MIL OSI –

Source: Switzerland – Federal Administration – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Switzerland targets 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030

A new international climate agreement which will involve all States from 2020 is due to be concluded at the climate conference to be held in Paris in December 2015. All Member States of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change are required to state their commitments for the post-2020 period in advance of the Paris summit.

This objective of a 50% reduction in emissions reflects Switzerland’s responsibility for climate warming and the potential cost of emissions reduction measures in Switzerland and abroad over the 2020-2030 period. Switzerland, which is responsible for 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions and, based on the structure of its economy, has a low level of emissions (6.4 tonnes per capita per year), should be able to avail of emissions reduction measures abroad to reduce the cost of emissions reduction measures during the period 2020-2030 (see Box 1). The fulfilment of part of the targeted reduction abroad will also enable the spreading of domestic measures over a longer period to account for capacities within the economy.

Switzerland’s target for 2020-2030 is also compatible with the pathway defined by climate experts to keep climate warming below two degrees between now and the end of the century (see Box 2).

At national level, a draft revision of the CO2 Act will be submitted for consultation in mid-2016.  

Greater commitment for the climate

Thanks to the measures already implemented at national level, Switzerland emits less greenhouse gases today than in 1990 despite the fact that gross national product increased by 36% over the intervening period. Switzerland fulfilled its emissions reduction target for the first commitment period under the Kyoto Protocol (2008-2012).  

This commitment has been increased for the period 2013-2020. The CO2 Act prescribes a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 20% by 2020 to be achieved through domestic measures. The instruments established to fulfil this target include the CO2 tax on heating fuel, the reduction in CO2 emissions from new cars, the obligation for fuel importers to compensate for some of the CO2 emitted by transport and the Buildings Programme.  

Box 1: A clear, transparent and understandable commitment

According to the decisions adopted by the climate conference in Lima, the commitment to be announced by the States for the post-2020 period must be clear, transparent and understandable. Switzerland has provided information under each of the seven key points identified in Lima which ensure the clarity of its commitment:   

Reference point for the calculation of emissions reductions: 1990

Period for implementation: up to 2030

Scope of the commitment: sectors covered are energy, industrial processes and product use, agriculture, land-use, land-use change and forestry, waste; the reductions cover seven greenhouse gases: CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons), PFCs (perfluorocarbons), SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride), NF3 (nitrogen trifluoride), that is the gases already covered by the current legislation.

Processes: a draft revision of the CO2 Act will be submitted for consultation in mid-2016; the proposed measures will mainly aim to reinforce existing measures.

Assumption and methodology: Switzerland’s commitment is based on the existence of emissions certificates which meet high quality criteria and are sufficient in quantity. The effect of forests will be taken into account. The methodology for non-forest land remains to be developed.

Adequacy of the commitment
Three criteria are taken into account:

Historical and current responsibility for climate change: Switzerland is responsible for 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions today. Its level of responsibility is low.

Capacity to contribute to solving the climate problem: thanks inter alia to its high per capita GNP, Switzerland’s capacity to contribute to solving the climate problem is high.

Cost-effectiveness of emissions reduction measures: due to its mainly carbon-free energy production and lack of heavy industry, the cost of reduction measures in Switzerland is high in the short term.

Contribution to the objective of the Convention (increase in temperature of less than two degrees): the reduction target of -50% relative to 1990 levels is compatible with the recommendations of the IPCC of -40 to -70% below 2010 levels by 2050. 

Box 2 Objective in the context of the two degree pathway

According to the objectives defined by the Federal Council for 2030 and 2050, i.e. -50% relative to 1990 and -70 to -85% by 2050, per capita annual emissions must reach 3 tonnes of CO2 equivalents per year in 2030, and between 1 and 2 tonnes of CO2 by 2050. Hence Switzerland’s targets lie within the ambitious average of the climate experts’ (IPPC) recommendations for 2050. This emissions development is also in line with the Federal Council’s long-term objective of reducing per capita emissions to one or one-and-a-half tonnes.   

Address for enquiries:

DETEC Press and Information Service + 41 (0)58 462 55 11
FOEN Media Section + 41 (0)58 462 90 00

Publisher:

The Federal Council

Internet: http://www.admin.ch/br/index.html?lang=en

General Secretariat of the Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications; General Secretariat DETEC

Internet: http://www.uvek.admin.ch/index.html?lang=en

Federal Office for the Environment FOEN

Internet: http://www.bafu.admin.ch/en

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MIL OSI –

Source: UNICEF – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Six months after ceasefire, children of Gaza are trapped in trauma

In the State of Palestine, children continue to recover from the violence that engulfed Gaza during July and August 2014.  Download this video

By Catherine Weibel

After losing their father and their home during the most recent conflict, two young girls in Gaza struggle to come to terms with the past and look to a brighter future.

GAZA, State of Palestine, 26 February 2015 – It has been six months since a precarious truce ended another devastating bout of violence in Gaza. For children like Samar and Rosol Barakat, the scars left by 51 days of hostilities last summer are as raw as ever.

During the conflict, the two girls, their parents and three other siblings fled their flat under heavy shelling. The family took refuge in a United Nations–run school. One night, the classroom in which they slept was hit by an artillery shell. Their father was killed, and their mother seriously injured. Both girls were wounded by shrapnel.

Homes destroyed

Samar, who is 11 years old, and Rosol, who is 6, could not go back to their home at the al-Nada residential towers, which had been destroyed. They moved in with their grandfather, among 12 people squeezed into a tiny and derelict two-bedroom flat in Beit Lahiya.

The family were among 100,000 Palestinians in Gaza, half of them children, who had their homes either partially or totally destroyed during last summer’s conflict and remain displaced.

“My children have lost everything, and they need everything,” says Samar and Rosol’s mother, Neveen. “I have to be both their mother and their father now.” Because of her injuries, Neveen has a disability and needs help to take care of herself.

No safe place

Samar and Rosol continue to suffer profound distress. Neveen constantly comforts her daughters as the two girls struggle to cope with the loss of their father.

It was months before Rosol agreed to wear her school uniform and return to school. When asked whether she likes her teacher, she freezes, becomes withdrawn and, after a few minutes, starts sobbing.

“My children were injured in a school,” says Neveen. “They saw people injured with missing hands or legs, with wounded faces and eyes. They saw her father killed. They no longer see school as a safe place.”

Some improvement

A psychosocial counsellor working for UNICEF partner Palestinian Centre for Democracy and Conflict Resolution (PCDCR) follows the progress of Rosol and her older sister Samar.

Samar has shown some signs of improvement. In the aftermath of the conflict, she had temper tantrums and refused to do her homework. After a number of sessions with the counsellor, she has become calmer.

Sometimes, Samar goes with her grandfather to see what is left of her former home, now reduced to rubble. While she has come closer to accepting the situation, she still finds it difficult to focus on her studies, and her learning achievements have dropped.

“At school, everything has changed, because of what happened to us. Our father was killed, my mom, my siblings and I were injured, and we no longer have a home,” Samar says.

Need for continuing support

Like many children in Gaza, Samar and Rosol need both psychosocial and educational support to resume their lives. The involvement of schools is critical in supporting students through the emotional and physical challenges they face. At least 281 schools were damaged in the coastal enclave, however, and many have yet to be repaired. Adding to the difficulty of the situation, teachers themselves suffer from distress.

So far, UNICEF has provided nearly 35,000 children and more than 7,000 caregivers with psychosocial support, and 12,000 public school teachers with additional coping skills to support children. UNICEF is also helping to repair public schools and provide school uniforms and shoes to children, after an initial back-to-school campaign in September that supported 230,000 children with school supplies. These efforts have helped improve students’ lives, but the situation remains precarious.

“There is no future for anyone in Gaza, men, women or children,” Ali, Neveen’s father, says. “A lot of promises have been made on the reconstruction of Gaza. We hope there is implementation at last, so my daughter can be treated and recover from her wounds, and so people who lost their homes like she did have a place to live and a better life.

“My grandchildren deserve to lead a good life,” he says. “Like all children in the world.”

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MIL OSI –

Source: Australian Green Party – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Tasmania sets benchmark by extending fracking ban

The Liberal Tasmanian Government yesterday extended their fracking ban for another five years, setting a clear benchmark for parties contesting the upcoming Gippsland South by-election.

Victorian Greens leader Greg Barber welcomed the Tasmanian Government’s policy, saying “it is now time for Victorian Opposition leader Matt Guy to do the same.”

“The Nationals support for farmers’ right to veto gas exploration on their land is a step in the right direction, but a permanent ban is vital.

“The Greens will be closely watching the Liberal and National announcements on this issue,” Mr Barber said.

* http://www.premier.tas.gov.au/releases/fracking

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MIL OSI – Source: United Nations – Press Release/Statement: Headline: Syria’s war continues ‘unabated and with total impunity,’ Security Council told 26 February 2015 – In a briefing to the Security Council on the humanitarian situation in Syria, two senior United Nations relief officials warned today that as the conflict enters its fifth year, the violence and brutality continue unabated and with total impunity. Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Kyung-Wha Kang told the 15-member body that parties to the conflict continue to kill civilians and target critical infrastructure which condemn people to unnecessary suffering. Ms. Kang delivered remarks on behalf of Under Secretary-General and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valery Amos. Joining Ms. Kang was António Guterres, UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “Every month we report on the same violations. The numbers change, but the pattern remains the same. The parties to the conflict continue to act with impunity: killing and abducting civilians; denying access; removing vital supplies from convoys. This pattern must be broken,” Ms. Kang stressed. Over 2 million people in Aleppo and Dar’a Governorates have been affected by wilful denial of water and electricity by parties to the conflict this month. Of the 212,000 people who are besieged, in conditions that deteriorate every day, only 304 were reached with food in January. In other areas where conditions deteriorate every day, parties to the conflict severely restrict access to those in need. In Raqqa and Deir ez Zor, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) has closed down the offices of several aid organisations, including the Syrian Arab Red Crescent. “Some 600,000 people have not received food assistance in these governorates since last December. The sick or wounded often have nowhere safe to get treatment,” said Ms. Kang. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has succeeded in sending life-saving medicine and medical supplies from Damascus to rural Aleppo for some 65,000 treatments but many of the surgical items including midwifery and reproductive kits were removed by Government security personnel at one of the checkpoints. The Council must do everything in its power to hold parties accountable and ensure that aid is delivered to people in need. Humanitarian organizations operating in besieged Syria and in neighbouring countries continue to reach millions of people every month. In January, some 3.4 million people were reached with food assistance while hundreds of thousands were also reached with medicines, household items and other supplies. “But it is not enough. More effort must be made to deescalate the violence, protect and enable humanitarian organisations to give more support,” the Special Coordinator said, emphasising the need to secure the freeze in fighting in some parties of Aleppo so that humanitarian agencies can deliver food, remove debris and get children back into school. Ms. Kang said she was extremely concerned that two UN Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) staff has been asked to leave the country without any reason given. “This will hinder our work tremendously,” she said, urging the Government to reverse its decision. OCHA’s response cannot keep up with the needs of Syria’s people because there is simply not enough funding. By the end of last year, the Syria Humanitarian Assistance Response Plan for 2014 was just 48 per cent funded. Lack of funding has already forced the World Food Programme (WFP) to reduce rations by 30 per cent. And for every million dollars that WHO cannot raise in Syria, some 227,000 people lose vital health services. And unless urgent funding is received before May 2015, a million children will not be able to access education. Ms. Kang said she looked forward to the next pledging conference to be held on 31 March in Kuwait, expressing hope that the funds acquired there will make a difference on the ground. Echoing that sentiment, UNHCR head António Guterres, said that the Kuwait III conference will play a determining role in stabilizing the situation in the refugee hosting countries because international support has been far from keeping pace with the magnitude of needs. The Syrian refugee crisis has overwhelmed existing response capacities with 3.8 million registered in neighbouring countries. In Lebanon and Jordan, these populations have grown exponentially and Turkey is now the biggest refugee-hosting country in the world. “The continued growth in displacement is staggering. And the nature of the refugee crisis is changing. As the level of despair rises, the available protection space shrinks, we are approaching a dangerous turning point,” Mr. Guterres warned. Refugee resources are depleted and living conditions are drastically deteriorating. Host communities are severely overstretched. And the refugee influx has heavily impacted the economies and societies of Lebanon, Jordan and Northern Iraq in particular, overwhelming resources. Almost two million Syrian refugees under 18 years of age risk becoming a lost generation and many of the over 100,000 refugee children born in exile could become stateless under Syrian law. If not addressed properly, this crisis-in-the-making will have huge consequences for the region. Mr. Guterres also expressed concern over those risking their lives to find protection in Europe and called for flexible visa policies, expanded family reunification, academic scholarships and private sponsor schemes. – –]]>

MIL OSI –

Source: United Nations 4 – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Security Council condemns abduction of Syrian Christians by ISIL

26 February 2015 – The United Nations Security Council has strongly condemned the abduction of more than 100 Assyrians, as well as the destruction and desecration of Christian and other sites in northeast Syria this week by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

“Such crimes once again demonstrate the brutality of ISIL which is responsible for thousands of crimes and abuses against people from all faiths, ethnicities and nationalities and without regard to any basic value of humanity,” the 15-member UN body said in a statement issued to the press yesterday evening and which refereed to the group by its its Arabic acronym, Da’esh.

ISIL/Da’esh militants have reportedly taken hostage more than 200 Assyrians as they stormed villages in northeast Syria this week.

In their statement, Council members demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all those abducted by ISIL, Al-Nusra Front and all other individuals, groups, undertakings and entities associated with Al-Qaida, and stressed that those responsible for such heinous acts must be held accountable.

The Security Council also strongly condemned all acts of violence against civilians including those committed on the basis of their ethnicity, religion or belief.

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MIL OSI –

Source: United States White House – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: 7 out of 10 Doctors: Climate Change Is Already Harming Patients’ Health

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MIL OSI –

Source: China State Council Information Office – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: US astronauts step out on spacewalk

US astronauts step out on spacewalk [NASA] Two American astronauts yesterday stepped out on the second of three spacewalks to prepare the International Space Station for the arrival of commercial capsules ferrying astronauts in the coming years.

Commander Barry “Butch” Wilmore and flight engineer Terry Virts emerged from the station airlock after placing their suits on internal battery power at 6:51am, NASA said.
The astronauts are both wearing helmet cameras that allow viewers on Earth to experience the spacewalkers’ perspective, as part of a live broadcast on NASA television and on its website.
The team’s goal for the six-and-a-half hour spacewalk is to route two bundles of cable, lubricate parts of the space station’s robotic arm and prepare for another operation later this year to move modules around at the orbiting outpost.
The lubrication of the end of the Canadian-made robotic arm, called Canadarm, will take about three hours, said NASA commentator Rob Navias.
The work aims to set up additional docking ports, which are essentially parking spots for space taxis, at the ISS for the arrival of more crew-carrying spacecraft.
Boeing plans to send its first astronaut to space aboard the CST-100 spaceship in late 2017, followed by SpaceX soon after.
During the first outing by Wilmore and Virts on Saturday, the pair routed 110 meters of cable, with goal of setting up 213 meters by the end of the final spacewalk of this series on Sunday.
Several more spacewalks in the coming months will help get the station ready for the arrival of a pair of international docking adapters that will be delivered later this year. Traffic to the ISS is expected to increase once private industries like SpaceX and Boeing get their crew capsules up and running.
The flights will restore US access to the orbiting lab where global crews of astronauts live together for six months at a time. The retirement of the 30-year space shuttle program in 2011 left the United States without a spaceship that could send astronauts to low-Earth orbit.

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MIL OSI –

Source: United Nations 3 – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Myanmar ‘needs urgently to get back on track’ – UN rights chief

25 February 2015 – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, today warned that Myanmar “seems headed in the wrong direction and needs urgently to get back on track” in a crucial year for the country’s democratic transition and long-term reconciliation.

“The international community has seen the transition in Myanmar as a story of promise and hope,” the High Commissioner said in a statement. “But recent developments relating to the human rights of minorities, the freedom of expression and the right to peaceful protest are calling into question the direction of that reform, and even threatening to set it back.”

Zeid cited a number of recent cases in which the new space for freedom of expression and peaceful protest has been curtailed by regressive application of the law.

“In the latest in a long line of similar cases, last week 14 members of the Michaungkan community were jailed for peacefully protesting the alleged confiscation of their land by the military. Last year, we saw the jailing of 10 journalists under outdated defamation, trespassing and national security laws. And U Htin Lin Oo remains in detention for speaking out against the use of Buddhism as a tool for extremism,” Zeid said.

“Myanmar had promised to end the era of political prisoners, but now seems intent on creating a new generation by jailing people who seek to enjoy the democratic freedoms they have been promised,” the High Commissioner continued, stressing that ensuring democratic space will be critically important for the upcoming constitutional referendum and elections.

On 11 February, Myanmar’s President issued a notification announcing the expiry by the end of March of temporary ‘white cards’, held mainly by ethnic minorities who do not have citizenship under the discriminatory 1982 Citizenship Law. The decision appears designed to prevent ‘white card’ holders – the majority believed to be members of Myanmar’s stateless Rohingya Muslim minority – from being eligible to vote in the upcoming constitutional referendum and possibly in the General Election later this year. On 16 February, the Constitutional Tribunal ruled that it would be unconstitutional for ‘white card’ holders to vote in any upcoming referendum.

The Rohingyas, who number about one million, have lived in Myanmar for generations, but they are denied equal access to citizenship, and many have been victims of violent attacks. Notwithstanding that the Government has made some efforts to improve services, around 140,000 people continue to reside in overcrowded camps, the vast majority of whom are Rohingya, with severe and discriminatory restrictions placed on their freedom of movement. Noting the Government’s official resistance to the use of the term “Rohingya”, Zeid warned the denial of a group’s right to self-identification “should sound a clear warning bell” to the international community.

“During an election year, it will be tempting for some politicians to fan the flames of prejudice for electoral gain,” the High Commissioner said. “But at a time when religious extremism is creating havoc in many parts of the world, the terrible consequences of appealing to or appeasing such sentiments should be all too clear. A new democratic Myanmar should be built on the strength of its diversity.”

High Commissioner Zeid also expressed particular concern about four new laws, currently before Parliament, that are discriminatory against women and religious minorities and breach international standards on freedom of religion. The package of laws would place restrictions upon people who wish to change their religion, control the marriage of Buddhist women to non-Buddhist men, and allow the Government to regulate birth spacing and family planning in certain areas through the designation of special zones for “healthcare”.

The situation in the Kokang self-administered zone in northeastern Shan State, which is fast deteriorating following the escalation of violence between the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and other armed groups, is also cause for alarm, the High Commissioner warned. He added that the two attacks against Red Cross convoys in the space of a week were very disturbing.

Reports suggest tens of thousands have been displaced by the current fighting. On 18 February, a State of Emergency was declared for 90 days in the Kokang self-administered zone, providing wide-ranging executive and judicial powers to the military.

“It will be tragic for Myanmar’s peace process if this violence is allowed to spiral,” Zeid said. “All parties must step back from the brink and ensure full respect for human rights and protection of the civilian population.”

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MIL OSI –

Source: United States Department of State – Press Release/Statement:

Headline: Press Releases: Second Round of U.S.-Cuba Talks to Re-establish Diplomatic Relations

On Friday, February 27, the Department of State will host the second round of talks to re-establish diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba.
As with the first round, Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Roberta S. Jacobson will lead the U.S. delegation. Josefina Vidal, Director General of the U.S. Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will again head the Cuban delegation.
These talks continue the dialogue initiated by the parties on January 22 in Havana, Cuba, and are a key step in implementing the new direction in U.S.-Cuba relations announced by President Obama on December 17, 2014.
The talks are scheduled for one day, from 9:00 a.m. to approximately 3:00 p.m.
There will be a camera spray at the beginning of the talks covered by press pools from each delegation. Press participating in the pool will be informed separately. Video footage and photos will be available.
At the end of the talks, heads of delegations will hold sequential press availabilities — first Cuba, at about 4:00 p.m., then the United States. They are both open to the press. No prior registration is required. The press availabilities will be live-streamed at www.state.gov. Broadcast quality video can be downloaded at www.dvidshub.net/usdos. Online video on-demand will be at www.state.gov.
Pre-set time for video cameras: 3:00 p.m. from the 23rd street entrance.
Final access time for writers and still photographers: 3:30 p.m. from the 23rd street entrance.
Media representatives may attend this briefing upon presentation of one of the following: (1) a U.S. Government-issued identification card (Department of State, White House, Congress, Department of Defense, or Foreign Press Center), (2) a media-issued photo identification card, or (3) a letter from their employer on letterhead verifying their employment as a journalist, accompanied by an official photo identification (driver’s license or passport).
For further information, please contact WHAPress@state.gov or the Office of Press Relations at (202) 647-2492. Follow @StateDept, @USAenEspanol, and @WHAAsstSecty for more information.

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MIL OSI – Source: Europol – Press Release/Statement: Headline: International police action leads to rescue of 22-month old Romanian sex abuse victim

Swift international police cooperation has led to the arrest of a Romanian man suspected of sexually-abusing his own two-year-old daughter, filming the abuse and posting the child abuse material (CAM) online. Romanian law enforcement authorities have rescued the child. The case began when the United States National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report of suspected online child sexual abuse, submitted via their CyberTipline¹. These reports are continuously triaged to help ensure children in imminent danger get first priority. Analysts at the NCMEC reviewed the report, examining and evaluating the content and, after adding appropriate information for potential law enforcement use, the NCMEC sent the information to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Liaison Office at Europol in The Hague. HSI special agents coordinated with Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), who immediately launched an investigation. EC3 cross-checked and analysed all the data, and produced an intelligence package for the Romanian authorities. Romanian law enforcement authorities specialised in combating organised crime, and prosecutors from Sibiu County, were rapidly involved. The lack of harmonised legislation on data retention presented some issues in the initial stages of the operation however, the suspected abuser, his victim and their location were soon identified. On 24 February 2015, Romanian law enforcement officers arrested the suspect and searched his home. Evidence found at the home matched the self-produced child abuse material that the perpetrator had posted online. The victim – the suspect’s own daughter – was safeguarded. Europol’s Deputy Director Operations, Wil van Gemert says: “This serves as an example of how fast and effective international police cooperation can lead to the arrest of child sex offenders and rescue of the child victims, which continues to be a very high priority for Europol and its partners worldwide. We will continue our efforts to fight this horrific crime and to ensure a safe environment for children all around the world.” “This case illustrates law enforcement’s unyielding commitment to protecting our children,” said Brian Davis, HSI Liaison Officer at Europol. “What this man did to this baby is unthinkable. He will now have to account for his actions.” The case was supported by Europol’s (EC3), Romanian law enforcement authorities including the Romanian Intelligence Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). This operation is a direct result of the information flow process Europol initiated in 2014 in cooperation with US ICE, aiming to disseminate NCMEC reports on child sexual exploitation to the EU Member States. Europol implemented this initiative in the framework of the EMPACT priority ‘Cybercrime – Child Sexual Exploitation Online’ and currently involves: Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic, Slovenia and Sweden, plus Norway.   ¹ The CyberTipline is operated in partnership with the United States FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Postal Inspection Service, Secret Service, military criminal investigative organisations, Department of Justice, Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force program, as well as other state and local law enforcement agencies. Reports to the CyberTipline are made by the public and Electronic Service Providers. ESPs are required by law to report apparent child pornography to law enforcement via the CyberTipline. For further information, please contact: Lisanne Kosters, Europol Corporate Communications, +31 70 302 5001 –  ]]>

MIL OSI – Source: United Nations 3 – Press Release/Statement: Headline: New UN report urges push to end problem of torture in Afghan detention facilities 25 February 2015 – The Government of Afghanistan’s efforts to prevent torture and ill-treatment have shown some progress over the last two years but much more remains to be done, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) confirmed today as it released its latest report on the treatment of conflict-related detainees in Afghan custody. “UNAMA’s finding that torture of conflict-related detainees persists in spite of Government efforts over 2013-14 to address it is a source of serious concern,” said the UNAMA Human Rights Director, Georgette Gagnon, in a press release. “CAccountability – particularly the prosecution of both those who perpetrate and administer torture, and those who order or condone it – is a key means of signalling political commitment at the highest levels to end it.ontinuing impunity for the use of torture allows torture to continue.” The report – the third of its kind, and jointly produced with the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) – is based on interviews with 790 conflict-related detainees between February 2013 and December 2014, and highlights ill-treatment and torture during the arrest and interrogation phases in numerous facilities across the country with many alleged members of the Taliban and other anti-Government groups subjected to “severe pain and suffering, aimed mainly at obtaining a confession or information.” Overall, 16 methods of torture and ill-treatment were described including severe beatings with pipes, cables and sticks, suspension, electric shocks and near-asphyxiation. The report also documents a “persistent lack of accountability” with only one criminal prosecution for torture observed since 2010, despite numerous verified incidents raised with officials over the course of the reporting period. Although torture is prohibited and criminalized under Afghanistan’s Constitution and laws and under international law, UNAMA’s findings note that the country’s National Directorate of Security and the Ministry of Interior accountability and oversight mechanisms remain “inadequate, lacking independence, authority, transparency and capacity.” “Accountability – particularly the prosecution of both those who perpetrate and administer torture, and those who order or condone it – is a key means of signalling political commitment at the highest levels to end it,” Ms. Gagnon continued. Twenty out of 71 interviewed detainees reported having experienced torture or ill-treatment following their transfer to Afghan custody in 2013-14, including in Afghan facilities the International Security Assistance Force had certified as not using torture. Moreover, the report points out that many Afghan security and police officials interviewed appeared not to accept that torture is illegal, instead viewing it as an appropriate method by which to extract valuable information. “Torture is a very serious crime, for which there can be no justification. The international prohibition is absolute,” UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein stressed in the press release. “We have seen many examples showing how its use undermines national security and proves counter-productive.” In addition, he pointed out that both the Afghan Constitution and the Criminal Procedure Code include due process guarantees to protect detainees from the use of torture and ill-treatment, including the prohibition of using evidence gained through torture. Nevertheless, the report also shows a 14 per cent decrease in the number of detainees tortured or ill-treated compared to the previous reporting period. Nicholas Haysom, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and head of UNAMA, confirmed the Mission’s steadfast willingness to assist the authorities in improving accountability mechanisms in an effort to further reduce the instance of torture across the country. “UNAMA welcomes the incoming Government’s commitment to implement a new national plan on elimination of torture,” he said. “We support – and can assist as requested – this comprehensive approach to eliminate torture and ill-treatment in Government of Afghanistan facilities.” – –]]>

MIL OSI – Source: United States Department of State – Press Release/Statement: Headline: Press Releases: Recent Attacks on Civilians in Syria The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms ISIL’s attacks yesterday on predominantly Assyrian Christian villages in the northeast Syrian province of Hasakeh, where they kidnapped dozens of civilians, including women, children, priests, and the elderly. Hundreds of other civilians remain trapped in villages surrounded by ISIL fighters, and clashes continue between ISIL and local forces defending their communities. ISIL burned and destroyed homes and churches, and the violence has reportedly displaced more than 3,000 people. We demand the immediate and unconditional release of the civilians taken captive yesterday and of all those held by ISIL. ISIL’s latest targeting of a religious minority is only further testament to its brutal and inhumane treatment of all those who disagree with its divisive goals and toxic beliefs. ISIL continues to exact its evil upon innocents of all faiths, and the majority of its victims have been Muslims. People of all faiths and many religious leaders throughout the region have united in condemning ISIL’s depravity, including its mass killings, rape, sexual enslavement, lashing, stoning, crucifixion, torture, and public murders of hostages. Tragically, Syrians are threatened not only by ISIL’s grotesque violence and repressive ideology, but also by the Assad regime’s unrelenting campaign of terror. The regime has recently intensified its airstrikes and barrel bombing of Aleppo and continues to besiege the Damascus suburbs of Eastern Ghouta and Douma, cutting off humanitarian aid from those in need. The UN Commission of Inquiry reaffirmed the deteriorating situation last week, noting in its latest report that the Syrian people continue to suffer from the Assad regime’s airstrikes, barrel bombings, arbitrary detention, torture, sexual violence, and murder. Like ISIL, the Assad regime is showing its complete disregard for human life through these crimes. To bring an end to these daily horrors, we remain committed to leading the international coalition to degrade and defeat ISIL and to working towards a negotiated political solution that stops the bloodshed and secures a future of freedom, justice, and dignity for all Syrians. – –]]>