People living in long-term care (LTC) homes will have more input into issues that affect their daily lives as the result of changes to resident and family councils.“Long-term care residences are people’s homes and it’s important that residents and family members have a place to share concerns and ideas when it comes to decisions about how the homes are operating,” said Adrian Dix, Minister of Health. “The Province is strengthening support and oversight of resident and family councils, and encouraging LTC homes currently without a council to establish one to ensure greater voices for residents and their families in decisions that affect them and their loved ones personally.”A resident and family council is a group of people that meets regularly to promote the collective interests of residents, and to discuss issues of concern. Councils may include residents, family members and other representatives who act on behalf of residents.

However, the humanitarian situation in Tigray remains catastrophic. As I have said before, the siege of 6 million people by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces is the worst humanitarian crisis in the world.Since the beginning of the siege, food, medicine and other basic services have been weaponised.It has now been more than two months since the last humanitarian aid reached Tigray.But even before that, the aid reaching Tigray was a trickle – nowhere near enough to meet the needs.Large numbers of displaced people are now arriving in, or moving towards, the regional capital Mekelle.Most UN agencies and NGOs have now left towns in the region’s northeast because of security concerns.Some health partners have shut down because they cannot access the funds, fuel and other supplies they need to serve the community.

**International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against JournalistsToday is the Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists. In his message to mark the Day, the Secretary-General reminds us that a free press is vital to a functioning democracy, to expose wrongdoing, to navigate our complex world, and to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).As we mark the tenth anniversary of the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists, the Secretary-General calls on governments and the international community to take the necessary steps to protect our journalists, to end a common culture of impunity and to enable journalists to do their essential work.And a quick note to add that UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) report on the safety of journalists is out on the agency’s website.Okay. Once more with feeling. Right? What? Yeah. I’ll do the first one last… because… all right. Somebody clearly joined us.**Black Sea Grain InitiativeYou saw a bit earlier today we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General warmly welcomes the announcement from the Russian Federation on its resumed participation in the implementation of the Black Sea Grain Initiative to facilitate the safe navigation for exports of grain, foodstuffs and fertilizer from Ukraine. He is grateful for the diplomatic efforts of Türkiye and thanks the UN Coordinator, Amir Abdulla, and his team for their work in keeping this vital food supply line open.The Secretary-General continues his engagement with all actors towards the renewal and full implementation of the Initiative, and he also remains committed to removing the remaining obstacles to the exports of Russian food and fertilizer.**Secretary-General’s TravelSpeaking of the Secretary-General, he is, as we speak — hopefully — in the air on his way to New York, and we expect him back later this afternoon.As you know, he was in Algiers yesterday, where he addressed the opening session of the League of Arab States summit. In his remarks he said he looks forward to continuing our work together with the League of Arab States to address the challenges across the region and to advance peace, sustainable development, and human rights. Turning to the issue of climate, the Secretary-General said that COP27 (twenty-seventh Conference of Parties) in Sharm el-Sheikh will be another vital opportunity for restoring trust between developed and developing countries. His remarks are online and shared with you.**Democratic Republic of the CongoQuick update from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where, as we mentioned before, renewed fighting between the Congolese army and the M23 armed group has forced thousands to flee their homes in Rutshuru Territory in North Kivu.Many of those displaced have been living in schools, hospitals, churches, and other sites, although the majority are living with host families.Despite severe access constraints, humanitarian workers have started helping displaced people in Nyiragongo territory, providing them with water and health care. Our partners were also able to distribute food to some 50,000 people.More than 180 unaccompanied children have been identified and assisted by child protection workers, while some 2,000 others are receiving psychological support.The needs still exceed present capacities, especially in the south of Kayna health zone in Lubero territory, which was already home to some 50,000 displaced people.The most urgent needs include water, hygiene and sanitation, as well as essential household items, shelter, food, health care and protection.For its part, the peacekeeping mission in the country [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO)] continues...

The Security Council’s programme of work for November will feature two signature events, which will build on the “clear African focus” towards addressing threats against peace and security of the just-concluded Gabonese presidency, its President for the month told a United Nations Headquarters press conference today.Harold Adlai Agyeman (Ghana), holding the Council’s rotating presidency for November, observed that the programme was designed so as to enable the organ to carry out its work while accommodating other competing international events, such as the twenty-seventh Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Sharm el-Sheikh and the Group of 20 Summit in Bali.

The new payment model, co-developed by Doctors of BC, BC Family Doctors and the Province, will be available to family doctors beginning February 2023.It provides another option for family doctors that marks a departure from the fee-for-service model under which doctors are paid based primarily on the number of patients they see in a day. The new model takes into account factors including:the time a doctor spends with a patient;the number of patients a doctor sees in a day;the number of patients a doctor supports through their office;the complexity of the issues a patient is facing; andadministrative costs currently paid directly by family doctors.

Ryanair flight 4978 was transiting Belarus airspace en route from Athens to Vilnius, Lithuania, when, according to the airline, air-traffic controllers told the flight crew that there was a bomb

Press Conference by Mr. Petteri Taalas (WMO), on the launch of the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin.Atmospheric levels of the three main greenhouse gases warming our planet - carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide- all reached new record highs in 2021, according to a new report from the UN’s World Meteorological Organization (WMO).Addressing journalists in New York today (26 Oct), on the WMO Greenhouse Gas Bulletin, WMO’s Secretary-General Petteri Taalas said “we have again broken new records. So, we haven't seen any improvement in a real atmosphere so far.”WMO’s Greenhouse Gas Bulletin reported the biggest year-on-year jump in methane concentrations in 2021 since systematic measurements began nearly 40 years ago. The reason for this exceptional increase is not clear but seems to be a result of both biological and human-induced processes. The increase in carbon dioxide levels from 2020 to 2021 was larger than the average annual growth rate over the last decade. Measurements from WMO’s Global Atmosphere Watch network stations show that these levels continues to rise in 2022 over the whole globe.Between 1990 and 2021, the warming effect on our climate (known as radiative forcing) by long-lived greenhouse gases rose by nearly 50 percent, with carbon dioxide accounting for about 80 percent of this increase. Carbon dioxide concentrations in 2021 were 415.7 parts per million (ppm), methane at 1908 parts per billion (ppb), and nitrous oxide at 334.5 ppb. These values constitute, respectively, 149 percent, 262 percent, and 124 percent of pre-industrial levels before human activities started disrupting the natural equilibrium of these gases in the atmosphere., WMO UN Climate Change conference, COP27, in Egypt from 7-18 November.Asked about the COP27, Taalas said, “It is important to get the whole G20 family on board because that group is responsible for 80 percent of global emissions.” The years from 2015 to 2021 were the seven warmest on record. The WMO reports seek to galvanize COP27 negotiators into more ambitious action decision-makers to achieve the Paris Agreement goal to limit global warming to well below 2, preferably to 1.5 degrees Celsius, compared to pre-industrial levels. The average global temperature is now more than 1.1°C above the 1850–1900 pre-industrial average. Given the need to strengthen the greenhouse gas information basis for decisions on climate mitigation efforts, WMO is working with the broader greenhouse gas community to develop a framework for sustained, internationally coordinated global greenhouse gas monitoring, including observing network design and international exchange and use of the resulting observations. It will engage with the broader scientific and international community, particularly regarding land surface and ocean observation and modeling. WMO measures atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases – what remains in the atmosphere after gases are absorbed by sinks like the ocean and biosphere. This is not the same as emissions. A separate and complementary Emissions Gap Report by UN Environment will be released on 27 October.The Emissions Gap report assesses the latest scientific studies on current and estimated future greenhouse gas emissions. This difference between “where we are likely to be and where we need to be” is known as the emissions gap. As long as emissions continue, global temperature will continue to rise.Atmospheric carbon dioxide reached 149 percent of the pre-industrial level in 2021, primarily because of emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels and cement production. Global emissions have rebounded since the COVID-related lockdowns in 2020. Of the total emissions from human activities during the 2011–2020 period, about 48 percent accumulated in the atmosphere, 26 percent in the ocean, and 29 percent on land. There is concern that the ability of land ecosystems and oceans to act as “sinks” may become...

On Parliament Hill, representatives from the LGBT Purge Fund commemorate the 30th anniversary of their court challenge to the federal government’s policy of discrimination toward LGBT people in the public service. They discuss their report on the state of inclusion in the federal workplace and recommendations for improvement. Taking part in the news conference are board members Michelle Douglas and Martine Roy, who were plaintiffs in the 2016 class-action lawsuit against the federal government, and their lawyer Doug Elliott.

Premier-designate David Eby meets with Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin

British Columbia is changing provincial legislation to remove barriers for Indigenous Peoples exercising jurisdiction over child and family services, becoming the first province in Canada to expressly recognize this inherent right within provincial legislation.“This is a pivotal shift toward real and meaningful change that respects Indigenous rights and improves services and supports for Indigenous children, youth and families,” said Premier John Horgan. “B.C. was the first province to bring the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples into provincial law and it’s fulfilling to see how that bold action continues to create reforms that support reconciliation and make life better for Indigenous communities.”The amendments, the largest in more than 25 years, will respect the inherent rights of Indigenous communities to provide their own child and family services, and to keep Indigenous children safely connected to their cultures and their communities.“The colonial era of the Province controlling child welfare must come to an end — and this legislation cannot be passed soon enough,” said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Union of BC Indian Chiefs. “This legislation holds the promise of finally affirming the inherent rights of First Nations to ensure our children are with their families, communities and people. It brings me incredible joy to think about this change in my lifetime, and for my grandchildren and great grandchildren. As Indigenous Peoples, we have the right to exercise self-determination over our children and we are glad this is finally being recognized through law.”The changes will also help to further address and reduce the disproportionate number of Indigenous children in provincial care.“We know that the current child-welfare system is a continuation of harmful colonial practices, and the solution is to re-assert jurisdiction over their children, youth and families in accordance with their customs, traditions and Indigenous laws,” said Mitzi Dean, Minister of Children and Family Development. “These amendments are a significant step in the creation of an approach that properly respects the inherent rights and legal orders of Indigenous Peoples and reshapes the provincial laws to focus on the best interests of Indigenous children.” The modernized legislation will support Indigenous Peoples to re-establish, develop and exercise child-welfare laws for their community members and to recreate their own models for child and family service delivery, including family support, child protection and adoption services. Upholding jurisdiction will have an unparalleled positive impact on Indigenous children, youth and families, respecting and facilitating connections to communities, and resulting in healthier lifelong outcomes.The amendments were developed in consultation and co-operation with Indigenous rightsholders, Modern Treaty Nations, Indigenous Governing Bodies (IGBs), Métis Nation BC and Indigenous partners. This is an important step in meeting government’s commitments under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and achieving the goals in the Declaration Act Action Plan, Theme 1: Self Determination and Inherent Right of Self Government.