Europeans love to travel, and many people choose to visit warmer climates during the summer months. This infographic shows which European cities are the warmest, based on average temperatures over the course of the year.
Athens, Greece has been ranked as one of the world’s ten hottest cities by TripAdvisor. It’s located at the foot of Mount Olympus, where the Greek gods lived.
Barcelona, Spain
Located in the northeast corner of Spain, Barcelona is known for its beautiful architecture, lively nightlife, and delicious food. It is very multicultural and multi-religious, so regardless of what your belief is, you may find places and activities both for entertainment and your spiritual care.
Budapest, Hungary
With more than 1 million residents, Budapest has been named one of the happiest places to live in the world by the United Nations. It also ranks as one of the safest cities in Europe with an impressive crime rate of just 0.5 per 100,000 people, while on the other side, if you are not Christian, your Freedom of Religion or Belief is not guaranteed.
Dublin, Ireland
Located in the Emerald Isle, Dublin is the capital city of Ireland. It’s known for its lively pubs, beautiful architecture, and friendly locals.
Edinburgh, Scotland
With its stunning castles, cobblestone streets, and historic buildings, Edinburgh is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the UK.
Tourists can escape the heat and join the historic Underground Ghost tours taking visitors through formerly inhabited subterranean sections that were used until the 1700s. Due to the narrow passages, guides recommend tourists travel light or preemptively leave bulky bags in secure locations for luggage storage Edinburgh centric
Addressing the first meeting of the World Health Organization’s Emergency Committee on Thursday over the global Monkeypox outbreak, the WHO chief told members that person-to-person transmission was ongoing, and “likely underestimated”.
Members of the committee could announce their decision on whether or not the outbreak constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, as early as Friday, but meanwhile Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the spread of the disease both in non-endemic and endemic countries, “cannot be ignored”.
The first mysterious cluster appeared in the United Kingdom just over six weeks ago, when WHO was told of a family cluster of three cases, without any recent travel having taken place.
“Since then, more than 3,200 confirmed cases of Monkeypox, and one death, have been reported to WHO, from 48 countries including Nigeria, and in five WHO regions”, said Tedros.
The outbreak in newly affected countries continues to be primarily among men who have sex with men, and who have reported recent sex with new or multiple partners, he added.
“Person-to-person transmission is ongoing and is likely underestimated. In Nigeria, the proportion of women affected is much higher than elsewhere, and it is critical to better understand how the disease is spreading there”, said the WHO chief.
He said so far this year, almost 1,500 suspected cases of monkeypox and around 70 deaths have been reported in Central Africa, primarily in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) but also in the Central African Republic and Cameroon.
“Few of these cases are confirmed, and little is known about their circumstances. While the epidemiology and viral clade in these cases may be different, it is a situation that cannot be ignored.”
Sharing information, saves lives
He outlined several asks of Member States, going forward, primarily for all information to be shared. He said in some other outbreaks, “we have sometimes seen the consequences of countries not being transparent, of not sharing information.”
He called for case finding, contact tracing, laboratory investigation, genome sequencing, and implementation of infection prevention and control measures. WHO also needs clear case definitions to help identify and report infections.
And the WHO chief said all countries had “to remain vigilant and strengthen their capacities to prevent onward transmission of Monkeypox. It is likely that many countries will have missed opportunities to identify cases, including cases in the community without any recent travel.”
WHO’s goal is to support countries to contain transmission, and stop the outbreak with established public health tools including surveillance, contact-tracing and isolation of infected patients.
Risks to health workers
Tedros said there were also “some risks to health workers if they are not wearing appropriate personal protective equipment.
“So, although most cases so far in newly affected countries have been identified in men who have sex with men, WHO has been calling for intensified surveillance in the broader community.”
We have learned a great deal from recent outbreaks, including COVID-19 and the global HIV epidemic, he told assembled scientists, but one of the most important, was to work closely with those communities “to co-create effective risk communications. That is what WHO is doing.”
Address stigma, disinformation
Tedros said it was vital to address stigma, discrimination and misinformation, in the Monkeypox, and other outbreaks, swiftly and decisively.
“We also need to work together as an international community to generate the necessary clinical efficacy and safety data on vaccines and therapeutics against Monkeypox, and to ensure their equitable distribution.”
Cocaine named from the Quechua “kúka” is a natural alkaloid synthezised by the coca plant (family of Erythroxylaceae) as a secondary metabolitefor its protection. It is extracted from the leaves to an amount of 0.3 to 1.5%. The use of the coca for religious, medicinal and stimulant purposes has been known since pre-Inca times. The people used to chew coca leaves for at least 8000 years to relieve hunger, to alleviate strenuous activities and also as a stimulant.
Dry leaves are also used for tea: the “mate de coca”. Initially starting on the Andean ridge (South America), the use of coca leaves has then spread to neighbour countries as Chile, Uruguay, Argentina and Brazil. From the 16th Century it started to be exported and from the 19th Century with its chemical extraction as the psychoactive cocaine powder form it reached the whole world with the development of the routes of communication. Nevertheless, Evo Morales, the President of Bolivia (2006 to 2019) used to say: “la coca no es cocaina” (the coca is not cocaine).
Nowadays, the cocaine use although under the control of international Conventions, is a matter of public health due to its great addictive potential and toxicity. This is resulting in great psychological dependence, physical disorders and side effects, producing harming impacts on the individual, the familial cell, the workplace, the society, and finally on the economy of the country. Usually available as an hydrochloride salt (formula: C17H22ClNO4) cocaine has limited medical use as an anaesthetic and vasoconstrictor. This contrasts with the increasing misuse of the cocaine as a central nervous system stimulant since the early years of the twentieth century. The cocaine became popular in the sixties through artists and mass media.
In illicit use and search of the “high”, the cocaine powder (Coke, Snow, etc.) is ritually sniffed/snorted by 69% of the users, from “lines” and absorbed through the nasal mucosa and less commonly (for 2%) intraveinuously injected. The free base, sometimes known as crack, a crystal form, is smokable or heated and inhalated as fumes (for 26%). The ingestion (2% of the users) leads to a loss of psychoactive activity due to enzymatic hydrolysis in the gut.
A typical dose of cocaine or crack for a shoot is 100–200 mg.
Historical points…
In 1859, Dr. Paolo Mantegazza, (Italy) back from Peru, described the use of coca as medicine;
In 1860, the chemist Albert Niemann (Germany) isolated and coined the name “cocaine”;
In 1863, Angelo Mariani French pharmacist, using coca leaves macerated in Bordeaux wine created the tonic drink “Vin Mariani”;
In 1885, the U.S. manufacturer Parke-Davis sold cocaine in various forms, stating that cocaine products “supply the place of food, make the coward brave, the silent eloquent and render the sufferer insensitive to pain.”
In 1886, John S. Pemberton (USA), pharmacist veteran of the Secession war and morphine user changed his Pemberton’s French Wine Coca in a non-alcoholic then non-cocaine (replaced by caffeine) tonic beverage, inventing the famous “Coca-Cola”.
In Europe
Most of the cocaine available in Europe, using well-organized networks, continues to be smuggled into the largest container ports of the European Union (EU) located in Belgium (Antwerp), the Netherlands (Rotterdam) and Spain (Valencia and Algeciras). In addition to Hamburg (Germany), ports in France (Le Havre, Dunkerque, Marseille), Romania (Constanta), and Italy (Gioia Tauro) have also become significant cocaine entry points. The German authorities have attributed the recent increase in seizures in the port of Hamburg to the activities of Balkan and Albanian-speaking organised crime networks (BundesKriminalAmt, 2021).
The Southeast European Law Enforcement Center (SELEC) reported that in this part of Europe alone, the cocaine seized in 2020 amounts to 5,821.9 kg, representing a 22.3% increase. The total estimated value (street price) in 2020 is more than 281 million EUR.
According to the European Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA), the cocaine retail market concerns about 14.0 million adults in the European Union (aged 15-64), about 5 % of this age group. This market was worth at least EUR 10.5 billion in 2020; this represents about a third of the illicit market in all drugs and makes cocaine the second-largest market after cannabis. Since the mid-1990s the drug is more affordable for consumers than in the past so the overall cocaine usage in Europe has been on the rise.
Corruption at all levels is broadly used as a facilitator of drug trafficking activities and is a key threat in the EU according to the last EU Serious and Organised Crime Threat Assessment (SOCTA) report (Europol, 2021a).
In addition, the cocaine gotten from the streets could be prepared with variable proportions of caffeine, ammonia, solvents, industrial products such as battery acid, and even gasoline, kerosene and quicklime, increasing their toxicity but a greater profit.
EMCDDA report that cocaine seized at or destined for EU ports in 2020 (378 seizures) was smuggled within legitimate goods (132 tonnes), followed by the rip-on/rip-off method (108 tonnes).
Cocaine trafficking concerns all EU Member States (Europol, 2021a) via diversified smuggling routes: roads for private cars and lorries, railways, maritime transports, commercial or passengers and light aircraft, and increasingly the post services (Council of Europe, 2021).
Effects and Risks
The cocaine psychoactive substance is a tropane alkaloid as for scopolamine used in World War II, when the THC of the cannabis is a terpene. Alkaloids are also present in the pine, citrus, lavender, poppy, etc. About a fifth of the total plant species is synthesizing alkaloids as secondary metabolites such as in plant families from the nightshade (Solanaceae), coca (Erythroxylaceae), bindweed (Convolvulaceae), cabbage/broccoli (Brassicaceae). Not all are psychoactive.
As for the psychoactive substances, the liposoluble cocaine passes easily through the blood-brain barrier, reaching via the bloodstream and the Central nervous system (CNS) in about five seconds to produce the euphoric effect sought by the user.
In the mid-brain, the target of the cocaine is the Nucleus Accumbens located in the limbic system and known to be the pleasure center or reward system (Lopez Hill et al. 2011). In this area the cocaine inhibits the re-uptake from the synaptic cleft of the neurotransmitter dopamine by the presynaptic neurons by blocking their dopamine transporters. Thus, the artificial accumulation of dopamine in the synaptic cleft continuing to stimulate the receptors and the newly synthezised ones on the post-synaptic neurons is creating the lasting euphoric effects: the “high” from snorting may last about 15 to 30 minutes and from smoking 5 to 10 minutes. Injecting provides a quick, strong but short result.
When the use is stopped, the mechanisms of re-uptake of dopamine are re-activated so the stimulating effect disappears giving the manifestations of anxiety, feeling of lack and depression. Cocaine interfers also with the activities of the receptors of serotonin (regulation of behaviors, anxiety, learning, etc.) and noradrenaline (alertness, excitment, attention, etc.).
Considering that the nerves of the limbic area (emotions and reward system) are in relation to the cortex pre-frontal(judgement and decision) this explains the compulsive urge for the user to seek for more drug to continue the “high”. This is explaining the overall and powerful addictive effect of cocaine.
Mental effects of cocaine use include an intense feeling of happiness, sexual arousal, loss of contact with reality, paranoia, and agitation (Pomara C., et al. 2012). But also it increases the physical risks of stroke, cardiac arrhythmia, lung injury for smokers, sweating, high blood pressure, body temperature, dilated pupils and sudden cardiac death. The withdrawal symptoms include depression, decreased libido and ability to feel pleasure and increased fatigue feeling.
Based on data from 20 European countries there were an estimated 473 cocaine-related deaths in 2020 or about 13.5 % of all drug-induced deaths. These results are underestimated.
In Fine…
At a time whenthe governmental debates on eventual drug decriminalization or legalization are gaining all the countries and neglecting the health consequences for their peoples, when the profits and corruption at high levels are taking over the population and youth safety, it is more than ever vital to remind the words of Ms. Johansson of the European Commission (31.3.2022): “The new EU Drugs Strategy 2020-2025 …[has] the aims to ensure a high level of health promotion, social stability and security and contribute to awareness raising”.
The “awareness raising” can be easily achieved through education. Indeed, as for any other subject,
“Education is the progressive discovery of our own ignorance” said William Durant (1885-1981). This ignorance of the drug effects is life endangering when not fatal for the cocaine and drug users!
To contribute to this drug preventive education of the youth (and parents) the Foundation for a Drug Free Europe and its hundred of associations and groups across Europe are delivering lectures, distributing informative booklets (14 booklets on most used drugs of 24 pages, in 17 languages, including on cocaine), educative audiovisual materials and a guide for lessons as part of the Foundation for a Drug-Free World campaign The Truth About Drugs.
Witness to the harming effects of drug use, let’s preventively educate the youth and people so they will be able to realize their full life potentials in a safer society and in a better world!
Because of the global hunger crisis, every single minute, one child is pushed into life-threatening, severe malnutrition.
That’s the alarming message on Thursday from UN Children’s Fund UNICEF, which issued the alert for 15 countries in crisis where the situation is worsening.
No matter the time, no matter the place, conflict creates suffering.
Join UNICEF in calling on #G7 leaders to fund the prevention and treatment of child hunger and malnutrition now. pic.twitter.com/DnU9qsfMq5
UNICEF has called for $1.2 billion to meet urgent needs of eight million children at risk of death from severe wasting, in 15 mainly African nations, such as Burkina Faso, Chad, Kenya, Somalia and Sudan, but also Afghanistan and Haiti.
The UN agency stressed that the number of desperately hungry children suffering from severe wasting has continued to grow, in the countries where it has raised the alarm.
Between January and June, that number increased by well over 250,000, from 7.67 million to 7.93 million children.
Prices soaring
This comes as the price of ready-to-use food to treat severe wasting, has soared by 16 per cent in recent weeks, owing to a sharp rise in the cost of raw ingredients.
UNICEF warned that the price spike has left up to 600,000 additional children “without access to life-saving treatment and at risk of death”.
“We are now seeing the tinderbox of conditions for extreme levels of child wasting begin to catch fire,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Food aid is critical, but we cannot save starving children with bags of wheat. We need to reach these children now with therapeutic treatment before it is too late.”
Soaring food prices driven by the war in Ukraine, persistent drought due to climate change in some countries, at times combined with conflict, and the ongoing economic impact of COVID-19, are driving up food and nutrition insecurity worldwide, resulting in catastrophic levels of severe malnutrition in children under 5.
‘Lethal’ lack of nutrition
Severe wasting – where children are too thin for their height – is the most visible and lethal form of undernutrition. Weakened immune systems increase the risk of death among children under 5 by up to 11 times, compared to well-nourished children.
Within the 15 countries highlighted as most at risk by UNICEF, the agency estimates that at least 40 million children are severely nutrition insecure, meaning they are not receiving the bare minimum diverse diet they need to grow and develop in early childhood.
Furthermore, 21 million children are severely food insecure, meaning they lack access to enough food to meet minimum food needs, leaving them at high risk of severe wasting.
“In Africa, there are only two doctors and nine nurses per ten thousand inhabitants. These numbers need to be improved so that developing countries can cope with the challenges experienced during the coronavirus epidemic. The starting point is quality education and vocational training,” emphasized MEP György Hölvényi at the European Development Days starting on Tuesday. At the event, high-level participants represent 21 African countries and several EU member states, where President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen also attended.
György Hölvényi
As the EPP Group’s Spokesman in the Development Committee, MEP György Hölvényi co-chaired the panel discussion on “Global health? Local answers: resilient health systems and medical training”. Dr Richard Hardi, mission ophthalmologist in Congo also took part in the exchange of views.
The Christian Democrat politician said in a panel discussion, “In the coronavirus pandemic, we have seen that no country is safe without trained health workers. In the sub-Saharan region, there are two doctors and nine nurses per ten thousand people. It is clear that only by investing in medical training an education can we create a resilient healthcare system that meets the challenges of the future.”
Referring to the urgent need to accelerate training of young people the MEP also pointed, “In Africa, 40 percent of the population is under 15 years old. One in five children, about 36 million, cannot go to school, and barely half of primary school teachers are trained. Despite the fact that young people are the key to boost Africa’s economic recovery. However, the continent can only make use of this resource if it is able to provide valuable knowledge to the upcoming generations, for example in the field of health. The real answer to Africa’s challenges is not migration, but promoting security, providing quality education and creating jobs.”
The MEP underlined, “The financial resources available are scarce compared to the scale of the task. That is why they need to be used in a much more targeted and effective way. Local, trusted partners have a particularly important role to play in this, such as churches and faith-based organizations, which provide 40 percent of education and health care in the sub-Saharan region. For instance, Dr Richard Hardi, the Hungarian missionary in Congo has eight million patients alone. He was also awarded the Hungarian Order of Honor for his work. Persistent professionals like him have a key network of contacts and local knowledge. The EU must seize the opportunities provided by such people.”
In his concluding remarks, the Christian Democrat politician added, “Reconstruction after the coronavirus pandemic is an opportunity to bring a real change in development policy. We need to go beyond the development policy based on a donor-recipient dynamics, which can lead to short-term success at most. Instead, cooperation based on mutual respect and responsibility that responds to local needs is necessary. This is the real, long-term, sustainable solution.”
CDU politician Dennis Radtke welcomes adoption of EU Social Climate Fund
Brussels/Düsseldorf. For the North Rhine-Westphalian CDU MEP Dennis Radtke, the final adoption of the report on the EU Social Climate Fund by the European Parliament is a strong signal in the current geopolitical crisis: “The Social Climate Fund is a first milestone towards socially responsible climate action”, the EPP Coordinator for Employment and Social Affairs commented today’s voting result.
Dennis Radtke CDU MEP
“The goal of climate neutrality by 2050 poses enormous challenges for all of us, especially in the context of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. Rising energy prices hit low-income households particularly hard.”
The fund is intended to compensate for the social impact resulting from the partial inclusion of the building and transport sectors in emissions trading. For this purpose, at least 32.78 billion Euros will be available until 2027. From 2028, the size will be determined as part of the negotiations on the MFF, with the possibility of reaching a total volume of 144.4 billion Euros. The development of EU-wide definitions of “energy poverty” and “mobility poverty” will also ensure that the support reaches the beneficiaries in the Member States in a targeted manner.
Two weeks ago, the Strasbourg Parliament had already adopted all substantive points of the report by EPP rapporteurs David Casa and Esther de Lange with a large majority. However, the final vote was postponed because of the close connection to the report on European Emissions Trading, whose adoption was undermined by a voting pact of parts of the social democrats, the left and extreme right groups. Radtke praised all Christian Democratic politicians involved: “It is now more than obvious that only the European People’s Party stands for a socially just transition in Europe. While the Social Democrats are moving further and further away from the reality of people’s lives and really leave no stone unturned in actively torpedoing the future of the European steel and chemical industry, we are fighting to ensure that no one is left behind, also when it comes to climate action.”
The Green Deal is the EU’s answer to the ongoing climate crisis. Find out more about this roadmap for a climate-neutral Europe.
In November 2019, the Parliament declared a climate emergency asking the European Commission to adapt all its proposals in line with a 1.5 °C target for limiting global warming and ensure that greenhouse gas emissions are significantly reduced.
In response, the Commission unveiled the European Green Deal, a roadmap for Europe becoming a climate-neutral continent by 2050.
Parliament adopted the EU Climate Law on 24 June 2021, which makes legally binding a target of reducing emissions 55% by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050. This moves the EU closer to its post-2050 objective of negative emissions and confirms its leadership in the global fight against climate change.
Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement to increase the EU’s 2030 emissions reductions target from 40% to at least 55%. Parliament adopted the EU Climate Law on 24 June 2021. The 2030 target and 2050 goal of climate neutrality will be legally binding, moving the EU closer to its post-2050 objective of negative emissions and confirming its leadership in the global fight against climate change.
It should allow the targets to be more easily applied to legislation and should create benefits such as cleaner air, water and soil; reduced energy bill; renovated homes; better public transport and more charging stations for e-cars; less waste; healthier food and better health for current and future generations.
Business will also benefit as opportunities are created in areas where Europe aims to set global standards. It is also expected to generate jobs, for example in renewable energy, energy efficient buildings and processes.
For the EU to reach the 2030 target, the Commission proposed a package of new and revised legislation known as Fit for 55 in 2021, comprising 13 interlinked revised laws and six proposed laws on climate and energy.
the revision of the emissions trading scheme (ETS) to include polluting sectors, such as buildings and road transport and phase out free allowances by 2032
the implementation of the carbon leakage instrument that should put a carbon price on imported goods to counter relocation to countries with less ambitious climate targets
In addition the Commission presented the EU Circular Economy Action Plan in March 2020, which includes measures along the entire life cycle of products promoting circular economy processes, fostering sustainable consumption and guaranteeing less waste. It will focus on:
In July 2022, MEPs are expected to vote on the EU’s new industrial strategy to help businesses overcome the Covid-related crisis and make the transition to a greener, circular economy. In November 2021, MEPs called for a more comprehensive EU strategy for critical raw materials to make Europe less dependent on the imports of critical raw materials that are crucial for its strategic industries.
The food sector is one the main drivers of climate change. Even though EU agriculture is the only major farm sector worldwide to have reduced its greenhouse gas emissions (by 20% since 1990), it still accounts for about 10% of emissions (of which 70% are due to animals).
The Farm to Fork strategy, presented by the Commission in May 2020, should guarantee a fair, healthy and environmentally friendly food system, whilst ensuring farmers’ livelihoods. It covers the entire food supply chain, from cutting the use of pesticides and sales of antimicrobials by half and reducing the use of fertilisers to increasing the use of organic farming.
Parliament welcomed the EU’s farm to fork strategy in a resolution adopted in October 2021, but added recommendations to make it even more sustainable. Parliament specified that the Fit for 55 package should include ambitious targets for emissions from agriculture and related land use.
Parliament adopted its position on the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030: bringing nature back into our lives on 8 June 2020, insisting that its implementation is consistent with other European Green Deal strategies.
Parliament has been advocating sustainable forestry as forests play an essential role in absorbing and offsetting carbon emissions. MEPs also recognise forestry’s contribution to creating jobs in rural communities and the role the EU could play in protecting and restoring the world’s forests.
As part of the investment plan, the Just Transition Mechanism should help alleviate the socio-economic impact of the transition on workers and communities most affected by the shift. In May 2020, the Commission proposed a public sector loan facility to support green investments in regions dependent on fossil fuels, which was approved by the Parliament in June 2021.
Parliament and Council agreed on the introduction of new sources of revenue to fund the EU budget and the Covid-19 economic recovery plan. These would include proceeds from the Emissions Trading System and a carbon border adjustment mechanism that would impose a levy on imports of certain goods.
To encourage investment in environmentally sustainable activities and prevent companies falsely claiming their products are environmentally friendly – practice known as green-washing -Parliament adopted new legislation on sustainable investments in June 2020. In November 2020, MEPs also asked for a shift from an unsustainable to a sustainable economic system, as crucial to develop the long-term strategic autonomy of the EU and to increase the EU’s resilience.
In response to Russia’s war against Ukraine, this law aims to refill Europe’s strategic gas reserves more quickly before winter to ensure energy supplies are secure.
The new regulation, already agreed upon with EU ministers, sets a mandatory minimum level of gas in storage facilities at 80% by 1 November 2022. Member states and operators should strive to reach 85%. The target will be 90% for subsequent years to protect Europeans from possible supply shocks. The text highlights the need for EU countries to diversify gas supply sources and boost energy efficiency measures.
Mandatory certification for gas storage facilities
Under the regulation, gas storage facilities will become critical infrastructure. All storage operators will have to undergo new mandatory certification to avoid risks of outside interference. Operators who fail to secure this certification will have to give up ownership or control of EU gas storage facilities.
Joint procurement
By August 2022, the Commission will issue guidance on how EU countries can jointly procure gas, to be activated voluntarily by two or more member states.
Quotes
“The regulation is the answer to the current situation. Gazprom is using energy supply as a weapon (…) so we’ve got our protective shield”, said MEP Jerzy Buzek (EPP, PL), who is leading the Parliament’s negotiating team.
With the regulation, “no one who uses energy as a weapon (…) will be responsible for our storage capacities. Also, we can formally start our joint purchasing of natural gas in the EU” he added.
“Countries with large storage capacities will be obliged to have at least 35% of their consumption there. Countries that do not have a storage capacity will need to conclude agreements with the other member states to store the necessary quantities of gas for them. This is a solidarity mechanism incentivised by this regulation”, said rapporteur and Industry, Research and Energy Committee Chair Cristian Buşoi (EPP, RO).
The legislation was adopted on Thursday with 490 votes to 47, and 55 abstentions. It now requires the formal approval by Council before publication in the Official Journal and entry into force.
Background
The legislative proposal was adopted by the Commission on 23 March, in the context of the Russian war against Ukraine. Parliament voted on 5 April in favour of triggering a fast-track procedure and backed the proposal two days later. At the Versailles Summit, EU leaders requested measures to address the issue of energy independence.
Drug use — In the lead up to World Drug Day on 26 June 2022, the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) is highlighting its work on drug prevention and treatment around the world.
Colombia, 23 June 2022 – Meet Marla*, a young woman in Colombia. By the age of 16, Marla had already started using marijuana, in part due to the violence, alcoholism, and marginalization swirling around her.
Marla was born to Anibal* and Rosa* in Medellin’s Comuna 13, along with two sisters. Medellin, a city in Colombia’s Antioquia province, has the highest prevalence of illegal psychoactive substance use in the country, according to Colombia’s National Survey on Psychoactive Substance Use. In Comuna 13, competition flourished among drug traffickers drawn to its strategic location – generating the formation of gangs and constant conflict in the 1990s.
Her father Anibal, a member of gangs in Medellin, was imprisoned for serious crimes, while her mother Rosa worked as a maid. Faced with the pressures of having to raise her three daughters alone, Rosa sought refuge in alcohol, leaving Marla – still a child herself – to take care of her younger sisters.
In search of a new beginning, the family moved to their grandfather’s house in Cauca when Marla was 12. But Marla’s hopes for a fresh start were extinguished when she began using drugs, behavior that was aided by her family’s inattention and her mother’s continued alcoholism – and which kept her from work and study opportunities.
Marla’s story echoes those of many other families in Colombia. Many of the people and communities – including those in Cauca – are still heavily affected by the half-century long civil war with guerilla groups, even after the signing of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement. Continued violence and poverty have left them unequipped to confront such heavy challenges – causing family or community disintegration or physical and psychological violence.
Although it has not been easy, Marla has decided that her will to improve her situation is stronger than the conditions around her. In 2021, an aunt living in Padilla offered to take her in, allowing her to study and enjoy the company of her aunt and cousin, who have taught her the importance of following rules, setting boundaries, and fulfilling responsibilities.
Marla’s desire to change her life led her to learn about the REMA strategy (in Spanish: Reconoce, Explora, Motiva y Articula), an initiative led by UNODC and the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace of the Colombian Government. REMA aims to raise awareness among the community and private sector about the importance of promoting the social inclusion of young people at risk of substance abuse and behaviors that contribute to peaceful, respectful community life.
Through REMA, Marla has gotten involved in activities – like workshops on problem-solving, conflict resolution, teamwork, civic covenants, and more – that have helped her to understand her emotional responses, manage stress, and learn how to act in moments of frustration when things do not go well.
By building capacity on how to cope with the risks of psychoactive substance use, UNODC hopes to reach more vulnerable territories of Colombia and create evidence-based, innovative strategies that promote participation in art, sports, and culture.
Thanks to psycho-educational sessions promoted by the REMA strategy, Marla continues to plan for her future and recognizes the grave risks drugs would pose to her life plans.
Further information
For more on UNODC’s work in Colombia, click here. And for a Drug Prevention program in Colombia please visit Colombia Sin Drogas.
_____________________________________ *Names changed to protect security and privacy.
MOROCCO, June 23 – The Minister of National Education, Preschool and Sports, Chakib Benmoussa, presented, Wednesday in the House of Representatives (lower house), the main lines of the strategy for the development of sport and school sport.
At a meeting of the Committee on Education, Culture and Communication, devoted to the review of areas of sport and school sport, the Minister reviewed the efforts made and future projects for the development of these areas.
Benmoussa noted that this strategy includes axes related to high-level sport, the relationship with sports federations, the ‘Sport pour tous’ (Sport for All) program, school sport, the development project of school sport, the program of school sports activity, sports infrastructure, the phenomenon of violence in stadiums, as well as the fight against doping in Morocco.
With regard to high-level sport, Benmoussa said that it aims to expand the base of practitioners annually, the creation of new sports associations in compliance with the principle of representativeness across the Kingdom
It also aims to develop basic sport and competitiveness at national level, diversify and expand sport practice, taking into account gender approach and spatial justice principle, to achieve performances at the level of continental and international participation, and to establish training programs to present a suitable sports product.
On the other hand, the Minister noted that the sports federations are an essential partner of the Ministry in the management of high performance sport, adding that the relationship with these institutions is governed by a conventional framework, based primarily on the accompaniment, support, monitoring, guidance and control.
He also noted that the federations are supported by agreements of objectives that will be signed to this end and contain a set of commitments and duties for the federations and the Ministry.
In this regard, he added that agreements will be signed with the National Olympic Committee, and this in the context of preparations and training courses conducted by sports federations to participate in international sporting events, especially the Olympic Games, the World Championships and the African Championships.
