Speaking to journalists during a two-day meeting with regional and national special envoys for Afghanistan, António Guterres said that there was consensus among delegates over what needs to happen, although the Taliban are not taking part.
“We want an Afghanistan in peace, peace with itself and peace with its neighbours and able to assume the commitments and the international obligations of a sovereign State … in relation to the international community, its neighbours and in relation to the rights of its own populations,” he said.
There was also consensus on the process to reach this objective, he added, noting proposals outlined in an independent review on an integrated and coherent approach conducted by Feridun Sinirlioğlu, in line with Security Councilresolution 2679.
It covered all the main areas of concern, Mr. Guterres said, including ensuring Afghanistan does not become a “hotbed” of terrorist activity and that it has inclusive institutions in which all its diverse groups feel represented in a “truly inclusive” State.
The review notes the importance of upholding human rights, in particular for women and girls, and a recognition of the progress made in combatting drug production and drug trafficking.
The UN chief also underscored the need for effective humanitarian assistance to the country as well as long-term questions on Afghanistan’s future development.
Mr. Guterres further noted ongoing cooperation between Afghanistan and neighbouring countries, such as trade and infrastructure development or bilateral arrangements on combatting illicit drug trade.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the media in Doha, Qatar.
Key questions
However, there are a set of key questions “in which we are stuck”, he added.
“On one hand, Afghanistan remains with a government that is not recognized internationally and in many aspects not integrated in the global institutions and global economy,” he said.
And on the other hand, there is a common international perception of deteriorating human rights, particularly for women and girls.
“To a certain extent we are in the kind of situation of the chicken or the egg,” he said, stating the need to overcome the deadlock and produce a common road map which addresses international concerns and those of the de facto authorities simultaneously.”
Unacceptable pre-conditions
In response to a correspondent’s question on the lack of participation of Taliban de facto authorities, the UN chief said that the group presented a set of conditions for its participation “that were not acceptable.”
“These conditions first of all denied us the right to talk to other representatives of the Afghan society and demanded a treatment that would, I would say, to a large extent be similar to recognition.”
On another question, Mr. Guterres said the meeting was very useful and the discussions were “absolutely needed”.
“Obviously it would be better if we would also have the opportunity after the meeting … to discuss our conclusions with the de facto authorities. It did not happen today; it will happen in the near future.”
Secretary-General Guterres addressing the media in Doha.
As you were informed, just a few days ago, that is, on January 23, 2024, the Hierarchy of the Church of Greece, which is the supreme authority of our Church, studied the issue that has arisen in our days, namely the establishment of “civil marriage” of homosexuals, with all the consequences that this brings to family law.
The Hierarchy discussed this matter responsibly and soberly enough, proving once again its unity, then unanimously decided the necessary things that were announced.
One of the decisions she has made is to inform her congregation who want to hear her decisions and positions.
In this context, the Hierarchy appeals to all of you to articulate the truth on this serious matter.
1. The work of the Church throughout the centuries is two-sided, i.e. theological, by professing her faith as revealed by Christ and lived by her saints, and pastoral, by preaching and leading people to the living Christ. This work of hers can be seen in the Holy Scriptures and in the decisions of the Ecumenical and Local Synods, which establish the conditions for the Orthodox faith and sacred rules and define the limits within which all its members, clerics, monks and laity, must observe. In this way, the Church shepherds, i.e. heals people’s spiritual diseases so that Christians live in communion with Christ and their brothers, free themselves from selfishness and develop philanthropy and philanthropy, i.e. selfish, selfish love to become selfless love.
2. God loves all people, righteous and unrighteous, good and bad, saints and sinners, so does the Church. After all, the Church is a spiritual hospital that heals people without excluding anyone, as the parable of the Good Samaritan that Christ told (Luke I’, 3037) shows. Hospitals and doctors do the same for physical ailments. When doctors operate on people, no one can claim that they have no love.
But people react differently to this love for the Church; some want it, some don’t. The sun sends its rays to all creation, but some light up and some burn, and this depends on the nature of those who receive the sun’s rays. Thus the Church loves all her baptized children and all people who are God’s creations, young and old, single and married, clergy, monks and laity, learned and unlearned, princes and poor, heterosexual and homosexual, and practices her love philanthropically, it is enough , of course, that they themselves want it and really live in the Church.
3. The theology of the Church regarding marriage derives from the Holy Bible, the teaching of the Fathers of the Church and the provision of the Sacrament of Marriage. In the book of Genesis it is written: “27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female he created them. 28. And God blessed them, saying to them: be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and possess it and have dominion over the fish of the sea (and over the beasts), over the birds of the sky (and over all livestock, over the whole earth) and over all animals , which crawl on the ground” (Genesis, 1, 27-28). This means that “the duality of the two natures and their mutual complementarity are not social inventions, but are provided by God”; “the sanctity of the union of man and woman refers to the relationship between Christ and the Church”; “Christian marriage is not just an agreement for cohabitation, but a sacred Sacrament through which man and woman receive God’s grace to continue towards their deification”; “father and mother are constituent elements of childhood and mature life”.
The entire theology of marriage is clearly seen in the sequence of the mystery of marriage, in the rites and blessings. In this mystery the union of man and woman is proclaimed in Christ Jesus, with the necessary conditions. The results of Marriage in Christ are the creation of a good marriage and family, the birth of children, as the fruit of the love of the two spouses, the man and the woman, and their relationship with church life. Childlessness, through no fault of the spouses, does not destroy a marriage in Christ.
The traditional Christian family consists of father, mother and children, and in this family children grow up knowing motherhood and fatherhood, which will be essential elements in their further development.
On the other hand, as seen in the “Trebnik” of the Church, there is a clear connection between the Mysteries of Baptism, Anointing, Marriage, Confession and Holy Communion of the Body and Blood of Christ. Any break in this relationship creates ecclesiastical problems.
That is why we are baptized and anointed to participate in the Body and Blood of Christ. The wedding ceremony takes place so that the spouses and family can participate in the Mystery of the Eucharist and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Any break in this connection of the mysteries is a falling away.
The Church is based on this tradition which was given by God to the saints and cannot accept any other form of marriage, much less to the so-called “homosexual marriage”.
4. In a state of law, the state with its institutions has the power to draft bills and pass laws so that there is unity, peace and love in the society.
However, the Church is an ancient institution, it has centuries-old traditions, it has participated in all the trials of the people in all times, it has played a decisive role in its freedom, as seen in history, the oldest and the most recent, and everyone should give it its due accordingly, respect. After all, all rulers, with the exception of a few, are her members by power and blessing. The Church neither supports nor opposes, but governs according to God and shepherds over all. Therefore, it has a special reason to be respected.
On the subject of the so-called “political marriage of homosexuals”, the Holy Synod not only cannot remain silent, but must speak out of love and mercy for all. That is why the hierarchy of the Church of Greece in its recent decision, in a unanimous and unifying manner, for reasons it has argued, announced that it “completely and categorically opposes the proposed bill”.
And this clear decision is based on the fact that “the initiators of the bill and those who agree with it promote the abolition of fatherhood and motherhood and their transformation into neutral parentage, the disappearance of the roles of both sexes within the family and the place above it, the protection of the interests of Future Children and the Sexual Choices of Homosexual Adults’.
Furthermore, the establishment of “child adoption” condemns future children to grow up without a father or mother in an environment of parental role confusion, leaving an open window for so-called “surrogate pregnancy” that will provide incentives for the exploitation of vulnerable women and changing the sacred institution of the family.
The Church, which must express God’s will and guide its members orthodoxly, cannot accept all this, because otherwise it will betray its mission. And it does this not only out of love for its members, but also out of love for the state itself and its institutions, so that they contribute to society and contribute to its unity.
We accept, of course, the rights of people if they move within permissible limits, combined with their duties, but the legalization of an absolute “right” to be practically deified challenges society itself.
5. The Church is interested in the family, which is the cell of the Church, society and nation. The state must also support this, since in the current Constitution it is understood that “the family as the basis for the maintenance and promotion of the nation, as well as marriage, motherhood and childhood are under the protection of the state” (Article 21) .
According to the Statutory Charter of the Greek Church, which is a state law (590/1977), “The Greek Church cooperates after the state, in matters of common interest such as… the promotion of the institution of marriage and family” (No. 2).
We therefore call on the State to deal with the demographic problem which is becoming a bomb ready to explode and is the foremost national problem of our time, the solution of which is undermined by the bill that is about to be passed, and we call on it to support the large families who offer much to society and the nation.
All of the above the hierarchy of the Greek Church announces to all its members, with a sense of pastoral responsibility and love, because not only is the so-called “homosexual marriage” an undermining of Christian marriage and the institution of the traditional Greek family, which changes its standard, but also because homosexuality is condemned by the entire church tradition, beginning with the apostle Paul (Rom. 1, 2432), and deals with repentance, which is a change in lifestyle.
Of course, there is the basic principle that while the Church condemns every sin as alienating man from the Light and love of God, at the same time she loves every sinner because he too has the “image of God” and can attain “likeness”. if he cooperates with God’s grace.
The Holy Synod addresses this responsible word to you, blessed Christians, its members and to all who await its word, because the Church “speaks the truth with love” (Eph. 4, 15) and “loves with truth”. (2 John 1, 1).
† JEROMEN of Athens, President
† Seraphim of Karistias and Skyros
† Eustathius of Monemvasia and Sparta
† Alexius of Nicaea †
Chrysostom of Nicopolis and Preveza
† Theoklitus of Jerisos, Agios Yoros and Ardamerios
Compilation by St. Bishop Theophan, the Recluse of Vysha
St. Gregory of Nyssa:
“Who would give me dove’s wings?” – said the psalmist David (Ps. 54:7). I dare to say the same: who would give me those wings, so that I could raise my mind to the height of these words, and, leaving the earth, pass through the air, reach the stars and see all their beauty, but without stopping and to them, beyond all that is movable and changeable, to reach the constant nature, the immovable power, guiding and sustaining all that has being; all that depends on the ineffable will of God’s Wisdom. Moving mentally away from that which is changeable and perverse, I will for the first time be able to unite mentally with the Immutable and the Unchangeable, and with the closest name, by saying: Father!”.
St. Cyprian of Carthage:
“Oh, what a condescension towards us, what an abundance of favor and kindness from the Lord, when He allows us, when performing the prayer before the face of God, to call God the Father, and to call ourselves sons of God, just as Christ is the Son of God! None of us would dare to use that name in prayer if He Himself had not allowed us to pray in this way.
St. Cyril of Jerusalem:
“In the prayer that the Savior taught us through His disciples, we name God the Father with a clear conscience, saying: “Our Father!”. How great is God’s humanity! Those who have fallen away from Him and who have reached the extreme limit in evil are given such a communion in grace that they call Him Father: Our Father!”.
St. John Chrysostom:
“Father ours! Oh, what extraordinary philanthropy! What a high honor! In what words shall I give thanks to the Sender of these goods? See, beloved, the nothingness of your nature and mine, look into its origin – in this earth, dust, mud, clay, ashes, because we are created from the earth and finally decay into the earth. And when you imagine this, marvel at the unfathomable wealth of God’s great goodness to us, by which you are commanded to call Him Father, earthly – Heavenly, mortal – Immortal, perishable – Incorruptible, temporal – Eternal, yesterday and before, existing ages ago’.
Augustine:
“In every petition, the favor of the petitioner is first sought, and then the substance of the petition is stated. A favor is usually requested with praise of the one from whom it is requested, which is placed at the beginning of the request. In this sense, the Lord also commanded us at the beginning of the prayer to exclaim: “Our Father!”. In the Scriptures there are many expressions through which the praise of God is expressed, but we do not find a prescription for Israel to be addressed as “Our Father!”. Indeed, the prophets called God the Father of the Israelites, for example: “I brought up and raised sons, but they rebelled against me” (Is. 1:2); “If I am a father, where is the honor to Me?” (Mal. 1:6). The prophets called God thus, apparently to expose the Israelites that they did not want to be sons of God because they had committed sins. The prophets themselves did not dare to address God as the Father, since they were still in the position of slaves, although they were destined for sonship, as the apostle says: “the heir, while he is young, is not distinguished by anything from a slave” (Gal. 4:1). This right is given to the new Israel – to the Christians; they are destined to be children of God (cf. John 1:12), and they have received the spirit of sonship, which is why they exclaim: Abba, Father!” (Rom. 8:15)”.
Tertullian:
“The Lord often called God our Father, he even commanded us not to call anyone on earth Father except the One whom we have in heaven (cf. Matt. 23:9). Thus, by addressing these words in prayer, we fulfill the commandment. Blessed are those who know God their Father. The name of God the Father has not been revealed to anyone before – even the questioner Moses was told another name of God, while it is revealed to us in the Son. The very name Son already leads to the new name of God – the name Father. But He also spoke directly: “I have come in the name of the Father” (John 5:43), and again: “Father, glorify Your name” (John 12:28), and even more clearly: “I have revealed Your name to men ” (John 17:6)”.
St. John Cassian the Roman:
“The Lord’s Prayer presupposes in the person who prays the most exalted and most perfect state, which is expressed in the contemplation of the One God and in ardent love for Him, and in which our mind, permeated by this love, converses with God in the closest communion and with special sincerity, as with his Father. The words of the prayer suggest to us that we should diligently long for the attainment of such a state. “Our Father!” – if in such a way God, the Lord of the universe, with His own mouth confesses His Father, then at the same time He also confesses the following: that we have been completely raised from a state of slavery to a state of adopted children of God.
St. Theophylact, archbishop. Bulgarian:
“Christ’s disciples competed with John’s disciples and wanted to learn how to pray. The Savior does not reject their desire and teaches them to pray. Our Father, who art in heaven – notice the power of prayer! It immediately elevates you to the sublime, and inasmuch as you call God the Father, you convince yourself to make every effort not to lose the likeness of the Father, but to resemble Him. The word “Father” shows you with what goods you have been honored by becoming a son of God”.
St. Simeon of Thessaloniki:
“Father ours! – Because He is our Creator, who brought us from non-being into being, and because by grace He is our Father through the Son, by nature He became like us”.
St. Tikhon Zadonsky:
“From the words “Our Father!” we learn that God is the true Father of Christians and they are “sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:26). Therefore, as our Father, we should confidently call upon Him, as the children of carnal parents call upon them and extend their hands to them in every need.”
Note: St. Theophan, the Recluse of Vysha (January 10, 1815 – January 6, 1894) is celebrated on January 10 (January 23 old style) and on June 16 (Transferring the relics of St. Theophan).
Recent advancements in the genome editing technology field have enabled scientists to manipulate genomic sequences rapidly and efficiently. Despite revolutionary progress in this area, several challenges remain. Existing gene editing technologies like CRISPR-cas9, base editors and prime editors have great potential. Still, existing delivery technologies cannot deliver gene editing technologies to many target tissues and cell types in sufficient quantities, which hinders clinical applications. While some cell types, like hepatocytes in the liver, have many delivery technologies capable of delivering genome editors, many other organs and cell types are harder to reach.
The Challenge is a three-phase competition:
In Phase 1, Participants will be asked to submit a proposal describing their proposed solution and how it will address the requirements for one of the Target Areas. Participants may submit proposed solutions to both Target Areas but must do so with separate proposals that independently address each Target Area’s requirements. Up to ten proposals judged to meet the best requirements will each be awarded up to $75,000. Additional prizes of $50,000 may be awarded to additional meritorious solutions based on the Judging Criteria.
In Phase 2, Participants must submit data from studies that demonstrate delivery and editing performance and describe their methodology, technology, and how their solution addresses the Challenge criteria. Participation in Phase 1 is not a requirement for participation in Phase 2; however, it is strongly encouraged. Up to 10 winners of Phase 2 will be each awarded $250,000 and will be eligible to compete in Phase 3. Only Phase 2 winners will be eligible to participate in Phase 3.
Phase 3 is separated into Phase 3a and Phase 3b; all participants must submit solutions for Phase 3a to be eligible to participate in Phase 3b. For Phase 3a, Participants must submit all required information showing that their technology is ready for large animal testing through NIH-supported independent evaluation and can solve the requirements for one of the Target Areas.
Submissions to this Challenge must be received by 12:00 AM EET, January 11, 2025.
Drought is ravaging communities in Afar, Amhara, Tigray and Oromia, as well as the Southern and South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region.
Severe water shortages, dried pastures and reduced harvests are impacting millions of people and livestock, with reports of food insecurity and rising malnutrition.
Among those who are particularly vulnerable are people affected by the two-year conflict in Tigray, which ended in 2022, the UN and the authorities said in a joint statement on Thursday.
More than six million people are already receiving food and cash across affected areas, but huge gaps remain, OCHA warned.
The number of critically food insecure people will continue to grow over the next few months, reaching a peak of 10.8 million during the lean season from July through September, according to a recent joint assessment by the government and humanitarian partners.
Malnutrition rates in parts of Afar, Amhara and Tigray and other regions have already surpassed globally recognized crisis thresholds, but currently do not reflect famine-like conditions.
“While the situation in many of these areas is already alarming, there is an opportunity to avert a serious humanitarian catastrophe through additional funding to urgently scale up and sustain response efforts,” OCHA said.
Peacekeepers injured in attack on UN helicopter in DR Congo
Two South African peacekeepers were injured, one seriously, in an attack on a UN helicopter in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on Friday.
The helicopter from the UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, was carrying out a medical evacuation when it came under fire from presumed members of the M23 armed group in the Karuba region, located in Masisi territory, North Kivu province.
The helicopter was able to land safely in the provincial capital, Goma, and the peacekeepers received medical treatment.
MONUSCO chief Bintou Keita, strongly condemned the attack, which comes almost a year after a similar incident caused the death of a South African peacekeeper.
The UN Mission will spare no effort, in cooperation with the Congolese authorities, to bring the perpetrators to justice, she said.
The head of UN Peacekeeping deplored the attack in a post on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
He said that UN “blue helmets” should not be targeted.
Ukraine: Top UN aid official condemns deadly attack on aid workers
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine has condemned a deadly attack on aid workers in the south of the country.
Two French citizens volunteering with a Swiss non-governmental organization were killed and three other foreigners injured in a Russian drone strike in the Kherson region on Thursday, according to media reports.
“I am shocked to hear that their vehicles were attacked in a manner similar to a tragic incident in Chasiv Yar town in the east of Ukraine just a week ago, when a humanitarian vehicle was hit and an aid worker injured,” Denise Brown said in a statement on Friday.
Last year, 50 aid workers were killed or injured in Ukraine, including 11 who died in the line of duty.
Ms. Brown said that “this repeated pattern of attacks appears to have intensified” since the beginning of the year, as five aid workers were injured in January alone.
“This comes at a time when people in frontline areas are facing an extremely dire humanitarian situation with Russia’s invasion impacting every aspect of their daily lives,” she added.
Despite the challenges and insecurity, humanitarians continue to deliver aid in Ukraine.
The UN reported that on Friday, an inter-agency convoy delivered three trucks of humanitarian supplies to the residents of frontline communities in the Kharkiv area.
The items included hygiene kits, thermal blankets, sleeping bags, kitchen sets, evacuation kits and construction materials to repair damaged homes.
Concluding a 10-day visit to the country, Special Rapporteur Reem Alsalem noted that a woman is killed by a man every three days in the UK, and one in four women there will experience some form of domestic violence in her lifetime.
“Entrenched patriarchy at almost every level of society, combined with a rise in misogyny that permeates the physical and online world, is denying thousands of women and girls across the UK the right to live in safety, free from fear and violence,” she said in a statement summarizing her preliminary findings and observations.
Ms. Alsalem acknowledged the robust legal framework for promoting gender equality, including the Equality Act 2010 and other legislation that applies across the UK, noting that this framework is complemented by important legislation and policies in the devolved regions, referring to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
She said the UK has been a leader in strengthening its legal framework to address current and emerging forms of violence against women and girls, including coercive control, digitally facilitated violence and stalking, as well as improving access to justice.
“Many countries will look to the UK for inspiration, as well as examples of innovation and good practice on how to make life safer for women and girls, and accountability for crimes committed against them,” she added.
Translate policy into action
However, the Special Rapporteur noted that a number of realities undermine the UK’s ability to realise the full potential of its legislation and policies on violence against women.
They include the dilution of the link between these policies and the UK’s international human rights obligations; a general critical discourse and positioning on human rights, particularly in relation to migrants, asylum seekers and refugees; and the fragmentation of policies on male violence against women and girls across devolved and non-devolved areas.
“The UK can do more to translate its political recognition of the scale of violence against women and girls into action,” she said, before offering several recommendations, such as bringing together all legislative and programmatic strands of intervention on the issue, upgrading and formalising responsibility for discrimination and violence against women and girls in government, and anchoring it in human rights commitments.
Grassroots groups struggling
Ms. Alsalem expressed concern about how grassroots organisations and specialised frontline service providers working with women and girls are struggling to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, both foreign and national, who fall through the cracks and are not covered by statutory service providers.
These groups “are struggling to survive in an increasingly challenging context of rising living costs, a deepening housing crisis and a critical lack of funding,” she said.
“The situation of NGOs working on gender equality and violence against women and girls has reached a crisis point and is simply untenable,” she added, urging the UK authorities to restore predictable and adequate funding to frontline organisations.
Ms. Alsalem, the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, was appointed by the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva.
Independent experts who receive mandates from the Council are not UN staff and are not paid for their work.
Russian clergy and believers have published an open appeal to the authorities in Russia calling for the body of politician Alexei Navalny to be handed over to his family.
The text of the address is published on the website of the Orthodox project “Peace for all”. The authors of the address emphasize that Navalny was not only an opposition politician, but also an Orthodox Christian.
The open address was signed by priests and people of faith. So far, there are nearly three hundred signatures and their collection continues online here.
The appeal calls on the authorities to show mercy and compassion to the mother, wife, children and relatives of Alexei Navalny.
Here is the full text of the letter:
“We call on you to hand over the body of politician Alexei Navalny to the family, so that his mother, other family members and like-minded people can say goodbye to him and give him a Christian burial.” This is not only their wish and legal right, but also a duty to God for each deceased.
Alexei Navalny was not only an opposition politician, but also a man of faith, an Orthodox Christian. We urge you to respect his memory.
Do not cloud the tragedy of his death by refusing such a simple and human request. Remember that everyone is equal before God. The refusal to hand over Navalny’s body to his family will be seen as a manifestation of cruelty and inhumanity. This decision could lead to even greater tension in society. We urge you not to go down this path.
Show mercy and compassion to his mother, wife, children and loved ones. Every person deserves a humane burial. Even Pontius Pilate, who decided on the execution of Christ for fear of being disloyal to the emperor: “if you let Him go, you are not Caesar’s friend (John 19:12), did not put any obstacles to handing over the Savior’s body for His burial . Be not more cruel than Pilate. Make the right decision.”
Alexei Navalny died suddenly on February 16 in a Russian prison beyond the Arctic Circle, where he was transferred at the beginning of the year. Investigators investigating the opposition politician’s death said they would not release his body to relatives for another two weeks as it was sent for a “chemical examination”. Navalny’s sympathizers believe that he was murdered and that his body was hidden in order to erase “traces of the murder”. Human rights activists in Russia express the opinion that the body of a politician is not being returned to his relatives and with the intention of delaying his burial, as the Russian authorities fear that it will become a starting point for serious protest actions on the eve of the presidential elections in the country. which will take place from March 15 to 17 this year. In Russia, the arrests of people who present flowers in memory of the murdered opposition politician continue.
Earlier, the human rights project OVD-Info, created to help those detained during the anti-government rallies, also opened a petition demanding that Navalny’s body be handed over to his relatives. So far, the petition has been signed by more than 80,000 people.
Source: Appeal to the authorities of the Russian Federation by Orthodox clergy and laymen
By filling out this form, I consent to the publication of my name under an open letter at the address: https://www.mir-vsem.info/post/navalny
Renewable energy from windfarms. Image Credit: Karsten Würth/Unsplash
In a featured comment publication for Nature Energy, researchers – including from the Institute for New Economic Thinking and the Oxford Smith School at the University of Oxford – outline the challenges facing policymakers working with traditional economic modelling across the public and industrial sectors.
The paper calls for a shift from narrow cost-benefit analysis and modelling based on economic equilibrium, towards models which capture the dynamics of the transition and represent policy ideas in real detail. These capabilities are required to match the policies governments are actually designing and implementing now, such as the ETS in China, offshore wind auctions in the UK, and the Inflation Reduction Act in the US.
Lead author Dr Pete Barbrook-Johnson, a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for New Economic Thinking and the Smith School for Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford, said that the global policy conversation had shifted, bringing with it a different set of requirements for economic modellers.
‘We’ve been working with partners in China, India, Brazil, the UK, and Europe to explore what kind of modelling support they need to understand the energy transition.
‘What they tell us is that they really need models that allow them to capture the detail of policies to understand what their impacts might be and how the energy transition might unfold. We have been developing these capabilities for a few years, and this cohort of new models is now maturing.
‘But, we must acknowledge what is required is a new type of modelling that’s not been established and used in lots of places, so we need to do more to expand and learn from the promising work that’s already out there. In this paper, we explore what we what we need to do, things like invest in new teams, work with partners in more countries, and collect more detailed economic data to match the details of the models,’ Dr Barbrook-Johnson said.
‘Traditional economics has failed us by providing, so far, mostly bad advice. We’re trying to remedy that by developing a whole new style of models based on a different set of principles that does a better job of explaining empirical facts and that can better guide us through the transition.
‘This paper lays out a kind of manifesto for what can be done, including talking about the successes we’ve had in the EEIST project, where we gave examples of models that we think are doing a significantly better job than others.
‘Among other things we’ve shown that the energy transition is going to happen much faster than people have been realising as the costs of renewable energy are going to drop lower than fossil fuels on a purely economic basis. We need new economic modelling to support this. We still need some government support for technologies like green hydrogen that are needed to provide storage,’ Professor Farmer said.
Emergency response rooms are finding innovative approaches to providing rapid assistance to millions facing war in Sudan.
Teams of volunteer medical staff, engineers and other emergency experts across the country are addressing civilian needs amid the current bout of violence and insecurity stemming from clashes with rival military forces in April 2023.
So far, ERRs have reached more than four million civilians, bucking bureaucracy and finding innovative solutions.
UN News met with three young volunteers who visited UN Headquarters in New York to attend meetings with officials and actors in the humanitarian field.
The goal is simple: reach those facing the risk of death, famine, disease and difficulty obtaining drinking water, electricity and communication services.
Needs are great, they said. The ongoing conflict has led to the departure of humanitarian agencies, collapse of state institutions and interruption of basic services in large parts of the country amid soaring civilian casualties and large-scale displacement.
More than 7.4 million people have been forced to leave their homes in search of safety within and outside Sudan.
Operating in states across the country, ERRs function like a “local emergency government”.
Youth-led emergency response rooms expanded after the outbreak of war in Sudan to fill the vacuum created by the departure of international humanitarian organizations.
‘Filling a vacuum’
After the outbreak of war, Hanin Ahmed, a young Sudanese activist with a master’s degree in gender and specializing in peace and conflict, founded an emergency room in the Omdurman area with one of her colleagues.
She and her colleagues visited UN Headquarters to, among other things, shed light on the Sudan issue, which she said does not receive enough attention despite the catastrophic deterioration of the situation on the ground.
“We are united by humanitarian work and the sense of responding to the repercussions of war and helping people,” she told UN News.
The emergency rooms contribute to filling part of the vacuum left behind when international humanitarian organizations left, Ms. Ahmed explained.
Each initiative enjoys intense community participation by young people of all political orientations, she said, highlighting some of their success stories, from assisting victims of sexual violence to providing pathways to safety.
“Through our youth networks and our personal relationships, we were able to open safe corridors to evacuate citizens from neighbourhoods under attack and take them to shelter centres,” Ms. Ahmed said.
“We are proud of that.”
“But, we face theft and are exposed,” she said. “Young people are targeted, arrested and killed while they work in very difficult conditions.”
A simple, practical structure ‘away from bureaucracy’
Youth-led emergency responders are helping communities in the face of war.
The efforts expanded after the war broke out in April.
“We tried to find a simple and practical structure to carry out tasks, away from bureaucracy,” he said. “So far, we have been able to provide food, electricity, water and protection services to nearly four million people in Darfur and Khartoum.”
Where there is a need, ERRs take action. Unstable electricity services are addressed by volunteers carrying out maintenance operations.
Amid spreading violence, emergency rooms have so far been able to evacuate about 12,000 people, including more than 800 from the Al-Fitaihab area in Omdurman in December, Mr. Al-Ebaid said.
Children and women queue to collect clean and safe water in Zalingei town in central Darfur.
‘An emergency local government’
Darfur emergency rooms coordinator AbuZar Othman said these initiatives amount to “a local emergency government” that seeks to provide continuous humanitarian services managed by Sudanese men and women “in order to build solidarity that preserves our social fabric and dignity and covers our needs”.
Hanin Ahmed (left) and Muhammad Al-Ebaid work in emergency response rooms in Sudan.
Pointing to the enormous suffering that people in Darfur have been experiencing due to the armed conflicts since 2003 through the current war, he said violations against civilians “have risen to being described as crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing, leaving behind an extremely complex humanitarian, economic and social reality”.
At a time when the war is expanding alongside intertwined challenges, he said establishing emergency rooms in four states is a decisive step towards providing the necessary support and rapid response to citizens’ needs.
From the spread of weapons to ethnic tensions, Mr. Othman said the challenges are broad, including addressing the ongoing agricultural and grazing sector crises, interruptions of communications networks and a lack of health services.
Finding innovative solutions
At UN Headquarters, the three volunteers called on the international community to recognize emergency rooms as an actor in the humanitarian field and provide support to them.
“We are trying to adapt to all the challenges that exist and find innovative solutions to them, but we still need development, and we need a strong system that is compatible with all these challenges,” Ms. Ahmed said.
“We in emergency rooms cannot cover all the needs in conflict areas, therefore, we ask the international community and international organizations to shed light on the Sudanese issue and to put pressure to silence the sound of guns, protect civilians and provide more support to help those affected by the war.”
Fast facts
What are emergency response rooms (ERRs)?
Informal community-led initiatives in Sudan
Driven by local actors, including growing numbers of youth
Mobilized during the COVID-19 pandemic
Expanded following the outbreak of war in 2023
Rapid responders to urgent needs
Providers of essential humanitarian services to affected populations
Briefing journalists in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric cited the UN humanitarian affairs office, OCHA, which said the damage had occurred after a water filtering station was hit.
The city had a pre-war population of 220,000 people, now reduced to 90,000.
The attacks also caused civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure on both sides of the frontlines, according to both the Ukrainian Government and Russian-installed authorities in the occupied territory east of Kramatorsk.
“On the humanitarian response, aid organizations immediately delivered assistance, including emergency repair materials, to communities on the Ukrainian side of the frontline”, said Mr. Dujarric.
And humanitarians provided aid to the front-line town of Kurakhove, which has been impacted by 10 years of hostilities, following Russia’s initial annexation of territory in 2014.
The aid consisted of 13 tonnes of medical and hygiene supplies, including for people with disabilities, and other supplies to support civilians whose access to basic services is severely disrupted, the Spokesperson added.
Afghanistan: More than $400 million needed for post-earthquake recovery
A staggering $402.9 million will be needed to support recovery and reconstruction efforts in western Afghanistan following the devastating earthquakes last year, according to a UN-backed report published on Wednesday.
More than 1,500 people were killed, and 2,600 were injured, in the series of earthquakes which struck Herat province on 7, 11 and 15 October 2023.
People living in Herat Province, Afghanistan, are coming to terms with the devastation caused to property by the earthquake.
The Post-Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) report– published by the UN together with the World Bank, the European Union, and the Asian Development Bank – surveyed nine districts, covering some 2.2 million people.
It highlights the scale of the disaster, which caused direct physical damage up to $217 million and losses reaching nearly $80 million.
Housing was the most severely affected sector and represents 41 percent of the total recovery needs, or $164.4 million. Nearly 50,000 homes were damaged in the earthquakes, with 13,516 being completely destroyed.
Education followed in second place, and the report noted that 180,000 students and 4,390 teachers currently face disruptions. Meanwhile, the agriculture sector, which accounts for the majority of jobs and income in the affected areas, has suffered considerable setbacks.
The assessment revealed that over 275,000 people were affected, including pregnant women, infants, and people with severe disabilities.
The earthquakes hit vulnerable communities with limited resilience to handle multiple shocks. Herat is among provinces hosting the largest numbers of Afghans who have been internally displaced due to conflict and drought, resulting in severe impacts on access to services, land, and shelter which has only worsened.
The report stressed the need to transition from immediate humanitarian aid to long-term recovery, prioritizing strategies for building community resilience, service restoration, earthquake-safe housing, social protection, and access to basic services.
US companies dump ‘forever chemicals’ with impunity: UN experts
In the United States, the DuPont and Chemours chemical companies are dumping toxic so-called “forever chemicals” into the local environment, completely disregarding the rights and well being of residents along the lower Cape Fear River in North Carolina.
That’s according to a group of nine independent UN human rights experts, who released a statement on Wednesday warning of the dangerous effects from the chemicals, commonly referred to as PFAs, or polyfluoroalkyl substances, and said members of impacted communities have reportedly been denied access to clean and safe water for decades.
PFAs come from products such as shampoo, nail polish and the synthetic coating on carpets or fabrics.
They are known as forever chemicals because they do not easily degrade in nature and can cause harm for decades, even centuries.
Even though the companies are aware of the toxic impact of PFAs, they continue to discharge them, the experts said.
They also raised alarm over exports of PFAs and hazardous waste from the Netherlands to the United States, in apparent breach of international law.
Inadequate and insufficient
The experts said enforcement and remediation measures have been inadequate where legal action has been taken against the two companies.
“Health and environmental regulators in the United States have fallen short in their duty to protect against business-related human rights abuses, including providing the public – particularly affected communities in North Carolina – with the type and amount of information necessary to prevent harm and seek reparation,” the experts said.
The UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts have raised these concerns with the US Government, which has yet to reply.
Special Rapporteurs and other experts work on a voluntary basis and do not receive a salary, serving entirely in their individual capacity.
Multilingual education, a useful tool for tackling learning crisis
Finally, Wednesday is International Mother Language Day, and education, science and culture agency UNESCO is calling on all countries to pursue a policy of multilingual education.
That’s because it’s key to fighting the current global learning crisis, having produced positive results in the past.
According to a recent agency study, children are more likely to start reading earlier when they are taught in their mother tongue during the earliest school years.
Lessons from Africa
Proof can be found across Africa. The continent has the world’s highest linguistic diversity, but only one in five children are taught their mother tongue.
To change that, Mozambique expanded bilingual learning to a quarter of its schools, and children are already performing around 15 per cent better in basic reading and mathematics, UNESCO said.
While people communicate in more than 6,700 languages around the world, 40 per cent of them are threatened with extinction in the long term, due to falling numbers of speakers.
