Baathist Maysaa Sabrine Appointed as Syria’s Central Bank Chief

Syria’s new interim government is moving full-blast ahead on women’s right. It has just appointed, Monday Maysaa Sabrine as the new governor of the country’s Central Bank. This is the second woman appointment in the new administration of Ahmed Al Sharaa, seen as an Islamist extremist turned liberal.

She becomes the first woman to hold such a top position in the bank’s seven decade history  and is expected to lead Syria into the modern age in a post-Baathist government. 

But there is a hitch and apparently that doesn’t seem to be much bothering the new government in Damascus for Sabrine has served under the old Baathist regime as deputy governor of the Central Bank for the last six years and holds a degree in accounting.

Thus it would seem the new government is looking for meritocracy than ideological or political affiliation for Sabrine is will versed in the country’s fiscal system having also served on the board of directors of the Syria securities exchange.

Her appointment is trending on the social media as she is the second woman after Aisha Al Dibs who was made head of the Women Affairs Section in the interim administration, an appointment designed to allay the fears of the West who still see this government as an Islamist extremist one.

Therefore the appointment of Sabrine has created much talk among the social media buffs related to those who supported the move and those against it as she was part-and-parcel of the former Baath regime.

But those in favor believe the woman has a wide ranging economic experience that would be essential for the current administration. So maybe practicalities has over-ridden the ideological garb.

CrossFireArabia

CrossFireArabia

Dr. Marwan Asmar holds a PhD from Leeds University and is a freelance writer specializing on the Middle East. He has worked as a journalist since the early 1990s in Jordan and the Gulf countries, and been widely published, including at Albawaba, Gulf News, Al Ghad, World Press Review and others.

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Hormuz Strait in The Checkered Ceasefire

Re-opening the Strait of Hormuz would bring vital relief for many economies, but developing countries will continue to grapple with increased food and fuel costs, according to a new UN report released on Tuesday.

Following the shaky ceasefire in the US and Israeli war with Iran, commercial shipping through the strait quickly began to rebound in mid-June, but has slowed in recent days as Washington and Tehran have exchanged strikes in the region.

Iran has reportedly rejected an effort by France and Oman to remove mines from the strait and safeguard international trade as well as a suggestion by the UN’s International Maritime Organization (IMO) to open a new shipping lane off the coast of Oman.

While the report from the UN Trade and Development agency (UNCTAD) expects oil shipments to recover, it warns that freight contracts, supply chains and food systems would take longer to adjust and that high food costs could contribute to acute malnutrition in developing countries.

Vulnerable economies bear the brunt

Higher energy prices fuel higher transport costs, agricultural costs and inflation, which increases food prices long after the initial shock, UNCTAD noted.

Small island countries like Cabo Verde and Micronesia depend heavily on food and oil imports, which creates a “dual exposure” to shocks, making them especially vulnerable to price increases, UNCTAD said.

The agency estimated that 61 vulnerable economies are exposed to both oil and cereal import shocks.

Developing countries and small island States also tend to have tighter public finances and therefore less ability to absorb shocks, according to UNCTAD.

If these countries face difficulties mobilising resources, a heavy debt servicing burden, a drop in remittances or a decline in international aid, trade shocks could affect small nations even more.

Impact on food security

Beyond economic impacts, UNCTAD warned that although it is necessary to fully re-open the strait, food production risks remain.

Even short periods of unaffordable food in import-dependent countries can have lasting consequences for child wasting, meaning that a child has a low weight-for-height.

As real food prices increase by five per cent, the risk of child wasting increases by 15 per cent for poor children and 26 per cent for children of rural, landless poor households.

The report called for greater international support to help countries manage higher import costs, cushion food and fuel price shocks and strengthen their ability to cope with future trade disruptions.

“These shocks will be felt for many months, with developing countries bearing the heaviest impacts. I call on all parties to honour the ceasefire and redouble efforts,” UN Secretary-General António Guterres said. UN News

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Media Cries Foul: CBJ Removes 20 Martyred Palestinian Journalists From its Records

The ‘Palestinian Journalists Bloc’ states that it is condemning with anger the decision by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CBJ) to amend its definition of who qualifies as a journalist, and which resulted in the removal of martyred Palestinian journalists from its records. Journalists say this decision is a dangerous precedent and a professional and ethical violation, providing the Israeli occupation with further cover to justify its crimes against Palestinian journalists.

In a statement received by Quds Press, Wednesday evening, the Bloc added that the Committee based its decision on Israeli allegations claiming that some Palestinian journalists are affiliated with military entities, despite the absence of any legal or professional evidence to substantiate these claims. It pointed out the CBJ, in contrast, ignored its own established standards for dealing with journalists in other countries who accompany their militaries or work for media outlets affiliated with their governments, without revoking their journalistic status. This, according to the statement, is a double standard and a targeting of Palestinian journalists.

The Palestinian journalists note the committee’s announcement of removing 20 names from the list of martyred Palestinian journalists, while offering explanations for only eight of them, raises serious questions about the basis for its decision and undermines its credibility as a body that is supposed to defend press freedom and protect journalists, not adopt the narrative of the occupying power.

The bloc emphasized that the martyred Palestinian journalists were performing their professional duty of reporting the truth and documenting the genocide committed against the Palestinian people. It stressed that the removal of their names from the committee’s records does not negate their journalistic status, erase the truth, or absolve the Israeli occupation of its responsibility for deliberately targeting and killing them.

The bloc warned that this step constitutes a dangerous precedent that could open the door to justifying the targeting of journalists in conflict zones based on political claims, thus undermining the principle of international protection for journalists and weakening efforts to combat impunity.

And hence, the Palestinian bloc is demanding that the CBJ’s board of directors immediately reverse its decision and reinstate all Palestinian journalists killed in action on its official lists, and issues an apology for this bias, which is damaging the credibility and mission of the committee.

It is calling on the international press and human rights organizations and media unions to reject the latest decision, adhere to unified professional standards in dealing with journalists, and work to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes against Palestinian journalists, instead of adopting its narrative.

The bloc concluded its statement by affirming that the blood of Palestinian journalists will remain a testament to the truth, and that all attempts to erase their sacrifices or strip them of their professional status will fail.

This statement was translated from a report translated from Quds Press and appeared in crossfirearabia.com

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