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The 'elephants in the room' at the UN women's rights talks. Scoop: US pokes globalism in eye in women’s rights talks at UN
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

The Trump administration *hardly got a mention* in scores of public speeches by foreign delegations at the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, or CSW, at the headquarters of the United Nations <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEND1ZITkCk74YNDzxwr2NMPyYrOFs6M…> in New York. But Washington was on everyone’s mind, reflecting heightened anxiety that it is not only rolling back the rights of women and other historically discriminated groups, but *dismantling the entire multilateral system*. There was some relief that the U.S. delegation did not torpedo the adoption of a political declaration <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvq24cVm7OPp…> reaffirming the Beijing Declaration and Plan of Action <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEJJwmBo5EZECaCp2OeMgQWLV7kzbsLh…>, the 30-year-old landmark blueprint for advancing women’s equality and rights. And on Friday, the delegates overcame reservations by Washington’s ally, Argentina, to adopt a program of priorities *to advance the cause of women over the coming years*. But Washington sent a strong signal that it plans to leverage its financial and diplomatic muscle *to reverse a range of progressive U.N. policies*, from access to sexual and reproductive health and rights to quotas tailored to achieve gender parity in U.N. institutions. [image: A view of the U.N. General Assembly Hall at CSW69.]*A view of the U.N. General Assembly Hall at CSW69. Photo by: UN Photo / Evan Schneider* In a farewell statement, Jonathan Shrier, acting U.S. representative to the U.N. Economic and Social Council <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZZ3TfEDPPUFEXFtSfGzTJxqqpAIDWm-oc8yT…> , *sharply criticized the political declaration*, saying it lacked clear language recognizing “women are biologically female and men are biologically male.” He took aim at a provision of the declaration’s recognition of a right to global development, attacked government regulation of online content as suppressing free speech, and *denounced the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals*. “We will no longer reaffirm them as a matter of course,” Shrier said. He also raised concern about references to climate change *before his microphone was silenced* for surpassing the allotted speaking time. While several delegations expressed frustration that the final declaration made *no explicit mention of women’s sexual reproductive health and rights*, they appeared relieved that the U.S. had not blown up the entire process. “It’s been a weird CSW,” said Ishaan Shah, a U.K.-based advocate with the Young Feminist Caucus. “People are *not really addressing the elephants in the room*, obviously now the U.S., but also this growing move to authoritarianism, the right-wing underfunding, aid cuts, that sort of thing. “There is definitely this undertone of depleted funding, lack of resourcing, and growing anti-rights, anti-gender movement,” he added. “I think it’s been quite somber in that sense.” *Scoop:* US pokes globalism in eye in women’s rights talks at UN <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POiKRGbNY2OKC42jxnUn9zvq24cVm7OPp…>

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President Trump just landed in West Palm Beach with Elon Musk and little X getting into The Beast on their way to the Lincoln Day dinner at Mar-a-Lago. 🇺🇲
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1WcjTXC5Fc/ President Trump just landed in West Palm Beach with Elon Musk and little X getting into The Beast on their way to the Lincoln Day dinner at Mar-a-Lago. 🇺🇲

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Fwd: DO-NOT-REPLY| Your email: Re: xNY.io - Bank.org: Golden Beach, North Cyprus; Wednesday 8 May 2024 Debating Chamber - Peter Thiel - Cambridge Union Society (Video w/ Protests); More with less; Exclusive: How Europe is planning for life after USAID
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

---------- Forwarded message --------- From: <no_reply_info(a)ecb.europa.eu> Date: Sat, Apr 12, 2025, 8:56 AM Subject: DO-NOT-REPLY| Your email: Re: xNY.io - Bank.org: Golden Beach, North Cyprus; Wednesday 8 May 2024 Debating Chamber - Peter Thiel - Cambridge Union Society (Video w/ Protests); More with less; Exclusive: How Europe is planning for life after USAID To: <g(a)xny.io> Thank you for your email and your interest in the European Central Bank (ECB). We will look into the matter raised and respond as appropriate. In the meantime, you may wish to have a look at our “Ask us” webpage (see the link below), which is available in all official EU languages. Please do not reply to this message. ----------------------------------------------------- Vielen Dank für Ihre E-Mail und Ihr Interesse an der Europäischen Zentralbank (EZB). Wir werden uns Ihres Anliegens annehmen und entsprechend darauf reagieren. Werfen Sie doch zwischenzeitlich einen Blick auf die Rubrik „Sie haben Fragen?“ auf unserer Website (Link siehe unten). Diese Rubrik steht in allen Amtssprachen der EU zur Verfügung und bietet umfangreiche Informationen. Antworten Sie bitte nicht auf diese Nachricht. ----------------------------------------------------- Nous vous remercions pour votre courriel et l’intérêt que vous portez à la Banque centrale européenne (BCE). Nous allons traiter votre demande et apporterons une réponse en fonction du point soulevé. En attendant, nous vous invitons à consulter notre page Internet « Vos questions » (lien ci-dessous), disponible dans toutes les langues officielles de l’Union européenne. Merci de ne pas répondre à ce message. ********************************* Public Enquiries Directorate General Communications EUROPEAN CENTRAL BANK Tel.: +49 69 1344 1300 Information Request Form: https://ecbenquiries.ecb.europa.eu/link/PublicEnquiryForm Webpage: https://www.ecb.europa.eu/ask https://www.ecb.europa.eu https://www.bankingsupervision.europa.eu The ECB processes personal data in line with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. In case of queries, please contact the ECB Data Protection Officer ( dpo(a)ecb.europa.eu) You may also contact the European Data Protection Supervisor.

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What we’re reading: Israel appears to have executed 15 Gaza aid workers and buried them in a mass grave, despite traveling in clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks with their emergency lights on. New videos contradict Israeli claims about the incident. [The New York Times]
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

What we’re reading *Israel appears to have executed 15 Gaza aid workers* and buried them in a mass grave, despite traveling in clearly marked ambulances and fire trucks with their emergency lights on. New videos contradict Israeli claims about the incident. [The New York Times <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvt84WzBVSpOM3HWcE4BKMEphXYKx6v3AWo5…> ] As wealthy countries cut aid, *women face rapidly escalating rates of dying during pregnancy and childbirth*. [The Guardian <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvt84W2dt6cL2FldoGoWcYYpd_VucwtO9SAq…> ] Cuts to USAID have *devastated services for pregnant women in Afghanistan*, including forcing the closure of more than 200 health facilities. [NPR <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvt84W_ybR65dbuX8MQ_ioeHp0Ton1C3szX7…> ]

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Before it’s too late: It will not shock readers of this newsletter that women make up the majority of the global health workforce. The official rate is 70%. With the cuts to global aid, they face a double crisis: The potential loss of jobs or salary, as well as the rollback of investments in gender equity.; Opinion: Women health workers face a double bind as aid dwindles
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

*Before it’s too late* It will not shock readers of this newsletter that women make up the majority of the global health workforce. The official rate is 70%. With the cuts to global aid, *they face a double crisis*: The potential loss of jobs or salary, as well as the rollback of investments in gender equity. Women are already being employed in positions that *are not as well recognized as their male counterparts* and that pay worse. Aid cuts inevitably mean that women will be asked to *take on more work for potentially less money*, as Dr. Shubha Nagesh and Dr. Magda Robalo explain in a recent Devex opinion piece. In addition, initiatives to point out the value and increase the pay for the jobs women are doing will also be reduced during a global aid downturn. You should read the piece for important suggestions on how not only to avoid some of these repercussions <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhclVMjy-fPC1nQx1DZzXLmYRIA4wgWe…>, but to actually strengthen support for female health workers around the world at this time. *Opinion:* Women health workers face a double bind as aid dwindles <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhclVMjy-fPC1nQx1DZzXLmYRIA4wgWe…>

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A treaty, at last?: Opinion: Failing to finalize a pandemic treaty is not an option
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

A treaty, at last? [image: Health workers working in the triage area of a hospital along a main road in Manila City, Philippines, during the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2021.] <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhclVMjy-fPC1nQx1DZzXLm4Q0CDsUV0…> After three years of negotiations, *could a pandemic treaty finally arrive* ahead of the upcoming World Health Assembly in May? In an opinion piece for Devex, Alexandra Finch, Lawrence O. Gostin, and Dame Barbara Stocking *say it is possible*, but only if some final hurdles can be overcome. The parties still haven’t come to an agreement on what steps they are willing to commit to when it comes to pandemic prevention. The global south wants to avoid anything too specific *unless those measures come with funding commitments*, for instance. The issue of voluntary versus obligatory technology transfer *also remains contentious*, as does how to actually set up an equitable pathogen sharing system. Finch, Gostin, and Stocking have ideas for how all of these issues can be resolved <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhclVMjy-fPC1nQx1DZzXLm4Q0CDsUV0…> to keep the parties on track to finally reaching an agreement. *Opinion:* Failing to finalize a pandemic treaty is not an option <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhclVMjy-fPC1nQx1DZzXLm4Q0CDsUV0…>

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What not to do: It now becomes a question of how fast that transition takes place and how to effect it in a way that doesn’t undo decades of progress.
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

What not to do In Washington, there seems to be a general agreement among lawmakers that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvt84W6Vty5OkDuy9y7TEaJyXDomxskqiQQk…> *cannot last forever*. That is the $110 billion program that has saved the lives of 25 million people living with HIV. After more than 22 years, lawmakers at a National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee meeting Tuesday made it clear that they wanted to see governments take more responsibility for funding <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POsuCyl_Q4myN5F7dZl-G1-hyx0SeXIc6…> their own response. Or potentially seek out other sources. It now becomes a question of *how fast that transition takes place and how to effect it* in a way that doesn’t undo decades of progress. If that’s the goal, then the Trump administration *definitely doesn’t have the right approach*. Here in Uganda, the freeze on foreign funding has left many PEPFAR programs suspended <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhIvRT9G8J2uOhXRyblumEL1x0nfjYMn…>, despite a waiver that allows the resumption of lifesaving treatment and a few other initiatives. Instead, on Tuesday, experts presented *an idea of developing compacts with governments* that would slowly ease them off of PEPFAR and into a more sustainable future. *Read:* PEPFAR at crossroads — lawmakers debate future of global AIDS program <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POsuCyl_Q4myN5F7dZl-G1-hyx0SeXIc6…>

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What not to do: Instead, on Tuesday, experts presented an idea of developing compacts with governments that would slowly ease them off of PEPFAR and into a more sustainable future.
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

What not to do In Washington, there seems to be a general agreement among lawmakers that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvt84W6Vty5OkDuy9y7TEaJyXDomxskqiQQk…> *cannot last forever*. That is the $110 billion program that has saved the lives of 25 million people living with HIV. After more than 22 years, lawmakers at a National Security, Department of State, and Related Programs Subcommittee meeting Tuesday made it clear that they wanted to see governments take more responsibility for funding <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POsuCyl_Q4myN5F7dZl-G1-hyx0SeXIc6…> their own response. Or potentially seek out other sources. It now becomes a question of *how fast that transition takes place and how to effect it* in a way that doesn’t undo decades of progress. If that’s the goal, then the Trump administration *definitely doesn’t have the right approach*. Here in Uganda, the freeze on foreign funding has left many PEPFAR programs suspended <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POhIvRT9G8J2uOhXRyblumEL1x0nfjYMn…>, despite a waiver that allows the resumption of lifesaving treatment and a few other initiatives. Instead, on Tuesday, experts presented *an idea of developing compacts with governments* that would slowly ease them off of PEPFAR and into a more sustainable future. *Read:* PEPFAR at crossroads — lawmakers debate future of global AIDS program <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POsuCyl_Q4myN5F7dZl-G1-hyx0SeXIc6…>

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APRIL 10, 2025 BY ANDREW GREEN: There’s no doubt that funding remains a huge — if not the biggest — problem. For its investment round that ends in May 2025, WHO has so far raised nearly $1.7 billion. Even with other funding sources, this is still far from the $7.1 billion the agency was looking for.
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

APRIL 10, 2025 BY ANDREW GREEN <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvt84W0y_yO-D6ziAMfsp8_V4Cuvwl5qOyCn…> How do you solve a problem like the World Health Organization <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvt84W79SdsMKQ1zB1rVD9pijTqm5nEfci_m…> ? It depends on what problem you’re talking about *because the agency has plenty*, as my colleague Jenny Lei Ravelo reports. WHO remains top-heavy and overly reliant on a handful of donors while continuing to face growing allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse. [image: A logo is pictured at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.] <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POpCphgeXlcwK-5u_CbLr-mNf3m_ZzQd8…> This is despite specific attempts to address the horrific problem of harassment and abuse, alongside broader reform efforts <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POpCphgeXlcwK-5u_CbLr-mNf3m_ZzQd8…> that include revamping WHO’s organizational infrastructure, strengthening its country offices, and *pursuing nearly 100 reforms* focused on transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness. There’s no doubt that *funding remains a huge — if not the biggest — problem*. For its investment round that ends in May 2025, WHO has so far raised nearly $1.7 billion. Even with other funding sources, this is still far from the $7.1 billion the agency was looking for. The unprecedented fundraising effort was launched to give WHO more flexibility and to free it from the priorities of specific donors and the accusations, driven by U.S. President Donald Trump, that the organization lacks any independence <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkJRuuo_nSES7kdX0u3PHyKGKAUR9spa…>. Whether the initiative will actually succeed remains to be seen. But consider that the U.S. withdrawal from the agency leaves it facing a $600 million shortfall this year <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POl-FoiiyyrRTFjOma1DZq73bNrqSaYGu…>, even as Trump continues to accuse WHO of being a Chinese puppet. *Staff reforms could possibly help to reduce this crisis*, particularly if the agency could get rid of underperforming people who have stuck around too long. There is a push to reduce an expanding number of high-level officials, while focusing on strengthening local and regional offices in line with localization goals. But all of that is easier said than done in the bureaucracy of a U.N. agency. The agency has allocated the largest portion of its flexible funding to its country offices — a signal of how seriously it takes the goal of localization. Meanwhile, the ongoing allegations of sexual abuse and harassment *continue to chip away at the integrity of the organization*. Agency officials stress that they are taking these issues seriously and that an increase in reported cases of harassment and abuse of authority “is a good thing in itself” because it shows increased staff confidence in the system. But even their own staff are demanding more. In a perverse way, the withdrawal of the United States from WHO <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POjbW6rOsZ37Uc-AtgCDeIvcHjB_B-lIJ…> will force the institution to confront many of these issues, particularly the questions around funding. But the future of the organization *is still very much up in the air*. *Read:* Inside WHO’s reforms — progress, failures, and unfinished business <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POpCphgeXlcwK-5u_CbLr-mNf3m_ZzQd8…> *Background reading:* Tedros refutes Trump’s claims of WHO’s lack of independence <https://t.devex.com/dc/kyXVoDpAY__Vu56MNr4POkJRuuo_nSES7kdX0u3PHyKGKAUR9spa…>

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In other news: At the EU-Horn of Africa migration meeting, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty highlighted its tough stance on migration since 2016 and urged European nations for greater support for the country’s 10 million refugees. [Africanews]
by Gunnar Larson 12 Apr '25

12 Apr '25

In other news *Oxfam GB plans to cut 265 jobs*, as the Oxford-based charity said its funding is impacted by the state of the economy. [BBC <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvljESY6XtiWbqLurVBPdKd7Xr_za9gq2OuV…> ] U.S. Indo-Pacific commander, Admiral Samuel Paparo, is *strongly advocating for continued USAID funding to the Pacific islands*, a region where the U.S. and China compete for influence. [Reuters <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvljESFp0Vwc82R_gE0Et9_Yxuu9O6aOqMqa…> ] At the EU-Horn of Africa migration meeting, Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty *highlighted its tough stance on migration since 2016* and urged European nations for greater support for the country’s 10 million refugees. [Africanews <https://t.devex.com/Njg1LUtCTC03NjUAAAGZvljESKhJPIfrWXWnTjI4UuZ3OVqr1ylVZjA…> ]

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