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How to become a good host for Ukrainian refugees in the UK?

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The Conversation
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Thinking of welcoming a Ukrainian refugee into your home? Our research can help you be a good host

Written in TheConversation by Sophie Alkhaled Associate Professor in Entrepreneurship, Lancaster University

The UK government has announced a scheme allowing people to open up their homes to refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine. “Homes for Ukraine” will allow individuals, charities and community groups to take Ukrainians into their homes, rent-free for a minimum of six months. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said “historically and by nature” the British people are “very generous, open and welcoming”. In return for their kindness, hosts will be awarded a monthly “thank you” payment of £350.

Since the Syrian war began in 2011, I have researched and worked with Syrian refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries such as Jordan, and also those who have been resettled in the UK and Europe. I have witnessed firsthand how the UK and Europe has welcomed refugees but has struggled to integrate them into their host communities, particularly when there are language and religious barriers.

Resettlement in any country creates challenging situations, both for the refugees seeking a new life, and for the communities in which they are resettled. Many in the host communities are sympathetic towards refugees, while simultaneously fearing what foreign migrants moving into their towns and villages might mean for their local cultural and economic environment.

Schemes that involve staying with locals are not a new concept, and have proven to be both highly effective for refugees’ integration and eye opening for hosts. In the UK, charitable organisations such as Refugees at Home, City of Sanctuary, Refugee Action and The Buddy Project work to match refugees with hosts to provide the best chance at successful integration. It is not yet known if these organisations will be involved in the government scheme.

In 2017, my colleagues and I conducted a qualitative study on Takecarebnb, an organisation that matches refugees looking for temporary accommodation with volunteers in the Netherlands. We observed Syrian refugees’ experiences living with host families and found the scheme had benefits for both refugees and their hosts.

The organisation is now permanently backed by the Dutch government. The success of Takecarebnb shows how home-stay schemes can support refugees’ resettlement and integration, while easing host communities’ anxieties and even changing their perceptions about refugees.

Findings from my research with refugees in Jordan, UK and the Netherlands can provide some guidance for people thinking about opening their homes to a Ukrainian refugee.

1. More than just a roof over someone’s head

Welcoming a refugee into your home is about much more than providing a bed. Hosts become the key to refugees’ integration in a new society after being ripped from their home. Hosts do this by guiding refugees towards educational institutions and introducing them to a network of local people and potential employment opportunities. Other invaluable day-to-day tasks include providing them with a safe environment, explaining local traditions, supporting language development and interpreting letters and emails.

2. Supporting people in limbo

Our research made clear that living in a state of limbo – where one’s return date home is unknown – is one of the hardest issues for refugees. Hosts and volunteers can boost the refugee’s sense of belonging by asking about their homeland, learning about their history, traditions and food while teaching them about local culture. This form of cultural exchange supports refugees’ identity struggles during forcible displacement.

Another way hosts can support refugees during this time is through art and craftwork. Making art can be a profound way of connecting with others and with one’s own experiences, enabling people to express what cannot be put into words, and relate to each other in the process. Our research shows these activities can be therapeutic for refugees in limbo, allowing them to connect with their national identity while developing a sense of belonging in their new community.

3. Hosting is not a one-way street

Hosting is also an investment and enrichment for the host’s own lives. The hosts in our studies show that as months go by they feel a great sense of connection and companionship, with many stating they had found “friends for life”. For those who had children in the household, they found that their childrens’ eyes had been opened to a whole new world, learning a new language and culture and becoming more tolerant of those who are different from them.

What the refugee crisis has shown us in recent years, and particularly over the last few weeks, is that there are countless people willing to support refugees by opening up their homes to them – they just need a platform that enables them to do so. This time, the UK government is supporting this scheme rather than leaving it to charities to organise and fund it. Johnson said this would be the “best thing for refugees, because they want a scheme that is safe, that is welcoming and that works”.

However, as wars in Syria, Afghanistan and now Ukraine continue indefinitely, relying on a bottom-up wave of help and hospitality could eventually run out of steam. The UK and other governments should develop long term plans to support refugee integration rather than leaving this enormous responsibility to the public and risk exploiting their generosity.

First published in The Conversation

Read more: ‘Friends for life’: how living with locals helped refugees feel at home in a new country

Ukraine war now ‘apocalyptic’ humanitarians warn, in call for safe access

By
Newsroom
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Ukraine war now ‘apocalyptic’ humanitarians warn, in call for safe access

On day 13 of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and amid rising numbers of civilian casualties, UN rights chief Michelle Bachelet on Tuesday repeated her ceasefire call, with humanitarians on the ground describing conditions as increasingly “apocalyptic”. Addressing the Human Rights Council, Ms. Bachelet said that since Russia began its offensive on 24 February, at least 1,335 civilians have been confirmed wounded or killed – 474 killed and 861 injured.

Heavy weapons

The true number is likely to be much higher, given the type of weapons employed across Ukraine by Russian forces, said the High Commissioner’s Office, OHCHR.

“Most of the civilian casualties are from airstrikes and explosive weapons used by Russian forces with wide area effects, including heavy artillery and multiple launch rocket systems,” said Liz Throssell, OHCHR spokesperson. “As a result, hundreds of residential buildings in many cities, including Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Kherson, Mariupol and Kyiv have been damaged and destroyed.”

Amid continued shelling and use of multiple rocket launch systems on Ukrainian cities, the UN humanitarian coordinating office, OCHA, reiterated the need to urgently establish a working system to ensure safe passage to get civilians out, and aid workers in.

“You need to have clarity on the route. It needs to be a route which is safe. You need to have timing for movements,” said Jens Laerke, OCHA spokesperson, speaking at a scheduled briefing in Geneva.

“You need to have contact numbers for those running the convoys in and out. You need to know the purpose of each movement. And you need to have a hotline in case it doesn’t work.”  

Ongoing UN-led efforts with both sides have continued, to help facilitate safe passage for civilians and supplies, Mr. Laerke continued.

“OCHA now has a team in place since yesterday in Moscow, to liaise with the authorities there, including with the Minister of Defence, to bring the system of deconfliction forward. They met for the first time yesterday and they’re meeting again today.” © UNICEF/Viktor Moskaliuk

On 5 March 2022 in western Ukraine, children and families make their way to the border to cross into Poland.

Millions more vulnerable

Nearly two weeks into the Russian invasion, the situation for millions of civilians inside Ukraine continues to worsen.

“This situation is really apocalyptic for people, it is getting worse, they are running out of essential supplies,” said Ewan Watson, spokesperson for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). “And so, our call today is really for lifesaving aid to reach these people.”

He added: “We’ve depleted our stocks, as I said; it stands to reason that people are coming to the end of whatever supplies they had. So, when you ask if this is a matter of life or death, or if it is lifesaving? Yes. For us, it is essential that humanitarian aid gets into a city like Mariupol, and to other cities that are in the midst of conflict in Ukraine today.”

Health facilities targeted

The situation also remains dire for all those in need of healthcare in areas subjected to shelling, warned the UN health agency’s Tarik Jasarevic, speaking from Lviv in western Ukraine.

Sixteen attacks on health facilities have now been verified by the World Health Organization (WHO), claiming nine lives and injuring 16 – some of them health workers.

“These attacks are a violation of international humanitarian law,” Mr. Jasarevic said, as he echoed calls for all such attacks to stop.

“I talked to this morning to a doctor in Lviv, who was in contact with her colleagues in eastern part of the country, and they were saying that it’s very difficult for patients to access healthcare facilities in these areas, not only because of security, but also because of damaged infrastructure.”

Latest data from the UN migration agency (IOM) indicates no let-up in the number of people fleeing the violence across Ukraine’s borders.

“More than two million people have fled Ukraine to neighbouring states as a result of the ongoing war in that country,” said Paul Dillon, IOM spokesperson. “Among them are 103,000 third-country nationals from dozens of countries.”

Question and Answers: fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia

By
European Commission
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0
Ukranian and European flag
Commission proposes temporary protection for people fleeing war in Ukraine

On March 15, 2022 the EU adopted new measures, what are they?

The EU adopted today a fourth package of restrictive measures against Russia in response to its brutal aggression against Ukraine and its people. These sanctions will further ramp up economic pressure on the Kremlin, and undercut its technological base and curtail its ability to finance its invasion of Ukraine.

The agreed measures are the following:

  • A full prohibition of any transactions with key Russian State-owned enterprises across different sectors – the Kremlin’s military-industrial complex.
  • An EU import ban on those steel products currently under EU safeguard measures, amounting to approximately € 3.3 billion in lost export revenue for Russia. Increased import quotas will be distributed to other third countries to compensate.
  • A far-reaching ban on new investment across the Russian energy sector, with limited exceptions for civil nuclear energy and the transport of certain energy products back to the EU.
  • An EU export ban on luxury goods (e.g. luxury cars, jewellery, etc.) to directly hit Russian elites.
  • A ban on the rating of Russia and Russian companies by EU credit rating agencies and the provision of rating services to Russian clients, which would result in them losing even further access to the EU’s financial markets.
  • The list of sanctioned persons and entities has been further extended to cover 15 more individuals and 9 more entities. Altogether the list now apply to a total of 877 individuals and 62 entities.
  • The EU, together with other World Trade Organization (WTO) members, agreed today to deny Russian products and services most-favoured-nation treatment in EU markets.

Why are State-owned banks, railways and the maritime shipping register partly excluded from the prohibition on transactions?

When imposing specific sanctions, the EU selects the most appropriate and targeted measures to achieve the goals pursued by the sanctions regime. It also takes into account possible indirect effects on EU operators complying with the measures. In this case, the EU considered that the measure was most effective by selecting specific transactions with certain State-owned companies. In any event, EU sanctions are scalable and, as the intense activity of the past weeks shows, they are scaled up depending on the situation on the ground.

Will the United States also ban Russian companies from their credit rating agencies?

This EU measure has been coordinated closely with international partners. It is for the United States to announce the exact measure they will be adopting.

What steel products are covered? Are iron products covered?

The list of steel products covered is referred to in Annex 2 of the Amending Regulation, as published in the Official Journal of the EU.  Iron products are not covered.

Why did you not fully ban investment in the Russian energy sector?

The investment ban on the Russian energy sector is far-reaching and comprehensive. Yet, some transactions are needed to ensure the supply of certain energy products into the EU. To ensure close scrutiny, such investments are subject to prior approval from the national competent authorities in the EU.

What luxury goods are covered by the ban? Are there any thresholds? How will they be implemented?

The ban covers a large range of luxury goods, from luxury cars to products for domestic use to watches, to give a few examples.

There are different thresholds depending on the category of luxury goods, so that the ban does not hit the more regular needs of the population in Russia. The minimum threshold is €300.

The ban will be implemented by the EU’s customs authorities: banned products are not allowed to be exported to Russia.

Does the ban on luxury goods also cover imports from Russia (such as caviar or vodka)?

No, the focus of this package of sanctions is on depriving Russia from EU luxury goods.

How will the EU avoid the risk of circumvention of banned products via third countries? Will the EU introduce further trade restrictions in the future?

Under the current Regulation, there is already a clear prohibition from circumventing the restrictive measures including via third countries. It constitutes a violation of sanctions.

What are you doing to prevent oligarchs from using crypto assets to circumvent sanctions?

The sanctions package adopted on 9 March 2022 fully clarifies that crypto assets fall under the scope of “transferable securities”. It also confirms the common understanding that loans and credit also include crypto assets. These clarifications will help ensure the proper implementation of the restrictions in place.

The circumvention of the restriction on some banks to use SWIFT is theoretically possible via crypto-assets or by other means. However, it is not immediately possible to do so in a timely and efficient manner. Markets are broadly aware of this. At first sight, it might be that the use of crypto to avoid sanctions is more relevant for our restrictions on capital outflows from Russia.

While sanctions evasion via crypto currencies is harder to detect in the first place, once detected it is easy to investigate because crypto transactions are fully traceable and it is practically impossible to alter that.

If and when large amounts of crypto assets are converted to fiat currencies (and vice versa), these transactions will fall under anti-money laundering due diligence rules.

We continue to constantly monitor the market situation. Any indications for non-compliance with the sanctions will be looked at by the relevant authorities in the Member States.

What are the consequences of denying Russia most-favoured-nation (MFN) status?

Removal of MFN status means suspending the benefits that come from being a WTO Member, more specifically the benefit of not being discriminated against by other Members. For example, MFN treatment guarantees that a Member will not be subject to higher tariffs than other Members, or to import bans that do not apply to other Members. Suspension of MFN treatment means that the Member concerned – in this case Russia – may be subject to higher tariffs and import bans.

The EU has decided to act not through an increase on import tariffs, but through set of sanctions that comprise bans on the imports or exports of goods, as this is much quicker and more effective than preparing a completely new tariff schedule from scratch.

In practice, the EU has already removed a number of trade benefits that Russia previously enjoyed through the imposition of sanctions. Additionally, the EU has restricted the provision of SWIFT financial services to certain Russian banks, which constitutes a disapplication of MFN vis-à-vis Russia under the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). Today’s sanctions remove further trade benefits from Russia.

President von der Leyen said that Russia’s financing by leading multilateral and international financial institutions would be suspended. Which institutions are they?

The institutions consist of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). While Russia’s membership of these institutions cannot often be suspended as such, the EU is working with its international partners to prevent Russia from obtaining financing from these institutions.  For example, the EU is working with its partners to make sure that the EBRD suspends Russia and Belarus’ access to EBRD finance and expertise.

Can you tell us more about the International Task Force that has been set up to coordinate action on sanctions?

As announced by the G7, an International Task Force has started its work on sanctions implementation, for example the enforcement of asset freezes against listed individuals. Within the Commission, Commissioner Reynders leads the “Freeze and Seize” Task Force, which coordinates work done at national level by law enforcement authorities, prosecution services and judicial authorities, to identify, freeze and, where possible, confiscate assets of Russian and Belarussian individuals subject to EU sanctions.  The Commission’s Task Force seeks coordinated actions between Member States, Eurojust and other agencies, such as Europol and eu-LISA. It works closely with international partners, including the International Task Force.

War in Ukraine: a Russian journalist arms herself with courage

By
EuropeanTimes
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0
"No to war. Don't believe the propaganda. Everyone lies," reads this sign on Russian television - Credit: Twitter screenshot

Marina Ovsyannikova, an employee of Russia’s main public television channel, had held up a sign in the middle of Russia’s most-watched newscast, which read: “No to war. Don’t believe the propaganda. Everyone here is lying “.

In a video, which has been around the world, posted online before her intervention, she said her “shame” to have relayed Russian propaganda, and explained that her father is Ukrainian and her mother Russian.

She was then arrested and taken to a police station, according to the NGO defending the rights of protesters OVD-Info. Today, she was released but sentenced.

Mrs. Ovsyannikova was then arrested and taken to a police station, according to the NGO defending the rights of protesters OVD-Info. Today, she was released and sentenced for an “administrative offence” to a fine of around 250 euros. only the video was taken into account.

Journalist press statement

On her release from detention she made a short statement to the press:

“These are very difficult days in my life, I spent almost two days without sleep, the interrogation lasted fourteen hours. I did not have the right to speak with my relatives, nor had access to legal assistance and that is why I was in a very difficult position. Today I have to rest. »

Her lawyer told AFP he feared she could face criminal charges for publishing ‘false information’ about the Russian military, a crime that carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. from a recently passed law.

Climate change is the ultimate threat multiplier, say MEPs

By
EuropeanTimes
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0
Climate change is the ultimate threat multiplier, say MEPs

In a report adopted on Tuesday, the Foreign Affairs Committee identifies climate change as a new security challenge requiring adequate resources, together with hybrid and cyber threats.

In its report on the EEAS’s Climate Change and Defence Roadmap, Foreign Affairs Committee MEPs warn that climate change needs to be put at the heart of the peace and security agenda as the ultimate ‘threat multiplier’. Climate change heightens existing social, economic and environmental risks that can fuel unrest and potentially result in violent conflict or even inter-state war, they say.

It is crucial to address the links between climate change, security and defence in the forthcoming , MEPs say. They underline that clear goals and concrete measures need to be identified for member states to make the armed forces more energy efficient and adapt to the impact that climate change can have on security in the medium to longer term.

Welcoming the roadmap, MEP call for the timeframe for reviewing it to be reconsidered and, in particular, for the overall objectives to be reviewed much earlier than 2030.

Climate security as element of conflict prevention

They say that climate security should become fully integrated into the European Union’s conflict prevention and crisis management toolbox in order to make fragile states and affected populations more resilient. The EU should boost its strategic foresight, early-warning, situational awareness and conflict-analysis capacities using qualitative and quantitative data and innovative methods from various sources. Such knowledge would be used to design future missions, operations and actions taking into account parameters ranging from changing weather conditions to the local political context, states the report. In addition, relevant EU actors should be tasked with closely monitoring the situation in regions that are heavily affected by climate change and environmental degradation, such as the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Pacific.

MEPs also call for the climate-security nexus to be included as a new priority area for the UN-EU Strategic Partnership on Peace Operations and Crisis Management.

Quote

The rapporteur Thomas Waitz (Greens/EFA, AT) said:

“Our security and defence policies have to adapt to the crises created by climate change and biodiversity loss. EU Missions need to adjust their strategies to the local and regional climate challenges. The EU has to use the European Defence Fund and other programmes to boost investments in energy efficiency and independent military technology. The defence sector and the military must acknowledge their responsibility in reaching the EU’s climate targets.”


The report was adopted by 37 votes in favour, 16 against and 20 abstentions.

LUX Audience Award 2022 – Join the biggest film jury in Europe

By
European Parliament
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LUX Audience Award 2022 – Join the biggest film jury in Europe

Watch and vote for your favourite LUX film and you could win a trip to Strasbourg. Find out when and where you can watch the nominees.

Organised by the European Parliament and the European Film Academy in partnership with the European Commission and Europa Cinema, the award invites European audiences to join the judging panel and cast their vote for their favourite film.

The films nominated for 2022 are:

  • Flee by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
  • Great Freedom by Sebastian Meise
  • Quo Vadis, Aida? by Jasmila Žbanić

How to watch

The films are available in cinemas across Europe and on online platforms. You can find the latest information regarding the screenings in your country on the official portal:https://luxaward.eu/en/screenings-list

LUX Audience Week

During the LUX Audience Week from 28 March to 3 April 2022, each film will be screened simultaneously in all EU countries over three evenings. The screenings will be followed by a web-streamed discussion with the filmmakers, where viewers from all corners of Europe will have a chance to ask questions. More details will follow soon.

Watch and vote


If you watch any of the films, do not forget to cast your vote. Whether you liked it or not, you can rate it on the  voting platform. Voting closes on 25 May 2022.

The final ranking will be determined by combining the public vote and the votes by MEPs, with each group weighing 50%.

Your vote could be your ticket to the LUX Audience Award Ceremony on 8 June at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Previous awards

Find out who won the  LUX Audience Award in 2021.

Watch the nominated films and cast your vote before 25 May 2022

Source : © European Union, 2022 – EP

Russia’s war and how to tackle propaganda: debate with Commissioner Breton

By
European Parliament
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person using both laptop and smartphone

Today, the Internal Market Committee will discusses with Thierry Breton how to fight propaganda on online platforms and the role of the Digital Services Act.

MEPs are due to discuss the actions the Commission is taking to fight war propaganda and to adapt platforms’ policies in view of the current situation. The discussion is set to focus on urgent and effective measures to counter disinformation, including updating terms and conditions for users and recommender systems.

The debate is particularly important in light of the ongoing negotiations on the Digital Services Act (DSA), where issues such as algorithmic transparency and accountability as well as risk assessment and risk mitigation measures are key priorities for the European Parliament.

Ahead of the meeting, the Chair of the Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, Anna Cavazzini (Greens/EFA, DE), said: “Putin’s war extends to the online world. Tackling Russian disinformation and propaganda needs to be an EU priority. The DSA currently being negotiated includes tools to fight disinformation by tackling the root problem – the harmful business models that big platforms use, which favour hate over facts. What is the right balance between fighting disinformation and protecting freedom of speech? Is the DSA equipped with the right tools to fight Putin’s online war? We are looking forward to discussing this”.

DSA rapporteur Christel Schaldemose (S&D, DK), who is leading Parliament’s team in the negotiations with the French Presidency of the Council, added: “From the moment Russia invaded Ukraine, social media became a part of the battlefield. While the speedy reaction from the EU and US has made it difficult for Putin to spread lies in the West, we have to ask ourselves if we have all the instruments we need to fight disinformation and propaganda on social media. The DSA offers a unique opportunity to create a safer digital future that reflects our values and puts an end to the amplification of disinformation and illegal content”.

During this week, several other committees will also discuss the impact of Russian aggression in Ukraine on their respective policy areas, including transatlantic cooperation, transport, fisheries, culture, foreign interference, children’s rights, and human rights.

International public procurement instrument: New tool to support EU firms

By
European Parliament
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red and blue cargo containers

The EU will have more leverage to push for the opening up of global procurement markets following an informal deal on the shape of the new tool on Monday evening.

Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on setting up the international procurement instrument (IPI), which will introduce measures limiting the access to open EU public procurement tenders to companies from non-EU countries that do not offer similar access to EU companies. Its goal is to encourage protected markets to be opened up to EU economic operators, goods and services.

The IPI tool will empower the Commission to determine whether and to what extent companies from a third country must be subject to an IPI measure, depending on the extent of the trade barriers. Parliament’s negotiating team amended the design and the scope of the instrument as well as member states’ discretionary powers in its application.

Widening the scope of IPI

Negotiators agreed that the IPI measures will apply to tenders worth at least €15 million for works and concessions, for example road or bridge construction, and €5 million for goods and services, such as the purchasing of computers. Parliament negotiators, led by Trade Committee Chair Bernd Lange (S&D, DE) and rapporteur Daniel Caspary (EPP, DE), say this would ensure that the administrative burden is low while the reach of the instrument remains wide.

It will be mandatory to take social, environmental and labour requirements into consideration when judging bids, according to the agreed text following insistence by EP negotiators.

Parliament’s team also succeeded in reducing to two the number of exceptions whereby an authority seeking tenderers in member states (for example, town halls, public institutions or governments) can opt out of IPI measures, therefore widening the scope of the tool.

Exceptions based on a “disproportionate increase in price”, a concept hard to define, were deleted. Similarly, EP negotiators successfully argued that big contracting authorities, for example city halls of large towns or the central government, will always have to apply the new rules. To this end, local contracting authorities will only be exempted from the IPI if they represent fewer than 50,000 people, and the percentage of annual overall tender value, for which contracting authorities must apply IPI, is set at 80%.

Stricter IPI measures when barriers are found

The Parliament team ensured that if the Commission finds that barriers exist in the public procurement market of a third country from which a bid originates, IPI measures can take the form of a price penalty of this bid or a reduced score for it, depending on certain criteria. The adjustment can reach 50% for score adjustment measures and 100% when only price is taken into account.

Poorest countries exempt

Finally, Parliament negotiators ensured that bidders from least developed countries are not subject to IPI measures.

Quote

Rapporteur Daniel Caspary said: “After almost exactly ten years of debates, blockades and setbacks, the agreement is a breakthrough. It will help to achieve a level playing field in public procurement and modernise the EU’s trade toolbox. This puts an end to the long list of prominent examples in which third-country bidders win illustrious public contracts across the EU while their home markets are de facto off limits for EU bidders. The agreement is effective while limiting the administrative burden to a minimum.”

Bernd Lange, Chair of the Committee on International Trade, said: “Our agreement enables the EU to take more decisive action against discrimination of European companies abroad. The message is clear: fair market access is not a one-way street, it must be reciprocal. We do not want to close off the European market, we want to ensure equal treatment of our companies abroad. The agreement is a success for Parliament, and the EU: we have created an instrument which will bring third countries to the negotiating table and open up their procurement markets.”

Next steps

The agreement reached between the Parliament and the Council negotiators now has to be approved by both institutions.

65th session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs discusses implementation of drug policy commitments

By
Newsdesk
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65th session of Commission on Narcotic Drugs discusses implementation of drug policy commitments

Vienna (Austria), 14 March 2022 — The Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) opened its 65th session today, with some 1,400 participants from 128 countries, 19 inter-governmental organizations and 72 non-governmental organizations coming together both online and in-person to discuss emerging drug control issues and the implementation of international drug policy commitments.

The Commission will consider a number of resolutions this week, and more than 130 online side events will be held during the session, addressing topics including access to controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes, strengthening international cooperation on drug control, preventive education, evidence-based drug policy and intervention, incorporating gender and youth perspectives in drug policy, and adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic in countering various aspects of the world drug problem.

The CND convenes every year and is the foremost drug-policymaking body in the United Nations system. It is responsible for monitoring the world drug situation, developing evidence-based drug control strategies, and recommending measures to address the world drug problem.

The Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Ghada Waly, addressed the opening segment, which also featured statements by the President of the Economic and Social Council Collen Vixen Kelapile, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, President of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), Jagjit Pavadia, and the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima.

Executive Director Waly, in her opening remarks, highlighted the need to address the “triple crises of conflict, environment, and COVID” magnifying the impact of the world drug problem.

“People in need of treatment for drug use disorders face new obstacles resulting from movement restrictions and diminished resources; such obstacles are preventing those in need of controlled medicines from accessing pain relief,” she said. “At the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, we are committed to stepping up our efforts to help people in crisis, everywhere.”

“Preventing and treating the harms related to drug use, while ensuring access to drugs with medical use, are both pressing public health challenges,” said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros, addressing the session virtually. “These services should be based on evidence, of good quality, and be accessible and affordable, including in emergency situations.”

On the opening day, the Chair of the Commission was joined by the heads of UNODC, WHO and INCB in a call to action on ensuring access to and availability of controlled substances for medical and scientific purposes. The need for sustainable and adequate funding was underscored, and governments were urged to facilitate access to controlled medicines in emergency settings, including pandemics.

During the 65th session, the CND will also consider the recommendations of the WHO and INCB on the scheduling of six substances and precursors under the schedules of the international drug control conventions.

© UNODC

Stirling Highland Games is More Than Just a Highland Games

By
Newsdesk
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Stirling Highland Games is More Than Just a Highland Games

Stirling’s leading culture sporting event is set to return later this year on Saturday, August 20th with some exciting new additions to the schedule.

Even though a physical event, usually attended by thousands, hasn’t happened over the last 2 years because of the pandemic, Stirling successfully managed to fly the flag for highland games and promote visiting Stirling through their online virtual programmes which attracted viewers from around the world.

It has been a hard couple of years for highland games committees around Scotland with some already advising their events will not return this year however Stirling is aiming to not only return but will be adding attractions to the day’s schedule for both locals and visitors to enjoy.

President of Stirling Highland Games Matt McGrandles advises, “we had a few ideas back in 2020 that we are excited to include in the schedule this year. Tug o War is a crowd favourite, and I can’t wait to see this in action on the day, but we will also be looking for a local team to enter and challenge the other 2 teams we have already lined up. We will once again host the Adaptive Heavyweights and I really hope the crowds get behind these amazing Vet athletes from Wounded Highlanders.”

It looks like the organisers have managed to pack a lot into the schedule this year, but advised they still need to attract more sponsorship to help with this year’s event recovery plans. As the offering has grown year on year at Stirling since 2014 you can see why the committee say it’s more than a highland games now.

As well as watching the highland games competitions, visitors can enjoy browsing the many arts and crafts; sample some of Scotland’s award-winning food and drink produce; listen to some live performances; take part in some visitor races or let the kids loose on some activities challenges; you can even get an on-site heritage tour and hear more about the history of the area. All in all, it seems visitors will be well looked after from 10:30 until 17:00.

With more announcements coming over the next few months, including who is the 2022 Games Chieftain, the organisers are asking that if you are planning on attending the event then buying your tickets in advance will not only help them plan but also cut down on contact at the gates. Tickets are available to purchase at www.stirlinghighlandgames.com

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Europe's listening habits this week continue to orbit a...

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