WASHINGTON, 02 December 2021, (TON): The Department of State is pleased to announce the appointment of David B. Sullivan as the new U.S. National Contact Point (NCP) for the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises (on Responsible Business Conduct) and a Senior Adviser for Corporate Social Responsibility.

This is an important position for promoting business conduct that is commercially viable and conducted in a manner consistent with high standards related to labor, the environment, human rights, and other sustainability factors. 

Mr. Sullivan’s appointment reflects our objective to further enhance the NCP role, as a part of broader efforts to promote sustainable economic policies, including a foreign policy that benefits all Americans.

The Guidelines, established in 1976, and most recently updated in 2011, are the leading set of comprehensive guidance from governments on responsible business conduct. 

The role of the NCP is to promote awareness of the Guidelines, to facilitate their practical application, and to seek to resolve, through mediation or conciliation, disputes or “specific instances” regarding an enterprise’s conduct.

NEW YORK, 02 December 2021, (TON): Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to international organizations in Vienna, told reporters “there are still great differences between Tehran and Washington on the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action ( JCPOA ) on the Iranian nuclear program, but the parties have a chance to come to an agreement, Ulyanov.”

He recalled that Iran has already moved away from the JCPOA in many positions.

However, it is important to understand that this happened not because of Tehran’s ill will, but as a reaction to the irresponsible policy of maximum US pressure with extraterritorial sanctions and other forms of pressure on Tehran.

KABUL, 02 December 2021, (TON): Delegation of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan led by the Afghan Foreign Minister Mawlavi Amir Khan Muttaqi held two-day detailed discussions with US Special Representative for Afghanistan Tom West and his accompanying senior interagency delegation.

In the meeting, both sides talked and exchanged views about political, economic, health, education, security and humanitarian issues including discussions about necessary facilities in banking and liquidity availability.

The Afghan side assured them about security, urged immediate unconditional unfreezing of Afghan reserves, ending of sanctions and blacklists, and disconnecting humanitarian issues from political considerations.

KABUL, 02 December 2021, (TON): The head of the passport department, Alem Gul Haqqani, said “the department submitted at least 20,000 passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to distribute outside the country for Afghan citizens.”

According to the department, the passports will be issued to the Afghans outside the country whose passports have expired.

Alem Gul Haqqani said “we will attempt to send passports to migrants living abroad. We have sent about 20,000 passports to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 5,000 0f these will be sent to Saudi Arabia soon.”

The extension of passport validity is always a fundamental problem for people living abroad, but Kabul residents, meanwhile, criticized the passport department for not addressing their needs.

Zahra Mohammadi, a civil society activist said “people inside Afghanistan are in serious need of passports, they need to leave for education, people must take their relatives out for medical treatment–these people need passports more than other migrants outside.”

Passport distribution in Kabul was suspended about two weeks ago, even though offices are open in 17 other provinces.

ISLAMABAD, 02 December 2021, (TON): National Security Advisor of Pakistan, Dr. Moeed Yusuf visited Moscow heading a six-member delegation, on the invitation of Secretary of the Security Council of Russia, Mr. Nikolai Patrushev.

He held delegation level talks with his Russian counterpart. The two sides reviewed the whole gamut of Pak-Russia relations and held in-depth discussions on regional and international issues.

In the bilateral domain, matters of mutual interest including cooperation in economic, energy, defence, counter-terrorism, counter-narcotics, and information and cyber security came under discussion.

The two sides discussed the situation in Afghanistan at length and resolved to support all efforts to bring lasting peace in Afghanistan.

DHAKA, 02 December 2021, (TON): Process of negotiation on crafting new instrument on pandemic prevention expected to take place next year.

Bangladesh has recommended strengthening the global health structure, especially the World Health Organization (WHO), with a view to countering further disasters.

Md Mustafizur Rahman, ambassador and permanent representative of Bangladesh to the United Nations (UN), made the suggestion during the ongoing Special Session of the World Health Assembly.

A press release said “the three-day long session is being held with a focus on finalizing the decision on crafting a new instrument to counter present and future pandemics in light of the experience of the global community in countering the pandemic.”

Ambassador Rahman said “waiver of intellectual property rights, enhancement of capacities, sharing of technology, financial assistance, etc for the developing countries should be included in the instrument.”

ISLAMABAD, 02 December 2021, (TON): Pakistan strongly condemned the continued spree of extra-judicial killings in staged encounters and fake cordon-and-search-operations in occupied Jammu and Kashmir by Indian forces who, in the latest such incident, killed two Kashmiris in Pulwama.

According to a statement by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs “the two Kashmiris were killed in a so-called cordon-and-search-operation.”

The ministry said that at least 18 innocent Kashmiris have been killed with impunity by Indian occupation forces in the past month.

The statement notes that while the fundamental freedoms of Kashmiris remain suspended, Indian occupation forces have further intensified their repression in Indian-occupied Jammu and Kashmir in the past weeks.

DHAKA, 02 December 2021, (TON): Dhaka aims to eventually move around 100,000 refugees to ease overcrowding in cramped refugee camps near Cox's Bazar.

Dozens of Rohingya refugees sent to Bhasan Char have been allowed to visit relatives for the first time since their relocations began two years ago.

Nearly 20,000 members of the stateless Muslim minority, who fled neighbouring Myanmar in 2017 after a brutal military crackdown, have already been sent to Bhasan Char.

Dhaka aims to eventually move around 100,000 refugees to ease overcrowding in cramped refugee camps near Cox's Bazar.

Authorities allowed 68 Rohingya to leave the formerly barren island to visit their family members on the mainland.

"This is the first time Rohingya living on the island have gone to the camps to visit their relatives."

DHAKA, 02 December 2021, (TON): The Bangladesh Government signed an agreement with a Chinese company to set up the country's first waste-to-energy power plant, which will have the capacity to generate 42.5 megawatts of power, at Dhaka's Amin Bazar.

The agreement was signed among Local Government Division, Power Division, DNCC, and China Machinery Engineering Corporation at a city hotel.

The total cost of the project will be around Tk 15,325 crore.

NAYPYITAW, 02 December 2021, (TON): Myanmar’s junta laid a new charge of corruption against Aung San Suu Kyi, bringing the total number of corruption cases against the ousted state counsellor to six.

According to state media reports, the latest charge is related to the rental of a helicopter by Dr. Win Myat Aye, the former minister for social welfare, relief and resettlement.

The helicopter, which was rented for disaster management purposes, was allegedly improperly used with the approval of Suu Kyi and deposed President Win Myint, who has also been charged in connection with the case.

An investigation by the junta’s Anti-Corruption Commission found that Win Myat Aye used the helicopter for just 84.95 hours between 2019 and 2021, but paid for a total of 720 flight hours, resulting in a loss of more than $3.5m in funds from the country’s National Disaster Management Committee.

State media reported “he also allegedly failed to follow official procedures for the purchase of a helicopter, resulting in a further loss of 23 billion kyat ($12.9m).”

Win Myat Aye was originally charged in August under Section 55 of the Anti-Corruption Law, but Suu Kyi and Win Myint were not formally included in the case.

Both ousted leaders were charged under the same law at the Phayagon Myoma police station in Naypyitaw, where the charge against Win Myat Aye was also filed. All three face up to 15 years in prison if convicted.