The Foreign Service Journal, January-February 2023

14 JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2023 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL report states, the media sector has largely collapsed under restrictions and censor- ship. Without long-term, institutional support, Afghanistan’s media may not withstand the Taliban’s efforts to com- pletely control the flow of information about the country. SIGAR also noted the heightened personal safety risks and loss of empow- erment for Afghan women and girls, and the acute risk faced by the health care and education sectors. The report con- cludes that current conditions are similar to those under the Taliban in the 1990s. Finally, financial audits of U.S.-funded projects identified more than $10 million in questioned costs and deficiencies by government contractors. COP27 Culminates in New Fund A s negotiations over a historic fund and fossil fuel emissions dragged on, the latest United Nations climate summit, COP27, lasted nearly two days longer than expected. By Nov. 20, however, a break- through agreement was announced that sets up a “loss and damage” fund offering vulnerable nations financial assistance in coping with the climate crisis, The Wash- ington Post reported. For more than 30 years, developing countries have called for such a fund, asking wealthier industrialized nations to provide compensation for the costs of climate disasters fueled by global warm- ing. The U.S. and other countries have long blocked the proposal, fearing legal liability for greenhouse gas emissions. According to The New York Times , the new agreement says nations cannot be held legally liable for payments. A relentless pressure campaign, led by Pakistan and supported by more than 130 developing nations, fought to estab- lish the fund. The countries argued that they did little to contribute to a crisis that threatens their survival. Despite this development, countries at the summit failed to commit to phas- ing down fossil fuels or coal. “A fund for loss and damage is essen- tial—but it’s not an answer if the climate crisis washes a small island state off the map or turns an entire African country to desert. The world still needs a giant leap on climate ambition,” U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres wrote in a Nov. 20 tweet. No Respite for Ukraine D espite hopes that the onset of winter might lead to a slowdown in fight- ing, the Kremlin’s war of aggression rages on in Ukraine. November and December saw Russia step up its missile strikes against Ukrainian energy infrastructure, leading to rolling blackouts across the country and leaving many without heat and water as temperatures plummet. Secretary of State Antony Blinken called the attacks “barbaric,” The Hill reported. “We know President [Vladi- mir] Putin’s playbook: freeze and starve Ukrainians, force them from their homes, drive up energy, food and other house- hold costs, not only across Europe but around the world, and then try to splinter our coalition.” In addition to continuing to invest in Ukraine’s defense—more than $19 billion since January 2021—the U.S., including Fighting Uyghur Persecution H.R. 4785 [Uyghur Policy Act] will mandate Uyghur language instruction at the Foreign Service Institute and require the State Depart- ment to station a Uyghur-fluent officer at Mission China locations. The bill also authorizes support for Uyghur human rights activists and directs the U.S. Agency for Global Media to disseminate news and information regarding Uyghur genocide. We must act now to leverage U.S. soft power, garner international support for Uyghurs and other ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, and equip the State Department with the tools it needs to better respond to Xi Jinping’s genocidal campaign. —Representative Young Kim (R-Calif.), H.R. 4785 bill sponsor, in a Nov. 29 floor statement. The Need to Confirm Ambassadors Today, diplomats are more critical than ever in advancing U.S. foreign policy and national security interests as the global security landscape is experiencing probably the most seismic shifts since World War II. And while our diplomatic impact is forged and sustained by the dedicated public servants of the Foreign Service, we must have qualified, confirmed ambassadors on the ground to lead and sup- port them. To tackle the myriad complex challenges we’re facing, we have to have ambassadors heading our embas- sies and representing us in multilateral organizations. —Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee nomination hearing on Nov. 29. HEARD ON THE HILL JOSH