Agrégateur de flux

Despite doubts about America at home, India must play a greater leadership role to safeguard the relationship over the next three years.

J'ai demandé à Marius de nous parler de son complice Tchéky Karyo, qui était son GCOS dans Forces

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La polémique a repris de belle autour de la question de la mémoire entre le Mexique et l’Espagne. Vendredi 31 octobre, Madrid, satisfaisant une vieille demande du Mexique, a reconnu officiellement la « faute » de l’Espagne dans la conquête du Mexique, au XVIe siècle. La présidente mexicaine Claudia Sheinbaum y voit un premier pas vers le rapprochement. Pendant ce temps, la droite espagnole considère que le gouvernement socialiste s’est abaissé.

What happens when the world’s highest court declares climate change not just a political challenge but a matter of international law? On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion that could redefine the global climate order. The momentum for this case began with a youth-led global campaign spearheaded by Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) and World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ). They mobilized more than 1,500 civil society groups worldwide and successfully persuaded the United Nations General Assembly to adopt the resolution requesting the advisory opinion. The government of Vanuatu successfully led a coalition of 132 nations that secured the consensus adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for the advisory opinion. The resolution sought to clarify states’ legal obligations under international law to protect the climate and environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and to determine the legal consequences for states whose actions or omissions cause significant harm to vulnerable nations and future generations. For the first time, the world court confirmed that countries failing to mitigate or adapt adequately could face legal accountability. Although not formally legally binding, ICJ advisory opinions strongly influence states, legislation, and courts by clarifying international law and shaping emerging customary norms. For African countries, which are least accountable for emissions but most severely affected, the ruling creates both opportunities to advance claims for justice and to secure international support, as well as responsibilities to strengthen domestic climate action.

What happens when the world’s highest court declares climate change not just a political challenge but a matter of international law? On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion that could redefine the global climate order. The momentum for this case began with a youth-led global campaign spearheaded by Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) and World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ). They mobilized more than 1,500 civil society groups worldwide and successfully persuaded the United Nations General Assembly to adopt the resolution requesting the advisory opinion. The government of Vanuatu successfully led a coalition of 132 nations that secured the consensus adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for the advisory opinion. The resolution sought to clarify states’ legal obligations under international law to protect the climate and environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and to determine the legal consequences for states whose actions or omissions cause significant harm to vulnerable nations and future generations. For the first time, the world court confirmed that countries failing to mitigate or adapt adequately could face legal accountability. Although not formally legally binding, ICJ advisory opinions strongly influence states, legislation, and courts by clarifying international law and shaping emerging customary norms. For African countries, which are least accountable for emissions but most severely affected, the ruling creates both opportunities to advance claims for justice and to secure international support, as well as responsibilities to strengthen domestic climate action.

What happens when the world’s highest court declares climate change not just a political challenge but a matter of international law? On 23 July 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued a landmark advisory opinion that could redefine the global climate order. The momentum for this case began with a youth-led global campaign spearheaded by Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC) and World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ). They mobilized more than 1,500 civil society groups worldwide and successfully persuaded the United Nations General Assembly to adopt the resolution requesting the advisory opinion. The government of Vanuatu successfully led a coalition of 132 nations that secured the consensus adoption of a UN General Assembly resolution calling for the advisory opinion. The resolution sought to clarify states’ legal obligations under international law to protect the climate and environment from anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions, and to determine the legal consequences for states whose actions or omissions cause significant harm to vulnerable nations and future generations. For the first time, the world court confirmed that countries failing to mitigate or adapt adequately could face legal accountability. Although not formally legally binding, ICJ advisory opinions strongly influence states, legislation, and courts by clarifying international law and shaping emerging customary norms. For African countries, which are least accountable for emissions but most severely affected, the ruling creates both opportunities to advance claims for justice and to secure international support, as well as responsibilities to strengthen domestic climate action.

Donald Trump a menacé, samedi 1er novembre, le Nigeria d’une intervention militaire si le pays n’arrêtait pas, selon le président américain, les "meurtres de chrétiens" par des "terroristes islamistes". Le président nigérian est prêt à rencontrer Donald Trump dans les jours qui viennent, a affirmé dimanche un chargé de communication de la présidence.

La réalité du monde militaire s’articule autour de trois concepts : engagement, discipline et efficacité. En-dehors des théâtres d’opérations, l’approche tactique est excellente pour quiconque souhaite améliorer sa résilience et son organisation personnelle dans le civil. Que ce soit pour préparer un déménagement sans stress, mieux gérer son épargne ou réussir une reconversion professionnelle, l’anticipation et l’équipement adapté […]

Le Conseil de sécurité de l'ONU a apporté vendredi son soutien au plan marocain d'autonomie du Sahara occidental. Malgré l'opposition de l'Algérie – qui a refusé de participer au vote –, ce plan a été estimé comme la solution "la plus réalisable" pour le territoire disputé. Analyse de notre invité William Lawrence, professeur de sciences politiques, spécialiste de l'Afrique du nord.

Le président américain affirme que sa menace concerne les meurtres de chrétiens, bien que les experts affirment qu'il n'existe aucune preuve qu'ils soient disproportionnellement visés.

La Russie poursuit ses frappes et attaques de drones russes contre l'ensemble de l’Ukraine, faisant de nombreux morts dans la nuit de samedi 1er à dimanche 2 novembre. Elles visent particulièrement les infrastructures énergétiques ukrainiennes, occasionnant des coupures de courant à travers l'ensemble du pays. Dans l'Est, toute la région de Donetsk est privée d'électricité, ainsi qu’une bonne partie de la région de Zaporijjia (Sud).

Au Soudan, les tueries commises par les miliciens des Forces de soutien rapide (FSR) qui ont conquis El-Fasher, la capitale du Darfour du Nord, suscitent effroi et condamnation. Exécutions sommaires, tortures, viols… des responsables de l'ONU ont alerté, jeudi 30 octobre, sur ces "atrocités".

Amitabh Behar speaks to IPS at ICSW2025 in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: Zofeen Ebrahim/IPS

By Zofeen Ebrahim
BANGKOK, Nov 2 2025 (IPS)

Speaking to IPS on the sidelines of the International Civil Society Week in Bangkok (November 1–5), Amitabh Behar, Executive Director of Oxfam International and a passionate human rights advocate, highlighted his concerns about rising inequality, growing authoritarianism, and the misuse of AI and surveillance. Yet, he expressed optimism that, even as civic spaces shrink, young people across Asia are driving meaningful change. He also shared his vision of a just society—one where power is shared, and grassroots movements lead the way.

Excerpts from the interview:

IPS: What does civil society (CS) mean to you personally in today’s global context?

Behar: In an age of grotesque and rising global inequality, civil society is ordinary people challenging elites and the governments that are elected to serve them. It’s the engine that keeps democracy from being just a mere formality that happens at a ballot box every four years.

IPS: What was the role of CS society in the past? How has it evolved? How do you see it in the next decade?

Behar: During Asia’s economic miracle, governments invested in public services while civil society worked alongside unions to defend workers’ rights and speak up for communities. Today, with austerity and rising authoritarianism around the world, civil society is stepping in where governments should be but are currently failing. It runs food banks, builds local support networks, and defends citizens and workers even as basic freedoms and the right to protest are increasingly under attack.

IPS: What do you see as the greatest challenge facing CS today?

Behar: A tiny elite not only controls politics, media, and resources but also dominates decisions in capitals around the world and rigs economic policies in their favor. Rising inequality, debt crises, and climate disasters make survival even harder for ordinary people, while repressive governments actively silence their voices.

IPS: What’s the most significant challenge activists face when it comes to democracy, human rights or inclusion? 

Behar: Authoritarian governments crush dissent and protests with laws, surveillance, and intimidation. AI and digital tools are now being weaponized to track and target and illegally detain protestors, deepen inequality, and accelerate climate breakdown, all while activists risk everything to defend democracy and human rights.

IPS: How can civil society remain resilient in the face of shrinking civic spaces or restrictive laws?

Behar: From protests in Kathmandu to Jakarta, from Dili to Manila, one encouraging theme is emerging: the courage, inspiration, and defiance of young people. Gen Z-led movements, community networks, and grassroots campaigns are winning real change, raising wages, defending workers’ rights, improving services, and forcing action on climate disasters. Despite the immense odds, we will not be silenced. This is our Arab Spring.

IPS: Can you give examples from recent days that indicate that the work of CS is making a difference? Has the outcome been (good or bad) surprising?

Behar: In cities across Asia, Gen Z-led protests are winning higher wages, defending workers’ rights, and forcing local authorities to respond to youth unemployment and climate threats.

IPS: In your experience, what makes partnerships between civil society actors most effective?

Behar: Partnerships work when civil society groups trust each other and put the people most affected at the center. When local networks, youth groups, and volunteers coordinate around community leadership, as in cyclone responses in Bangladesh, for example, decisions are faster, resources reach the right people, and the work actually makes a difference.

IPS: How can civil society collaborate with the government and the private sector without losing its independence?

Behar: Civil society can work with governments and businesses strategically when it genuinely strengthens people’s rights rather than erodes them. But the moment politicians or corporations try to co-opt, stage manage or greenwash their work, civil society can be compromised. Real change only happens when communities set the priorities, not politicians or CEOs.

IPS: What are the biggest strategic choices CSOs need to make now in this shrinking civic space or rising pushback?

Behar: When governments erode rights across the board, from reproductive freedom to climate action, to the right to protest, civil society can’t just stay on the back foot. It must fight strategically, defending civic space, backing grassroots movements, and focusing power, time, and resources where they matter most. The core struggle is inequality, the root of nearly every form of injustice. Striking at it directly is the most strategic way to advance justice across the board.

IPS: In your view, what kinds of alliances (across sectors or geographies) matter most for expanding citizen action in the coming years?

Behar: The alliances that matter are the ones that actually shift power and resources away from the elites. Young people, women, Indigenous communities, and workers linking across countries show governments and corporations they can’t ignore them. When those on the frontlines connect with the wider world, people’s movements stop being small and start changing the rules for everyone.

IPS: How can the marginalized voices be genuinely included in collective action?

Behar: Marginalized voices aren’t there to tick a box or make up the numbers. At spaces like COP in Brazil this year, they should be calling the shots. Indigenous people, women, and frontline communities live through the consequences of rampant inequality every day in every way conceivable. It’s time we pull them up a chair at the table and let them drive the decisions that affect their lives.

IPS: Are emerging technologies or digital tools shaping the work of CS? How? Please mention both opportunities and risks.

Behar: Across Asia, Gen-Z activists are leading protests against inequality and youth unemployment, using digital tools to mobilize, amplify, and organize. But AI and intrusive surveillance now track every post and monitor every march, giving governments even greater powers to violently clamp down on civil society.

IPS: How do you balance optimism and realism when facing today’s social and political challenges?

Behar: I’m optimistic because I see ordinary people, especially young people, refusing to accept injustice. They’re striking, protesting, and building communities that protect each other. But we have to be realistic about the challenge, too. Obscene levels of inequality, worsening climate disasters, and repressive governments make change hard. Yet, time and again, when people rise together, they start to bend the rules in their favor and force the powerful to act.

IPS: What advice would you give to young activists entering this space?

Behar: Keep your fire but pace yourself. Fighting for justice is exhausting, and the challenges can feel endless. Look after your mental health, lean on your community, and celebrate the small wins that can keep you energized for the next challenge. The fight is long, and staying strong, rested, and connected is how you’ll keep on making a difference.

IPS: If you could summarize your vision for a just and inclusive society in one sentence, what would it be?

Behar: A just and inclusive society is one where the powerful can’t rig the rules, the most vulnerable set the agenda, and fairness runs through every policy.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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From 27 to 31 October, representatives of the French Gendarmerie visited the Republic of Moldova to exchange good practices and explore avenues for future co-operation with Moldovan law enforcement agencies on strengthening canine (K9) capabilities.

During the technical visit, French experts from the Gendarmerie Headquarters in Paris and the K9 Training Centre in Gramat met with the senior management and K9 units of the Moldovan General Inspectorate of Border Police, General Police Inspectorate and Customs Service.

The programme included meetings, site visits and live demonstrations at K9 facilities in Chisinau and in the field. Discussions focused on training methodologies, operational frameworks, new detection techniques, as well as the harmonization of Moldovan K9 regulations and practices with international standards.

The visit followed a study visit of Moldovan K9 specialists to France in November 2024, during which Moldovan officers observed the work of French K9 units in Paris and Gramat. This reciprocal visit marks the next step in strengthening long-term professional ties between Moldovan and French K9 services.

“The OSCE continues to serve as a platform for international co-operation, supporting the Moldovan authorities in developing sustainable and effective K9 capabilities in line with European practices,” said Alina Grottenthaler, Project Officer with the OSCE Transnational Threats Department. “This partnership facilitates knowledge exchange that directly contributes to enhancing law enforcement effectiveness in countering organized crime and regional security.”

The visit concluded with the identification of areas for future co-operation, including technical assistance and specialized training opportunities for Moldovan K9 handlers in France.

The event took place in the framework of the OSCE extrabudgetary project “Support to the Law Enforcement Agencies in Moldova in Response to the Security Challenges in the Region”, implemented jointly by the OSCE’s Transnational Threats Department and Conflict Prevention Centre/Forum for Security and Co-operation Unit, with the financial support of the Governments of France, Germany, Poland, the United Kingdom and the United States of America.

Auteur de bande dessinée serbe, Aleksandar Zograf, pose sur ces pages son regard sur cette année de révolte et de mobilisation en Serbie, menée par les jeunes. Une BD inédite en français.

- Articles / Politique, Courrier des Balkans, Serbie, Vucic, Société

Sônia Guajajara, Brazil's minister for Indigenous peoples, addresses an official Pre-COP Opening Ceremony. Credit: Rafa Neddermeyer/COP30 Brasil Amazônia

By Tanka Dhakal
BLOOMINGTON, USA, Nov 2 2025 (IPS)

Strengthening Indigenous land rights will protect more forest in Brazil’s Amazon and avoid large amounts of carbon emission, according to new research released ahead of COP30.

An analysis by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) finds Indigenous lands and protected areas are key in solving deforestation; without them, Brazilian Amazon forest loss would be 35 percent higher. This would result in nearly 45 percent higher carbon emissions.

At a time when the Amazon forest is constantly losing its forest cover and an irreversible tipping point, the report says, “placing more forests under Indigenous or government protection would prevent up to an additional 20 percent of deforestation and 26 percent of carbon emissions by 2030.”

The analysis, “The Importance of Protected Areas in Reducing Deforestation in the Legal Amazon,” also finds that current protected areas—indigenous lands and conservation units will prevent an estimated total of 4.3 million hectares of deforestation between 2022 and 2030 in the nine Brazilian states. The impact would mean that 2.1 GtCO₂e (gigatons of carbon dioxide equivalent) will be avoided—more than the annual carbon emissions of Russia, or approximately 5.6 percent of the world’s annual emissions.

Approximately 63.4 million hectares of Brazilian Amazon forests remain unprotected, and should this land be designated as Indigenous lands or protected, the loss of forest due to land grabbing, cattle ranching, soy farming or other destructive activities could be avoided.

“The Amazon, as all the climate scientists now clearly agree, is approaching a tipping point, which, if it passes, will mean that a large part of the ecosystem will unravel and transform from forest into scrub Savannah,” said Steve Schwartzman, Associate Vice President for Tropical Forests at EDF.

“How close we are to the tipping point is not clear, but it’s very clear that deforestation needs to stop and we need to begin restoring the areas that have been deforested.”

He says that the future of the already struggling world’s largest rainforest—the Amazon—depends on protecting this vast area of Indigenous territories, protected areas, and Quilombola territories.

“As delegates gather for COP30, it’s critical that they’re armed with evidence that points to the most effective solutions,” he added.

Belém, a Brazilian city in the Amazon region, is hosting the annual UN climate talks from November 10-21.

The research shows that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples have lower deforestation rates and store significantly more carbon than other areas. Between 1985 and 2020, 90 percent of Amazon deforestation occurred outside of Indigenous lands, with just 1.2 percent of native vegetation lost over that period.

The Amazon territories managed by Indigenous communities with recognized land rights have stored far more carbon than they have emitted. Between 2001 and 2021, they released around 120 million metric tons of carbon (CO₂) annually while removing 460 million metric tons.

The nine states of Legal Amazon-Acre, Amapá, Amazonas, Mato Grosso, Maranhão, Pará, Rondônia, Roraima and Tocantins-contain approximately 60% of the entire Amazon rainforest, which spans eight South American countries. Of the region’s total area of 510 million hectares, in 2022, around 393 million hectares would be covered by native vegetation in the Amazon, Cerrado, and Pantanal biomes. By the end of 2021, the region had deforested 112.5 million hectares.

“Protected areas in the Brazilian Legal Amazon are critical for the preservation of native vegetation, carbon stocks, biodiversity, the provision of ecosystem services and the livelihoods of indigenous people and local communities. Our model captures that protected areas avoid deforestation inside their boundaries and beyond due to spatial interactions across the landscape,” said Breno Pietracci, an environmental economist consultant and lead report researcher.

As countries prepare to present their Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at COP30, Indigenous Peoples in Brazil have pushed for governments to include the recognition of Indigenous lands, support Indigenous-led climate solutions, and greater legal protections for Indigenous lands in their plans.

“We think that it is not possible to protect the Amazon, where we have Quilombola people and Afro-descendant people, without recognizing their rights in terms of climate negotiations at the UN,” said Denildo “Bico” Rodrigues de Moraes, executive coordinator of the National Coordination of Black Rural Quilombola Communities (CONAQ). “It is very important for us to be recognized, for this to be recognized in the climate negotiations at the UN.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Excerpt:

Research shows that lands managed by Indigenous Peoples have lower deforestation rates and store significantly more carbon than other areas.

Au moins 21 personnes sont mortes et 31 sont portées disparues dans l'ouest du Kenya après un glissement de terrain vendredi, consécutif à des pluies torrentielles, a annoncé samedi le ministre kényan de l'Intérieur.

Deux semaines après le spectaculaire cambriolage du musée du Louvre, l'enquête avance. Deux nouveaux suspects ont été mis en examen et placés en détention provisoire samedi, portant à quatre le nombre de personnes écrouées. Voici ce que l'on sait.

Alors que l'Assemblée nationale a adopté, jeudi, une résolution du Rassemblement national visant à "dénoncer" l'accord franco-algérien de 1968, le ministre de l'Intérieur a estimé, samedi, dans Le Parisien, que la méthode du "bras de fer" avec l'Algérie "ne marchait pas".

PORTRAIT. Ancien membre du Haut Conseil des finances publiques, le professeur d'universite s'est lance dans la course aux municipales, cultivant sa singularite.