https://arab.news/ytr8w
LONDON: For much of the past week, international news media audiences had to put up with round-the-clock coverage of an incident whose place in the annals of history is far from assured. For as long as the fate of five people inside Titan, a submersible that was headed to the site of the Titanic shipwreck, remained unknown, major media outlets spared no bulletin slot or expense in getting talking heads to hold forth on the topic.
It did not need an elder statesman of America to point out the scandalous contrast between the intense media coverage of the Titan’s doomed journey and the almost cursory attention paid to the deaths of possibly hundreds of people off the coast of Greece just days earlier. Still, when Barack Obama did just that at a public forum in Athens on Thursday, his comments not only struck a responsive chord with the audience but also gave voice to the pent-up frustrations of news consumers worldwide.
“There is a potential tragedy unfolding with a submarine that is getting minute-to-minute coverage all around the world, and it is understandable because, obviously, we all want and pray that those folks are rescued,” the former US president said in the Greek capital, where he was attending a conference on child and adolescent mental health initiatives.
“But the fact that that has gotten so much more attention than 700 people who sank — that is an untenable situation.”
The disaster he was referring to — described as “one of the worst in recent memory” — unfolded far away from the media’s gaze in the Central Mediterranean on Tuesday. A fishing vessel carrying an estimated 750 people from Palestine, Syria, Egypt and Pakistan capsized in international waters off Pylos in southern Greece. According to the UN Human Rights Office, 78 people are confirmed dead while at least 500 more are missing.
The media conversation concerning the tragedy, however, was quickly drowned out by the noise of technical experts and ocean explorers dissecting live on air the search-and-rescue efforts of multiple Western countries to locate the Titan, which was carrying wealthy marine enthusiasts on a tour of the Titanic wreckage off the coast of Newfoundland in Canada before it vanished on Sunday.
“Sadly, the only reason people are talking about the relative lack of attention to the staggering number of migrants and refugees who die all the time on dangerous journeys is that timing,” Judith Sunderland, associate Europe and Central Asia director at Human Rights Watch, told Arab News. “It happened right after the horrifying shipwreck off the coast of Greece, one of the worst in recent memory.”
Her viewpoint is seconded by Nour Halabi, a University of Aberdeen fellow, who believes that had the Titan not gone missing during the same week that tragedy struck the migrant vessel, Western media outlets’ “blasé” attitude might not have been so glaringly evident and “we would not have been having this discussion.”
The “juxtaposition of the two events” has brought to the public’s attention “this contrast of ‘worthy’ and ‘unworthy’ victims,” Halabi, the author of “Radical Hospitality,” which examines media coverage of immigration, told Arab News.
While international media outlets went big on close-ups, names and life stories of the five “explorers,” as described by the submersible’s operator OceanGate, the world got to see at best blurry images of a mass of migrants in distress as their ship capsized, the latest in a long line of tragedies that have turned the Mediterranean Sea into a veritable graveyard of people fleeing poverty and violence in their home countries.
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“It is a recurring problem that news coverage of migrants and refugees tends to include photos of large groups of people in which you cannot distinguish people’s faces,” said HRW’s Sunderland.
“This makes it harder to see their individual humanity, to imagine their stories, to empathize with the heartbreak of their mothers.
“It is part of the dehumanization of people on the move that contributes to indifference and to impunity for the violence and abuse they face.”
Recent major migrant boat tragedies
April 9, 2016: A fishing boat with up to 500 Africans hoping to reach Italy from eastern Libya sinks, killing an estimated 459 people.
June 3, 2016: More than 339 lives lost when a vessel carrying about 700 migrants capsizes off the coast of Crete.
Sept. 21, 2016: A boat carrying about 600 people capsizes off the coast of Egypt, killing at least 300 people.
Jan. 14, 2017: 176 migrants missing after a boat sinks off the Libyan coast.
July 25, 2019: A boat carrying about 250 people from African and Arab countries capsizes off the coast of Libya.
Sept. 22, 2022: 122 migrants unaccounted for after a boat sinks off the coast of Syria.
June 14, 2023: A fishing trawler carrying about 750 people capsizes off the coast of Greece. Up to 500 missing, presumed dead.
Source: Missing Migrant Projects
Likewise, according to Halabi, “the juxtaposition of the nameless, featureless migrants” has made it difficult to feel compassion for the “massified group of people that drowned in the Mediterranean.”
Elaborating on the point, she said: “The media are being led by the decisions made by global leaders, which emphasize the importance of one group over another.
“The media is being led, first of all, by the humanitarian response, and governments here (in Europe) … are at the forefront in mobilizing resources that create what is called a newsworthy event.
“In one case, there was no response, so it did not escalate to a media event, while in another, the response is signifying importance.”
In conclusion, Halabi said: “The images we have seen this week have been retraumatizing for many immigrants — not in isolation, but with this juxtaposition,” which “has highlighted the contrast in the value of human life.”
Last week’s events, of course, were not the first instance of international media organizations being called out for applying double standards.
In March 2021, Yemen’s Houthi militia was accused of burning alive up to 500 African migrants in Sanaa, a massacre that major Western media outlets practically ignored even as they devoted significant time and resources to news of a US Minneapolis City Council settlement, the largest pre-trial civil rights settlement ever in America.
The agreement, reached a year following the death of George Floyd, an African American man, in police custody, was hailed as a powerful message by prominent Western media mavens that Black lives matter. Yet, no comparable moral outrage was evident over the documented killing and injury of approximately 450, mostly Ethiopian, migrants in a detention center, on March 7, 2021, in a fire caused by bombs apparently fired by Houthi forces.
About a year later, when the war in Ukraine broke out in February 2022, correspondents of several major Western media organizations made shocking comparisons between Ukrainian and Middle Eastern refugees, embracing the former as “civilized” and “prosperous” while portraying the latter as a “crisis” — a liability and a burden to Europe’s economy.
This problematic attitude was epitomized by the remarks made on TV by NBC News reporter Kelly Cobiella then in reference to Ukrainians displaced by the Russian invasion: “To put it bluntly, these are not refugees from Syria, these are refugees from Ukraine … They are Christian, they are white, they are very similar.”
As media analysts have since pointed out, photos of Ukrainian refugees used by Western news media are portraits of dignity, showing well-dressed children carrying toys, as opposed to the images typically shown of Middle Eastern and African migrants and refugees: faceless masses of humans stranded at sea or huddled around security fences.
In yet another example of plain bigotry during the early stages of the Ukraine war, CBS reporter Charlie D’Agata said that Ukraine “is not a place, with all due respect, like Iraq or Afghanistan, that has seen conflict raging for decades. This is a relatively civilized, relatively European — I have to choose those words carefully, too — city, one where you wouldn’t expect that, or hope that it’s going to happen.”
The remark suggested that, unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, Ukraine did not deserve to be invaded because things like war and suffering were the province of non-European countries. Whether the outcry sparked by the numerous controversial Ukraine humanitarian crisis-related comments has led to any introspection by international media outlets’ management is open to question.
According to Cameron Boyle, communications lead at Manchester City of Sanctuary, the combination of policy and language used in the case of tragedies such as the latest Mediterranean migrant shipwreck “has created a situation where their deaths are normalized.”
He told Arab News: “This has led to the disparity in coverage in recent days. Refugees are treated like a problem to be solved, rather than human beings seeking to rebuild their lives in a place of safety.
“It is only when the tide of hostility ceases that tragedies involving refugees receive the attention and empathy they deserve.”
Looking to the future, Josie Naughton, CEO of UK-based charity Choose Love, believes some good could yet come out of the contrasting media coverage of the two tragedies.
“All the scrutiny into what happened to the Titan and how the tragedy could have been prevented must now be applied to migrant deaths at sea,” she told Arab News.
KYIV: The Ukrainian government decided to dismiss six deputy defense ministers on Monday following the appointment of a new defense minister earlier this month.
The government gave no reason for the dismissals. Those removed from their post included Hanna Maliar, who has frequently issued public updates on Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Rustem Umerov was appointed defense minister less than two weeks ago to replace Oleksii Reznikov. The ministry had been dogged by media allegations of corruption while Reznikov was in the post although he faced no corruption allegations himself.
“Rebooting. We (have) started. We continue. (The) Ministry continues to work as usual,” Umerov said in a Facebook post.
When he took up his post, Umerov said his priorities would include making the ministry the main institution for the coordination of defense forces, enhancing the value attached to individual soldiers, developing Ukraine’s military industry and fighting corruption.
Maliar, a war crimes lawyer, had served as a deputy defense minister since 2021 and her latest update on the war in Ukraine appeared on Monday morning.
She faced criticism last week after initially reporting that Ukrainian forces had recaptured an eastern village from Russian forces, but later saying her report was inaccurate and that fighting was still raging around the village.
BUDAPEST: It is “not sure” Hungary needs to approve the ratification of Sweden’s NATO accession, the parliament speaker of the ruling Fidesz party told local television HirTV late on Sunday, signaling a possible further delay in the process.
Hungary’s ratification process has been stranded in parliament since July 2022, with Budapest airing concerns about Sweden’s NATO membership over Swedish politicians’ criticism of Hungary’s democratic backsliding. Turkiye and Hungary have not yet ratified Sweden’s bid to join NATO.
NEW YORK CITY: When the president of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly took his oath of office and was handed the gavel, he wished “my parents were still alive to witness this.”
At the same time, he reflected on “the burden of responsibility that I have taken on as president of the General Assembly, the burden that has been created by the legitimate expectation of people everywhere in the world, that the United Nations can deliver for them. And that will be my focus throughout the presidency: How best we can mobilize the General Assembly to deliver for people and for planet.”
Dennis Francis’ stewardship of UNGA comes at a deeply challenging moment for the multilateral system. Since it was established a century ago, multilateralism has provided the global framework for peace and stability, but in a world of conflicts and climate chaos, escalating poverty, hunger and inequality, mistrust and division, there are growing concerns that multilateralism is declining or losing relevance.
Meanwhile, the difficulty governments are facing in reaching global agreements on trade, climate change and other issues has led many to question whether the multilateral model is still fit for purpose in an era of renewed great power rivalries, nationalism, populism and political economy tensions.
Ahead of the high-level week of the UNGA session, Arab News sat with Francis in his new office at the UN headquarters in New York City, where, in a wide-ranging interview, he outlined his priorities for the year to come.
Francis has spent years working closely with multilateral agencies. He offered a nuanced perspective when asked about the state of multilateralism.
While acknowledging that multilateralism faces challenges, he was emphatic that it is not entirely dysfunctional. The conclusion of the BBNJ Treaty, an important addition to the international architecture on the Law of the Sea, and the inclusion of loss and damage in the COP27 agreement. which aims to provide financial assistance to poorer nations as they deal with the negative consequences that arise from the risks of climate change, are two examples of success that demonstrate that multilateralism can indeed deliver results.
“It might not deliver uniformly, but it does and can deliver,” said Francis.
“What we need to do now is to really focus on strengthening that, and that has to do with a process of recommitting and of building trust and confidence among the membership that we have the capacity and the strength. Sometimes it takes strength to make difficult decisions. But difficult decisions we cannot avoid in the interest of serving humanity.”
UNGA President Dennis Francis has spent almost 40 years in the diplomatic service of Trinidad and Tobago. He said willingness of Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries to share the lessons of their success is highly valued by the international community.
Countries in the Gulf region, Francis said, including Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar, have a track record of successful development. He said their willingness to share their knowledge and engage is highly valued by the international community, contributing to multilateral efforts.
“(Gulf states) have a unique history and they have pursued development with great success in many cases. So, there are lessons that they can share with the international community. And I’m happy to say that much of that sharing is already taking place.
“Saudi Arabia, Qatar the UAE are playing important roles by sharing their knowledge, their know-how, in big ways and small.
“On Saturday, for example, I attended a very relaxed evening for newly arrived permanent representatives. Coming to New York, to the UN, can be very daunting when you first arrive. And I discovered in conversation with my colleague, the ambassador of Saudi Arabia, that the idea to do this was in fact invented, proposed, by one of his predecessors as a way of welcoming the new ones, introducing them in a seamless way to the dynamics of the UN, and helping and supporting them to understand how the processes work and how the organization works.
“I’m very grateful for the support and engagement, the key level of engagement that (Gulf states) have shown and continue to show in all of the processes. They have been willing to share it. And I think the international community very much values that disposition.”
Hailing from the small Caribbean country of Trinidad and Tobago, Francis brings to the General Assembly “a critical perspective,” in the words of UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who also said that “so many of the issues we address (at the General Assembly) hit small island developing states like (Trinidad and Tobago) the hardest.
This includes the disastrous impacts of climate change and the effects of a deeply unjust global financial system that routinely denies developing countries the debt relief and restructuring — as well as financing — they need to invest in their people.
Francis put it this way: “Trinidad and Tobago is a small developing country, the most southerly of the Caribbean islands. We are only seven miles off the coast of South America but one of the most cosmopolitan countries in the world.
“Our history has made us a very diverse population, multicultural, multi-religious, multiethnic. Democracy is very alive and well. We’ve never changed our governments in any other way but by the ballot box.
“And, so, we have a proud tradition of democratic development and of human rights.
“Because we are such a small country — geographically the country is only 1,864 square miles — we have found a formula to coexist, to get along in a relatively small space. It is not that we do not have, from time to time, family squabbles. But Trinidad and Tobago has never had social strife because we found mechanisms of consultation.
“For example, one of the techniques used very early on in government was to establish something called the IRO, the Inter Religious Organization, comprising the major representative belief systems in the country. A significant proportion of government policy goes through the IRO for consideration before they are taken to the parliament, so that you get the input of the religious groups and other groups in society, making it possible, therefore, to maintain a holistic approach to governance. And this has worked enormously well for us in Trinidad and Tobago.
“So, we are very proud of the fact that we are a diverse population, but we get along. Not only is there tolerance; there is integration in the population. It is totally mixed. We have a very rich culture that derives from Africa, India, Europe, Latin America, native peoples, China, Lebanon and others. It’s quite a rich and engaging mix. And it accounts for the diversity and dynamism of the population of Trinidad and Tobago.”
As the premier event of the UNGA high-level week, Francis believes the SDG summit is a crucial moment for heads of state or government to demonstrate their commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals and contribute to global development funding.
The SDG summit will set the tone for other General Assembly processes, Francis said, emphasizing the need for all delegations to recommit to energizing the SDG process and achieving these life-changing goals by 2030.
It is recognized that instability, insecurity and war hinder economic and social development, depriving people of basic necessities and security. To achieve lasting peace, it is essential to address issues like inequality, discrimination, poverty, hunger, and poor health effectively and sustainably “to the satisfaction of the downtrodden.”
That is especially relevant to the Arab world, which has been grappling with a multitude of crises. From Syria and Yemen to Palestine and Sudan, political upheavals, armed conflicts, displacement, economic and humanitarian crises have for decades been the cause of untold human suffering. According to the UN, 116 million people across 10 Arab countries, or 41 percent of the total population, are poor, while another 25 percent are vulnerable to poverty.
Protesters throw glass bottles at the Lebanese Central Bank building amid the deepening financial crisis in Beirut. Four years after Lebanon’s historic meltdown began, the small nation is still facing “enormous economic challenges,” with a collapsed banking sector, eroding public services, deteriorating infrastructure, and worsening poverty, the International Monetary Fund warned on Sept. 15, 2023. (AP Photo/File)
“My message for (the downtrodden of the Arab world) is that they are not forgotten. And they will not be ignored,” Francis said.
“The focus of the SDGs is on lifting people up, on ensuring that all people enjoy their rights and entitlements, that they share the benefits of society and that development leaves no one behind. This is the thrust of the 78th session of the General Assembly. It is extremely important for promoting peace, prosperity sustainability and growth and that is where we will place our focus: very people-centered, very rights-based.”
The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development marked a significant milestone as the first ever fully negotiated, all-encompassing global development strategy formally embraced by both the Global South and the developed world. It was widely celebrated as the dawn of a new era in development collaboration.
Despite significant development gains globally, which have raised many millions of people out of absolute poverty, the UN says that inequality between the world’s richest and poorest countries is widening. This anomaly will also be spotlighted at UNGA this year.
Francis, in his vision statement, called on both to figure out the problematique. Once that is done, then it should not be insurmountable to implement the prescribed solutions.
“(The Global South and the Global North) do come at issues from diametrically opposed positions. But that is not a surprise. It’s a negotiation. If conceptually, both sides accept reality in the same way then there is no basis for negotiation.
Children gather outside their tents at the al-Hol camp in Hasakeh province, Syria, which houses families of Daesh militants. Tens of thousands children and wives of Daesh militants remain in limbo in the camp, unwanted by their countries, making them vulnerable to indoctrination by the extremist group. (AP Photo/File)
“So, there are conceptual differences. There are practical differences. However, in the recent past, what has happened is that there has been an unfortunate deficit of trust. And this has undermined the capacity of the multilateral process to move forward and to create good results and good outcomes.
“So, we need to work on rebuilding that trust, restoring that confidence and building solidarity.
“Some unfortunate things have happened. For example, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, the behavior of (certain) states suggested a very individualistic approach to the pandemic, rather than taking a holistic coordinated, cooperative approach as one international community. This was unhelpful for multilateralism. And so those memories linger in the minds of many delegations, because they’re not quite sure if there will be a repeat of the pandemic. And let’s recall that scientists have indicated that there is likely to be another pandemic. They’re not quite sure what will happen. So, we have got some work to do.
“But, bear in mind, building trust is a process, not an event. So, we will invest considerable time and energy in the General Assembly in trying to bring people together to build bridges, to build hope, so that we can get beyond the doctrinaire positions and really begin to listen to each other in goodness. And to react in a way that could probably bring us a point of common ground.”
WASHINGTON: A stealth-capable US fighter jet vanished on Sunday — not from prying eyes but rather from the American military, prompting an unusual call to the public to help locate the missing multimillion-dollar plane.
After what authorities labeled a “mishap,” a pilot flying an F-35 in the southern state of South Carolina on Sunday afternoon ejected from the craft.
The pilot survived, but the military was left with an expensive problem: it couldn’t find the jet, leading Joint Base Charleston to ask for help from local residents.
“If you have any information that may help our recovery teams locate the F-35, please call the Base Defense Operations Center,” a post from the base read on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Base authorities said they were searching, in coordination with federal aviation regulators, around two lakes north of the city of Charleston.
The planes, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, cost around $80 million each.
JOHANNESBURG: At least 20 employees of mining giant De Beers have been killed in a road accident in South Africa, local officials said Sunday.
The bus involved was ferrying staff from the Venetia mine, one of the biggest diamond mines in the country, said a transport official in Limpopo province, in the north of the country.
“The bus came into collision with a lorry,” said Vongani Chauke.
Chauke told AFP the accident happened at around 1600 GMT, some 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the mine, at the village of Musian on the border with Zimbabwe.
The cause of the accident has not been established.
South Africa has one of the most developed road networks on the continent, but also has one of the worst road safety records.
The Venetia mine, which lies near the borders with Botswana and Zimbabwe, has been run by the De Beers group for more than 30 years.
It accounts for more than 40 percent of the country’s annual diamond production, employing more than 4,300 staff including many local people.
It was once the country’s largest open-cast mine, before De Beers invested $2 billion in a major underground project to access the less easily available diamonds . The group aims to produce four million carats a year.
In July, De Beers announced the start of underground diamond production from the new seams opened underneath the open-cast mine.