Africa

COP16 President Susana Muhamad. Parties to the UN Biodiversity adopted decisions to implementation of the Global Biodiversity Framework. Credit: IISD Earth Negotiations Bulletin/Mike Muzurakis.

By Tanka Dhakal
BLOOMINGTON, U.S.A & ROME, Feb 28 2025 (IPS)

The second round of the UN Biodiversity Conference, COP16, concluded in the early hours of Friday, February 28 in Rome, with an agreement to raise the funds needed to protect biodiversity.

COP16 was suspended in Cali, Colombia, in 2024 without any major financial support decision to support biodiversity conservation. But in the second round of the conference in Rome, Italy, governments agreed on a financial strategy to address the action targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF), which was adopted in 2022 with the aim of closing the biodiversity finance gap.

In a final document, all parties to the biodiversity convention agreed to mobilize resources to close the global biodiversity finance gap and achieve the target of mobilizing at least 200 billion dollars a year by 2030, including international flows of USD 20 billion per year by 2025. Which will be rising to USD 30 billion by 2030.

In the closing press briefing in the early hours of Friday, COP16 President Susana Muhamad said the Rome conference came to a successful end. “It was a remarkable achievement of being able to approve all the decisions, especially the most contentious, difficult decisions.” She said, “And not in a way that made the parties feel that they were compromising their main objectives.”

The agreement includes the commitment to establish permanent arrangements for the financial mechanism in accordance with Articles 21 and 39 of the Convention while working on improving existing financial instruments. It also includes a roadmap of the activities and decision-making milestones until 2030.

COP16 president Muhamad also said that the agreement between governments in Rome will help bring the agendas of biodiversity and climate change together. In November, Belem in the Amazon rainforest region of Brazil will be hosting the UN climate conference, COP30.

“The importance of these resolutions that have been approved in Cali and also here of the cooperation between the different conventions,” she said.

The biodiversity COP also adopted a Strategy for Resource Mobilization to mobilize the funds needed for implementation of the KMGBF. Which includes public finance from national and subnational governments, private and philanthropic resources, multilateral development banks, blended finance, and other approaches.

The Cali Fund

The Rome gathering of parties also agreed to establish a dedicated fund for fair and equitable sharing of benefits from the use of Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Research (DSI), known as the Cali Fund.

The fund was launched on 26 February 2025—at least 50 percent of its resources will be allocated to indigenous peoples and local communities, recognizing their role as custodians of biodiversity. Large companies and other major entities benefiting commercially from the use of DSI are expected to contribute a portion of their profits or revenues in sectors and subsectors highly dependent on the use of DSI.

Pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, plant and animal breeding, agricultural biotechnology, industrial biotechnology, laboratory equipment associated with the sequencing and use of digital sequence information on genetic resources, and information, scientific and technical services related to digital sequence information on genetic resources, including artificial intelligence. Academic, public databases, public research institutions and companies operating in the concerned sectors but not relying on DSI are exempt from contributions to the Cali Fund.

The fund is part of a multilateral mechanism on the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from the use of digital sequence information on genetic resources adopted at COP15 in December 2022 alongside the KMGBF.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Cargo Ship and Cranes at Hamburg Port. Credit: Wolfgang Weiser

By Matt Freeman
LONDON, Feb 28 2025 (IPS)

Who bears the brunt in trade wars? The answer is absolutely everyone. Not just the countries enacting or retaliating with tariffs and export bans, and not just the citizens of those countries. It’s everyone.

Global headlines have been warning of looming trade wars between the United States, Mexico, Canada and China. Though many of the tariffs floated by President Donald Trump have since been lifted or delayed, many are rightly concerned that trade restrictions will be an all too present part of our future.

Trade wars cause tremendous economic damage to countries affected by them; to companies, workers and suppliers; and to the consumers to whom these costs are invariably passed.

But the damage is not only economic. There are profound implications to both global and national food and nutrition security as well. Though many of these measures seek to protect homegrown industries, or in the case of U.S. tariffs – to protect borders, they all too often lead to increased food prices and supply chain disruptions that undermine access to healthy and nutritious food we all need to thrive.

The recently threatened U.S. tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada are a good example of how these kinds of restrictions can impact what ends up on our plates. In 2023, the US imported $195.9 billion of its agricultural produce from foreign suppliers, with almost half of this ($86 billion) coming from its two closest neighbors.

Two farmworkers pick food in a greenhouse.

When you look at more nutrient-rich foods, the impacts are even more pronounced: the US imports approximately 60% of its fresh fruit and 40% of its fresh vegetables from abroad.

Economists warn that such measures would not only strain consumers’ wallets but also disrupt supply chains, leading to potential longer-term shortages and reducing the availability of diverse and nutritious foods.

This is not a price that US policymakers should be willing to pay.

47.4 million Americans – 1 in 7 people, including 1 in 5 children – are already experiencing food insecurity, meaning many lack access to the basic vitamins and minerals they need to power their bodies and fuel their minds. Among the most vulnerable groups – communities of color, rural communities, veterans, seniors, and low-income households – these inequalities are even more stark.

The impacts can easily stretch beyond the borders of North America. The interconnectedness of our global food systems – the complex web of processes that take our food from farm to fork – mean that trade restrictions in one region can have ripple effects worldwide.

The World Economic Forum highlights that the combined effects of the pandemic and geopolitical tensions have exposed the fragility of global supply chains essential for food security. The outbreak of war in Ukraine, for instance, sent shockwaves through markets for key commodities like fertiliser and grains, demonstrating how restriction in the trade or production of essential goods in one part of the world can exacerbate the vulnerabilities of the whole system.

As with most things in life, trade policies have distinct implications for women and girls. In many developing countries, women play a crucial role in agriculture and food production. Trade barriers that increase input costs or limit market access can disproportionately affect women farmers, reducing their incomes and economic independence.

Additionally, higher food prices resulting from tariffs can strain household budgets, where women often bear the responsibility of managing limited resources and the health of their families. As the International Monetary Fund (IMF) notes, whilst increased trade can provide women with better job opportunities and access to resources, trade restrictions can limit these opportunities and exacerbate existing gender disparities.

Fears about trade restrictions and breakdowns in global supply chains lead some countries to shift policies toward self-sufficiency, focusing on meeting the basic needs of production locally. While it’s easy to see the advantages of an approach like this in terms of control and protecting farmers at home, it is often a struggle for countries to efficiently produce such a wide range of food products domestically due to constraints including weather patterns and arable land, which can result in less varied diets and increased malnutrition.

The FAO suggests conceptualizing food self-sufficiency along a continuum. Others have described an optimal approach as a balanced one, embracing open trade while also enhancing domestic production by diversifying supply sources, investing in resilient agricultural practices, and fostering international cooperation to ensure stable and affordable food supplies.

Ultimately, while trade restrictions are often implemented with protective intentions, they can have adverse effects on food and nutrition security. They can increase food prices, disrupt supply chains, and disproportionately impact vulnerable populations.

To ensure equitable access to nutritious food for healthy populations both home and abroad, policymakers should carefully consider the broader implications of trade measures and strive for solutions that encourage both global cooperation and domestic resilience.

Matt Freeman is Executive Director of Stronger Foundations for Nutrition.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The UN Security Council Meets on Maintenance of Peace and Security of Ukraine. Credit: UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Feb 27 2025 (IPS)

From late 2024 to early 2025, the humanitarian situation in Ukraine has taken a turn for the worst, with poverty, violence, displacement, and damage to critical infrastructures having grown in intensity. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russia, tensions have grown among member states of the United Nations (UN) on how to resolve the Russo-Ukrainian War.

On February 20, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) released a report detailing the current living conditions in Ukraine, where they estimated that 12.7 million Ukrainians – roughly 36 percent of the population – urgently require humanitarian assistance.

The death toll in Ukraine had reached new peaks in late 2024. There have been approximately 41,000 civilian casualties, including 12,500 deaths. Roughly 2,500 children have also been killed or injured as a result of the current war. Rates of sexual violence among women, men, and children have increased significantly since the war began. Nearly 63 percent of all households in Ukraine have reported distress that has been linked to trauma, with 1.5 million children at risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder and other severe mental health conditions.

Ukraine has also sustained immense damage to its infrastructures, many of which are crucial in providing basic services. Attacks on energy infrastructure have led to limited power, water, and fuel being allocated to households. This is especially dangerous in the winter season, when temperatures regularly drop below zero. Roughly 3,600 educational facilities, including 2,000 schools, have been damaged, with 371 having been destroyed completely. Nearly 13 percent of the total housing stock in Ukraine has been damaged, which has affected over 2.5 million households.

On February 25, the UN Resident Coordinator Office in Ukraine released a report that analyzed the scale of needs and the expenses required for recovery in Ukraine. It is estimated that the total cost of reconstruction and recovery over the next decade will be 524 billion dollars, which is nearly 2.8 times the estimated GDP of Ukraine in 2024. For 2025 alone, it is projected that Ukraine will need 9.96 billion dollars from donors and the private sector to begin reconstruction efforts.

“The war has been a heavy blow to the Ukrainian economy. Many Ukrainian enterprises that gave people jobs stopped or were destroyed. The brutal Russian air strikes have severely damaged the national energy system, as well as hundreds of educational and healthcare institutions. A humanitarian crisis is devastating and the “hidden crisis” – the mental health crisis – will resonate for generations,” said UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine Matthias Schmale.

Additionally, approximately 3.7 million people are internally displaced in Ukraine, and 6.9 million have fled to other parts of Europe. According to figures from People in Need (PIN), a Czech humanitarian organization, nearly 700,000 internally displaced people reside in Ukraine’s capital Kyiv and its surrounding areas.

Socio-economic conditions have continuously worsened since the start of the war, with displaced populations having been hit the hardest. A survey from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) states that only half of the working-age displaced Ukrainians have managed to find legal employment. Most families that have exhausted their funds rely on government assistance for survival. However, state funding has diminished greatly since March 2024, with the new laws stating that only the most vulnerable groups are entitled to assistance, such as the elderly or disabled.

According to figures from the World Bank, there are over 9 million Ukrainians who struggle with poverty, having increased by 1.8 million in the past three years alone. Economic growth has decreased by 3.2 percent in 2024 and is projected to decrease by 2 percent in 2025.

The hunger crisis has also grown significantly since the wake of the war. According to a press release from the World Food Programme (WFP), approximately 5 million people are facing acute food insecurity. The highest levels of hunger are concentrated in the areas that have been most affected by conflict. The Kherson region in the south, along with Zaporizhzhya and the Donetsk region in the east, have particularly severe levels of hunger.

February 24 marks three years since the Russian invasion. In remembrance of this historical event, the UN General Assembly adopted two resolutions that would entail a cessation of hostilities between Ukraine and Russia.

The first of these resolutions, A/ES-11-L.10, called for Ukraine’s sovereignty and territory to be respected, a cessation of hostilities, and an end to impunity for war crimes. The document included clauses in which the Russian Federation was deemed responsible for the invasion and for disrupting global stability.

93 member states voted in favor of the resolution, citing its importance in protecting global and regional stability. Russia and the United States voted against this resolution. The U.S. presented Path to Peace (A/ES-11-L.11) a separate resolution that calls for an end to the war and mourns lost lives. However, this document includes no mentions of Russia’s aggressive military tactics.

In response, France proposed three amendments to this document which indicated at Russia’s responsibility for the conflict. Russia also proposed an amendment that called for the “root causes” of the war to be addressed. Both of the amendments were approved, with the U.S. abstaining from voting and Russia voting against the resolution.

The Russian Ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzia has said that Russia was justified in its invasion of Ukraine, citing that the intention was to prevent the expansion of NATO from Russia’s borders. “The text adopted now is not perfect, but it is, in fact, the first attempt to adopt a constructive and future—oriented product of the Council, talking about the path to peace, and not inflaming the conflict,” Nebenzia remarked.

Ukraine, as well as numerous European countries, argued that a resolution that does not hold the Russian Federation responsible effectively undermines the UN’s obligation to protect human rights, especially when war crimes are involved.

“The way we answer to Russian atrocities and crimes, the way we answer to aggression as a tool of statecraft will define not only the future of Ukraine, will define not only the future of Europe; it will define our common future, the future of the entire democratic world and the future of the U.N.,” said Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Mariana Betsa in her speech to the General Assembly before the vote.
“On this tragic occasion, I reaffirm the urgent need for a just, sustainable and comprehensive peace – one that fully upholds Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders, in accordance with the UN Charter, international law and resolutions of the General Assembly,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Two-time continental champions Equatorial Guinea and Tunisia suffer upsets in qualifying for the 2026 Women's Africa Cup of Nations.

Herds have shrunk because of drought and dry pastures, so Moroccans are urged to abstain from slaughtering sheep.

Gina Romero

By Gina Romero
BOGOTA, Colombia, Feb 27 2025 (IPS)

The U.S. administration has the prerogative to review and adjust public expenditure policies, including foreign aid. However, this power must be exercised responsibly, adhering to national and international legal frameworks, including the principles of human rights law.

The recent decisions by the Trump administration to freeze federal grants and loans, including foreign aid, have raised serious concerns about the implications for local, national and international associations.

These measures, which followed executive orders aimed at “reevaluating” U.S. foreign assistance and terminating diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs, risk undermining the freedoms that are vital to democratic societies.

In a letter sent to the USG, 35 UN experts indicate that the freeze on funding and stop work orders has been described as a drastic measure that could have a far-reaching impact on the ability of individuals and organizations to advocate for and protect human rights.

The decision to stop work on federal projects, including critical programs funded through foreign aid, is having an immediate effect on vulnerable communities and human rights defenders worldwide. The ripple effects are particularly severe for marginalized groups who depend on these resources for essential services like healthcare, education, access to food and housing.

These measures also disproportionately affect organizations working on gender equality, LGBTIQ issues, reproductive rights, and poverty alleviation, which are already underfunded and face significant challenges in the global South.

The implications of these measures affect different type of associations, including small and medium-sized businesses, not-for-profit entities, civil society organizations, universities, faith-based groups, and even scientific research institutions that rely on U.S. funding to carry out their work.

The speed and scale of the funding freeze have left these entities unable to fulfil their missions. Some have already been forced to lay off staff, suspend vital programs, and even close their doors, leading to the shrinking of civic space in countries where they have long been key players in advocating for democracy, human rights, and sustainable development.

The Need for Proportionality, Transparency, and Legal Compliance

While the goal of effective public expenditure is commendable, its success depends on a transparent and inclusive process that is in line with legal standards, including international human rights law. These measures, which were implemented with little consultation or clear communication, have not adhered to the principle of proportionality, which is enshrined in both domestic and international law.

The absence of transparent guidelines, accountability mechanisms, respect for due process, and avenues for appeal is troubling, especially when the measures have such wide-reaching consequences.

International human rights law, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which the United States is a signatory, guarantees the right to freedom of association. This right not only protects the ability to form associations but also to carry out the activities for which those associations were established.

The freedom to access resources is a critical component of this right, as it enables organizations to seek, receive, and use resources from a variety of sources, both domestic and international. When funding is denied, it effectively denies organizations the means to operate, undermining their ability to fulfil their missions.

The freeze on U.S. funding, without due process or clear guidelines, is in direct conflict with these principles. The lack of clarity on how decisions are made or how organizations can challenge them undermines the rights of associations.

Furthermore, the failure to involve stakeholders—including U.S. civil society organizations—in the decision-making process is a violation of the principles of democratic governance and transparency.

The Global Impact of U.S. Funding Decisions

The far-reaching consequences of the funding freeze are most acutely felt in countries where U.S. aid supports critical initiatives in areas such as healthcare, education, peacebuilding, and human rights protection.

For example, programs addressing sexual and reproductive health are at immediate risk of cessation. Similarly, efforts to combat gender-based violence, support displaced communities, and provide education to marginalized groups are being disrupted.

In addition to these humanitarian concerns, the freeze also threatens to derail long-standing initiatives aimed at promoting democracy, good governance, and the rule of law. U.S. foreign aid has long been a pillar of support for civil society organizations that monitor elections, promote anti-corruption efforts, and advocate for human rights protections, among others.

The suspension of funding to these programs undermines not only the work of these organizations but also the broader goal of promoting democratic values worldwide.

The U.S. government’s decision to cut funding to programs that address discrimination—particularly those related to DEI initiatives—has sparked additional controversy. These measures have the potential to undermine efforts to protect individuals from workplace discrimination and ensure equal access to opportunities.

By targeting DEI programs, the administration is signalling a shift away from policies designed to address structural inequalities, which could have long-term negative effects on social justice worlwide.

The Stigmatization of Civil Society Organizations

Another concerning consequence of these decisions is the stigmatization of associations managing and receiving U.S. funding. The administration’s rhetoric has painted many civil society organizations as threats to national security.

This kind of stigmatization is dangerous because its fosters hostility toward groups that are engaged in legitimate advocacy for development, human rights and democratic governance.

Also, it places these organizations—and their staff—at risk of harassment, intimidation, and even physical violence, particularly in countries where civil society organizations are already under threat. Stigmatization is the entry door for repression and violence.

This pattern of vilification has serious consequences. As I noted in my more recent report to the UN General Assembly, negative narratives about civil society organizations and other associations deepen the stigmatization of activists and organizations, leading to increased repression, physical attacks, and online harassment.

These dynamics create an environment in which activists and civil society organizations are seen not as contributors to public good but as enemies.

The Path Forward: Upholding Human Rights and Civil Society

The decision to freeze funding may have been motivated by a desire to ensure more effective public spending, but it risks doing lasting damage to civil society. The lack of transparency, failure to follow due process, and disregard for international human rights law make these measures problematic.

To ensure that the U.S. upholds its commitment to human rights and the freedom of association, it is imperative that the U.S. government must urgently comply with the recent court orders, pay invoices, reconsider the impact of its freeze on foreign aid and federal grants and to compensate for the damage done. Besides, future decisions regarding foreign aid and public funding be made with greater clarity, accountability, and respect for the rule of law.

The U.S. must also recognize that associations in general and civil society organizations in particular are critical to the realization of human rights. These organizations play an essential role in advocating for the protection of fundamental freedoms, including the rights to health, education, and social justice.

Freezing funding and issuing stop work orders without clear and transparent procedures not only undermines these organizations but also threatens to dismantle vital systems of support for marginalized communities.

It is crucial that the U.S. government ensures that future funding decisions are made with respect for international human rights standards, that organizations are able to access the resources they need to carry out their work, and that the right to freedom of association is upheld.

In conclusion, the freeze on U.S. funding represents a significant threat to the functioning of civil society organizations and to the protection of human rights globally. While the government’s decision to review public expenditure is within its rights, the approach taken thus far raises serious concerns about transparency, proportionality, and adherence to international human rights law.

To avoid further harm, the U.S. must prioritize the protection of civil society, uphold the right to freedom of association, and ensure that any policy changes are made in a manner that respects the fundamental freedoms on which democracy depends.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Excerpt:

Gina Romero is UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of assembly and of association

Dr. Augustine Njamnshi of ACSEA addresses a group of civil society organizations ahead of the AUC Summit in Addis Ababa. Credit: Isaiah Esipisu/IPS

By Isaiah Esipisu
ADDIS ABABA, Feb 27 2025 (IPS)

Renewable energy and climate change activists have challenged African heads of state to take a united stance to safeguard essential mineral resources, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and other parts of the continent, which are selfishly exploited by foreign miners with disregard for poverty-stricken local communities.

“We call upon the Africa Union Commission (AUC) to convene a special summit on the DRC and come up with resolutions on how African countries, particularly the DRC, should determine the value of their essential minerals, how they should engage foreign miners, and how to protect fundamental human rights of communities living in the mining areas,” said Dr. Augustine Njamnshi, the Director, Africa Coalition on Sustainable Energy Access (ACSEA), at an event ahead of the election of the new AUC Chairperson in Addis Ababa.

So far, the DRC is the world’s largest producer of cobalt and the third largest producer of copper, among other essential minerals that are used to manufacture state-of-the-art electric cars and buses, golf carts, pumps, and electric motorbikes, among other non-emitting but expensive gadgets like smart phones, tablets, laptops, drones, smart watches, and electric scooters, among other items.

As a result, the value and the growing demand of cobalt and other such essential minerals have led to a scramble for these rare metals, particularly by foreign miners.

Even as the activists make an appeal, the mineral wealth has become a pawn in the DRC’s war with Rwandan-backed M23.

According to Congolese president Felix Tseisekedi’s spokesperson, Tina Salama, on X, the United States was warned not to buy minerals from Rwanda, as this was tantamount to buying stolen goods. She said the proposal to buy directly from the DRC was also open to the European Union, with a warning that “receiving stolen goods will become increasingly complicated.”

“President Tshisekedi invites the USA, whose companies source strategic raw materials from Rwanda, materials that are looted from the DRC and smuggled to Rwanda while our populations are massacred, to purchase them directly from us, the rightful owners,” Salama said on X.

Appolinaire Zagabe, a Congolese human rights activist and the Director for the DRC Climate Change Network (Reseau Sur le Changement Climatique RDC), told IPS in an interview that the mineral exploitation was mired in corruption.

“The foreign miners sign contracts with the government to legalize their activities, and since they make so much money, they always bribe government officials and top-ranking police officers to protect them as they illegally expand their mining areas by forcefully evicting communities from their ancestral land,” Zagabe said.

“The current system of mineral exploitation activities in the DRC has almost no positive impact on the local communities. Community rights are not respected and the population is a victim of companies’ pollution,” Zagabe told IPS. “There are no community programs undertaken, no durable infrastructure is put in place, no health facilities, no schools, no roads. Hence, people in those areas remain the poorest in the world.”

Zagabe says that nearly all the hundreds of thousands of community members who suffer at the hands of foreign miners of cobalt and other essential minerals have never seen what an electric vehicle looks like, they have never owned a smart phone, and they don’t dream of using a tablet or even a computer in their lifetime, yet they interact on a daily basis with essential minerals that are at the center of manufacturing these items.

A report by Amnesty International in collaboration with the Initiative for Good Governance and Human Rights/Initiative pour la Bonne Gouvernance et les Droits Humains (IBGDH) paints a grim picture of what is happening in the DRC.

The minerals, which are apparently supposed to be a huge blessing, have turned out to be a curse for the communities.

“People are being forcibly evicted, or threatened or intimidated into leaving their homes, or misled into consenting to derisory settlements. Often there was no grievance mechanism, accountability, or access to justice,” said Donat Kambola, president of IBGDH, in a statement.

“It is total chaos,” said Zagabe. “Human rights activists are often harassed whenever they denounce violations of community rights in mining areas, and they risk being killed since most illegal mining companies have the backing of politicians or high-ranking soldiers,” he said.

The rush for essential minerals has also exposed artisanal/local miners to harsh working conditions where some of them have been buried alive within collapsed tunnels, children have been forced to child labor, and women, whose livelihoods have been taken away, have been forced to toil to extreme lengths to find minerals, which they sell to foreign mining companies for almost nothing.

According to a report by Friends of the Congo (FOTC), child labor is well documented in the cobalt supply chain, with children as young as seven (years old) working in mines under dangerous conditions, depriving them of education and a healthy childhood.

“Pit wall collapses are common when digging in larger open-air pits, with the result of all miners being buried alive; of the 10,000 to 15,000 tunnels dug by artisanal miners, none have supports, ventilation shafts, or other safety measures,” reads part of the report.

According to Njamnshi, whatever is happening in the DRC mining sector is replicated in nearly all other African countries. “The only difference is that in the DRC, the atrocities are on a large scale and therefore are more visible than what is happening, for example, in Kenya’s Nyatike goldmines in the western part of the country,” he said, noting that there is a need for a collective high-level resolution to protect all African countries from greedy foreign mineral-thirsty companies.

The alleged disrespect of human rights and signing of dubious contracts that oppress communities, denying them right to their resources, is not in line with the Dubai COP 28 resolution, which called for rapid decarbonization of the energy system to keep the goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius within reach.

The negotiators called for acceleration of the clean energy transition both from the demand and supply sides, but through a transformation that is orderly, just and equitable and also accounts for energy security.

“The world is changing very fast, and the geopolitical dynamics are becoming more unpredictable,” said Dr. Mithika Mwenda, the Executive Director at the Pan African Climate Justice Alliance (PACJA).

“President Donald Trump’s executive orders should be a wake-up call for the continent, and likewise, African countries should find the power to dictate terms on their natural resources, including essential minerals,” he said during a PACJA event ahead of the 2025 AUC Summit in Addis Ababa.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Credit: Secretariat of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC)
 
On February 27, policymakers worldwide will mark the 20th anniversary of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC), the first legally binding global health treaty of its kind. A Treaty That Saved Lives— But the Merchant of Death Still Walks Free

By Deborah Sy and Reina Roa Rodríguez
MANILA, Philippines / PANAMA CITY, Panama, Feb 27 2025 (IPS)

The world took a historic step in the fight against tobacco when the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO FCTC) came into force—the first legally binding global health treaty of its kind.

Two decades later, it stands as one of the most widely ratified international agreements, with 183 Parties bound by law to safeguard public health from the grip of the tobacco epidemic. The FCTC’s impact has been transformative. Seventy-five percent of its members have implemented at least some of its provisions, saving millions of lives.

Governments have raised tobacco taxes and are able to point to a benchmark rate, introduced graphic health warnings and can refer to a global database of warnings, banned all forms of cigarette advertising to the extent that major social media platforms have algorithms to avoid tobacco advertisements, and treated the FCTC as the minimum standard it was meant to be—for example, by passing laws that require cigarette packs to be simple and free of branding (plain packaging).

Once feared as a trigger for international trade wars, tobacco control measures have been upheld in the World Trade Organization (WTO). With the power of the FCTC, the tobacco transnational’s rights to its brand name and right to sue governments as foreign investors have been trumped in favor of public health.

Despite the FCTC’s near-universal adoption, less than half of the Parties have implemented Article 5.3 measures to prevent industry interference. Yet, where enforced, these safeguards have proven effective, blocking tobacco-funded COVID-19 vaccines from being promoted as corporate social responsibility(CSR).

The treaty also set a global precedent for rejecting tobacco industry partnerships, with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) barring tobacco companies, the International Labor Organization (ILO) cutting industry funding, and UN agencies prohibiting tobacco-linked Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) collaborations.

FCTC governance has also shaped anti-smuggling efforts. The treaty and its Illicit Trade Protocol have reinforced a key principle: the tobacco industry must not be part of the solution. Governments rejected the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL)’s application for Observer status due to tobacco funding, while the industry-backed track-and-trace system ‘Codentify’ was discredited due to conflicts of interest.

Rebranded Industry in the Age of ESG and Sustainability

The treaty helped delay the projection of 1 billion tobacco deaths in the 21st century—but new tobacco products are creating a fresh crisis.

Despite all these victories in public health, the tobacco industry has been persistently a cog in the machine and has been allowed to not just survive but even evolve. Tobacco giants have pivoted to a new strategy that allows them to hide behind environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.

They invested in vaping, heated tobacco products (HTPs), and so-called “wellness” ventures, allowing them to create a “harm reduction” narrative while their products hook a whole new generation of youths, marketing themselves as public health allies while their products make people more vulnerable to chronic diseases.

Their CSR programs claim to support environmental sustainability—while they continue to sell the world’s largest source of plastic pollution: cigarette filters. Despite the fact that the UN Agency that shaped ESG trends has shunned tobacco as an ESG-compliant investment, national policies on ESG or CSR reporting are at risk of condoning this.

The COP and the “Dirty Ashtray” Delegations

With the introduction of novel products, tobacco companies gained a newfound sense of credibility and legitimacy, enabling them to influence national policies to exempt vaping from smoke-free laws and advertising ban, ultimately increasing youth exposure to and dependence on recreational addictive products.

The combination of the novel product with new narrative, CSR, direct lobbying, and revolving door appointments of senior government officials has allowed the industry’s influence to grow, even reaching the FCTC’s governing body, the Conference of the Parties (COP) — where tobacco industry arguments have successfully been used to weaken policy language and delay decision-making.

As a result, the FCTC COP failed to take a stronger stance on fully protecting the youth from recreational addictive devices, despite global youth-led coalitions demanding the same.

A Financial Solution: Making Big Tobacco Pay

To those gathering to mark the treaty’s 20th anniversary, a pressing question looms: Will the FCTC’s third decade be the one where Big Tobacco will stop causing harm?

The United States (U.S.) Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) forced the industry to pay $206 billion to U.S. states for healthcare costs. However, such rare legal victories have not succeeded in deterring misconduct. Even the recent Canadian lawsuit demonstrated how Big Tobacco can evade accountability through insolvency proceedings.

Governments need to go beyond litigation and adopt new financial mechanisms to hold the tobacco industry financially accountable: Tobacco companies should be forced to cover health and environmental costs through a polluter pays principle. Specialized tribunals could be designated to process claims without lengthy court battles.

A coordinated effort to harmonize sanctions and costs for harms can prevent Big Tobacco from exploiting regulatory loopholes across countries. Parties can consider establishing a Global Tobacco Control Fund modeled after vaccine injury or environmental compensation funds financed through mandatory industry contributions.

Towards Health Through Justice and Denormalization of the Tobacco Industry

The past decade has seen over 40 countries ban e-cigarettes and many exploring endgame strategies for a cigarette-free world. Belgium proposed a European Union (EU) – wide cigarette butt ban, and an immediate ban was backed by WHO in plastics treaty talks.

This decade also saw machine learning revolutionize real-time monitoring of tobacco industry interference and CSR strategies, curbing digital marketing, and tracking illicit trade. Meanwhile, youths are demanding financial accountability for generational harms.

In the coming decade, the $1.4 trillion annual global cost of smoking will grow to include lost opportunities, rehabilitation expenses for a generation of addicted youth, and the devastating environmental impact of the tobacco industry.

Governments must fully enforce the treaty—particularly Article 18 on environmental protection and Article 19 on liability—to hold tobacco companies financially accountable for the harm they cause, ensuring penalties that deter future misconduct. To stay relevant, the FCTC must continue expanding its influence beyond health, addressing policies on ESG, taxation, finance, and plastics regulation.

The world came together in 2005 to declare that tobacco must be controlled and reduced. In 2025, it must declare that Big Tobacco must be held accountable for 8 million lives lost each year. The merchants of death must not walk.

Atty. Deborah Sy, Head of Global Public Policy and Strategy at the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control (GGTC), is a legal expert in global health and tobacco control. She has played a key role in strengthening global policies on tobacco taxation, industry interference, liability, and environmental protection from tobacco.

Dr Reina Roa Rodríguez currently sits as the President of the Bureau of the FCTC COP and is a globally recognized leader in tobacco control. A technical-political expert at the Panamanian Ministry of Health and a professor of epidemiology and biostatistics, she has played a pivotal role in advancing FCTC implementation at national, regional, and global levels.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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The cable-stayed bridge of Hortolandia, a symbol of the modernization of this southern Brazilian city, alongside tall buildings and the city’s extensive tree cover, which has made it a model of sustainable urban development. Credit: Mario Osava / IPS

By Mario Osava
HORTOLANDIA, Brazil , Feb 26 2025 (IPS)

Almost everything seems new or under construction in the southern Brazilian city of Hortolandia, from its wide avenues and cable-stayed bridge to its large buildings and riverside parks.

Even the city hall itself, the Palace of Migrants, will celebrate its first anniversary on May 29, and its main parking lot is still under construction, but already bears the city’s new hallmark: solar panels on its roofs.

A municipality of 240,000 people located 110 kilometers from São Paulo, Hortolandia seized the opportunity presented by cost-effective technology and legal incentives to generate its own electricity for public sector consumption.“We want to grow, but also preserve. The city must care for its environment, seek new ways to think about energy, water, and consumption”: Donizete Faria.

The 21 photovoltaic plants built since 2023, some in the final stages of completion, will save 80% of the city hall’s electricity costs, according to Fernanda Candido de Oliveira, director of the Lighting Department of the municipal Public Works Board.

The remaining 20% will be covered by the energy efficiency program, which began earlier and has already replaced all old urban lighting with LED lamps. In this way, the city will become self-sufficient in electricity, limiting expenses in this area to distribution network usage fees and maintenance costs.

In addition to the 26,500 public lighting points, the self-generation system will power 200 municipal service locations, saving approximately 4.5 million reais (US$ 800,000) annually, which will be reinvested in various sectors of local administration.

Fourteen schools, four health units and a sports stadium have their roofs covered with solar panels. In total, 5,000 panels are already generating energy, and others already installed will soon begin operation.

The city hall will house three photovoltaic plants, one on its roof and two in its parking lots, one of which is still under construction. In total, it will have 1,800 panels.

The plant for the new social events center, which is nearing completion, will have 1,568 solar panels already visible from the cable-stayed bridge, whose two parallel decks of aerial cables are suspended by three horizontal connecting columns, a structure that symbolizes Hortolandia’s modernization.

The parking lot of the Hortolandia city hall, still under construction, features photovoltaic panels on its roofs, one of the 21 solar plants that will generate 80% of the electricity consumed in the 200 municipal offices and public lighting systems. Credit: Mario Osava / IPS

Economy and Environment
The primary goal of the program is economic, saving resources for other areas, but it also benefits the population, Oliveira noted. “The energy efficiency of LED lamps allowed us to grant a 10% reduction in residents’ electricity bills,” she explained.

“We were the ugly duckling of the Campinas metropolitan region,” which includes 20 municipalities and a total of 3.5 million inhabitants, but “now we are a unique case in these innovations,” a reference point, she proudly stated.

“Solar energy hit the mark, an extraordinary achievement,” said Dirson Pereira da Silva, the receptionist at the Santa Clara Ecological Park, which features a lagoon at its center.

After 36 years living in a city that “buried all its streams,” Araraquara, 170 kilometers away, he returned to his hometown and his passion for the lagoon in 2023.

The seven parks in Hortolandia, most of them designed to protect watercourses, confirm its environmental vocation, which also underpins its commitment to solar energy.

The municipality has identified over 50 springs and strives to conserve or restore them as needed, according to Eduardo Marchetti, Secretary of Urban Planning and Strategic Management. This requires maintaining or expanding riparian forests.

Hortolandia is a “tree city” recognized in 2023 by the international Arbor Day Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Washington that seeks to reforest the world.

An ecological park around the Santa Clara lagoon, where residents and students stroll and visit the Environmental Observatory, an important center for nature preservation located in Hortolandia. Credit: Mario Osava / IPS

Trees Against Floods

The city used to suffer from floods caused by the overflowing of the Jacuba stream, with frequent losses for riverside residents and businesses. This was overcome by building four reservoirs and caring for the springs and riparian forests, recalled Marchetti, who has lived in the municipality since birth.

Trees are also a requirement for financing from international banks. For example, to build the cable-stayed bridge, the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF) required the planting of 120,000 trees as a condition for its soft loan.

“Maintaining green parks has its costs. We lost 30,000 trees due to lack of care, such as removing weeds that take their nutrients,” Marchetti noted.

Hortolândia was founded in 1991 after separating from Sumaré, a municipality of 280,000 inhabitants. Its territory is small, covering 62.4 square kilometers.

“In the 1970s, we were a rural area that received many industries, especially in the 1980s. This led to a population explosion, accompanied by high violence, reaching 102 murders per 100,000 inhabitants,” recalled Josemil Rodrigues, a journalist who advises Mayor José Nazareno Gomes.

Fernanda Candido de Oliveira, director of public lighting, with the engineer and systems analyst who control the electricity generation system of Hortolandia’s city hall. Credit: Mario Osava / IPS

Planning for Transformation
The development of the new city received a significant boost starting in 2005 under Mayor Angelo Perugini, “a visionary” to his supporters.

In 2005, sewage coverage was limited to 2% of wastewater; now it reaches 98%, with 100% treatment. Only 40% of the streets were paved; now 99% are, and homicides have dropped to 13 per 100,000 inhabitants, according to data provided by the journalist.

“Long-term planning was key. Hortolandia’s vocation is to be a smart and sustainable city,” he stated. Solar energy is part of this goal and has made the city a national reference, Rodrigues emphasized.

The photovoltaic panels are a logical consequence of the environmental vision of the city’s leaders. The current mayor, Gomes, was the Environment Secretary under his predecessor, Perugini, who was elected four times starting in 2005 and died of COVID-19 in 2021, at the beginning of a new municipal term.

Additionally, environmental education is a priority in the “political-pedagogical project” of all municipal schools, observed Donizete Faria, director of the Department of Pedagogy and Continuing Education at the Education Secretariat.

Eduardo Marchetti, Secretary of Urban Planning and Strategic Management of Hortolandia, where seven ecological parks and forests protect the southern Brazilian city from floods and improve local quality of life. Credit: Mario Osava / IPS

Solar energy is too recent to assess its impact on education, but energy efficiency has been a permanent topic in schools for many years, including through visits to ecological parks and the Environmental Observatory, a specialized center located in Santa Clara Park.

The fact that 14 schools have solar plants on their roofs will help “children take ownership of the photovoltaic panels, see them, and have hands-on lessons about renewable energy and consumption,” Faria hopes.

“We want to grow, but also preserve. The city must care for its environment, seek new ways to think about energy, water, and consumption,” he concluded.

The operation and maintenance of the photovoltaic network installed in the city cost little. Systems analyst Alessandro Alves monitors everything from his computer connected to all the plants, and electrical engineer Renan Queiroz intervenes if repairs are needed.

Since the plants have a guaranteed lifespan of 25 years and the inverters last 10 years, there will be no pressing concerns, such as equipment disposal or recycling, for many years, Queiroz reassured.

Hortolandia’s urban master plan has an environmental focus, due to flooding and the need to manage water resources, Marchetti explained. Water reuse, green roofs, and solar energy are part of the tax incentives for property owners.

The new plan, already approved, maintains the focus on the environment but adds technological innovations. “We are a technological city,” with several IT and pharmaceutical companies, concluded the Secretary of Urban Planning.