Africa

Credit: UNICEF/Gema Espinoza Delgado

By Caroline Delgado
STOCKHOLM, Sweden, Nov 14 2025 (IPS)

The urgency of linking climate action with social and wider environmental priorities is clear. Climate change, environmental degradation and violent conflict are often deeply connected and even mutually reinforcing. At the same time, climate action can either support or undermine efforts to improve social justice and halt environmental degradation.

These connections are nowhere more visible than in global food systems, where environmental pressures, social inequality and economic shocks converge. And Latin America, where COP30 is taking place, could be central to the solution.

Climate change, violent conflict and economic crises are major drivers of food insecurity, while food production itself contributes to more than one-third of global emissions and accelerates biodiversity loss through land use change.

Despite steady growth in agricultural production over the past two decades, hunger persists: in 2024, around 8 per cent of the world’s population faced hunger, many of them small-scale farmers in crisis-affected regions.

Latin America’s paradox: ecological abundance amid social and environmental fragility

Latin America embodies the contradictions at the core of the global climate and development agenda: vast ecological resources and food production capacity coexist with significant inequality, environmental degradation, and social unrest.

Its ecosystems regulate carbon and water cycles essential to planetary stability and the region is the world’s largest provider of ecosystem services. Latin America also holds the greatest per capita availability of agricultural land and water, making it both the world’s largest net food exporter and a carbon sink.

Yet these assets face mounting pressure from deforestation, land-use change, and extractive industries. The degradation of forests, soils, and watersheds not only accelerates emissions and biodiversity loss but also deepens local grievances over land, livelihoods, and access to resources. This, in turn, heightens the risk of social tension and violence in a region marked by extreme inequality, widespread violence, and the world’s highest number of environmental conflicts.

Unequal land distribution and the expansion of extractive and agricultural frontiers perpetuate a cycle of degradation and displacement. Environmental decline erodes resilience to droughts, floods, and other climate impacts, undermines food security and increases competition over dwindling resources.

Climate change exacerbates these challenges: extreme weather events reduce crop yields and fuel migration, while the destruction of ecosystems diminishes the capacity of nature to buffer against future shocks.

Many of the region’s environmental conflicts stem from disputes over territory, water, and the impacts of large-scale projects that privilege short-term, growth over sustainable livelihoods. Criminal networks and weak governance exacerbate instability through illegal mining, logging, and land grabs, whereas violence against environmental defenders deepens distrust in state institutions.

Agriculture and governance at the crossroads

The agricultural sector lies at the centre of this nexus. It is a cornerstone of Latin America’s economy and a major source of global food supply. Agricultural exports grew 1.7 times between 2010 and 2023, generating a trade surplus of US$161 billion. Production and trade are projected to expand further by 2031.

Yet, if expansion continues to rely in deforestation and exclusion, it risks deepening insecurity, fuelling new conflict and ecological collapse. Without inclusive governance and environmental safeguards, economic growth will remain fragile and unsustainable.

Breaking these cycles requires an integrated approach that links governance, environmental justice, and sustainable land use. Strengthening land governance, protecting environmental defenders and supporting small-scale and Indigenous producers are essential to building resilience.

Secure land rights and respect for collective territories reinforce local autonomy and reduce pressures for extractive expansion. Protecting defenders safeguards those facing repression and violence in resource conflicts, while inclusive, locally rooted development pathways sustain livelihoods and reflect diverse worldviews for many rural populations, to which land is not only a resource but also a cultural identity.

Promising developments

The Escazú agreement provides a framework for embedding these principles in practice. Entering into force in 2021 and ratified so far by 18 Latin American countries, it is the region’s first legally binding treaty on environmental governance. Its three pillars – access to information, public participation, and justice for environmental defenders- make it not only an environmental agreement but also a democratic one.

By strengthening transparency and participation, Escazú promotes accountability and peaceful resource governance, helping to prevent the very conflicts that undermine climate resilience.

However, its transformative potential remains uneven. The majority of the region’s countries have yet to ratify it, whereas implementation in those that have is hampered by limited technical capacity, weak crisis response mechanisms, and, in some cases, a lack of political will. These obstacles, compounded by democratic backsliding in parts of the region and the declining global prioritisation of environmental issues, threatens to blunt its impact.

Yet, fully realising the promise of Escazú could provide the region with a solid foundation for more equitable resilient, and sustainable, food systems built rooted in transparency, inclusion, and accountability.

As COP 30 unfolds, Latin America’s experience offers a critical lesson to the world: climate action cannot succeed without social justice, transparency, and peace. The region’s experience shows that safeguarding ecosystems and empowering those who defend them are inseparable from ensuring food security and global stability.

Building resilient food systems and sustainable economies depends on empowering those who defend the land and ensuring that environmental governance benefits both people and the planet.

Dr Caroline Delgado is Director of the Food, Peace and Security Programme at Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)

IPS UN Bureau

 

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By Deodat Maharaj
GEBZE, Türkiye, Nov 14 2025 (IPS)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly changing our world. It has helped a few companies in developed countries set record-breaking profits. Last month, Nvidia, a leading US AI company, hit a market value of USD 5 trillion.

Nvidia, together with the other six technology companies known as the Magnificent Seven, reached a market capitalisation of USD22 trillion. This value easily eclipses the combined GDP of the world’s 44 Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Small Island Developing States and Landlocked Developing Countries.

These businesses continue to make massive investments in this transformational technology. Not only are investments being made in AI for the future, but benefits are also already being reaped as it accelerates global commerce and rapidly transforms markets.

According to the World Economic Forum, AI is streamlining supply chains, optimising production, and enabling data-driven trade decisions, giving companies a big competitive edge in global markets.

Thus far, the beneficiaries have been those living in the developed world, and a few developing countries with high technological capacities, like India.

By and large, developing countries have lagged far behind this technological revolution. The world’s 44 LDCs and the Small Island Developing States are those that have been almost completely left out.

According to UNCTAD, LDCs risk being excluded from the economic benefits or the AI revolution. Many LDCs and Small Island Developing States struggle with limited access to digital tools, relying on traditional methods for trade documentation, market analysis, and logistics. This is happening as others race ahead.

This widening gap threatens to marginalize these countries in international trade and underscores the urgency of ensuring they can participate fully in the AI-driven global economy.

AI holds transformative potential for developing countries across sectors critical to economic growth and trade. The World Bank has noted that in agriculture, AI-driven tools can improve crop yields, forecast market demand, and enhance supply chain efficiency. It can also strengthen food security and export earnings. In trade and logistics, AI can optimize operations, reduce transaction costs, and help local producers access new markets.

Beyond commercial applications, AI can bolster disaster preparedness, enabling governments and businesses to allocate resources efficiently and minimize losses. The use of AI can be a game changer in responding to massive natural disasters such as the one caused by Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica a few days ago.

Despite these opportunities, the poorest and most vulnerable countries face significant hurdles in accessing and benefiting from AI. The International Telecommunications Union has noted that many countries lack reliable electricity, broadband connectivity, and computing resources, impeding the deployment of AI technologies. This is compounded by human capacity constraints and limited fiscal space to make the requisite investments.

Given this, what is the best way forward for the world’s poorest and most vulnerable countries? Firstly, policy and governance frameworks for leveraging AI for development transformation are urgently, and we can learn from others.

For example, Rwanda, a leader in the field of using technology to drive transformation has developed a National Artificial Intelligence Policy. Another example is Trinidad and Tobago, which recently established a Ministry of Public Administration and Artificial Intelligence.

Secondly, capacity building, especially for policy leaders, is key. This must be augmented by making the requisite investments in universities and centers of excellence. Given the importance of low-cost and high-impact solutions, building partnerships with institutions in the global south is absolutely vital.

Finally, financing remains key. However, given the downward trends in overseas development assistance, accessing finance, especially grant and concessional resources from other sources will be important. Consequently, international financial institutions, especially the regional development banks, have a critical role to play.

Since the countries themselves are shareholders, every effort should be made to establish special purpose windows of grants and concessional financing to help accelerate adoption of relevant, low-cost, relevant and high-impact AI technological solutions.

In an adverse financing environment, achieving the above will be difficult. This is where Tech Diplomacy comes in and must be a central element of a country’s approach to foreign policy. This will be the subject of another piece.

In summary, AI is shaping and changing the world now. For the poorest and most vulnerable countries, all is not lost. With strategic investments, forward-looking and inclusive policies, and international cooperation via Tech Diplomacy, AI can become a powerful tool for their sustainable growth and development.

Deodat Maharaj, a national of Trinidad and Tobago, is presently the Managing Director of the United Nations Technology Bank for the Least Developed Countries. He can be contacted at: deodat.maharaj@un.org

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Roya shares her story with our journalist in Parwan province, describing the fear and uncertainty she faces after being deported from Iran. Credit: Learning Together.

By External Source
PARWAN, Afghanistan, Nov 13 2025 (IPS)

When Roya, a former police officer under Afghanistan’s Republic government, left the country with her family, she felt a great sense of relief, having escaped from the horrors of Taliban rule. She never imagined that less than three years later she would be forced back into the same conditions, only worse.

She now spends sleepless nights, terrified of being identified as a former police officer, a label that carries dire consequences.

Roya, 52, is a mother of four. During the Republic years, she worked in the women’s search unit of Parwan province, earning enough to support her family.

When the government collapsed and the Taliban returned to power in 2021, she, like hundreds of other women in uniform, became the target of direct and indirect threats. Fear for her life and dignity pushed her onto the path of migration. She fled to Iran, where she and her six-member family spent a few years in relative safety.

“In Iran, I worked in a tomato paste factory”, she recalls. “We had a house, we ate well, and above all I had peace of mind because we lived in relative security”, says Roya.

 

Street life in Parwan provice, Afghanistan. Credit: Learning Together.

 

Her daughters also found work. “Zakia, 23, who had completed her first year at Kabul University prior to our departure, found a job in a large home appliances store as a salesclerk and computer operator. Setayesh, who turned 21 this year, threw herself enthusiastically into a job at a beauty salon, specializing in hair braiding. Everyone had something to do and earned an income.”

But that stability did not last. Escalating political tensions between Iran and Israel soon triggered harsh crackdowns on Afghan migrants in Iran.

“At two in the afternoon, Iranian officials entered our home without any warning”, says Roya. “We had no time to gather our belongings, and even much less to recover the lease for the house we were living in, she says.”

She and her daughters were forcibly deported back to Afghanistan while the men were still at work. A week later, one of her sons called from the Islam Qala border, and the family was finally reunited.

Roya now lives in Afghanistan under extremely difficult conditions. She has no job, no support, and carries a constant fear that her past work with the police could put her and her family in danger.

“Every night I go to sleep in fear, worried that my identity might be exposed. I don’t know what will happen if they find out I previously worked in the police service.”

 

A market scene in Parwan province, where women navigate restricted public spaces under Taliban rule. Credit: Learning Together.

 

She is one of several hundred women who were forcibly expelled from Iran, back into a country where women who had previously worked in the security forces are treated like criminals and where the memory of their uniform has become a nightmare of imprisonment.

Under Taliban rule, former military and civil service women are forced to hide their identities. Some have even burned their work documents. Others, like Roya, stay inside their homes, avoid social contact, and spend their nights haunted by the fear of being recognized.

“We decided to escape to Iran to rid ourselves of the strict laws of the Taliban. But now we are caught in the same restrictions again, this time, with empty hands and even more exhausted spirits,” Roya says.

Roya and her family now live temporarily in a relative’s home in Parwan province, facing an uncertain future.

The widespread deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran is particularly consequential for women whose situation has progressively worsened under Taliban rule. Job opportunities for them and participation in public life are shrinking by the day.

The Taliban have stripped women of the right to work, education, travel, and even the simple freedom to visit parks. Women who once served their government are now treated as second-class citizens in their own homes.

Roya’s story mirrors the life experience of hundreds of women – the repercussion of a combination of dysfunctional regional politics across the borders and domestic religious extremist government intolerant of women’s rights.

Roya also recounts the story of her neighbor, Mohammad Yousuf, a 34-year-old construction worker, who was violently beaten by Iranian officials. He was thrown into a vehicle without receiving his wages for several months or allowing him to collect his belongings from the small room where he had been living.

Meanwhile, the pace of deportations of Afghan migrants from Iran has accelerated sharply in 2025, according to several domestic and international media outlets, including Iran Time, Afghanistan International, and Iran International, as well as international organizations.

The International Organization for Migration has reported that since early May 2025, a wave of forced mass deportations has taken place, primarily affecting families unlike previous trends, which mostly involved single men.

In the first five months of 2025, more than 457,100 people returned from Iran. Of these, about 72% were deported forcibly, while the rest returned voluntarily.

In one year, over 1.2 million people were deported from the Islam Qala border into Afghanistan.

The deportation campaign’s peak coincided with a rise in Iran-Israel tensions in June this year. More than 500 000 people were deported in just 16 days between June 24 and July 9. In total, by early July 2025, over 1.1 million people had been forcibly returned. Daily deportation rates of up to 30,000 people were reported.

Iran has employed harsh and often violent methods to expel Afghan migrants. These measures include workplace inspections, nighttime arrests, home raids, and the destruction of legal documents, even passports and valid visas. Numerous cases of violence, mistreatment, and deprivation of basic services such as healthcare and food have been reported.

International humanitarian and human rights organizations have described these actions as violations of the principle of non-refoulement and a serious threat to refugees and have called for an immediate halt to forced deportations and respect for legal rights.

Reports from the United Nations and human rights organizations indicate that Afghan returnees especially women, minorities, and those who worked with the previous government face a high risk of arbitrary detention and torture.

Iran has stated that it intends to deport a total of 4 million Afghan migrants, of which around 1.2 million have already been sent back.

Iranian officials have claimed that the deportations will be “dignified and gradual,” but evidence shows that pressure, threats, and arrests without consent have been widespread.

The health, social, and security consequences of these returns have placed a heavy burden on Afghanistan, overwhelming border crossings and reception camps. Many are enduring extreme heat of up to 50°C, without access to water or shelter.

According to a UN report published in July, 1.35 million Afghan refugees have been forced to leave Iran in recent months. Many were arrested and deported, while others returned voluntarily for fear of arbitrary arrest.

Excerpt:

The author is an Afghanistan-based female journalist, trained with Finnish support before the Taliban take-over. Her identity is withheld for security reasons

At the UN Climate Conference venue in Belém, young activist João Victor da Costa da Silva is trying to make his case heard by negotiators. The 16-year-old Da Silva has a specific request for the parties: the needs of young people with disabilities should be addressed through the lens of climate justice. Belém native Da […]

Binaifer Nowrojee, human rights lawyer and president of the Open Society Foundations (OSF). Credit: OSF

By Joyce Chimbi
BELÉM, Brazil, Nov 13 2025 (IPS)

Binaifer Nowrojee, a human rights lawyer and the president of the Open Society Foundations (OSF), has lauded the Brazilian government “for significant steps taken to breathe life into the climate commitments.”

A distinguished human rights advocate with over three decades of experience navigating politically sensitive operating environments to drive meaningful change, she particularly noted that events at the Conference of the Parties (COP) run differently and as they should when held in a country with a democracy as compared to those without democratic governance.

Speaking to IPS at COP30, the United Nations Climate Change Conference taking place in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November 2025, Nowrojee said the venue is “a strong statement in support of the indigenous and Afro-descendant people who continue to struggle to control their environment or live their lives to their full potential. Their inclusion and participation sends the right message.”

OSF, the world’s largest private funder working to promote human rights, equity, and justice, works around the world, addressing various complex and most pressing issues such as the intersection between climate change, justice, equity and human rights while at the same time leveraging emerging and existing opportunities to rebuild economies, revitalise democracies and improve livelihoods.

She spoke extensively of the changing world order, stressing that even in these uncertain times, opportunities abound. While the absence of the US and particularly representatives of the President Donald Trump administration from COP30 is symbolic, Nowrojee says this move presents a real opportunity for the global South to regroup and chart a more inclusive path forward.

So far, she believes “the global South is stepping up, as they are now able to speak more freely and not water down their commitments to reach a compromise climate agreement. There is now a real possibility for countries in the global South to emerge with new ideas.”

Nowrojee said these new ideas include rethinking the intersection between climate change, environmental protection and human rights, because environmental and land defenders are the most targeted globally among all rights defenders. More than 146 land and environmental defenders were killed or disappeared globally in 2024 defending their land, communities, and the environment.

Leadership doesn't have to come from government; it can come from anywhere.
The Latin America region experienced the majority of these attacks, with Colombia being the country with the most killings for the third year in a row. Indigenous people are disproportionately affected, representing nearly a third of lethal attacks despite being only 6 percent of the global population.

Against this backdrop, Nowrojee says the OSF is “very pleased that there is now a treaty called the Escazú Agreement, which commits Latin American governments to protecting human rights defenders, reinforces their commitment to climate, and ensures that information is given to their publics.”

She noted that the Escazú Agreement is a regional treaty in Latin America and the Caribbean that guarantees the right to environmental information, public participation in environmental decision-making, and access to justice in environmental matters. It is the first and only treaty of its kind, and it also includes special provisions for the protection of environmental human rights defenders and vulnerable groups.

OSF supports the Escazú Agreement by funding initiatives that strengthen its implementation, promote environmental rights, and protect environmental defenders in Latin America and the Caribbean. At COP30, the organization has already announced a major USD 19.5 million commitment to advance environmental justice and support a fair and sustainable economy in Latin America.

Meanwhile, Nowrojee is optimistic that the climate negotiations are moving in the right direction. Stressing that this “climate change crisis offers us a real chance to bring a new vision, one that’s rooted in fairness, dignity and harmony with nature. The global community here has the ability and opportunity to balance people, profit, and planet in a way that has not been achieved in the past.”

On the current and fragmented world order and increasingly nationalistic governments, she says, “we are living through a moment in the world where the structures and ways of doing things that we have had since the end of the Second World War are beginning to crumble. We’ve taken them as far as they can go.”

But the present is not a moment to fold hands and fret—instead, she sees these changes as providing opportunities to rebuild and “for people with moral imagination to step forward to envision and deliver a new and different world where all human beings can thrive. And so, we are no longer living in a unipolar world where the United States is the preeminent force.”

“We’re not even living in a G7 world. We are now living in a world that is a G20 world, where Africa will now have the highest population as a continent and where young people are coming forward and imagining a new world order that truly embraces principles of human rights and dignity. Notably, even young people who’ve never even lived in a democracy are now calling for it. You see it in Kenya, Senegal, Bangladesh and Nepal.”

While the road to rebuilding can be laden with uncertainties, challenges and pitfalls, Nowrojee is hopeful that the global community is up to the task. She advocates finding inspirational leaders and notes that people in every corner of the world are beginning to rise to the challenge. “We’re seeing young people organizing differently within their movements. This, in my opinion, is a real sign of inspiration.”

“Leadership doesn’t have to come from government; it can come from anywhere. And I also see emerging new arrangements such as the coming together of the BRICS countries, which is a group of major emerging economies with 11 member countries. The fact that it’s South Africa that brings a case against Israel at the International Court of Justice and Qatar negotiating and mediating various conflicts means we are now entering a new world. We’re seeing countries doing things that they wouldn’t have done 20 years ago.”

On the place of philanthropy in these uncharted waters, she says “philanthropy is a small part of the globe, and it’s a place and space where new ideas can be catalyzed and risks taken that would otherwise be impossible to take. Philanthropy is really about trying new ideas, new ways of thinking and acting, and maybe even failing, but if these ideas succeed, they then become examples of what could be done.”

On multilateralism or cooperation among many nations, she says the multilateralism structures are not crumbling, “only that, having been built after the Second World War, they are now in some ways frayed at the edges. They’re not performing the same way that they did, but I also see a multipolar world emerging, where different countries are beginning to cooperate and coordinate with each other.”

“I see a lot of imagination in different regions and also across regions. Latin America is taking major steps towards a new world. I see the Vatican with its Jubilee 2025 and attempts to rethink debt forgiveness and the unequal debt burden that countries carry. So, I see signs of change in different places and like-minded people who have the same values coming together to chart a new path towards a new world.”

In this new world, Nowrojee envisions climate justice as “a win-win for communities at the front line who are living in places and efforts to expand their participation in decision-making around how their natural resources are used.  Justice also means ensuring that the excluded or those at the edges become part and parcel of the democratic discussions, and ultimately this helps improve livelihoods and people’s well-being across the board.”

“Equally important is that we protect the planet, because if we are going to live on this planet, we are going to need to take significant and sustainable steps to address the damage that we, the human race, have done to this planet.”

IPS UN Bureau Report

 

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Excerpt:

Climate change crisis offers us a real chance to bring a new vision, one that's rooted in fairness, dignity and harmony with nature. The global community here has the ability and opportunity to balance people, profit, and planet in a way that has not been achieved in the past. —Binaifer Nowrojee, human rights lawyer and president of the Open Society Foundations (OSF)

Our countries did not light this fire—but we are burning in its heat. And the smoke does not stop at our borders. —Evans Njewa, Least Developed Countries Group chair, when talking about the importance of the Loss and Damage Fund for LDCs

By External Source
Nov 13 2025 (IPS-Partners)

 
Violence against women is a human rights emergency in every country.

One in three women worldwide experience physical and/or sexual violence in their lifetime.

Most survivors are harmed by an intimate partner.

Every ten minutes, a woman or girl is killed by a partner or family member.

Around sixty percent of female homicides are committed by partners or relatives.

In 2023, an estimated 612 million women and girls lived within 50 kilometres of conflict, and their risk skyrockets.

Conflict related sexual violence is used strategically, and reports are rising.

The 2025 UNiTE theme calls us to end digital violence against all women and girls.

Studies indicate that between sixteen and fifty eight percent of women and girls face technology facilitated abuse.

Seventy three percent of women journalists report online violence, and one in four receive threats of physical harm.

Online abuse silences voices, distorts public debate, and often spills into offline harm.

Data matters, and the UN is strengthening global measurement of femicide to make every case count.

Many countries have laws, but real protection requires enforcement and survivor centred services.

Prevention works when we change harmful norms, fund services, and hold perpetrators to account.

Wear orange, speak up, and support survivors during the 16 Days of Activism from November 25 to December 10.

Media and audiences can help by using verified data and amplifying frontline voices.

On November 25, 2025, we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.

Act now! For rights, for safety, and for equality for all women and girls.

 

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Bol Mel, who is sanctioned by the US for alleged corruption, had been tipped as Kiir's successor.

By Mary Assunta
BANGKOK, Thailand, Nov 13 2025 (IPS)

The 183 Parties to the global health treaty, WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) will convene in Geneva from 17 – 22 November with one objective – to strengthen their efforts to arrest the No.1 preventable cause of disease and 7 million deaths annually – tobacco use.

Credit: Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control

The WHO FCTC is unique in that it serves to regulate a unique industry that produces and markets a uniquely harmful product.

In October, the WHO FCTC Secretariat issued an alert to Parties preparing to head to Geneva for the eleventh session of the Conference of the Parties (COP11) urging them to stay vigilant against the industry’s tactics and misinformation.

According to the Andrew Black, the Acting Head of the Secretariat of the WHO FCTC, “This is not just lobbying; it is a deliberate strategy to try to derail consensus and weaken measures to further the treaty’s implementation.”

Despite government efforts to implement the treaty adopted 20 years ago, the tobacco industry is a lucrative business. It is projected to generate a revenue of more than US$988 billion in 2025. Low- and middle-income countries bear the bulk of the tobacco burden where 80% of the world’s 1.2 billion tobacco users live.

Governments have identified tobacco industry interference as their biggest barrier to implementing tobacco control measures to save lives.

But the tool to address tobacco industry meddling is in governments’ hands. Known as Article 5.3, this obligatory clause in the FCTC, is based on principles of good governance and outlines specific actions governments can take to limit their interactions with the tobacco industry to only when strictly necessary for regulation.

The Global Tobacco Industry Interference Index 2025, a civil society report card on governments’ implementation of this article, found many governments were lacking in protecting public health. The Index covering 100 countries has exposed how the tobacco industry targeted and persuaded willing senior officials, especially from the non-health sectors, to protect its business and lobby on its behalf.

The newly released Index found the industry has not only become more aggressive in its meddling, but it is also more blatant and lobbied legislators including parliamentarians, ministers and governors who as elected officials can influence policy at the legislature.

Parliamentarians in 14 countries filed pro-industry bills, accepted industry input that resulted in delayed adoption of tobacco control laws or promoted legislation to benefit the industry.

The Index revealed very senior officials had accepted sponsored study trips to tobacco company facilities, the most common facility visited being the Philip Morris International’s research facility in Switzerland.

The tobacco industry has also used its charity to lure public officials and governments to endorse its activities and whitewash its public image. While 32 countries have banned tobacco-related CSR activities, 18 governments from LMICs, such as Bangladesh, Bolivia, El Salvador, Fiji, Gabon, Jamaica and Zambia, collaborated and endorsed industry activities such as tree planting, community programs, assistance to farmers and cigarette butt cleanups.

Evidence shows tax increases on tobacco products is the silver bullet to reduce tobacco use. The Index found more than 60 of 100 countries were persuaded to not to increase tobacco tax, delay tax increases, lower tax rates, or give tax exemptions for certain products.

Over 40 countries resisted the tobacco industry’s misleading narrative on so called harm reduction and have banned e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products. However, when a government prevails with stringent legislation, the industry has used the courts to challenge the law. In Mexico for example, when the government banned e-cigarettes in 2023, Philip Morris Mexico obtained an injunction from the Supreme Court to allow it to continue sales of these products.

Industry interference has obstructed tobacco growing countries such as Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania and Zambia from even having basic bans on cigarette advertising and promotions. Now Big Tobacco is pushing new nicotine products in these countries and others, and creating the next generation of nicotine addicts.

The lack of transparency in governments’ interactions with the industry has provided a breeding ground for interference. The absence of lobby registers and disclosure procedures, and the failure to inform the public about meetings with the industry lets this interference continue.

But there is hope and positive outcome for public health when governments acted without compromise. Botswana, Ethiopia, Finland, Netherlands and Palau all show low levels of interference by protecting their bureaucracy. These countries are a testament to standing up to a powerful industry and arresting interference so they can fulfill their mandate to protect public health.

Dr Mary Assunta is the head of Global Research and Advocacy at the Global Center for Good Governance in Tobacco Control

IPS UN Bureau

 

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Almost a year to the day after Boualem Sansal was arrested, the Algerian president grants him a pardon.

Nigeria’s stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) finds itself in the crosshairs of local power politics.

Nigeria’s stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) finds itself in the crosshairs of local power politics.

Nigeria’s stunning new Museum of West African Art (Mowaa) finds itself in the crosshairs of local power politics.

A US jury in the first civil trial over a fatal Boeing 737 MAX crash determined Wednesday that the aircraft manufacturing giant owes $28. 45 million to the family of a newly-wed Indian victim. The case involves the survivors of Shikha Garg of New Delhi, who died in the March 2019 Ethiopian Airlines crash, one of two fatal MAX crashes that togethe .

Jailed French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal arrived in Germany for medical treatment on Wednesday after Algiers agreed to a German request that he be pardoned. A spokeswoman for German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who on Monday had urged Algeria to free the 81-year-old given his fragile health condition , confirmed to AFP that Sansal had .

France's foreign minister criticized military operations in the Caribbean at a G7 meeting on Tuesday, as the deployment of a US aircraft carrier strike group escalated an arms buildup in the region. Speaking to reporters at the start of a

Ethiopia said on Tuesday it would host the United Nations' COP32 climate summit in 2027, fending off a rival bid from Nigeria to land an influential role that will allow it to shape the agenda and outcomes of the event.

Les députés de l'Assemblée législative de transition (ALT) se sont réunis le mardi 11 novembre 2025 afin d'examiner trois questions orales avec débat. L'une de ces questions concernait le point sur les recommandations formulées par la Confédération africaine de football (CAF), suite à la décision d'homologation du stade du 4-août. Une question posée par la députée Marie Angèle Tiendrébéogo/Kalenzaga et adressée au ministre des sports, de la jeunesse et de l'emploi, Roland Somda. La séance plénière du jour a été présidée par Haoua Fofana, 2ᵉ vice-présidente de l'ALT.

La CAF ayant assorti sa décision d'homologation du stade du 4 août de 30 recommandations concernant sept sections, la députée Marie Angèle Tiendrébéogo/Kalenzaga a cherché à savoir la suite que le département en charge des sports compte donner à ces recommandations.

Dans sa réponse, Roland Somda a précisé que ces recommandations n'ont en aucun cas pour effet de diminuer ou remettre en cause la valeur ou la légitimité de l'homologation délivrée par la CAF. Selon lui, elles constituent plutôt un plan d'amélioration continue et de conformité post-homologation afin d'assurer des performances optimales et une sécurité renforcée.

« En tout état de cause, l'homologation a ainsi marqué la fin des travaux de réhabilitation, place maintenant à l'entretien et à la maintenance de l'ouvrage. En effet, les 30 recommandations formulées par la CAF et réparties en sept sections (environs du terrain de jeu, équipes-arbitres et officiels de la CAF, zones réservées aux spectateurs, VIP-VVIP et zone d'accueil, zones réservées aux médias, domaines de la télévision et de la radiodiffusion, et sécurité) portent essentiellement sur le renforcement de la sécurité, des dispositions à mettre en place lors des manifestations sportives, ainsi que sur la fluidité des services disponibles au stade du 4-Août », a-t-il expliqué.

« À ce jour, nous pouvons affirmer que ces recommandations ont été prises en compte, à l'exception de deux recommandations qui nécessitent une projection budgétaire. Il s'agit de l'augmentation de l'intensité de l'éclairage de la pelouse à 2000 lux, de l'installation d'un dispositif de double contrôle de sécurité combinant à la fois la détection des métaux et l'inspection des sacs (“Mag and Bag”) aux entrées VIP et VVIP, afin de renforcer la sécurité et la fluidité d'accès », a-t-il ajouté.

La séance plénière du jour a été présidée par Haoua Fofana, 2e vice-présidente de l'ALT

À cet effet, à en croire Roland Somda, Burkina Yîn-wisgr Meta (BYM), structure en charge de la gestion du stade du 4-Août, a été instruit d'intégrer ces ajustements dans son budget et son plan de passation des marchés pour l'exercice 2026.

46 milliards de FCFA dépensés en cinq ans en raison de la suspension du stade du 4-Août

En réponse à la question relative au coût, tous frais comptabilisés, de la délocalisation des matchs du Burkina Faso vers d'autres pays durant la période de suspension du stade du 4-Août, Roland Somda a révélé que le Burkina Faso a dépensé plus de 46 milliards de FCFA pour l'organisation des matchs à l'extérieur des Étalons toutes catégories confondues et les clubs engagés en campagne africaine.

Ces frais sont notamment liés au transport, à l'organisation, à la restauration, à l'hébergement et aux primes de match entre autres, de 2020 à juin 2025.

436 milliards de FCFA pour les infrastructures sportives et de jeunesse dans les cinq prochaines années
En ce qui concerne les dispositions prises ou envisagées par le gouvernement pour une meilleure formulation des projets structurants dans le secteur du sport, Roland Somda a indiqué que depuis plusieurs années, le Burkina Faso est confronté à une réalité préoccupante : les infrastructures sportives, de loisirs et de jeunesse sont insuffisantes, parfois vétustes et mal réparties sur l'ensemble du territoire.

Marie Angèle Tiendrebéogo/Kalenzaga, auteure de la question orale avec débat adressée au ministre des sports

« Certaines régions disposent d'équipements modernes, tandis que d'autres manquent cruellement d'espaces adaptés à la pratique sportive et à l'encadrement des jeunes. Par ailleurs, de nombreux projets ont été conçus de manière isolée, sans coordination ni vision d'ensemble, ce qui a limité leur portée et leur efficacité », soutient-il.

Afin d'inverser cette tendance, Roland Somda a laissé entendre que le gouvernement a élaboré le Plan national d'investissement en infrastructures sportives, de loisirs et de jeunesse 2026-2030. Ce plan devient désormais la feuille de route pour la conception et la réalisation des projets structurants du secteur.

Selon lui, une équipe pluridisciplinaire a réalisé un diagnostic national en couvrant l'intégralité du territoire pour inventorier plus de 17 000 infrastructures existantes (dont plus de 90 % dans les établissements d'enseignement), évaluer leur état et mesurer leur répartition géographique. Cette analyse permet d'identifier les besoins propres à chaque région et de fixer des priorités d'investissement sur des bases factuelles, marquant une rupture avec les initiatives ponctuelles du passé.

Sur la base de ce diagnostic, le plan détaille les actions annuelles et régionales à entreprendre, assurant une progression pérenne et mesurable. En termes de résultats attendus en matière sportive, il convient de mentionner la construction ou réhabilitation de 1 767 équipements sur une période de cinq ans, comprenant des plateaux omnisports, des terrains stabilisés avec pistes d'athlétisme, des centres d'excellence pour le sport de haut niveau, des stades conformes aux normes de la CAF, des arènes et aires de lutte, ainsi que des équipements modernes tels que piscines olympiques et vélodromes.

Roland Somda, ministre des sports, de la jeunesse et de l'emploi

L'investissement total pour les infrastructures sportives et de loisirs s'élève à 428 milliards de francs CFA, complété par environ 8 milliards de francs CFA dédiés aux infrastructures de jeunesse. Le financement sera assuré principalement par le budget de l'État, des partenariats public-privé et l'appui des partenaires techniques et financiers, selon Roland Somda.

Mesures pérennes pour la construction et la gestion d'infrastructures sportives conformes aux normes internationales

La dernière préoccupation de la députée Marie Angèle Tiendrébéogo/Kalenzaga était d'une part, les mesures pérennes adoptées par le ministère des Sports pour assurer la construction puis la gestion d'infrastructures sportives conformes aux normes internationales requises et d'autre part, les mécanismes de contrôle et de suivi-évaluation dont dispose le gouvernement pour l'ensemble des infrastructures sportives du Burkina Faso.

En ce qui concerne les mesures pérennes pour la construction et la gestion d'infrastructures sportives conformes aux normes internationales, Roland Somda a souligné que le respect des normes constitue un élément central. Ces normes, selon lui, garantissent la sécurité, la fonctionnalité et l'homologation des équipements, tout en répondant aux besoins des différents utilisateurs, qu'il s'agisse des sportifs, des encadreurs ou des spectateurs. Elles assurent également la conformité aux exigences des instances internationales telles que la CAF (instance dirigeante du football africain), la FIFA (instance dirigeante du football mondial), la FIBA (instance dirigeante du basket-ball mondial), la FIVB (instance dirigeante du volley-ball mondial) ou World Athletics (athlétisme mondial), etc.

Conscient de ces enjeux, le ministère des Sports, de la jeunesse et de l'emploi (MSJE) a mis en place une série de mesures pérennes structurées autour de quatre axes principaux, selon son premier responsable, Roland Somda. Il s'agit notamment de principes directeurs clairs pour la conception, la réalisation et la gestion des infrastructures sportives, d'un cadre juridique et normatif afin de garantir la durabilité et la conformité technique des infrastructures sportives, d'une bonne gouvernance du secteur reposant sur une répartition claire et complémentaire des rôles entre les différents acteurs intervenant dans la conception, la réalisation et la gestion des infrastructures sportives. Enfin, le dernier axe concerne les mesures pérennes selon le cycle de vie des infrastructures. Le dispositif adopté par le ministère des Sports couvre l'ensemble des phases de vie d'une infrastructure sportive, depuis la planification jusqu'à la réhabilitation.

• Lire aussi : Suspension du stade du 4-août : Le Burkina Faso a dépensé plus de 46 milliards de FCFA en cinq ans pour jouer à l'extérieur

Mamadou Zongo
Lefaso.net

Réunis en séance plénière le mardi 11 novembre 2025, les députés de l'Assemblée législative de transition (ALT) ont examiné plusieurs questions orales avec débat. Parmi elles, celle de la députée Assita Françoise Romaine Bailou qui a interpellé le ministre d'État, ministre chargé de l'administration territoriale et de la mobilité, Émile Zerbo, sur la protection des espaces verts et des réserves administratives. Quelles mesures et actions concrètes sont envisagées pour faire respecter la réglementation et restaurer ces espaces afin de prévenir de nouveaux détournements et comment renforcer la coordination avec tous les acteurs concernés pour identifier et démanteler les installations illégales sur ces sites ?

En réponse, le ministre Émile Zerbo a détaillé plusieurs initiatives prises par son département en collaboration avec la commune de Ouagadougou.

Sur le plan réglementaire et opérationnel, il a rappelé l'adoption de l'arrêté nᵒ 2023-100/CO/M/CAB/DAJC, qui définit les activités autorisées, interdit les constructions dépassant 30 % de la superficie et prévoit un contrôle strict de l'hygiène, de la sécurité et des horaires. Des clauses de résiliation existent en cas de non-respect des engagements. Des comités techniques et de suivi ont également été créés pour actualiser les outils d'aménagement et contrôler les délégataires. La sous-location des espaces verts concédés est interdite et un état des lieux contradictoire doit être réalisé avant et après exploitation.

Malgré ces mesures, des insuffisances persistent dans la gestion des espaces verts à Ouagadougou, ce qui a nécessité l'adoption de textes plus coercitifs. La commune a élaboré le Plan stratégique d'aménagement et de gestion des espaces verts (PSAGEV) 2022-2024, structuré autour de trois axes dont l'amélioration de la gouvernance et des moyens, le renforcement du cadre réglementaire et juridique ainsi que l'aménagement durable.

Afin de renforcer la coordination avec tous les acteurs pour lutter contre l'occupation illégale, le ministre a présenté plusieurs textes réglementaires pris entre 2021 et 2025 interdisant les changements de statut des réserves et la vente ou construction sur ces terrains. Plusieurs structures ont également été créées pour contrôler l'occupation des espaces publics, notamment l'Office national du contrôle des aménagements et des constructions, l'Autorité nationale de coordination du foncier et la commission de régulation des dysfonctionnements. Ces structures veillent à la conformité des aménagements, traitent les dénonciations et contribuent au respect de la destination initiale des espaces verts et des réserves administratives.

À entendre le ministre, la coordination des acteurs est essentielle dans le cadre du PSAGEV. C'est ainsi que des cadres de concertation périodiques qui réunissent tous les intervenants ont été mis en place. Des séances de travail se tiennent aussi dans chaque arrondissement pour transmettre les données et renforcer les capacités des techniciens. Une brigade verte mobile a été créée au sein de la Direction des aménagements paysagers pour assurer le suivi sur le terrain. Parallèlement, les textes juridiques relatifs à l'exploitation des espaces verts sont vulgarisés auprès des populations et des institutions pour renforcer la sensibilisation et l'adhésion.

Le ministre a également évoqué les perspectives. Des brigades vertes seront mises en place dans les arrondissements des grandes villes comme Ouagadougou et Bobo-Dioulasso afin de gérer les questions environnementales de proximité. Des comités de veille sur les réserves administratives seront créés dans toutes les communes et des textes spécifiques réglementeront la gestion et l'utilisation des espaces verts en lien avec la nouvelle Réglementation administrative foncière. Un comité inter-ministériel sera chargé de la cession des réserves foncières pour différents usages.

« Il convient donc de rappeler que les espaces verts et les réserves administratives et foncières sont gérés dans la plupart des cas par les collectivités territoriales. Leur occupation sans autorisation est formellement interdite et sanctionnée conformément aux textes en vigueur. En tout état de cause, il s'avère nécessaire de sensibiliser les différents acteurs sur le respect des textes encadrant l'utilisation desdits espaces afin de préserver leur destination initiale », a conclu le ministre d'État, Émile Zerbo.

Hanifa Koussoubé
Lefaso.net

Dans le communiqué ci-après, le procureur du Faso informe du défèrement à la Maison d'arrêt et de correction de Ouagadougou (MACO) d'un maître coranique, pour séquestration, torture et coups et blessures volontaires sur un enfant de 13 ans. "Selon les premières déclarations de l'enfant recueillies au chevet de son lit d'hôpital, ces tortures lui auraient été infligées parce qu'il n'avait pas rapporté la somme d'argent exigée par son maître. A l'issue de l'enquête, le mis en cause a été déféré à mon parquet le 6 novembre 2025 et placé sous mandat de dépôt. Il est poursuivi pour séquestration, torture et coups et blessures volontaires", mentionne le document. Le dossier est enrôlé pour être jugé à l'audience du 19 novembre 2025.