This blog is open to any who wish to comment on Australian society, the state of the environment or political shenanigans at Federal, State and Local Government level.
Well
this last week of November 2025 certainly brought a reminder that
heatwaves are not just a feature of an Australian summer, they are
also a definite health hazard for many in our communities.
Particularly those with pre-existing health conditions, as well as the very young and those in older age brackets. People
who work outdoors are also at increased risk.
During
those same four years the annual heatwave-related attributable
mortality rate (per 100,000 residents per year) was 1.08 nationally.
While New South Wales had an annual heatwave-related attributable
mortality rate (per 100,000 residents per year) of 1.38.
By
way of examples closer to home, when it came to the annual
heatwave-related attributable mortality rate in North East NSW during
2016-2019:
From
2019 to 2022, there were 2,143 hospital admissions related to extreme
heat, including 717 patients from Queensland, 410 from Victoria, 348
from NSW, 266 from South Australia, 267 from Western Australia, 73
from the Northern Territory, 23 from the ACT and 19 from Tasmania.
In 2025 it is not only Gaza and its people being starved to death and its infrastructure destroyed by malice aforethought.
Just
16 days days into his term as 47th US president Donald J Trump issued
a presidential action document titled WITHDRAWING THE UNITED
STATES FROM AND ENDING FUNDING TO CERTAIN UNITED NATIONS
ORGANIZATIONS AND REVIEWING UNITED STATES
SUPPORT TO ALL INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
Historically
the United States of America had been the largest
member state contributor to the UN annual budget.
In
2025 its financial support was intended to contribute est. 31
percent, with its funding meeting est. 22 percent of the UN regular
budget and approximately 26 percent of the UN peacekeeping budget,
with the other 193 UN member states contributing an est. 69% of the
total annual financial support required.
The
intent of this presidential action document appears to be the
systematic starvation of the peak United Nations organisation and its
agencies, by way of not meeting its obligations as set out in the UN2025 Budget assessment of 8 January 2025and refusing to pay
existing U.S. membership arrears in order to bend this international
peak body to his will.
At
Day 65 of this second Trump presidency the UN carried state member
nation contribution arrears totalling US$2.4 billion of which the
United States owed US$1.5 billion.
By
Day 180 of this second presidency Trump had not revoked the 4
February 2025 decision, but he had not broken the resolve of the UN
to protect its independence. Nor had he managed to shutdown all UN
debates
& resolutions on the Question of Gaza.
On Day 247, Tuesday 23 September 2025, Trump delivered a speech to the United Nations
General Assembly. Like other member states he was allotted 15 minutes
but he spoke for 57 minutes. During which time his audience politely
laughed at his barbed humour as he attempted to blame UN staff for
the problems caused by his own security and communications teams on
his way into the assembly hall and up to the lectern and I suspect
many, battered by Trump's global trade war, worried by incessant
belligerent/ threatening tweets against their governments or hoping to
pour oil on Trump's resentment of the United Nations, sat stoically
though the better part of an hour of barefaced falsehoods, boasting
and arrogant insults, then clapped him enthusiastically.
On or about 30 September 2025 Trump held a press conference with the alleged war criminal Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, at which he announced that he would head the Board of Peace. This announcement comes at 2:22 mins into the video below
On Day 302, Monday 17 November 2025 the UN Security Council announced the following in a
press
release which began:
The
Security Council today endorsed the United States-backed
“Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict”, welcomed its
establishment of the Board of Peace and authorised the Board and
Member States working with it to establish a temporary International
Stabilization Force in Gaza.
Adopting
resolution 2803 (2025) (to be issued as document S/RES/2803(2025)) by
a vote of 13 in favour to none against, with 2 abstentions (China,
Russian Federation), the Council also authorized the Board and Member
States participating therein to enter arrangements necessary to
achieve the Comprehensive Plan’s objectives and to establish
operational entities to this end. Such entities will operate under
the Board’s transitional authority and oversight.
The
Council also underscored the importance of the full resumption of
humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip in cooperation with the Board,
in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles,
through cooperating organizations — including the United Nations —
and ensuring such aid is not diverted by armed groups.
Further,
the text states that, as the Force establishes control and stability,
the Israel Defense Forces will withdraw from the Gaza Strip based on
standards, milestones and timeframes linked to demilitarization that
will be agreed between specified parties — “save for a security
perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure
from any resurgent terror threat”.
Additionally,
the Council decided that the Board, along with international civil
and security presences authorized by today’s resolution, shall
remain authorized until 31 December 2027, subject to further Council
action. The organ also requested the Board to provide it with a
written progress report every six months......
Those
member states on the Security Council who voted in favour of this
resolution, which both what remains of the Palestinian government in
Gaza and the State of Israel are believed to object to for different
reasons, were Algeria, Demark,
France, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone,
and Slovenia.
It
would seem the United Nations Security Council remains dominated by
the United States of America and, by a U.S. president who could be
suspected of being predominately focussed on seeking both the Nobel Peace Prize and his family's
enrichment through land/property development deals on the ground in
Gaza.
As
of 3:30am AEDST a UN direct link to Resolution 2803 (2025) so
an alternate source for this resolution was sought.
Full
transcript of Resolution 2803 (2025) can
be found at end of an article with title & lede; "Full
text of the US resolution for Gaza approved by the UN Security
Council: UN Resolution 2803 places Donald Trump in control of Gaza
and, using vague language, says if certain targets are met there
could be a pathway to the creation of a Palestinian state"
"Adopted
by the Security Council at its 10046th meeting, on 17 November 2025
The
Security Council,
Welcoming
the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict of 29 September 2025
(“Comprehensive Plan”), and applauding the states that have
signed, accepted, or endorsed it, and further welcoming the historic
Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity of 13 October
2025 and the constructive role played by the United States of
America, the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the
Republic of Türkiye, in having facilitated the ceasefire in the Gaza
Strip,
Determining
that the situation in the Gaza Strip threatens the regional peace and
the security of neighboring states and noting prior relevant Security
Council resolutions relating to the situation in the Middle East,
including the Palestinian question,
1.
Endorses the Comprehensive Plan, acknowledges the parties have
accepted it, and calls on all parties to implement it in its
entirety, including maintenance of the ceasefire, in good faith and
without delay;
2.
Welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace (BoP) as a
transitional administration with international legal personality that
will set the framework, and coordinate funding, for the redevelopment
of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan, and in a manner
consistent with relevant international legal principles, until such
time as the Palestinian Authority (PA) has satisfactorily completed
its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including
President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French Proposal,
and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. After the
PA reform program is faithfully carried out and Gaza redevelopment
has advanced, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible
pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The United
States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians
to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous
coexistence;
3.
Underscores the importance of the full resumption of humanitarian aid
in cooperation with the BoP into the Gaza Strip in a manner
consistent with relevant international legal principles and through
cooperating organizations, including the United Nations, the
International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent, and
ensuring such aid is used solely for peaceful uses and not diverted
by armed groups;
4.
Authorizes Member States participating in the BoP and the BoP to: (A)
enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to achieve the
objectives of the Comprehensive Plan, including those addressing
privileges and immunities of personnel of the force established in
paragraph 7 below; and (B) establish operational entities with, as
necessary, international legal personality and transactional
authorities for the performance of its functions, including: (1) the
implementation of a transitional governance administration, including
the supervising and supporting of a Palestinian technocratic,
apolitical committee of competent Palestinians from the Strip, as
championed by the Arab League, which shall be responsible for
day-to-day operations of Gaza’s civil service and administration;
(2) the reconstruction of Gaza and of economic recovery programs; (3)
the coordination and supporting of and delivery of public services
and humanitarian assistance in Gaza; (4) any measures to facilitate
the movement of persons in and out of Gaza, in a manner consistent
with the Comprehensive Plan; and (5) any such additional tasks as may
be necessary to support and implement the Comprehensive Plan;
5.
Understands that the operational entities referred to in paragraph 4
above will operate under the transitional authority and oversight of
the BoP and are to be funded through voluntary contributions from
donors and BoP funding vehicles and governments;
6.
Calls upon the World Bank and other financial institutions to
facilitate and provide financial resources to support the
reconstruction and development of Gaza , including through the
establishment of a dedicated trust fund for this purpose and governed
by donors;
7.
Authorizes Member States working with the BoP and the BoP to
establish a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza
to deploy under unified command acceptable to the BoP, with forces
contributed by participating States, in close consultation and
cooperation with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel,
and to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate consistent
with international law, including international humanitarian law. The
ISF shall work with Israel and Egypt, without prejudice to their
existing agreements, along with the newly trained and vetted
Palestinian police force, to help secure border areas; stabilize the
security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of
demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and
prevention of rebuilding of the military, terror, and offensive
infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons
from non-state armed groups; protect civilians, including
humanitarian operations; train and provide support to the vetted
Palestinian police forces; coordinate with relevant States to secure
humanitarian corridors; and undertake such additional tasks as may be
necessary in support of the Comprehensive Plan. As the ISF
establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
will withdraw from the Gaza Strip based on standards, milestones, and
timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed between the
IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, save for a security
perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure
from any resurgent terror threat. The ISF shall, (A) assist the BoP
in monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, and enter
into such arrangements as may be necessary to achieve the objectives
of the Comprehensive Plan; and (B) operate under the strategic
guidance of the BoP and will be funded through voluntary
contributions from donors and BoP funding vehicles and governments;
8.
Decides the BoP and international civil and security presences
authorized by this resolution shall remain authorized until Dec. 31,
2027, subject to further action by the Council, and any further
reauthorization of the ISF be in full cooperation and coordination
with Egypt and Israel and other Member States continuing to work with
the ISF;
9.
Calls upon Member States and international organizations to work with
the BoP to identify opportunities to contribute personnel, equipment,
and financial resources to its operating entities and the ISF, to
provide technical assistance to its operating entities and the ISF,
and to give full recognition to its acts and documents;
10.
Requests the BoP provide a written report on progress related to the
above to the UN Security Council every six months;
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