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The World Economic Forum, which will hold its annual meeting in Switzerland this month, says in the Global Risks Report 2024 that misinformation and disinformation are the biggest short-term risks while extreme weather is pummeling the earth systems. It says two-thirds of global experts anticipate a multipolar or fragmented order to take shape over the next decade. The report warns that cooperation on urgent global issues could be in short supply, requiring new approaches and solutions. Following is a press release from WEF.

Geneva, Switzerland, 10 January 2024 – Drawing on nearly two decades of original risks perception data, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2024 warns of a global risks landscape in which progress in human development is being chipped away slowly, leaving states and individuals vulnerable to new and resurgent risks. Against a backdrop of systemic shifts in global power dynamics, climate, technology and demographics, global risks are stretching the world’s adaptative capacity to its limit.

Read the Global Risks Report 2024 here, discover the Global Risks Initiative,

These are the findings of the Global Risks Report 2024, released today, which argues that cooperation on urgent global issues could be in increasingly short supply, requiring new approaches to addressing risks. Two-thirds of global experts anticipate a multipolar or fragmented order to take shape over the next decade, in which middle and great powers contest and set – but also enforce – new rules and norms.

The report, produced in partnership with Zurich Insurance Group and Marsh McLennan, draws on the views of over 1,400 global risks experts, policy-makers and industry leaders surveyed in September 2023. Results highlight a predominantly negative outlook for the world in the short term that is expected to worsen over the long term. While 30% of global experts expect an elevated chance of global catastrophes in the next two years, nearly two thirds expect this in the next 10 years.

“An unstable global order characterized by polarizing narratives and insecurity, the worsening impacts of extreme weather and economic uncertainty are causing accelerating risks – including misinformation and disinformation – to propagate,” said Saadia Zahidi, Managing Director, World Economic Forum. “World leaders must come together to address short-term crises as well as lay the groundwork for a more resilient, sustainable, inclusive future.”

Rise of disinformation and conflict. Concerns over a persistent cost-of-living crisis and the intertwined risks of AI-driven misinformation and disinformation, and societal polarization dominated the risks outlook for 2024. The nexus between falsified information and societal unrest will take centre stage amid elections in several major economies that are set to take place in the next two years. Interstate armed conflict is a top five concern over the next two years. With several live conflicts under way, underlying geopolitical tensions and corroding societal resilience risk are creating conflict contagion.

Economic uncertainty and development in decline. The coming years will be marked by persistent economic uncertainty and growing economic and technological divides. Lack of economic opportunity is ranked sixth in the next two years. Over the longer term, barriers to economic mobility could build, locking out large segments of the population from economic opportunities. Conflict-prone or climate-vulnerable countries may increasingly be isolated from investment, technologies and related job creation. In the absence of pathways to safe and secure livelihoods, individuals may be more prone to crime, militarization or radicalization.

Planet in peril. Environmental risks continue to dominate the risks landscape over all timeframes. Two-thirds of global experts are worried about extreme weather events in 2024. Extreme weather, critical change to Earth systems, biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse, natural resource shortages and pollution represent five of the top 10 most severe risks perceived to be faced over the next decade. However, expert respondents disagreed on the urgency of risks posed – private sector respondents believe that most environmental risks will materialize over a longer timeframe than civil society or government, pointing to the growing risk of getting past a point of no return.

Responding to risks.  The report calls on leaders to rethink action to address global risks. The report recommends focusing global cooperation on rapidly building guardrails for the most disruptive emerging risks, such as agreements addressing the integration of AI in conflict decision-making. However, the report also explores other types of action that need not be exclusively dependent on cross-border cooperation, such as shoring up individual and state resilience through digital literacy campaigns on misinformation and disinformation, or fostering greater research and development on climate modelling and technologies with the potential to speed up the energy transition, with both public and private sectors playing a role.

Carolina Klint, Chief Commercial Officer, Europe, Marsh McLennan, said: “Artificial intelligence breakthroughs will radically disrupt the risk outlook for organizations with many struggling to react to threats arising from misinformation, disintermediation and strategic miscalculation. At the same time, companies are having to negotiate supply chains made more complex by geopolitics and climate change and cyber threats from a growing number of malicious actors. It will take a relentless focus to build resilience at organizational, country and international levels – and greater cooperation between the public and private sectors – to navigate this rapidly evolving risk landscape.”

John Scott, Head of Sustainability Risk, Zurich Insurance Group, said: “The world is undergoing significant structural transformations with AI, climate change, geopolitical shifts and demographic transitions. Ninety-one per cent of risk experts surveyed express pessimism over the 10-year horizon. Known risks are intensifying and new risks are emerging – but they also provide opportunities. Collective and coordinated cross-border actions play their part, but localized strategies are critical for reducing the impact of global risks. The individual actions of citizens, countries and companies can move the needle on global risk reduction, contributing to a brighter, safer world.”

About the Global Risks Initiative. The Global Risks Report is a key pillar of the Forum’s Global Risks Initiative, which works to raise awareness and build consensus on the risks the world faces, to enable learning on risk preparedness and resilience. The Global Risks Consortium, a group of business, government and academic leaders, plays a critical role in translating risk foresight into ideas for proactive action and supporting leaders with the knowledge and tools to navigate emerging crises and shape a more stable, resilient world.

World Economic Forum Annual Meeting January 15-19 under the theme “Rebuilding Trust”

WEF says the meeting will bring together more than 2,800 leaders from 120 countries and will be accessible to the wider public with over 200 sessions to be livestreamed.

“We face a fractured world and growing societal divides, leading to pervasive uncertainty and pessimism. We have to rebuild trust in our future by moving beyond crisis management, looking at the root causes of the present problems, and building together a more promising future,” said Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, World Economic Forum.

The meeting’s programme will address the latest global developments and will draw on the forward-thinking work of the Forum and its stakeholders to deliver innovative, practical solutions. The meeting aims to revitalize and reimagine the cooperation necessary for advancing resilience and security; reviving economic growth that improves living standards; pursuing rapid action that protects the climate and nature while securing energy; ensuring technological developments are inclusive; and investing in people and equitable opportunities.

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Geneva/New York, December 11 – Humanitarians are facing their biggest challenge not seen in more than 10 years as unequal economic pressure, climate disasters, disease outbreaks and conflicts are driving up the number of people in need to 228 million while humanitarian assistance funds are decreasing, said Martin Griffiths at the launch of Global Humanitarian Overview 2024.

Griffiths, the UN Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said one in every 73 people around the world is displaced – a ratio that has doubled in over 10 years – and one in five children is living in or fleeing from conflict, 258 million people are facing acute food insecurity and disease outbreaks continue to kill people.

“For the first time since 2010, we will have received less funding than in the previous year,” he said. “It has always gone up – it’s flattened. It’s flattened, not, I should add, because of Ukraine because the gender the generosity of the major donors has protected the aid for other parts of the world. It’s flattened because the needs have also grown.”

“But we fear for the worst for next year,” he said. “The result is that many people, around 38 percent of those targeted through our emergency-specific plans in countries, did not get the humanitarian assistance we aim to provide.”

“Therefore, on behalf of more than 1,900 humanitarian partners around the world, in this great process that produces country-based Humanitarian Response Plans, what our ask for 2024 is $46 billion. That’s a lot of money, but a lot less than the $57 billion that we asked for in 2023.”

UN launches $46 billion appeal for 2024 as global humanitarian outlook remains bleak (Following is a UN press release).

Conflicts, climate emergencies and collapsing economies are wreaking havoc in communities around the world. Nearly 181 million people in 72 countries are targeted to receive humanitarian aid and protection next year.

128 million people received life-saving assistance in 2023, but a growing funding gap meant that support was cut back and millions of people were not reached.

Response plans for 2024 are ultra prioritized on the most urgent needs, and budgets have been tightened.

Geneva, 11 December 2023: On behalf of more than 1,900 humanitarian partners worldwide, the United Nations today launched its global appeal for 2024, calling for US$46.4 billion to help 180.5 million people with life-saving assistance and protection.

Armed conflicts, the climate emergency and collapsing economies are taking a devastating toll on the most vulnerable communities on all continents, resulting in catastrophic hunger, massive displacement and disease outbreaks.

One child in every five lives in, or has fled from, conflict zones in 2023. Some 258 million people face acute hunger. One in 73 people worldwide is displaced – a doubling in 10 years. And disease outbreaks are causing preventable deaths in all corners of the world.

“Humanitarians are saving lives, fighting hunger, protecting children, pushing back epidemics, and providing shelter and sanitation in many of the world’s most inhumane contexts. But the necessary support from the international community is not keeping pace with the needs,” said Martin Griffiths, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator.

“We thank all donors for their contributions, which amount to $20 billion so far this year – but that is just a third of what was needed. If we cannot provide more help in 2024, people will pay for it with their lives.”

Funding shortfalls in 2023 meant that humanitarian organizations reached less than two thirds of the people they aimed to assist.

The consequences are tragic: In Afghanistan, 10 million people lost access to food assistance between May and November. In Myanmar, more than half a million people were left in inadequate living conditions. In Yemen, more than 80 per cent of people targeted for assistance do not have proper water and sanitation. And in Nigeria, only 2 per cent of the women expecting sexual and reproductive health services and gender-based violence prevention received it.

Aid organizations have addressed this needs-and-resources gap in their 2024 response plans, which will have a more disciplined focus on the most urgent needs and will target fewer people: nearly 181 million next year compared to 245 million at the end of 2023. Organizations are also appealing for less money: $46.4 billion for 2024 compared to $56.7 billion at the end of the 2023 global appeal.

However, the ambition to reach all people in need has not changed, and the call to donors to dig deep and fully fund all the response plans is as urgent as ever.

On the occasion of today’s launch of the Global Humanitarian Overview 2024, three successive high-level events will take place, starting in Doha, Qatar, followed by Geneva, Switzerland, and Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The Global Humanitarian Overview is a comprehensive assessment of global humanitarian needs, and it provides a snapshot of current and future trends in humanitarian action for large-scale resource mobilization.

The five largest country appeals reflect the number of people in need and the depth of their need. The appeal for Syria requests $4.4 billion, Ukraine $3.1 billion, Afghanistan $3 billion, Ethiopia $2.9 billion and Yemen $2.8 billion.

The top five regional appeals, covering the crisis-affected countries’ neighbours, are the Syria Regional Appeal at $5.5 billion, the Venezuela Joint Refugee and Migrant Plan at $1.6 billion, the South Sudan Regional Appeal at $1.5 billion, the Sudan Regional Appeal at $1.3 billion and the Ukraine Regional Appeal at $1 billion.

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Four-year EU-funded project offers roadmaps for key industry sectors: renewable energy, mobility, and electric and electronic equipment, and advice to governments, civil society. Special cases: Latin America, Africa, China. Experts have delivered a sweeping prescription to governments, civil society and industry for a globally coordinated approach to the responsible sourcing of raw materials needed to achieve a circular green economy.  In a report, the four-year EU-funded RE-SOURCING project proposes adopting a global vision of a circular economy and reduced resource consumption by 2050 and outlines a series of interim milestones and targets for three key industrial sectors: renewable energy, mobility, and electric and electronic equipment.

The report https://bit.ly/3uqXlqT acknowledges that several firms and governments are showing leadership to address troubling global environmental, social and economic issues, including: Biodiversity and habitat protection, land, air and water pollution, climate change; Access to clean water, air & health care, gender equality, human rights, respecting land rights, labour rights, and safeguarding the artisanal and small-scale miners; Corruption and money laundering, promoting sustainable growth and development, and enabling national / local industrial development.

At the same time, they underline that “the corporate behaviour that existed in the preceding century is no longer acceptable. More responsible and sustainable practices need to be undertaken and evidenced.”

The report adds that the underlying message from wide-ranging stakeholders is that “industry and its supply chains must incorporate and reflect societal values in their operations and business management” and “power imbalances, where they impede the ability of a group to affect the decisions that impact them, need to be addressed.”

Lead author Masuma Farooki says achieving responsible sourcing begins with a universally accepted definition, as well as commonly agreed targets for 2050:

(1) A circular economy and decreased resource consumption, (2) Meeting the Paris Agreement climate goals and environmental sustainability, (3) Social sustainability and responsible production, (4) Responsible procurement, (5) Level-playing field and international cooperation.

International cooperation, the report notes, means helping companies, regions, and countries improve practices and achieve agreed standards. A level playing field “is paramount for achieving all other targets.”

The report strongly underlines the need to address the power imbalance between local communities, workers and other affected stakeholders in decision-making, enabling their meaningful participation in decision-making.

Transparency is also fundamental. Consumers need to know how the elements of the products they buy are obtained, with adequate information to enable their choosing sustainably-sourced products.

Key points in the report include: Companies should not pass along to communities and workers the costs of pollution, land degradation and other negative impacts of corporate activities.

To reduce corruption and the financing of violence that have often accompanied extractive activity, transparency is needed in financial payments and material flows in supply chains.

Standards and guidelines based on multi-stakeholder consultations, as well as certification schemes, and government regulations and legislation, are needed, with several model examples from the US and Europe cited

Among many recommendations to policymakers: Strengthen international cooperation to develop harmonized mining standards for responsible extraction. Enable responsible mining in Europe (no more ‘burden-shifting’ to other regions) Update mining regulations based on existing voluntary certification schemes. Eco-design policies for solar PVs and wind turbines. Lower taxes on, and give preference to, goods manufactured with higher social and environmental standards.

Recycling: Support recycling activities and create markets for secondary raw materials. Require Life Cycle Assessments for all new technologies/products. Develop and implement environmental regulations for wind turbine and solar PV manufacturing and recycling.

Wider Policy: Harmonize environmental policies of EU Member States and coordinate responsible sourcing reporting criteria. Protect human rights defenders and support civil society capacity building. Make supply chain due diligence mandatory for all. Ensure that raw materials and products imported from outside the EU fulfill the same sustainability requirements as operations inside the EU.

Recommendations to industry include:

Mining: Fleet electrification and decreased energy intensity. Plan for mine closure from the beginning of project development. Support local procurement.

Manufacturing: Include eco-design from the beginning of product development to improve recyclability. Include ‘social life cycle assessment’ in product development. Firmly eliminate modern slavery and forced labour in the supply chain of solar PV and wind turbines.

Recycling: Improve collaboration between supply chain stages, research, and academia to substitute non-recyclable materials.Cooperate with other sectors to improve reuse of non-recyclable materials.

Corporate strategies: Environment and climate reporting, including greenhouse gas accounting and reporting for the entire supply chain. Tailor-made climate protection projects. International application of environmental and social standards.

The report provides specific roadmaps and recommendations for policymakers and companies in the renewable energy, mobility sector, and the electronic product sectors.

It also takes a special look at three regions:Latin America, Africa, and China.

Latin America mining projects can face particularly strong opposition from local communities. According to the Environmental Justice Atlas (EJAtlas 2023), 45% of reported conflicts worldwide are in Latin America, where projects are often located near sensitive, biodiverse ecosystems, many of which are home to vulnerable communities.

A key regional priority, therefore, is “strengthening of social capital and civil society trust in the mining sector with focus on the local communities.”

African regional challenges include “trustful and transparent collaboration” by industry, local governments, and others. “If the mining sector, communities, supply chain and governments work together, the outlook for the industry on the continent will be bright.”

Among other key considerations for Africa: supporting and improving artisanal and small-scale mining operations, which plays a crucial role in obtaining many raw materials essential for the green transition.

China, meanwhile, dominates the critical green-energy technology minerals supply chain with rising investments abroad. A recent report associated China, however, with over 100 human rights abuses, environmental harms, workers’ rights violations and other allegations over the past two years in Indonesia, Peru, Congo, Myanmar, Zimbabwe and other countries.

It also notes China’s creation of guidelines to align companies’ due diligence with international standards. The report adds that similar allegations are made against mining operations linked to Canadian, USA, UK, Australian and European companies and investors. In the end, the report cautions, “the findings just underline growing concerns that the green transition to renewable energy is repeating unjust business practices that have long dominated fossil-fuel and mineral extractions.”

Comments:

Stefanie Degreif, OEKO Institute, Germany: “Significant and systemic changes are needed now and over the next decades to achieve climate targets and make the lithium-ion battery chain more responsible and sustainable. There is no time to waste – we need to act now! Changes are needed and cannot be postponed to the next generation or next legislation period.”

Andreas Endl, Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU), Austria: “Over the course of the last four years, we investigated closely and informed decision makers about the fast-moving and immensely dynamic discourse on responsible sourcing. While progress has been made on many fronts with stricter legislation and successful business cases, we still have to go a long way to improve the livelihoods of affected people and respect the integrity of the environment.”

Michael Tost, Montanuniversität Leoben, Austria: “A sustainable energy transition can be successfully achieved only if all actors including policy makers, industry, and civil society realize their responsibility in openly discussing and engaging with affected communities to create trust.”

Shahrzad Manoochehri, World Resources Forum Association, Switzerland: “Due to the complexity and interconnected nature of mineral value chains, achieving responsible sourcing at a global level requires mutual understanding, a fair competitive environment, and the establishment of shared common goals that are respected by all stakeholders across different regions.”

Background: In 1998, amid mounting internal and external pressures, nine international mining companies united to establish the Global Mining Initiative. Their goal was to understand and transform their operations per societal expectations. A surge in community discord, violent incidents, opposition to mining projects, accusations of corruption and bribery, and the threat of nationalization by host governments had pushed these companies to act. Reputational damage and share price concerns further fueled their drive for change.

Simultaneously, international policy and politics began to emphasize securing a sustainable future and acknowledging the dire consequences of environmental damage.

Consumer awareness and citizenship advocacy also started pushing for more sustainable public policies, making the environmental agenda a central political topic. Businesses and investors, initially slowly and later in growing numbers, began to prioritize sustainable sourcing practices within their supply chains.

Addressing corruption and bribery in the extractive sector became a significant government issue. This collective but not necessarily coordinated movement aimed to transform behaviours. in the extractive sector and its associated supply chains.

Today, the green transition and the shift toward renewable energy, heavily relies on mineral consumption. However, the adverse impacts on ecosystems, human rights, and economic inequality are no longer acceptable. The mining sector and its associated supply chains are steadfastly committed to becoming more responsible in their operations, with sustainability as a core objective.

Responsible sourcing (RS) practices have emerged as a vital tool in achieving these objectives and minimizing negative impacts within mineral supply chains. By 2023, RS is no longer a distant ideal but a practical reality for businesses and policymakers, and it is increasingly demanded by Civil Society Organizations (CSOs).

To tackle the growing challenge of implementing RS, the RE-SOURCING Global Stakeholder Platform was initiated in 2020. Funded under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 program, this four-year project, coordinated by the Institute for Managing Sustainability at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, assembled international partners within and outside the EU to create the RE-SOURCING Platform, including OEKO Institut (Germany), World Resources Forum Association (Switzerland), Montanuniversität Leoben (Austria), Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia), MineHutte Intelligence (UK), SOMO (Netherlands), WWF (Germany), EIT Raw Materials (Germany), Luleå University of Technology (Sweden, AHK Business Center (Chile) and SRK Consulting (South Africa).

The project’s vision was to advance the understanding of RS as a mandatory requirement in mineral supply chains among EU and international stakeholders. This involved fostering the development of a globally accepted definition of RS, facilitating the implementation of RS practices through knowledge exchange, creating visions and roadmaps and Good Practice Guidance for three key EU sectors – renewable energy, mobility, and electronics – and advocating for RS in international political arenas.

The RE-SOURCING Project focused on: Facilitating a globally accepted definition of RS.Brainstorming incentives to support RS and responsible business conduct.

Enabling exchanges of information and promoting RS among stakeholders.

Fostering the emergence of RS in international political.

Supporting the European Innovation Partnership on Raw Materials.

Outputs of the RE-SOURCING Project were tailored to:EU and international business stakeholders: Increased capacity of decision-makers to implement responsible business conduct.

Better understanding and awareness of RS in three key sectors: renewable energy, mobility, and electrical and electronic equipment.

Facilitated implementation of lasting and stable sectoral framework conditions for RS.

EU policymakers: Increased capacity for RS policy design and implementation.

Innovative ideas on policy recommendations for stimulating RS in the private sector. Better understanding and awareness of RS in three key sectors: renewable energy, mobility, and electrical and electronic equipment.

Civil society: Integration of sustainable development and environmental agendas into the RS discourse.

Establishment of a global level playing field for RS in international political fora and business agendas.

Enhanced understanding and awareness of RS in three key sectors: renewable energy, mobility, and electrical electronic equipment.

Throughout the project, numerous reports, executive summaries, policy briefings, Good Practice Guidance, workshops, events, and webinars were conducted, ultimately informing a final report.

The move to responsible sourcing is now an integral part of the global conversation on sustainability, and it’s reshaping the way industries operate and impact the world.

According to the report: “The proposed RS framework is adaptable and allows for diverse pathways based on regional priorities. It aims to coordinate and consolidate various RS approaches without losing their unique features, providing a common destination while accommodating different speeds of progress.”

The report presents “a Rights-Based Approach framework for responsible sourcing in mineral supply chains, aiming to consolidate and align existing approaches, promote international cooperation, and ensure equitable distribution of benefits while accommodating regional variations.”

* * * * *

Media contacts:

Shahrzad Manoochehri, shahrzad.manoochehri@wrforum.org

Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712 (m), tc@tca.tc

Masuma Farooki, masuma.farooki@minehutte.com

Alexander Graf, alexander.graf@wu.ac.at

Terry Collins & Assoc. | www.tca.tc | @TerryCollinsTC | LinkedIn.com/in/terrycollins, Toronto, M6R1L8 Canada

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Note: Club de Madrid members are holding their annual policy dialogue 2023 meeting in Brasilia, attended by Brazil’s Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Indigenous People, Environment and Climate Change. Following is a press reléase from Club de Madrid.

Club de Madrid, the world’s largest forum of democratic former Heads of State and Government, will be holding its Annual Policy Dialogue 2023 “Rethinking Social Development for People and Planet” (APD23) Monday and Tuesday 13-14 November at the Itamaraty Palace in Brasilia. 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mauro Vieira, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Marina Silva, and Minister of Indigenous Peoples, Sonia Guajajara, have confirmed their participation in the opening session. As you will see in the attached programme we have invited President Lula whom we hope will also be attending the opening. 

For more information:  https://clubmadrid.org/club-de-madrid/

This is the first time we celebrate our Policy Dialogue time in the global south and in Brazil no less, in support, among other processes, of its G20 Presidency. Club de Madrid is honoured to have the support of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs amongst others, and we would like to offer you this platform for possible collaborations in the field of communication, particularly coverage and face-to-face interviews with participating Club de Madrid Members and other Policy Dialogue participants here and attached. Please note this list will be regularly updated in the run up to the activity.

From our organisation we are at your disposal to work together on quality content, opinion articles from our Members and participants, analysis, reports, or any other format you consider. Please find attached for more details the executive summary, of the initiative as well as the programme to date.

Invitations to media for coverage of the opening and closing sessions will be sent out separately in the days prior to the event. We have enclosed a Media Kit to facilitate press communications and digital communication actions. Moreover, we include some Social Media Assets (FB, LK, IG, X) for social media, as well as suggested posts.

Our Annual Dialogues are our most relevant activity of the year where we bring together approximately 100 participants, among them 20-30 Club de Madrid Members –all of them democratically elected former Presidents or Prime Ministers– and representatives from different sectors (governmental, multilateral, academic, business and civil society) to discuss priority issues on the international agenda in depth and identify recommendations that our Members then take forward to current leaders through high level advocacy geared towards impact.

Likewise, following Brasilia we will be flying –with our President, Danilo Türk and our Member Jorge Fernando Quiroga–, to Sao Paulo (16^th November) and Rio de Janeiro (17^th November) where we are also open to scheduling interviews if of interest.

Media Contacts: 

Alejandro Hita | Communications Manager, Club de Madrid

+34 622 14 87 29 | ahita@clubmadrid.org

Néstor Báez | Communications Officer, Club de Madrid

+34 671 20 16 74 | nbaez@clubmadrid.org

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New York, October 27 – The UN General Assembly voted overwhelmingly a resolution calling for an “immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce” after reports showed that at least 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in the 21 days of war between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants and 1.4 million people have been displaced in Gaza.

The resolution was presented to the 193-nation assembly as it was holding a second day of debate on the war with the power to act under the Uniting for Peace mandate after the UN Security Council failed its responsibility over world peace and security. The resolution said the humanitarian truce should be followed by a cessation of hostilities.

A total of 120 countries voted in favor while 14 countries voted against and 45 abstained. The assembly took the decisive vote after rejecting, with vote of 88-55, a demand by Canada to insert an amendment into the resolution. 

The amendment demanded that the resolution “Unequivocally rejects and condemns the terrorist attacks by Hamas that took place in Israel starting on 7 October 2023 and the taking of hostages, demands the safety, well-being and humane treatment of the hostages in compliance with international law, and calls for their immediate and unconditional release;“

The assembly decided to hold the emergency session under its annual agenda item known as the Illegal Israeli actions in Occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

The adopted resolution calls on “all parties immediately and fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, particularly in regard to the protection of civilians and civilian objects, as well as the protection of humanitarian personnel, persons hors de combat, and humanitarian facilities and assets, and to enable and facilitate humanitarian access for essential supplies and services to reach all civilians in need in the Gaza Strip.”

It also calls for rescinding the order by “Israel, the occupying Power, for Palestinian civilians and United Nations staff, as well as humanitarian and medical workers, to evacuate all areas in the Gaza Strip north of the Wadi Gaza and relocate to southern Gaza…”

It expresses “grave concern at the latest escalation of violence since the 7 October 2023 attack and the grave deterioration of the situation in the region, in particular in the Gaza Strip and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and in Israel;”

It condemns “all acts of violence aimed at Palestinian and Israeli civilians, including all acts of terrorism and indiscriminate attacks, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement and destruction;”

Lynn Hastings, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, said in a briefing in Geneva that “all humanitarian assistance and humanitarian issues have to be unconditional. “

“We all know there are more than 200 hostages in captivity, and they need to be released immediately and unconditionally,” Hastings said. “The same goes for humanitarian assistance going into Gaza. It has to be able to reach civilians unconditionally.”

Hastings cited reports by the Ministry of Health in Gaza that at least 6,500 Palestinians have been killed in the past 21 days, 17,000 are injured, 68 per cent of those are children and women.

He said 53 staff of the UN relief agency in Gaza have been killed. “And these are the people who are out there trying to deliver services in these extremely difficult circumstances. It is they, that we really need to be paying tribute to,” he said.

UN Security Council fails to find unified solution 

The 15-nation UN Security Council, the highest authority in the UN system over world peace and security issues, has so far failed to adopt a unified response to the Israeli-Hamas conflict. Political differences and vetoes cast by the US on one side, and Russia and China on the other, have crippled the council since war erupted on October 7. Those three countries, France and the United Kingdom are permanent members of the council with the power to cancel a resolution with a veto.

China and Russia on October 25 vetoed a draft resolution sponsored by the United States. Russia submitted a second draft resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire, but both failed to get the necessary nine votes to pass.

Ten members of the council voted for the US draft resolution and three against (China, Russia and UAE), with two abstentions (Brazil and Mozambique).

On October 18, the United States vetoed a Brazil-backed resolution that called for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to people in Gaza because it failed to recognize Israel’s right to self-defense even though 12 of the council’s 15 members voted in favor. Russia and the United Kingdom abstained.

The council’s voting rules call for nine countries to vote in favor to pass a resolution, provided there is no veto from any of the five permanent members – the U.S., Russia, United Kingdom, France and China.

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she cast the no vote because the resolution failed to “mention Israel’s right of self-defense. Israel has the inherent sight of self-defense as reflected in Article 51 of the UN Charter.” 

But Thomas-Greenfield said the U.S., despite its veto, will continue to work closely with all council members on the crisis, “just as we will continue to reiterate the need to protect civilians, including members of the media, humanitarian workers, and UN officials.”

“Yes, resolutions are important, and yes, this Council must speak out. But the actions we take, must be informed by the facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy that can save lives,” she said. 

The U.S. veto, which voided the resolution submitted by Brazil, came after the council rejected on October 16 a Russia-backed resolution on Israel-Gaza war, which called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages, aid access and safe evacuation of civilians. Only five countries – China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russia and the United Arab Emirates – voted in favor. Four countries – France, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – voted against and six abstained, they are Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malta, and Switzerland. (By J. Tuyet Nguyen)

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Invisible e-waste is the focus of the 6th annual International E-Waste Day on Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023 (weee-forum.org/iewd-about). 7.3 billion e-toys – car racing sets, electric trains, music toys, talking dolls, drones, etc. – now discarded annually, an average of ~1 per person on Earth. Almost 1/6th of all electronic waste by mass – 9 billion kg per year – goes largely unrecognized by consumers as e-waste: cables, e-toys, e-cigarettes, e-bikes, power tools, smoke detectors, USB sticks, wearable health devices, smart home gadgets, etc. Discarded vapes alone annually equal 3 Brooklyn Bridges in weight.

Images:www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/y2u5ea3544tv4d054wvrm/h?rlkey=4lz1b4p0avn4wlvnl09gpogyx&dl=0

Can you identify e-waste? Vox pop videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GyDVIEFuFY

Invisible e-waste animation: www.youtube.com/watch?v=2pzAPi_gSkc

Industry voice on invisible e-waste: www.youtube.com/watch?v=zU2L8aZwKdE&list=PL1HDAKbmZD5IIT4sSLiuax7ZB-U1o5avD&index=4

UNITAR datasets re. invisible e-waste: https://bit.ly/3PVFLnh

Every year, unused cables, electronic toys, LED-decorated novelty clothes, power tools, vaping devices, and countless other small consumer items often not recognized by consumers as e-waste amount to 9 billion kilograms of e-waste, one-sixth of all e-waste worldwide. 

This “invisible” category of e-waste in one place would equal the weight of almost half a million 40-tonne trucks, enough to form a 5,640 km bumper-to-bumper line of trucks from Rome to Nairobi.

Many of these devices, such as vapes, gaining in popularity in some societies, contain lithium, which makes their battery rechargeable but also causes serious fire risks when the device is discarded.

Moreover, the European Commission considers lithium a ‘strategic raw material’ crucial to Europe’s economy and green energy transition, but supplies are at risk. Most of these materials are thrown away in household bins and elsewhere.

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum, which organises International E-Waste Day, commissioned the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) to calculate the annual quantities of “invisible” e-waste items in millions of kilograms, in millions of pieces, and in kg and pieces per capita. 

Some 3.2 billion kg, 35%, of the roughly 9 billion kg of invisible e-waste are in the e-toy category: race car sets, electric trains, music toys, talking dolls and other robotic figures, biking computers, drones, etc. – in all, some 7.3 billion individual items discarded annually, an average of about 1 e-toy for every man, woman and child on Earth.

Meanwhile, the estimated 844 million vaping devices each year amount to a mountain of e-waste equal to three times the weight of New York’s Brooklyn Bridge or six Eiffel Towers.

The study also found that 950 million kg of cables containing precious, easily recyclable copper were discarded last year – enough cable to circle the Earth 107 times.

Many are stored in homes, perhaps put aside for potential future use.  And many people don’t realise they could be recycled – a huge sleeping resource at a time when demand for copper is forecast to rise 6 fold by 2030  in Europe alone to meet the needs of strategic sectors such as renewable energy, electric mobility, industry, communications, aerospace and defense.

The value of raw materials in the global e-waste generated in 2019 was estimated at US $57 billion, most of that attributed to iron, copper and gold components.  Of the overall total, 1/6th or $9.5 billion in material value each year, is in the invisible e-waste category.

Other examples of common, invisible e-waste items in households include toothbrushes, shavers, external drives and accessories, headphones and earbuds, remote controls, speakers, LED lights, power tools, household medical equipment, heat and smoke detectors and many others.

Says Pascal Leroy, Director-General of the WEEE Forum: “Invisible e-waste goes unnoticed due to its nature or appearance, leading consumers to overlook its recyclable potential.”

“People tend to recognise household electrical products as those they plug in and use regularly. But many people are confused about the waste category into which ancillary, peripheral, specialist, hobby, and leisure products fit and how to have them recycled.” (related videos:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-Qevtw0F5EPln2bPNiOhlPCNy6fEr28Z/view)

Adds Mr. Leroy: “Many people don’t recognize some battery-powered or wired-in products like a smoke detector or smart thermostat as an electrical product because they don’t have a plug. They are also unaware of the hazardous components e-waste contains. If not properly treated, substances like lead, mercury or cadmium can leach into and contaminate the soil and water.”

The WEEE Forum asks everybody to get their e-waste to the appropriate municipal collection facility.

“A significant amount of electronic waste is hidden in plain sight,” says Magdalena Charytanowicz of the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Forum. “Sadly, invisible e-waste often falls under the recycling radar of those disposing of them because they are not seen as e-waste.  We need to change that and raising awareness is a large part of the answer. Much effort and progress was made around plastic pollution and people are now more conscious about it, especially with a UN treaty on plastics in the works by 2024. We hope the same will occur in the e-waste field.”

In Europe, thanks to 20 years of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) legislation, 55% of e-waste generated is now officially collected and reported. Still, according to the United Nations global e-waste monitor,  other parts of the world show much slower growth rates in its collection, and globally, the reported average collection rate is just over 17%.

Says Virginijus Sinkevičius, European Commissioner for the Environment: “This International E-Waste Day, the EU acknowledges the pressing e-waste challenge and is proactively setting a leadership example. The ongoing expansion in electronic device production and consumption has significant environmental and climate repercussions. Introducing Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) in e-waste legislation two decades

E-waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream.

Says Jan Vlak, the president of the WEEE Forum: “Not only producers but all relevant actors, including regulators, consumers, refurbishers, reuse outfits, scrap dealers, retailers and recyclers, must play a role in the EPR system to successfully increase the collection of e-waste. We need to update the EPR principle, make it congruent with circular economy principles and embed this new vision in EU legislation and in a global treaty to harmonise standards and define critical e-waste management obligations.

Background

According to the United Nations, 8 kg of e-waste per person will be produced worldwide in 2023. Only 17.4% of this waste, containing harmful substances and precious materials, will be recorded as properly collected, treated, and recycled globally.

The remaining tens of millions of tonnes will be placed in landfills, burned, illegally traded, improperly treated, or hoarded in households.

Even in Europe, which leads the world in e-waste recycling, only 55% of e-waste is officially reported as properly collected and recycled, and the lack of public awareness is among the factors preventing countries from developing circular economies for electronic equipment.

International E-waste Day – International E-waste Day (#ewasteday)is an annual awareness-raising campaign initiated by the WEEE Forum and its members. It takes place every year on the 14th of October. It aims to highlight the growing issue of electronic waste and promote responsible e-waste management.

According to a 2022 study developed by the UN Institute for Training & Resources (UNITAR) and WEEE Forum members in 6 countries (UK, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia and The Netherlands), of the 74 e-products found in an average household, 13 are being hoarded (9 of them unused but working and 4 broken). Small consumer electronics and accessories (such as headphones or remote controls – often not recognised as electronic items) rank top of the list of hoarded products. If these gadgets remain in the drawers and cupboards, the valuable resources they contain do not re-enter the manufacturing cycle.

When electronic devices and components are disposed of improperly because they are not recognised as e-waste, they often end up in landfills or incinerators. Electronics contain various hazardous substances such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and flame retardants, which can leach into soil and water sources, pollute ecosystems and pose risks to human health.

These devices also contain valuable resources, including precious metals like gold, silver and copper, and Critical Raw Materials, which are crucial for the green transition and production of new electronic devices. When e-waste is not recycled correctly, these valuable materials go to waste.

The WEEE Forum – The WEEE Forum is a Brussels-based, impactful not-for-profit international association representing 52 producer responsibility organisations on all continents worldwide, all of them mandated by producers of electrical and electronic products to manage e-waste responsibly. Together with its members, they are at the forefront of turning the Extended Producer Responsibility principle into an effective electronic waste management policy approach through our combined knowledge of the technical, business and operational aspects of collection, logistics, de-pollution, processing, preparing for reuse and reporting of e-waste. It is the biggest organisation of its kind in the world.

Since their founding, the PROs in the WEEE Forum have collected, de-polluted and recycled or sent for preparation for re-use of more than 35 million tonnes of WEEE. In addition, our members operate over 114,000 WEEE collection points, and two-thirds of them are market leaders in their countries.

About: www.weee-forum.org

Contacts: Magdalena Charytanowicz, +32 494 23 28 83 (m), magdalena.charytanowicz@weee-forum.org 

Juliet Heller, +44-(0)7946-616-150; juliet@julietheller.co.uk

Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712 (m), tc@tca.tc

Terry Collins & Assoc. inc | Twitter: @TerryCollinsTC, www.tca.tc, 295 Wright Ave.,

Toronto, M6R1L8 Canada

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U.N. calls for urgent action to enable opportunities, mitigate risks for information and digital technology. From Internet governance to digital governance, Forum pivots to UN Summit of the Future. Following is a press release from the U.N. Department of Global Communications.

Kyoto, Japan, 12 October 2023 – Recognizing both the opportunities and risks offered by rapid advancements in information and digital technology, the 18th Internet Governance Forum (IGF) wrapped up its series of high-level discussions and multistakeholder dialogues in Kyoto from 8 to 12 October.

In his closing message to the Forum, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, Li Junhua reminded delegates of the 18-year contribution of the IGF, that is bottom-up, inclusive multistakeholder participation and engagement on information and digital technologies. He concluded with a call for collective action to “do more — empowering more countries and all stakeholders for an inclusive and equitable digital future for all — optimizing opportunities and managing risks.”

Key issues discussed during the week of rich exchanges, included the acceleration in artificial intelligence (AI) beyond generative AI. While AI offers opportunities to address the off-track SDGs, it also poses new risks, threatening to increase disinformation and exacerbate inequalities. Urgent action is needed to mitigate these risks, while maximizing its promise. The fact that a third of the world’s population is not yet online, and is losing out as a result, shows how digital divides can increase inequalities between developed and developing countries, men and women, young and elderly, rich and poor, urban and rural areas.

Other important themes covered during the week included data governance – how to ensure that the immense volume of data generated by digital technology can be used for the common good, while respecting individual privacy; cybersecurity – how to protect countries, communities and individuals from malicious use of the Internet and digital technology; and the environment – how to maximize the contribution that technology makes to environmental sustainability and the fight against climate change, while minimizing its own environmental footprint, for example, in e-consumption and e-waste.

This year’s IGF took place within the framework of wider discussions about the future role of information and communication technologies within the UN system including two UN processes to which the IGF brings its unique multistakeholder perspective. First, the Global Digital Compact  – a comprehensive new approach to digitalization’s impact on the world community which will form part of the UN’s Summit of the Future in 2024; and second, the 20-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20) that led to the establishment of the IGF. The renewal of the IGF’s mandate will be discussed by the UN General Assembly as part of the WSIS+20 review in 2025.

Highlights – As a key outcome, the Kyoto IGF Messages are sourced directly from Forum sessions and provide a high-level overview for decision-makers of the most current thinking on key Internet governance and digital policy issues.

‘The Internet We Want’ vision paper was released at the IGF by the UN Secretary-General appointed IGF Leadership Panel Chair, Vint Cerf and Vice-Chair Maria Ressa. The paper reiterated that digital governance is critical for economic, social and environmental development, and is a crucial enabler of sustainable development. It further elaborated what it means for the Internet to be whole and open, universal and inclusive, free-flowing and trustworthy, safe and secure and rights-respecting.

The U.N. Global Digital Compact, which aims to set out principles, objectives and actions to secure a human-centred digital future received robust discussion and review. The outcomes of the IGF, including from its High-level, Parliamentary and Youth tracks, will also serve as a concrete framework for the Compact that will be agreed on at the UN Summit of the Future next year.

The Government of Japan also announced their plans at the Forum for an Artificial Intelligence accord that would see G7 nations agree on international guidelines and codes of conduct for the developers of generative AI.

About the Internet Governance Forum (IGF) – The Internet Governance Forum, convened by the United Nations Secretary-General and hosted this year by the Government of Japan, is the global multistakeholder forum concerned with the Internet and the rapid transformation of society that results from digital development. Each year, the IGF annual meeting brings together stakeholders from around the world to discuss the most pressing Internet governance trends and challenges. The IGF meetings facilitate the exchange of information and the sharing of good policies and practices related to key elements of Internet governance in order to foster the sustainability, robustness, security, stability and development of the Internet.

Held from 8 to 12 October, this year’s IGF brought together close to 9,000 registered participants, from 178 countries (92% of UN Member States), with 5,500 joining on-site with others participating online in a fully hybrid interactive mode, making it the largest and most geographically diverse Forum to date. Representatives from governments, the private sector, civil society, the technical community and international organizations, gathered under the umbrella theme of ‘The Internet We Want – Empowering All People’. Over 160 national, regional, and youth IGF initiatives, and 35 IGF remote hubs also allowed hundreds if not thousands more online participants to contribute to the Forum.

The programme featured over 300 sessions, with eight sub-themes: (1) AI & Emerging Technologies; (2) Avoiding Internet Fragmentation; (3) Cybersecurity, Cybercrime & Online Safety; (4) Data Governance & Trust; (5) Digital Divides & Inclusion; (6) Global Digital Governance & Cooperation; (7) Human Rights & Freedoms; and (8) Sustainability & Environment.

For additional information, please visit: https://www.intgovforum.org/en

Media contacts: – Francyne Harrigan, UN Department of Global Communications, harriganf@un.org

Eleonora Mazzucchi, IGF Secretariat, eleonora.mazzucchi@un.org

***

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“The Holy Grail of Astrobiology” Machine learning technique reveals a sample’s biological or non-biological origin with 90% accuracy. Scientists have discovered a simple and reliable test for signs of past or present life on other planets – “the holy grail of astrobiology.”

In the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a seven-member team, funded by the John Templeton Foundation and led by Jim Cleaves and Robert Hazen of the Carnegie Institution for Science, reports that, with 90% accuracy, their artificial intelligence-based method distinguished modern and ancient biological samples from those of abiotic origin.

Simply put, the new test reliably determines whether the history of a sample under examination included something that was once alive – in other words, did it have a biotic or abiotic origin?

“This routine analytical method has the potential to revolutionize the search for extraterrestrial life and deepen our understanding of both the origin and chemistry of the earliest life on Earth,” says Dr. Hazen.  “It opens the way to using smart sensors on robotic spacecraft, landers and rovers to search for signs of life before the samples return to Earth.”

Most immediately, the new test could reveal the history of mysterious, ancient rocks on Earth, and possibly that of samples already collected by the Mars Curiosity rover’s Sample Analysis at Mars (SAM) instrument. The latter tests could be conducted using an onboard analytical instrument nicknamed “SAM” (for Sample Analysis at Mars. (NASA photos: https://bit.ly/3P8V8II).

“We’ll need to tweak our method to match SAM’s protocols, but it’s possible that we already have data in hand to determine if there are molecules on Mars from an organic Martian biosphere.”

“The search for extraterrestrial life remains one of the most tantalizing endeavors in modern science,” says lead author Jim Cleaves of the Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC. 

“The implications of this new research are many, but there are three big takeaways: First, at some deep level, biochemistry differs from abiotic organic chemistry; second, we can look at Mars and ancient Earth samples to tell if they were once alive; and third, it is likely this new method could distinguish alternative biospheres from those of Earth, with significant implications for future astrobiology missions.”

The innovative analytical method does not rely simply on identifying a specific molecule or group of compounds in a sample.

Instead, the researchers demonstrated that AI can differentiate biotic from abiotic samples by detecting subtle differences within a sample’s molecular patterns as revealed by pyrolysis gas chromatography analysis (which separates and identifies a sample’s component parts), followed by mass spectrometry (which determines the molecular weights of those components).

Vast multidimensional data from the molecular analyses of 134 known abiotic or biotic carbon-rich samples were used to train AI to predict a new sample’s origin. With approximately 90% accuracy, AI successfully identified samples that had originated from:

Living things, such as modern shells, teeth, bones, insects, leaves, rice, human hair, and cells preserved in fine-grained rock, Remnants of ancient life altered by geological processing (e.g. coal, oil, amber, and carbon-rich fossils), or Samples with abiotic origins, such as pure laboratory chemicals (e.g., amino acids) and carbon-rich meteorites.

The authors add that until now the origins of many ancient carbon-bearing samples have been difficult to determine because collections of organic molecules, whether biotic or abiotic, tend to degrade over time.

Surprisingly, in spite of significant decay and alteration, the new analytical method detected signs of biology preserved in some instances over hundreds of millions of years.

Says Dr. Hazen: “We began with the idea that the chemistry of life differs fundamentally from that of the inanimate world; that there are ‘chemical rules of life’ that influence the diversity and distribution of biomolecules. If we could deduce those rules, we can use them to guide our efforts to model life’s origins or to detect subtle signs of life on other worlds.”

“These results mean that we may be able to find a lifeform from another planet, another biosphere, even if it is very different from the life we know on Earth.  And, if we do find signs of life elsewhere, we can tell if life on Earth and other planets derived from a common or different origin.”

“Put another way, the method should be able to detect alien biochemistries, as well as Earth life. That is a big deal because it’s relatively easy to spot the molecular biomarkers of Earth life, but we cannot assume that alien life will use DNA, amino acids, etc. Our method looks for patterns in molecular distributions that arise from life’s demand for ‘functional’ molecules.”

“What really astonished us was that we trained our machine-learning model to predict only two sample types – biotic or abiotic – but the method discovered three distinct populations: abiotic, living biotic, and fossil biotic.  In other words, it could tell more recent biological samples from fossil samples – a newly plucked leaf or vegetable, say, versus something that died long ago. This surprising finding gives us optimism that other attributes such as photosynthetic life or eukaryotes (cells with a nucleus) might also be distinguished.”

To explain the role of AI, co-author Anirudh Prabhu of the Carnegie Institution for Science uses the idea of separating coins using different attributes – monetary value, metal, year, weight or radius, for example – then going further to find combinations of attributes that create more nuanced separations and groupings. “And when hundreds of such attributes are involved, AI algorithms are invaluable to collate the information and create highly nuanced insights.”

Adds Dr. Cleaves: “From a chemical standpoint, the differences between biotic and abiotic samples relate to things like water solubility, molecular weights, volatility and so on.”

“The simple way I would think about this is that a cell has a membrane and an interior, called the cytosol; the membrane is pretty water-insoluble, while the cell’s content is pretty water-soluble. That arrangement keeps the membrane assembled as it tries to minimize its components’ contacts with water and also keeps the ‘inside components’ from leaking across the membrane.”

“The inside components can also stay dissolved in water despite being extremely large molecules like chromosomes and proteins,” he says.

“So, if one breaks a living cell or tissue into its components, one gets a mix of very water-soluble molecules and very water-insoluble molecules spread across a spectrum. Things like petroleum and coal have lost most of the water-soluble material over their long histories.”

“Abiological samples can have unique distributions across this spectrum relative to each other, but they are also distinct from the biological distributions.”

The technique may soon resolve a number of scientific mysteries on Earth, including the origin of 3.5 billion-year-old black sediments from Western Australia (photo at https://bit.ly/3YWbZ4Z) — hotly debated rocks that some researchers contend hold Earth’s oldest fossil microbes, while others claim they are devoid of life signs.

Other samples from ancient rocks in Northern Canada, South Africa, and China evoke similar debates.

“We’re applying our methods right now to address these long-standing questions about the biogenicity of the organic material in these rocks,” Dr. Hazen says.

And new ideas have poured forth about the potential contributions of this new approach in other fields such as biology, paleontology and archaeology.

“If AI can easily distinguish biotic from abiotic, as well as modern from ancient life, then what other insights might we gain? For example, could we tease out whether an ancient fossil cell had a nucleus, or was photosynthetic?” says Dr. Hazen.

“Could it analyze charred remains and discriminate different kinds of wood from an archeological site? It’s as if we are just dipping our toes in the water of a vast ocean of possibilities.”

Comments “Cleaves and colleagues’ innovative method of distinguishing biological from abiotic organic matter is a gift for astrobiologists and, quite possibly, for students of Earth’s early history as well.  There is much still to be learned, but one day a next-generation version of their system may well fly to Mars, evaluating the possibility of life on the red planet, while its Earth-bound sisters illuminate life’s antiquity on our own planet.”

Andrew H. Knoll, Fisher Research Professor of Natural History and Research Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences Emeritus, Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University

“I think this new study is very exciting! It is a new avenue of research to explore as it appears to discriminate abiotic from biotic organic matter based on its molecular complexity and could potentially be a fantastic tool for astrobiology missions. It would also be very interesting to test this new method on some of the oldest putative and debated traces of Earth life as well as on modern and fossil organisms from the three domains of life! This might help to solve some hot debates in our community!”

Emmanuelle J. Javaux, Head, Early Life Traces and Evolution-Astrobiology Lab, and Director, Astrobiology Research Unit, University of Liège, Belgium.

“We are in great need of biosignatures for life that don’t depend on looking for a specific type of biomolecule that may be universal to all life on Earth, but not universal to all life outside of Earth. This paper identifies a path forward for using a relatively easily measured chemical signature and determining whether it is likely to be indicative of life or not, without presuming that life outside of Earth will use the same biomolecules as life on Earth. This same statistical approach might be applicable to other types of measurements too, expanding the range of measurements that can be used to identify agnostic biosignatures of life.”

Karen Lloyd, Professor, Department of Microbiology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville. “This provides an important potential tool to identify life both on other planets and also in distant periods of Earth’s past. Importantly the technique can already be utilized on spacecraft that can travel to different parts of the solar system in our search for life elsewhere than Earth.

Daniel Gregory, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto

Contacts:

Terry Collins, +1-416-878-8712 (m), tc@tca.tc

Natasha Metzler, nmetzler@carnegiescience.edu  

Juliet Heller, +44-16-2186-8083, juliet@julietheller.co.uk

Dr. Robert Hazen, Carnegie Science, rhazen@ciw.edu

Prof. Jim Cleaves, Howard University, henderson.cleaves@gmail.com

The paper: “A robust agnostic molecular biosignature based on machine learning”

Authors: Robert M. Hazen – Anirudh Prabhu – George D. Cody – Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC.

H. James Cleaves II. Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC. Department of Chemistry, Howard University, Washington, DC, Blue Marble Space Institute for Science, Seattle, WA, Michael L. Wong

Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science, Washington, DC, NHFP Sagan Fellow, NASA Hubble Fellowship Program, Space Telescope Science Institute, Baltimore, MD

Grethe Hystad, Mathematics and Statistics, Purdue University Northwest, Hammond, IN

Sophia Economon, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD.

* * * * *

A carbon-rich black chert from Western Australia https://bit.ly/3YWbZ4Z

One of the most tantalizing applications of the new method is the resolution of a decades-old debate regarding the origins of organic molecules in the 3.5-billion-year-old Apex Chert from the wilds of Western Australia. 

This enigmatic black rock contains small quantities of carbon-rich residues–just enough to turn the chert a lustrous black. Some scientists have long argued that this formation holds the earliest record of cellular life in the form of tiny spheres and filaments – shapes that mimic modern microbes. 

Other researchers insist that the black residues formed from high-temperature processes that have nothing to do with life. Research now in progress will apply the new biosignature method to the Apex Chert, as well as many other similarly enigmatic ancient rocks from Greenland, South Africa, India, and China.

* * * * *

Trilobites

* * * * *

Despite being 400-500 million years old, carbonized trilobite exoskeletons similar to these were sampled and clearly distinguished as biotic using this new analytical method:

1) Metacanthina sp. from Morocco, Devonian Period (~400 million years old),

7 cm maximum dimension

https://bit.ly/3P20Qfr

2) Koneprussia sp. from Morocco, Devonian Period (~400 million years old),

3.5 cm across.

https://bit.ly/45zUUji

3) Olenoides sp., Utah, Cambrian Period (~500 million years old),

8 cm maximum dimension.

https://bit.ly/3OyYyTq

4) Apianurus rusti, New York, Ordovician Period (~450 million years old),

5 cm maximum dimension.

https://bit.ly/3OGWvwL

(photo credits: Hazen Collection, National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC) 

About

Carnegie Sciencehttps://carnegiescience.edu/about

* * * * *

Terry Collins & Assoc. | www.tca.tc | @TerryCollinsTC | LinkedIn.com/in/terrycollins | In the News 2021: https://adobe.ly/3FRijQA, Toronto, M6R1L8 Canada

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New York, September 20 – Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy lambasted the U.N. Security Council for its ineffectiveness in stopping the Russian war in his country, saying that the council should be reformed and enlarged to include more than the current 15 countries.

Zelenskyy, who appeared in person for the first time at U.N. annual meetings in New York since war broke out in his country on February 24, 2022, said, “Regardless of who you are, the current U.N. system still makes you less influential than the veto power possessed by a few and misused by one: Russia. That is to the detriment of all other U.N. members.”  

Two days after its military invasion of Ukraine, Russia vetoed a Security Council resolution that condemned and demanded an end to its invasion.

The 15-nation council is the highest authority in the U.N. system and is responsible for global peace and security issues. But it is dominated by five permanent members – the United States, Russia, France, United Kingdom and China – which have veto power over decisions. The 10 countries in the council are elected for a two-year term.

“We should recognize that the U.N. finds itself in a deadlock on the matters of aggression. Humankind no longer pins its hopes on the U.N. when it comes to the defense of the sovereign borders of nations,” Zelenskyy said, adding that the U.N. Charter can work effectively for the sake of peace and security globally.

“However, for this to happen, the years-long discussions and projects on U.N. reform must be translated into a viable process of UN reform,” he said. “And it should not be only about representation here in the Security Council.  The use of veto power, that is what requires the reform.”

He said the right to veto used by the council’s permanent members “should not serve those who are obsessed with hatred and war” and that the General Assembly – which comprises all U.N. Member States – “should be given real power to overcome the veto.”

“Ukraine considers it is unjust when billions of people do not have their permanent representation in the Security Council,” he said.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who has condemned Russia for violating the U.N. Charter with its military aggression of Ukraine, called for renewed efforts to uphold Ukraine’s sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

“Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, in clear violation of the United Nations Charter and international law, is aggravating geopolitical tensions and divisions, threatening regional stability, increasing the nuclear threat, and creating deep fissures in our increasingly multipolar world,” he said in opening the council meeting on the theme of peace and security, and the war in Ukraine.

“All this comes at a time when cooperation and compromise for multilateral solutions are needed more than ever, to tackle challenges from the climate crisis to unprecedented levels of inequality to disruptive technologies,” he said.

“This war is already causing limitless suffering. Its continuation risks further perilous escalation,” he warned.  “There is no alternative to dialogue, diplomacy, and a just peace.”

Russia fails stop Zelenskyy from speaking to the council

At the outset of the meeting, Russia’s Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya protested the decision by the council president, Foreign Minister of Albania, Edi Rama, to allow Zelenskyy to speak before the 15 council members. Albania holds the monthly rotating presidency of the council for the month of September.

“I want to assure our Russian colleagues and everyone here that this is not a special operation by the Albanian presidency,” Rama replied Nebenzia. “There is a solution for this. If you agree, you stop the war and President Zelenskiy will not take the floor.”

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken told the council that his country will stand by Ukraine and he denounced Russia for violating the U.N. Charter, committing war crimes and crimes against humanity on “an almost daily basis,” and engaging “in reckless nuclear saber-rattling.”

“In this war, there is an aggressor and there is a victim,” Blinken said.  “One side is attacking the core principles of the U.N. Charter; the other fights to defend them.  For over a year and half, Russia has shredded the major tenets of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, international humanitarian law, and flouted one Security Council resolution after another.”

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