the war against Ukraine. In their propaganda aimed at Muslims, the Russian authorities have been persistently placing the war against Ukraine in the context of a religious conflict.

At the same time, the Mirziyoyev regime is silent and tries not to notice the provocative actions of the Russian authorities, as it fully supports the Russian aggression against Ukraine.

In January 2018, 52 people burned alive in a bus in Kazakhstan. All of them were Uzbek nationals travelling to Russia for work. The Uzbek authorities did not even declare nationwide mourning for the tragic deaths of their citizens. In fact, in the entire history of modern Uzbekistan, the country’s authorities have never declared national mourning, although there have been a number of occasions to do so. The only exception was the three-day mourning period following the death of President Islam Karimov, in September 2016.

I have highlighted this fact so that you can understand how contemptuous the Uzbek authorities are towards their people.

Forced labour is present in Uzbekistan. It is also noteworthy that twice a year, for two days, the country’s workers have to work for the state for free. Their four days’ wages are forcibly transferred to a special account of “Mahalla” Public Charitable Foundation of Uzbekistan. This forced labour is disguised as “khashar” (subbotnik, or voluntary service on a weekend). These vestiges of the Soviet past are still preserved in Uzbekistan.

It is also known that the Uzbek authorities continue to make extensive use of child labour in the cultivation and harvesting of cotton.

Given all the above mentioned facts, we demand that the Uzbek authorities stop lying to the world community. No reforms are happening in the present-day Uzbekistan! The high approval rating of the Mirziyoyev regime, shown by various surveys, is the result of the information war led by both Russian and Uzbek states.

Our recommendations to the participating States of the OSCE:

– to hold public parliamentary hearings on Uzbekistan, in the context of the Mirziyoyev regime’s assistance to Russia in attempt to circumvent international sanctions. From our side, we will be ready to provide a report on the matter, speak out publicly and answer questions from the participants and attendants of the hearings;

– to consider attracting labour migrants from Uzbekistan to the EU, UK, US and Canadian labour markets;

– to increase grant programmes and funding, in order to contain the Russian propaganda and disinformation campaign in the Central Asian region.

Thank you very much for your attention.

Photo by Robert Stokoe:

Ending fast fashion – EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles

By

European Parliament

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27 April 2023

Ending fast fashion - EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles

To ensure sustainable and circular textiles in a socially just manner, MEPs in the Environment Committee today adopted their recommendations for European measures to combat excessive production and consumption.

MEPs say textile products sold in the EU should be more durable, easier to reuse, repair and recycle, made to a great extent of recycled fibres, and free of hazardous substances. They underline that textiles should be produced in a manner that respects human, social and labour rights, the environment and animal welfare throughout their supply chain.

Driving fast fashion out of fashion

To tackle overproduction and the overconsumption of clothes and footwear, the Committee calls on the Commission and EU countries to adopt measures that put an end to “fast fashion”, starting with a clear definition of the term based on “high volumes of lower quality garments at low price levels”. Consumers should be better informed to help them make responsible and sustainable choices, including through the introduction of a “digital product passport” in the upcoming revision of the ecodesign regulation.

Reducing emissions, water and energy use, increasing collection and reuse

MEPs want ambitious science-based targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the entire lifecycle of the textiles sector. They request the Commission and member states to ensure that production processes become less energy- and water-intensive, avoid the use and release of harmful substances, and reduce material and consumption footprints. Ecodesign requirements on all textile and footwear products should be adopted as a priority.

MEPs also want the revision of the Waste Framework Directive to include specific separate targets for textile waste prevention, collection, reuse and recycling, as well as the phase out of the landfilling of textiles.

Other recommendations include:

The inclusion of an explicit ban on the destruction of unsold and returned textile goods in the EU ecodesign rules;
Clear rules to put an end to greenwashing practices, through the ongoing legislative work on empowering consumers in the green transition and regulating green claims;
Ensure fair and ethical trade practices through enforcing EU trade agreements;
The launch without further delay of the Commission initiative to prevent and minimise the release of microplastics and microfibers into the environment.

The own initiative report was adopted with 68 votes in favour, none against and one abstention.

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Rapporteur Delara Burkhardt (S&D, DE) said: “Consumers alone cannot reform the global textile sector through their purchasing habits. If we allow the market to self-regulate, we leave the doors open for a fast fashion model that exploits people and the planet’s resources. The EU must legally oblige manufacturers and large fashion companies to operate more sustainably. People and the planet are more important than the textile industry’s profits. The disasters that have occurred in the past, such as the collapse of the Rana Plaza factory in Bangladesh, growing landfills in Ghana and Nepal, polluted water, and microplastics in our oceans, show what happens when this principle is not pursued. We have waited long enough – it is time to make a change!”

Next steps

The report is expected to be adopted in plenary before the summer.

Background

The Commission presented the EU Strategy for Sustainable and Circular Textiles on 30 March 2022 to address the entire lifecycle of textile products and propose actions to change how we produce and consume textiles. It aims to implement the commitments of the European Green Deal, the new circular economy action plan and the industrial strategy for the textiles’ sector.

Asylum and migration: Parliament confirms key reform mandates

By

European Parliament

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27 April 2023

Asylum and migration: Parliament confirms key reform mandates — Photo by Daniel Schludi sur Unsplash

Plenary agreed on Thursday to open talks with EU member states on several asylum and migration policy files.

MEPs approved entering into interinstitutional negotiations on all the files on which they voted.

Screening of third-country nationals

The decision to start negotiations on this new regulation was confirmed with 419 votes in favour, 126 against and 30 abstentions. For the centralised system on conviction information (ECRIS-TCN) negotiations, the result was 431 votes in favour 121 against and 25 abstentions.

These rules will apply at EU borders to persons who do not in principle fulfil the entry conditions of an EU member state. They include identification, fingerprinting, security checks, and preliminary health and vulnerability assessment. In their amendments, MEPs added an independent fundamental rights monitoring mechanism which would also verify border surveillance, in order to make sure that possible pushbacks are reported and investigated.

Asylum and migration management

The negotiating mandate for the central piece of legislation of the Asylum and Migration Package, on asylum and migration management, was backed by MEPs with 413 votes in favour 142 against and 20 abstentions.

The regulation sets out how the EU and its member states will act jointly to manage asylum and migration. It establishes improved criteria to determine the responsibility of member states in processing an asylum application (the so-called ‘Dublin’ criteria) and fair sharing of responsibility. It includes a binding solidarity mechanism to assist countries experiencing migratory pressure, including following search and rescue operations at sea.

Crisis situation

The decision to start negotiations for the crisis situations regulation was confirmed with 419, votes in favour 129 against and 30 abstentions.

The text focuses on sudden mass arrivals of third country nationals leading to a crisis situation in a particular member state that would, based on a Commission assessment, include mandatory relocations and derogations of screening and asylum procedures.

Long-term resident directive

By 391 to 140 and 25 abstentions, MEPs endorsed a negotiating mandate for proposed changes to the current long-term resident directive. These include acceleration of the granting of EU long-term permits after 3 years of legal residence and the possibility to integrate persons enjoying temporary protection status. EU long-term residents would be able to move to another EU country without additional work restrictions and their dependent children would automatically be granted the same status.

Next steps

Following plenary’s green light, MEPs may open talks on the final form of these legislative texts with the Council on those files for which the member states have already agreed on their own position, notably the screening procedures.

Background

Parliament and the rotating Council Presidencies have committed to work together to adopt the reform of the EU migration and asylum rules before the 2024 EU elections.

Syria: UN envoy points to ‘important juncture’ in efforts towards peace

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27 April 2023

Syria: UN envoy points to ‘important juncture’ in efforts towards peace

“We are at a potentially important juncture, with renewed attention on Syria – particularly from the region – that could assist our efforts in advancing a political solution to this conflict”, he said.

“But for this renewed attention to help unlock progress, many actors will need to take concrete steps – not just one set of actors.”

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Diplomatic engagement continues

Mr. Pedersen said since the February earthquakes, diplomacy has continued involving the Syrian Government and the “Astana players”- a reference to the December 2019 meeting between Russia, Türkiye and Iran in the Kazakh capital – as well as “new openings of engagement” between Syria and Arab countries.

The envoy also continues his engagement towards facilitating a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political process. He stressed that “the UN cannot do this alone” and needs the support of all key players.

“No existing groups of players – not the Syrian parties, not the Astana players, not the Western players, not the Arab players – can alone bring about a political solution,” he said.

“Unlocking each of Syria’s myriad problems requires several keys – each held by a different stakeholder, who cannot be overlooked, and who can block if excluded.”

Seize the opportunity

Progress will require getting a wider group of players to work together, he said, who will all have to make contributions, in a coordinated, multilateral effort.

“I will continue to engage directly with the Syrian parties and to remind them, and in particular at this juncture the Government of Syria, that they should seize the opportunity with a readiness to move forward on substantive issues,” he said.

Mr. Pedersen also underlined his readiness to facilitate inter-Syrian dialogue, including reconvening the Constitutional Committee in Geneva, which has not met in nearly a year.

In the interim, he continues to convene a broad spectrum of Syrians in Geneva and the region, including women’s and civil society representatives. “These meetings show that Syrians still have much that they can agree upon, across many divides,” he said.

Violence on the rise

Mr. Pedersen also expressed concern that the brief calm that followed February’s deadly earthquakes has further eroded. Violent incidents have been increasing in the northwest involving pro-Government forces, armed opposition forces and the terrorist group HTS.

He said relative calm in the northeast has been punctuated by Turkish and armed opposition groups targeting positions of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a Kurdish-led militia, reportedly in response to SDF shelling and rocket attacks, including on Turkish soldiers.

Israeli strikes are becoming increasingly more frequent, while southwest Syria remains turbulent. Sporadic ISIL attacks also appear to be on the rise in some areas, with increasing Government, Russian and US-led coalition strikes in response.

‘Unprecedented’ needs

The current scale of humanitarian need in Syria is “unprecedented, even in the long and brutal history of the Syria crisis”, said Lisa Doughten, Resource Mobilization Director for UN humanitarian coordination office, OCHA, speaking on behalf of relief chief Martin Griffiths.

Referring to the devastating earthquakes that struck Türkiye and Syria almost three months ago, she said the UN was continuing to support recovery in the battered northwest of Syria.

More than three million have received hot meals and rations, while 1.1 million have received some form of healthcare.

A child sleeps on relief items at a reception centre in Jandairis town in northern Syria.

Rubble removal

Over 470,000 cubic metres of rubble have been removed, but although progress has been made, “so much more needs to be done”, she told ambassadors. She said the devastation underscored the “dire reality” facing millions of Syrians:

“That 12 years of armed conflict, growing macroeconomic pressures, dwindling public services and decaying critical infrastructure, have left the population of Syria acutely vulnerable to shocks and stresses, let alone those as devastating as the recent earthquakes.”

Nearly seven million are internally displaced nationwide, many multiple times, she reminded. Around 80 per cent have been displaced “for at least five years”.

“Durable solutions are needed for this crisis, starting with an end to the conflict.”

She said the three available border crossings in the northwest, on the Turkish border, continued to be an essential aid corridor, with “near daily” interagency convoys reaching millions each month.

She told ambassadors that sustained support from donors, authorities on the ground, Member States “and this Council”, was essential “to keep pace with the humanitarian needs of today, and even more so, those of tomorrow.”

Afghanistan: Security Council condemns Taliban’s ban on women working for UN

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27 April 2023

Afghanistan: Security Council condemns Taliban’s ban on women working for UN

The resolution passed unanimously by the 15-member body in New York, calls for the “full, equal, meaningful and safe participation of women and girls in Afghanistan”, and urges all countries and organisations with influence on the fundamentalist rulers of the country, “to promote an urgent reversal” of policies which have in effect erased women from public life.

Since the Taliban takeover of July 2021, when its forces toppled the democratically-elected Government, it has rolled back a wide range of human rights of women and girls, including a ban on attending high school and university, restrictions on movement and work, and in December, a decree banning female nationals from working from most NGOs.

Earlier this month the Taliban extended their ban to women working for the United Nations.

Afghan girls arrive in Rwanda to continue their education.

The UN underlined its “unequivocal condemnation” of the move in early April, noting that it contravenes international law, including the UN Charter. All UN staff have been told not to report to the office, except for some critical tasks, while an operational review is carried out, concluding on 5 May.

A record 28.3 million people in Afghanistan are in need of assistance this year, making Afghanistan the world’s largest aid operation, with the UN asking for $4.6 billion to fully fund relief efforts this year. The UN Humanitarian Coordinator warned this month that Afghanistan was also the world’s least well-funded operation, with less than five per cent funding pledged so far.

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‘Deep concern’

The Security Council resolution lays out ambassadors’ “deep concern” over the ban on women working at the UN, saying that – along with the other erosions of basic rights – “will negatively and severely impact” the UN aid operations throughout the country, “including the delivery of life-saving assistance and basic services to the most vulnerable”.

Security Council Meets on Situation in Afghanistan

It stresses that the UN Assistance Mission in the country, UNAMA, will also be unable to implement its humanitarian mandate until the ban ends. The resolution emphasizes that the ban “is unprecedented in the history of the United Nations.”

‘Dire’ economic and humanitarian conditions

The resolution also stresses the urgent need to keep addressing Afghanistan’s “dire economic and humanitarian situation” and help the country restore self-reliance, recognizing the importance of allowing the Central Bank to use assets which are currently frozen outside the country, “for the benefit of the Afghan people.”

The Council backed the continued work of UNAMA reiterating its “full support”, and called on all with a stake in Afghanistan, including Taliban authorities, “to ensure the safety, security and freedom of movement of the United Nations and associated personnel throughout the country.”

UN humanitarians will return to Khartoum ‘as quickly as possible’: UN aid coordinator

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27 April 2023

UN humanitarians will return to Khartoum ‘as quickly as possible’: UN aid coordinator

Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator Abdou Dieng, speaking from Port Sudan, told reporters in the briefing room in New York that senior leadership would be returning to the Sudanese capital, as soon as the situation allows.

The needs are urgent, and widespread, he said, as the final few hours of a US-brokered 72-hour ceasefire neared, with fighting continuing. Hundreds have been killed, and thousands wounded as the rival militia of the country’s top two generals continue to battle each other in civilian areas.

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Dire needs, before fighting erupted

Before the fighting began nearly two weeks ago, one in three Sudanese was already in need of aid, and it’s proving “extremely difficult” to properly assess the level of need today, Mr. Dieng said.

The pre-conflict Humanitarian Response Plan called for $1.7 billion, of which only 15 per cent has been pledged, he said.

In reply to questions about an uptick in inter-communal violence in West Darfur and food shortages, he said the UN was extremely worried about food supplies, and the deteriorating situation across all of Darfur.

The UN and partners, are establishing a core team in Port Sudan itself, which will be responsible for overseeing humanitarian operations in the country, and negotiating humanitarian access with de facto authorities.

Emergency funding

The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Martin Griffiths, announced on Thursday the allocation of $3 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to urgently respond to the arrival of Sudanese refugees and others in Chad.

In Khartoum, meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that more than 60 per cent of health facilities are closed and only 16 per cent are operating as normal.

Briefing reporters in New York, UN Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq, said that according to UN partners who remain in the capital, the treatment of nearly 50,000 acutely malnourished children has been disrupted.

Mr. Haq said that shortages of food, water, medicines and food continue, especially in the capital and surrounding areas, where the military stand-off has been most intense, “while access to communications and electricity is limited in many parts of the country.”

Needs grow at Chad-Sudan border

As many as 20,000 people – among them Chadians, Sudanese, and foreign nationals – fleeing the violence in Sudan, have arrived so far in neighbouring Chad, said the UN migration agency, IOM, earlier on Thursday.

The vast border between the two countries extends for 1,400 kilometres.

“The majority of those arriving are in dire need of basic humanitarian aid, namely food, water and adequate shelter,” said Anne Kathrin Schaefer, IOM Chief of Mission in Chad.

“While registration is ongoing by humanitarian actors including IOM, we believe a considerable number of those arriving are Chadians as well as nationals from other countries, who lived in Sudan and will require immediate assistance to return to their communities of origin and reunite with their families,” she adds.

IOM teams have been deployed in Eastern Chad at the border with Sudan and are working around the clock in support of the national and humanitarian efforts to respond to the arrivals.

New UK law curtails key civil and political rights: UN rights chief

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27 April 2023

New UK law curtails key civil and political rights: UN rights chief

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called the Public Order Bill “deeply troubling legislation”, after it completed its passage through parliament on Wednesday.

“It is especially worrying that the law expands the powers of the police to stop and search individuals, including without suspicion; defines some of the new criminal offences in a vague and overly broad manner; and imposes unnecessary and disproportionate criminal sanctions on people organizing or taking part in peaceful protests,” Mr. Türk said.

He appealed to the UK Government to reverse the legislation, which has yet to receive Royal Assent, “as soon as feasible”.

The Government insists that the fundamental right to protest is still protected under the legislation, but it brings in new penalties for so-called “guerrilla tactics”.

The bill was introduced to crack down on disruptive protests by activists such as the Just Stop Oil and Extinction Rebellion groups, which have used tactics such as blocking roadways and chaining themselves to railings, including those around the UK Parliament in central London.

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Environmental protesters targeted

The UN rights chief stressed that the law’s apparent targeting of “those protesting about human rights and environmental issues” was particularly concerning.

“As the world faces the triple planetary crises of climate change, loss of biodiversity and pollution, governments should be protecting and facilitating peaceful protests on such existential topics, not hindering and blocking them,” Mr. Türk said.

‘Unnecessary’ expansion of police powers

Mr. Türk insisted that the law was “wholly unnecessary”, given the UK police’s existing powers to act against violent demonstrations. He also criticized the criminalization of protests linked to the new legislation.

The Public Order Act introduces “Serious Disruption Prevention Orders” which, according to the UN rights chief’s office, have the potential to significantly limit the freedoms of protesters, by allowing courts to ban individuals from being in certain places at certain times, being with particular people, or even to limit the way they use the internet.

On the basis of the new law, individuals could be electronically monitored to ensure compliance, even if they have never been convicted of any criminal offence.

‘Pre-emptive’ rights limitations

Mr. Türk said that governments needed to facilitate peaceful protests while “protecting the public from serious and sustained disruption”, but that the Public Order Act could “pre-emptively limit someone’s future legitimate exercise of their rights”.

The UN rights chief also warned that the new law “regrettably weakens human rights obligations” which the UK has “long championed” in the international arena.