Osama Abdullah أسامة عبد الله

The message is becoming unmistakable: climate risk is transforming into legal risk.

#HumanRights #SustainableFinance #ClimateCrisis #Investing #Switzerland #EU #InterAmericanCourt #ECtHR

1. Climate inaction = human rights violation.
2. Governments face new legal duties to align policies with climate targets.
3. Institutional investors must rethink portfolios, stewardship, and disclosures or risk legal and reputational consequences.

- The European Court of Human Rights ruled in KlimaSeniorinnen v. Switzerland (April 2024) that Switzerland violated the rights of elderly women by failing to take sufficient climate action.
These rulings, together with recent EU decisions, make it clear that:

- The Inter-American Court of Human Rights issued its OC-32/25 advisory opinion yesterday, affirming that states must tackle climate change to protect human rights, including responsibilities for cross-border harms.

Major legal breakthroughs on climate & human rights ☀️

In just three months, courts across Europe and the Americas have perhaps reshaped the legal landscape:

As investigative researchers, we see how laws like Article 47 foster a climate of fear, discouraging reporting in the public interest.

🇨🇭 Switzerland must urgently reform its banking secrecy laws if it wants to uphold its reputation for transparency and democratic values.

The raid on Inside Paradeplatz shows just how dangerous Article 47 of the Swiss Banking Act is. This law doesn’t just threaten journalists with massive fines or prison, it shields powerful financiers from scrutiny and weakens democracy.

Hässig, a freelance economic journalist at Inside Paradeplatz, was raided on 3 June. According to Hässig, half a dozen police officers stormed both his newsroom and home, seizing his laptop, phone, and documents—after the Zurich public prosecutor placed him under criminal investigation.

Police raids against Swiss finance journalist Lukas Hässig expose the dangers of Switzerland’s draconian banking secrecy laws. One of the gravest attacks on press freedom in the country in years.

Razzia bei «Inside Paradeplatz» – Art. 47 Bankengesetz darf nach dem gefährlichen Präzedenzfall nicht weiter gegen die Medien verwendet werden Die Razzia der Zürcher Staatsanwaltschaft in der Redaktion von «Inside Paradeplatz» sowie bei dessen Betreiber Lukas Hässig (Photo: Keystone-SDA) zuhause hat die Medienlandschaft in der Schweiz schock...

🤐 Is it any wonder major stories about misconduct in Swiss finance rarely break in Swiss papers? 🧵

rsf-ch.ch/de/razzia-be...

#ResponsibleInvesting #HumanRights #SNB #Gaza

A broader exclusion policy covering all weapons manufacturers would better align institutional investments with modern expectations of responsible and ethical investing.

For institutional investors such as the SNB, holding shares in companies like General Dynamics or Northrop Grumman exposes them to significant ethical, reputational, and potentially regulatory risks.

Even if legal under export controls, the use of bombs like the Mk-82 in dense urban settings leads to devastating humanitarian consequences.

While the SNB excludes companies producing cluster munitions or nuclear weapons, it continues to invest in companies that manufacture conventional bombs like the Mk-82, even though such weapons can cause mass civilian casualties when used in populated areas.

General Dynamics is a publicly traded company. Notably, the Swiss National Bank (SNB) is the 46th largest shareholder, holding around 660,000 shares valued at approximately $180 million.

In July 2024, the Biden administration resumed transfers of these bombs to Israel after a pause due to concerns over civilian casualties. The most likely manufacturer of the bomb used is General Dynamics, the primary supplier of Mk-82 bomb bodies to the U.S. military and its allies.

According to the Guardian, the bomb used in this strike was very likely of U.S. manufacture. Israel’s stockpile of 500-lb bombs has historically come from U.S. supplies, with recent shipments of Mk-82s arriving less than a year ago.

The MK-82 is a 500-pound (230 kg) low-drag general-purpose bomb originally developed in the United States in the 1950s. Today, it is produced in several countries, including Spain, Italy, France, Germany, and Turkey.

JASDF Mark.82 Inert bomb left side view at Tsuiki Air Base

Why Institutional Investors Must Rethink Stakes in Arms Makers After Gaza MK-82 Strike🧵

On June 30, Israel dropped an MK-82 bomb on a Gaza café, killing at least 24 and injuring more, including journalists. The evening attack hit while the café was full of civilians watching a televised event.

Eine Reise zurück nach Syrien Zwölf Jahre nach seiner Flucht begegnet unser Autor einem veränderten Land.

Here, you can read the story in the Republik: www.republik.ch/2025/04/08/e...

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Photo is from inside Al-Hijaz Train Station in Damascus. We were fortunate that the fighters guarding the station allowed us to enter this late 19th century beautiful landmark.

Despite all this and the geopolitical tensions in the region, Syrians still cling to hope. Now is the time for all us, as well as leaders, domestic and international, to stand with them, to ensure that hope withstands terror and denial of pluralism.

Ending the Assad dictatorship was just the beginning. The real test lies in resisting extremist pressure and building a plural, inclusive Syria where Al‑Sharaa can indeed be a president for every Syrian, not just those aligned with HTS.

3. Civil reconciliation & economic renewal
Encourage civil-society-led reconciliation initiatives, truth‑and‑justice processes, and investment to rebuild trust. Privatization might be the easy way out, but it is indeed a quick fix that would deepen income and wealth inequality in the long term.

2. Inclusive governance & minority protection
Reflecting voices like those of Syrian Christians, Kurds, Alawite & Druze communities, leadership under Al‑Sharaa must go beyond pledges and ensure real representation for all Syrians in constitution-drafting, security policy, and local administration.

The presence of foreign fighters within these ranks raises serious concerns about long-term stability and the credibility of Syria’s security institutions.

1. Strengthening the national unity forces could play a key role in dismantling ISIS cells and protecting places of worship and minority communities. However, the broad inclusion of various factions risks allowing extremist ideologies to infiltrate the security apparatus.

But extremist violence like the Damascus church bombing and flare-ups in minority areas signal deep fractures.

In my opinion, there are three priorities for Syrians and Syria's new leaders:

Now, as Ahmad al-Sharaa seeks to shepherd Syria forward, the nation did not leave the crossroads it found itself after toppling the oppressive regime. Al-Sharaa’s early moves, national dialogue, constitutional reform, integration with the SDF, offered some observers few optimistic signs.