Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1527021
6 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 25 SEPTEMBER 2024 NEWS DEPUTY Prime Minister and foreign affairs minister, Ian Borg has appealed for immediate glob- al action to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, during the Summit of the Future in the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Borg described extreme pover- ty and hunger's continued exist- ence as "unacceptable" in today's world. The summit, which conclud- ed with the adoption of the Pact for the Future, aims to promote multilateral action on a range of global challenges, including sus- tainable development, interna- tional peace, security, and youth engagement. Borg reaffirmed Malta's com- mitment to the goals outlined in the pact, particularly in achiev- ing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030 and Net Zero goals by 2050. "To create a better future, we must accelerate action, right here, right now," he urged. He emphasised the importance of conflict prevention in main- taining international peace and security, and advocated for great- er inclusion of women and youth in peace processes as key to sus- taining long-term peace. On the youth, Borg described them as,"the innovators, entre- preneurs, dreamers, and creators who shape this world," stress- ing the need to invest in youth through education and empow- erment. Borg also noted the Pact's focus on children, calling for increased protection against violence and conflict, along with more invest- ment in education. The foreign affairs minister linked the climate crisis with global peace, urging immediate action to reduce emissions, the transition to renewable energy, and the protection of vulnerable communities. In addition to his participation at the summit, Borg engaged in bilateral talks with the foreign ministers of various nations, in- cluding Antigua and Barbuda, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cabo Verde, and Uzbekistan, and took part in meetings with the Common- wealth Ministerial Action Group and Commonwealth Foreign Af- fairs Ministers. Extreme hunger, poverty 'unacceptable' in today's world, Borg tells UN Summit The summit, which concluded with the adoption of the Pact for the Future, aims to promote multilateral action on a range of global challenges, including sustainable development, international peace, security, and youth engagement Foreign affairs minister Ian Borg (Photo: ODPM/MFET) MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt THE Nationalist Party has said Joseph Cuschieri should be removed from the headship of Project Green after having been found of carrying out an illegal termination of an em- ployee at the MFSA, where he had formerly been CEO. Cuschieri was found guilty by the Industrial Tribunal of having committed an injus- tice against an employee while serving as CEO of the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA), and of causing undue hardship to the employee and his family in an illegal and un- just manner. In a strongly worded deci- sion, the Industrial Tribunal condemned the illegal manner in which Cuschieri had acted towards this employee, who had been dismissed from his job for objecting to Cuschieri's decision-making. The Tribunal ordered the MFSA to pay a sum of €413,688 as compensation for the in- come lost by the employee during the years he had to wait for this decision, as well as for moral damages. It was also decided that the employee should be reinstated in his position within the MF- SA. Since his resignation from the MFSA on an unrelated in- cident, Cuschieri has been ap- pointed CEO of Project Green. "His position is no longer ten- able," the PN's spokespersons on finance and the economy, MPs Graham Bencini and Je- rome Caruana Cilia, said. "Minister Miriam Dalli must immediately remove Cuschie- ri, and if she does not, Prime Minister Robert Abela must dismiss him himself. It is un- acceptable for a high-ranking government official to remain in such a position. If he is not removed, Robert Abela will be perpetuating a culture of impunity in the country. He would be rewarding those who do wrong, break the law, and ruin people's lives," the two MPs said. "The MFSA must immediate- ly take the necessary legal steps to ensure that the damages rightly owed to the employee are not paid out of public taxes but by those who blatantly and shamelessly committed this il- legality. "The MFSA Board of Gover- nors, as well as the Executive Committee, cannot remain si- lent in the face of such injus- tice. Malta's reputation in the financial sector has already suffered significant blows and cannot afford more scandals. The primary interest of those running the MFSA should be the public's interest, not that of the Prime Minister's friend or his Chief of Staff." PN says Project Green CEO should be removed over unfair dismissal decision The Nationalist Party said Joseph Cuschieri (above) should be removed as Project Green CEO after being found guilty of the unfair dismissal of an MFSA employee that cost the authority €413,000 in compensation "To create a better future, we must accelerate action, right here, right now,"