Afrique

La présidente à l’origine du Pacte vert adopte désormais le kaki militaire.

The post État de l’Union : Ursula von der Leyen sonne le tocsin appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Dans son livre « La traque de Hissène Habré », l'avocat américain Reed Brody révèle des détails inédits sur le processus qui a conduit à l'emprisonnement de Hissène Habré, condamné pour le meurtre et la violation des droits humains de centaines de milliers de personnes au Tchad, et explique en quoi l'arrestation d'Augusto Pinochet à Londres a été essentielle pour y parvenir.

Opinion on the general budget of the European Union for the financial year 2026 - all sections
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Michael Gahler

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Die Abgeordneten fordern einen größeren eigenständigen Agrarhaushalt für die Zeit nach 2027, weniger Bürokratie und mehr Anreize zur Erreichung ökologischer und sozialer Ziele.
Ausschuss für Landwirtschaft und ländliche Entwicklung

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2025 - EP

Die Änderungen sind Teil der Vereinfachungsbemühungen, um den Verwaltungsaufwand für kleiner und mittlere Unternehmen und gelegentliche Importeure zu verringern.
Ausschuss für Umwelt, Klima und Lebensmittelsicherheit

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2025 - EP

In der jährlichen Debatte zur Lage der EU befragten die Abgeordneten Ursula von der Leyen zur Arbeit der Kommission seit Beginn ihres neuen Mandats und zu ihren künftigen Plänen.

Quelle : © Europäische Union, 2025 - EP

On Wednesday, Parliament has given its final green light to changes in EU cohesion and social funding in response to new challenges and EU priorities.
Committee on Regional Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

In the annual State of the European Union debate, MEPs quizzed President von der Leyen on the Commission’s work since the beginning of its new mandate and its upcoming plans.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

The changes to the EU carbon border adjustment mechanism (CBAM) are part of simplification efforts to reduce the administrative burden for SMEs and occasional importers.
Committee on the Environment, Climate and Food Safety

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

L'Éthiopie s'apprête a inauguré un méga barrage qui a attisé les tensions avec l'Égypte.

AMENDMENTS 1 - 172 - Draft report Addressing impunity through EU sanctions, including the EU Global Human Rights sanctions regime (so called “EU Magnitsky Act”)
Committee on Foreign Affairs
Antonio López-Istúriz White

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Secretary-General António Guterres arrives to brief reporters on the launch of his report, 'The Security We Need - Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future.' Credit: Manuel Elías/UN Photo

By Naureen Hossain
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 10 2025 (IPS)

Global military spending has been on the rise for more than 20 years, and in 2024, it surged across all five global regions in the world to reach a record high of USD 2.7 trillion. Yet, such growth has come at the cost of diverting financial resources away from sustainable development efforts, which the United Nations and its chief warn puts pressure on an “already strained financial context.”

UN Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday that member states needed to prioritize diplomacy and multilateralism to protect global security and development. His new report, The Security We Need: Rebalancing Military Spending for a Sustainable and Peaceful Future, goes into detail on the conditions that have allowed for increased military spending in contrast to an overall reduction in global development financing.

Amid rising tensions and global and regional conflicts, military spending has increased as an indication of governments’ priorities to address global and regional security concerns through military strength and deterrence. As some countries engage in conflicts, neighboring nations may boost military spending to mitigate what the report describes as “the external risks of conflict spillover.”

Military expenditure has also increased in its share of the global economy. Between 2022 and 2024, it grew from 2.2 to 2.5 percent of the world’s gross domestic product (GDP). More than 100 countries alone boosted their military spending in 2024, with the top ten spenders accounting for 73 percent of the global expenditure. Europe and the Middle East recorded the sharpest increases in recent years, while Africa accounted for just 1.9 percent of the total world military spending.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres (left) address reporters in New York at the launch of his new report on global military spending in 2024.  Credit: Naureen Hossain/IPS

To put this into scale, the USD 2.7 trillion in military expenditure is equivalent to each person in the world contributing USD 334. It is seventeen times greater than the total spending on COVID-19 vaccines, the total GDP of every African nation, and thirteen times greater than the amount of official development assistance (ODA) provided by OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries in 2024. It is 750 times higher than the UN’s annual budget for 2024.

The report also warns that development financing has not kept up with this increased spending. As the development financing gap widens, official development assistance (ODA) has reduced. The annual financing gap for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is already at USD 4 trillion and could widen to USD 6.4 trillion in the years to come. This is critical at a time when the world is far off track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)’ 2030 deadline.

The report indicates that governments allocate less of their budgets to social investments when they increase their military spending. This has reverberated across multiple civil sectors, notably education, public health and clean energy. Military spending can create employment and these benefits can be critical in times of severe insecurity. But it also generates fewer jobs per dollar compared to the civilian sectors needed to contribute to sustaining long-term productivity and peace. If USD 1 billion can generate 11,000 jobs in the military, that same amount can create 17,200 jobs in health care and 26,700 jobs in education.

What this latest UN report reveals are the misaligned priorities in global spending and the growing resource scarcity for essential development and social investments. It also warns that countries are moving away from diplomacy and prioritizing militarized strategies.

At the report’s launch Izumi Nakamitsu, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, remarked that the global trends in military spending indicated a systemic imbalance, where “militarization is prioritized over development.”

“We need a new vision of security—human-centered and rooted in the UN Charter. A vision that safeguards people, not just borders; that prioritizes institutions, equity and planetary sustainability,” said Nakamitsu. “Rebalancing global priorities is not optional—it is an imperative for humanity’s survival.”

“We are in a world where fissures are deepening, official development assistance is falling, and human development progress is slowing,” said Haoliang Xu, the Acting Administrator of the UN Development Programme (UNDP). “But we know that development is a driver of security and multilateral development cooperation works. When people’s lives improve, when they have access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities, and when they can live lives of dignity and self-determination, we will have more peaceful societies and a more peaceful world.”

Xu warned that the progress made towards development in the past 30 years may start to decline and even regress, noting that progress in the Global Human Development Index has dramatically slowed down in the last two years.

Military spending puts debt burdens and fiscal constraints on both developed and developing countries, yet the impact is more significant for developing countries, as the report notes that their domestic resources are diverted away from development projects, while simultaneously international support through ODAs is reduced. A one-percent increase in military spending in low- and middle-income countries also aligned with a near-equal reduction in spending on public health services.

In his statement, Guterres acknowledged that governments have legitimate security responsibilities, including safeguarding civilians and addressing immediate threats, while also remarking that “lasting security cannot be achieved by military spending alone.”

“Investing in people is investing in the first line of defense against violence in any society,” he added. He noted that even a fraction of the budget allocated to military spending could “close vital gaps” in essential sectors such as education, healthcare, energy and infrastructure.

“The evidence is clear: excessive military spending does not guarantee peace. It often undermines it—fueling arms races, deepening mistrust, and diverting resources from the very foundations of stability,” he said.

The report concludes with a five-point agenda for the international community to address global spending across multiple sectors and promote diplomatic dialogue:

1. Prioritize diplomacy, peaceful settlement of disputes, and confidence-building measures to address the underlying causes of growing military expenditure through 2030.
2. Bring military expenditure to the fore of disarmament discussions, and improve links between arms control and development.
3. Promote transparency and accountability around military expenditure to build trust and confidence among Member States and increase domestic fiscal accountability.
4. Reinvigorate multilateral finance for development.
5. Advance a human-centered approach to security and sustainable development.

Just prior to the report’s official launch on Tuesday, news broke that Israel launched a strike targeting Hamas members in Qatar’s capital, Doha, who stand as one of the key mediators in ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Guterres called the attack a “flagrant violation of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Qatar.”

“It lays bare a stark reality: the world is spending far more on waging war than on building peace,” he said.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');  

Excerpt:

Just prior to the UN Secretary-General releasing his report on global military spending, news broke that Israel launched a strike targeting Hamas members in Qatar’s capital, Doha. António Guterres commented, “It (the strike) lays bare a stark reality: the world is spending far more on waging war than on building peace.”

Protestors torched the administrative headquarters of Nepal, the palace of Singha Durbar. This was one of several public properties that were set alight. Credit: Barsha Shah/IPS

By Tanka Dhakal
KATHMANDU, Sep 10 2025 (IPS)

Nepal entered into a new era of constitutional and political crisis after deadly protests by the deeply frustrated young generation (Gen-Z). Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli resigned on Tuesday after protests grew out of control.

Gen-Z protestors took to the streets on Monday, where the government used force. Security forces opened fire at youth protests against corruption, nepotism, and a social media ban. At least 19 people were killed on a single day. It’s one of the deadliest protest days in Nepal’s history. So far, at least 24 people have been confirmed to be dead during this ongoing unrest.

Protesters took to the streets after the government of Nepal banned most social media last week. Social media ban was the final straw, and on TikTok and Reddit, Gen-Z (13-28 years old) users organized peaceful protests, but they escalated. Now the Himalayan country with nearly 30 million people is facing uncertainty.

On Tuesday many of the government agencies and courthouses were set on fire. The country’s administrative headquarters and parliament house burned down. The homes of political leaders were also torched.

Initially reluctant, Oli resigned on Tuesday, citing “the extraordinary situation” in the country. He submitted his resignation to the President effectively immediately.

Later Tuesday, Nepal President Ramchandra Paudel issued a statement urging protestors to cooperate for a peaceful resolution.

“In a democracy, the demands raised by the citizens can be resolved through talks and dialogue, including Gen-Z representatives,” he said in a statement. Paudel urged Gen-Z representatives to “come to talk.”

Balen Shah, mayor of Kathmandu metropolitan city, who is seen as one of the possible leaders, also urged youth protestors to stop destroying public property and come to talk.

“Please gen Z, the country is in your hands; you are the ones who will be building. Whatever is being destroyed is ours; now return home,” he wrote on social media on Tuesday evening.

After the security situation got out of control, the Nepal Army deployed throughout the country from late evening on Tuesday. Army chief also urged protesters to come forward to talk with the president to find solutions.

After the rapidly escalating situation, international agencies, including the United Nations, issued their concerns.

Expressing deep concern over the deaths and destruction, UN human rights chief Volker Türk called on authorities and protesters to de-escalate the spiraling crisis. In a statement, Türk said he was “appalled by the escalating violence in Nepal that has resulted in multiple deaths and the injury of hundreds of mostly young protesters, as well as the widespread destruction of property.”

“I plead with security forces to exercise utmost restraint and avoid further such bloodshed and harm,” he said. “Violence is not the answer. Dialogue is the best and only way to address the concerns of the Nepalese people. It is important that the voices of young people are heard.”

The UN Secretary-General is also closely following the situation, according to his spokesperson. During Tuesday’s daily briefing in New York, Stéphane Dujarric said António Guterres was “very saddened by the loss of life” and reiterated his call for restraint to prevent further escalation.

“The authorities must comply with international human rights law, and protests must take place in a peaceful manner that respects life and property,” Dujarric said, noting the dramatic images emerging from Nepal.

The UN Country team in Nepal urges authorities to ensure that law enforcement responses remain proportionate and in line with international human rights standards.” UN Resident Coordinator Hanaa Singer-Hamdy described the situation as “so unlike Nepal.”

Nepal is known for its political insatiability and has seen more than a dozen governments since it transitioned to a republic after abolishing its monarchy. In 2008, after long protests and a decade-long Maoist war, Nepal transitioned into a republic and got its new construction in 2015.

One decade later, Nepal has again found itself in a political crisis.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

Follow @IPSNewsUNBureau
!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],p=/^http:/.test(d.location)?'http':'https';if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src=p+'://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js';fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document, 'script', 'twitter-wjs');   Related Articles

• ICJ Ruling Is a Pivotal Moment for Climate and Health Justice, Experts Say
• Extreme Weather Will Place Toll on Asia’s Economies and Ecosystems, Says World Meteorological Organization
• Glaciers More Sensitive to Global Warming, Now in Extreme Danger—Study

Positive Group kontra Tanács
Közös kül- és biztonságpolitika
War in Ukraine: the General Court upholds the restrictive measures against Positive Group PAO, an entity operating in the Russian IT sector with a license issued by Russia’s domestic intelligence services

Meta Platforms Ireland kontra Bizottság
Jogszabályok közelítése
Digital Services Act: the General Court annuls the Commission’s decisions setting the supervisory fee applicable to Facebook, Instagram and TikTok

Ausztria kontra Bizottság
Austria’s action against the inclusion of nuclear energy and fossil gas in the sustainable investment scheme dismissed

Written by Krisztina Binder with Joris Bol.

The European Universities initiative helps establish transnational alliances between higher education institutions to develop long-term structural, sustainable and systemic cooperation in education, with synergies with research and innovation. The initiative aims to promote European values and identity and support higher education institutions in enhancing their attractiveness and international competitiveness. As of January 2025, the European Universities initiative, launched in 2019, includes 65 alliances from 35 countries, including all European Union Member States. Together, the alliances comprise more than 570 higher education institutions and collectively provide education to more than 11 million students.

The deep institutional transnational cooperation within these alliances offers multiple advantages for students, staff members, the partner higher education institutions, the wider higher education system, and external stakeholders. These include, for instance, a wide variety of learning, professional development, mobility, and networking opportunities for students, academics, researchers, and staff. To drive even more ambitious cooperation within alliances, further action and closer cooperation between institutional, national, and European levels is necessary.

On 24 June 2025, the European Parliament’s Committee on Education and Culture adopted a report on the European Universities alliances. The report noted that the initiative surpassed anticipated levels of participation and underlined the alliances’ impact in driving transformation in higher education. It stressed the need for coordinated, sustainable and predictable funding for existing alliances and that the EU’s next long-term budget should reflect the strategic vision for the alliances.

Read the complete briefing on ‘European Universities alliances – a model of strengthened cooperation‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Wednesday 10 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Wednesday 10 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Wednesday 10 September

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP