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Environmental organizations were incredulous when they learned that COP29, the next United Nations World Climate Change Conference, would be held in Baku, Azerbaijan this November.

A fossil-fuels heavyweight, the small Caucasus country [with a population of 10 million] the size of Austria produces 34 billion cubic meters of gas and 35 million tons of oil per year. And fossil fuels amount to around 90% of the country's exports.

On the sidelines of the COP preparatory conference in Bonn over the last two weeks, Environment Minister Mukhtar Babayev said that his country plans to continue expanding natural gas production in the coming years. However, Baku also wants to invest in renewable energies "at the same time," the minister, who will also chair COP29, told news agency AFP.

"I think in parallel — natural gas production and renewables — possibly will move together at the same time," he said.

'Authoritarian petrostate'

Critics are unimpressed with his plans. Babayev is a "former oil executive from an authoritarian petrostate," Alice Harrison from the international environmental organization Global Witness said back in January. German climate NGO Germanwatch declared around the same time that Baku was a "highly problematic" choice for COP29.

While such criticism can be voiced safely from abroad, domestic media and environmental activists in Azerbaijan don't enjoy the same freedom. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 25 such critics have been arrested or sentenced in the last year as the conference approaches. Numerous environmental activists and organizations there have also stated that their work is being hindered by the repressive atmosphere in the country.

Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla, who now lives in Istanbul, warned on the social media platform X that civil society in her country is in danger of being completely silenced before the start of the conference in November.

Autocratic rule

Azerbaijani authorities reject these accusations. But Azerbaijan has been ruled by the same family since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. President Ilham Aliyev, son of the first president Heydar Aliyev, has now been in power since 2003.

Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly alleged that political opposition and freedom of expression and assembly are being severely restricted. Azerbaijan is also said to be holding a "three-digit number" of political prisoners.

The intensifying crackdown on journalists is due in part to a stricter media law that was enacted in 2022. Since November 2023, several legal steps have also been taken to close down the remaining independent media outlets, Amnesty International reported.

Meanwhile, Aliyev's autocratic rule has further solidified as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia, in which he claimed victory. For more than 30 years, dispute over the enclave, which is mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians, has strained relations with Azerbaijan's western neighbor. In September 2023, Azerbaijani troops invaded Nagorno-Karabakh and expelled more than 100,000 Armenians. This escalation was preceded by a nine-month blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, which triggered a humanitarian crisis in the region. War crimes, including the killing of civilians and prisoners of war, were reportedly committed by the Azerbaijani military during the conflict.

Corruption reaches Council of Europe

Azerbaijan is also one of the most corrupt countries in the world. In Transparency International's annual ranking in 2023, it came in at 154th out of 180 countries. The organization writes in its report that corruption "erodes various levels of society and state, while undermining civic and political rights." It thus contributes significantly to Aliyev's hold on power.

Bribery has also been deliberately deployed by Baku outside the country — including of officials associated with the Council of Europe, an international organization that upholds human rights and rule of law, but is not affiliated with the European Union.

Azerbaijan has been a member since 2001. In 2012, Baku was revealed to have hosted up to 40 officials from the Council of Europe annually, showering them with expensive gifts. With this "caviar diplomacy," Aliyev was apparently trying to buy favorable assessments of the human rights situation in his country.

Europe looks the other way

The fact that the European Union has not yet criticized such corruption more harshly is due to Azerbaijan's role as an increasingly important supplier of oil and gas, observers say. Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, the EU has worked to become less dependent on Russian fossil fuels.

In 2022, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen therefore signed a declaration of intent with President Aliyev, according to which Brussels intends to double its gas imports from Azerbaijan in the coming years. Environment Minister Babayev's statement this week about increasing gas production must therefore be seen within this context.

This role as an energy supplier for Europe lends additional legitimacy to Aliyev's role as head of state. Following what he would consider to be a successful conclusion of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he is now primarily concerned with internal stability and brought the schedule for new presidential elections forward to take political advantage of his current popularity.

Aliyev will no doubt also want to use COP29 to present himself as a global player. But without any unwelcome criticism and dissent.

Environmental organizations were incredulous when they learned that COP29, the next United Nations World Climate Change Conference, would be held in Baku, Azerbaijan this November.

A fossil-fuels heavyweight, the small Caucasus country [with a population of 10 million] the size of Austria produces 34 billion cubic meters of gas and 35 million tons of oil per year. And fossil fuels amount to around 90% of the country's exports.

On the sidelines of the COP preparatory conference in Bonn over the last two weeks, Environment Minister Mukhtar Babayev said that his country plans to continue expanding natural gas production in the coming years. However, Baku also wants to invest in renewable energies "at the same time," the minister, who will also chair COP29, told news agency AFP.

"I think in parallel — natural gas production and renewables — possibly will move together at the same time," he said.

'Authoritarian petrostate'

Critics are unimpressed with his plans. Babayev is a "former oil executive from an authoritarian petrostate," Alice Harrison from the international environmental organization Global Witness said back in January. German climate NGO Germanwatch declared around the same time that Baku was a "highly problematic" choice for COP29.

While such criticism can be voiced safely from abroad, domestic media and environmental activists in Azerbaijan don't enjoy the same freedom. According to Human Rights Watch, at least 25 such critics have been arrested or sentenced in the last year as the conference approaches. Numerous environmental activists and organizations there have also stated that their work is being hindered by the repressive atmosphere in the country.

Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla, who now lives in Istanbul, warned on the social media platform X that civil society in her country is in danger of being completely silenced before the start of the conference in November.

Autocratic rule

Azerbaijani authorities reject these accusations. But Azerbaijan has been ruled by the same family since the end of the Soviet Union in 1991. President Ilham Aliyev, son of the first president Heydar Aliyev, has now been in power since 2003.

Both Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have repeatedly alleged that political opposition and freedom of expression and assembly are being severely restricted. Azerbaijan is also said to be holding a "three-digit number" of political prisoners.

The intensifying crackdown on journalists is due in part to a stricter media law that was enacted in 2022. Since November 2023, several legal steps have also been taken to close down the remaining independent media outlets, Amnesty International reported.

Meanwhile, Aliyev's autocratic rule has further solidified as a result of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict with Armenia, in which he claimed victory. For more than 30 years, dispute over the enclave, which is mainly inhabited by ethnic Armenians, has strained relations with Azerbaijan's western neighbor. In September 2023, Azerbaijani troops invaded Nagorno-Karabakh and expelled more than 100,000 Armenians. This escalation was preceded by a nine-month blockade of the only road connecting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia, which triggered a humanitarian crisis in the region. War crimes, including the killing of civilians and prisoners of war, were reportedly committed by the Azerbaijani military during the conflict.

Corruption reaches Council of Europe

Azerbaijan is also one of the most corrupt countries in the world. In Transparency International's annual ranking in 2023, it came in at 154th out of 180 countries. The organization writes in its report that corruption "erodes various levels of society and state, while undermining civic and political rights." It thus contributes significantly to Aliyev's hold on power.

Bribery has also been deliberately deployed by Baku outside the country — including of officials associated with the Council of Europe, an international organization that upholds human rights and rule of law, but is not affiliated with the European Union.

Azerbaijan has been a member since 2001. In 2012, Baku was revealed to have hosted up to 40 officials from the Council of Europe annually, showering them with expensive gifts. With this "caviar diplomacy," Aliyev was apparently trying to buy favorable assessments of the human rights situation in his country.

Europe looks the other way

The fact that the European Union has not yet criticized such corruption more harshly is due to Azerbaijan's role as an increasingly important supplier of oil and gas, observers say. Since the start of Russia's war in Ukraine, the EU has worked to become less dependent on Russian fossil fuels.

In 2022, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen therefore signed a declaration of intent with President Aliyev, according to which Brussels intends to double its gas imports from Azerbaijan in the coming years. Environment Minister Babayev's statement this week about increasing gas production must therefore be seen within this context.

This role as an energy supplier for Europe lends additional legitimacy to Aliyev's role as head of state. Following what he would consider to be a successful conclusion of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, he is now primarily concerned with internal stability and brought the schedule for new presidential elections forward to take political advantage of his current popularity.

Aliyev will no doubt also want to use COP29 to present himself as a global player. But without any unwelcome criticism and dissent.

Climate skeptics are scapegoating a weather modification technique known as cloud seeding to deny the role of global warming in historic floods that have recently devastated countries from Brazil to Kenya.

Record rainfall brought to some regions by the natural weather cycle El Niño matches an expected increase in extreme events, experts say.

But online, claims have repeatedly been made that geoengineering—not carbon emissions—is to blame.

"Dubai airport looks like an apocalyptic movie. Videos of the flooding are insane," said Robby Starbuck, a conservative American commentator, to his more than 460,000 followers on X in April, after the Gulf city was hit by unprecedented downpours.

"I've seen some blaming climate change when the cause is actually from the use of weather modification. Cloud seeding where chemicals are sprayed in clouds to create rain caused this."

Claims that weather had been manipulated appeared after every major flood this year, including in Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates and other nations. According to Google Trends data, searches for cloud seeding reached a record high after the Dubai floods in April.

"I have not agreed to our planet having cloud seeding everywhere, have you?" was typical of posts among X users in late May, blaming the recent rainfall on a "man-made climate crisis."

Cloud seeding, which introduces tiny particles into the sky to induce rain over small geographical areas, has gained popularity worldwide as a way to combat drought and increase local water supplies.

But scientists say the technique cannot create weather—nor can it trigger rainfall at the scale observed in countries such as Germany and the United States.

"Due to the strong natural variability of clouds, there exists very little scientific proof that cloud seeding has indeed a measurable effect on precipitation," said Andrea Flossmann, co-chair of an expert team on weather modification at the World Meteorological Organization.

Experts, meanwhile, say climate change doubled the likelihood of floods in southern Brazil and worsened the intense rains caused by El Niño.

"There's definitely a consensus that climate change is responsible for many of these extreme weather events," said Mariana Madruga de Brito, a Brazilian scientist from Rio Grande do Sul, the state that suffered historic flooding in May.

She told AFP she saw people posting photos of clouds on social media shortly after the floods, claiming they had been "fabricated" and questioning scientific institutions.

But she insisted cloud seeding "cannot be causing events of this magnitude."

Reinforcing climate denial

Di Yang, an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming, said extensive research over several decades has shown "no definitive large-scale or long-term impacts from cloud seeding."

Still, the technique has become a recurring target for climate skeptics. AFP has debunked several false claims of weather manipulation after major floods in recent years.

Callum Hood, head of research at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said that as severe weather events become more frequent, "climate deniers are putting extra efforts into claiming these extremes have nothing to do with climate change."

"You see this every summer now," he told AFP.

As more changes are recorded in seasons and ecosystems, Hood said "a slightly more conspiratorial and newer argument" is overtaking older narratives that simply deny Earth's warming "by trying to argue that extreme weather events have this other cause, whether it's geoengineering or something else."

Lincoln Muniz Alves, a researcher at the Brazil National Institute for Space Research, said the dissemination of false narratives not only obstructs effective communication during environmental crises but also "reinforces the views of those who deny the reality of climate change."

Weather modification methods are controversial in the scientific community, due in part to the potential for unintended consequences such as excess rain and pollution.

But experts say such caution should not discredit the reality of the climate crisis.

"This focus on cloud seeding misses the larger picture –- for more than a century, humans have been releasing greenhouse gasses (that) have warmed the planet and made heavy rain more likely in many regions of the world," said Edward Gryspeerdt, a research fellow at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute.

"We are already manipulating the weather at a global scale (larger) than would ever be possible through cloud seeding."

Climate skeptics are scapegoating a weather modification technique known as cloud seeding to deny the role of global warming in historic floods that have recently devastated countries from Brazil to Kenya.

Record rainfall brought to some regions by the natural weather cycle El Niño matches an expected increase in extreme events, experts say.

But online, claims have repeatedly been made that geoengineering—not carbon emissions—is to blame.

"Dubai airport looks like an apocalyptic movie. Videos of the flooding are insane," said Robby Starbuck, a conservative American commentator, to his more than 460,000 followers on X in April, after the Gulf city was hit by unprecedented downpours.

"I've seen some blaming climate change when the cause is actually from the use of weather modification. Cloud seeding where chemicals are sprayed in clouds to create rain caused this."

Claims that weather had been manipulated appeared after every major flood this year, including in Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates and other nations. According to Google Trends data, searches for cloud seeding reached a record high after the Dubai floods in April.

"I have not agreed to our planet having cloud seeding everywhere, have you?" was typical of posts among X users in late May, blaming the recent rainfall on a "man-made climate crisis."

Cloud seeding, which introduces tiny particles into the sky to induce rain over small geographical areas, has gained popularity worldwide as a way to combat drought and increase local water supplies.

But scientists say the technique cannot create weather—nor can it trigger rainfall at the scale observed in countries such as Germany and the United States.

"Due to the strong natural variability of clouds, there exists very little scientific proof that cloud seeding has indeed a measurable effect on precipitation," said Andrea Flossmann, co-chair of an expert team on weather modification at the World Meteorological Organization.

Experts, meanwhile, say climate change doubled the likelihood of floods in southern Brazil and worsened the intense rains caused by El Niño.

"There's definitely a consensus that climate change is responsible for many of these extreme weather events," said Mariana Madruga de Brito, a Brazilian scientist from Rio Grande do Sul, the state that suffered historic flooding in May.

She told AFP she saw people posting photos of clouds on social media shortly after the floods, claiming they had been "fabricated" and questioning scientific institutions.

But she insisted cloud seeding "cannot be causing events of this magnitude."

Reinforcing climate denial

Di Yang, an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming, said extensive research over several decades has shown "no definitive large-scale or long-term impacts from cloud seeding."

Still, the technique has become a recurring target for climate skeptics. AFP has debunked several false claims of weather manipulation after major floods in recent years.

Callum Hood, head of research at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said that as severe weather events become more frequent, "climate deniers are putting extra efforts into claiming these extremes have nothing to do with climate change."

"You see this every summer now," he told AFP.

As more changes are recorded in seasons and ecosystems, Hood said "a slightly more conspiratorial and newer argument" is overtaking older narratives that simply deny Earth's warming "by trying to argue that extreme weather events have this other cause, whether it's geoengineering or something else."

Lincoln Muniz Alves, a researcher at the Brazil National Institute for Space Research, said the dissemination of false narratives not only obstructs effective communication during environmental crises but also "reinforces the views of those who deny the reality of climate change."

Weather modification methods are controversial in the scientific community, due in part to the potential for unintended consequences such as excess rain and pollution.

But experts say such caution should not discredit the reality of the climate crisis.

"This focus on cloud seeding misses the larger picture –- for more than a century, humans have been releasing greenhouse gasses (that) have warmed the planet and made heavy rain more likely in many regions of the world," said Edward Gryspeerdt, a research fellow at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute.

"We are already manipulating the weather at a global scale (larger) than would ever be possible through cloud seeding."

Climate skeptics are scapegoating a weather modification technique known as cloud seeding to deny the role of global warming in historic floods that have recently devastated countries from Brazil to Kenya.

Record rainfall brought to some regions by the natural weather cycle El Niño matches an expected increase in extreme events, experts say.

But online, claims have repeatedly been made that geoengineering—not carbon emissions—is to blame.

"Dubai airport looks like an apocalyptic movie. Videos of the flooding are insane," said Robby Starbuck, a conservative American commentator, to his more than 460,000 followers on X in April, after the Gulf city was hit by unprecedented downpours.

"I've seen some blaming climate change when the cause is actually from the use of weather modification. Cloud seeding where chemicals are sprayed in clouds to create rain caused this."

Claims that weather had been manipulated appeared after every major flood this year, including in Zimbabwe, the United Arab Emirates and other nations. According to Google Trends data, searches for cloud seeding reached a record high after the Dubai floods in April.

"I have not agreed to our planet having cloud seeding everywhere, have you?" was typical of posts among X users in late May, blaming the recent rainfall on a "man-made climate crisis."

Cloud seeding, which introduces tiny particles into the sky to induce rain over small geographical areas, has gained popularity worldwide as a way to combat drought and increase local water supplies.

But scientists say the technique cannot create weather—nor can it trigger rainfall at the scale observed in countries such as Germany and the United States.

"Due to the strong natural variability of clouds, there exists very little scientific proof that cloud seeding has indeed a measurable effect on precipitation," said Andrea Flossmann, co-chair of an expert team on weather modification at the World Meteorological Organization.

Experts, meanwhile, say climate change doubled the likelihood of floods in southern Brazil and worsened the intense rains caused by El Niño.

"There's definitely a consensus that climate change is responsible for many of these extreme weather events," said Mariana Madruga de Brito, a Brazilian scientist from Rio Grande do Sul, the state that suffered historic flooding in May.

She told AFP she saw people posting photos of clouds on social media shortly after the floods, claiming they had been "fabricated" and questioning scientific institutions.

But she insisted cloud seeding "cannot be causing events of this magnitude."

Reinforcing climate denial

Di Yang, an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming, said extensive research over several decades has shown "no definitive large-scale or long-term impacts from cloud seeding."

Still, the technique has become a recurring target for climate skeptics. AFP has debunked several false claims of weather manipulation after major floods in recent years.

Callum Hood, head of research at the Center for Countering Digital Hate, said that as severe weather events become more frequent, "climate deniers are putting extra efforts into claiming these extremes have nothing to do with climate change."

"You see this every summer now," he told AFP.

As more changes are recorded in seasons and ecosystems, Hood said "a slightly more conspiratorial and newer argument" is overtaking older narratives that simply deny Earth's warming "by trying to argue that extreme weather events have this other cause, whether it's geoengineering or something else."

Lincoln Muniz Alves, a researcher at the Brazil National Institute for Space Research, said the dissemination of false narratives not only obstructs effective communication during environmental crises but also "reinforces the views of those who deny the reality of climate change."

Weather modification methods are controversial in the scientific community, due in part to the potential for unintended consequences such as excess rain and pollution.

But experts say such caution should not discredit the reality of the climate crisis.

"This focus on cloud seeding misses the larger picture –- for more than a century, humans have been releasing greenhouse gasses (that) have warmed the planet and made heavy rain more likely in many regions of the world," said Edward Gryspeerdt, a research fellow at Imperial College London's Grantham Institute.

"We are already manipulating the weather at a global scale (larger) than would ever be possible through cloud seeding."

Archived link

As Chinese Premier Li Qiang prepares for his upcoming visit to Australia, it’s more important than ever for the Australian Government to prioritise human rights in their discussions. While recent efforts to address human rights issues in Xinjiang, Tibet, Hong Kong, and broader China, highlighted during Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit in March, are welcomed, Premier Li’s visit is a unique opportunity to push for concrete commitments and tangible improvements from the Chinese Government.

Balancing Trade and Human Rights

Communities concerned about Uyghur, Tibetan, Hong Konger, and Chinese human rights rightly fear that renewed trade and economic ties, a key agenda of this visit, might compel governments like Australia to overlook human rights issues. This concern is not unfounded. The past thirty years of the Australia-China economic relationship have often seen economic interests overshadow human rights. It’s crucial for the Australian Government to demonstrate a commitment to upholding human rights and seeking accountability as part of renewing and repairing its relationship with China.

Key Areas for Human Rights Advocacy

Let’s delve into the key areas where tangible improvements are urgently needed:

Dr. Yang Hengjun: A Voice for Freedom

The suspended death sentence handed to Australian-Chinese writer Dr. Yang Hengjun is a shocking attack on freedom of expression and a grave affront to justice. Dr. Yang, like many other Chinese dissidents, has been detained for his outspoken support of human rights, facing horrendous conditions and long prison terms. We urge the Australian Government to call on the Chinese leadership to release Dr. Yang immediately and unconditionally on humanitarian grounds, ensuring he receives urgent and appropriate medical care.

Xinjiang: Families Torn Apart

Many Uyghurs in Australia remain separated from their family members, with some having had no contact for up to seven years. The UN has highlighted the large-scale separation of young Uyghur children into Chinese state-run boarding schools, while their parents are in exile, interned, or detained.

Uyghurs continue to be subjected to forced labour, despite a damning UN report two years ago that detailed these practices, which amount to crimes against humanity.

We urge the Australian Government to:

• Demand the release of spouses, parents, and relatives of Uyghur Australian citizens who have been incarcerated on trumped-up charges or are otherwise unable to make contact.
• Raise the issue of the forced removal of Uyghur children into state-run boarding schools and call on the Chinese leadership to end this policy.
• Call on the Chinese leadership to end forced labour programs in Xinjiang.

Tibet: Erasing a Culture

The situation in Tibet is equally alarming. Multiple UN human rights bodies have expressed concern over the Chinese state-run boarding school system that has separated at least one million Tibetan children from their families and culture. This is part of a broader plan to assimilate Tibetans into Chinese society and erase Tibet’s distinct identity. Additionally, forced labour programs and massive involuntary relocations have disrupted the lives of Tibetan farmers and nomads, compelling them to abandon traditional livelihoods for manufacturing and construction work.

We urge the Australian Government to:

Address the forced removal of Tibetan children into state-run boarding schools and the forced labour of nomads and farmers, urging the Chinese leadership to end these coercive policies.

Hong Kong: Silencing Dissent

The rapid disintegration of human rights in Hong Kong is deeply troubling. Last month’s arrest of six people, including human rights activist Chow Hang-tung, for alleged sedition under Article 23 legislation, highlights the continued use of laws to silence dissent. Recently, 14 Hong Kong opposition figures, including Australian-Hong Kong dual citizen Gordon Ng, were convicted of “conspiring to subvert state power” under the National Security Law, marking a near-total purge of the political opposition.

We urge the Australian Government to:

Call on the Chinese leadership to press Hong Kong authorities for the immediate and unconditional release of all those arrested under Article 23 and the National Security Law, including Australian citizen Gordon Ng.

Falun Gong: Ongoing Persecution

The persecution of Falun Gong practitioners in China continues unabated, with reports of arrests, unfair trials, and forced organ harvesting as documented by UN Special Rapporteurs and human rights experts. We urge the Australian Government to raise these issues during their meeting with Premier Li.

The Path Forward

Premier Li’s visit is a critical moment for Australia to reaffirm its commitment to human rights and hold the Chinese Government accountable. The Australian Government must ensure that economic interests do not overshadow the fundamental rights and freedoms of Uyghurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers, and Chinese human rights defenders.

For the first time, the United Nations secretary-general added the Israeli armed forces to the “list of shame” of warring parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict. Although long overdue, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ action was fully justified.

The UN had already attributed more than 8,700 child casualties to Israeli forces between 2015 and 2022. But in 2023, the scale of violations was apparently too large for the secretary-general to ignore.

His new report found Israeli forces responsible for 5,698 violations, including the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. He also noted over 23,000 reported but unverified grave violations by all sides against 3,900 Israeli children and 19,887 Palestinian children.

Guterres also added Palestinian armed groups to his list for the first time, including Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (116 violations) and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades (21 violations) for killing and maiming children and abductions.

This year’s report is grim reading. The UN verified 30,705 grave violations globally in 2023, an increase of 21 percent from the year before. The number of children killed or maimed increased by 35 percent over 2022. The report’s violations also include the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, sexual violence, abduction, attacks against schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.

Two-thirds of the global total occurred in six countries: Israel/Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan. In Myanmar, for example, junta forces were responsible for the documented recruitment and use of 1,171 children, 10 times the number recorded in 2022. In Sudan, violations spiked as the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces committed widespread atrocities, notably in Darfur and Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.

This year’s list again includes Russia, which was first included last year for violations against children in Ukraine, including killing and maiming and attacks on hundreds of schools and hospitals. Retaining Russia on the list sends a message that even permanent UN Security Council members should be accountable for their abuses.

Listed parties may be subject to UN sanctions and must implement an action plan to end violations to be removed.

For years, human rights groups have called out the secretary-general for omitting some parties from the “list of shame” despite evidence of violations in UN reports. This year, Secretary-General Guterres has done the right thing. Now it’s up to the Security Council to hold those responsible to account and make clear that children are off-limits in armed conflict.

For the first time, the United Nations secretary-general added the Israeli armed forces to the “list of shame” of warring parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict. Although long overdue, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ action was fully justified.

The UN had already attributed more than 8,700 child casualties to Israeli forces between 2015 and 2022. But in 2023, the scale of violations was apparently too large for the secretary-general to ignore.

His new report found Israeli forces responsible for 5,698 violations, including the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. He also noted over 23,000 reported but unverified grave violations by all sides against 3,900 Israeli children and 19,887 Palestinian children.

Guterres also added Palestinian armed groups to his list for the first time, including Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (116 violations) and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades (21 violations) for killing and maiming children and abductions.

This year’s report is grim reading. The UN verified 30,705 grave violations globally in 2023, an increase of 21 percent from the year before. The number of children killed or maimed increased by 35 percent over 2022. The report’s violations also include the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, sexual violence, abduction, attacks against schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.

Two-thirds of the global total occurred in six countries: Israel/Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan. In Myanmar, for example, junta forces were responsible for the documented recruitment and use of 1,171 children, 10 times the number recorded in 2022. In Sudan, violations spiked as the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces committed widespread atrocities, notably in Darfur and Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.

This year’s list again includes Russia, which was first included last year for violations against children in Ukraine, including killing and maiming and attacks on hundreds of schools and hospitals. Retaining Russia on the list sends a message that even permanent UN Security Council members should be accountable for their abuses.

Listed parties may be subject to UN sanctions and must implement an action plan to end violations to be removed.

For years, human rights groups have called out the secretary-general for omitting some parties from the “list of shame” despite evidence of violations in UN reports. This year, Secretary-General Guterres has done the right thing. Now it’s up to the Security Council to hold those responsible to account and make clear that children are off-limits in armed conflict.

For the first time, the United Nations secretary-general added the Israeli armed forces to the “list of shame” of warring parties committing grave violations against children in armed conflict. Although long overdue, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ action was fully justified.

The UN had already attributed more than 8,700 child casualties to Israeli forces between 2015 and 2022. But in 2023, the scale of violations was apparently too large for the secretary-general to ignore.

His new report found Israeli forces responsible for 5,698 violations, including the killing and maiming of children and attacks on schools and hospitals. He also noted over 23,000 reported but unverified grave violations by all sides against 3,900 Israeli children and 19,887 Palestinian children.

Guterres also added Palestinian armed groups to his list for the first time, including Hamas’ Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades (116 violations) and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s Al-Quds Brigades (21 violations) for killing and maiming children and abductions.

This year’s report is grim reading. The UN verified 30,705 grave violations globally in 2023, an increase of 21 percent from the year before. The number of children killed or maimed increased by 35 percent over 2022. The report’s violations also include the recruitment and use of children as soldiers, sexual violence, abduction, attacks against schools and hospitals, and the denial of humanitarian access.

Two-thirds of the global total occurred in six countries: Israel/Palestine, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Somalia, Nigeria, and Sudan. In Myanmar, for example, junta forces were responsible for the documented recruitment and use of 1,171 children, 10 times the number recorded in 2022. In Sudan, violations spiked as the Rapid Support Forces and the Sudanese Armed Forces committed widespread atrocities, notably in Darfur and Sudan’s capital, Khartoum.

This year’s list again includes Russia, which was first included last year for violations against children in Ukraine, including killing and maiming and attacks on hundreds of schools and hospitals. Retaining Russia on the list sends a message that even permanent UN Security Council members should be accountable for their abuses.

Listed parties may be subject to UN sanctions and must implement an action plan to end violations to be removed.

For years, human rights groups have called out the secretary-general for omitting some parties from the “list of shame” despite evidence of violations in UN reports. This year, Secretary-General Guterres has done the right thing. Now it’s up to the Security Council to hold those responsible to account and make clear that children are off-limits in armed conflict.

Archived link

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note to Russian diplomats refusing to issue visas for the entire Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The reason for the refusal was Russia's war against Ukraine. The session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should be held in Bucharest at the end of June, Russian Senator Grigory Karasin said in his Telegram channel, but Russia received a note from the Romanian Foreign Ministry.

The document states that given the “Russian aggression against Ukraine,” none of the members of the Russian delegation will be issued a visa or allowed to enter the country.

[Edit typo.]

Archived link

The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note to Russian diplomats refusing to issue visas for the entire Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The reason for the refusal was Russia's war against Ukraine. The session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should be held in Bucharest at the end of June, Russian Senator Grigory Karasin said in his Telegram channel, but Russia received a note from the Romanian Foreign Ministry.

The document states that given the “Russian aggression against Ukraine,” none of the members of the Russian delegation will be issued a visa or allowed to enter the country.

[Edit typo.]

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The Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a note to Russian diplomats refusing to issue visas for the entire Russian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly session of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The reason for the refusal was Russia's war against Ukraine. The session of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly should be held in Bucharest at the end of June, Russian Senator Grigory Karasin said in his Telegram channel, but Russia received a note from the Romanian Foreign Ministry.

The document states that given the “Russian aggression against Ukraine,” none of the members of the Russian delegation will be issued a visa or allowed to enter the country.

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