The agreement was signed today by Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, and the Minister of Justice and Public Security of Brazil, Ricardo Lewandowski, in the presence of Europol’s Executive Director, Catherine De Bolle.Brazil has been a key partner for Europol since 2017, with a strong record of operational cooperation across various crime areas, including drug trafficking, cybercrime…
Frontex signs working arrangement with the European Commission to Strengthen Cooperation on Migration Management
Today Frontex and the European Commission signed a working arrangement that represents a strategic advancement in the EU’s ability to manage migration flows and respond to potential crises with resilience and coordination.
Syrians’ hopes for a better future depend on justice for the disappeared, Human Rights Council hears
Yasmen Almashan, a founding member of the Caesar Families Association, lost five of her six brothers between 2012 and 2014 during the early years of the Syrian civil war.
Today, Ms. Almashan advocates for the truth about what happened to Syria’s more than 130,000 missing persons. This quest would be greatly helped by the creation of a national transitional justice policy for Syria, by the country’s caretaker authorities, she told the Human Rights Council in Geneva.
“Participation of victims is key for transition justice programmes to succeed and reinforce a culture of human rights in countries which suffer from dictatorships, or which go through transition periods,” she said.
“The victims can facilitate contacts between parts of society and assure an environment of peace and justice in Syria,” she insisted.
Ms. Almashan has previously explained how her second brother was arrested in March 2012 and then tortured in a detention centre. He was identified in the Caesar Files – named after a former Syrian military photographer codenamed Caesar.
It was in part thanks to the Syrian NGO’s persistent lobbying that the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 77/301 in June 2023, establishing the Independent Institution for the Missing in Syria and ensuring victim participation in its work.
Addressing past atrocities
Spearheading renewed calls for transitional justice, UN human rights chief Volker Türk welcomed efforts by Member States to address past atrocities to benefit future generations.
In Guatemala, victim-driven coalitions have secured the conviction of 31 military and paramilitary personnel for crimes against humanity and genocide.
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights also stressed the importance of an inclusive approach to transitional justice which should be victim-centered, inclusive, gender-responsive and innovative.
Reminding the Council that 2024 saw the highest number of active conflicts since the Second World War, Mr. Türk also welcomed Colombia’s efforts to resolve animosity between parties formerly involved in the country’s decades-long civil war. Measures include offering psychosocial support for victims, addressing land distribution problems, promoting rural development and restoring indigenous territories’ ecosystems.
In Kenya, survivors of sexual violence can advocate for justice through a national network for reparations, the High Commissioner added, while in Chad, victims last year received reparations thanks to the perseverance of civil society groups.
Sofija Todorović, Programme Director, Youth Initiative for Human Rights (YIHR), Serbia, addresses the Human Rights Council meeting on transitional justice.
Empowering young people
Echoing that message, Sofija Todorovic, Programme Director of Serbian NGO Youth Initiative for Human Rights, insisted that young people should not be left out of conversations about building a more just future for their countries.
“It is our duty to stand behind them. We must equip them with the tools and opportunities to create the future they deserve. The rest, they will do themselves,” Ms. Todorovic said.
Genocide prevention calls
Also at the Council on Wednesday, UN human rights deputy chief Nada Al-Nashif warned Member States that international law principles protecting humanity from atrocities were under threat.
“We are living through dangerous times as deep divisions and extreme views feed both conflict and violence” in several regions of the world, Ms. Al-Nashif said.
Genocide is preceded by “clear patterns of discrimination of exclusion and incitement to hatred based on race, ethnicity, religion or other characteristics,” she said.
Strained global norms
“The global norms that protect us all, starting with the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, are under unprecedented strain,” she continued, stressing that the UN was set up in the aftermath of the Holocaust to avoid another genocide.
Arms sales and transfers, the provision of military, logistical or financial support to parties to conflicts violating international law are “obvious examples” of indicators that states may be contributing to such crimes, she stressed.
“Genocide happens when humanity’s moral compass fails, when hateful ideologies proliferate, and when the dehumanization of an entire group of people is allowed to take root and to spread,” Ms. Al-Nashif said.
“Together, let’s move towards a world in which genocide, and other atrocity crimes are inconceivable. Or if all else fails, then they are punished.”
Drought and dire hunger loom in Somalia, warns UN food agency WFP
The East African country faced famine in 2022, but a scale-up in humanitarian assistance helped to avert catastrophe.
Today, food insecurity on the increase once again, with 3.4 million people already acutely food insecure. That number is projected to rise by a full million, to 4.4 million between April and June – nearly a quarter of the population.
According to the international food security classification system IPC, acute hunger is level three on a scale of one to five, with level five denoting famine and level four, severe acute malnutrition.
High risk of mortality
WFP believes that about 1.26 million children under the age of five need immediate support. Of that number, 466,000 will likely be severely acutely malnourished this year and at risk of death.
“We have learned in Somalia from past experience that that delays can be deadly, and we need resources to provide support to these very vulnerable groups,” said WFP spokesperson Jean-Martin Bauer, speaking from Rome.
He called on donors and partners to increase funding to the country of 19 million people.
Poor harvest
Two consecutive failed crop seasons last year resulted in harvests 45 per cent below-average yields, Mr. Bauer said.
This is linked to consecutive climate shocks in Somalia, where poor rainfall depleted water sources and led to livestock losses.
Weather forecasters predict another drought from April to June, while humanitarians warn that malnutrition is likely to worsen due to disease outbreaks and reduced food access.
WFP has yet to factor in the impact of any funding cuts from the United States but chronic underfunding has forced it to cut back assistance to 820,000 people, down from 2.2 million in 2022.
The agency has also had to downsize its school feeding programme, which was suspended in some states including the South West and Somaliland.
Funding shortfalls
Just 12 per cent of the $1.4 billion overall appeal for Somalia has been funded so far, Mr. Bauer said.
The WFP provides up to 90 per cent of food assistance in Somalia, making it an essential lifeline for thousands of people, including many internally displaced by conflict.
A combination of in-kind food assistance and cash-based transfers is needed to mitigate the worst effects of the crisis, Mr. Bauer stressed, referring to aid coming in the form of goods or services like food packages, shelter and blankets.
“When you are facing a crisis like the one we are worried about in Somalia, we need all types of resources to be put at play to avert the worst,” he said.
UN report reveals brutal attacks targeting Muslims, refugees in Central African Republic
Investigations by the UN human rights office (OHCHR) and the UN peacekeeping mission in the country, MINUSCA, found evidence of summary executions, sexual violence and torture.
Other violations included cruel and degrading treatment, forced labour, and looting of homes and shops.
Decades of instability
CAR has been plagued by decades of instability and communal violence along religious and ethnic lines. UN assessments suggest that one in five people are displaced internally or outside the country’s borders due to the conflict.
The fighting has also taken a terrible toll on vital infrastructure, including schools and hospitals.
The civil war in Sudan and tensions in southern Chad, have led to an influx of refugees, asylum seekers and returnees to already overwhelmed areas of CAR.
Climate of terror
The report detailed two waves of attacks in the Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou prefectures, in October 2024 and January 2025, in which at least 24 people were killed, including victims who had been summarily executed.
The attacks were directed and coordinated by elements of Wagner Ti Azandé (WTA), an armed group with ties to the national army. WTA originally belonged to another armed group called Azandé Ani Kpi Gbé (Azanikpigbe), whose members were also involved in the attacks.
In early October, both groups attacked the towns of Dembia and Rafaï, in the Mbomou prefecture, mainly targeting the Fulani pastoral community and other Muslims, as well as a camp for Sudanese refugees and asylum-seekers.
In Dembia, WTA and Azanikpigbe fighters publicly executed a 36-year-old Fulani man, “creating a climate of terror among the population”, according to the report, while seven other Fulani men were tied up and thrown alive into the Ouara River.
Attackers also carried out widespread sexual violence, with at least 24 victims, including 14 women and seven girls who were raped.
On January 21, a separate attack on a Fulani camp near Mboki, in Haut-Mbomou, left at least 12 dead.
Call for accountability
Volker Türk, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, underscored the need to bring perpetrators to justice.
“These horrible crimes must not go unpunished. Accountability is fundamental to ensuring such violations never happen again,” he said, calling for the ties between the WTA group and the national army to be clarified and for full transparency regarding the group’s actions and its lawfulness.
“If this is not possible, the group should be disarmed.”
According to the report, at least 14 WTA members were arrested in Mboki and Bangui after the attack on the Fulani camp near Mboki.
Limited State presence
The report also highlighted the limited presence of State security forces in parts of the prefectures of Mbomou and Haut-Mbomou, fuelling the climate of impunity.
Valentine Rugwabiza, the head of MINUSCA, warned that despite continued efforts by the Government – with support from the Mission – the situation in the two regions remains deeply concerning.
“Failure to adequately respond to these crimes would undermine the hard-earned security gains and further erode social cohesion in areas where efforts have been made with communities to defuse tensions and promote peaceful coexistence,” she said.
MINUSCA peacekeepers on patrol in Mbomou prefecture, southeast Central African Republic. (file)
Response and ongoing efforts
In response to the violence, MINUSCA has intensified efforts to protect civilians and support the restoration of State authority in the affected regions.
Since October 2024, the Mission has deployed forces to Dembia, setting up a temporary operational base. In January, it also advocated for more Central African armed forces (FACA) troops to reinforce security.
In addition, it facilitated a visit by the regional governor to Dembia in November, helping promote dialogue and reconciliation among the region’s communities.
The Central African Government has also taken steps to address the violence, including arresting some WTA members. It has also announced plans to establish a Tribunal of Grande Instance in Zémio for affected communities to access justice and combat impunity.
Gaza: Deep concern for civilians as aid crossings remain shut
Speaking to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York, Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that the Kerem Shalom, Zikim and Erez crossings had remained closed for cargo for the third consecutive day, severely restricting the flow of humanitarian supplies into the devastated enclave.
“The Israeli authorities have rejected our attempts to collect humanitarian supplies that crossed the Kerem Shalom border crossing before its closure,” he said, citing the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
“Given the huge needs in Gaza, keeping the crossings closed will have devastating consequences,” he added, underscoring that Member States and those with influence must use all available means to ensure the ceasefire holds.
Aid should not be used as ‘a weapon’: UNRWA chief
Philippe Lazzarini, Commissioner-General of the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), warned on Tuesday that Israel’s decision to halt aid should be reversed.
“Humanitarian aid must continue to flow at scale similar to what we have seen over the past six weeks when the ceasefire began. This brought respite and relief to people in need,” he said in a post on the platform X.
He noted that the vast majority of the people in Gaza rely on aid for their “sheer survival”, adding that water, medical care and electricity were essential to complement basic food assistance.
“Aid and these basic services are non-negotiable. They must never be used as weapons of war,” Mr. Lazzarini stated.
Services continue
Despite the restrictions, UN agencies and humanitarian partners on the ground are working to sustain aid operations across the Gaza Strip, Mr. Dujarric said.
On Monday, the dialysis unit at Al Rantisi Children’s Hospital in Gaza City resumed services on Tuesday, alongside a 25-bed in-patient unit. Paediatric services also resumed at the Indonesian Hospital in North Gaza.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that 29 child patients, along with 43 companions, were evacuated from Gaza to Jordan via Israel for specialized medical treatment. This marked the first WHO-supported medical evacuation to Jordan since the ceasefire began in January.
Inside Gaza, WHO has also provided hygiene and sanitation supplies to thousands of women and girls, warning that the lack of access to clean water and sanitation could worsen mental health conditions for those who have been displaced.
Escalation in the West Bank
In the West Bank, Israeli military operations in Jenin have escalated, leading to more displacement and destruction, Mr. Dujarric reported.
Israeli forces ordered residents in one part of Jenin city to evacuate their homes, displacing about 30 families “including at least three, who had been displaced previously,” he said.
He added that Israeli forces used bulldozers, damaging infrastructure and causing power outages, while intensified access and movement restrictions to and from the city were also observed.
New EU actions to boost European car sector
The European Commission has presented an Action Plan for a thriving car industry that creates jobs, drives growth, and protects the environment. The Plan includes funding worth €1.8 billion to create a secure and competitive supply chain for battery raw materials.
Investing in people for a competitive EU
The Union of Skills focuses on delivering higher levels of basic skills, providing lifelong opportunities for adults to regularly upskill and reskill, making recruitment across the EU easier for businesses, and attracting and retaining the skills and talents needed in the EU.
UN envoy strongly condemns continuing Israeli attacks inside Syria
Geir Pedersen said in a statement that “such actions are unacceptable and risk further destabilising an already fragile situation, heightening regional tension and undermining efforts toward de-escalation and a sustainable political transition.”
The condemnation follows a recent wave of airstrikes and ground raids targeting southern Syria which the Israeli Government says are necessary for national security and to keep weapons out of the hands of armed groups hostile to Israel.
Airstrikes, incursions
The latest Israeli raid occurred on Monday night targeting a weapons storage facility near the coastal city of Latakia. Several hours later Israeli forces conducted operations in two towns in southern Syria blowing up warehouses, before withdrawing, according to news reports.
A week ago, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called for the “complete demilitarisation” of swathes of southern Syria of the “forces of the new regime”, which ousted former dictator Bashar Assad in December.
In response, Syria’s transitional leader Ahmad al-Sharaa reportedly said at the meeting of Arab States in Cairo on Tuesday focused on Gaza reconstruction that Syria is committed to the ceasefire deal of 1974, accusing Israel of violating Syrians’ rights for decades.
Special envoy Pedersen called on Israel to “cease violations, uphold its international obligations and refrain from unilateral measures that exacerbate conflict.”
He called for all parties to conflict across the region to respect Syria’s sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity.
“Constructive dialogue and strict adherence to international agreements and international law are essential for security,” he added.
Aid trucks
Meanwhile, UN aid coordination office, OCHA, has welcomed the extension by the caretaker authorities for the UN to continue to deliver humanitarian assistance through the Bab al-Salam and Al-Ra’ee crossing for an additional six months,
Bab Al-Salam and Al-Ra’ee provide direct routes to Aleppo, where some four million people need assistance, UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Tuesday.
Since the start of the year, more than 520 trucks carrying UN aid – including food, health and other critical supplies – have crossed from Türkiye through these two border points, as well as through Bab al-Hawa – a substantial increase compared to the same period last year.
“This afternoon, nearly two dozen trucks carrying 300 metric tons of WFP food – enough for 174,000 people – as well as agricultural supplies from the Food and Agriculture Organization, crossed from Türkiye to Syria through Bab Al-Hawa,” Mr. Dujarric said.
