New secretary-general of International Civil Defence Organization elected
The head of the international relations department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Colonel Arguj Kalantarli, was unanimously elected to the post.
Kalantarli delivered a speech, highlighting the 'humanitarian catastrophe on an unimaginable scale' in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, noting Palestine is a member state of the ICDO.
'Food, water, medicine, shelter, these are no longer just basic rights, ' he said. Palestinians' 'loved ones are slipping through our fingers', he added.
The ICDO is an intergovernmental organisation which contributes to the development of systems by countries to help protect populations, property and the environment from natural or man-made disasters and conflicts.
Candidates from four member states of the organisation – Azerbaijan, Serbia, Burkina Faso, and Tunisia – were in the running for the position.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Associated Press
an hour ago
- Associated Press
Action Against Hunger and French Water Partnership Amplify Global Call for Survival and Resilient Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) at UN 2026 Water Conference Preparatory Session
NEW YORK, July 16, 2025 /3BL/ - At the United Nations 2026 Water Conference Preparatory Meeting, Action Against Hunger joined forces with the French Water Partnership to represent the WASH Road Map and the Global WASH Cluster in launching the 2025 Call to Action for Survival and Resilient WASH, a bold and urgent appeal to prioritize humanitarian water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services in fragile and conflict-affected contexts. The call to action is endorsed by over 230 humanitarian and development actors and four national governments. Across the globe, nearly 175 million people require humanitarian assistance for WASH. In 2024, the needs were met for only 48 million people—just a quarter of those who need this lifesaving aid—due to chronic underfunding, political interference, and security risks undermining the safety of both the people in need and humanitarian personnel. In her address during a high-level Multi-Stakeholder Interactive Session, Marie-Laure Vercambre, General Director of the French Water Partnership, emphasized the gravity of the situation: 'In 2025, of the $3.2 billion needed, only $146 million has been secured [as of April 2025]—barely 4.5 percent. This situation jeopardizes the lives and dignity of millions of people in fragile and conflict-affected settings. Yet, water is not optional—it is a human right and a lifesaving asset.' The call to action urges Member States and all actors to: Nicolas Villeminot, Senior WASH Advisor at Action Against Hunger, highlighted the strong backing of the Slovenian and Swiss delegations, whose support underscores the growing international momentum behind humanitarian WASH. Both delegations are vocal supporters of a stronger inclusion of the specific needs of humanitarian WASH as part of the UN Water Conference. Nicolas Villeminot stated, 'Our coalition extends an invitation to the two co-chairs of the Conference, Senegal and the United Arab Emirates, to join us next month at the Stockholm World Water Week to sign the pledge of the Humanitarian WASH Roadmap, and to make sure that humanitarian needs strongly appear in the interactive dialogue on Water for People.' The Global WASH Cluster also issued a campaign encouraging stakeholders to endorse the Call to Action and amplify its reach. 'This is not just a policy commitment—it's a collective movement,' the Global WASH Cluster emphasized. As preparations for the 2026 UN Water Conference continue, Action Against Hunger remains committed to ensuring that humanitarian WASH is not only recognized but embedded in global water governance frameworks. Together with our partners, we are turning this crisis into an opportunity—to save lives and build a more resilient future. Building on the 2023 UN Water Conference—the first high-level conference in nearly half a century to focus on the water crisis—the 2026 UN Water Conference, co-hosted by Senegal and the UAE, will aim to accelerate the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 6: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all. During the Preparatory Meeting of July 9th, the Member States formally adopted by consensus the six Interactive Dialogue themes that will frame the 2026 UN Water Conference: The need for action over commitments was emphasized by many Member States and civil society representatives throughout the day to accelerate SDG 6, which is one of the most off-track SDGs. As highlighted in an address from the UN Secretary-General's Special Envoy on Water, Her Excellency Retno L. P. Marsudi, the conference must be 'the time to transform the moment for SDG 6 into movement. Moment to movement.' She added that 'Globally, water-related disasters have contributed to 95% of infrastructure loss and damages, and in 2024 alone, it costed as much as $550 billion in economic loss.' Action Against Hunger echoes the European Union's statement advocating for the establishment of thematic civil society working groups aligned with the six interactive dialogue topics, to enable meaningful and substantive stakeholder contributions as part of a truly inclusive and consultative process.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Japan racks up trade deficit amid threat from Trump's tariffs
TOKYO (AP) — Japan sank into a trade deficit of 2.2 trillion yen ($15 billion) for the first six month of this year, according to government data released Thursday, as exports were hit by President Donald Trump's tariffs. In June, Japan's exports slipped 0.5% from a year earlier after its shipments of vehicles and other products were slapped with a 25% tariff. President Donald Trump has postponed implementing that higher import duty until Aug. 1, to allow time for negotiations but so far no deal has been reached. Exports in June totaled nearly 9.2 trillion yen ($62 billion), in the second straight month of declines. Imports in June rose 0.2% to 9 trillion yen ($61 billion), the Finance Ministry said. That left a trade surplus of 153 billion yen (just over $1 billion). The trade deficit in May was 637.6 billion yen, or $4.4 billion. Japan's exports to the United States fell 11% in June, with auto exports plunging 25%. Shipments to China decreased by nearly 5%. Exports to Mexico, a major auto assembly hub for North America for Japanese automakers, fell nearly 20%. In the first half of the year, Japan's exports totaled 53.4 trillion yen ($360 billion), up 3.6%, while imports rose 1.3% to 55.6 trillion yen ($375 billion). Japan and the U.S. have been holding trade talks, with Japanese officials stressing that Japan is a key U.S. ally. Trump has focused on rice, a sector traditionally protected from foreign competition for the sake of Japan's food security. Japan imports more than 300,000 tons of rice a year from the U.S., according to various data, although some of that is used for animal feed. Japan will hold an election for the Upper House of Parliament on Sunday. Given falling public support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration, the conservative and pro-business ruling Liberal Democratic Party could lose its majority unless it gains another coalition partner. Japan's economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.7% in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter, partly due to slowing exports. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Threads:
Associated Press
2 hours ago
- Associated Press
Japan racks up trade deficit amid threat from Trump's tariffs
TOKYO (AP) — Japan sank into a trade deficit of 2.2 trillion yen ($15 billion) for the first six month of this year, according to government data released Thursday, as exports were hit by President Donald Trump's tariffs. In June, Japan's exports slipped 0.5% from a year earlier after its shipments of vehicles and other products were slapped with a 25% tariff. Trump has postponed implementing that higher import duty until Aug. 1, to allow time for negotiations but so far no deal has been reached. Exports in June totaled nearly 9.2 trillion yen ($62 billion), in the second straight month of declines. Imports in June rose 0.2% to 9 trillion yen ($61 billion), the Finance Ministry said. That left a trade surplus of 153 billion yen (just over $1 billion). The trade deficit in May was 637.6 billion yen, or $4.4 billion. Japan's exports to the United States fell 11% in June, with auto exports plunging 25%. Shipments to China decreased by nearly 5%. Exports to Mexico, a major auto assembly hub for North America for Japanese automakers, fell nearly 20%. In the first half of the year, Japan's exports totaled 53.4 trillion yen ($360 billion), up 3.6%, while imports rose 1.3% to 55.6 trillion yen ($375 billion). Japan and the U.S. have been holding trade talks, with Japanese officials stressing that Japan is a key U.S. ally. Trump has focused on rice, a sector traditionally protected from foreign competition for the sake of Japan's food security. Japan imports more than 300,000 tons of rice a year from the U.S., according to various data, although some of that is used for animal feed. Japan will hold an election for the Upper House of Parliament on Sunday. Given falling public support for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's administration, the conservative and pro-business ruling Liberal Democratic Party could lose its majority unless it gains another coalition partner. Japan's economy contracted at an annual rate of 0.7% in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter, partly due to slowing exports. ___ Yuri Kageyama is on Threads:
