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The Russians bought tons of gold, preferring kilogram bars

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News desk
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In recent months, Russians have bought tons of gold from banks in the country, reports the Russian publication Kommersant, quoted by investoe.bg. The publication cites data from banking institutions, according to which, over the past five months, only Sberbank has sold 10.9 tons of gold to citizens.

In mid-April, VTB announced that it had sold 2 tons of gold, but has not given any more information since then. “Promsvyazbank” (PSB) has sold 1 ton of gold bars in four months. Other major Russian banks also reported an increase in demand for the precious metal, but without giving details about the quantities.

Investor interest in gold always increases during periods of volatility. In Russia, it is also supported by the abolition of value added tax (VAT) on gold transactions. Previously, during the resale, it was impossible to recover the tax, “Kommersant” specifies. In June, the profit tax (13%) on gold transactions was also abolished.

Thus, banks report an increase in the demand for gold in all sizes of bars, but the most preferred is 1 kilogram. Now the demand for the larger “cuts” is calming down and the smaller weights are attracting interest – in “Rosselkhozbank” they report that 17% of all bars sold are of 5 grams.

Even with the elimination of taxes, buying gold is a long-term investment, analysts point out. According to them, even the smallest scratch on the bars can bring down their price. The only reason to buy investment gold is to protect against ruble devaluation, the experts add.

The Chief Economist of “PF Capital” Yevgeny Nadorshin, however, recommends that Russians should invest in virtual currency if they are concerned about the devaluation of the national currency. It can be traded abroad, etc. , while this is not possible with gold bars.

Anton Chernyshev from SberCIB recalls that geopolitical tension does not always lead to a significant increase in the price of gold. For example, on August 2, due to the visit of the Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan, the price of gold jumped to $1,805 per troy ounce. But the very next day, the quotations were corrected to 1780 dollars, and in the following days to lower levels, the analyst also points out.

Haute couture for trash bags too. Unbelievable how much they cost

By
Gaston de Persigny
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Haute couture has entered the most unlikely territory – trash bags.

Balenciaga sells backpacks inspired by the look of garbage bags for a shocking £1,470 or 1,790 dokars, writes the Daily Mail.

The backpacks are sold in four different colors including black, white, blue and yellow. Twitter users wonder if the brand is running a social experiment or just trolling the masses.

On its official website, Balenciaga reveals, “The Garbage Backpack is inspired by a garbage bag.”

Multiple reports suggest that the Balenciaga Trash Pouch is made from calfskin leather with a glossy coating.

It comes in various colours including all-black, white-and-red, yellow-and-black and blue-and-black.

The Balenciaga bags have drawstrings, which can be pulled to close them before the ties are fixed. When carried, they certainly look like the sacks in which people discard what they don’t want to keep.

Speaking about the item, Gvasalia previously told WWD, “I couldn’t miss an opportunity to make the most expensive trash bag in the world, because who doesn’t love a fashion scandal?”

 Image credit: Balenciaga

Houses of Worship: Saint Peter’s Basilica

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WRN Editorial Staff
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Houses of Worship: Saint Peter’s Basilica

The Roman Catholic Church is the largest and oldest Christian denomination in the world, with some 221,700 parishes, 467,000 clergy, and 1.3 billion members.

The home of the Catholic Church is in Rome and is headed by the Bishop of Rome, better known as the pope. The pope is the successor to the apostles of Jesus Christ in leadership of the church. Saint Peter, who was one of the apostles, was the first pope and he consecrated Linus who succeeded him in 67 AD, beginning the tradition and the unbroken line of the papacy which continues to today.

Saint Peter was crucified and martyred on Vatican Hill by Emperor Nero circa 64 AD. Persecution of the Christians continued in Rome until 313 when Emperor Constantine, the first Roman Emperor to convert to Christianity, issued the Edict of Milan to end the persecution of Christians. And by 333 Constantine commissioned the building of a Christian church in Rome over the grave of Saint Peter: Saint Peter’s Basilica.

The term basilica comes from the Greek word basilike, meaning “kingly” or “royal”. In the Roman Catholic Church, it is used in the titles of certain churches with special privileges granted by the pope. There are major and minor basilica. There are only four major basilica, all within Rome and including Saint Peter’s.

The church from that time is often referred to as Old Peter’s Basilica and was the first church to memorialize Saint Peter’s martyrdom. Completed in 360 AD, the original church stood for 1,200 years as the site of papal coronations and historic events including the crowning of Charlemagne as the Holy Roman Emperor. In 1505 Pope Julius II ordered a new basilica built, demolished the Old Peter’s Basilica, and broke ground on what became the Saint Peter’s Basilica that stands today.

In front of the Basilica is Saint Peter’s Square, a 251,000-square-foot plaza that hosts gatherings of as many as 300,000 people. The square is encircled by an arcade of 372 columns and pilasters topped by statues of 140 saints. In the center is the Vatican Obelisk that originally stood in Heliopolis, Egypt, made of red granite and weighing over 741,000 pounds.

Saint Peter’s Square (Dfmalan, CC BY-SA 3.0)

From the obelisk can be seen the sculptures standing atop the Basilica facade: Christ the Redeemer, Saint John the Baptist and 11 apostles. Among the sculptures are two prominent clocks held by angels, each bearing a coat of arms.

From the street to the top of the dome, Saint Peter’s Basilica is 448 feet high, 730 feet long and 500 feet wide, accommodating as many as 20,000 people. One of the largest churches anywhere, Saint Peter’s Basilica contains more than 100 tombs, dozens of ornate statues such as the Bronze Statue of Saint Peter, and, directly under the dome and over the tomb of Saint Peter, is Saint Peter’s Altar.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Houses of Worship: Saint Peter’s Basilica
Altar of Saint Peter’s Basilica (Antoinetav, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Saint Peter’s Basilica was designated as a Christian pilgrimage site by Pope Boniface VIII in 1300, and sees 40,000 to 50,000 visitors daily and some 14 million each year. One of the most important churches in all of Christendom and among the most significant churches in the world, Ralph Waldo Emerson described it as “an ornament of the earth.”

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== Houses of Worship: Saint Peter’s Basilica
(MatthiasKabel, CC BY-SA 3.0)

Dozens missing after migrant boat sinks in Aegean Sea – UNHCR

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Newsroom
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Dozens missing after migrant boat sinks in Aegean Sea – UNHCR
Dozens of people are said to be missing after a boat of migrants and refugees sank in the Aegean Sea on Wednesday off the Greek island of Karpathos, according to the UN refugee agency, UNHCR.

“Very sad news from the Aegean: Dozens of people are missing after a boat sank off the island of Rhodes this morning (Wednesday),” UNHCR’s office in Greece said in a tweet.

News media reported that the vessel sank at dawn after setting sail from southern Türkiye yesterday, heading for Italy.

29 rescued

“A major search and rescue operation is underway,” said UNHCR.

According to news reports, the Greek Coast Guard said that an air and sea rescue operation saved 29 people, all men, from the waters between Rhodes and Crete.

The media also cited the Greek authorities in reporting that the rescued are from Afghanistan, Iraq and Iran.

The wrecked boat had sailed from Antalya, located on the southern coast of neighbouring Türkiye.

Still searching

News media quoted a Greek Coast Guard press official who said that those rescued affirmed that the voyage began with 80 people on board – so up to 50 are still missing.  

UNHCR confirmed the number of missing.

Deadly route

Since the beginning of the year, UNHCR has said that more than 60 people have died in the eastern Mediterranean.

Aegean Sea crossings between the Greek islands and Turkish coasts are often perilous – taking the lives of many migrants and refugees who travel on makeshift boats with hopes of arriving in Europe.

Since January, 64 people have died in the eastern Mediterranean, and 111 in 2021, according to data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

The last shipwreck in the Aegean Sea, which took place on 19 June, took the lives of eight people off the island of Mykonos, according to the IOM.

Every more deadly crossing

While the number of refugees and migrants crossing the Mediterranean to reach Europe is lower than in 2015, the journeys have become increasingly more deadly.

Throughout last year, the UN counted 3,231 migrants and refugees dead or missing in the Mediterranean Sea, and 945 people so far this year.

Successful voyages

At the same time, 70,325 migrants did manage to reach Europe, of which 65,548 individual crossings were reported in the Mediterranean, according to UNHCR.

Since the beginning of the year, Italy received the largest number of arrivals – 43,740, followed by Spain – nearly 17,000, Greece – 7,261, and Cyprus – 2,268.

Last year there were 123,300 arrivals, and in 2020, 95,800. Previously, 123,700 crossed the Mediterranean in 2019, and 141,500 in 2018.

Consumer credits: why updated EU rules are needed

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European Parliament
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Consumer credits: why updated EU rules are needed | News | European Parliament

MEPs support updating EU rules on consumer credit to protect consumers faced by new digital options and the difficult economic situation.

Consumer credits are loans for the purchase of consumer goods and services. They are often used to pay for cars, travel as well as for household goods and appliances.

Existing EU rules

The existing EU rules – the Consumer Credits Directive – aim to protect Europeans while fostering the EU’s consumer loan market. The rules cover consumer credits ranging from €200 to €75,000 and require creditors to provide information to allow borrowers to compare offers and make informed decisions. Consumers have 14 days to withdraw from a credit agreement and they can repay the loan early, thereby lowering the cost.

The rules were adopted in 2008 and need to be updated to meet the current environment.

Why changes are needed

The difficult economic situation means more people are searching for loans, and digitalisation has brought new players and products to the markets, including non-banks, such as crowdfunding loan apps.

This means, for example, that it is easier and more widespread to take small loans online – but these can turn out to be expensive or unsuitable. It also means that new ways of disclosing information digitally and of assessing the creditworthiness of consumers using AI systems and non-traditional data need to be addressed.

The current rules do not protect consumers who are vulnerable to over-indebtedness well enough. In addition, the rules are not harmonised between the EU countries.

6 out of 10 

consumers have faced financial difficulties since the start of the coronavirus crisis.

New consumer credit rules

Parliament’s internal market and consumer protection committee  adopted its report on the new rules. on 12 July 2022.

The proposed rules say that creditors must ensure standard information to consumers in a more transparent way and allow them to easily see all essential information on any device, including a mobile phone.

Committee members stressed that credit advertising should not encourage over-indebted consumers to seek credit and it should contain a prominent message that borrowing money costs money.

To help determine whether a credit suits a person’s needs and means before it’s granted, MEPs want information such as current obligations or cost of living expenses to be required, but said social media and health data should not be taken into account.

MEPs say that the new rules should cover credits up to €150,000, with each country deciding the upper limit based on local conditions. They want overdraft facilities and credit overrunning, which are becoming increasingly common, to be regulated, but say it should be up to the countries to decide whether they apply the consumer credit rules to some loans, such as small loans up to €200, interest-free loans and loans to be repaid within three months and with minor charges.

Next steps

The Parliament will vote on the report in a future plenary session, after which Parliament negotiators can start talks with the Council and Commission on the final text of the legislation.

UNODC celebrates International Youth Day by working for and with youth

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Newsdesk
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person in red sweater holding babys hand
ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== UNODC celebrates International Youth Day by working for and with youth
© UNODC

Vienna (Austria), 12 August 2022 – The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is proud to recognize International Youth Day by celebrating the theme, “Intergenerational solidarity: Creating a World for All Ages”. The theme this year emphasizes to emphasize the need for action across all generations to accomplish the SDGs and ensure that no one is left behind. In addition to highlighting these obstacles to intergenerational cooperation, 

International Youth Day will also call attention to ageism, which affects both young and elderly people while having negative repercussions on society as a whole. Ageism can surface in healthcare, the workplace, and many other aspects of life. For instance, a systematic review in 2020 showed that in 85% of 149 studies, age determined who received certain medical procedures or treatments. 1 A study done by the European Social Survey, meanwhile, found that those aged 15–24 years reported experiencing the most unfair treatment because of their age: 55% thought that someone had shown them a lack of respect or had treated them badly.2 On this day, UNODC highlights its various commitments to empowering youth across its programmatic areas.  

In February 2021, Ms. Ghada Waly, the Executive Director of UNODC, launched the UNODC Strategy 2021-2025 with three cross-cutting commitments embedded in UNODC’s programming, one of which was to empower youth. The goal of youth empowerment is to involve young people in problem-solving and to elevate their voices in decision-making processes.

To meaningfully engage youth, they must be involved at every stage of the program cycle. Initiatives should be implemented “with” youth as well as “for” youth to allow for co-creation in program implementation. UNODC seeks to strengthen its youth mainstreaming approach in order to accelerate youth empowerment processes across the organization.

UNODC has a variety of youth-focused initiatives outlined on the UNODC Youth website as well as a new Youth Empowerment Accelerator (YEA!) Framework. UNODC will strengthen ongoing and develop new youth mainstreaming actions to promote the meaningful engagement of young people in programmes and projects at the planning, implementation, and evaluation stages.

Alongside this umbrella Framework, there are various initiatives working for and with youth. For instance, the UNODC Youth Initiative aims to connect young people from around the globe and empower them to become active in their schools, communities and youth groups for substance use prevention and health promotion. This year they are celebrating a decade of the youth forum on the sidelines of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs.

ywAAAAAAQABAAACAUwAOw== UNODC celebrates International Youth Day by working for and with youth
© UNODC

Additionally, the GRACE Initiative (Global Resource for Anti-Corruption Education and Youth Empowerment) brings to the international community knowledge and experience working with educators, academics, youth, and anti-corruption authorities to foster a culture of rejection of corruption. By focusing on young people, educators and academics as the epicentre of global sustainable changemaking processes, GRACE promotes education and meaningful youth empowerment as driving engines to renew and strengthen the international community’s efforts towards anti-corruption and it does so by developing materials, activities and projects for children and educators, young scholars and academics and finally targeting young people and their dedication to sustainable development, digitalization and social entrepreneurship.

In line with Our Common Agenda and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, UNODC is committed to work for, and with youth, to ensure a better future for all.

Water scarcity: Commission gives advice on water reuse in the agricultural sector

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European Commission
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Water scarcity: Commission gives advice on water reuse in the agricultural sector

Today, the Commission published guidelines to help Member States and stakeholders apply the rules on the safe reuse of treated urban waste water for agricultural irrigation. With several Member States increasingly suffering from droughts, reusing water from urban waste water treatment plants can become an essential tool to ensure a safe and predictable source of water, whilst lowering the pressure on water bodies and enhancing the EU’s ability to adapt to climate change.

The Water Reuse Regulation, applicable from June 2023, sets out minimum water quality, risk management and monitoring requirements to ensure safe water reuse. The guidelines are complemented by several practical examples to facilitate the application of the rules.

Commissioner for the Environment, Fisheries and Oceans Virginijus Sinkevičius, said:

;;;;;;

Freshwater resources are scarce and increasingly under pressure. In times of unprecedented temperature peaks, we need to stop wasting water and use this resource more efficiently to adapt to the changing climate and ensure the security and sustainability of our agricultural supply. Today’s guidelines can help us do just that and secure the safe circulation, across the EU, of food products grown with reclaimed water.

Water reuse can limit abstractions from surface waters and groundwater and promote a more efficient management of water resources, through the multiple uses of water within the urban water cycle, in line with the EU’s goals under the European Green Deal.

This drive towards more efficient use of water is also reflected in the recent Commission proposal to revise the Industrial Emissions Directive, calling also for a more efficient use of water across all industrial processes including through water reuse. The upcoming Commission’s proposal to revise the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive will also aim to further facilitate water reuse.

Background 

In the context of the European Green Deal, both the Circular Economy Action Plan and the new EU Climate Adaptation Strategy refer to wider use of treated waste water as a way to increase the EU’s ability to respond to the increasing pressures on water resources.

Water reuse could also contribute to the Farm to Fork Strategy’s goal of reducing the environmental footprint of the EU food system and strengthen its resilience, by providing an alternative, more reliable water source for irrigation. Funding opportunities for investments in irrigation with reclaimed water as an alternative water supply exist under the Common Agricultural Policy .

The Regulation on minimum requirements for water reuse (Water Reuse Regulation) sets harmonised minimum water quality requirements for the safe reuse of treated urban wastewater in agricultural irrigation, with the aim of facilitating the uptake of this practice. The Regulation also foresees the possibility for Member States to decide to introduce this practice at a later stage, on the basis of specific criteria. Such decisions must be regularly reviewed to take into account climate change projections and national strategies, as well as the river basins management plans established under the Water Framework Directive

Children affected by conflict cannot wait for their education

By
United Nations News
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Children affected by conflict cannot wait for their education
From Ethiopia to Chad and Palestine, Education Cannot Wait (ECW), the UN’s fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises, is helping millions of boys and girls affected by conflict around the world to pursue their dreams.
ECW offers affected children and youth an opportunity to learn free of cost – in safety and without fear –  to grow and reach their full potential.

A journey and a dream

UNICEF Ethiopia/Eyerusalem Yitna

At age nine, Bchiote Moorice fled embattled Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for her safety.

At only nine years old, Bchiote Moorice and her three younger brothers fled war-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo, (DRC) – without food, water or basic necessities.

After a harrowing escape, Bchiote and her siblings were reunited with their parents, and the entire family relocated to a refugee camp in western Ethiopia.

There, Bchiote and her brothers were finally able to focus on their education through an ECW funded programme delivered by UNICEF Ethiopia.

“I hope to attend university one year from now and work in a big corporate bank,” she said with a big smile.

Determination for education

Shahd, 11, with her Determination School teachers in Augusta Victoria hospital, Palestine. Jonathan Condo/State of Palestin

Shahd, 11, with her Determination School teachers in Augusta Victoria hospital, Palestine.

Launched to transform an aid system that neglects millions of the most vulnerable children and adolescents, ECW has been able to help many boys and girls like Bchiote.

Shahd (not her real name), like many 11-year-olds her age, has big dreams. She wants to become president, or a doctor, or even the first female Palestinian astronaut. 

But, forced to spend most days receiving treatment at the Augusta Victoria Hospital, her chronic kidney illness loomed over her like a dark rain cloud.

However, Shahd has been able to continue her education at the Determination School – moving ever closer to turning her dreams into reality.

ECW funding has enabled the Palestinian Education Ministry to establish four Determination Schools, which provide flexible education to children unable to participate in regular classes because of chronic illnesses and long-term treatment. 

Some 150 students in Palestine are currently being provided with individualized plans, psychosocial support, and inclusive education to ensure they are not left behind in their studies.

“I would rather go to regular school with other children, but the teachers and nurses at the hospital are very kind, and they make it okay,” said Shahd.

Perseverance, friendship, potential

Hadjé, Achta and Ngoleram sit under a tree in Chad, enjoying the shade and the fresh air from the lake. UNICEF Chad/Nancy Ndallah

Hadjé, Achta and Ngoleram sit under a tree in Chad, enjoying the shade and the fresh air from the lake.

On the last day of school before vacation, three inseparable friends in Chad share a bond of displacement and resilience.

Hadje Al-Hadj, Achta Dogo, and Ngoleram Abakar, attend the Kaya Primary School in the Lac Province of Chad, and live on a site for those displaced by the ongoing violence in the Lake Chad Region.

It was created in 2015 following attacks from the Boko Haram terrorist group. Recurrent violence and threats have forced more than 450,000 internally displaced persons and refugees to the Lac Province.

Hadje was just five years old when her family moved there from a neighbouring country. Now 11, through the programme she has been able to focus on her education and thrive, alongside the 500 other students from the Kaya site.

These and other youngsters at the Kaya Primary School in the Lac Province, have been able to access safe, quality learning environments – keeping their dreams and futures alive.

For other personal accounts of ECW’s work, click here.

More on ECW

  • Education Cannot Wait (ECW) is the UN’s billion-dollar fund for education in emergencies and protracted crises.
  • The Multi-Year Resilience Programmein Ethiopia is funded by ECW and delivered by UNICEF Ethiopia.
  • 222 million crisis-impacted children are in need of urgent educational support. 
  • The Determination Schools in Palestine are supported by ECW, the Palestinian Ministry of Educationand strategic partners including Save the Children, UNDP, UNICEF and UNRWA. The programme is implemented in the West Bank and administered by the Ministry of Education as part of ECW’s Multi-Year Resilience Programme.
  • At Kaya Primary School in Chad, 798 school kits and 36,831 backpacks were distributed to 36,831 students (including 16,932 girls) in Mamdi. Additionally, 452 teachers received teaching materials.
  • The school is supported by ECW in partnership with UNICEF, and the Jesuit Refugee Service.

Belarus: Rights experts denounce withdrawal from key environmental agreement

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Newsroom
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Belarus: Rights experts denounce withdrawal from key environmental agreement
UN experts on Wednesday denounced the decision by Belarus to withdraw from an international agreement that upholds people’s right to access information, as well as justice, in environmental matters. 
The Aarhus Convention, adopted in 1998, also requires that individuals exercising these rights are not persecuted, penalized or harassed for doing so. 

Belarus’s President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed a decree on 18 July effectively ending the country’s participation.  Withdrawal is scheduled to take effect on 24 October, in line with article 21 of the Convention. 

Strengthening rights, ensuring compliance 

In denouncing the move, the UN experts noted that the Aarhus Convention has had considerable success in strengthening access rights, sustainable development and environmental democracy. 

They said it is a leading example among international instruments on implementing human rights obligations relating to environmental protection, specifically the rights to information, public participation and justice. 

“Key to the Aarhus Convention’s success has been the work of its Compliance Committee, including the ability of members of the public to bring cases of alleged non-compliance with the Convention before the Committee,” they added. 

Persecution and harassment 

The Compliance Committee as a non-confrontational, non-judicial and consultative mechanism, according to the experts, and its findings have considerably furthered implementation of the Convention. 

They recalled that since 2014, the Committee has closely scrutinized the conduct of Belarus in respect of persecution, penalization and harassment of environmental rights defenders. Members also worked to assist the country in addressing non-compliance. 

Despite this, the Committee found that Belarus had not yet addressed its recommendations, and expressed grave concern that the situation for environmental human rights defenders there was rapidly deteriorating. 

Shortly thereafter, the Committee found that the August 2021 liquidation of an environmental non-government organization was a further incident of persecution, penalization and harassment.  

Given the gravity of the situation, the remaining States party to the Convention moved to suspend the special rights and privileges accorded to Belarus. 

Step up commitment 

The UN experts stated that countries dissatisfied with the outcome of cases, decided by the Compliance Committee, should not withdraw from the Convention. Instead, they should strengthen their commitment to human rights, sustainable development and environmental democracy. 

“Countries should take concrete measures to secure effective enjoyment of the rights to information, public participation and justice, and this includes securing a safe and enabling environment for environmental human rights defenders and all other representatives of civil society,” said the experts. 

“Protecting environmental human rights defenders from violations committed by both State and non-state actors is crucial to the protection of the environment and the human rights that depend on it”. 

About UN experts 

The seven experts who issued the statement were appointed by the UN Human Rights Council, located in Geneva. 

These Special Rapporteurs have been given mandates to monitor and report on specific country situations or thematic issues, such as the promotion and protection of human rights in the context of climate change. 

Experts serve in their individual capacity and are neither UN staff, nor are they paid for their work.  

G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement on Safety at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine

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Newsdesk
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By cmglee, Landsat, USGS – https://landsatlook.usgs.gov/explore?sat=LANDSAT_9, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=115858520

G7 Foreign Ministers’ Statement in Support of the IAEA’s Efforts to Promote Nuclear Safety and Security at the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant in Ukraine

The text of the following statement was released by the G7 foreign ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union.

Begin Text:

We, the G7 Foreign Ministers of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and the High Representative of the European Union, reiterate our strongest condemnation of the ongoing unprovoked and unjustifiable war of aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The Russian Federation must immediately withdraw its troops from within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders and respect Ukraine’s territory and sovereignty.

In that context, we demand that Russia immediately hand back full control to its rightful sovereign owner, Ukraine, of the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant as well as of all nuclear facilities within Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders to ensure their safe and secure operations. Ukrainian staff operating the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant must be able to carry out their duties without threats or pressure. It is Russia’s continued control of the plant that endangers the region.

We remain profoundly concerned by the serious threat that the seizure of Ukrainian nuclear facilities and other actions by Russian armed forces pose to the safety and security of these facilities, significantly raising the risk of a nuclear accident or incident and endangering the population of Ukraine, neighboring states, and the international community. It also undermines the IAEA’s ability to monitor Ukraine’s peaceful nuclear activities for safeguarding purposes.

We welcome and support IAEA Director General Grossi’s efforts to strengthen nuclear safety and security in Ukraine and we thank the Director General and the IAEA staff for their steadfast commitment in this regard. Against this background, we underline the importance of facilitating a mission of IAEA experts to the Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to address nuclear safety, security, and safeguard concerns, in a manner that respects full Ukrainian sovereignty over its territory and infrastructure. We strongly endorse the importance of the Seven Pillars of Nuclear Safety and Security as outlined by Director General Grossi.

We reiterate our full and continued support for the IAEA. IAEA staff must be able to access all nuclear facilities in Ukraine safely and without impediment, and engage directly, and without interference, with the Ukrainian personnel responsible for the operation of these facilities. The safety of all individuals implementing these efforts must be addressed to strengthen nuclear safety, security, and safeguards in Ukraine.

We encourage all countries to support the IAEA’s efforts.

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