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NEW YORK/VIENNA, 27 September 2025 - OSCE Secretary General Feridun H. Sinirlioğlu concluded his visit to New York City today, where he attended the high-level week of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly. The visit was an opportunity to meet with the United Nations Secretary-General, as well as leaders and Foreign Ministers from across the OSCE region.

“We need multilateralism, we need to invest in it and redouble our efforts to relaunch dialogue, trust and cooperative security. The alternative is war and destruction,” noted Secretary General Sinirlioğlu.

The Secretary General met with Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan of Armenia and President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan, as well as Foreign Ministers Maka Botchorishvili of Georgia, Marko Djuric of Serbia, Elmedin Konaković of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sirojiddin Muhriddin of Tajikistan, and Bakhtiyor Saidov of Uzbekistan.

He also had meetings with Foreign Ministers Andrii Sybiha of Ukraine and Sergey Lavrov of the Russian Federation, where he reiterated the OSCE’s readiness to support efforts to end the war and possible confidence building measures, including the exchange of prisoners.

Secretary General Sinirlioğlu participated in the OSCE Ministerial Troika meeting alongside OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen of Finland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tourism of Malta Ian Borg, and Swiss Foreign Minister Federal Councillor Ignazio Cassis.

The Secretary General saw US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and discussed OSCE matters at length with other US officials, including Senior Bureau Official Brendan Hanrahan.

In closing his visit, Secretary General Sinirlioğlu noted: “War is not inevitable, and could have been/could be prevented, as I was reminded this week in meetings with leaders who have chosen diplomacy and peace after years of confrontation. The OSCE remains firmly committed to advance dialogue to ensure peace for all its participating States.”  

Le journaliste sénégalais fondateur du groupe Avenir Communication, éditeur du quotidien Le Quotidien, est recherché dans une enquête pour blanchiment présumé de capitaux portant sur 21 milliards de francs CFA (environ 32 millions d’euros).

Bassirou Diomaye Faye : “Les excuses sont importantes” Dans un entretien exclusif accordé à France 24 à New York, le président du Sénégal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a souligné l’importance des excuses de la France aux descendants des tirailleurs sénégalais. Retrouvez l’entretien en intégralité sur le site internet et la chaîne YouTube de France 24.

Le retrait des trois pays de l’AES ravive la controverse autour de la CPI. Pourquoi cette cour est-elle autant critiquée ?

Le président sortant Paul Biya, au pouvoir depuis 1982, brigue un huitième mandat à l'âge de 92 ans. L'élection présidentielle aura lieu le12 octobre 2025 au Cameroun. 

"It feels good to be an inspiration," double Guinness World Record breaker Hilda Baci tells the BBC.

À l'occasion de la rentrée littéraire, nous avons le plaisir de vous faire part de la parution très attendue du nouveau roman de Guéorgui Gospodinov, Le Jardinier et la Mort, traduit par Marie Vrinat-Nikolov, chez les Éditions Gallimard.
Pour célébrer cet événement, l'auteur sera exceptionnellement présent en France le vendredi 26 septembre à la Librairie Gallimard, à Paris. Une occasion rare de dialoguer avec l'une des voix les plus singulières et marquantes de la littérature européenne (…)

- Agenda / Bulgarie, Région parisienne

Adonis, chanteur et guitariste originaire de Cotonou, a un rêve : devenir le Francis Cabrel béninois. Inspiré par les grands auteurs francophones, il chante l’exil, l’amour, les papiers, et ses racines africaines avec poésie. Installé en France depuis 2011, il mêle les influences de la chanson française à son héritage béninois. Il prépare un concert à Orléans et dévoile son nouveau clip Afrika. Un artiste à découvrir dans notre focus culture.

Credit: Forus - UN High-Level Political Forum 2025

By Sarah Strack and Christelle Kalhoulé
NEW YORK, Sep 26 2025 (IPS)

This September the UN turns 80, but the lessons of peace, justice, and cooperation are still unfinished. The world today faces the flames of inequality, conflict, ecological collapse and growing digital threats. In short, the very problems the UN was created to solve are once again staring us in the face.

That’s why the UN’s latest reform push, “UN80,” matters. Launched this spring, it promises to make the multilateral system more inclusive and accountable. But here’s the real question: can it align with 21st century’s needs? Will it be remembered as a budget drill or the start of a renewal that truly delivers for people where they live?

If this moment is going to count, three things must happen.

First, reforms must put people at the center, and we must avoid a reform by spreadsheet.

The UN is under financial strain. Geopolitical tensions are sky-high, negotiations are gridlocked, Member States are late on dues and membership fees, arrears run into the billions, and the UN’s mandate, efficiency, and effectiveness are under question.

“In a polycrisis world, shrinking the UN’s capacity is like cutting the fire brigade during wildfire season,” warns Christelle Kalhoulé, Forus Chair and civil society leader in Burkina Faso. “Reform cannot be about cutting corners. It must be about giving people the protection, rights, and solidarity they are being denied today.”

The UN80 Initiative marks the most sweeping reform effort in decades, with three tracks: streamlining services and consolidating IT and HR systems, reviewing outdated mandates, and exploring the consolidation of UN agencies into seven thematic “clusters.”

On paper, these reforms could bring overdue coherence. But the process has too often felt opaque, with key documents surfacing via leaks and staff unions flagging limited transparency and consultation.

Increasing the use of tools like AI is among the “solutions” being floated to “flag potential duplication” and shorten resolutions — yet without clear guardrails, there’s a risk of automating cuts and reinforcing bias rather than empowering people-first innovation. And the debate has too often been framed around cash flow, back payments, and cuts. The United States alone owes $1.5 billion in dues. Major donors are cutting ODA, and several UN humanitarian agencies are planning double-digit reductions in 2025 in their budgets.

As Arjun Bhattarai, Executive Director of the NGO Federation of Nepal warns: “Reform cannot be a synonym for austerity. Cutting budgets may make spreadsheets look tidy in New York, but it leaves communities in Kathmandu, Kampala, Khartoum, or Kyiv without support when they need it most.”

The danger is a reform focused on management efficiencies instead of reimagining what the UN must be to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

Second, a better compass exists.

Despite its flaws, multilateralism remains indispensable. Without the UN, the world would be poorer when it comes to peace, cooperation, and collective problem-solving.

What makes the UN matter most, however, are not the halls of New York or Geneva, but the people and communities it exists to serve.

The UN was created “for the people and by the people”. Protecting, safeguarding and promoting healthy sustainable lives for communities must remain the core priority.

Our measure for reform is simple: a transformed UN must reduce inequalities, ensure fairer and more inclusive representation across its governance structures, deliver public goods fairly with accountability, and protect people better, faster, while safeguarding rights.

As Moses Isooba, Executive Director of the Uganda National NGO Forum, puts it: “A reformed UN must stand closer to the people than to the corridors of power. It must be measured not by the length of resolutions, but by the depth of hope it restores and the changes it makes for communities worldwide.”

If UN80 becomes a technocratic exercise in “doing less with less,” we will emerge with a smaller, weaker UN at precisely the moment we need it most.

If instead it becomes a justice-driven reimagining — linking architecture and finance to a clear vision of protection, equity, participation, and decentralization — it could renew the UN’s capacity to act as a backbone of international cooperation.

As Justina Kaluinaite, Policy and advocacy expert at the Lithuanian NGDO Platform, stresses: “The UN will survive another 80 years only if it learns to listen. True reform is not about doing more with less, but about doing better with those who have been left out.”

Third, put reforms through three simple tests.

When leaders meet in New York, we challenge them to have every reform proposal answering three questions:

1. The Inequality Question: Does this reform measurably narrow gaps — by income, gender, geography, or status — in who is protected and who benefits?

2. The Localisation Question: Does it move money, decisions, and accountability closer to communities, with transparent targets and timelines?

3. The Rights Question: Does it strengthen — not dilute — protection, gender equality, and human rights?

As Christelle Kalhoulé, sums it up: “The measure of UN80 should not be how much paper it saves, but how many lives it protects. History and the legacy we leave to future generations will not ask whether the UN balanced its budget in 2025; it will ask whether it stood with people.”

If leaders embrace this moment, the UN can emerge sharper, stronger, and more inclusive, with a justice-driven renewal of multilateralism, reclaiming its place as the backbone of global cooperation. If not, UN80 may go down in history as the moment when multilateralism chose retreat over renewal.

If UN80 is going to matter, it must prevent crises before they explode, deliver for both people and planet, give underrepresented countries and communities a real voice, keep civil society free and strong, and fix financing so money reaches those on the frontlines. The real test isn’t how tidy the org chart looks, it’s whether lives are saved, trust is rebuilt, and the UN proves it can still rise to the moment and be fit to serve this 21st century world.

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Excerpt:

Sarah Strack is Forus Director and Christelle Kalhoulé is Forus Chair and civil society leader in Burkina Faso

Pour tenter de calmer un mouvement de protestation contre les coupures d'eau et d'électricité, le président malgache a annoncé vendredi qu'il limogeait son ministre de l'Énergie, peu après l'entrée en vigueur d'un deuxième couvre-feu nocturne dans la capitale Antananarivo dévastée par des pillages. Les manifestants ont appelé à une nouvelle manifestation samedi.

Une vidéo virale sur les réseaux sociaux affirme que l'attiéké, la semoule de manioc star de la Côte d'Ivoire sera bientôt interdite en France. Largement relayée en Afrique de l'Ouest, cette information est en réalité issue d'un compte parodique sur TikTok.

À Antananarivo jeudi, des manifestants ont été pris pour cible par les forces de l’ordre lors d’une mobilisation contre les coupures d’eau et d’électricité. Parmi eux, nos Observateurs dénoncent une répression violente et disproportionnée : grenades lacrymogènes lancées à proximité, voitures fonçant sur la foule, blessures et panique généralisée.

Dans un entretien exclusif accordé à France 24 à New York, le président du Sénégal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a souligné que "faire la lumière compète sur le chapitre de Thiaroye 1944 permettra d'apaiser d'avantage la relation entre les deux pays." Malgré tout, Bassirou Diomaye Faye parle d'une relation plus "sereine" avec la France et le "courage politique" d'Emmanuel Macron : "Il faut saluer qu'il ait fait un pas de plus que ces prédécesseurs en reconnaissant qu'il s'agissait d'un massacre," souligne t-il. 

Annalena Baerbock (centre), President of the eightieth session of the United Nations General Assembly, addresses the fourth UN High-Level Meeting on the Prevention of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NCDs) titled “Equity and integration: transforming lives and livelihoods through leadership and action on noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health and well-being. Credit: UN Photo/Eric Kanalstein

By Oritro Karim
UNITED NATIONS, Sep 26 2025 (IPS)

World leaders convened in New York to deliberate over the efforts needed to address non-communicable diseases.

On September 25, the United Nations (UN) convened a high-level meeting on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and the promotion of mental health and well-being during the 80th session of the General Assembly (UNGA80).

Organized in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), the conference brought together numerous heads of state and government, many of whom acknowledged that progress toward the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) of reducing premature mortality from NCDs by one-third by 2030, will most likely not be achieved. Most participants also stressed the urgency of stronger global cooperation and financing to advance health promotion and disease prevention, while addressing the economic, social, and environmental factors driving premature NCD mortality.

According to figures from WHO, NCDs are the leading cause of premature deaths worldwide, claiming more than 43 million lives last year, with 18 million of these deaths occurring prematurely. Amina Mohammed, the Deputy-Secretary General of the UN, informed the panel that approximately one person under the age of 70 succumbs to an NCD every two seconds. Additionally, about 1 billion people globally live with mental health conditions and 2.8 billion more can’t afford a healthy diet. Roughly three-quarters of all NCD deaths are concentrated in low- and middle-income countries, with conflict and crisis-afflicted areas being the most vulnerable in the world.

“Every premature death from NCDs is lost potential,” said Lok Bahadur Thapa, President of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). “Every untreated mental health condition is a missed opportunity for inclusion and dignity. If we place solidarity, equity, and investment at the core of our response we can reverse current trends and ensure that NCDs and mental health conditions are no longer barriers to sustainable development, but drivers of shared progress for humanity.”

In recent years, progress in tackling NCDs and mental health challenges has slowed considerably, leading to the deepening of inequities around the world. In response, the UN announced three new targets: 150 million fewer global tobacco users, 150 million more people with access to mental health care, and 150 million more individuals with hypertension under control.

“To achieve these targets we must strengthen primary healthcare as the foundation of universal health coverage,” said Mohammed. “We must work across sectors and partners to address the social, economic, and environmental determinants and the market forces that shape how people live. We must elevate psychosocial care in crisis settings. We must place people living with NCDs at the center of our efforts. We must be accountable for our commitments.”

Several speakers highlighted systemic weaknesses in national health systems, particularly the misallocation of funding for response efforts. Many emphasized that a key priority for future NCD-response efforts should be greater investment in disease awareness and prevention rather than treatment. Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever remarked that prevention places a far lighter burden on national budgets than treatment and delivers high returns on investment by reducing productivity losses and alleviating pressure on healthcare systems.

“We must remember that health does not start in clinics and hospitals. It starts in homes, schools, streets and workplaces,” said Director-General of WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “In the food people eat, the products they consume, the water they drink, the air they breathe, and the conditions in which they work.”

Additionally, mental health services remain particularly underfunded, with global expenditure averaging just USD 2 per capita, falling to below 25 cents per capita in some developing countries. Prime Minister of Fiji Sitiveni Rabuka informed the panel that mental health challenges affect nearly every Fijian family, with trauma, stress, and substance abuse particularly concentrated among youth, significantly hindering social development.

“Mental illness is one of the most persistent NCDs yet too often it remains invisible,” said Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua. “Its burden on health productivity and dignity is greater than any other chronic illness but stigma silences voices and delays urgent care. We are focused on transforming mental health from a whispered concern to national priority moving from outdated institutions and practices to modernized education and collaborative partnership…Our government alone cannot solve this issue so we are using an all of society approach as we engage families, community associations, churches and regional neighbors.”

Prime Minister of the Bahamas Philip Davis underscored the vulnerability of healthcare systems in low-lying coastal communities, noting that a single hurricane can wipe out years of economic growth in parts of the Bahamas, severely undermining the capacity of health systems to respond when they are needed most. Moreover, limited funding and support for gender-specific research often leave women and girls—who are disproportionately affected by NCDs and mental health challenges in developing countries—overlooked in response efforts.

Several speakers also underscored the importance of promoting healthy lifestyle habits as a key strategy for controlling NCDs and improving mental health. For example, President of Suriname Jennifer Geerlings-Simons urged for stricter limits on screen time and social media usage, warning of their damaging effects on mental health and social development, particularly for young girls.

Glenn Micallef, the European Commission’s Commissioner for Intergenerational Fairness, Youth, Culture, and Sports, emphasized the role of arts and culture in preventing and managing NCDs, noting their links to social cohesion, reduced loneliness, and improved mental wellbeing among young people. He also highlighted the potential of emerging tools such as artificial intelligence and digital assistive technologies to expand access to the arts.

Furthermore, another key aspect of the high-level meeting was to promote physical activity as a course of action against NCDs and mental health challenges. According to the President of the International Olympic Committee and double Olympic swimming champion Kirsty Coventry, eighty percent of adolescents and one-third of adults are not doing enough physical activity, which risks 500 million new cases of preventable diseases by 2030.

Physical activity is recognized as one of the most effective, low-cost, and high-impact forms of disease prevention and mental health management, saving millions of lives each year. “At a young age I was diagnosed with asthma and my parents did not want to put me on the number of drugs that was recommended,” recalled Coventry. “We went to another doctor who suggested swimming, and it worked. It taught me how to control my breathing, how to grow my lung capacity, and I never had to go on the level of dosage that was recommended when I was 2 years old.”

“This multiplier effect is being recognized,” added Coventry. “Development banks worldwide have pledged ten billion dollars by 2030 for sport and sustainable development projects. Their commitment reflects a growing recognition that investing in sport can generate ripple effects for health, education, inclusion, youth empowerment and so much more.”

During the meeting, member states deliberated over a political declaration on NCDs and mental health. The text calls encourages stakeholders to fast-track efforts to accelerate progress on NCDs and mental health and identified clear goals to achieve by 2030, including reducing the premature NCD mortality rate by one-third, 150 million fewer people using tobacco and 150 million more people with hypertension. This declaration is also among the first to clearly include mental health in its language.

Although there was strong consensus for the declaration from member states and regional alliances, it ultimately failed to receive a formal endorsement by the end of the meeting, with some member states voicing their objection, including a veto from the United States. The declaration will now be put to vote at the General Assembly.

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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On May 21st, 2025, Tesla dropped its most impressive humanoid robot demo yet—a slick video of its Optimus robot cooking dinner, folding laundry, and taking out the trash. It wasn’t just choreography this time. The robot moved with coordination, handled tools with finesse, and followed natural language instructions—sparking online comparisons to “Rosie” from The Jetsons, the 1960s cartoon housekeeper who could do it all.

But while American audiences were still replaying the demo, across the Pacific, a different robotic future was quietly taking shape. Backed by strategic state funding and a relentless manufacturing machine, Chinese firms have been scaling up their own humanoid robots—less flashy, perhaps, but increasingly functional. And cheaper.

The question looms: Is Tesla about to deliver the first real Rosie? Or will China’s mass-market “Red Rosie” quietly win the race to your living room?

Optimus Evolves: From Viral Gimmick to Domestic Assistant

Tesla’s latest version of Optimus marks a stark evolution from its earlier dance-floor debut. In this newest release, the robot is shown preparing food, loading a dishwasher, and cleaning up—a transition from gimmick to genuine utility.

The leap forward lies in how it learns. Optimus can now observe third-person videos online, interpret them using computer vision and large language models, and reproduce tasks in physical space. Instead of needing line-by-line coding, it learns by watching—much like humans do.

Tesla says this model is being trained for a wide variety of applications, domestic and industrial alike. Elon Musk claims Optimus will enter mass production by 2030, with a target price of around $20,000 per unit, and ambitions for up to 1 million units per year.

It’s still early-stage—there are no retail units, no delivery timelines—but Optimus now looks less like science fiction, and more like a near-future consumer appliance.

Meanwhile, in Shenzhen: China’s Scaled-Down, Scaled-Up Approach

While Tesla’s Optimus captures headlines and likes, Chinese robotics firms are quietly building something more pragmatic: general-purpose service robots optimized for cost, volume, and immediate use.

China is already the world leader in industrial robot deployment, commanding over 50% of global installations. But in the last three years, its domestic firms have moved aggressively into humanoid and service robotics—deploying robots into hospitals, hotels, warehouses, and nursing homes.

Companies like Fourier Intelligence, UBTECH, and Unitree have each rolled out bipedal humanoids that can perform basic chores, support the elderly, or deliver goods in indoor settings. Some of these are already in commercial pilot use and priced below $10,000, made possible by China’s vast electronics supply chain and vertically integrated production ecosystems.

The difference isn’t just corporate—it’s strategic. China’s robot push is state-coordinated, part of national policy under the “Made in China 2025” initiative. Robotics R&D receives heavy subsidies, public-private partnerships accelerate prototyping, and domestic robot firms are given preferential access to procurement contracts.

It’s not about viral moments. It’s about building infrastructure.

Two Philosophies: Innovation vs. Execution

 

The contrast reveals fundamentally different approaches to robotics development:

  United States (Tesla, etc.) China (Various firms) How Robots Learn Robots watch videos and follow spoken instructions Robots follow set rules and also try to imitate behaviors What Robots Do Take on complex, advanced tasks Perform simple, practical tasks for everyday use Building Scale & Cost Small scale, prototype phase Large scale mass production, focuses on low cost Government Support Minimal direct backing, mostly private investment Strong government policies and funding support Typical Use Areas Factories and high-tech industries Hospitals, delivery, elderly care, and logistics Current Deployment Mainly in development, no public use yet Actively testing in real places like hospitals and hotels  

Tesla embodies Silicon Valley’s moonshot culture—bold technical leaps paired with viral marketing moments. Chinese firms follow a more methodical approach rooted in manufacturing pragmatism and coordinated state strategy.

Reality Check: Are We Living in The Jetsons Yet?

Rosie from The Jetsons vacuumed floors, managed schedules, offered life advice, and kept the family sane. Today’s robots—Optimus included—are still bound by brittle generalization and narrow use cases. They can follow a recipe, but can’t yet adapt to a toddler running underfoot or an unexpected spill.

Technically, we’re on the verge of semi-autonomous domestic robots that perform specific household tasks—but only under controlled conditions. And they can’t yet feel, intuit, or comfort, which limits their value in caregiving or companionship.

So yes, Rosie is coming—but she’ll start out as a kitchen intern with limited mobility and zero sarcasm. Full-blown domestic androids with emotional intelligence? That’s still science fiction.

The Bottom Line: Star Power vs. Industrial Engine

Tesla’s Optimus demonstrates what’s possible when cutting-edge AI, robotics engineering, and brand hype converge. But Chinese firms—state-backed, efficiency-optimized, and supply-chain fluent—may reach ordinary consumers faster.

Tesla might be the one to dream up Rosie. But China might just mass-produce her first.

The future of domestic robotics may not arrive with a viral video—but it may come stamped with “Made in China” and priced for mass adoption rather than headlines.

All boxing activities in Ghana are suspended following the death of super-middleweight Ernest Akushey 11 days after a bout in Accra.

Le projet d’avion de combat européen se poursuivra, les Allemands et les Espagnols — qui collaborent avec la France sur ce projet — appelant à respecter la répartition des tâches établie initialement. Mais la France maintiendra-t-elle sa participation ?

The post Projet d’avion de combat européen : l’Allemagne reste ferme face à la France appeared first on Euractiv FR.

Dimanche 28 septembre, les Moldaves se rendent aux urnes pour une élection qui pourrait déterminer si le pays poursuit son rapprochement avec l’UE ou choisit une orientation pro-russe, alors que de vastes campagnes de désinformation, probablement appuyées par le Kremlin, influencent la campagne.

The post La Moldavie se prépare à un scrutin décisif sur fond de désinformation russe appeared first on Euractiv FR.

KS und KD/ Rat u. a.
Mission Eulex Kosovo: Das Gericht weist die Schadensersatzklage gegen Organe und eine Einrichtung der Europäischen Union ab

KS and KD v Council and Others
Eulex Kosovo mission: the General Court dismisses the action for damages brought against EU institutions and an EU body