Africa

La Société de transport en commun (SOTRACO) a annoncé avoir pris des mesures disciplinaires à l'encontre de plusieurs de ses agents, à la suite de manquements constatés dans l'exercice de leurs fonctions.

Les 3, 4 et 5 novembre 2025, le conseil de discipline de l'entreprise s'est réuni à Bobo-Dioulasso pour examiner divers cas de fautes graves. À l'issue des délibérations, plusieurs sanctions ont été prononcées, allant de la mise à pied à l'avertissement, en passant par des actions de sensibilisation.

Les décisions prises se répartissent comme suit :

Mise à pied de 08 jours : 4 machinistes

Mise à pied de 03 jours : 2 machinistes, 1 agent contrôleur et 1 aide-mécanicien

Mise à pied de 02 jours : 1 machiniste

Mise à pied de 01 jour : 3 agents contrôleurs

Avertissement : 10 machinistes

Sensibilisation : 5 machinistes, 1 régulateur principal et 1 agent contrôleur

La Direction générale de la SOTRACO a rappelé à cette occasion son attachement à la rigueur et à la discipline professionnelle au sein de la société. Elle a également invité l'ensemble du personnel à faire preuve d'une vigilance accrue sur la route afin d'assurer la sécurité des passagers et la qualité du service public.

Lefaso.net
Source : SOTRACO

Environ 80 pratiquants de moins de 20 ans, d'horizons divers, en kung fu wushu, taekwondo, shotokan, en tai jitsu se sont produits le 9 novembre 2025 à Ouagadougou, à l'initiative du mouvement Espoir Afrique (Esafrique) de Me Christian Ouoba. Les pratiquants des deux sexes entre 10 et 19 ans, ont rivalisé en katas et combats.

Le gymnase de l'ISSDH (ex INJEPS), grouillait de jeunes pratiquants d'arts martiaux, dont l'âge est compris entre 10 et 19 ans le 9 novembre 2025. Près de 80 pratiquants et pratiquantes, issus de différentes écoles, du kung fu wushu, du taekwondo, du shotokan, du tai jitsu, ont fait valoir leurs niveaux d'apprentissages en katas individuels (avec arme ou sans arme) et en équipes, et dans des combats. Après la phase éliminatoire, les meilleurs ont été retenus pour les finales.

Me Ouoba en kimono et un parent portant les médailles aux vainqueurs.

Il y a eu deux phases : combats et techniques. Les tout jeunes pensionnaires ont fait voir ce qu'ils ont appris dans des combats et en katas, sous la supervision d'un jury de cinq arbitres et sous les regards attentionnés des parents et sympathisants d'arts martiaux. Les passages en katas, tout comme dans les combats, ont été sanctionnés par des drapeaux noirs et rouges des arbitres aux couleurs des ceintures portées. À l'issue des épreuves, les meilleurs dans chaque catégorie niveaux 1 ou 2 ont reçu des médailles.

Les tout jeunes en démonstration de katas collectif.

Certains enfants se sont particulièrement distingués en katas et en combats. Les tout-petits ont fait voir de meilleures prédispositions de futurs grands combattants. Me Soari Christian Ouoba, promoteur du tournoi, trouve des motifs de satisfaction. « Je suis satisfait de l'activité. Elle a connu plus d'engouements que les années précédentes. L'objectif c'est de créer un cadre de rapprochement entre pratiquants de différents types d'arts martiaux, afin de créer l'unicité autour des arts martiaux, c'est là que notre message qui véhicule la paix, la sagesse, l'humilité, l'entraide va plus porter », se réjouit-il.

Il a poursuivi en faisant savoir que grâce aux cotisations, l'organisation a pu augmenter les récompenses, mais la mobilisation des ressources n'est pas aisée, et parfois c'est avec les moyens de bord qu'ils font. Et de préciser que cette activité qu'ils viennent de faire est en fait le lancement de la saison, et d'autres activités vont suivre.

Les combats chez les grands ont été disputés.

Me Soari Christian Ouoba, est l'initiateur du projet Esafrique, qui veut dire Espoir Afrique. C'est un mouvement de jeunesse qui entend promouvoir le développement par la pratique des arts martiaux, des sports de combat. Le principe fondamental, c'est fonder l'esprit dans la dignité, pour servir l'humanité.

Barthélemy Kaboré (Collaborateur)
Lefaso.net

Dans la dynamique de redynamisation du secteur ferroviaire burkinabè, Bobo-Dioulasso va abriter les 14 et 15 novembre 2025 la première édition des Journées nationales du transport par rail (JNTR). Cet événement sera un moment de communion, de mémoire et de projection pour bâtir « un rail plus fort, plus compétitif et au service du développement national ». Il est placé sous la présidence du ministre des infrastructures et du désenclavement, Adama Luc Sorgho. L'information a été donnée ce mercredi 12 novembre 2025 à Bobo-Dioulasso, au cours d'une conférence de presse.

La rencontre avec les professionnels de médias, tenue à Bobo-Dioulasso, a permis de présenter les objectifs, les enjeux et les attentes de ces journées dédiées au transport ferroviaire. Le principal conférencier, Firmin Bagoro, directeur général de la Société de gestion du patrimoine ferroviaire du Burkina (SOPAFER-B), lors de sa déclaration, n'a pas manqué ainsi de revenir sur l'importance du chemin de fer dans l'histoire économique du Burkina Faso.

Il a rappelé que le rail Abidjan-Ouagadougou, mis en service au début des années 1900, a été un vecteur majeur de croissance et d'intégration régionale. « Le chemin de fer a longtemps constitué le principal moyen de transport des personnes et des biens sur le corridor Abidjan-Ouagadougou, avant de connaître plusieurs mutations institutionnelles », a-t-il souligné.

De la Régie des chemins de fer Abidjan-Niger (RAN) à la Société des chemins de fer du Burkina (SICF) en passant par la Société ivoirienne des chemins de fer (SICF) et la concession actuelle confiée à SITARAIL, le réseau ferroviaire a traversé plusieurs phases qui ont marqué l'histoire commune entre la Côte d'Ivoire et le Burkina Faso. Ces transformations, dit-il, ont conduit à la création de deux structures de patrimoine ferroviaire : la Société ivoirienne du patrimoine ferroviaire (SIPF) et la SOPAFER-B pour le Burkina Faso.

Les journalistes présents à la conférence de presse

Un cadre de réflexion et de relance

Selon le directeur général de la SOPAFER-B, Firmin Bagoro, la tenue de cette première édition des Journées nationales du transport par rail (JNTR) coïncide avec le 30ᵉ anniversaire de la société, « un moment symbolique pour repenser l'avenir du rail burkinabè ». Ainsi, face aux défis technologiques, aux exigences logistiques modernes et à la fin prochaine de la concession actuelle, il est donc temps, a-t-il insisté, de définir une nouvelle vision nationale pour la réhabilitation du réseau, la connexion des industries locales et la mise en œuvre de projets d'interconnexion régionale.

Ces journées permettront ainsi de dresser un état des lieux du transport ferroviaire, de promouvoir les potentialités du secteur, de partager les réformes en cours et de rendre également hommage aux femmes et aux hommes qui ont contribué à l'épopée du rail Abidjan-Ouagadougou-Kaya. « Cette rencontre nationale se veut un cadre d'échanges, de réflexion et de valorisation du rail burkinabè », a-t-il laissé entendre.

Plusieurs activités vont ponctuer ces journées, dont une excursion en train sur le trajet Bobo-Darsalamy, afin de redonner le goût de voyager avec le train à la population. Il est attendu donc environ 500 participants à cette édition. La cité de Sya, véritable berceau du développement ferroviaire, a été choisie pour abriter cette première édition. « Ce sera un moment de communion, de mémoire et de projection pour bâtir ensemble un rail plus fort, plus compétitif et au service du développement national », a déclaré M. Bagoro.

Firmin Bagoro rappelant la mission fondamentale de la SOPAFER-B

Il a également rappelé la mission fondamentale de la SOPAFER-B, qui consiste entre autres à gérer le patrimoine ferroviaire de l'État, à suivre l'exploitation du service concédé et à assurer la maîtrise d'œuvre des travaux liés aux infrastructures et matériels ferroviaires. Pour le gouvernement burkinabè, le développement d'un réseau ferroviaire national reste une priorité stratégique. Il s'agit non seulement de réduire les coûts d'entretien des routes, mais aussi de renforcer la mobilité des personnes et des biens, tout en consolidant l'intégration régionale et la souveraineté économique du pays.

Le directeur général de la SOPAFER-B a renouvelé ses remerciements aux médias pour leur accompagnement constant. Il reste convaincu que leur rôle est essentiel pour porter le message du rail à toutes les couches de la société et faire des JNTR un événement national d'envergure et de fierté.

Romuald Dofini
Lefaso.net

Dans la matinée de ce mercredi 12 novembre 2025, le ministre de l'économie et des finances, le Dr Aboubacar Nacanabo, représentant le Premier ministre, a présidé la cérémonie d'ouverture d'un atelier de sensibilisation des acteurs du transport routier des marchandises. Cet atelier, qui se déroule les 12 et 13 novembre 2025 à Bobo-Dioulasso, vise à outiller et à sensibiliser les acteurs entrant dans le cadre du transport routier de marchandises.

Placé sous le thème « Professionnalisation et facilitation du transport routier de marchandises au Burkina Faso », le présent atelier vise à sensibiliser l'ensemble des acteurs du transport routier de marchandises au Burkina Faso sur les enjeux, les avantages et les exigences de la professionnalisation du secteur afin d'assurer la facilitation, la sécurité, la conformité, la performance, et la compétitivité du secteur et de l'économie.

À en croire le ministre en charge des finances, le transport joue un rôle essentiel dans l'approvisionnement du pays et dans la dynamique économique d'ensemble. « Conscient de l'importance du transport dans notre économie, il était de bon ton que nous soyons là, pour passer le message qui permet aux transporteurs de comprendre le rôle important qu'ils ont à jouer dans notre économie, l'importance que l'État accorde à leur activité, mais aussi leur dire qu'ils doivent davantage se professionnaliser, se responsabiliser pour pouvoir contribuer efficacement à l'essor économique du Burkina Faso », a-t-il expliqué.

Les participants à l'atelier de l'OCOD-BF.

Selon lui, les différentes communications qui seront présentées au cours de ces deux jours de travaux vont permettre aux participants de mieux comprendre ce qui doit être fait pour la célérité des opérations douanières, comment aller à un transport beaucoup plus moderne et efficace, comment bénéficier des différents avantages qui sont offerts au niveau du code des investissements pour renouveler le parc des transporteurs. « Avec des véhicules trop vieux, le coût du transport devient élevé. Chose qui entraîne l'augmentation du coût des marchandises, d'où l'inflation », regrette-t-il.

Au sortir de cet atelier, le patron du département en charge des finances espère que des propositions importantes vont être faites pour pouvoir dresser un plan d'action qui va permettre de moderniser davantage le transport pour une économie beaucoup plus moderne et plus prospère pour le Burkina Faso. Dr Nacanabo rappelle que le transport routier n'est pas un simple service, il est le sang qui irrigue l'économie du pays, le souffle qui anime les marchés, le cœur qui rythme la vie du territoire. Sans un transport moderne, performant et discipliné, regrette-t-il, aucune souveraineté économique n'est possible. Raison pour laquelle, justifie-t-il, ce secteur devra être transformé avec l'audace et la détermination des bâtisseurs de la nation. Il reconnaît que les défis sont réels et que la lenteur, le désordre, la vétusté, la précarité des acteurs existent, mais un révolutionnaire ne se plaint pas, il agit et transforme les obstacles en opportunités et les difficultés en conquêtes. C'est pourquoi, poursuit-il, le Burkina Faso a engagé des réformes courageuses alignées sur les standards régionaux et continentaux. « Ces réformes ne sont pas technocratiques, elles sont stratégiques et pragmatiques. Elle vise à rétablir la discipline, à fluidifier les corridors, à réduire les coûts logistiques, à renforcer la sécurité et la transparence et à améliorer la compétitivité nationale », a-t-il prévenu.

Le ministre de l'Économie et des Finances, Dr Aboubacar Nacanabo.

À en croire les propos du Dr Aboubacar Nacanabo, professionnaliser et faciliter sont les deux jambes sur lesquelles marchera le nouveau transport burkinabè. « Professionnaliser, c'est structurer, c'est former, c'est élever les standards. Faciliter, c'est libérer, c'est accélérer, c'est simplifier », a-t-il éclairé. Il conseille de regarder vers la digitalisation totale des flux, vers une flotte renouvelée et moins polluante, vers des entreprises nationales fortes, vers une intégration régionale et continentale assumée, vers des corridors où règne la célérité et non la corruption. Aux participants, il souhaite qu'au sortir de l'atelier, les recommandations soient des leviers de transformation, pas des textes oubliés dans des tiroirs.

Président de l'OCOD-BF, le colonel des douanes Robert Kontogom précise qu'au cours de cet atelier, il y aura sept communications autour du thème principal, car le constat a montré que le secteur des transports n'est pas professionnel et qu'il existe des sociétés de transport qui ne disposent pas d'un agrément ou d'un document exigé. Il pense qu'un transporteur qui n'est pas professionnel ne se soucie pas du respect des textes alors que la professionnalisation rime avec la facilitation.

Photo de famille pour immortaliser l'atelier.

Robert Kontogom laisse entendre que le secteur des transports est un maillon important de la chaîne des opérations douanières pour un pays comme le Burkina Faso. Le thème central du présent atelier, dit-il, est une préoccupation majeure qui est d'actualité, car, ajoute-t-il, le secteur du transport, quoiqu'il soit vital pour l'économie, demeure fragile. « Selon les statistiques de la direction générale des transports terrestres et maritimes, plus de 50% du parc roulant est vétuste, ce qui compromet la rentabilité des opérations de transport. Plus de 30% des entreprises ou sociétés de transport sont informelles, évoluant des fois sans agrément de transport, qui est une exigence », a-t-il déploré.

Par ailleurs, M. Kontogom souligne que la multiplicité des postes de contrôle sur les corridors, le temps d'attente des véhicules et les frais non officiels acquittés par les conducteurs routiers occasionnent une augmentation de 15 à 20% du coût total du transport. Il faut rappeler que cet atelier se tient après celui tenu à Ouagadougou il y a une année.

Djaryigo Diarra
Lefaso.net

There is an old Dagomba proverb which says: ldquo;When you throw a toad over your wall, you don rsquo;t go to see how it fell. rdquo; That, sadly, is how many pensioners in Ghana feel about the Social Security and National Insurance Trust (SSNIT).

The fossil fuel industry has polluted our art, and now it’s polluting our information. So, we clearly say: stop the lies. —Brazilian political scientist Rayana Burgos

Session of the Second World Summit for Social Development in Doha

By Isabel Ortiz
DOHA, Nov 12 2025 (IPS)

Qatar hosted the Second World Summit for Social Development from 4–6 November. According to the United Nations, more than 40 Heads of State and Government, 230 ministers and senior officials, and nearly 14,000 attendees took part. Beyond plenaries and roundtables, more than 250 “solution sessions” identified practical ways to advance universal rights to food, housing, decent work, social protection or social security, education, health, care systems and other public services, international labor standards, and the fight against poverty and inequality.

In these difficult times for multilateralism, the summit delivered a global agreement, the Doha Political Declaration, that many feared would not materialize. The UN Secretary-General António Guterres called the text a “booster shot for development,” urging leaders to deliver a “people’s plan” that tackles inequality, creates decent work and rebuilds social trust.

Isabel Ortiz

The summit inevitably invited comparison with the 1995 World Social Summit in Copenhagen, a genuinely visionary summit that set the bar high with 117 Heads of State and Government. Thirty years on, the Doha Declaration is largely a recommitment to earlier agreements. Its first drafts lacked vision and, while significantly improved, the text remains uninspiring. The drop in top-level attendance—from 117 to just over 40—was widely noted in the corridors of the Doha Convention Center. This absence, especially from high-income countries, raises questions about shared responsibility for the Doha consensus and for the universal Sustainable Development Goals.

Even so, veteran voices urged pragmatism. Both the Copenhagen Declaration and Doha’s recommitment are workable texts to advance social justice. While not the ideal many hoped for, the Doha outcome addresses the key issues—and, above all, constitutes an international consensus adopted by all countries amid a crisis of multilateralism.

Juan Somavía, former UN-Under Secretary General and a driving force behind the 1995 Summit, welcomed the Doha’s Declaration as a meaningful foundation to move the agenda forward. Roberto Bissio, coordinator of Social Watch and a lead participant in Copenhagen, added “Let’s revive hope in these turbulent times… Now in Doha our governments are renewing their pledges of three decades ago, and adding new commitments that we welcome, to reduce inequalities, to promote care and to ensure universal social protection, which is a Human Right.”

However, Somavia, Bissio and many UN and civil society leaders in Doha, also stressed the distance between pledges and delivery. The pressure mounted through the week. At the closing, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed said that the message from unions, civil society and youth was unequivocal: people expect results, not rhetoric. “The outcomes of this Summit provide a strong foundation,” she said. “What matters most now is implementation.”

The test now is whether governments will translate the Doha declaration into action: budgets, laws and programs that reach people. Magdalena Sepulveda, Director of UNRISD, called for bold political action: “What we need now is that states are going to take the political will to implement the Doha Declaration in a swift manner with bold measures.”

The trend, however, is moving the other way, as many governments adopt austerity cuts and have limited funding for social development. More than 6.7 billion people or 85% of the world’s population suffer austerity, and 84% of countries have cut investment in education, health and social protection, fueling protests and social conflict. “The concept of the welfare state is being eroded before our eyes in the face of an ideological commitment to austerity and a shrinking state” said Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International. “A wave of youth-led Gen Z protests is sweeping the world. A recurring slogan during the recent protests in Morocco was ‘We want hospitals, not stadiums’… Public services are being dismantled while wealth is hoarded at the top. The social contract will not survive this neglect.”

The good news is that governments do have ways to finance the Doha commitments. Austerity is not inevitable; there are alternatives. There are at least nine financing options for social development: raise progressive taxes (such as on corporate profits, finance, high wealth, property, and digital services); curb illicit financial flows; reduce or restructure debt; increase employers contributions to social security and formalize employment; reallocate spending away from high-cost, low-impact items such as defense; use fiscal and foreign-exchange reserves; increase aid and transfers; adopt more flexible macroeconomic frameworks; and approve new allocations of Special Drawing Rights. In a world awash with money yet marked by stark inequality, finding the funds is a matter of political will. In short: austerity is a choice, not a necessity.

History will not judge Doha by its communiqués but by whether the promises made—on rights, jobs and equity—reach people. Implementation is feasible, as there are financing options even in the poorest countries. If leaders go ahead, Doha will be remembered not as an echo of 1995, but as the moment words gave way to action.

Isabel Ortiz, Director, Global Social Justice, was Director at the International Labor Organization (ILO) and UNICEF, and a senior official at the UN and the Asian Development Bank.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Thousands had turned up to El-Wak stadium, in the capital Accra, with hopes of being enlisted.

Trump said it was a "total disgrace" that South Africa was hosting this month's summit.

If I could meet the COP president, I would speak to him about the need to preserve the environment, to truly preserve it, alongside the Indigenous people. I would also speak about the need to put life above profit. —Jeane Carla, activist at COP30

They were not in court and have described the charges against them as “a legal farce”.

The confrontation struck a chord with many Nigerians because of Nyesom Wike's political stature.

General Plenary Session of Leaders at the United Nations Climate Change Conference COP 30. Credit: Ueslei Marcelino/COP3

By James Alix Michel
VICTORIA, Nov 12 2025 (IPS)

COP30 Brazil, though shadowed by the absence of many world leaders, remains a pivotal milestone in the global fight against climate change, tasked with building on the Paris Agreement’s momentum. Yet the glaring lack of commitment, coupled with withdrawals from the accord, casts a grim shadow over the future. The planet continues to warm, and scientists warn that current targets may not prevent a catastrophic temperature spike. While the summit’s focus on implementation not just new promises—is a welcome shift, it’s clear: words alone won’t cool the Earth.

James Alix Michel

Brazil’s leadership in championing nature-based solutions, like safeguarding the Amazon rainforest, is a beacon of hope. The conference ignited critical discussions on climate finance, adaptation, and resilience for vulnerable nations. The Baku-to-Belem Roadmap’s goal of mobilizing $1.3 trillion annually for developing countries is ambitious but necessary. Yet challenges loom large: wealthy nations’ apathy, geopolitical fractures, and the lingering impact of the U.S. withdrawal from Paris. COP30’s success hinges on action.

The Stakes Are Dire

The IPCC warns: we’re on track for 2.5–3°C warming by 2100 if pledges are not met. This spells ruin: crippling droughts, unlivable cities, mass migration, and ecosystems collapsing. The Amazon, a vital carbon sink, is nearing a ‘tipping point’ of irreversible dieback. Island nations face existential threats. The climate crisis is not a distant threat—it’s here.

Why COP30 Matters

1. Implementation Over Pledges: Past summits yielded lofty goals, but delivery has lagged. COP30 must hold nations accountable. No more empty vows.

2. Climate Finance: Developing countries need predictable funding, not charity. The $100 billion/year promise remains unfulfilled. Wealthy nations must pay their share.

3. Adaptation and Resilience: Frontline communities in Africa, Small Island States, and the Global South can’t wait. Funding for early warnings, flood defenses, and drought-resistant crops isn’t a favor; it’s justice.

4. Global Unity: Geopolitics must not derail progress. The world needs cooperation, not competition.

The Human Cost:

Millions already suffer. Cyclones, wildfires, famine, mass migration, and sea-level rise. This isn’t ‘someday’; it’s now. Indigenous groups, youth activists, and scientists plead: stop debating. Act.

Yet amid the urgency, COP30 saw glimmers. Brazil’s Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva pushed for Amazon protection. African nations demanded reparations for historical emissions. The Global South called for “Equity first.”

The Road Ahead: COP31 and Beyond.

Future summits must:

• • Enforce transparency: Track emissions cuts, not just promises.
  • Prioritize loss & damage: Compensate those already paying the price.
  • Work towards ending fossil fuels: No new coal projects.
  • Empower youth: Include communities, not just politicians.

A Call to Leaders: Pledges Aren’t Leadership

When leaders make commitments, they bind their nations to honor them. Empty promises are not leadership. The world isn’t a battleground for wars—it’s our only home. We’re all in this together. No more excuses. Action isn’t optional.

The clock ticks. The Amazon burns. The oceans rise. We need solutions. And we know what the solutions are. Now we need action.

Let’s choose life. For the planet and for ourselves.

James Alix Michel, Former President Republic of Seychelles, Member Club de Madrid, Founder James Michel Foundation.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Speaking before Nigeria face Gabon in African play-offs for the World Cup, Alex Iwobi says Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was his "big brother" at Arsenal.

View of a forest in the southern state of Oaxaca, which is one of the most impacted by forest fires in Mexico. Credit: Emilio Godoy / IPS

By Emilio Godoy
MEXICO CITY, Nov 12 2025 (IPS)

“This issue has been spiralling out of control year after year. The first responders are the communities themselves. There is no information explaining what a wildfire is in our native language (Mixtec), not even a pamphlet or video that can be distributed”, indigenous language education student Estela Aranda tells IPS.

The 30-year-old Ayuuk jä’äy (Mixe) student, who is from the Santa Anita community in the Copanatoyac town in the southern state of Guerrero, pointed out that the community doesn’t know how to deal with serious fires because “there has been no guidance from people who know how to handle them”.

In 2024, the community was alarmed by a fire, and there was another one in Tlapa de Comonfort, an adjacent municipality, in March. The first fire “lasted several days and destroyed a lot of vegetation”, says Aranda, whose 1364-people community relies primarily on small-scale livestock farming and growing corn, beans and squash.

“Nature feeds us, guides us and connects us. When it suffers fires, we care for it with great responsibility and all our heart because it is everything to us”, she affirms.

This is a major concern, given that Copanatoyac, located around 350 kilometres south of Mexico City, has experienced an increase in fires since 2023. After three fires consumed 1096 hectares in 2024, two fires ravaged 114 hectares this year in one of the country’s poorest states, which is plagued by violence and ranks fifth in terms of historical burned area.

In surrounding municipalities, meanwhile, the number of fires increased from nine incidents affecting 1535 hectares in 2022 to 12 incidents affecting 1941 hectares in 2025, posing a potential threat due to the risk of flame expansion.

The 2020–2024 Fire Management Programme and regulations on methods for using flames on forest and agricultural land have failed to curb fires, which are intensified by heat and drought — consequences of the climate catastrophe. Added to this is the insufficiency of government resources.

 

Sight of a forest fire in the southeastern state of Quintana Roo in August 2025
Credit: Conafor

The age of fire

Since 1970, for which official records exist, there have been 397 143 fires, with an average of over 300 000 hectares burned, totalling more than 18 million hectares.

The trend has been upward since 2020, in line with rising temperatures and drought, although there was a decrease in 2025, mainly due to abundant rainfall.

The first responders are the communities themselves. There is no information explaining what a wildfire is in our native language (Mixtec), not even a pamphlet or video that can be distributed

The central state of Mexico, neighbouring Mexico City, has reported the highest cumulative number of fires (88 274), followed by Mexico City itself (45 758) and the western state of Michoacán (44 243).

In terms of affected areas, the western state of Jalisco has suffered the greatest loss (1,67 million hectares), followed by the southern state of Chiapas (1,6 million) and the northern state of Chihuahua (1,56 million).

After three years, the intensity has subsided and the number of fires has dropped to 6824, affecting 1,16 million hectares.

Despite the decrease in the number of fires, the area burned per incident has been rising since 2020, almost tripling from 64 to 172 hectares by October 2025.

Regulations have also failed. The 2023 regulation on fire use in forests, agricultural land and surrounding areas instruct technical and environmental guidelines for controlled burns, but these have been violated, given that one-third of the fires originated from agricultural activities and another third from unknown causes in 2024, a category which also encompasses this possibility.

Similarly, the 2018 General Law on Sustainable Forest Development incorporates fire management in forest areas, addressing their ecological, social and environmental roles within ecosystems, and defining burn prevention, fire use planning and management, and rapid and effective responses to forest fires.

Added to this are the issues of impunity for intentional fires and a weak prevention culture.

The 2020–2024 Fire Management Programme consisted of 15 strategies, five of which were related to flames, and two of which were related to prevention and agricultural fire management measures. These measures were ineffective.

This issue is further compounded by the fact that Conafor itself acknowledges that the area affected by fires largely corresponds to fire-dependent ecosystems.

While fires have intensified, Conafor has eliminated direct firefighting support since 2020, forcing forest communities to include land clearing and firebreak installation tasks under other categories.

Despite forest-fires’ high incidence, Conafor has also suffered severe budget cuts. While allocated funds totalled $573 million in 2014, this year they fell to $133 million — one quarter of that amount. Although the budget had been rising since 2022, it fell again this year.

In response to IPS enquiries, Conafor attributes the fires to the impacts of climate catastrophe and places responsibility with states and municipalities.

“Fire management policy is based on strengthening inter-institutional coordination at all levels, as well as on the distribution of responsibilities, where municipal and state governments play a leading role given that they must operate their own fire management programmes within their respective territorial jurisdictions”, the agency states.

It also indicates that 1700 firefighters are employed, and that 266 fire brigades are subsidised, as well as regulations on controlled burns being disseminated.

 

Brigades from the government’s National Forestry Commission fight a fire in a forested area in the northern state of Chihuahua in May of this year. That territory has experienced the third highest number of fires in Mexico since 1970.
Credit: Conafor

Land of fire

Guerrero is not an exceptional case. Neighbouring Oaxaca experiences a similar situation.

Juan Reyes, an indigenous Zapotec, knows well what it means to face forest fires from his experience as a municipal official and as a resident of at-risk communities.

“The fires were very intense; we couldn’t handle them, even with all our personnel. The authorities didn’t respond; the state government didn’t respond either. Things went badly for us. People became alarmed later when the fire spread and burned more hectares”, the elementary school teacher recalls to IPS in Las Cuevas, in the Oaxacan municipality of Santo Domingo de Morelos.

Reyes, who is 39 years old, is married and has two children, served as the councilman for Public Works between 2020 and 2022, and has also witnessed the impact of fire on his community since then. The village is home to around 1000 people, and the main crops grown there are hibiscus, mango, watermelon, melon, papaya and tamarind.

The village experienced the heat firsthand. “We had no knowledge of anything until, after three or four days and several calls from the mayor and the council, they finally responded. Conafor sent a small team. They called more people, and we organised and put in the firebreak”, he evokes.

However, the fire had already burned through four or five hectares and was threatening two other communities. “It lasted eight days, and we put it out”, he assures.

For hundreds of Mexican communities, the problem isn’t limited to the flames but begins with a lack of timely and culturally appropriate information and training. A combination of the consequences of climate catastrophe and government omissions has fuelled them.

Reyes, a corn farmer, summed it up: information is lacking. “This happens every year. They should send information so people can be careful”, he says.

As in Copanatoyac, fires in surrounding towns threaten these communities. For example, two fires consumed 45 hectares in an adjacent municipality in 2022. The following year, none occurred; however, four fires ravaged 214 hectares in 2024. This year, three fires burned 120 hectares.

 

Communities, set aside

Diego Pérez, an academic at the Institute of Ecosystem and Sustainability Research at the public National Autonomous University of Mexico, questions the fire management scheme.

He says that communities are very aware of their environment and know how to conduct agricultural burns and control escapes. “Many people in rural areas are better prepared to deal with these issues. However, Mexican legislation works the other way around, as it is the owner or the community who must handle it. If they are overwhelmed, they must ask the municipality, the state and finally the federation for help”, he tells IPS.

In contrast, Conafor has adopted a reductionist approach, acting as a “fire department”. “What’s happening is that fires are coming back with more force. There’s negative public perception of fire”, he emphasises.

Monitoring and prevention involve improved monitoring through satellite technology, which Conafor already uses, as well as improved fire management practices, and greater community awareness and preparedness programmes, which are still pending.

Reyes remembers the lessons of his father and grandfather. “What is most urgent is to inform, not burn cleared lands, rescue older strategies. We have become very aware that the swiddens should not be burned and if they do, the elderly people have their strategies”, he explains.

He describes that they should clean around the land and not burn from the stream to the hill, but rather from the top of the hill downwards, because the stream cuts it. There shouldn’t be burns when there is a lot of wind, but rather after four in the afternoon.

In the face of a worsening climate catastrophe, affected communities are calling for greater attention from Conafor.

“As responsible institutions, it would be good if they organised training workshops on this problem that communities face year after year. They should also reforest these spaces and provide communities with information on how, where and why to prevent fires. There’s a lot of nature loss”, pleads Aranda.

Researcher Pérez proposes research and support in forest habitat management, fostering knowledge and good practices while recognising regional differences, and recovering traditional knowledge. He also suggests providing communities with the means to manage their ecosystems.

“There’s a lot of work to be done, and it’s not just about fires. It’s about paying the debt that has existed with rural areas. They know that some fires are necessary to remove fuel from the forest. A restoration regime for the fire regime is required — it must be communicated and worked on with communities. The conception of what Conafor can do must be reconsidered”, he recommends.

IPS produced this article with support from the Global Landscapes Forum.

The translation from the original article in Spanish involved the use of AI tools.

A lot of the time, we talk about acronyms … we’re not talking about us. And ‘us’ is life. ‘Us’ is land. ‘Us’ is knowledge. So start thinking about us, because ‘us’ is our future, our kids’ future. —Allison Kellen, canoe builder and Indigenous activist

The French-born footballer did not have an easy run on his way to the top, with numerous clubs rejecting him.

Ibrahim Olabi, Permanent Representative of the Syrian Arab Republic to the United Nations, addresses the Security Council meeting on the situation in Syria. Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 12 2025 (IPS)

Eleven months after the fall of the Assad regime, Syria continues to grapple with severe instability as the country navigates a turbulent political transition. Rates of displacement have surged, and humanitarian organizations are struggling to support large numbers of refugees returning home. In recent weeks, the United Nations (UN) has documented numerous cases of enforced disappearances and abductions, calling for stronger accountability measures as the transition continues to unfold.

The ongoing displacement crisis at the Syrian borders was detailed in the latest regional flash update from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). According to the update, roughly seven million civilians remain displaced within Syria, while more than 1.9 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) have returned home, with roughly half of them departing from IDP sites in northern Syria.

As of November 6, UNHCR has recorded approximately 1,208,802 Syrians having crossed back into Syria from bordering nations since December 8, 2024. The majority of these returnees are projected to have departed from Türkiye, with UNHCR recording roughly 550,000 Syrian returnees in the past year.

Additionally, roughly 362,027 have been recorded returning to Syria from Lebanon. Smaller numbers of returnees have been recorded returning from Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, and afar. Currently, it is estimated that at least 1,476 Syrians have participated in the repatriation programme organized by UNHCR, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the General Security Office (GSO).

Both internally displaced Syrians and those returning home continue to endure harsh living conditions, compounded by severe shortages of humanitarian supplies. UNHCR notes that additional funding is urgently required to facilitate an effective political transition for civilians, with the agency recording widespread destruction to homes, an overwhelming lack of employment opportunities, and shrinking availability of access to basic services.

Aid operations are increasingly strained, struggling to keep pace with the growing scale of needs across the country. Winterization efforts are underway as harsh temperatures are projected to exacerbate already dire living conditions. UNHCR estimates that reduced funding threatens to leave roughly 750,000 Syrian refugees without winter assistance.

“Humanitarian budgets are stretched to breaking point and the winter support that we offer will be much less this year,” said Dominique Hyde, UNHCR’s Director of External Relations. “Families will have to endure freezing temperatures without things many of us take for granted: a proper roof, insulation, heating, blankets, warm clothes or medicine.”

UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi has urged the international community, the private sector, and Syrian communities to “come together and intensify their efforts to support recovery”, to ensure that returns are dignified and sustainable. “With renewed commitment, the international community can help preserve hope and support stability and durable solutions for one of the largest refugee situations of our time,” said Grandi.

To support displaced Syrian families ahead of the harsh winter season, UNHCR has scaled up its winterization response across Syria, supplying over 17,000 displaced and returnee families with essential non-food items. The agency delivered winter kits with essential winter supplies such as blankets, heaters, mattresses, and warm clothing in Aleppo, Hama, Dar’a, Quneitra, Homs, Qamishli, Sweida, and rural Damascus.

“Our teams are on the ground, determined to protect refugees from the cold, but we are running out of time and resources,” added Hyde. “We need more funding to help make many lives slightly more tolerable.” UNHCR aims to raise at least $35 million to repair damaged homes, insulate shelters, and provide warmth, blankets, and other essentials for children and the elderly, along with funding for medicines and hot meals.

To help meet the most urgent needs, UNHCR has continued distributing support through its Return and Reintegration Financial Assistance programme, providing critical financial aid to more than 45,000 returnees. Additionally, over 24,500 returnees have been supported at key border crossings with Türkiye and Lebanon over the course of this year, with UNHCR and its partners continuing to monitor civilian movement and welfare through home visits and referrals to lifesaving services.

Despite these efforts, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) has underscored growing insecurity in Syria, marked by “worrying reports” of continued enforced disappearances and abductions. On November 7, OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Keetan informed reporters in Geneva that at least 97 people have been abducted since the beginning of the year, adding to the more than 100,000 individuals who went missing during the five decade rule of the Assad regime.

Karla Quintana, the Head of the Independent Institution on Missing Persons in the Syrian Arab Republic (IIMP), added that “everyone in Syria knows someone who has gone missing”. OHCHR also highlights the disappearance of Hamza Al-Amarin, a volunteer with the Syria Civil Defense, who went missing in July of this year while assisting with a humanitarian evacuation mission in Sweida. OHCHR and its partners continue to urge for strengthened accountability measures and the protection of all humanitarian personnel.

“We stress that all armed actors – both exercising State power and otherwise – must respect and protect humanitarian workers at all times, everywhere, as required by international human rights law and applicable humanitarian law,” said Al-Keetan. “Accountability and justice for all human rights violations and abuses, past and present, are essential for Syria to build a durable, peaceful and secure future for all its people.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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CTBTO Executive Secretary Robert Floyd addressing staff, Vienna International Centre, Vienna, Austria, 2023. Credit: CTBTO Preparatory Commission

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Nov 12 2025 (IPS)

The US took another step backward –to break ranks with the United Nations– when it voted against a draft resolution calling for the entry into force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT).

The negative vote followed an announcement by President Trump last month that the US plans to resume nuclear testing after a 33-year hiatus. The US stood alone on the UN vote, which was supported by almost all member States in the General Assembly’s First Committee.

The resolution was adopted by an overwhelming majority: with 168 votes in favor, with one against (United States) and 3 abstentions (India, Mauritius, Syria).

During Trump’s first term, the US abstained on the vote. And in other years they had been voting in favour.

Jackie Cabasso, Executive Director, Western States Legal Foundation, which monitors and analyzes U.S. nuclear weapons programs and policies, told IPS the chaos and uncertainty arose from Trump’s factually-challenged social media post that “because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”

The U.S. government’s first ever “No” vote, on the annual UN resolution in support of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT), raises further troubling questions about U.S. intentions.

Trump did not specify whether he meant explosive nuclear testing, missile tests, or something else. Russia and China are not conducting explosive nuclear tests, so the U.S. has no basis to respond in kind. They are conducting missile tests, but so is the United States, Cabasso pointed out.

In fact, she said, the U.S. conducted a “routine” test of an unarmed Intercontinental Ballistic Missile on November 5. The Department of Defense (now, Department of War) is responsible for missile tests, but it is the Department of Energy that is responsible for preparation for explosive nuclear testing.

Trump’s announcement was followed by mixed signals.

On November 2, Energy Secretary Chris Wright sought to explain Trump’s post when he told Fox News “I think the tests we’re talking about right now are system tests. These are not nuclear explosions. These are what we call non-critical explosions.”

The headline in a New York Times article was dead on target: Trump pushes Tests with a Nuclear Bang: A Top Aide Says Non-nuclear”.

The waters were further muddied, said Cabasso, by Trump’s unsubstantiated allegations in an interview with 60 Minutes (recorded October 31 but aired November 2) that Russia and China have been secretly conducting explosive nuclear tests deep underground.

In a written statement explaining its General Assembly vote, the U.S. – the only country to cast a No vote – stated, “The United States voted No…. because several paragraphs are inconsistent with U.S. policy or are undergoing policy review…. The United States is not currently pursuing CTBT ratification and therefore cannot support calls for ratification and entry into force.”

Of the other nuclear-armed states, the Russian Federation, China, France, United Kingdom, Israel, and Pakistan voted Yes. India abstained, and North Korea did not vote. Thus, the United States distinguished itself as a “rogue” nuclear armed State.

Jonathan Granoff, President, Global Security Institute, told IPS “calling the statement dumb and dumber does not further the argument that such a resumption of nuclear weapons testing would be contrary to promises made to induce indefinite extension of the NPT, justify further more sophisticated weapons developments in violation of the good faith duties to pursue disarmament under the NPT, end the US advantage of knowing more because it has tested more, upgrade the salience of the use and threat of use of nuclear weapons as legitimate tools of communication amongst nations, lead to increased spending on developing weapons which destroy the user as well as adversaries if used, and stimulate greater international fear and instability.“

“We critically need to develop trust and cooperation to, inter alia, protect the oceans and the climate, end the scourge of corruption stealing between two and four trillion from the world’s productive economies, stop the creation and production of new and even more dangerous weapons as we amplify adversity, ignore preparation for the inevitable next pandemic, eliminate poverty and generally pursue the sanity of human security rather than perpetual instability and the dangerous belief that by madness, mistakes by machines or humans, or design we will not lead ourselves into destroying civilization through the use of these horrific devices,” he said.

Elaborating further, Cabasso pointed out that under the 1980 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, a State is obliged to refrain from acts which would defeat the object and purpose of a treaty when it has signed the treaty.

The United States, Russia and China have all signed but not ratified the CTBT. Russia withdrew its ratification in 2023 to maintain parity with the U.S. The three countries moratoria on nuclear explosive testing until now are consistent with the intent of the CTBT, but Trump’s statements and the U.S. vote in the General Assembly call this commitment into question.

Indicating just how dangerous and uncertain this situation is, Russian President Vladimir Putin, in response, has ordered officials to draft proposals for a possible test of nuclear weapons.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov was quoted in TASS, saying “In order to come to a conclusion about the advisability of beginning preparations for such tests, it will take exactly as much time as it takes for us to fully understand the intentions of the United States of America.”

“As we continue to advocate for nuclear risk reduction and the global elimination of nuclear weapons”, said Cabasso, “we must remain vigilant that the option of explosive nuclear weapons testing remains off the table”.

The United States should reverse course, commit to a permanent cessation of explosive nuclear weapons testing, ratify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty and invite other nuclear armed states to follow suit. This would be a huge contribution to long term prospects for international peace and security, she declared.

According to the Washington-based Arms Control Association (ACA), if the United States resumes its nuclear testing, other countries, such as Russia, North Korea, and perhaps China, will likely follow suit, escalating the nuclear arms race, and increasing global tensions.

In response to Trump’s rhetoric, Representative. Dina Titus (Democrat-Nevada.) has introduced the Renewing Efforts to Suspend Testing and Reinforce Arms Control Initiatives Now (RESTRAIN) Act (H.R. 5894) which creates “a prohibition of explosive nuclear testing while simultaneously preventing any funding from going toward the Trump Administration’s effort to conduct explosive nuclear tests.”

And Senator Ed Markey (Democrat-Massachusetts) has introduced companion legislation in the Senate as the No Nuclear Testing Act (S. 3090) to block renewed testing and has called on the Senate to approve ratification of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty.

In its appeal, ACA says: “We encourage you to reach out to your Member of Congress this week and tell them to block the resumption of nuclear explosive testing including by co-sponsoring the “RESTRAIN Act” and “No Nuclear Testing Act.”

ACA has been at the forefront of the effort to halt nuclear weapons testing for decades.

“Since Trump’s call for renewed nuclear testing, we have flown into action to get our message out, to rally Congressional opposition, to organize with other civil society organizations, and mobilize international opposition to the resumption of nuclear testing by any nation.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Credit: UNICEF/Ulet Ifansasti

By Ian Gary
WASHINGTON DC, Nov 12 2025 (IPS)

The climate crisis is getting worse and requires fundamental changes to societies, economies, and our global financial architecture in response. While extreme economic inequality is on the rise – the world’s billionaires now hold more wealth in the world than every country except the U.S. and China – the impacts of climate change are also unequally felt, with the poor in the Global South and North most at risk.

This month there will be two important UN events focused on addressing the climate crisis and global financial architecture. One event – the 30th UN Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of Parties (COP30) – will overwhelm the Brazilian city of Belém and attract the media spotlight.

On another continent, in Nairobi, a UN event starting on the same day will get far less attention but is designed to advance an issue which must be central to the climate crisis response – global tax justice.

Starting November 10th, negotiators from member states, along with civil society organizations have sought to influence the process, are holding a formal negotiation session for a planned UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation.

There is a strange irony in the fact that two major UN meetings on climate and tax are happening at the same time, thousands of miles away. On the road to Belém, many stories will be written about how Global North countries are failing to meet their commitments to provide billions of dollars in “climate finance” to help Global South countries invest in projects – such as flood defense – to adapt to the realities of climate change.

Rarely mentioned, though, is the need to look beyond aid to the system of global tax rules which starve Global South countries of the resources they need. A report last week from the UN Environment Program (UNEP) said that developed nations provided only $26 billion in “international adaptation finance” to developing countries, far short of the $40 billion a year committed at the Glasgow COP in 2021. Meanwhile, the same report pegs adaptation costs at $310 billion-$365 billion per year by the mid-2030s. Strangely, the UNEP report is completely silent on the need to reform global tax rules to increase the fiscal space to make realizing climate finance commitments possible.

Global tax justice must be advanced to fill the “yawning gap” highlighted by the UNEP between what has been committed and what is needed to deal with the climate crisis. The OECD has said that countries suffer $100-240 billion in lost revenue annually from profit shifting by multinational corporations.

A significant portion of that is lost by Global South countries. If these “lost” funds were recovered through changes in global tax rules, the resources could dwarf the paltry sums being provided by the Global North.

Given that major Global North donors are slashing their aid budgets or closing their aid programs entirely (see the shuttering of USAID), we must now approach the climate finance debate with a “post-aid” lens. The ritualistic annual highlighting of the failure of Global North countries to meet the climate finance commitments must be supplemented by growing demands for global tax justice, ensuring global tax systems enable countries to tax economic activity where it takes place.

Fair and progressive taxation must be part of the post-aid landscape, particularly to support the ability of Global South countries to respond to the climate crisis with their own financial resources.

While thousands of activists descending on Belém, a hardy band of a few dozen civil society groups, organized by the Global Alliance for Tax Justice, will be engaging the UN tax negotiation process in Nairobi. New and effective rules to ensure that multinational companies pay their fair share – including those companies most directly driving the climate crisis – are desperately needed.

Beyond closing tax loopholes, countries need to remove the tax subsidies that incentivize fossil fuel production. In the US, recent research by the FACT Coalition found that American taxpayers are effectively subsidizing oil drilling abroad.

Other research has found that tax and other subsidies may make some future oil and gas projects appear economically viable when, without these breaks, they aren’t.

Fortunately, some conversations are starting to bridge the climate and tax divide, with campaigners in both camps increasingly understanding that the global climate movement needs tax justice to win. Last month, academics and activists convened in Brazil for a policy research conference, with organizers stating that the “convergence of climate justice and tax reform is an ethical, political, and economic imperative.”

Foreign aid won’t come to the rescue, and the private sector won’t invest in climate adaptation at scale because of mismatched incentives. After the dust settles in Belém and Nairobi, governments, international organizations, and activists must find new ways to bring the climate and tax conversations together to tackle global inequality and the climate crisis. It will be a win for people and the planet.

Ian Gary is the Executive Director of the Financial Accountability & Corporate Transparency (FACT) Coalition

IPS UN Bureau

 

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