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Bosnian police said they have arrested six people suspected of having connections with Islamic State militants and seized a large cache of weapons and explosives.

Les parlementaires danois examinent à partir de mercredi 13 janvier un projet de loi controversé et largement symbolique qui témoigne du raidissement grandissant des Européens face à l'afflux de migrants.

By Thalif Deen
UNITED NATIONS, Jan 12 2016 (IPS)

The United Nations is hoping 2016 will be a landmark year for gender empowerment – not only for the world body but also for the United States.

“The empowerment of women is real,“ says UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson of Sweden. “It is a remarkable moment where key candidates for the next President of the United States (POTUS) and for the next Secretary-General of the United Nations (SGUN) are women.”

But will this be a political reality or a floating fantasy?

Asked about history-in-the-making, UN Assistant Secretary-General Lakshmi Puri, told IPS: “Yes, it will be historic and game changing –if and when that happens, because it would be the first time ever since the founding of the UN and the USA.”

First and foremost, she said, imagine the symbolism of the POTUS and the Commander-in-Chief of the most powerful country, largest democracy and economy of the world and a consistent advocate and global leader on gender equality and women’s rights and women’s empowerment, being a woman?

“Similarly imagine the symbolism of the United Nations — the World Government, peacemaker and peace builder, standard-setter and upholder of human rights, including that of women and girls, and of sustainable development and climate action, leader in humanitarian action — being a woman,” said Puri, who is also deputy executive director of UN Women.

She said it would be a signal not only to the US government and the people but also to the patriarchal political systems in the world that have to deal with a Woman POTUS.

Also imagine, she noted, what electricity will be generated by a woman SGUN in the UN system – in the Secretariat, and among member states and civil society. And their agendas and representation.
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She also said that two world women leaders could go beyond symbolism for the gender equality agenda– which is huge in itself— and change the realities for women and girls around the world.

With the current race for nominations for the upcoming US presidential elections in November, there are two women candidates among half a dozen men: former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a Democrat; and Carly Fiorina, a Republican and former chief executive officer of Hewlett Packard.

As the campaign continues at a feverish pace, there is widespread speculation that Clinton will emerge as the Democratic candidate for the presidency at the Democratic convention on July 25.

At the United Nations, there is an intense campaign for a woman to be elected Secretary-General – which will be a historic first in the 70-year-old Organisation which has been routinely headed by men since its founding.

The list of declared and undeclared candidates include: Michelle Bachelet, current president of Chile and former executive director of UN Women; Irina Bokova of Bulgaria, director-general of the Paris-based UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO); Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and current Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP); and Kristalina Georgieva of Bulgaria, a vice president of the European Commission.

The two Bulgarians are likely to be in the forefront, because under a system of geographical rotation, the post of secretary-general should now go to an Eastern European.

The others singled out as potential candidates include President Ellen Johnson of Liberia; Christine Legard of France and head of the International Monetary Fund; and Alicia Barcena Ibarra of Mexico, executive secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC).

But the final winner may well be out of the current list of candidates.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who finishes his term end December, has repeatedly said it’s high time for the secretary-general to be a woman. The new SG will take office January 2017.

Yasmeen Hassan, Global Executive Director of the New York-based Equality Now, told IPS 2016 could well be a landmark year for the political participation of women.

“We could realistically see a woman leader of the UN because of the many qualified women around the world who could fill the position of Secretary-General, and a more transparent selection process that we and our partners have been advocating for.”

She said a woman at the helm of the UN could contribute greatly to achieving global peace and security, and transform attitudes, behaviors and social norms for how women and girls are valued and treated around the world.

“This would further help to break down glass ceilings for women, while girls will also be able to see that there are no limits to what position they can aspire. A female US president is also a strong possibility and one that would send a very important message too,” Hassan declared.

Shannon Kowalski, Director of Advocacy and Policy at International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC), told IPS 2016 could be historic for women and girls—but only if countries follow through on the commitments made in the 2030 Agenda and in the Beijing Platform for Action—the agreement forged two decades ago to fulfill women’s rights.

“We still have a long way to go,” she cautioned.

Mavic Cabrera-Balleza, International Coordinator at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders, a programme partner of the International Civil society Action Network, was more skeptical.

“It’s time to separate the facts from false claims,” she told IPS.

UN SG Ban Ki-moon says he has appointed an unprecedented number of women leaders in the United Nations (source: SG’s foreword to the Global Study on UNSCR 1325).

However, in an article circulated in December 2015, Karin Landgren, a visiting fellow at the Center on International Cooperation, reports that last year’s selections for the senior most level of UN staff have skewed nearly 92 per cent male, she pointed out.

Between 1 January and 10 December 2015, 22 men and only two women were appointed as UN undersecretaries-general.

Moreover, Landgren’s article pointed out that in 2015, six women undersecretaries-general were replaced by men, further undercutting the goal of building female leadership within the UN.

“With such claims from current leadership, which is predominantly male leadership, I will stick to the old adage ‘to see is to believe’.”

It’s also sad to think that having a woman president is still a novelty in the US. The absolute necessity of women’s leadership and participation in decision-making is already an establish fact and not a novelty act—-in many countries, she argued.

UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 2122 emphasizes women’s leadership and participation in decision-making as well as the protection of women’s human rights as critical elements of international peace and security.

“I would stress that these are at the core of any civilized society and functioning democracies. They are requisites for sustainable development; and they are a requirement in successful humanitarian operations,” said Cabrera-Balleza.

Women’s leadership and participation in decision-making will not only contribute to good governance. It will redefine governance and power.

She said the campaign for a woman UN Secretary-General is a commendable effort.

“To have a woman SG in the UN should have happened decades ago not after 70 years! However, I would underscore that it should be the RIGHT woman!,” she declared.

She said the right woman is someone who would challenge the conventional definition of power and authority.

“And it is someone who is not beholden to big campaign contributors, political parties or permanent members of the Security Council. It is someone who is deeply connected to civil society and is beholden only to the people, the 99 % whom she is supposed to serve.”

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@aol.com

On lui reproche, d'avoir introduit l'argent et l'instabilité chronique en politique. Il est aussi le premier parti politique, a faire élire un député totalement analphabète. Lui c'est le Parti du Renouveau Démocratique (P.r.d) de Me Adrien Houngbédji. Pour la petite histoire, ce parti politique est né aux premières heures du Renouveau démocratique. Le P.r.d version Houngbédji, avait eu pour premier rival dans son fief de l'Ouémé, le parti Notre Cause Commune (N.c.c.) présidé par un certain Albert (...)

- Chronique

Serbie : le ministre de la Défense tombe après des propos sexistes
Serbie : « les journalistes ne se mettent pas à genoux ! »
Crash d'un hélicoptère à Belgrade : cafouillage médiatique et responsabilités politiques
Serbie : les obsessions militaristes du gouvernement Vučić
Serbie : Vučić passe au détecteur de mensonges pour mieux attaquer les médias
Vers un nouveau régime autoritaire en Serbie : Vučić et les médias, circulez, y a rien à voir !
Serbie : dix années d'échecs pour la liberté de la presse

/ Courrier des Balkans, Gratuit, Vucic, Serbie, Médias, European Center for Press and Media Freedom

Serbie : le ministre de la Défense tombe après des propos sexistes
Serbie : « les journalistes ne se mettent pas à genoux ! »
Crash d'un hélicoptère à Belgrade : cafouillage médiatique et responsabilités politiques
Serbie : les obsessions militaristes du gouvernement Vučić
Serbie : Vučić passe au détecteur de mensonges pour mieux attaquer les médias
Vers un nouveau régime autoritaire en Serbie : Vučić et les médias, circulez, y a rien à voir !
Serbie : dix années d'échecs pour la liberté de la presse

/ Courrier des Balkans, Gratuit, Vucic, Serbie, Médias, European Center for Press and Media Freedom

Le double contrat de mentoring de DynCorp a de nouveau été prolongé en Afghanistan. L'Army Contracting Command a diffusé lundi soir deux avis, l'un concernant la police et l'autre l'armée.

L'avis pour la police est à voir ici. Celui pour l'armée ici.

Ce double contrat "advise, train, mentor" a déjà été prolongé à trois reprises:
"Base period: 01 Jan 2015 – 30 Sep 2015
Option period 1: 01 Oct 2015– 31 Dec 2015
Option Period 2: 01 Jan 2016 – 31 Mar 2016"

La période 3 court du 1er avril au 30 septembre avec deux options supplémentaires d'un mois chacune.

La valeur mensuelle de ce marché est d'environ 10 millions de dollars.

 

 

Fonds d'entretien routier, logements pour les fonctionnaires, achat d'avions par la compagnie nationale... Le directeur d'Algest Consulting joue un rôle de premier plan dans le financement des projets et services de l'État.

Cet article Côte d’Ivoire : Ibrahim Magassa, banquier d’intérêt public est apparu en premier sur JeuneAfrique.com.

Nach den von der Kölner Polizei zunächst heruntergespielten sexuellen Übergriffen in der Silvesternacht hat auch die schwedische Polizei eine Vertuschung von sexuellen Übergriffen durch mutmaßlich ausländische junge Männer eingeräumt.

Im Vorgehen gegen unfairen Steuerwettbewerb in Europa hat die EU-Kommission ihren bisher größten Schlag gelandet: Die belgischen Regierung muss rund 700 Millionen Euro von mindestens 35 multinationalen Konzernen nachfordern.

January 11, 2016 (EL-GENEINA) - The death toll of El Geneina violence increased to twelve people, as the Sudanese authorities ordered to investigate the incident.

IDPs camp with their belongings outside the premsies of W Darfur state government on January 10, 2016 (ST Photo)

A security force on Sunday opened fire on hundreds of internally displaced persons who stormed the premises of the West Darfur state government to protest attacks by pro-government militiamen in Moli village located 20 km south of El-Geneina.

Following condemnations and conflicting reports on the number of the people who are killed at the incident, a local official Monday admitted that at least 12 denied in the riot.

In statements to the private channel Ashorooq TV, the commissioner of Nyala County al-Taher Abdel Rahman Badre Eddin said 12 people have been killed and others were wounded on Sunday and Monday.

The statements come as the Minister of Justice Awad al-Hassan al-Nur decided to set up a committee to probe the incident. The investigation body which is head by a judge, will include officials from the interior, defence ministries, and security services.

The text of the ministerial decision provides that the committee should submit its report within a week. The committee members will take oath before the minister on Tuesday.

The incident was also discussed at a meeting of the High Security Committee headed by Vice-President Hasabo Abdel Rahman.

Reports from El-Geneina say the funerals were organized Monday, where the victims were buried.

UNAMID CALLS FOR RESTRAINT

In a statement issued Monday they hybrid peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID) called to avoid escalation after Sunday's incident in order to reach end the unrest.

The hybrid mission voiced concern about the "continued tension" in El Geneina town and around Moli village, pointing it has been receiving reports about the

"UNAMID calls on the government authorities to exert their utmost efforts to contain the situation and investigate the incidents".

"UNAMID emphasises the importance of restraint by all parties and stands ready to assist the state authorities as well as the Darfuri people in their efforts to arrive at a peaceful resolution of the situation" said the statement.

The villagers fled Moli after attacks on their by armed pastoralists on 9 January. The gunmen accuse the former of killing one of their relatives and demanded them to pay blood money (diyya) or to surrender his killer.

The affected IDPs moved into El Geneina and demonstrated outside the premises of the state government before to storm the building, leading to the closure of schools and commercial businesses in the town.

WIDE CONDEMNATION

The killing of displaced people by the security forces in El-Geneina has drawn wide condemnation from the opposition groups which denounce the targeting of innocent civilians by the government troops and militiamen.

In the meantime, the rebel Justice and Equality Movement(JEM) issued a second statement on Monday signed by the chairman's adviser Mahgoub Hussein who called for an urgent international investigation.

"The Movement considers the "massacre" of El Geneina, as a war crime. The President and the pillars of his regime should be held accountable for it. And, we call on the international community to provide international protection for Darfur people," Hussein said in a statement to Sudan Tribune.

For his part , deputy chairman of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) Abdul Aziz al Hilu has expressed his wonder about what he called the silence of the international and regional communities , the UNAMID in particular, with regard to the incidents . He said al-Genaina had twice come under a state of lawlessness in 15 days.

Hilu urged, in a statement received by Sudan Tribune, each of the AU and the UN to shoulder their responsibility of protecting civilians as stipulated in the International Humanitarian Law and the UNAMID mandate.

He called upon the youths in Darfur and Sudan at large to head towards the SPLA /N training camps to prepare themselves for the protection of their citizens.

Also, the New Justice and Equality Movement (NJEM), led by Mansour Arbab, has also deplored the incident that targeted people from his tribe Massalit, considering what had happened as "a crime".

The NJEM, which recently joined the national dialogue conference, has called upon the dialogue's 7+7 mechanism to give this issue due concern.

The Sudanese Congress Party condemned the killing of civilians and called to respect freedom of expression.

"Demonstration and peaceful expression of opinion is a natural right of any group that feels injustice or calls for a right," said the opposition party in a statement on Monday.

(ST)

January 11, 2016 (JUBA) – President Salva Kiir has vowed to leave the fate of 28 states he unilaterally created on 2 October to those who will continue to oppose them, insisting that he had not violated the peace agreement he signed with opposition parties on the basis of the constitutionally recognized 10 states in South Sudan.

President Salva Kiir speaks during the inauguration of the new SPLM premises in Juba on 15 November 2013 (Photo Moses Lomayat)

The comment he uttered during the closing session of the extraordinary convention of his ruling faction of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), did not however clarify what he meant to “leave.”

“Many people have been blaming the government and myself that we have violated the agreement. But I always tell them that we have not violated the agreement. This is a demand of the people and they have been asking for it for a very long time,” president Kiir told the gathering at the convention on Saturday.

“And in any case, if we have now agreed to implement this agreement, if Taban [Deng] comes and tells me then now you revoke this 28 [states], I will stand in front of the people here and I will tell them that this is what Comrade Taban is saying that I have to revoke [that] the order of your 28 states. And then I will get down and go. I will leave the work to Taban,” he said.

The head of state was making the comments in direct reference to the opposition faction of the SPLM-IO led by former vice president, Riek Machar, who shall become the first vice president of transitional government in accordance with the peace agreement.

Taban Deng Gai, chief negotiator, who represented the SPLM-IO at the request of South African Deputy President, Cyrill Ramaphosa, only for opening and closing sessions of the convention by the faction of the SPLM in government, earlier warned that the issue of the 28 states was an obstacle to peace implementation.

“Comrades, let us be very careful with the 28 states,” Gai told the SPLM convention during his remarks at the Freedom Hall in Juba.

He said the peace agreement was signed on the basis of the 10 states and should not be tempered with for now until the right time when the matter can be collectively tackled during the transitional period.

Gai also cited conflicts which may arise between communities over boundaries and lands taken from them and given to others, particularly to neighbouring Dinka communities from which the president hails.

Representative of the former detainees, Deng Alor Kuol, also called on the government to abide by the peace agreement based on the 10 states, but further called on the parties to “reconcile” the 28 with 10 states.

It was not however clear what president Kiir meant when he vowed he would leave the work or responsibility of the states to the opposition and leave.

Observers close to the decision making of the government's inner circles ruled out his resignation if defeated in the matter, saying it could be an indication of lack of cooperation to come between the peace factions and of serious hurdles ahead in the implementation of the peace deal as rival leaders may be backed by proponents and opponents of the 28 states.

Kiir argued that the 28 states have been a long-time demand of the people of South Sudan, despite his government's rejection of the similar demand from the SPLM-IO during the peace negotiations in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, in which the opposition proposed creation of 21 federal states based on the old colonial districts in the country.

The SPLM-IO at the time argued that federalism and creation of more administrative units closer to the people was a long time demand of the people.

The government at the time argued that it was not time to create more states or establish a federal system of governance, citing lack of resources to run the new more state governments. The opposition was forced by the IGAD mediation to sign the agreement on the basis of the current 10 states with the provision that the system of federalism and creation of more states would be dealt with during constitutional making process by a transitional government of national unity.

However, about 40 days after the signing of the agreement in August 2015, the government decided to unilaterally create 28 states, contrary to the provisions in the peace deal.

Opposition factions in the country including civil society organizations and regional and international bodies reacted in condemnation of the action as a violation of both the transitional constitution and the peace agreement.

President Kiir has so far gone ahead with further implementation when the national legislature endorsed the amendments to create the 28 states and the president appointed governors for the new states.

Former president of Botswana, Festus Mogae, chairman of the highest overseer body in the peace deal, the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC), on Friday said the matter over 28 states had become a “complicating factor” and his office would therefore concentrate on formation of a transitional government of national unity at the center in Juba and leave the conflict over the states unresolved for now.

There are however fears that serious conflicts may emerge between factions in the national government over the fate of states in the country.

(ST)

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L'Union européenne s'est attaquée au régime fiscal belge, qui favorise les multinationales comme AB InBev et British American Tobacco, et a ordonné à 35 d'entre elles de rembourser 700 millions d’euros d’impôts impayés.

Kein Tag ohne neue Probleme mit dem anhaltenden Flüchtlingsstrom. Bayern weist täglich rund 200 Flüchtlinge ab, die Oberösterreich vor neuen Herausforderungen stellen. Österreichs Bundeskanzler Werner Faymann will nun die Grenze zu Slowenien stärker abriegeln.

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