The Ombudsman has made a series of suggestions to the European Commission to help it monitor EU funds granted to Member States for border management and ensure their use does not result in fundamental rights violations.
In particular, she suggested the Commission create guidelines for assessing compliance by Member States with fundamental rights throughout the entire duration of funding programmes. These guidelines should include the need to take into account independent sources of information on potential rights violations and establish public criteria for withholding or suspending EU funding.
The Ombudsman’s inquiry into this issue follows a complaint from several non-governmental organisations who had raised concerns that the Commission has failed to effectively monitor EU-funded border management activities in the face of persistent allegations of human rights violations by the Greek authorities.
In its assessment of comp
Ombudsman suggests ways for Commission to ensure EU border management funds comply with fundamental rights obligations
Israel: Press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas after the EU-Israel Association Council
Israel: Press remarks by High Representative Kaja Kallas after the EU-Israel Association Council
EU reaffirms unwavering support to Ukraine on anniversary of invasion
On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU has condemned Russia’s unprovoked aggression, imposed wide-ranging sanctions, and offered unwavering support to Ukraine. The EU will stand with Ukraine until it achieves a just and lasting peace.
EU reaffirms unwavering support to Ukraine on anniversary of invasion
In February 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The EU reacted swiftly and decisively, condemning Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified aggression, imposing wide-ranging sanctions, and offering Ukraine its unwavering support. The EU remains committed to supporting Ukraine until it achieves a just and lasting peace.
Strong and comprehensive EU response
The EU has provided almost €135 billion in support to Ukraine, including economic, military, financial, and humanitarian aid. It continues to work with international partners to ensure sustained support and hold Russia accountable.
Hard-hitting sanctions have significantly weakened Russia’s economy and war capabilities. The EU is also working to ensure those responsible for war crimes face justice through the International Centre for the Prosecution of the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine in The Hague.
Peace, reconstruction, and Ukraine’s European future
On the third anniversary of the invasion, President von der Leyen and the College of Commissioners are visiting Kyiv. The President is meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and together, they are co-chairing a College-to-Government meeting to discuss Ukraine’s future as a free and sovereign nation.
The EU continues to work with Ukraine on its EU accession process. Ukraine’s progress towards EU membership reflects the will of its people for democratic reforms and a European future.
After the war, Ukraine will require extensive reconstruction. The EU has been actively contributing to the country’s resilience and recovery, but further support will be needed to rebuild a free and prosperous country, anchored in European values and well-integrated into the European and global economy.
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World’s ‘warmongers’ must end disdain for global order, UN chief insists
On the opening day of the Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Secretary-General rounded on “warmongers who thumb their nose at international law, international humanitarian law and the UN Charter”.
To date, Ukraine has seen more than 12,600 civilians killed, many more injured and entire communities reduced to rubble, Mr. Guterres told the UN’s top human rights body. “We must spare no effort to bring an end to this conflict, and achieve a just and lasting peace in line with the UN Charter, international law and General Assembly resolutions, he insisted.
“One by one, human rights are being suffocated,” Mr. Guterres continued, singling out the “autocrats crushing opposition because they fear what a truly empowered people would do”, amid “wars and violence that strip populations of their right to food, water and education”.
Turning to the “precarious” ceasefire in Gaza, the UN chief insisted that a resumption of hostilities must be avoided at all costs for the sake of the enclave’s people who have endured 15 months of constant Israeli bombardment. Mr. Guterres also expressed deep concern about rising violence in the occupied West Bank by Israeli settlers – “and other violations, as well as calls for annexation”.
“It’s time for a permanent ceasefire, the dignified release of all remaining hostages, irreversible progress towards a two-State solution, an end to the occupation, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian State, with Gaza as an integral part.”
Silence the guns
In a wide-ranging speech to the world’s top human rights forum, the UN Secretary-General also called for diplomacy and dialogue to help resolve horrific, ongoing rights violations from the Sahel to Myanmar, Haiti and eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“We see a deadly whirlwind of violence and horrifying human rights abuses, amplified by the recent M23 offensive, supported by the Rwandan Defense Forces – as more cities fall, the risk of a regional war rises,” Mr. Guterres said. “It’s time to silence the guns; it’s time for diplomacy and dialogue.”
And amid growing intolerance towards many of society’s most vulnerable and marginalized people – from indigenous peoples, to migrants, refugees, the LGBTQI+ community and persons with disabilities – the UN Secretary-General also criticized the voices of “division and anger” for whom human rights threaten their quest for “power, profit and control.”
Secretary-General António Guterres addresses the opening of the 58th session of the Human Rights Council.
Mulitlateralism under strain
Echoing the UN chief’s concerns that human rights are “being pummelled hard” today, putting at risk 80 years of multilateral cooperation embodied by Organizations, UN human rights chief Volker Türk warned that the international system “is going through a tectonic shift, and the human rights edifice we have built up so painstakingly over decades has never been under so much strain”.
Beyond Ukraine, where Russian attacks have created “wanton destruction”, Mr. Türk told the Council’s Member States that the suffering borne by Gazans and Israelis since the Hamas-led attacks that sparked the war in October 2023 had been “unbearable”.
The UN rights chief also repeated his call for an independent probe into grave violations of international law “committed by Israel in the course of its attacks across Gaza, and by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups”.
Mr. Türk also condemned as “completely unacceptable” any suggestion that people can be forced from their land – amid proposals floated by the United States that Gazans should be resettled outside the devastated Strip.
His comments came on the opening day of the Human Rights Council in Geneva which meets in three scheduled sessions throughout the year. March is traditionally the “high-level” session where top national representatives rub shoulders at the Palace of Nations in Geneva.
Nigh-on six weeks of debates are slated to discuss emergencies in around 40 countries – from Belarus to DR Congo, DPRK/North Korea, Haiti, Sudan, Ukraine and more – along with thematic issues and some 80 reports from top independent rights experts and the UN human rights office, OHCHR – on disability rights, genocide, children in armed conflict and torture, among others – until the 58th session ends on Friday 4 April.
The Human Rights Council is the world’s principal body for discussions and action on human rights. It was founded in 2006 and has 47 Member States, although all 193 countries belonging the UN can take part as observers.
Joint statement by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament on the third anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine
Joint statement by the President of the European Council, the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Parliament on the three year anniversary of Russia’s full-scale illegal war of aggression against Ukraine.
Decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB (in addition to decisions setting interest rates)
February 2025
21 February 2025
Market operations
Extension of liquidity lines until January 2027
On 23 January 2025 the Governing Council approved the extension of the ECB repo lines with eight non-euro area central banks (Magyar Nemzeti Bank, Banca Națională a României, Bank of Albania, Andorran Financial Authority, National Bank of the Republic of North Macedonia, Central Bank of the Republic of San Marino, Central Bank of Montenegro and Central Bank of the Republic of Kosovo) until 31 January 2027. The decision was taken pursuant to the new framework for euro liquidity lines, which was adopted in 2023.
Eurosystem climate stress test report
On 13 February 2025 the Governing Council took note of the main findings of the 2024 climate stress test on the Eurosystem’s balance sheet, which will feed into the Eurosystem’s climate-related financial disclosures.
Market infrastructure and payments
Inclusion of provisions on the TARGET Analytical Environment in the T2 Currency Participation Agreement
On 13 February 2025 the Governing Council approved the amendments to the agreement on the use of T2 services (T2 Currency Participation Agreement) to include the TARGET Analytical Environment as a standard feature offered to both current and future signatories of the T2 Currency Participation Agreement.
Advice on legislation
ECB Opinion on flood insurance
On 4 February 2025 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2025/3 at the request of the Chair of the Oireachtas (Irish National Parliament) Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister).
ECB Opinion on indirect participants in, and access to, payment systems, and a new exemption from the cash rule
On 5 February 2025 the Governing Council adopted Opinion CON/2025/4 at the request of the Danish Financial Supervisory Authority.
Corporate governance
ECB’s Annual Accounts for 2024
On 19 February 2025 the Governing Council approved the audited financial statements of the ECB for the financial year 2024. The annual accounts, together with a press release, are available on the ECB’s website.
ECB Recommendation on the external auditors of the European Central Bank for the financial years 2025 to 2029
On 12 February 2025 the Governing Council adopted Recommendation ECB/2025/6 to the Council of the European Union on the external auditors of the European Central Bank.
Statistics
Extension of the Integrated Reporting Framework and the Common Data Management investigation phases
On 17 February 2025 the Governing Council approved the revised Quality Review Gate 1 documentation (including the Financial Envelopes and Project Charters), extending until the end of September 2025 the investigation phases of the ESCB and SSM Common Data Management and the ESCB Integrated Reporting Framework projects.
Banknotes and coins
Composition of the design contest jury for the new euro banknotes
On 6 February 2025 the Governing Council took note of the composition of the design contest jury for the new euro banknotes. The jury will prepare a shortlist of designs to support the selection of the final design of the future euro banknotes by the Governing Council and is scheduled to start work in early 2025.
ECB Banking Supervision
Update of the 2025 Supervisory Examination Programme (SEP) for on-site inspections and internal model investigations at significant institutions
On 30 January 2025 the Governing Council did not object to a proposal by the Supervisory Board for an update of the 2025 SEP for on-site inspections and internal model investigations at significant institutions and outsourcing service providers. The on-site SEP is based on SSM supervisory priorities for 2025-2027 published on the ECB’s banking supervision website.
Ukraine three years on: Pain, loss, solidarity and hope for a better future
“I’m trying not to cry, but I can’t help it. I’m glad I have tissues on hand,” admits Natalia Datchenko, a Ukrainian staff member of the UN children’s agency, UNICEF, struggling to hold back her tears as she recounts the explosions that awoke many Ukrainians three years ago, heralding the start of the conflict.
Natalia Datchenko, employee of UNICEF-Ukraine
Alongside feelings of shock and anger, Ms. Datchenko also felt a surge of energy. “I knew, with absolute clarity, that I wanted to help others, to protect people. I knew I had to do something,” she recalls.
UNICEF leadership instructed staff to prioritise their own safety and that of their families before resuming their work. Ms. Datchenko evacuated to Lviv, a city in the west of Ukraine, with her family.
“There were 12 of us crammed into a small train compartment,” she says. “I held someone else’s child in my arms because there was no place for them to sit. The train moved slowly to avoid being targeted. When we finally arrived, we saw families with children sitting directly on the cold stone floor of the Lviv station. It was February, and it was freezing.”
Life goes on
Lyudmyla Kovalchuk, a staff member of the UN Women office in Ukraine, lived near Kyiv International Airport, one of the war’s first targets.
“We woke up at five in the morning to the sound of explosions,” she explains. “It was shocking. Even though we had heard warnings of an impending invasion, we couldn’t believe it was actually happening.”
Lyudmyla Kovalchuk, UN-Women Ukraine staff member
After three years, exhaustion has set in but life and work continue. Women in Ukraine need the UN’s support – psychological, legal, logistical and financial. Many Ukrainian women are raising children alone, searching for jobs to support them and constantly moving to keep them safe from the war. Ms. Kovalchuk says that about 75,000 Ukrainian women are serving in the military and represent a group with unique needs that require specific support.
“We have adapted to working under new conditions,” Ms. Kovalchuk says. “Whenever we arrange to meet somewhere, we check if there is a shelter nearby in case of an attack. We don’t plan long events as the risk of shelling increases the longer we stay in one place. During the pandemic, we learned to work in a hybrid format, and that experience has been invaluable.”
‘Hardest part was hearing their stories’
Anastasia Kalashnyk, another UN Women staff member, used to live in Zaporizhzhia. Two years ago, she relocated to Kyiv with her family. “After 24 February 2022, my children stopped attending daycare and school, and my husband lost his job – the foreign company he worked for immediately shut down operations and left the country,” she says.
However, Ms. Kalashnyk’s workload increased significantly. Since 2017, she has been responsible for emergency aid provided by UN Women in Ukraine, focusing on women in Luhansk and Donetsk regions. After 2022, many of these women were forced to flee their homes.
In a town in Mykolaivska Oblast, a reconstructed kindergarten shelter now provides 200 children with a safe, fully equipped space for learning during frequent air alerts.
“Looking back, the hardest part was hearing their stories – women I had known for years – about how they escaped occupied territories and what happened to their husbands who had gone to fight,” she says.
For these and other Ukrainian women in need, UN Women, in collaboration with local non-governmental organizations (NGOs), established so-called “safe spaces”. These centres provide essential support, allowing women to connect, share experiences and heal.
“I watched as Olga, one of the women who came to the centre, quite literally come back to life after experiencing trauma,” a UN worker recalls. “She started smiling again. Now, Olga is one of the centre’s activists, helping others.”
The cost of war
According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), more than 12,600 civilians have been confirmed killed and over 29,000 injured over the last three years. At least 2,400 children are among the casualties.
Millions live in constant fear, while those in occupied territories face severe restrictions and limited access to humanitarian aid. An entire generation of Ukrainians is growing up in wartime.
Alina, 12, stands next to her damaged home in Kobzartsi, Mykolaiv region.
Relentless attacks on infrastructure are deepening the crisis. Over 10 per cent of Ukraine’s housing stock has been damaged or destroyed, leaving at least two million families without adequate shelter. More than 3,600 schools and universities have been hit, forcing hundreds of thousands of children into remote learning.
Repeated strikes on the energy system – three winters in a row – have left towns without electricity, heating and essential services in freezing conditions. A total of 12.7 million people require humanitarian aid.
Hopes for the future
“Of course, everything that has happened is exhausting,” Ms. Kalashnyk says. “But my children give me hope for a better future. What they are going through now is unfair. I have to be strong, not just for them but for all Ukrainian families.”
She adds that she also finds hope in the solidarity shown by the UN and other organizations. “They didn’t abandon Ukraine,” she explains. “They stayed. They continue to help. They didn’t come just for a month or two. They’ve been here for years. And now, they’re talking about rebuilding. These discussions about the future give me confidence that we have one.”
Ms. Datchenko from UNICEF also speaks of unity and solidarity. “At first, we were all united by anger,” she recalls. “We shared our burdens. We shared our pain. We were furious together. But anger is no longer the driving force. Now, we are united by the desire to rebuild what has been destroyed. We want to restore our communities, support families and rebuild our country, not as it was, but better, to leave behind the Soviet legacy and create a truly new nation, built on human rights.”
Supplies are distributed by UNFPA at a centre for survivors of gender-based violence in Kherson, Ukraine.
She says her work gives her hope. “I have a unique opportunity to reassess old programmes, create new ones, listen to the voices of the most vulnerable, direct resources where they are truly needed and bridge different sectors to bring together the best for those in need. I believe that working for UNICEF has helped me survive—it’s still my survival strategy.”
‘We have to become stronger’
Ms. Datchenko also finds solace in culture. “I seek inspiration and motivation in the beauty that still exists in Ukraine. Our museums are open, concerts are happening, music is playing. For many, culture is a survival strategy.”
Today, many Ukrainians are searching for their own survival strategies. “One of the biggest challenges we face in our work is the psychological toll, not only in supporting ourselves, but also our colleagues,” Ms. Kovalchuk says. “Recently, one of our colleague’s brothers went missing. Sometimes, it’s incredibly difficult to find the right words of comfort, yet we work with people – women and girls affected by war – who need our support.”
“But, on the other hand, when you face one tragedy after another, one crisis after another, you start to feel stronger and more experienced. What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.”
Then, with a sad smile, she adds that “maybe it’s true, but I always say I wish I didn’t have the experience I have now. But I have no choice. This experience is mine to bear.”
UN in Ukraine prepares for the worst, hopes for the best
Ukrainians continue to face near daily attacks, with air strikes consistently targeting civilian infrastructure, leaving families without homes, security and electricity. More than 10 million people have been uprooted from their homes, making Ukraine the largest displacement crisis in Europe since the Second World War.
Some 12,600 civilians have been killed and more than 29,000 injured. Thousands of attacks on health facilities have left doctors working under near impossible conditions. Throughout the fighting, the UN has remained an ever-present support, helping to deliver aid, providing emergency healthcare and reconnecting damaged power supplies.
The future for Ukraine remains unclear but, as Matthias Schmale, the UN Resident and Humanitarian coordinator for the country, told UN News, the United Nations has been planning for a range of post-conflict scenarios.
This interview has been edited for clarity and length
“The general sense within the diplomatic community is that we are closing in on a ceasefire, and that this may happen sooner rather than later. That’s one scenario that we are preparing for by intensifying our ongoing recovery and development efforts.
The UN is already doing incredible work helping to restore energy facilities that have been hit, and without that work the people of this country would be much worse off, especially in these cold conditions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has reopened or rebuilt primary healthcare facilities along the frontline that were at one point closed or destroyed. If the guns stay silent, we can obviously do much more to help.
A heavy toll on mental health
Our partners, which include governments, appreciate that the UN is all about leaving no one behind, so we are looking at the groups that are likely to be vulnerable once the war ends.
Seven-year-old Milana and her family fled Myrnohrad in Ukraine’s Donetsk region.
War veterans are one such group. I have been frequently told that around a million people are involved in the fighting, many of them heavily armed. Hundreds of thousands of people will return traumatised from the frontline, after some two to three years away from their families. This could cause tension, including an increase in gender-based violence.
The country will continue to suffer from the impacts of this horrible war for some time, particularly in terms of mental health issues.
Again, the UN System is providing support. For example, the UN Development Programme has helped to develop a digital app specially aimed at veterans, to help them to access the services they might need, and we are running over 80 “safe spaces” where vulnerable people, such as survivors of gender-based violence and children of those internally displaced, can talk about their experiences and receive counselling.
There’s also a lot of speculation that refugees will start to come back, and a few months ago our colleagues in the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), in collaboration with the government, launched a website that gives refugees abroad information about what services they can access when they return, to help them find housing or jobs. We’re trying to be ready to significantly scale up this work.
UNICEF supplies arrive in Shevchenkove village, Kharkiv region, Ukraine (January 2025)
Ready to deal with any scenario
The big open question is what the ceasefire deal will look like, in particular with regard to the occupied territories in eastern and southern Ukraine. Around a million Ukrainians are living in these regions, and we don’t know what will happen to them. Will there be a demilitarised zone? Will an international peacekeeping force maintain the ceasefire deal? And what are the opportunities for the provision of humanitarian aid?
On the other hand, whilst everyone hopes the guns will be silenced, the opposite could happen. There are several nuclear power plants in Ukraine, and if one of them takes a direct hit, we could all of a sudden be facing a major nuclear catastrophe. Government officials are extremely concerned about this [on 15 February, the UN atomic energy agency, IAEA, reported that a drone strike had pierced a hole in the structure built to prevent radioactive material leaking from the damaged Chernobyl reactor. Despite significant damage, the IAEA recorded no change in radiation levels at the site].
Whatever happens, we are trying to ensure that the UN is as agile and as mentally prepared as possible for any scenario.”
