UNITED STATES: Biden’s Next Big Goal: 200 M Shots in 100 Days
After reaching a goal to hit 100 million vaccine shots in far less than 100 days, the nation’s chief executive has eyes on an even loftier goal.
In his first formal press conference, President Joseph R. Biden announced on March 25 a goal to administer 200 million COVID-19 vaccine shots in 100 days. This comes after the 100 million goal was reached in just 58 days.
“I know it’s ambitious, twice our original goal, but no other country in the world has even come close – not even close – to what we are doing. And I believe we can do it,” Biden said.
“And today, we’ve made a historic investment in reaching the hardest-hit and the most vulnerable communities, the highest-risk communities – as a consequence of the virus – by investing an addition $10 billion in being able to reach them.
“I also set a goal, before I took office, of getting a majority of schools in K through 8 fully open in the first 100 days. Now, thanks to the enormous amount of work done by our administration, educators, parents, local, state education officials and leaders – a recent Department of Education Department survey shows that nearly half of the K-through-8 schools are open now full time, five days a week, for in-person learning. Not yet a majority, but we’re really close. And I believe, in the 35 days left to go, we’ll meet that goal as well.”
Additionally, the Biden Administration is taking actions to expand vaccination availability in underserved communities and to increase funding for health care workers.
AFRICA: War Criminal’s Conviction Upheld
On March 30, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (“ICC” or “Court”) delivered its judgments confirming, by majority, the decision of Trial Chamber VI (“Trial Chamber”) of July 8, 2019, which found Bosco Ntaganda guilty of 18 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in 2002-2003. Furthermore, the Appeals Chamber unanimously confirmed the Trial Chamber’s decision of Nov. 7, 2019, by which Mr. Ntaganda was sentenced to a total of 30 years of imprisonment. The conviction and the sentence are now final.
Ntaganda and the Prosecutor had appealed the verdict and Ntaganda appealed the sentencing judgment. In the hearing, Judge Howard Morrison, Presiding Judge in these appeals, read a summary of the judgments in open court in the presence of Ntaganda. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions the judgment was delivered on a partially virtual basis, with participation either from the seat of the Court, or from separate locations outside the Court.
The Appeals Chamber found that Ntaganda did not demonstrate that his right to a fair trial was violated and also determined that, in convicting Ntaganda, the Trial Chamber did not exceed the facts and circumstances described in the charges. The Appeals Chamber also rejected his challenge to the Trial Chamber’s finding that the crimes for which he was found to be criminally responsible were part of an attack directed against a civilian population pursuant to, or in furtherance of, an organizational policy. It further rejected Ntaganda’s challenge to the Trial Chamber’s findings on indirect co-perpetration.
The Appeals Chamber also found that the Trial Chamber provided a reasonable assessment of the evidence regarding Ntaganda’s knowledge and intent of the crimes of rape and sexual enslavement of individuals under the age of 15, the recruitment, conscription and use of individuals under the age of 15 in hostilities and in relation to the remaining crimes.
The Appeals Chamber also rejected the Prosecutor’s grounds of appeal on the interpretation of the term ‘attack’ in article 8(2)(e)(iv) of the Rome Statute.
In relation to the appeal against the sentence imposed, the Appeals Chamber rejected Ntaganda’s challenge to the Trial Chamber’s assessment of his degree of participation in and knowledge of the crimes, including the crime of sexual enslavement and rape of civilians.
Likewise, Ntaganda’s challenges to the Trial Chamber’s assessment of alleged aggravating circumstances (related to the crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilians) and mitigating circumstances (including the suffering and discrimination that he had endured as a result of his experience in the Rwandan genocide) were also rejected.
Notably, with regard to the latter, the Appeals Chamber found that Ntaganda’s personal experience in the Rwandan genocide could not diminish his culpability given his criminal conduct and the gravity of the crimes which he was convicted.
ASIA: India Makes Huge Donation
On March 27, India shipped out 200,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines to inoculate UN blue helmets serving in peacekeeping missions.
The donated AstraZeneca vaccines left Mumbai for the Danish capital of Copenhagen, where they will be safely stored and distributed to UN peacekeepers serving in various missions.
Lauding India as “a longstanding and steadfast supporter of peacekeeping,” UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix said, “an effective roll-out of the COVID-19 vaccine to all peacekeepers is a key priority for the United Nations in order to protect our personnel and their capacity to continue their crucial work, help protect vulnerable communities and deliver on their mandates.”
He thanked the Government and people of India for their generous donation to safeguard peacekeeping personnel and “enable them to continue their life-saving work in a safe manner.”
The head of UN Operational Support, Atul Khare, said the “important donation” will ensure that UN peacekeepers remain healthy and “deliver in some of the most difficult environments in the world without relying on already stretched national health systems or ongoing COVAX efforts.”
We thank India…(and) remain engaged with our troop and police contributing countries to ensure that wherever possible, uniformed personnel are vaccinated through their national systems prior to deployment.”
At the same time, Mr. Khare’s department is leading UN system-wide arrangements to support national efforts in vaccinating UN civilian personnel and family members.
India has long played an important role in peacekeeping, particularly though its contribution of troops. Currently, more than 95,000 UN peacekeepers are deployed in 12 missions.
EUROPE: Elaborate Laundering Scheme Crushed
At the request of the French authorities, Eurojust has supported an action day in Germany and Luxembourg to tackle an organized crime group (OCG) involved in the laundering of profits from illegal drugs trafficking.
Coordinated via the Agency, multiple searches took place in Germany and Luxembourg, and four suspects were arrested. Following a large-scale police deployment, bank accounts in Luxembourg linked to the OCG have been frozen and four properties, five luxury vehicles and EUR 30,000 in cash have been seized.
The OCG had set up an elaborate scheme to launder substantial sums of cash gained through the large-scale sale of cocaine in France. Eurojust coordinated an operation against the OCG, taking place this week, at the request of the Interregional Specialized Prosecution Service (JIRS) of Lille in France but which was rolled out on the ground in Germany and Luxembourg. Europol provided analytical support to the operation.
In particular, Eurojust assisted with the execution of European Investigation Orders and enabling the freezing of the bank accounts of the suspects. In Luxembourg, the action day involved about 100 Police Grand-Ducale agents under the direction of an investigating judge of the Luxembourg District Court and the Public Prosecutor’s Office (PPO) at the same court.
In Germany, the operation was coordinated by the PPOs of Stuttgart, Wiesbaden and Saarbrücken with the support of the police departments of Niederbayern, Esslingen, Heidelberg and Westhessen and the State Criminal Police Office Saarland.
