Category: MIL-OSI

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Kinshasa, 13 July 2026 – Our organisations, members of a coalition of 70 Congolese and international organisations working to protect human rights and the environment, welcome the public statement by Marie Nyange Ndambo, Minister of the Environment, Development and New Climate Economy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reaffirming that the moratorium on the allocation of new industrial logging concessions will not be lifted.

The announcement, made during a special press briefing broadcast on the national television station (RTNC) on Tuesday, 7 July 2026, marks a significant step forward in safeguarding the Congo Basin forests. It responds directly to the concerns raised by the coalition in its open letter to the Prime Minister on 3 July 2026, which warned of the economic, social and environmental consequences of a possible lifting of the moratorium. 

“We welcome the Minister’s commitment. It sends a strong signal in support of the protection of the Congo Basin forests and recognises the critical role that the moratorium plays in safeguarding community rights, biodiversity and climate stability. This announcement represents an important first victory for our collective advocacy efforts,” said Bonaventure Bondo, Congo Basin Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa.

Our organisations nevertheless emphasise that this positive development must now be translated into lasting policy, particularly as several senior government figures continue to advocate for lifting the ban. The organisations call on the Government to permanently exclude any provisions that would allow the moratorium to be lifted from ongoing legislative reforms, particularly the revision of the Forest Code, while continuing to strengthen forest governance, transparency, monitoring, and enforcement throughout the forestry sector.

“We welcome this statement by the Minister, which signals that forest protection remains central to the country’s national priorities. We now encourage the Government to translate this political commitment into strong institutional guarantees so that the moratorium and community rights remain lasting pillars of forest governance in the DRC,” said Joe Eisen, Executive Director of Rainforest Foundation UK.

For the Congolese organisations within the coalition, the Minister’s announcement also represents an important victory for the communities that live in and depend on these forests.

“Many local communities and Indigenous Peoples will welcome this announcement. It must now be followed by concrete actions that strengthen their rights, ensure their meaningful participation in decision-making, and recognise their essential role in conserving the Congo Basin forests,” said Blaise Mudodosi Muhigwa, National Coordinator of Actions pour la Promotion et la Protection des Peuples et Espèces Menacés (APEM).

Our organisations also take note of the Minister’s remarks on the potential role of forests in the development of carbon markets. While the Congo Basin forests are indeed a globally important natural asset for climate mitigation, their protection should not be driven by their economic value within carbon market mechanisms. Our organisations reiterate that climate policies must, above all, ensure the protection of biodiversity, respect for the rights of Indigenous Peoples and local communities, and transparent, equitable and accountable governance of natural resources. The integrity of carbon projects therefore rests on fundamental safeguards: respect for free, prior and informed consent (FPIC), effective grievance mechanisms, equitable benefit-sharing, and robust governance, monitoring and transparency arrangements. In the absence of these conditions, carbon projects risk losing their credibility, legitimacy and ability to generate the expected benefits.

Furthermore, it is important to recognise the capacity and commitment of local communities and Indigenous Peoples to ensure the sustainable management of their forests through community forestry. A genuine driver of local development, community forestry is based on their priorities, their knowledge and their vision for the future.

Finally, the valuation of environmental services must not be limited solely to carbon markets. Other Payments for Environmental Services (PES) mechanisms, which are more accessible and often better suited to local circumstances, can contribute effectively to the financing of conservation, the sustainable management of natural resources and regional development.

Our organisations reaffirm their commitment to continuing a constructive dialogue with the Minister and wider DRC Government to consolidate ongoing reforms and make the Congo Basin forests a global model of sustainable governance, climate justice and rights-based development.

**END**

Contacts:

Raphael Mavambu
Communication & Storytelling Manager – Greenpeace Afrique
[email protected]

Joe Eisen
Executive Director – Rainforest Foundation UK
[email protected]

Blaise Mudodosi Muhigwa
Coordinateur – Actions pour la Promotion et la Protection des Peuples et Espèces Menacés (APEM), [email protected]

Source: Amnesty International –

Persons with albinism in Tanzania have historically suffered multifaceted discrimination in various spheres of society. They have often been attacked, killed, hunted for body parts, or mutilated. Children have been specifically abducted or killed for the purposes of sale of their person or their body parts. In 2018, three NGOs, the Centre for Human Rights (CHR), the Institute for Human Rights and Development in Africa (IHRDA) and the Legal and Human Rights Centre (LHRC), brought a complaint regarding this situation.

On 5 February 2025, the African Court issued its judgment.[1] The Court found that Tanzania had done little to address issues faced by persons with albinism. It should have put effective protective measures in place, punished those responsible for crimes against persons with albinism, and it should have undertaken awareness-raising campaigns to combat the root of the stigma, that is the myths and stereotypes relating to albinism. Furthermore, the Court recognized that persons with albinism have a skin condition which mean that they need sunscreen, wide hats and sunglasses for their survival, and that they suffer psychological harm due to the abuses, seclusion, fear, and the discrimination they live with. In this regard, not only was Tanzania not providing them with basic needs for their physical and mental health, but they also faced discriminatory attitudes which impeded further their access to medical care.

With regards to the situation of children with albinism, Tanzania had established shelters to avert attacks against them. Nevertheless, the Court found that these shelters were not appropriate: the long term separation of parents and the conditions in the shelter were harmful to children. Children also faced difficulties in schools as their basic needs (such as glasses, large print, and extra time) were not accommodated. The Court concluded that Tanzania should have taken more and better measures to protect children with albinism from trafficking and ensure they have access to education.

To remedy this plethora of violations,[2] the Court ordered Tanzania to undertake a comprehensive list of measures to be taken within 2 years, including establishing a compensation fund to identify victims of attacks and compensate them, amending existing laws in order to criminalize violence targeting persons with albinism as being committed under aggravated circumstances, promulgating a national plan raising awareness on the myths regarding albinism, and taking measures to address children’s needs in shelters and schools and reuniting families.

This decision is groundbreaking as it marked the first time that the African Court examined the situation of persons with albinism, whose lives are in danger and whose rights are being violated in many places of the continent, beyond Tanzania. The judgment can be a powerful step to improving their situation in Africa, by providing detailed guidelines for all African states on how to protect the rights of persons with albinism in conformity with their obligations under the African Charter.

[1] Judgment, Centre for Human Rights and Others v. Tanzania, 5 February 2025, Application 019/2018

[2] Violations of articles 2 (right not to be discriminated against), 4 (right to life), 5 (right to dignity and freedom from torture), 16 (right to health), and 17 (right to education) of the African Charter and violations of articles 4 and 29 the African Charter of the rights and well being of the Child

Source: Amnesty International –

Responding to reports that 11 people removed by the United States arrived in Eswatini on 8 July, in what appears to be the fourth known transfer operation under the US-Eswatini third-country removal arrangement, Flavia Mwangovya, Amnesty International’s Deputy Regional Director for East and Southern Africa, said:

“For almost a year, Amnesty International has documented the serious human rights consequences of these transfers, including arbitrary detention, restrictions on access to lawyers, denial of due process and the risk of onward refoulement.

“States cannot outsource their human rights obligations. International law requires that everyone has the opportunity to challenge a transfer before it takes place. It also prohibits transferring people to countries where they face a real risk of serious human rights violations or onward refoulement. These removals, part and parcel of the Trump administration’s cruel and racist anti-immigrant policies, tear families apart and traumatise both individuals and communities.

“It is especially alarming that several people transferred under this arrangement had reportedly been granted protection under the Convention against Torture by the United States. This is consistent with a broader pattern documented by Amnesty International that in many cases persons removed to third countries in Africa had been granted protection by the US, including from torture. Protection against torture cannot be circumvented through third-country removal arrangements. The United States cannot “country shop” to be able to implement its racist mass deportation against people who have already been granted protection in the United States.

“The Eswatini authorities must stop facilitating these unlawful transfers. They must immediately disclose the identities and whereabouts of those transferred to their lawyers, families where appropriate, and independent monitors. They must also disclose the legal basis for any deprivation of liberty and ensure prompt and confidential access to lawyers, interpreters, medical care, and consular assistance.

“The United States must immediately end this unlawful policy and dismantle the mass detention and deportation machine. It must immediately return the people who were unlawfully transferred back to their homes, families, and communities in the United States. All those arbitrarily detained under the US-Eswatini arrangement must be released immediately and provided with effective remedies including access to a fair and efficient asylum process.”

Background

The reported arrival of 11 more people on 8 July 2026, if confirmed as a new cohort, marks the fourth known transfer operation and bring the total number transferred to Eswatini to 30.

Eswatini is not an isolated case: Amnesty International has raised concerns that at least thirteen African states have received or agreed to receive third-country nationals from the United States under similar externalisation arrangements.

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

This is a 1-year fixed-term position based in either Manila, Bangkok, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur. Candidates who have the legal right to work and live in the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia are encouraged to apply.

About the Role

The Senior Legal Advisor provides overarching strategic legal leadership and establishes GPSEA’s dedicated in-house legal capacity. Operating across Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, this role is accountable for mitigating organisational risk and ensuring regulatory compliance. The incumbent will provide high-level counsel on employment law, industrial relations, governance, and campaign risk, while coordinating with external legal counsel and overseeing litigation. The role ensures that legal considerations are seamlessly integrated into GPSEA’s strategic decision-making to protect the organisation’s staff, assets, and reputation.

The role is centered on three core performance domains:

Justice: Driving legal strategies that actively advance environmental campaigns while fiercely defending the fundamental right to organize and demonstrate.

Governance: Solidifying internal accountability, operational risk systems, and institutional compliance frameworks.

Performance: Equipping and enabling regional teams to achieve strategic victories with maximum efficiency.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Design and establish GPSEA’s in-house legal and risk management framework, ensuring alignment with the organisation’s strategic goals across four operating countries. 
• Formulate policies and provide guidance to ensure GPSEA’s adherence to local laws, regulatory frameworks, and international governance standards. 
• Provide high-level legal counsel regarding anti-protest or restrictive NGO/charity laws to safeguard GPSEA’s operational freedom and civic advocacy environment.
• Construct and deploy internal workflows and processes to guarantee the agile, high-quality execution of legal services across the organization.
• Proactively review campaign strategies, direct actions and public communications to assess and mitigate legal, regulatory, and litigation exposure, specifically evaluating media liabilities such as defamation and libel. 
• Provide expert legal advice on complex employment matters, including organisational restructuring, workforce transitions, collective bargaining and engagement with labor unions.
• Direct and manage a regional network of external legal partners across Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Thailand, aligning their specialized expertise to secure robust organizational defense and strategic advice.
• Cultivate, grow, and coordinate collaborative relationships with volunteer legal networks, activist legal communities, and pro bono providers.
• Act as the chief trusted legal advisor to the Executive Director and Senior Management Team, using risk-based insights to shape top-level strategic paths.
• Negotiate consensus and resolve complex disputes across regional campaign, finance, and P&C teams regarding policy updates and organizational re-alignments without having direct line-management authority.
• Lead formal settlement negotiations and defend GPSEA’s institutional interests in external employment tribunals, labor union stalemates, or interactions with state regulatory bodies.
• Maintain strict adherence to all judicial calendars, court-mandated windows, and statutory filing deadlines for every active regional lawsuit and defensive proceeding
• Ensure prompt turnaround times for legal inquiries, contract vetting requests and commercial agreement reviews through the optimization of the contract management repository.
• Ensure absolute precision, evidentiary depth, and accuracy across all case folders, defensive strategies, and court-ready documentation involving GPSEA.
• Draft and review commercial agreements and MoUs to completely eliminate organizational liability, ensure rigorous adherence to data privacy, and defend Greenpeace’s intellectual property.
• Deliver high-standard legal risk profiles to governance boards, and ensure structurally sound, legally compliant handling of intricate donor legacies, estates, and complex bequests.
• Guarantee the strategic accuracy and structural quality of all compliance training modules provided to internal personnel, interns, and volunteers.

Skills and Experience Requirements:

Greenpeace’s Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

Greenpeace values diversity as essential to its mission and success. The organisation fosters an inclusive environment that respects varied cultural experiences and perspectives, promoting solutions rooted in social and environmental justice.

Deadline for applications: 26 July 2026

Source: Greenpeace Statement –

Dove is an official sponsor of the FIFA World Cup 2026, spending millions to sell itself as a brand that cares about men.

Its plastic packaging tells a different story.

Plastic in the package, really? 

• Sperm counts have dropped by nearly 62% since the 1974 World Cup. Doctors are sounding alarms that chemicals found in plastics could be a cause. 
• Studies show microplastics may be showing up in penile tissue and semen.

Why it matters

Dove and its parent company Unilever, put more than 698,000 tonnes of plastic into the market every year. Plastic pollution is making its way into men’s bodies. 

Dove knows healthier, plastic-free, reusable options exist. It continues to choose single-use plastic anyway. Plastic packaging isn’t a necessity. It’s Dove’s choice.

The World Cup is being played this summer in our own backyard, and the spotlight on Dove has never been brighter. If enough of us speak up now, together we can make Dove kick plastic out for good.

Help us make some noise! Share our post on Instagram or LinkedIn. #Plastics

Source: Chatham House –

European NATO has four years to re-establish ‘escalation dominance’ over Russia, conference hears
News release
jon.wallace
9 July 2026

Following this week’s Ankara NATO summit, General Sir Richard Barrons told the Chatham House London Conference that European countries must act to re-establish deterrence in the light of US drawdown in Europe.

Leading voices from policymaking, business and academia gathered at Chatham House’s 2026 London Conference on 9 July under the theme of ‘a route to order in an evolving world’. The event opened with a panel discussing the issues confronting UK defence, the threat from Russia and the war in Ukraine – and strained relations within NATO, following the alliance summit this week in Ankara.

Speaking at the conference’s opening panel, General Sir Richard Barrons, a senior consulting fellow with Chatham House and a co-author of the UK’s 2025 Strategic Defence Review (SDR), said that the conversation about the US drawdown of commitment to NATO can no longer be abstract.  

As a result, he argued, European NATO countries must seek to re-establish a relationship of ‘escalation dominance’ with Russia – that is ‘a certainty that you deter because you are more powerful’. This must be done, he said ‘with far less reliance on the US, inside four years.’

The UK and NATO

Speaking at the same panel, former NATO Secretary-General Lord George Robertson, another co-author of the UK’s SDR, said that the Ankara NATO summit was in many ways a great success for its ‘ironclad commitment to Article 5 and to collective security…to get all of the 32 countries, including the United States, to sign up to that is crucially important.’