Approaching G7 Summit Brings Japan LGBTQ Bill Under Spotlight

•  WR News Writer
 
•  February 16, 2023
 
• HUMAN RIGHTS
 
•  

G7 host Japan is the intergovernmental political forum’s only member that doesn’t recognise same-sex unions yet.

Ahead of the leaders’ gathering from May 19 – 21, the government is under growing pressure to show progress by strengthening its legal protections for sexual minority citizens.

The issue was in the limelight this month after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida dismissed a top aide who told reporters in an off-the-record briefing that he didn’t “even want to look at” married same-sex couples. Masayoshi Arai even reportedly raised warnings about the legalisation of same-sex marriage leading to citizens abandoning the country.

Although the elite executive later apologised, Kishida has called the remarks “incompatible” with the inclusive society the government wants.

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The Asian country has no specific anti-LGBTQ discrimination law. Although recent polls have demonstrated public support for marriage equality and other rights, ministers are treading cautiously.

A bill that promotes the “understanding” of LGBTQ issues in Japan has again been pushed to the front of the political agenda. First introduced in 2015, the legislation attracted noteworthy attention ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. However, its passage saw significant interruption from conservative members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).

Critics believe a proposed anti-discrimination clause could make companies and individuals more susceptible to malicious lawsuits. However, campaigners argue that sexual minority citizens of Japan frequently struggle to make discrimination claims under more general laws, so passing the legislation without the clause won’t serve the purpose.

Japanese society seems to have moved faster than the government. A recent poll by Kyodo News agency found 64% of respondents believe Japan should support the idea of same-sex marriage.

In recent months, a number of major municipalities have started offering partnership certificates that allow same-sex couples to be treated as married in areas, such as housing, medicine, and welfare. In addition to that, dozens of big Japanese businesses are now offering the same family benefits to their employees, irrespective of sexual orientation.

According to Hiroyuki Taniguchi, a professor in human rights law at Aoyama Gakuin University, “momentum is building and it’s possible that something will change.” But he warned that the momentum could be lost and “social disinterest” could return if no progress was made before the upcoming G7 summit in May.

Japan debates LGBTQ protections under G7 

spotlight

Issued on: 16/02/2023 - 

Tokyo (AFP) – G7 host Japan is the group's only member not to recognise same-sex unions, and ahead of this May's summit the government is under pressure to bolster its legal protections for LGBTQ citizens.

But its ruling party is struggling to even agree on language outlawing discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation.

The issue was thrust into the headlines this month after Prime Minister Fumio Kishida fired a top aide who said he didn't "even want to look at" married same-sex couples.

Kishida called the remarks "outrageous" and "incompatible" with the inclusive society the government wants.

But Japan has no specific anti-LGBTQ discrimination law, and while polls show public support for marriage equality and other rights, ministers have taken a cautious approach.

"It's a disgrace that Japan, as the G7 chair, is in this situation," Akira Nishiyama, executive officer at LGBTQ rights group J-ALL, told AFP.

Nishiyama considers it "shameful" that Japan still lacks legal provisions for the community, despite Kishida last year signing a G7 pledge to ensure equal opportunities and protections regardless of sexuality or gender identity.

Lawmakers are discussing a bill that promotes the "understanding" of LGBTQ issues.

First mooted in 2015, the bill saw a swell of interest ahead of the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, but its passage was waylaid by conservative members of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

Opponents insist a proposed anti-discrimination clause could deepen social divisions or open up companies and individuals to malicious lawsuits.

But campaigners say LGBTQ people often struggle to make discrimination claims in Japan under more general laws, so passing a bill without the clause leaves them vulnerable.

Some might describe a law promoting understanding as a "first step for society, but it's kind of a compromise. I don't want to compromise for human rights... we need a law to protect them," Gon Matsunaka, head of Pride House Tokyo, told AFP.
Partnership certificates

The government is under pressure to show progress before the G7 leaders' gathering in May.

Last week, Jessica Stern, Washington's international special envoy on LGBTQ rights, agreed with the leader of Komeito, the LDP's junior coalition partner, that the law should pass before the summit

"It is important that we end suffering and create a society where diverse people can co-exist and live in dignity," Komeito head Natsuo Yamaguchi said after their meeting.

Society appears to have moved faster than the government, with a poll by Kyodo News agency this week finding 64 percent of respondents think Japan should recognise same-sex marriage, with 25 percent against the idea.

Other polls have shown similar support and dozens of major municipalities, including Tokyo, now offer partnership certificates that allow same-sex couples to be treated as married in areas such as housing, medicine and welfare.

Many big Japanese businesses also offer the same family benefits to LGBTQ and heterosexual employees.

Activists have tried to pressure lawmakers in the courts, arguing that the ban on same-sex marriage violates the constitution, but verdicts so far have been mixed.
'Momentum building'

Japan is not an outlier in Asia, where Taiwan is the only place with marriage equality, and Kishida has said same-sex marriage would "change society" so lawmakers must be "extremely careful in considering the matter".

Compared with the more right-wing members of his party, Kishida's views are "relatively moderate", said James Brady, vice president of international consultancy Teneo.

The LDP's diversity efforts are largely economically driven and are "limited by traditional views of what Japanese society should look like and what roles people should play", he said.

Same-sex marriage is unlikely to be on the agenda anytime soon, said Hiroyuki Taniguchi, a professor in human rights law at Aoyama Gakuin University.

But "momentum is building, and it's possible that something will change", such as including same-sex couples in legal frameworks like pensions, he told AFP.

Still, Taniguchi warned that this momentum could be lost if no progress is made before the G7 summit.

"If change fails to happen within this timeframe, it's possible that social disinterest will return," he said.

"Japan needs to keep the promises it makes."

© 2023 AFP

Ukrainian Nobel winner demands justice for Russian 'war criminals'

Issued on: 16/02/2023 -

Ottignies-Louvain-la Neuve (Belgium) (AFP) – Oleksandra Matviichuk, a Ukrainian rights activist whose NGO was co-winner of last year's Nobel Peace Prize, called Thursday for the world to "hold Russian war criminals accountable," in an interview with AFP.

"We must break the circle of impunity," she said, urging the United Nations and the European Union to back Kyiv's call for a special tribunal able to judge top Russian officials all the way up to President Vladimir Putin.

While acknowledging that getting a majority of UN member countries behind that goal was a "hard task," Matviichuk said it was indispensable for any post-war peace that might follow the end of the conflict in her country.

"There will not be sustainable peace without justice," she noted.

Her demand came nearly a year after Russia's February 24, 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which followed its 2014 annexation of Crimea and support for pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine's east.

She was speaking at Belgium's University of Louvain just ahead of receiving an honorary doctorate there, alongside Palestinian filmmaker Elia Suleiman and Adelle Blackett, a law professor at Canada's McGill University.

The trio were being recognised for the fight for civil rights and a fairer society.

'Everyone's rights protected'

The Ukrainian NGO that Matviichuk runs, the Center for Civil Liberties, last year shared the Nobel Peace Prize with the Russian rights organisation Memorial and an imprisoned Belarusian pro-democracy activist, Ales Bialiatski.

Matviichuk's Center for Civil Liberties, founded in 2007, has campaigned for rule of law and democracy in Ukraine.

That struggle has only become harder with Russia's military offensive, but it has not been forgotten, she said -- to the contrary, the values the NGO campaigns on are central to Ukraine's efforts to one day join the European Union.

"We have two main tasks: to survive and to resist, and to continue our democratic path," Matviichuk said.

"We're still a nation in transit, and we can't concentrate energy only on this reforming path -- we have in parallel the war with Russia.

Even though Ukraine is fighting Russia's invading forces, it can't forget its own struggle for democracy, Matviichuk says © John THYS / AFP

"But after the large-scale invasion started, we still have no luxury to concentrate only on one goal, we have to fight for our survival. And we have to move on to join to European Union," she said.

Ukraine's ambition to become an EU member state could take many years, EU officials say, though some EU neighbours of Ukraine are lobbying for a faster timeline.

Becoming part of the European Union means becoming part of the "European civilisation space," Matviichuk said.

Joining the EU would mean "we will have a chance to build our country where the rights of everybody are protected," she said.

© 2023 AFP

Israeli firm sought to discredit the Red Cross in Burkina Faso, report reveals

Issued on: 16/02/2023 - 

An Israeli firm in 2020 smeared the International Committee of the Red Cross in Burkina Faso, presumably at the request of the Burkinabe government, investigative journalists said Thursday

The report -- by a consortium of journalists led by French non-profit Forbidden Stories -- appears to add to a growing body of evidence that shadowy private firms worldwide are using hacking and social media to manipulate public opinion.

Journalists posing as potential clients met one of the two heads of Israeli influence company Percepto International, Royi Burstien, who cited Burkina Faso as a successful disinformation campaign by his company.

Although Percepto had not yet been founded at the time, "Burstien presented the case study as a significant achievement of Percepto's," it said.

Burkina Faso is in the grip of a seven-year jihadist insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced at least two million people from their homes.

In the meeting, Burstien, who says he previously served in Israel's military intelligence directorate, displayed a PowerPoint on "Limiting Prominent NGO Intervention" for an unnamed government, Forbidden Stories said.

"Our client had a real problem with a specific NGO that really was not objective... The question is, how do you... put them on the sideline?" he told them.

Former ICRC chief Peter Maurer was forced to defend the Red Cross's actions in Burkina Faso following a smear campaign orchestrated by an Israeli influence company, investigative journalists said Thursday. © Kirill Kudryavtsev, AP file photo

Based on a few clues, the reporters managed to trace the controversy's trajectory, Forbidden Stories said.

In the alleged disinformation campaign, an opinion piece appeared in French magazine Valeurs Actuelles on August 3, 2020, asking whether the ICRC was the "involuntary godfather of terrorism in Burkina Faso".

The article was circulated by Burkinabe outlets and provoked a fierce anti-ICRC controversy fed by social media, leading to fears for the safety of ICRC employees working in the country, Forbidden Stories said.

French analyst Emmanuel Dupuy, who wrote the article, told AFP he had no link with Percepto, and was unaware of its existence.

He said an adviser to the country's then-president Roch Marc Christian Kabore, Samuel Sellem, suggested he write the article, for which he was not paid.

"Everything is true in the column, I wouldn't change a comma," he said.

As the controversy grew in Burkina Faso, AFP on September 14, 2020 published a response by then ICRC head Peter Maurer, in which he said the organisation only entered into dialogue with armed groups out of humanitarian necessity.

Forbidden Stories claimed AFP "amplified" the news.

"AFP on September 14, 2020 factually reported on a press conference held by the ICRC president in Ouagadougou, according to the journalistic standards of one of the world's largest international news agencies," AFP global news director Phil Chetwynd said.

"At no prior stage had AFP reported on the contents of the Valeurs Actuelles opinion piece," he added.

Burstien seemed to interpret the results of the campaign as a success, Forbidden Stories said.

The consortium's latest report follows another published by the same group on Wednesday that another Israeli firm, dubbed "Team Jorge", sought to influence more than 30 elections around the world for clients by hacking, sabotage and spreading disinformation.

(AFP)

'Team Jorge', threat to democracy: Israeli firm meddled in more than 30 elections

Issued on: 16/02/2023 

01:47© france 24
Video by:Sam BRADPIECE

A team of contractors led by a former Israeli special forces operative has allegedly meddled in over 30 Presidential Elections over the course of two decades or so says a new investigation by French non-profit, Forbidden Stories. Working under the name ‘Team Jorge’, they used hacking and disinformation to undermine democracy across the world, including in Africa. FRANCE 24's correspondent Sam Bradpiece explains.

More Than Half Of Europe’s Electricity Comes From Clean Energy Sources

By ZeroHedge - Feb 13, 2023

• Russia’s war in Ukraine has accelerated Europe’s energy transition.
• 
  
• More than half of Europe’s electricity is now generated from clean energy sources.
• 
  
• Nuclear and hydropower are the top sources of clean energy in Europe.

Energy and electricity supply have become vital for nearly every European nation over the past year, as the region shifts away from its dependence on Russian fuel imports.

While many countries have been making progress in their energy transition away from fossil fuels, nearly half of European countries are still dependent on them as their primary source of electricity generation.

In the graphic below, Visual Capitalist Niccolo Conte maps out European countries by their top source of electricity generation using data from Electricity Maps and the IEA, along with a breakdown of the EU’s overall electricity generation by source in 2021.

Europe’s Electricity Generation by Energy Source

Europe has been steadily transitioning towards renewable sources of energy for their electricity generation, making considerable progress over the last decade.

In 2011, fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) made up 49% of the EU’s electricity production while renewable energy sources only made up 18%. A decade later, renewable energy sources are coming close to equaling fossil fuels, with renewables making up 32% of the EU’s electricity generation compared to fossil fuels’ 36% in 2021.

The expansion of wind and solar generation have been the primary drivers in this shift towards renewables, going from only generating 8% of the EU’s electricity in 2011 all the way to 19% in 2021. While this might still seem small, the EU’s share of wind and solar electricity generation is tied for first alongside Oceania when compared to other regions around the world.

While hydropower doesn’t make up as big of a share as other sources, it’s the most common primary source of electricity generation in Europe, playing an important role in providing renewable energy.

Nuclear energy is the largest single source of electricity generation in the EU and across Europe despite its decline over the past couple of decades. Back in 2001, nuclear energy made up one-third (33%) of the EU’s electricity generation, and in the following 20 years fell down to 25%.

The Primary Electricity Sources of Europe’s Major Nations

When looking at individual nations, the majority of Europe’s largest countries have fossil fuels as their largest primary single source of electricity.

Germany remains heavily reliant on coal power, which from 2017 to 2021 generated 31% of the nation’s electricity. Despite the dependence on the carbon intensive fossil fuel, wind and solar energy generation together made up more of Germany’s electricity generation at 33% (23% for wind and 10% for solar).

France is Europe’s largest economy that primarily relies on nuclear power, with nuclear power making up more than half of the country’s electricity production.

Italy, the UK, and the Netherlands are all primarily natural gas powered when it comes to their electricity generation from 2017 to 2021. While Italy is the most reliant of the three at 42% of electricity generated by natural gas, the Netherlands (40%), and the UK (38%) aren’t too far off.

Spain is an outlier among major European nations and a success story in a transition towards renewable energy sources. While in the period from 2017-2021, the country was primarily dependent on natural gas (29%), in 2022, natural gas’ contribution to electricity generation fell to 14% as wind rose up to become the primary electricity generator with a 32% share.

Accelerating the EU’s Energy Transition

Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, energy independence in the EU has become of utmost importance, and countries have taken the opportunity to accelerate their transition towards renewable energy sources.

A new report from Ember highlights how the transition made considerable progress in 2022, with solar and wind power (22%) overtaking natural gas (20%) in electricity generation for the first time ever.

While 2022 did see an increase in fossil fuel electricity generation for the EU, Ember is expecting it to decline in 2023 by as much as 20%. If the EU can sustain this accelerated shift away from fossil fuels, this map of primary energy sources of electricity generation could feature many more renewable and low-carbon energy sources in the near future.

By Zerohedge.com

Is The UK Investing Enough In Onshore Wind Capacity?

By City A.M - Feb 13, 2023

• Former Conservative Prime Minster David Cameron threw a wrench in Britain’s onshore wind boom with restrictions on development.
• 
  
• Conservative MP Simon Clarke has launched a campaign against the legislation, aiming to bolster the development of new onshore wind projects. 
• 
  
• Clarke notes that onshore wind power is a vital part of the UK’s energy mix.

Onshore wind developments have dropped sharply since 2016, when former Prime Minister David Cameron pushed through new restrictions – which meant wind farm developers had to show proposed projects are located in an area designated for renewable energy in a local plan, and that they had unanimous support.

However, former cabinet minister and Conservative MP Simon Clarke secured a rare, key victory against NIMBYism two months ago.

Clarke tabled an amendment in December calling for onshore wind planning rules to be liberalised as part of the National Planning Policy Framework, which establishes development rules for building projects.

He gained the support of over 30 MPs including former prime ministers Boris Johnson and Liz Truss and had also been backed by Labour – meaning it had a real chance of progressing.

However, he later shelved the amendment – in exchange for reforms to the draft text, with the bill expected to be voted on in the House of Commons later this year.

This means the de-facto seven-year de-facto ban on new onshore wind projects, could finally be overhauled.

Energy industry raises concerns over pledges

It now turns out Downing Street is looking to ease planning obstacles by reducing requirements for new sites to be in designated land – essentially rewriting restrictive planning footnotes.

Under the reforms, government will only require developers to “appropriately” address local concerns rather than “fully.”

However, Clarke has fired a warning shot at the government, urging them not to water down proposals to ease planning laws for onshore wind developments amid industry concerns the reforms will not do enough to boost the declining industry.

He told City A.M.: “We can’t allow a vocal minority to derail projects supported by most people locally. Instead, we need a system that enables and encourages councils to designate suitable sites for wind farms and ensure these communities benefit from hosting renewables.”

Clarke’s support for onshore wind is not universally shared in the Conservative party.

Two dozen Tory MPs, led by senior backbenchers Sir John Hayes and David Davis, wrote to the Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the time of the Clarke amendment, urging him to stand firm on the strict planning laws.

Simon Clarke secured concessions from the government after tabling an amendment to liberalise planning rules (Source: Twitter)

Meanwhile, influential BEIS Select Committee member Alexander Stafford believes offshore wind was the more “cost and space effective way” of generating wind-energy.

He told City A.M.: “Not only is there sometimes not enough wind onshore to generate any electricity, onshore turbines can disrupt communities, land, and animals. I am pleased that the government is consulting on changes to the National Planning Policy Framework, and would advocate for local communities to have full control over whether to give permission or not.

This pushback means Clarke’s approach has been collegiate – to appease divisions in the party.

He explains: “We know onshore wind is popular, including with 2019 Conservative voters, and would cut energy bills. This proposal is a step towards unlocking this cheap energy while ensuring communities get a genuine say. My colleagues and I will work with ministers to get the wording right.”

But Renewable UK did not share Clarke’s optimism that onshore wind could be revived purely through changing the wording of planning documents.

It has instead called for planning rules for new turbines to be eased in line with other building projects, to restore investor confidence in the sector.

James Robottom, head of onshore wind at Renewable UK, was disappointed that restrictive rules for onshore wind were being rewritten rather than scrapped.

He said: “After seven years of a de-facto ban in England – it is very difficult to see how the proposed changes to planning will give the industry, communities and businesses the confidence to invest in onshore wind again from a completely standing start.

“The increased complexity and ambiguity only reinforces the fact that onshore wind continues to be treated differently to any other infrastructure in England, at a time when it should be key to increasing energy security, reducing costs and our net-zero goals.”

The UK’s generation targets in the energy security strategy do not include onshore wind (Source: Gov.uk)

This outlook was shared by environmental think tank Green Alliance, which argued the proof of reforms had to be in the outcome.

Joe Tetlow, Green Alliance’s senior political adviser, said: “I think the government did this consultation on the expectation that it would increase the amount of renewables, such as onshore wind. So, if the end result is for that not to happen – that is just another couple of wasted years, which we can’t afford to have in this energy security crisis.”

When approached for comment, a spokesperson from the department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities presented a middle-ground for new projects.

A spokesperson said: “Local communities must be at the heart of decision making for onshore wind, which is why we are consulting on changes to national planning policy that determines how these decisions are made. This consultation remains open as we seek and consider a wide range of views.”

It is easy to praise Clarke’s consistent backing of onshore wind, and commitment to easing restrictions – but the industry remains on edge, and if onshore wind is to be revived from its declining role in the UK’s energy sector, bolder action is necessary.

While the government should remain open to further insights and new ideas, the reality remains that onshore wind has stagnated, and a future of cheaper, cleaner energy bills is hugely improved by lifting the energy source from its moratorium.

As Zelensky leaves London, it is worth remembering that the energy crisis the UK has struggled through would have been considerably easier to bear with a resilient onshore wind sector.

By CityAM

WINDFALL TAX OF 99%

Global Oil And Gas Industry Sees Profits Soar To $4 Trillion

By Michael Kern - Feb 14, 2023

• The oil and gas industry saw its profits saw from an average of $1.5 trillion in recent years to nearly $4 trillion in 2022.
• 
  
• Despite these record earnings, the head of the IEA has emphasized that oil nations must diversify their economies.
• 
  
• The head of the IEA believes these profits represent a unique opportunity to invest in the clean energy transition.

The combined income of the global oil and gas industry surged to nearly $4 trillion last year, up from an average of $1.5 trillion in recent years, Fatih Birol, the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), said during a conference on Tuesday.  

Despite the record industry earnings, the major oil-producing countries, especially those in the Middle East, need to start working on diversifying their economies, the head of the IEA said via video link at an energy conference, as carried by Reuters.

“You cannot anymore run a country whose economy is 90% reliant on oil and gas revenues because oil demand will go down,” Birol said.

The next climate summit, COP28, which will be held in Dubai, “could be an excellent milestone to change the destiny of the Middle East countries,” said the head of the IEA, one of the international agencies most active in advocating for an energy transition.

The COP28 conference president-designate is Sultan Al Jaber, the chief executive of Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), which pumps nearly all the oil in one of OPEC’s biggest and most influential members, the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Sharing an IEA infographic on Twitter with the oil and gas industry’s profits for 2022, Birol said this weekend, “The sector has a unique opportunity to invest a significant chunk of this in clean energy transitions, especially in emerging & developing economies.”

The six biggest international oil majors alone posted as much as $219 billion in net profits for 2022, a new record high.

Each of Exxon, Chevron, BP, Shell, Equinor, and TotalEnergies reported record profits for last year, doubling their combined net earnings from 2021 and booking the best-ever year for Big Oil. The profits surged from around $100 billion booked for 2021, as oil and gas prices jumped last year following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and majors raised oil and gas production to meet the growing demand for oil and limited gas supply from Russia to Europe. 

By Michael Kern for Oilprice.com