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The Amazon rainforest, covering much of northwestern Brazil and extending into other South American countries, is the world’s largest tropical rainforest and is vital to fighting climate change. Credit: CIAT/Neil Palmer Source UN News

By Asoka Bandarage
WASHINGTON DC, Nov 11 2025 (IPS)

My recent visit to Brazil coincided partly with the Conference of the Parties (COP) 30, the 30th United Nations Climate Conference in Belém. Although I did not attend COP 30, I was very fortunate to visit the Amazon.

It was both awe-inspiring and humbling to experience —even briefly—the mystery and stillness of nature, and the ebb and flow of life in the Amazon: the largest tropical rainforest in the world, sustained by the ever-flowing Amazon River, the largest and widest river on Earth.

The magnificent forest, the river, and its tributaries, such as the black-water Rio Negro, teem with countless interdependent species. The great Samaúma—the “tree of life,” or giant kapok tree—stands tall above innumerable other trees, vines, and plants.

Many trees provide homes for birds and other animals that build their nests high among the branches or near the roots. Sloths do not build nests; instead, they spend their entire lives in the forest canopy, hanging upside down from branches while resting or sleeping.

In contrast, capuchin and squirrel monkeys leap from tree to tree in search of food, while birds—from the tiniest short-tailed pygmy tyrant to the colorful red-crested, green, and black Amazon kingfishers—flit from branch to branch, each awaiting its own prey. As night falls, the beautiful white owl-like great potoo emerges and sits patiently, seemingly forever, waiting for its turn to hunt.

In the river, silvery flying fish—sometimes in droves—leap from the water to catch insects, while gray and pink dolphins bob up and down, chasing fish or simply playing. Along the banks, proud egrets and fierce spectacled and black caimans lie in wait for their prey. Overhead, flocks of birds, including parakeets, fill the sky with song as vultures descend to feed on the remains of fallen animals below.

Humans have also lived in the Amazon for tens of thousands of years, in close symbiosis with other species, hunting in the forest and fishing in the river for their survival. Petroglyphs—carvings of human and animal figures, along with abstract shapes etched into rocks along the Amazon River—speak of their deep respect for nature and their ways of communicating with one another.

Even today, many of the indigenous communities who inhabit the Amazon remain devoted to protecting Mother Earth, upholding their eco-centric values and traditional ways of life.

There are also the river people (ribeirinhos), many of mixed indigenous and Portuguese descent, living along the Amazon River—often in floating homes or houses built on stilts. Their livelihoods and cultures are deeply intertwined with the river and forest, making the protection of the Amazon essential to their survival.

The Amazon lost an estimated 54.2 million hectares of forest—over 9% of its total area—between 2001 and 2020, an expanse roughly the size of France. The Brazilian Amazon, which makes up 62% of the rainforest’s territory, was the most affected, followed by Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia. Along with deforestation, the Amazon is estimated to lose 4,000 to 6,000 plant and animal species each year.

COP 30

At the opening of the COP 30 Conference in Belém last week, Luiz Inácio “Lula” da Silva, the President of Brazil pointed out that concrete climate action is possible and that deforestation in the Amazon has been halved just in the past two years. He declared that the “era of fine speeches and good intentions is over” and that Brazil’s COP 30 will be a ‘COP of Truth and Action’, “COPs cannot be mere showcases of good ideas or annual gatherings for negotiators. They must be moments of contact with reality and of effective action to tackle climate change.”

President da Silva also emphasized that Brazil is a global leader in biofuel production—renewable energy derived from organic materials such as plants, algae, and waste—stressing that “a growth model based on fossil fuels cannot last.” Indeed, at COP 30, the future of the world’s tropical forests, vital ecosystems, and the shared climate of humanity and other species is at stake.

“Truth and Action”

Notwithstanding President da Silva’s optimistic pronouncements at Belém, troubling developments continue on the climate front in Brazil and around the world. In preparation for COP 30, the Brazilian government—along with India, Italy, and Japan—launched an ambitious initiative in October 2025: the “Belém 4x” pledge, which aims to quadruple global sustainable fuel use by 2035. This goal is projected to more than double current biofuel consumption.

However, environmentalists have expressed concern that a massive expansion of biofuel production, if undertaken without strong safeguards, could accelerate deforestation, degrade land and water resources, harm ecosystems, and threaten food security—particularly as crops such as soy, sugarcane, and palm oil compete for land between energy and food production.

Just days before COP30, the Brazilian government granted the state-run oil company Petrobras a license to drill for oil near the mouth of the Amazon River. The government, including Minister for the Environment Marina da Silva, has defended the move, claiming that the project would help finance Brazil’s energy transition and help achieve its economic development goals.

Environmentalists have criticized the decision, accusing the government of promoting fossil fuel expansion and worsening global warming. They warn that drilling off the coast of the world’s largest tropical rainforest—a crucial carbon sink—poses a serious threat to biodiversity and indigenous communities in the Amazon region.

According to environmental activists, in the Amazon, “31 million hectares of Indigenous Peoples’ territories are already overlapped by oil and gas blocks, with an additional 9.8 million hectares threatened by mining concessions.”

Moreover, a controversial four-lane highway, Avenida Liberdade, built in Belém in preparation for the COP30 climate summit, is being defended by the Brazilian government as necessary infrastructure for the city’s growing population. Environmentalists and some locals are alarmed that clearing more than 100 hectares of protected Amazon Rainforest to build the road will accelerate deforestation, harm wildlife, and undermine the climate goals of the COP summit.

The onus of protecting the Amazon Rainforest—often called “the lungs of the planet”— cannot rest on Brazil alone; it is a shared responsibility of all humanity. Numerous studies show that the world can thrive without fossil and biofuels by adopting alternative renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.

The global order, led by the United States and other Western nations, bears primary responsibility for the climate and environmental crises, as well as for deepening global inequality. Emerging powers from the Global South—particularly the BRICS nations, including Brazil—are now called to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete action. As President Lula da Silva himself has stated, COP 30 presents a critical opportunity to move decisively in that direction.

Negotiators and policymakers at COP 30 must take firm, principled moral action—resisting pressure from the fossil fuel lobby and prioritizing the interests of the planet and its people over short-term, profit-driven growth.

Dr Asoka Bandarage is the author of Women, Population and Global Crisis: A Politico-Economic Analysis (Zed Books, 1997), Sustainability and Well-Being: The Middle Path to Environment, Society and the Economy (Palgrave MacMillan, 2013) and numerous other publications on global political economy and the environment including “The Climate Emergency And Urgency of System Change” (2023) and ‘Existential Crisis, Mindfulness and the Middle Path to Social Action’ (2025). She serves on the Steering Committee of the Interfaith Moral Action on Climate.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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By Jomo Kwame Sundaram
MANILA, Philippines, Nov 11 2025 (IPS)

US President Trump’s economic strategy for his second term aims to get the rest of the world, especially its wealthy allies with greater means, to pay more to help strengthen the US economy.

Jomo Kwame Sundaram

Recent US initiatives have undoubtedly accelerated de-dollarisation but these have largely been unavoidable consequences of its own actions rather than due to any conspiracy by others to that end.

De-dollarisation distraction
Harvard economist Kenneth Rogoff recently observed, “We are absolutely at the biggest inflection point in the global currency system since the Nixon shock to end the last vestige of the gold standard.”

After the Bretton Woods Conference in 1944, the gold price was set at $35 per ounce. In August 1971, US President Richard Nixon ended this gold-dollar parity.

De-dollarisation has gradually continued since, with occasional brief spurts and reversals. For example, capital flows abroad rose following the 2008-09 global financial crisis.

Growing weaponisation of economic relations has probably accelerated de-dollarisation. Rogoff observed, “this was happening for a decade before Trump. Trump is an accelerant.”

Governments, central banks and BRICS countries have been de-dollarising. Even US dollar hegemony advocates no longer deny alternatives to the dollar’s role as global reserve currency.

Meanwhile, private foreign investors, including foreign asset managers, investment banks and pension funds, do not want to be left behind.

Investment fund managers are increasingly ‘de-risking’ by cutting exposure to dollar-denominated assets.

Mar-a-Lago plan
Economist Stephen Miran has proposed a new Trump initiative to require other governments to pay the US for services purportedly rendered.

First appointed chair of Trump’s Council of Economic Advisers, Miran has since been appointed to the US Federal Reserve Board.

A few days after Trump announced his Liberation Day tariffs on April 2, Miran articulated five expectations. These expect other nations to pay the US for ‘public goods’ services it ostensibly provides the world.

Allies will be expected to pay the US more for the ‘security umbrella’ it provides to NATO and other allies. The US also expects those buying Treasury bonds to pay more for the ‘privilege’

In November 2024, Miran’s A User’s Guide to Restructuring the Global Trading System proposed the Mar-A-Lago accord, named for Trump’s exclusive Florida island resort and residence.

He also referred to the Plaza Accord, which the Reagan administration imposed on its G5 allies in September 1985. Then, the US forced Japan and Germany to appreciate their currencies against the dollar.

The yen’s appreciation fuelled a massive Japanese asset price bubble that burst with devastating consequences in 1989, ending its post-war boom.

Trump now seeks the appreciation of other major currencies. Already, he has succeeded in getting his European allies to agree.

However, it seems unlikely that Trump will get China and other BRICS economies to do so, as they are aware of how the Plaza Accord affected Japan.

Century bonds
Other national monetary authorities buying US Treasury bonds to stabilise their own currencies have long caused dollar appreciation.

They are now expected to help depreciate the dollar. Miran has proposed that the US issue century, i.e., 100-year bonds, at very low interest rates, well below the current rates for US Treasury securities.

Miran wants foreign central bank reserve currency managers to sell off their dollar-denominated assets. They should “term out” their “remaining reserve holdings” and refinance short-term debt with long-term borrowings.

Miran is explicit: “The US Treasury can effectively buy duration back from the market and replace that borrowing with century bonds sold to the foreign official sector.”

His plan thus intends to force foreign holders of US government debt (‘Treasuries’) to extend the duration of their loans.

Very low interest rates for century bonds will ensure that foreign bondholders effectively pay the US more for the ‘privilege’ of borrowing dollars.

For Miran, the appreciation of other currencies against the dollar will also strengthen the American economy. US manufacturing will strengthen as its exports become more competitive.

Thus, his Mar-A-Lago accord plan expects other nations to pay more to strengthen the world’s largest and richest economy.

Miran’s Mar-A-Lago plan is not yet official US policy. However, this can change with Miran’s likely appointment as the next Fed chair, replacing Trump 1.0 appointee Jerome Powell.

BRICS de-dollarisation?
However, Miran’s declared plan to strengthen the US economy by depreciating the dollar against other major currencies has also accelerated de-dollarisation.

In recent years, the BRICS have been accused of conspiring to accelerate de-dollarisation worldwide, but this is certainly not a shared ambition.

Lacking significant trade surpluses, Brazil and South Africa have long advocated de-dollarisation. But Russia’s complaints have more to do with recent NATO weaponisation of financial instruments against it.

There is no comparable enthusiasm among other BRICS member states, which have much healthier trade surpluses and more dollar assets.

Its recent membership expansion will make an official BRICS de-dollarisation stance even more unlikely.

Nevertheless, Trump’s leadership relies on the American public believing the rest of the world is conspiring against them.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Une vague de haine a déferlé sur le Monténégro, entretenue par l'extrême droite et des élus de l'actuelle majorité, qui ont prétendu que « 100 000 » Turcs vivraient dans le pays et seraient impliqués dans des meurtres. Des accusations sans aucun fondement. Décryptage des mécanismes de la haine.

- Articles / Monténégro, Monitor (Monténégro), Société, Politique, Une - Diaporama

Une vague de haine a déferlé sur le Monténégro, entretenue par l'extrême droite et des élus de l'actuelle majorité, qui ont prétendu que « 100 000 » Turcs vivraient dans le pays et seraient impliqués dans des meurtres. Des accusations sans aucun fondement. Décryptage des mécanismes de la haine.

- Articles / Monténégro, Monitor (Monténégro), Société, Politique, Une - Diaporama - En premier, Une - Diaporama

Alors que la Commission propose de durcir les expulsions, la commission des Libertés civiles (LIBE) du Parlement débattra mardi 11 novembre d’un projet de rapport sur le règlement de l’UE relatif aux retours prônant une approche plus équilibrée, axée sur le retour volontaire et le respect des droits fondamentaux.

The post Les libéraux veulent assouplir le futur règlement sur les retours appeared first on Euractiv FR.

La Cour de justice de l’Union européenne (CJUE) rendra ce mardi 11 novembre un arrêt très attendu sur la validité de la directive européenne sur le salaire minimum, et, par là même, elle définira les limites de l’autorité de Bruxelles sur les politiques sociales nationales.

The post Salaire minimum européen : la Cour de justice de l’UE s’apprête à rendre un arrêt décisif appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Experts say the industry’s argument that higher taxes fuel smuggling doesn’t stand up to scrutiny

Similar trends are being observed across Europe

As the EU is hardening its stance towards China, Madrid's warm relations with Beijing have stood out; Sánchez has made three visits to the Asian country since 2023 and this royal visit aims to strengthen "political, economic and cultural" ties

From fleets of e-bikes to individual riders, eWaka aims to sell across Africa's delivery market.

Cotonou, la capitale économique du Bénin abrite depuis ce mercredi 12 novembre 2025, un atelier de partage d'expériences et de renforcement des capacités des Agences de promotion des investissements (API) des pays membres de l'Union économique et monétaire ouest africaine (UEMOA), sur la promotion et la facilitation des investissements durables pour la réalisation du travail décent. Des représentants des API de la sous-région prennent part aux assises organisées par l'Organisation internationale du travail (OIT), en collaboration avec la Commission de l'UEMOA.

Afin d'offrir un cadre d'échanges permettant d'identifier les opportunités et défis liés aux Investissements directs étrangers (IDE) pour la création d'emplois décents et le développement durable, l'OIT en collaboration avec la Commission de l'UEMOA, organise un atelier de renforcement de capacités à l'intention des Agences de promotion des investissements de la sous-région. La rencontre sera également l'occasion pour les participants, d'identifier les opportunités et défis liés aux investissements directs étrangers pour la création d'emplois décents et le développement durable.
Selon la Directrice du Bureau Pays de l'OIT pour la Côte d'Ivoire, le Bénin, le Burkina Faso, le Mali, le Niger, et le Togo, Ndeye Coumba DIOP, l'atelier s'inscrit dans la continuité de « l'engagement collectif » en faveur d'un développement économique inclusif, respectueux des droits des travailleurs et porteurs de prospérité durable pour les populations.
Pour Ibrahima KARAMBE, Conseiller au Bureau UEMOA au Bénin, l'atelier permettra de mesurer « l'impact quantitatif et qualitatif des idées » et d'aligner les enjeux liés au travail décent avec les fonctions clés des API telles que la promotion, la facilitation, le suivi, la planification et l'évaluation. Il a salué à l'occasion, l'accompagnement de la Conférence des Nations Unies sur le commerce et le développement (CNUCED), dans la mise en œuvre de certains axes du projet ‘'Investir dans l'UEMOA'', le rôle essentiel qu'elle joue dans la mise en œuvre des politiques de l'Union, et son appui précieux à la réussite des actions communautaires.
Pour Josée LAPORTE, Spécialiste en conduite responsable des entreprises, Unité des entreprises multinationales et de conduite responsable des entreprises à l'OIT, il s'agit d'un « espace d'échange » qui permettra de réfléchir sur les investissements qui se traduisent par de nombreux emplois de « meilleure qualité », aidant à traduire le travail décent en action pour les hommes et les femmes de l'espace UEMOA. Il sera question selon ses explications, d'examiner la manière dont les entreprises contribuent à la protection sociale, l'égalité des chances, le respect des droits des travailleurs, le dialogue au niveau des entreprises mais aussi au niveau national entre les investisseurs, le gouvernement et les organisations d'employeurs et de travailleurs, afin que les investissements directs étrangers, se traduisent « véritablement par du travail décent ». Le but visé à l'en croire, est d'émettre des recommandations qui devront être prises en considération par les API des pays de la sous-région, mais également par la Commission de l'UEMOA au niveau des réformes des codes des investissements, des réformes des stratégies d'attraction des investissements afin que les questions de travail décent soient intégrées aux politiques existantes, et au système de suivi et d'évaluation dans l'Union.

L'UEMOA, une zone d'attraction pour les investisseurs
La Directrice du Bureau Pays de l'OIT s'est réjouie de la hausse des investissements directs étrangers dans la région de l'UEMOA ; lesquels reflètent la confiance croissante des investisseurs dans le potentiel économique de la sous-région. Mais le véritable défi à l'en croire, est de transformer cette croissance quantitative en retombée qualitative. Et pour ce faire, il faudra s'assurer que ces investissements créent plus d'emplois décents ; favorisent le développement des entreprises locales, leur promotion et leur développement ainsi que leur formalisation. Chaque projet d'investissement, a-t-elle poursuivi, devra contribuer « effectivement » aux ODD, notamment l'ODD 8, consacré à la croissance inclusive du travail décent. La Directrice a évoqué à titre illustratif, la déclaration de l'OIT sur les entreprises multinationales et le protocole sur l'investissement de la ZLECAF qui établit un cadre pour les investissements intra-africains durables, respectant les normes internationales du travail. L'enjeu pour les Agences de promotion des investissements pour elle, est d'accueillir les investissements qui soutiennent la croissance économique ; et s'assurer que ces investissements contribuent réellement au développement durable et à la création d'emplois décents. « Le rôle des API ne consiste plus à attirer des capitaux communautaires, mais de faciliter des investissements responsables à accompagner les entreprises, notamment locales, dans la mise en œuvre de pratiques durables, […], et à mesurer l'impact réel des investissements directs étrangers sur la création d'emplois, les conditions de travail et le développement local », a expliqué Ndeye Coumba DIOP. Ce qui implique d'intégrer dans les stratégies et politiques de promotion des investissements, des critères liés à la durabilité, à la conduite responsable des entreprises, mais aussi au travail décent, a-t-elle indiqué réitérant l'accompagnement de l'OIT aux API à renforcer leurs capacités en matière de promotion de facilitation des investissements durables ; à favoriser l'échange de bonnes pratiques entre Etats membres ; encourager le dialogue entre les investisseurs sur la conduite responsable des entreprises ; et développer des outils de suivi et d'évaluation intégrant des indicateurs du travail décent. Convaincue qu'en dotant les pays de ces compétences, elle assure leur offrir la possibilité de devenir « des acteurs de premier plan dans la réalisation des objectifs de développement économique et social de l'UEMOA ».
Le Coordonnateur en chef, Section des accords internationaux d'investissements de la CNUCED, Hamed El KADY, a relevé le changement de paradigme dans l'évaluation des politiques d'investissement. La réussite de politique d'investissement qui autrefois se mesurait principalement à travers des indicateurs quantitatifs (les ressources encaissées, le nombre d'investissement étranger, le nombre d'emplois créés, le volume des investissements, etc), se mesure d'après lui de nos jours, par l'élargissement « du spectre de l'évaluation » (l'évaluation des politiques, et la prédominance des aspects qualitatifs sur les aspects quantitatifs). Après avoir évoqué la nécessité de réformer et de moderniser différents accords, il a réitéré l'engagement de la CNUCED à poursuivre avec ses partenaires, la réforme du cadre juridique international des investissements et renforcer la collaboration avec l'UEMOA et l'OIT et les autres partenaires en veillant à intégrer les dimensions essentielles du droit de réglementer dans l'intérêt public ; qu'il s'agisse de l'environnement, de la santé ou du travail.
Plusieurs communications seront animées lors des assises qui s'achèvent ce jeudi 13 novembre.

F. A. A.

Council and European Parliament reach provisional agreement to simplify Common Agricultural Policy.

Council and European Parliament reach provisional agreement to simplify Common Agricultural Policy.

Council and European Parliament reach provisional agreement to simplify Common Agricultural Policy.

The new farm rules should enter into force by 2026

On Monday, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed to simplify EU common agricultural policy requirements.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On Monday, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed to simplify EU common agricultural policy requirements.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On Monday, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed to simplify EU common agricultural policy requirements.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

On Monday, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed to simplify EU common agricultural policy requirements.
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP

Bei den ATP Finals in Turin zeigt Jannik Sinner eine beeindruckende Leistung. Der Weltranglistenzweite schlägt den Kanadier Auger-Aliassime in zwei Sätzen und setzt seine Siegesserie in der Halle fort.