Radio România Internațional

Tag: human

  • May 18, 2023 UPDATE

    May 18, 2023 UPDATE

    FORUM The world has changed and everything in the area of security
    has been rewritten and must be revised in our Black Sea region, where a large
    part of the components of Russia’s large scale war of aggression in Ukraine are
    taking place, said Romanian prime minister Nicolae Ciucă in Bucharest at the
    7th edition of the Black Sea and Balkans Security Forum. Ciucă went on to say
    that the region must cope with a long and high-intensity war that is exhausting
    the resources of both the country in conflict and those of the countries of
    Europe. The two-day forum hosts over 40 sessions. Attending are top civilian
    and military officials, diplomats and experts from the European Union and NATO,
    as well as partner states. The themes discussed include support for the
    European integration of the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine, the reconstruction
    of Ukraine and the European security architecture after the war, as well as the
    food crisis caused by Russia’s invasion, security energy in Europe, the
    security of the Western Balkans and cyber resilience.


    FLOODING Prime minister Nicolae Ciucă said the Romanian authorities
    are ready to provide assistance with rescue operations following the floods in
    Italy. The region of Emilia Romagna in the north of Italy is on high alert as a
    result of heavy rain that caused massive floods and left victims. According to
    Radio Romania’s correspondent, thousands of people have already been evacuated,
    but several tens of thousands are still stranded in areas that have been left
    without electricity. Some trains are still stationary, traffic is disrupted and
    sections of the motorway are closed.


    AGREEMENT The government of Romania and of the UK Thursday
    signed a joint action plan in Bucharest on fighting human trafficking. The
    document is part of the vision and strategy that Bucharest has embraced for the
    past 2 years to turn Romania into a country hostile to people traffickers but
    safe and friendly to the victims of this phenomenon, reads a news release
    issued by the Romanian government. Signing the document also proves our
    government’s concern and care for its more vulnerable citizens, those more
    exposed to the risks of human trafficking, who live either in Romania or in one
    of the largest Romanian diaspora communities, namely in the UK. It is absolutely vital for us to keep our
    firm commitment of fighting this scourge and our capacity and willingness to
    tackle this issue on all three key levels-prevention, combating and victim
    protection. (…) My message is quite clear: trafficking in human beings is a
    form of crime for which the government of Romania has zero tolerance, PM
    Nicolae Ciucă said.



    WB In order to solve external imbalances, Romania
    needs a mix of fiscal consolidation and structural reforms, reads a World Bank
    analysis. Political measures aimed at improving its fiscal situation include
    broadening taxable revenues, improving tax compliance, introducing critical
    reforms in public pensions and salaries and cutting inefficient expenditure. A
    consolidation of public investment management would help release significant EU
    funding and would improve critical sectors lagging behind in Romania, such as
    the public education and healthcare, reforming state-owned enterprises, or
    infrastructure. In turn, the latter would contribute to improved productivity
    and competitiveness, with a positive impact on Romania’s foreign position. Romania’s
    external imbalances have deepened lately. Since 2018, the country has seen
    deepening fiscal and current account deficits, jointly with an expansionary
    fiscal policy. The two major external shocks, the Covid-19 pandemic and the war
    in Ukraine, have strengthened these imbalances. (AMP)

  • Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Less than 2 weeks were necessary before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, in mid-August, as the foreign military deployed there for the past two decades pulled out.



    Sent to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA, American and other NATO allied troops completed their mission, and with the withdrawal of the foreign military, celebrated by Islamist militants as a victory, the situation spiralled, raising even more questions regarding the future of that country and more. Was this development predictable at all? Military analyst Radu Tudor tells Radio Romania that it was:



    Radu Tudor: “It was entirely foreseeable, and unfortunately a mission that I personally have seen as a success for over 20 years, a mission originally conducted under American command, Enduring Freedom, and which then also involved NATO and UN participation and coordination, a successful mission that dismantled and drove out of Afghanistan the al-Qaida terror organisation, a mission that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 innocent people in the US, well, this successful mission, which brought relative stability to Afghanistan and gave that country struggling with medieval realities a chance of becoming a modern state, hit into a very poorly made pull-out plan. Into decisions that neither the Trump administration nor the Biden administration have analysed thoroughly, which generated very strong emotions. And we can feel these emotions ourselves, when we see the footage broadcast by all television stations and websites in the world. I believe what we see now is the unfortunate ending of a very difficult, very necessary mission, a mission with good results in terms of stabilising Afghanistan. In fact, the concern of the international community with the resurgence of the Taliban and their rise to power proves that what NATO and the US did for the past 20 years in Afghanistan was a good thing. But the mission could not go on, not only because of the huge human, military and financial costs, but also because the idea that Afghanistan should take its fate in its own hands had to prevail.



    “President Joe Biden could have said that by end of September 2022 I want zero troops in Afghanistan. But until that time I want to make sure that we have a political settlement between the government and the Taliban and that we have also evacuated all our employees and local partners, said a former member of the government ousted by the Taliban, Nargis Nehan, who sees the pull-out as “irresponsible. “The US have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, staying one more year longer wouldn’t have made any difference for them, at least financially as well as politically, Nehan told AFP, 6 days after fleeing the country. Nargis Nehan deplored the waste of over 2,000 billion in international investments, as well as the bloodshed: “the sense of abandonment experienced by many Afghans would foster a sense of grievance against the international community. “That’s my fear… we’ll see much more extremism coming from Afghanistan, Nehan said, explaining that it would be fuelled out of poverty, and out of that feeling of betrayal and grievances that they have.



    On the other hand, the US secretary general Antonio Guterres warns against “a humanitarian catastrophe looming, and speaks about a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis and the threat of basic services completely collapsing. The UN chief mentions that “almost half of the population of Afghanistan — 18 million people — need humanitarian assistance to survive. “Now more than ever, Afghan children, women and men need the support and solidarity of the international community, Guterres insisted.



    The Taliban vowed to guarantee the security of the humanitarian teams and the access of aid into Afghanistan, but they also promised a regime that will be acknowledged by the international community and the Afghan people. In their first press conference since taking power, a Taliban spokesman said freedom of the media and the rights of women will be complied with, within the framework of Islamic law, although they provided no details as to what that means in practice.



    After the US deployed troops in Afghanistan in 2001, the restrictions against women relaxed, and even as the war continued, an internationally supported local commitment to improve womens rights led to new protection measures. In 2009, a law aiming to fight violence against women criminalised rape and forced marriages, and made it illegal to prevent women and girls from working or studying. Today, the women and girls of Afghanistan fear that they will lose the rights gained in 20 years and that they will never be regained, in spite of Taliban promises that “schools will be opened, and girls and women will go to school as students and teachers.



    Meanwhile, Europe expects a wave of Afghan migrants that would put pressure on its capacities. The memory of 2015, when Europe faced a huge illegal migration wave triggered by the war in Syria, is still very vivid. And even if the situation will not be exactly the same, Europe needs to be prepared. And to stay alert, amid fears of a possibly high terrorist risk after the Taliban took power. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Afghanistan – 20 years after

    Less than 2 weeks were necessary before the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, in mid-August, as the foreign military deployed there for the past two decades pulled out.



    Sent to Afghanistan shortly after the 9/11 attacks in the USA, American and other NATO allied troops completed their mission, and with the withdrawal of the foreign military, celebrated by Islamist militants as a victory, the situation spiralled, raising even more questions regarding the future of that country and more. Was this development predictable at all? Military analyst Radu Tudor tells Radio Romania that it was:



    Radu Tudor: “It was entirely foreseeable, and unfortunately a mission that I personally have seen as a success for over 20 years, a mission originally conducted under American command, Enduring Freedom, and which then also involved NATO and UN participation and coordination, a successful mission that dismantled and drove out of Afghanistan the al-Qaida terror organisation, a mission that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind of the 9/11 attacks which killed nearly 3,000 innocent people in the US, well, this successful mission, which brought relative stability to Afghanistan and gave that country struggling with medieval realities a chance of becoming a modern state, hit into a very poorly made pull-out plan. Into decisions that neither the Trump administration nor the Biden administration have analysed thoroughly, which generated very strong emotions. And we can feel these emotions ourselves, when we see the footage broadcast by all television stations and websites in the world. I believe what we see now is the unfortunate ending of a very difficult, very necessary mission, a mission with good results in terms of stabilising Afghanistan. In fact, the concern of the international community with the resurgence of the Taliban and their rise to power proves that what NATO and the US did for the past 20 years in Afghanistan was a good thing. But the mission could not go on, not only because of the huge human, military and financial costs, but also because the idea that Afghanistan should take its fate in its own hands had to prevail.



    “President Joe Biden could have said that by end of September 2022 I want zero troops in Afghanistan. But until that time I want to make sure that we have a political settlement between the government and the Taliban and that we have also evacuated all our employees and local partners, said a former member of the government ousted by the Taliban, Nargis Nehan, who sees the pull-out as “irresponsible. “The US have been in Afghanistan for 20 years, staying one more year longer wouldn’t have made any difference for them, at least financially as well as politically, Nehan told AFP, 6 days after fleeing the country. Nargis Nehan deplored the waste of over 2,000 billion in international investments, as well as the bloodshed: “the sense of abandonment experienced by many Afghans would foster a sense of grievance against the international community. “That’s my fear… we’ll see much more extremism coming from Afghanistan, Nehan said, explaining that it would be fuelled out of poverty, and out of that feeling of betrayal and grievances that they have.



    On the other hand, the US secretary general Antonio Guterres warns against “a humanitarian catastrophe looming, and speaks about a deepening humanitarian and economic crisis and the threat of basic services completely collapsing. The UN chief mentions that “almost half of the population of Afghanistan — 18 million people — need humanitarian assistance to survive. “Now more than ever, Afghan children, women and men need the support and solidarity of the international community, Guterres insisted.



    The Taliban vowed to guarantee the security of the humanitarian teams and the access of aid into Afghanistan, but they also promised a regime that will be acknowledged by the international community and the Afghan people. In their first press conference since taking power, a Taliban spokesman said freedom of the media and the rights of women will be complied with, within the framework of Islamic law, although they provided no details as to what that means in practice.



    After the US deployed troops in Afghanistan in 2001, the restrictions against women relaxed, and even as the war continued, an internationally supported local commitment to improve womens rights led to new protection measures. In 2009, a law aiming to fight violence against women criminalised rape and forced marriages, and made it illegal to prevent women and girls from working or studying. Today, the women and girls of Afghanistan fear that they will lose the rights gained in 20 years and that they will never be regained, in spite of Taliban promises that “schools will be opened, and girls and women will go to school as students and teachers.



    Meanwhile, Europe expects a wave of Afghan migrants that would put pressure on its capacities. The memory of 2015, when Europe faced a huge illegal migration wave triggered by the war in Syria, is still very vivid. And even if the situation will not be exactly the same, Europe needs to be prepared. And to stay alert, amid fears of a possibly high terrorist risk after the Taliban took power. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • The pandemic and human rights

    The pandemic and human rights

    The world was shattered by the COVID-19 last year, and the pandemic and the containment measures taken by authorities around the world had an impact on everyone, sometimes deepening existing abuse and inequalities.



    This is the conclusion reached by Amnesty International in its latest report on human rights around the world. As regards Romania, the measures taken by the government to contain the spread of the disease raised human rights concerns including in relation to policing, the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and the right to education, the report reads.



    In March 2020, Amnesty says, the government declared a state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It derogated temporarily from a number of rights protected under the European Convention on Human Rights, including the right to education and to freedoms of movement, expression and association.



    In terms of discrimination, a legislative proposal which would expand existing anti-discrimination legislation remained before the Senate at years end, Amnesty International found.



    A European Commission report in February quoted by Amnesty International found that Roma continued to face discrimination and segregation including in education, employment, access to housing and forced evictions. During the state of emergency, NGOs and the media reported several cases of unlawful use of force and allegations of ill-treatment of Roma by the police. Human rights groups and NGOs raised concerns about Roma being scapegoated during the pandemic and denounced “the rise of hate speech and racism targeting Roma in mass media and social media, especially by opinion leaders and public figures.



    As for the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people, in June, Parliament passed a law which, among other things, prohibited teaching and training about gender identity. The law, adopted without public debate, prohibited “activities aimed at propagating the gender identity theory or opinion, understood as the theory or opinion that gender is a different concept from that of biological sex and that the two are not always identical, Amnesty International says.



    The organisation also quotes a study by the NGO Caritas Romania, which highlighted the challenges faced by children from vulnerable groups while accessing remote learning during the March-June lockdown, with Roma among the worst affected. According to the study, an average of only 15% of children from marginalized groups participated habitually in online activities during the lockdown, the main obstacles including a lack of technical equipment, overcrowded homes with a lack of adequate study spaces, and the absence of support from parents to complete online tasks. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • April 1, 2021

    April 1, 2021

    COVID-19 President Klaus Iohannis announced today that in the forthcoming period Romania will receive a substantial number of anti-Covid doses and the vaccine rollout can be stepped up. The head of state urged Romanians to have confidence in the benefits of immunisation. Romania is drawing close to 1 million infections since the start of the pandemic, with over 6,000 cases reported in the past 24 hours alone and a record-high number of patients in intensive care (1,434). The most cases were reported in Bucharest, but the highest infection rate is in Ilfov County, near the capital city. The death toll is now over 23,500. Meanwhile, over 3 million vaccine doses have been given since the end of December to more than 2 million people.




    PROTESTS In Bucharest and several other cities in Romania protests continued on Wednesday, for the 4th night in a row, against the anti-COVID measures introduced by the authorities. Unlike previous nights, on Wednesday protests were more low-key. Participants chanted anti-government slogans, and demanded the lifting of restrictions such as mandatory outdoor face covering, online schooling and the closing of restaurants and gyms. The authorities argue however that the measures are necessary if the accelerated spread of the novel coronavirus is to be curbed.




    REPORT The US State Departments 2020 Report on Human Rights Practices points out that Romania lacks efficient mechanisms to investigate and punish police abuse, and many corruption or abuse cases end in acquittals. According to the document, charges of brutality and cruel, degrading or inhuman treatment, brought against several police and gendarme members, have been dropped. Violence against women and children is also a serious and continuing problem in Romania, the report also reads.




    INSTITUTE Bucharest celebrates today 100 years since the Cantacuzino Institute was founded under an order signed by King Ferdinand. Since 2017, the Institute has been subordinated to the National Defence Ministry. Over the years, the institution conducted research in microbiology and related fields, produced vaccines and serums and was involved in public healthcare. Cantacuzino Institute works with instituttes and universities around the world.




    ENVIRONMENT The US president Joe Biden yesterday put forth a USD 2-billion investment plan targeting among others the creation of jobs and fighting climate change. The American Jobs Plan is an investment in America that will create millions of good jobs, rebuild our countrys infrastructure, and position the United States to out-compete China, Biden said. According to the RRA correspondent in Washington, Bidens advisers say the pandemic changed the US citizens attitude regarding the role of the government, and created expectations of unprecedented investments in the reconstruction of the country.




    FOOTBALL Romanias football team lost to Armenia, 3-2, in Yerevan on Wednesday night. In the same group J of the World Cup qualifiers, North Macedonia defeated Germany away from home. The group also includes Iceland and Liechtenstein. With one win against North Macedonia and 2 losses to Germany and Armenia, Romania ranks 4th in the group standings, topped by Armenia and North Macedonia. Only the top team in each group moves up into the final tournament, and the second-ranking teams go into playoffs. (tr. A.M. Popescu)

  • A European biodiversity strategy

    A European biodiversity strategy

    The coronavirus pandemic will probably be followed by even more deadly and destructive epidemics, unless we put an end to their root cause—the endemic destruction of the natural world.



    The warning comes from world-famed biodiversity experts, who argue that “the recent pandemics are a direct consequence of human activity, particularly of our global financial and economic systems, which seek economic growth at all costs. We have a small window of opportunity to overcome the challenges of this crisis, so as to avoid sawing the seeds of future ones”.



    Professors Josef Settele, Sandra Diaz and Eduardo Brondizio coordinated the largest health assessment project ever conducted, whose findings were made public in 2019 by Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Their conclusion is that human society is in danger because of the accelerated decline of Terra’s natural life support systems.



    In an article published recently together with Peter Daszak, Ph.D, who is working on the next health assessment, they warn that “Rampant deforestation, uncontrolled agricultural expansion, intensive farming, mining and the exploitation of wild species have created a ‘perfect storm’ for the spillover of diseases.”



    Researchers say the economic recovery packages in the trillions of US dollars, made available by governments, must be used to strengthen and enforce environment protection and that a global, unified, ‘One Health’ approach is required. Because “Human health is inextricably linked to the health of wild animals, the health of domestic animals and the health of the environment. It is, in fact, one health”.



    “The coronavirus crisis showed us how vulnerable we are and how important it is to recover the balance between human activity and nature, the executive vice-president for the European Green Deal Frans Timmermans says in his turn.



    In May, the European Commission adopted 2 new strategies, one focusing on biodiversity and the other on the food system. The new biodiversity strategy stipulates, among other things, that by 2030, 30% of Europe’s land and sea will be turned into efficiently managed protected areas, and at least 10% of the utilised agriculture land will include diverse landscapes such as hedges, trees and ponds that enhance carbon sequestration, prevent soil erosion and water depletion.



    Adopted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the strategy is a central element of the EU’s recovery plan, essential to preventing future epidemics and strengthening resilience to possible epidemics, Frans Timmermans explains.



    Another strategy adopted by the Commission, “Farm to Fork”, provides for a 50% cut in the use of pesticides, a minimum 20% reduction in the use of fertilisers, a 50% reduction of sales of antimicrobials used in animal farms and fisheries, as well as for 25% of the agriculture land to be farmed organically.



    The strategy targets a new, better balance between nature, food systems and biodiversity, to protect the health and welfare of our citizens and at the same time to increase the Union’s competitiveness and resilience, Frans Timmermans also says.



    The 2 strategies reinforce each other, bringing together nature, farmers, enterprises and consumers to create a sustainable and competitive future. According to Brussels, under the European Green Deal, the EU launches ambitious actions and commitments to fight the decline of biodiversity in Europe and worldwide and to turn our food systems into global benchmarks for competitive sustainability, the protection of human and planetary health, as well as for the subsistence means of all stakeholders in the food value chain.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)


  • February 11, 2020

    February 11, 2020

    ELECTIONS In Bucharest, the PM designate Ludovic Orban has talks today with parliamentary party officials, in an attempt to garner support for the organisation of early elections. Snap elections may only be called if 2 Cabinet nominations are rejected by Parliament within 2 months. Orban, whose Liberal Cabinet was recently dismissed under a no-confidence motion, Monday sent to Parliament a list of ministers, with no changes whatsoever from the previous team, and a slightly updated government programme. The main party in Parliament, the Social Democrats, announced they will not take part in the talks with the Liberals. The Social Democratic Party filed a challenge with the Constitutional Court, arguing that the President designating a prime minister who has already been dismissed comes against the will of Parliament. On the other hand, the Social Democrats announced they would not hinder the procedures and announced a meeting of Parliament leaders to set a calendar for the hearings of the ministers designate. The idea of early elections is mainly supported by the National Liberal Party and Save Romania Union. Without a parliamentary majority, the Orban Cabinet has resorted more than once to pushing legislation through by requesting Parliaments confidence. Regular general elections are scheduled for this autumn.




    JUDICIARY The incumbent Justice Minister Cătălin Predoiu today in Bucharest presented European Commission experts with a bill on dismantling the special division investigating magistrate offences as well as the progress of debates on this topic. In its latest Cooperation and Verification Mechanism report the Commission criticised the establishment and the activity of this division, which it said was an instrument of political pressure. The latest report under the Mechanism was released in October 2019, and suggested the extension of verification on the Romanian judiciary, on grounds that in 2019 Romania backslid in terms of the fight against corruption and the independence of the justice system. A team of EC experts are in Bucharest until tomorrow, on an assessment mission. They are also scheduled to have talks today with leaders of the Higher Council of Magistrates and members of the judicial committees in Parliament.




    INFLATION The central bank has lowered Romanias 2020 inflation forecast from 3.1% to 3%, Governor Mugur Isărescu announced on Tuesday. For next year the National Bank expects a 3.2% inflation rate. A number of elements have been taken into account, which might lead to a decrease of the inflation rate from the forecast value. These elements include developments in the Eurozone economy, including geopolitical tensions and weaknesses in emerging markets, a possible escalation of trade conflicts, the completion of Brexit, as well as the accommodating monetary policies of the European Central Bank and the Fed. On the other hand, liberalisation of the electricity and natural gas markets may push inflation higher than expected, as do the problems in the labour market, such as the shortage of labour and the mismatch between demand and supply in this respect.




    112 February 11 is the European 112 Day, to celebrate the introduction of the Europe-wide emergency number 112. In Romania, the national emergency call system, run by the Special Telecommunications Service, was introduced in 2004. Last year STS operators managed over 11 million calls to this number.




    CORONAVIRUS China announced that the novel coronavirus has already killed more than 1,000 people, and the number of cases exceeds 42,000. In the last 24 hours alone, over 100 deaths have been reported, which is the largest number of victims in just one day since the epidemic broke out. Most deaths were reported in the Hubei province. A team of doctors with the World Health Organisation has arrived in China to help in the research. Meanwhile, the WHO organises a 2-day meeting in Geneva, with renowned physicians, public healthcare experts and scientists, in an attempt to encourage a better response of the international community to the new coronavirus outbreak. On opening the meeting, the WHO director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the coronavirus epidemic was a major threat, and called on scientists to work together to develop vaccines or medication to fight the virus. In Romania, several people, including Chinese nationals, are under house monitoring, and the authorities continue to take measures to prepare for possible infection cases. A special unit was set up in Bucharest for the Romanians who return from China and have to be quarantined for 14 days.




    AFGHANISTAN Reconstruction and stabilisation missions in Afghanistan had resulted by the end of 2018 in over 2,200 dead and 2,900 wounded, according to an official American report released on Tuesday with regard to the “human costs of these civilian and humanitarian missions. This is the first report focusing on reconstruction and stabilisation operations alone, including construction of infrastructure, hospitals and schools, military and civilian training, rather than on combat operations against the Taliban or other jihadist groups in the country. The report does not cover attacks on American military bases or on civilian targets either. Romania, which has been taking part in missions in Afghanistan ever since 2002, has lost 30 troops so far. In 2020, Romania has over 700 military deployed to Afghanistan under the Resolute Support mission.


    (translated by: Ana-Maria Popescu)