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On a tour of Vietnam to promote her autobiography, Stéphanie [...]

An Israeli assault is pushing the fragile country to the brink.

A deal Tehran could take.

The international human rights system depends on the work of local defenders, but offers them little protection once they become politically inconvenient.

Zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte leben mehr Pensionierte in der Schweiz als Junge unter 20. Neue Statistiken liefern Futter für die Debatte um die 10-Millionen-Schweiz.

AMERIKA EGYESÜLT ÁLLAMOK

Operation Epic Fury – nő a feszültség az új katonai művelet körül

 Az Egyesült Államok hadügyminisztériuma megerősítette az Operation Epic Fury elnevezésű katonai művelet elindítását, amely elsősorban Irán ellen irányul, és a Közel-Kelet stratégiai fontosságú térségeit érinti. A hadműveletek középpontjában az iráni területek mellett a Perzsa-öböl és különösen a Hormuzi-szoros áll, amely a globális olajszállítás egyik kulcsfontosságú útvonala. A Pentagon közlése szerint az akció célja az iráni katonai és biztonsági infrastruktúra gyengítése, beleértve rakétabázisok, haditengerészeti egységek és egyéb stratégiai létesítmények elleni csapásokat. A művelet több haderőnem összehangolt részvételével zajlik, légierő, haditengerészet és különleges egységek bevonásával. Amerikai tisztviselők szerint a hadjáratot hónapokig készítették elő, és hírszerzési információk alapján indították meg.

A konfliktus a beszámolók szerint február végén kezdődött, és rövid időn belül regionális feszültséggé szélesedett. Egyes források szerint több ezer iráni célpontot értek csapások, ami tovább növeli az eszkaláció kockázatát a térségben. A bejelentést követően nemzetközi és belföldi kritikák is megjelentek. Elemzők arra figyelmeztetnek, hogy a művelet könnyen kiszélesedhet, különösen a Perzsa-öböl térségében jelen lévő más államok bevonódásával. Emberi jogi szervezetek átláthatóságot követelnek, és a civil lakosságot érintő következményekre hívják fel a figyelmet.

Az amerikai Kongresszus több tagja részletes tájékoztatást kért a művelet céljairól és jogi alapjáról. A Fehér Ház ugyanakkor hangsúlyozta: az akció az Egyesült Államok nemzetbiztonsági érdekeit szolgálja, és szükség esetén további lépések is várhatók.

A következő napokban, hetekben várhatóan további részletek derülnek ki az Operation Epic Fury kiterjedéséről, miközben a nemzetközi közösség kiemelt figyelemmel követi a Közel-Kelet egyre feszültebbé váló helyzetét.

Szerző:

Merényi Vivien

 

KANADA

 35 év után először: Kanada is elérte a NATO 2%-os védelmi célját

 1990 óta először érte el a kanadai védelmi költségvetés a NATO által elvárt 2%-os szintet a 2025–2026-os évben. A több mint 63 milliárd dolláros befektetés mérföldkő, hiszen jól reflektálja az állam törekvéseit az ország biztonságának megerősítésére.  Az említett összegből 14 milliárdot szánnak kibervédelemre, illetve a világűrbeli kapacitásokra. A befektetések nem kizárólag a harcképességek fejlesztésére irányulnak; nagy hangsúlyt kap a hírszerzés, a kritikus infrastruktúra, illetve az ipar és innováció is. Kanada Védelmi és Iparfejlesztési Stratégiája nemcsak az ország biztonságát erősíti meg, hanem a gazdaságra is rendkívül pozitív hatással lehet. A befektetésekkel és az új projekteken keresztül 65 ezer új munkahelyet hozhatnak létre, ezzel közel 7,7 milliárd dollárral nőhet az ország GDP-je jövőre.

Erősödő ottawai-canberrai kapcsolatok

 Mark Carney kanadai miniszterelnök március elején tett ausztrál látogatásával erősítette meg a két ország közötti kapcsolatot. Ausztrália csatlakozott a Kanada által létrehozott Kritikus Ásványkincsek Szövetségéhez. Ez azért is kulcsfontosságú, mivel a két országban található a globális lítiumkészletek nagyjából harmada, illetve a globális vastermelés 40%-a, így ezen keresztül akár a Kínától való függés is enyhíthetővé válik a közeljövőben.

Az ásványkincseken kívül, Ausztrália talán a legfontosabb védelmi partnere Kanadának az indo-csendes-óceáni térségben. Ez több aspektusában is megjelenik, például a hírszerzés terén. Azonban az új megállapodások szerint megkezdik a kanadai katonák kiképzését az úgynevezett Arctic Over-The-Horizon radarokon, amellyel hatékonyabbá válik a sarkvidék védelme. További célja a megállapodásnak megkönnyíteni és megerősíteni a védelmi ipari cikkek, innovációk mozgását a két ország között.

Aláírtak továbbá egy egyetértési megállapodást a mesterséges intelligencia biztonságáról (MOU on AI Safety), azzal a céllal, hogy a két ország szakértői támogassák egymás munkáját az MI által okozott fenyegetésekkel kapcsolatban.

Szerző:

Faragó Bulcsú

 

LATIN-AMERIKA

Shield of the Americas – Trump új katonai kezdeményezése a drogkartellek ellen

Március 7-én a floridai Doralban tartott csúcstalálkozón jelentette be Trump elnök a „Shield of the Americas” (Amerika Pajzsa) kezdeményezést, egy Washington által vezérelt katonai és biztonsági koalíciót, melynek célja a transznacionális drogkartellek és szervezett bűnözői hálózatok elleni közös fellépés. Trump beszédében az ISIS-ellenes koalícióhoz hasonlította, hangsúlyozva a katonai erőt a kartellek „megsemmisítésére”.

Az amerikai elnök Miamiban 12 latin-amerikai ország vezetőjével találkozott, többnyire jobboldali és szélsőjobboldali politikusokkal (pl.: Argentína, Paraguay, El Salvador). A csúcstalálkozón nem volt jelen Mexikó, Brazília, és Kolumbia sem. Ez előrevetítheti a koalíció legnagyobb gyengeségét, hiszen a térség legnépesebb, baloldali vezetésű államai nincsenek benne. Mexikó elnöke, Claudia Sheinbaum, például határozottan elutasítja az Egyesült Államok katonai beavatkozását Mexikó területén, „inváziónak” tekinti.

A találkozón tartott munkaebéden mind Mark Rubio külügyminiszter, mind a nemrégiben kinevezett Kristi Noem, az „Amerika Pajzsa” különleges megbízottja kiemelte, hogy az Egyesült Államok prioritását a Nyugati-félteke élvezi, összhangban Washington legújabb Nemzeti Biztonsági Stratégiájával.

A koalíció elsődleges céljának eléréséhez Trump kifejezetten katonai megoldásokat szorgalmaz, amely már március 3-án az amerikai és ecuadori erők által közösen végrehajtott fegyveres, sőt bombázásos műveletek formájában meg is valósult feltételezett drogkereskedők ellen Ecuadorban.

A katonai célok mellett a kezdeményezés másik, kritikus célja a kínai befolyás („rosszindulatú külföldi beavatkozások”) visszaszorítása a térségben. „Nem engedjük meg, hogy ellenséges külföldi befolyás megvesse a lábát ezen a féltékén, beleértve a Panama-csatornát is.” – jelentette ki egyértelműen Trump. Ezzel az „Amerika Pajzsa”a drogellenes harcot egy szélesebb körű, geopolitikai szuverenitási játszmává emeli.

 Szerző:

Rohoska Réka

A Amerika, 2026 Március bejegyzés először Biztonságpolitika-én jelent meg.

What makes BRICS silence on the war in West Asia particularly deplorable is that two fellow BRICS members -- Iran and the UAE -- are directly caught in the war.

Vietnamese fishers, especially those who have faced physical violence from Chinese forces, suffer in silence. 

On 27 October, Omer, a Community Development Committee member, supports health workers at the UNICEF-supported mobile clinic in Al Jadab village in Atbara, River Nile State. Through this initiative, UNICEF is restoring lifesaving healthcare services, such as nutrition, immunization, antenatal and postnatal services, medical consultations, and essential medicines, closer to vulnerable communities. Credit: UNICEF/Mohamed Dawod

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Apr 2 2026 (IPS)

Global human migration is at record-high levels, as the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that roughly 1 in 8 people—about one billion individuals—are on the move. Many of these migrants and refugees face harsh living conditions and heightened challenges, such as poverty, insecurity, and limited access to basic services. With the number of international migrants having doubled since 1990, new findings from WHO call for expanding health systems to meet the growing scale of needs.

“Refugees and migrants are not just recipients of care, they are also health workers, caregivers and community leaders,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of WHO. “Health systems are only truly universal when they serve everyone. “Like anyone else, refugees and migrants need uninterrupted, affordable, and equitable access to health services wherever they are.”

WHO estimates that there are approximately 304 million international migrants worldwide, including 170 million migrant workers. Roughly 117 million of those are persons who have been forcibly displaced, 49 million are children, and 2.3 million have been born as refugees.

More than 71 percent of the world’s international migrants find refuge in low to middle-income countries, which often face the most severe resource constraints and protection challenges. Marginalized groups are disproportionately affected: women and girls are especially vulnerable to gender-based violence and often lack access to related services; unaccompanied children face heightened risks of exploitation, abuse, and neglect; and persons with disabilities face elevated barriers to accessibility and increased exposure to discrimination.

Refugees and migrants have been found to experience greater exposure to health risks, in part driven by conditions that restrict movement and access to care, as well as persistent discrimination and language and cultural barriers. These challenges are exacerbated by ongoing conflict and climate-related disasters, leaving millions around the world increasingly vulnerable to infectious and chronic diseases, mental health issues, and dangerous living and working conditions.

“We cannot talk about refugee and migrant health without also addressing emergencies,” said Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, WHO’s executive director for health emergencies. “Whether it’s a conflict, a climate-related crisis, or an epidemic that forces movement, these crises expose the fragility of health systems and magnify the vulnerabilities of all those already at risk.”

On March 26, WHO launched its World Report on Promoting the Health of Refugees and Migrants: Monitoring Progress on the WHO Global Action Plan, establishing what it describes as the first global baseline for tracking progress toward inclusive, migrant-responsive health systems. Based on data from more than 93 Member States, the report highlights both a growing shift in national responses to migrant and refugee health needs and the persistent structural gaps that continue to hinder progress toward equitable access.

WHO found that out of the member states surveyed, only 42 percent reported having emergency preparedness and disaster reduction or response programs in place for migrant or refugee communities. Just 40 percent indicated that they provide training for health workers in culturally responsive care, while only 37 percent reported having systems to collect, monitor, and analyze migration-related health data—information that is rarely disseminated enough to support a more coordinated global response.

Discrimination remains widespread in low- and middle-income countries that host large numbers of refugees and migrants, with misinformation and disinformation continuing to fuel negative perceptions of these communities. Only 30 percent of surveyed countries reported having communication campaigns in place to counter these misconceptions and discriminatory language.

Anti-migrant sentiment remains particularly pronounced, with internally displaced persons, migrant workers, international students, and migrants under irregular circumstances being far less likely to access health services. Additionally, refugees and migrants are largely unrepresented in governance and decision-making processes that shape their access to health rights in most surveyed countries.

“The phenomena of displacement is unfortunately happening more frequently in countries with fragile systems, fragile economies and limited domestic resources,” said Dr Santino Severoni, head of WHO’s Special Initiative on Health and Migration and lead author of the report. “There is almost no mention of irregular migrants in those emergency plans and response or in disease risk reductions, there is no systematic approach in assessing the system to see how their system is really functioning, how efficient and effective it is. This is really a call for action to keep the promise of sharing a bit of responsibility in managing those emergencies.”

Over the past year, international support for refugee health has seen considerable declines. Figures from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) show that their 2025 response plan has secured only 23 percent of its USD 10.6 billion goal. The agency projects that this could cause over 12.8 million displaced persons to lose access to lifesaving health interventions this year.

Global responses have been polarizing. Some countries have adopted inclusive policies that support migrant communities—such as Chile— which has supplied municipal health councils for migrants and refugees with community representatives. Other countries, such as the United States and Canada, have cut health insurance coverage for undocumented migrants, forcing them to pay out of pocket for lifesaving care and increasing protection risks.

Through the report, WHO called for greater inclusion of refugee and migrant voices in decision-making processes, as well as improved coordination between governments. With a smoother flow of data between Member States, WHO will be able to more effectively shape health, employment, housing, and protection services.

WHO emphasized that responses should be specifically tailored to the needs of different migrant subgroups, while remaining committed to countering misinformation and discrimination through “evidence-based action.” Investment in refugee and migrant health systems has been found to deliver significant returns, fostering improved social and economic cohesion, revitalizing fragile health systems, and boosting global security, all while reducing long-term costs by promoting these communities to contribute back to society.

“The health of refugees and migrants is not a marginal concern: it is a defining issue of our time,” said Severoni. “By acting now, countries can ensure that refugees and migrants are not left behind, and that health systems are stronger, fairer and more prepared for the future.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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African states have considerable agency to shape their own digital governance and are not simply accepting models imposed on them by China or other external actors.

Relying on foreign aid is bad for Africa’s health and it must stop if the continent is to enjoy health security. This was the collective view of government and corporate leaders meeting at the 58th session of the Conference of African Ministers of Finance, Planning and Economic Development in  Tangier hosted by the Economic Commission […]

By CIVICUS
Apr 2 2026 (IPS)

 
CIVICUS discusses Italy’s restrictive immigration policies with Eleonora Celoria, a researcher at FIERI (Forum Internazionale ed Europeo di Ricerche sull’Immigrazione), a research centre on migration, and a member of the Association for Legal Studies on Immigration (ASGI), an Italian legal organisation that defends migrants’ and asylum seekers’ rights through advocacy, public awareness and strategic litigation.

Eleonora Celoria

In late February, Italy’s migration debate intensified on two fronts. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government passed a bill tightening maritime border controls and expanding deportation powers. Meanwhile, a far-right petition calling for ‘remigration’ – a concept associated with Austrian activist Martin Sellner that advocates mass deportation of minorities – gathered enough signatures to force a parliamentary debate. Civil society warns that both developments violate international refugee law.

What are the main objectives of the new migration bill?

The bill introduces a 30-day naval blockade mechanism, extendable to six months, for ships deemed to pose a ‘serious threat to public order or national security’, including on the grounds of ‘exceptional migratory pressure’. It goes beyond European Union (EU) frameworks and is designed to restrict civil society organisations conducting search and rescue operations.

The blockade is really a prohibition on entering Italian waters, and ships that violate it would face fines of up to €50,000 (approx. US$ 57,000), with repeat offenders facing confiscation. Since civil society rescue vessels are the only ships making multiple trips in and out of Italian waters, they are the primary target. This is not simply a border management tool; it’s a deliberate escalation of state control over maritime arrivals.

More significantly, the bill would make the Italy-Albania protocol permanent: migrants intercepted at sea would be transported directly to Italian-run processing centres in Albania, bypassing Italian mainland ports entirely. Their asylum claims would be determined outside Italy’s jurisdiction. Because they never reach Italian soil, they wouldn’t access Italian legal protections or independent judicial review. The government is determined to use this mechanism. Albanian facilities held only 10 to 15 people due to adverse court rulings, but the government has recently ramped up transfers to take the number to around 80.

How does the bill change asylum and border management practices?

The bill focuses on criminalisation, deportations and removals rather than asylum procedures. It introduces stricter rules for immigration detention centres (Centri di Permanenza per i Rimpatri, CPRs), expands expulsion grounds to include minor criminal convictions and ramps up criminal penalties for people facing expulsion. This effectively criminalises irregular status itself.

Critically, the bill eliminates special protection, a form of national protection that Italian courts have frequently recognised for people who don’t meet narrow refugee criteria but face serious risks if they are returned. This has been one of the few remaining meaningful pathways to legal status. Stricter eligibility criteria would reduce judicial discretion, trapping more people in legal irregularity.

Finally, the bill implements the EU Pact on Migration and Asylum, a package of EU laws overhauling asylum and border procedures across the bloc, which member states must transpose by 12 June. It does so through legislative delegation, giving the government wide discretion to enact implementing measures by decree. Italy’s approach is the most restrictive possible. The Albania externalisation model is the primary mechanism, prioritising rapid removal over thorough examination. Changes to asylum procedures will be determined through executive action, with limited parliamentary scrutiny.

What is remigration, and why does it concern civil society?

Remigration is a white supremacist concept that calls for the forced removal of immigrants, refugees and their descendants, including legal residents and naturalised citizens, on grounds of ethnicity, race or perceived failure to ‘assimilate’. It targets people for who they are, not what they have done, violating the non-discrimination principle that underpins human rights law and the rule of law.

What makes this dangerous is that remigration has moved from marginal to mainstream political discourse. A far-right petition on remigration has recently gathered enough signatures to force a parliamentary debate. When such concepts gain mainstream legitimacy, they push other parties towards increasingly restrictive policies. Italy’s current bills move precisely in that direction.

From a legal perspective, remigration violates international human rights conventions and Italy’s constitution, which guarantees non-discrimination and solidarity. A policy based on ethnic or racial identity would also be incompatible with Italy’s international obligations.

Where do these measures conflict with international law?

The measures create serious tensions with several binding legal instruments: the 1951 Geneva Convention, the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and EU primary law including the Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Expanded administrative detention in Italy and Albania risks being arbitrary where the legal basis is insufficiently precise or subject to inadequate judicial review. Documented conditions in Italian CPRs and foreseeable conditions in Albanian centres expose people to inhuman and degrading treatment in violation of Article 3 of the ECHR. The externalisation model creates a direct risk of violating the non-refoulement principle, the absolute prohibition on returning people to places where they face persecution.

The government will argue these measures align with the EU Pact. But alignment with the pact does not guarantee compatibility with the ECHR or the Geneva Convention. ASGI will respond with litigation, through individual cases and strategic cases targeting CPR detention and the Italy-Albania deal, and documentation of the human costs of these policies.

What risks do these policies pose for migrants’ and asylum seekers’ rights?

Under the proposed legislation, Italy would intercept boats and transfer rescued migrants to extraterritorial centres without assessing their health status, protection needs or vulnerabilities. Victims of persecution, torture and trafficking may never get to present their claims or be identified as needing protection.

The bill criminalises irregular migrants by allowing both administrative detention in CPRs and criminal imprisonment in prisons, a dual-track approach that multiplies the risk of fundamental rights violations and exposure to degrading conditions. Detention in existing CPRs is already documented as dangerous. Conditions in the Albanian centres, with minimal oversight and no independent monitoring, would predictably be worse.

The result is a system designed to process people quickly rather than accurately. Trafficking victims, torture survivors and people with severe mental health conditions — people who most need careful assessment and legal support — are unlikely to be identified and protected. Compressed timelines and limited access to lawyers amount to a serious restriction on the right to effective judicial protection.

CIVICUS interviews a wide range of civil society activists, experts and leaders to gather diverse perspectives on civil society action and current issues for publication on its CIVICUS Lens platform. The views expressed in interviews are the interviewees’ and do not necessarily reflect those of CIVICUS. Publication does not imply endorsement of interviewees or the organisations they represent.

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SEE ALSO
Migration: Cruelty as policy CIVICUS | 2026 State of Civil Society Report
Greece: ‘New migration and asylum policies challenge the basic principles of refugee protection and the European legal order’ CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Minos Mouzourakis 26.Sep.2025
Italy: ‘No migration policy should be based on fear and punishment’ CIVICUS Lens | Interview with Valeria Carlini 17.Nov.2024

 

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En 2020, un groupe d'universitaires rend public un outil inédit : une base de données qui recense, des années 1950 à nos jours, l'usage d'une arme diplomatique qu'on suppose toujours plus douce et plus humaine que la guerre, les sanctions. La plupart du temps, les Occidentaux les imposent, les (…) / Conflit, Économie, Histoire, Droit international, Géopolitique

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Despite the positive optics of punching above its weight in diplomacy, Pakistan has become weaker over time.

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Les prix élevés du carbone en Europe font l'objet d'une attention particulière alors que la crise énergétique au Moyen-Orient s'aggrave

The post Bruxelles essuie un retour de bâton sur le prix du carbone appeared first on Euractiv FR.

When victimized students were asked where they turned for help, 44.5 percent said they searched the internet, while only 2.9 percent went to a friend and fewer than 3 percent contacted the police.

With energy security back in the spotlight, the Lai administration has scrapped a longstanding plank of the DPP platform: opposing nuclear power.

Ukraine has forged the defense industry the continent desperately needs.