European Catholic Social Days on technological & ecological transitions

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COMECE

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20 March 2022

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European Catholic Social Days on technological & ecological transitions

The second day of the European Catholic Social Days, Saturday 19 March 2022, was devoted to the theme of digital and ecological transition processes. “Every effort to protect and improve our world entails profound changes in “lifestyles, models of production and consumption”.

H.E. Mgr. Paul Tighe, Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture, delivered the first keynote speech of the day, addressing participants onnew technologies, especially Artificial Intelligence (AI), and their impact on our societies. He highlighted the need for new pastoral and moral responses to the technological development.

Panel debate on the technological transition in Europe. (Credit: Slovak Bishops’ Conference)

On the wave of Mgr. Tighe’s speech, the morning panel debate evolved around the challenges posed to our societies by the transformation of work caused by new technologies. The debate saw the participation of Sarah Prenger, President Emeritus of the International Young Christian Workers’ Movement, Ulrich Hemel, President of the German Association of Catholic Entrepreneurs, and Miriam Lexman, Member of the European Parliament. Watch the full video

In the afternoon, Daniel Guéry, Chargé de Mission at the French Bishops’ Conference, presented the contribution of European Catholic-inspired NGOs for the promotion of the common good, justice and solidarity in the context of the technological and ecological transitions.

The ecological transition was addressed in the afternoon panel. Professor Helga Kromp-Kolb, Emeritus Head of the Centre for Global Change and Sustainability at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences of Vienna, delivered a keynote speech on the challenges posed by the climate change.

Screenshot 2022 03 19 at 17.12.35 400x223 1 European Catholic Social Days on technological & ecological transitions — Professor Helga Kromp-Kolb, Emeritus Head of the Centre for Global Change and Sustainability at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences of Vienna.

The debate that followed included precious contributions from Philippe Lamberts, Member of the European Parliament, Marie Lavall, President of FIMCAP, and Mgr. Bohdan Dzyurakh, representative of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic Church.

Together, they analysed the ecological challenges ahead, and explored ways Catholics, especially families and youth, can contribute to a better care of our Common Home. A good summary of the debate is represented by Pope John Paul II’s statement included in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’ Encyclical Letter: “Every effort to protect and improve our world entails profound changes in “lifestyles, models of production and consumption”. (Laudato Si’, 5)

During the debate, participants were moved by Mgr. Bohdan Dzyurakh’s testimony on the current tragedy unfolding in Ukraine. Mgr. Dzyurakh brought the suffering of Ukrainian families and prayed for a renewed Europe based on justice, freedom and fraternity. Watch the full video of the session

Screenshot 2022 03 19 at 19.16.41 400x224 1 European Catholic Social Days on technological & ecological transitions — “Romaňi kereka”, a Roma celebration of motherhood offered by “Čiriklore”, a local Roma folklore youth ensemble.

The second day of the European Catholic Social Days was enriched by a colorful and dynamic cultural event, the “Romaňi kereka”, a Roma celebration of motherhood offered by “Čiriklore”, a local Roma folklore youth ensemble.

In the morning, the Presidents of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, COMECE and CCEE released a statement welcoming Pope Francis’ call to consecrate Russia and Ukraine to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Download the statement

Visit the official website of the event to download programme, speeches, contributions, videos and photos: www.catholicsocialdays.eu

War in Ukraine: MEPs outline their vision for Europe’s future security

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European Parliament

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19 March 2022

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War in Ukraine: MEPs outline their vision for Europe’s future security | News | European Parliament

In the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, MEPs call for more EU defence efforts and further steps to cut Europe’s energy dependence on the Kremlin.

On Wednesday morning, MEPs debated Europe’s role in a changing world and the continent’s security situation in the wake of the Russian aggression against Ukraine with Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and EU Foreign Policy Chief Josep Borrell.

Kicking off the debate, Parliament’s President Roberta Metsola touched upon what the EU must do next to respond to Russia’s invasion and the Kremlin’s attempts to destabilise the European security order: “We need to re-assess Europe’s role in this new world. We need to boost our investment in defence and innovative technologies. This is the time for us to take decisive steps to ensure the security of all Europeans. The time to build a real Security and Defence Union and reduce our dependence on the Kremlin. What we have seen so far in terms of European coordination, solidarity and unity is unprecedented – and must be the blueprint for us going forward.”

Reminding MEPs that she, herself, is the child of a deportee whom Stalin sent away to Siberia, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas praised the actions the EU has taken to help Ukraine and the solidarity European citizens have shown to those fleeing war. She, nevertheless, pointed out: “We are in this for the long haul. We will have to exercise strategic patience, because peace is not going to break out tomorrow.”

Prime Minister Kallas called for a “Policy of Smart Containment”. She stressed the need for the EU “to push harder and faster to cut our energy dependence on Russian gas and oil” and to strengthen European defence working “hand-in-hand with NATO”. Speaking of the future of Ukraine, she said: “It is not only in our interest to give Ukraine a membership perspective; it is also our moral duty to do so. Ukraine is not fighting for Ukraine; it is fighting for Europe. If not now, then when?”

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, in turn, emphasised how the ongoing war will “leave a mark in history” and underlined that the EU and its citizens must now finally make a collective effort to reduce their energy dependence on Russia. This also includes explaining to citizens “that our way of life comes with a cost”. Europe will have to be ready to pay the price in order to respond to Russia, and the consequences of this war will be long-lasting; shaping European policies for years and decades to come, he said.

You can watch the recording of their statements here.

Boost European defence, new European asylum rules needed, cut Russian gas

The first round of political group speakers consisted of the following MEPs: Arnaud Danjean (EPP, France), Iratxe García Pérez (S&D, Spain), Nathalie Loiseau (Renew Europe, France), Ska Keller (Greens/EFA, Germany), Jaak Madison (ID, Estonia), Anna Fotyga (ECR, Poland), Martin Schirdewan (The Left, Germany). You can watch the recording of their interventions here.

In their speeches, many MEPs highlighted the EU’s previous failed efforts to boost its defence capabilities. They welcomed the new Strategic Compass to provide security in the EU and urged for a joint push to advance the European Defence Union, but called for efforts from all member states to transform their pledges into reality. They also stressed the need for the EU to cut its use of Russian gas and oil, for more investments in green technologies and energy storage and to introduce a proper migration system for welcoming and sharing responsibility for refugees.

Some Members pointed out that investing in security means more than just spending money on the military, for example it includes support for critical infrastructure, cyber resilience and speeding up the green transition. Others called for more effective sanctions against Russian President Vladimir Putin and his oligarchs, increased tax transparency and a need to slow down the arms race.

Pope Francis addresses the participants of the 3rd edition of the European Catholic Social Days

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COMECE

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19 March 2022

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Pope Francis addressed the participants of the 3^rd edition of the European Catholic Social Days on Friday 18 March 2022, thanking Church actors for the “prompt and coordinated response in coming to the aid” of the refugees from Ukraine. Read the message of Pope Francis

On the occasion of the opening session of the 3^rd edition of the European Catholic Days held in Bratislava on 17-20 March 2022, the Holy Father addressed the participants of the event with a message focused on the current war and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine.

“The distressing cry for help of our Ukrainian brothers and sisters urges us as a community of believers not only to reflect seriously, but to weep with them and to do something for them; to share the anguish of a people whose identity, history and tradition have been wounded”, reads Pope Francis’ message.

“Once again humanity is threatened by a perverse abuse of power and vested interest, which condemns defenseless people to suffer all forms of brutal violence”, the message continues.

While thanking all those who acted with a “prompt and coordinated response in coming to the aid of the people, guaranteeing them material help, shelter and hospitality”, the Holy Father prayed for a general “commitment to rebuild an architecture of peace at the global level, where the European home, born to guarantee peace after the world wars, plays a primary role”.

President of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference, Zuzana Čaputová. (Credit: Slovak Bishops’ Conference)The opening session also included the participation of Zuzana Čaputová, President of the Slovak Republic. “All the moral and spiritual qualities that we are discovering and mobilising in ourselves today – she stated referring to the ongoing war in Ukraine and to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic to our societies – will undoubtedly be needed in the future, when we face the challenges that lie ahead. The war has erupted at a moment when our continent is facing a number of serious and interlinked challenges, including the climate crisis, ageing, changes in the labour market and social inequalities”. Read the speech of President Zuzana Čaputová

Mgr. Zvolenský, President of the Slovak Bishops’ Conference. (Credit: Slovak Bishops’ Conference)

Following the European Catholic Social Days held in Gdansk (2009) and in Madrid (2014), this third edition – entitled “Europe after the pandemic – towards a new beginning” – gathered hundreds of delegates of the Bishops’ Conferences to discuss about the most pressuring socialchallenges in Europe.

This event aims at reflecting upon the demographic, technological and ecological transition processes taking place in European societies. Moreover, as highlighted by H. E. Mgr. Stanislav Zvolenský, President of the Bishops’ Conference of Slovakia, in his opening remarks, “the theme of the war confrontation and its consequences, especially from a social point of view […], has become particularly topical in this regard”. Read the speech of Mgr. Stanislav Zvolenský

H. Em. Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich SJ, President of COMECE, reiterated the “fraternal closeness and solidarity with our brother and sisters in Ukraine”, welcomed the event as the occasion to “reflect on the importance of solidarity and social justice in Europe” and invited all participants to “rediscover together our vocation to fraternity, and to reflect and debate on the way forward towards a just recovery in Europe, leaving no one behind”. Read the speech of Cardinal Hollerich

“We embark with the hope of helping one another find a path on which we can assist in the renewal of the Church in Europe and of our European society” –the President of CCEE, H.E. Mgr. Gintaras Grušas, added.

“The challenges before us are great, but our coming together to pray, to analyze the current situation and to look for solutions is at an appropriate moment”, he continued. Read the speech of Mgr. Grušas

H. Em. Cardinal Michael Czerny took part in the opening session of the European Catholic Social Days following his visit to some of the structures receiving refugees at the Slovakian-Ukrainian border. “[I saw war] in displaced and desperate eyes, in personal and family histories abruptly ended”, he stated.

“How do we, as Christian or non-Christian citizens, as laity or clergy and hierarchy, contribute to peace in Europe? Such an examination of conscience invites us to meditate on the violent history of the 20th century and the first 20 years of the 21st. The vocabulary and thinking of such an examen may be found in ‘Fratelli tutti’”, he continued. Read the speech of Cardinal Czerny

During the first day of the event, participants joined various workshops and reflected and explored the social, ecological and demographic challenges in today’s Europe, including the road to recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Watch the videos

A powerful ecumenical prayer closed the first day of the third edition of the European Catholic Social Days. The ceremony was celebrated at the Saint Martin’s Cathedral of Bratislava, where participants, including the Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger, prayed for peace in Ukraine and in the world.

Visit the official website of the event to download the programme, speeches, contributions, videos and photos: www.catholicsocialdays.eu

The birds are singing less and quietly

By

Gaston de Persigny

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19 March 2022

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This can have unpleasant consequences for humanity

The songs of birds are one of the main touches in literature, movies and are among the first things that attract people’s interest in nature. A new study from the University of East Anglia shows that the “nature soundtrack” is becoming more uniform and quiet, Nature reported, quoted by CNET.

The researchers used the Xeno-Canto online database, which contains records of various birds. They also added information on bird censuses and data from over 200,000 places in the last 25 years.

The analysis shows that in North America and Europe there is a significant decline in the diversity of bird songs, as well as in their strength. This could lead to unpleasant consequences for humanity, scientists warn.

“The results show that the spring soundtrack is becoming quieter and more uniform, and this is one of the main ways in which people interact with nature. If it is chronically declining, it can have widespread unpleasant consequences for human health and well-being.” , warns Simon Butler, head of the study.

The trend is not new. In 2019, another study was published that covered only the United States and Canada. It found a decline in the bird population, the main reasons being climate change and declining habitats.

According to Catriona Morrison, co-author of the new study, the reason for the deteriorating environment may be the weakening link between humans and nature. The result is a vicious circle in which the missing bird songs alienate people from nature, they think less and less about it and this contributes to their activities, which further deteriorate the environment.

“Studies like ours seek to draw attention to the problem and demonstrate the potential impact of such factors on overall human well-being,” Morrison added.

Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Passes Strict Test Using Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory

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Guest Author

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19 March 2022

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Einstein’s Theory of Relativity Passes Strict Test Using Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory

Researchers from the Institute of High Energy Physics of the Chinese Academy of Sciences examined the validity of the theory of relativity with the highest accuracy in a study entitled “Exploring Lorentz Invariance Violation from Ultrahigh-Energy ?Rays Observed by LHAASO,” which was published in the latest issue of Physical Review Letters.

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, the fastest speed of matter in the Universe is the speed of light. Whether that limit is breachable can be tested by examining Lorentz symmetry breaking or Lorentz invariance violation.

The Large High Altitude Air Shower Observatory (LHAASO) is a gamma-ray and cosmic-ray observatory in China that is designed to observe air showers triggered by gamma rays and cosmic rays.

“Using the world’s highest energy gamma rays observed by the Large High Altitude Air-shower Observatory (LHAASO), a large-scale cosmic ray experiment in Daocheng, Sichuan province, China, we tested Lorentz symmetry. The result improves the breaking energy scale of Lorentz symmetry by dozens of times compared with the previous best result. This is the most rigorous test of a Lorentz symmetry breaking form, confirming once again the validity of Einstein’s relativistic space-time symmetry,” said Prof. BI Xiaojun, one of the paper’s corresponding authors. Prof. BI is a scientist at the Institute of High Energy Physics and a member of the LHAASO collaboration.

What is the relationship between Lorentz symmetry and the theory of relativity?

Einstein’s theory of relativity, the cornerstone of modern physics, requires that physical laws have Lorentz symmetry. In the more than 100 years since Einstein proposed his theory of relativity, the validity of Lorentz symmetry has undergone numerous experimental tests.

However, there is an irreconcilable contradiction between general relativity, which describes gravity, and quantum mechanics, which describes the laws of the microscopic world. In order to unify general relativity and quantum mechanics, theoretical physicists have made unremitting efforts and have developed theories such as string theory and loop quantum gravity theory. These theories predict that Lorentz symmetry is likely to be broken at very high energies, which means relativity may need to be modified at high energies.

Therefore, it is crucial to test the theory of relativity and develop more fundamental laws of physics by looking for signals of Lorentz symmetry breaking. However, according to these theories, the effect of Lorentz symmetry breaking is only significant at the so-called Planck energy scale, which is up to 1019 GeV (1 GeV = 1 billion electron volts).

Since artificial accelerators can only reach about 104 GeV, the effects of Lorentz symmetry breaking are too weak to be tested in laboratories. But there are very violent astrophysical processes in the universe where particles can be accelerated to energies much higher than what man-made accelerators can reach. Therefore, astrophysical observations are a natural laboratory for looking for the effects of Lorentz symmetry breaking.

LHAASO is a large-scale cosmic ray experiment in China. During the process of construction in 2021, the world’s highest energy gamma ray event was recorded by LHAASO, with its energy up to 1.4 PeV (1 PeV = 1015 electron volts). At the same time as setting a world record, it also provided a valuable opportunity for exploring the basic laws of physics, such as Lorentz symmetry.

Lorentz symmetry breaking may cause high-energy photons to become unstable, rapidly decaying into an electron-positron pair or into three photons. “In other words, the high-energy photons automatically disappear on their journey to Earth if Lorentz symmetry is broken, which implies the energy spectrum we measured should be truncated at a particular energy,” said Prof. BI.

The data from LHAASO show that the current gamma ray spectrum continues to high energies above PeV, and no “mysterious” disappearance of any high-energy gamma ray events has been found. This result shows that Lorentz symmetry is still maintained when approaching the Planck energy scale.

Reference: “Exploring Lorentz Invariance Violation from Ultrahigh-Energy ? Rays Observed by LHAASO” by Zhen Cao et al. (LHAASO Collaboration), 3 February 2022, Physical Review Letters.
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.128.051102

The Sex of Your Cells Matters When It Comes to Heart Disease

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universities

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19 March 2022

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The Sex of Your Cells Matters When It Comes to Heart Disease

Most mammals, including humans, have two sex chromosomes, X and Y. One sex chromosome is usually inherited from each parent, and they pair up as either XX or XY in every cell of the body. People with XX chromosomes typically identify as female, and people with XY chromosomes typically identify as male. The genes on these chromosomes play a key role in development and function – including how heart disease develops.

Before I became a biomedical engineer studying how sex chromosomes affect the heart, I learned about one curious function of X chromosomes in my high school science class, with the calico cat example.

Female calico cats almost always have orange and black splotches of fur, because the gene that defines coat color is found on the X chromosome. When an orange cat mates with a black cat, female offspring, which typically inherit one X chromosome from each parent, will have a mixture of orange and black fur – one X chromosome encodes for orange fur while the other encodes for black fur. For this reason, male cats, which typically have one X and one Y chromosome, have solid orange or black coats.

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Calico and tortoiseshell cats have multicolored patches of fur because only one of their two X chromosomes is activated in each cell.

How does this sex difference in fur color happen biologically? As it turns out, cells with XX chromosomes experience X-inactivation: The X chromosome from one parent is turned off in some cells, while the X chromosome inherited from the other parent is turned off in others. In the cells of female calico cats, X-inactivation can lead to splotches of orange and black fur if one X chromosome comes from a parent with orange fur and the other X chromosome comes from a parent with black fur.

X-inactivation happens because organisms like cats and people need only one X chromosome to function properly. To ensure the correct “dosage,” one of the X chromosomes is turned off in every cell. But some of the genes on the inactivated X chromosome escape inactivation and stay turned on. In fact, up to one-third of the genes on the X chromosome in people can escape inactivation, and they are thought to play a role in regulating health and disease.

Because X-inactivation happens only in those people with more than one X chromosome, researchers like me have been looking at how the genes that escape inactivation on the second X affect the health of people with XX chromosomes. We’ve found that for certain conditions, cell sex may be at the heart of the matter.

A change of heart

One disease that X chromosome escape genes partially regulate is aortic valve stenosis, a condition in which the part of the heart that controls blood flow to the rest of the body stiffens and narrows. This makes the heart work harder to pump blood and can ultimately lead to heart failure. Much like a person trying to push open a door with rusty hinges, the heart gets tired. There are currently no effective drugs available to slow or halt AVS disease symptoms.

Hearts with aortic valve stenosis must pump harder to push blood through a narrowed aortic valve to the rest of the body. Credit: SuneErichsen/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

Discussion on addressing and countering the world drug problem

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Newsdesk

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18 March 2022

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Table of Contents

Multi-stakeholder discussion on addressing and countering the world drug problem at the sixty-fifth Commission on Narcotic Drugs

Vienna (Austria), 18 March 2022 — The sixty-fifth session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) concluded today, after five days of discussions focused on the implementation of international drug control treaties and drug policy commitments.

Ghada Waly, Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), highlighted in her closing remarks to the sixty-fifth session that “the international drug control system has stood for decades, preventing the misuse of potentially harmful substances, while governing their use for medical and scientific purposes”. “The Commission continues to act as a key platform for governments, experts, international organizations, civil society, academia, youth, and all other stakeholders to address the world drug problem,” she added.

The work of the Commission in its sixty-fifth session

During the week, Member States exchanged views on the implementation of the international drug control treaties and drug policy commitments. Discussions also revolved around the work of the Commission’s subsidiary bodies in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, and the Near and Middle East. These bodies foster regional exchange among national law enforcement authorities of good practices and lessons learned in addressing and countering the world drug problem.

The session also gave the international community an opportunity to reflect on the Commission’s contributions to the review and implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.

The Commission reviewed World Health Organization (WHO) and International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) scheduling recommendations and decided to place two novel synthetic opioids, one cathinone/stimulant and three fentanyl precursors under international control. The sixty-fifth session of the CND also adopted four resolutions, covering topics including: alternative development; links between illicit drug trafficking and illicit firearms trafficking; scientific evidence-based early prevention; and diversion of non-scheduled chemicals frequently used in the illicit manufacture of drugs and proliferation of designer precursors.

CND side-events

In the margins of the sixty-fifth session of the CND, over 120 side events were held online on topics including, but not limited to: access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes; evidence-based prevention and treatment; incorporating gender and youth perspectives in drug policy; promoting alternative development; countering illicit drug trafficking and addressing links between drug trafficking and other forms of organized crime; ensuring that no one affected by the world drug problem is left behind; addressing new psychoactive substances; strengthening international cooperation; and adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic in addressing and countering various aspects of the world drug problem.

On the opening day of the session, the Commission, together with UNODC, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), held a Joint Call for Action on scaling up the implementation of international drug policy commitments to improve the availability of, and access to, controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. The Joint Call for Action underscored the importance of sustainable funding in this area, in a bid to ensure that no patient is left behind by the world drug problem.

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The CND is the main policymaking body of the United Nations (UN) in drug-related matters, and a governing body of UNODC. The Commission is the forum for Member States to exchange knowledge and good practices in addressing and countering the world drug problem.

The Commission’s sixty-fifth session brought together around 1,350 participants representing 129 Member States, 16 intergovernmental organizations, 80 non-governmental organizations and several UN entities, in-person in Vienna and online around the world. High-level speakers included Collen Vixen Kelapile, President of the Economic and Social Council, WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, INCB President Jagjit Pavadia and Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to address the rights of “socially maladjusted”

By

Torsten Hjelmar

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18 March 2022

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The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to address the rights of “socially maladjusted”

The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development of the Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly Thursday 17 March tabled a motion aimed at protecting the rights of “socially maladjusted” persons. The term refers to a formulation in the European Convention on Human Rights drafted in 1949 and 1950. The Convention text authorize the deprivation of “persons of unsound mind” as well as drug addicts, alcoholics and vagrants indefinitely for no other reason than that these persons are having a psychosocial disability or are considered to be “socially maladjusted”.

The Committee motion note, that the right to liberty is one of the most fundamental human rights and as such guaranteed in numerous international human rights treaties, including the European Convention on Human Rights.

European Convention text limits rights

The convention, while widely considered the most effective international treaty for human rights protection, however, has a flaw. The Committee in its motion pointed out, that its “the only international human rights treaty to include a limitation to the right to liberty specifically on the basis of impairment, with its formulation in Article 5 (1) (e), which excludes certain groups (“socially maladjusted” individuals in the wording of the European Court of Human Rights) from the full enjoyment of the right to liberty.”

The exemption text in the Convention was formulated by representative of the United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden, led by the British to authorize Eugenics caused legislation and practices that was in place in these countries at the time of the formulation of the Convention.

The Committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development indicated that “detaining such persons effectively puts these vulnerable groups at higher risk of systemic rights violations, on the spurious grounds that they may pose a danger to public safety or that their own interests may necessitate their detention.”

Paradigm shift

With the worldwide paradigm shift exemplified by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has already unanimously called for an end to coercion in mental health. Its committee on Social Affairs, Health and Sustainable Development over the last couple of years has been working on a new report on the deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities.

The Committee therefore argued that the “Assembly should thus look into how developing and promoting alternatives to detention of the “socially maladjusted” could help Council of Europe member states move with the times and away from the discriminatory concept of excluding certain groups from human rights protection.”

UN prioritizes least developed countries in ‘plans…investments and…actions’ – Guterres

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United Nations News

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18 March 2022

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UN prioritizes least developed countries in ‘plans…investments and…actions’ – Guterres

The vulnerabilities of Least Developed Countries (LDCs) may be different today than they were 50 years ago – when the UN created the category – but left unaddressed, the results are the same, the UN chief told a dedicated meeting on Thursday. “Inequality. Hunger. Poverty. Weak infrastructure. Competition for dwindling resources. Insecurity and conflict,” Secretary-General António Guterres elaborated in his statement to the Fifth LDC (LDC5) Conference in the General Assembly Hall.

“The hopes, dreams, lives and livelihoods of one-eighth of humanity rest between the pages of the Doha Programme of Action (DPoA),” he added, zeroing-in on the “lifelines” it provides to help short-term LDC recovery, achieve the Sustainable Development goals (SDGs) in the medium term, and “develop and prosper” over the long-term.

Table of Contents

Rework global financial system

Developing countries need to invest in sectors that reduce poverty and increase resilience, such as job-creation, social protection, food security, universal healthcare, quality education and digital connectivity, said the top UN official.

However, he added that LDCs are up against a “morally bankrupt global financial system,” designed by the rich and powerful to benefit themselves that sustains inequalities, rather than fostering development.

“This must change,” upheld the UN chief, flagging that LDCs require “urgent debt relief, restructuring and cancellation, in some cases”.

He said that they should be able to borrow at a low cost, be protected in times of crisis and receive more liquidity.

“And we need to create a fair tax system and combat illicit financial flows to re-invest some of the massive pockets of global wealth into people and countries who need it most,” underscored Mr. Guterres.

Structural transformations

Most of LDC’s economic growth is linked to natural resources or extractive sectors that are highly volatile in the short-term and vulnerable to fluctuating commodity prices, marketplace whims, and the impacts of climate change, Mr. Guterres explained.

Moreover, they are inhibited by poor education and training opportunities for workers, weak physical infrastructure, and lack of access to productivity-enhancing technology – all made far worse by COVID.

“LDCs need structural transformation support – now,” asserted the UN chief. “They need support to increase their participation in global value chains – now”.

This means investing in a healthy, educated and skilled workforce to drive economic growth; modernizing infrastructure and transportation networks; transforming extractive sectors and creating greener jobs; and promoting “open and fair-trade rules, so all countries can compete on a level playing field,” he outlined.

Climate action

Although they did not cause the climate crisis, LDCs are living with its worst impacts.

The Secretary-General cited the latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report, which showed how deaths from floods, droughts and storms have been 15 times higher in the most vulnerable countries and regions.

“In areas of high vulnerability around the globe – home to 3.6 billion people – over 100 climate risks will become more severe. Some will be irreversible,” he said.

Turning promises into reality

LDCs need “a massive boost” in technical and financial for a just transition to renewable energy and green jobs and to “build resilience against the impacts already battering them,” Mr. Guterres continued, urging development banks to urgently work with Governments to “design and deliver bankable projects”.

“We need to see 50 per cent of climate finance going to adaptation, and reformed eligibility systems so vulnerable nations can access it,” he argued. “And developed countries must deliver on their $100 billion climate finance commitment to developing countries this year”.

“Promises must turn into reality.”

Peace and security

The world today faces the highest number of violent conflicts since 1945 – with LDC’s representing “the lion’s share of these hotspots,” the UN chief pointed out.

“Peace and security cannot take hold in an absence of development. Nor can development take hold in an absence of peace and security,” he explained.

Nor can it exist in countries that perpetuate historical injustices, inequalities and systematic oppression or where basic services like health, education, security and justice are lacking.

“My proposed New Agenda for Peace calls on the global community to work as one…to address the roots of violent conflicts by investing in development” and includes a New Social Contract covering universal health coverage; social protection; education and training; and inclusive institutions and justice systems accessible to all, the top UN official said.

Allegiance pledged

And across these lifelines and the entire DPoA, he pledged that LDCs can count on “the total commitment of the entire UN system”.

“We are proud to be on this journey with all of you as we put the needs of the Least Developed Countries where they belong,” he said.

“First in our plans. First in our investments. And always first in our actions.”

About LDC5

LDC5 is being held in two parts: The first at UNHQ in New York on 17 March 2022 at which adoption of the Doha Programme of Action will be considered.

The second part will be held in Doha from 5-9 March 2023, where world leaders will gather with civil society, the private sector, young people and more to build new plans and partnerships for the delivery of the DPoA over the following decade © World Bank/Dominic Chavez

Young women being trained to make shirts in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Prioritizing the health of refugees and migrants: an urgent, necessary plan of action for countries

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Newsroom

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18 March 2022

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Prioritizing the health of refugees and migrants: an urgent, necessary plan of action for countries and regions in our interconnected world

Istanbul, 18 March 2022

Amid multiple ongoing humanitarian crises triggered by conflict, natural disasters, and climate change, 3 WHO regional offices brought together governments, civil society including refugee and migrant voices, and health partners at a high-level meeting in Istanbul this week to craft a joint new vision addressing the health and well-being of refugees and migrants as well as host communities, considering both current realities and anticipating future opportunities and challenges.

The gathering was convened by the WHO Regional Office for Europe with the support of the WHO regional offices for Africa and the Eastern Mediterranean, encompassing 122 countries and territories.

From the Sahel to Syria and now Ukraine, all 3 WHO regions have witnessed large-scale migration and displacement of populations in recent years, both within their geographies and beyond.

“Regardless of the myriad factors that propel migration, it is not a modern or distinct phenomenon, but an enduring, enriching and vital part of our societies, an essential ingredient in how we – as communities and people – thrive and develop,” noted Dr Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe. “Together with refugees and migrants, we need to renew our public health approach, to realize that we are all better off when all of us – regardless of status – have access to health.”

In the past 3 weeks alone, more than 3 million people have fled the war in Ukraine, with WHO and partners seeking to support urgent health needs both within Ukraine and in surrounding countries that are receiving the refugees. Although this week’s meeting was planned long before the Ukraine emergency, the situation underscores the timely and urgent nature of the Istanbul discussions.

“What we are seeing in Ukraine is unfortunately all too familiar in Africa. Millions of Africans are living far from their homes, displaced by conflicts and other humanitarian crises,” said Dr Matshidiso Moeti, WHO Regional Director for Africa. “While some refugees and migrants go to Europe and other regions, almost 75% of migrants from countries in sub-Saharan Africa remain within the continent. Africa has learned many hard lessons on how to cope with the health needs of migrants and they are integrated into our proposed 5+5 approach – 5 priority actions based on 5 lessons learned.”

Table of Contents

Five lessons learned

We must work across sectors and include refugee and migrant voices.
We must recognize migration as an asset, not a burden.
We must address migration through a whole-of-route approach.
Health systems must be inclusive and people-centred.
We must recognize One Health – linking the health of humans, animals and the planet – and its intersection with migration.

Five priority actions

Ensure that migrants and refugees have universal health coverage.
Implement inclusive health emergency policies.
Promote social inclusion and reduce inequalities between people.
Strengthen migration health governance and data gathering.
Support new partnerships and innovative ways of working.

“Many countries have begun to act upon some of these elements in recent years but bringing all of them together and genuinely moving from rhetoric to action has never been more crucial,” said Dr Ahmed Al-Mandhari, WHO Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. “Our interconnected world calls for more interregional partnerships to truly embed a whole-of-route approach to refugee and migrant health.”

Around the time of the last High-level Meeting on Refugee and Migrant Health in 2015, WHO’s European Region was facing a large and sudden increase in the arrivals of refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. Many host countries were not prepared at that time and migration became the focus of intense political debate. In response, the WHO Regional Committee for Europe adopted the Strategy and action plan for refugee and migrant health in the WHO European Region 2016–2022.

Under this plan, progress has been achieved on almost all parameters, with many Member States making their health systems more accessible and inclusive, having contingency plans for large arrivals of refugees and migrants, and conducting health needs assessments for these vulnerable populations.

“Despite this progress, unfinished business remains, and it is time for a new narrative on refugee and migrant health that builds upon what we’ve already done and takes us to the next level, including a recognition of the important contributions migrants make to our societies,” said WHO/Europe’s Dr Kluge.

It is migrants like Embalo, who is from Guinea-Bissau but now lives in Italy. During the COVID-19 pandemic he and his friends made masks for his adopted community. “When there was a problem in my village [in Guinea-Bissau], everyone, especially the young people, had a moral duty to help and lend a hand,” said Embalo. “Now I have to give a hand to the inhabitants of the land that hosts me.”

“The 5+5 framework at which we have arrived paves the way forward, not only for the European Region but well beyond,” Dr Kluge concluded. “The stakes are high, but I have expectations of us all: to reframe our mindsets on migration, from burden to opportunity; to share lessons learned and practical solutions; and to build a tri-regional partnership for action. We must recognize the humanity that binds us to one another, with health for all as a priority that can, and must, be achieved.”

Facts and figures:

In 2020 Turkey hosted the largest number of refugees and asylum seekers in the world (nearly 4 million), followed by Jordan, West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Colombia (International Migration 2020 Highlights).
Over 3 million refugees have left Ukraine as of 15 March 2022, the fastest growing number of refugees migrating in Europe since the Second World War. The majority have fled to Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Republic of Moldova, Romania, Russian Federation and Belarus, among other European countries. This figure continues to rise.
In 2020 there were 101 million international migrants living in the WHO European Region, including in the countries of central Asia (according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA), adjusted as per country composition of WHO/Europe); this equals more than 13% of the people in Europe and central Asia.
Globally, an estimated 281 million people live outside their country of origin, which is more than 1 in 30 people.
The WHO European Region hosts approximately 36% of the global international migrant population.
Germany is the most prominent destination in the WHO European Region (and second most prominent globally, after the United States of America), with nearly 16 million migrants in 2020. The number of migrants living in Germany increased by over 5 million between 2015 and 2020. The majority are interregional migrants who originated from Poland, Turkey, Russian Federation and Kazakhstan, but also from the Syrian Arab Republic (World Migration Report 2022).
The next largest migrant-hosting countries in the WHO European Region are the Russian Federation (11.6 million), United Kingdom (9.4 million), France (8.5 million), Spain (6.8 million), Italy (6.4 million), and Turkey (6 million) (UNDESA).
Many countries in eastern Europe, such as the Russian Federation, Ukraine, Poland, and Romania, have some of the largest emigrant populations in the Region (World Migration Report 2022).

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Pope Francis addressed the participants of the 3^rd edition of the European Catholic Social Days on Friday 18 March 2022, thanking Church actors for the “prompt and coordinated response in coming to the aid” of the refugees from Ukraine. Read the message of Pope Francis